Mr. Culpepper's Treatise of aurum potabile Being a description of the three-fold world, viz. elementary celestial intellectual containing the knowledge necessary to the study of hermetick philosophy. Faithfully written by him in his life-time, and since his death, published by his wife.

OF THE MOON. CHAP. II.

AS concerning the Moon, we de∣sire you to consider,

I. That by her generation is perfe∣cted in all things here below, and with out her nothing can be perfected, no more then a Man could beget a Child without the help of a Woman; for though the Sun give vitall heat to the Creation, yet this vi∣tall heat will consume, and not

preserve, were there not radicall moysture; for the Moon adds that moysture to the heat of the Sun, without which the Sun could gene∣rate nothing in the World: So also Philosophers have their owne peculiar Suns and Moons, where∣with they perfect their operations; as also their Saturns, and their Mer∣curies.

And here let us give you war∣ning once more, that when Philoso∣phers speak of their Sun, or their Moon, or their Saturne, or their Mercury, they intend not the vul∣gar or common Sun and Moon, but things far different, things which are in all things, and to be found every where, but no where to be bought for money.

We dare write no plainer, search them out in your selves, there you may soonest finde them.

2. In the Habitable world she answers to the Menstruum of the world, and concocts it, giving con∣cocted moysture to all Creatures, both Minerall, Animall, and Vege∣table; for as the Sun quickens them, and gives vitall heat to them, so the Moon subministers radicall moysture to them.

3. Philosophers know how to fetch radicall moysture in their ope∣rations from their owne Philosophi∣call Moon, when they can but finde her in the Philosophicall Sea, for she is not alwayes to be found there; for though the tree of the Moon alwayes grow upon the bank, yet is not the fruit at all times to be gathered.

The Poets layed downe this in some places very truly, though very fabulously. We confesse we cannot much blame them in so doing, since God hath opened the eyes of our

understanding to conceive of some of the deep mysteries that are layed downe in scripture; for God hath laid down his will and meaning in the Scripture to the Sons of men in deep mysteries, and though most men understand the Letter, yet few understand the mystery, which is the cause of all those er∣rors in judgement now amongst us; and of all that fighting both of tongues and hands, whereby so many men have lost their lives, and yet the truth more obscured; and the ancient Philosophers cou∣ched their truths under Riddles, that so none might understand them but such to whom God pleased to reveal them, which are those who live above this present world. So the ancient Poets delivered excel∣lent truths under fables, of which this of Virgil was one.

Munere quinetiam lanae (si credere dignum est) Pan Deus Arcadia captam, te Luna, fefellit, Per nemora alta vocans, nec tu asper∣nata vocantem.

By help of Wool (if it you will be∣lieve) Pan the Arcadian god, did once de∣ceive, And caught the Moon; when to her he did cry Out of the Wood; nor did she once deny.

4. What the operation of the Moon is in the Elementary world (and Philosophers must make use of their Philosophicall Moon in like manner, else they will bring their Hogs to a fair Market) may be cleerly seen, if we look no far∣ther then the generation of Man, in which thou mayest see a lively Epi∣tome both of the operations of the Sun and her.

5. In the generation of all things in the Elementary world, as the Sun gives heat, so the Moon gives moy∣sture, and that's the reason that the generation and growth of all things is performed by heat and moy∣sture.

6. The truth of this is more cleerly shewn no where then in the Conception of Man; for the seed of both sexes being mixed, the Mother furnisheth the conception

with excrementitious blood, called Menstruis, which she receives by means of what food she eats or drinks; which the Microcosmicall Sun in the Embryon by his heat compels into a mass, ferments it by concoction, and forms into the shape of a Man.

7. Just so for all the world the Moon doth in the Macrocosme; for by her swift circulation about the Earth, she receives the virtue of the Sun and the five Planets, from which like a Mother she gives nou∣rishment and growth to things below, in the Elementary world.

8. The Earth like a Wombe re∣ceives the vitall heat of the Coele∣stiall Sun, and the radicall moysture of the Coelestiall Moon, which the Centrall Sun in the bowels of the Earth concocts (as the stomach concocts food) and makes it fit nourishment for the severall Ideas in the Elementary world.

9. Thus are all things in the Elementary world, both Minerals, Animals, and Vegetables, first for∣med in the Earth, till at last they live, and being alive, they grow to perfection, being nourished by the same breasts of the Sun and Moon. Heed this carefully in all Philoso∣phicall preparations; if you do not forget it in the study of Aurum Po∣tabile, you cannot do amisse.

10. Some Philosophers hold that the Microcosmicall Moon keeps her Court in the brain of Man, and that we conceive might probably give the first rise of that foolish opinion of Ar••stotle's, viz. that the brain was cold and moyst, and tempered and allayed the heat of the Heart; whereas there proceeds nothing from the Brain to the Heart, but onely one small Nerve, and the least childe in Anatomy knows well enough that it is not

the office of the Nerves to convey coldnesse and moysture to the Body.

You see what low principles those which our Dons account famous men, were guided by, and that they understood the letter, and not the meaning of Philosophy.

Also, because they held the Mi∣crocosmicall Moon kept her Court in the Brain, that we conceive was the reason why such as are afflicted in the Brain, are commonly said to be Lunatick.

11. Onely take notice of thus much, and so we shall conclude this Chapter. That seeing the Moon so variously applyes, sometimes to this Star, and sometimes to that, seeing she is alwayes inconstant, alwayes varying; this is the reason of those inconstancies in all things here be∣low, which the eternall and onely wise God hath caused to be, that so his people seeing no constancy in

this world, should look for it in another world hereafter, when this shall be no more.

And thus much for this Chapter.