Fasciculus chemicus or Chymical collections. Expressing the ingress, progress, and egress, of the secret hermetick science, out of the choisest and most famous authors. Collected and digested in such an order, that it may prove to the advantage, not onely of beginners, but proficients of this high art, by none hitherto disposed in this method. Whereunto is added, the Arcanum or grand secret of hermetick philosophy. Both made English by James Hasolle, Esquire, qui est Mercuriophilus Anglicus.

THE COROLLARY.

In this Chapter is openly explai∣ned the Fable of Phaeton, in Ovids Metamorphosis. As also of Deda∣lus with his Son Icarus; who when they had made themselves wings of Feathers, and had fastned them with Wax, and when with these they had flown through the Aire beyond the Labyrinth, it is reported Icarus fly∣ing too high, fell into the Sea, in which he was drowned, because the Sun melted the Wax. By his Father Dedalus is understood the Sulphur of Nature sublimated and Philoso∣phically coagulated. By Icarus the

same Sulphur sublimated, but with undue governance of the Artist, and continued violence of the Fire, mel∣ted into Water, and buried in the dead Sea. In these also is explained the Fable of our English Roger Ba∣con the Monk, of whom it is rela∣ted, That he composed a Brazen Head, whose custody (after many lucubrations) he committed to his servant, that while he refresht his tired spirit with sleep, he would care∣fully observe the time, that as soon as ever it spake, in the very moment he should wake him; but the servant being asleep, the Brazen Head utte∣red these words, Time is, and again an hour after, Time is past, when by their negligence the Work was de∣prived of life and annihilated; which also appears in the assertion of that excellent Philosopher Petrus Bonus in these words:

If in the time of Generation the Soul shall stand in the Fire, and

her strength prevail by the force of Spirit, then she flies away, and draws with her the Body to flight, and the Workman remains fru∣strate of his purpose; and expects that which hath been already come and gone, and shall never come again hereafter, because it is mingled with that condemned Earth, whence it is impossible it should again be separated.

But as the Condemned or rejected Earth is not found out, unlesse the pure be separated from the impure; nor is that said to be pure, which in it self contains feculency, of conse∣quence it must be prepared with the greatest Industry, nor with lesse vi∣gilancy is our Physicall subject com∣pounded first by Nature for us, and formed into a Metallick Form, so that it may be reduced into the first Mat∣ter, and by our skill, viz. by the Se∣paration, Putrefaction, Imbibition, Sublimation, Conjunction of the E∣lements,

there might arise at length a new Form, which is the Basis of the Philosophick Work as is mani∣fest in the Chapter. Whence the say∣ing of Artepheus is apparent. viz. That the first part remains not ex∣cept it be bound to the second, e∣ven in the same Hour. But that Allegation is done by Coagulation, the Coagulation by Infrigidation e∣ven in that Hour in which the Ar∣tist shall see, and in his Judgement perceive, the whole most pure sub∣stance sublimated from its rejected Earth. Which secret of secrets ob∣scured of all Philosophers in their sundry Aenigmaes, concealed and di∣versly disperst in their Books, I have in brief so clearly opened, as of none the like hitherto. And this is the Preparation in which (as Senior saith) men are blinded since they know not that the Stone is prepa∣red with this Preparation.