Text.BP190.E2v/Translation
Letter from the eminent philosopher Johannes Pontanus, in which he discusses the stone called by philosophers.
I, Johannes Pontanus, have traversed many regions to ascertain something certain about the philosophers' stone. And as if circling the entire world, I found false deceivers, not philosophers, yet always studying and doubting in many ways, I found the truth. But when I recognized the material, I erred two hundred times before I found the true material, operation, and practice. First, I began with the material, operations, putrefactions for nine months, and found nothing. I also placed it in the bath of Mary for some time and likewise erred. Indeed, I placed it in the fire of calcination for three months and operated poorly: I dealt with all kinds of distillations and sublimations (as philosophers say, or seem to say) like Geber, Archelaus, and almost all others, and found nothing. Finally, I attempted to perfect the subject of the entire art of alchemy in all conceivable ways, and those done through dung, Bath, Ashes, and other fires of various kinds, which are found in the philosophers' books, but found nothing good. Therefore, for three continuous years, I studied the philosophers' books, especially in Hermes alone: whose words are brief, encompass the entire stone, though obscurely, about the superior and inferior: about heaven and earth. Our instrument, therefore, which brings the material through in the second and third work, is not the fire of the bath nor of dung or ashes, nor other fires that philosophers have placed in their books. What, then, is that fire which completes the entire work from beginning to end? Certainly, the philosophers concealed it, but moved by piety, I want to declare to you, along with the complement of the entire work, the properties of this fire. Therefore, the philosophers' stone is one, and is called by many names, and before you recognize it, it will be difficult for you. For it is Watery, Airy, Fiery, Earthy, Phlegmatic, Choleric, and Melancholic, it is indeed sulphurous, and is likewise quicksilver, and has many superfluities, which are converted by the living God into the true essence through our fire, and whoever separates something from the subject, thinking it necessary, certainly knows nothing in philosophy. Because the superfluous, unclean, base, and filthy, and the entire substance of the subject, is perfected into a spiritual, fixed body through our fire. And this the wise have never ignored: therefore, few come to the art, thinking something of such superfluity and uncleanliness. Now it is necessary to elicit the properties of our fire, and whether it suits our material in such a way, namely, that it is transmuted, since that fire does not burn the material, does not separate anything from the material: does not segregate the pure parts from the impure (as all philosophers say: but converts the entire subject into purity. It does not sublimate, as Geber makes his sublimations similarly and Arnaldus: and others speaking of Sublimations and distillations, to be completed in a short time. It is mineral, it is equal, it is continuous, it does not vaporize unless overly excited, it partakes of sulphur: it is taken from elsewhere than from the material, it destroys everything, dissolves and congeals, similarly congeals, and calcinates, and is artificial to find, it is a compendium without any expense, at least little, and that fire is with moderate ignition, because with a gentle fire the entire work is completed, simultaneously making all due sublimations for whoever would read Geber, and all other philosophers, if they lived for a hundred thousand years, would not comprehend, because that fire is found through sole and deep contemplation, then indeed it can be comprehended in books and not before. Therefore, the error of this art is not finding the fire, which converts the entire material into the true philosophers' stone: therefore, you should study there. Because if I had found this first, I would not have erred two hundred times in practice over the material: therefore, I am not surprised if so many and such great ones have not reached the work, have erred, err, will err, because they did not place the proper agent, philosophers, except for one, who had read Artephius, and had I not sensed speaking, I would never have reached the completion of the work. But this is the practice, Let it be taken, and as diligently as possible, let it be ground, by physical crushing, and let it be left to the fire, and let the proportion of the fire be known, namely, that it only excites the material, and in a short time that fire, without any other application of hands, completes the entire work, because it will putrefy, corrupt, generate and perfect: and will make three principal colors appear, Black, White, and Red, and through our fire, the medicine will be multiplied, if raw material is added to it: and not only in quantity, but also in virtue: for with all your might seek your fire, and you will arrive. Because it does the entire work, and is the key to all philosophers, which they never revealed, but if you have thought well and deeply on the aforementioned properties of the fire, you will know, and not otherwise. Moved by piety, I wrote this, but to satisfy that the fire is not transmuted with the material, because it is not of the material as I said above. Therefore, I wanted to say this and to admonish the prudent not to wastefully consume their money. But let them know what they should seek in that way they will come to the truth of the art, and not otherwise. Farewell.
