As this orbeorb is by the connexionconnection of earth and water conglobated into one
round body, soeso allsoalso the Potters workework seems to be compounded of the
same Elements particularly, namely of siccity and moisture, that one
may regulate the other: for if the earth should be without water, nei=
ther the Ocean, sea, lakes, rivers, or fountains would be near the earth,
it could bear nothing of itselfeitself, but remaineremain barren: SoeSo if water should
not be received into the cavityescavities of the earth, but stand about, it would
easily cover the whole earth, and soeso the same remayneremain inhabitable:
but one entringentering amicably into the other, and water moderating the -
siccity of the earth, the earth the moisture of that, by their mutuallmutual
coḿixtioncommixtion, hereby is the fertility and utility of both Elements conspi=
cuous: In like manner the Potter mixethmixes clay with water, to make -
thereof a tractable massemass, which heehe Shapes by his wheelewheel, and settssets in
the warme aireair, that it may be gradually dryeddried; then adds violence of -
fire, that his vessellsvessels may be well hardened, and condensed into a durable
stone, which can resist both water and fire: SoeSo allsoalso must weewe proceed
in the naturallnatural workework as the Philosophers attest, and therefore doedo affirmeaffirm
that example ought to be taken from the Potters. For as to siccity and -
moisture, that is, earth and water, weewe doubt not that there is much -
affinity in both, but much difference in the way of coction, and in the
matter and formeform of compounding the Elements: For Potters vessellsvessels have
an artificiallartificial formeform, the PhilosophicallPhilosophical tincture a formeform alltogetheraltogether natu=
rallnatural, and soeso much more noble than they, by how much the more excel=
lent the matter of this is than theirs: either is indeed a workework of earth, but
in the PhilosophicallPhilsophical there is nothing saydsaid to be, which hathhas not ascended
and attained to the heaven of aireair, in that a thickethick and fæculentfeculent earth is
prædominantpredominant: The effect of both is a stone, there a coḿoncommon, here a Philo=
sophicallPhilosophical: by which name a certainecertain person being seduced put a great -
number of artificiallartificial stones or tylestiles into one chest, and the whiter sort
of flints into another, using DiabolicallDiabolical conjurations from above, by -
which the last were at a certainecertain time to be converted into silver, the
first into pure gold: but they being supposed to be the Philosophers
Stones, and therefore a great summesum of monymoney accrewingaccruing to purchase se=
verallseveral things, when the new gold and Silver might be expected, at a
certainecertain time, in which it not appearing, nor the stones converted into
gold, as was desired,

death put an end to the folly and Shame: For gold
or Silver ought not to be expected from that thing, in which it is not na=
turally, diabolicalldiabolical MagickeMagic having noeno place in these divine works, but
is as farrefar different from them, as the author of it from a devout and -
pious man, hell from heaven: SoeSo though it may be esteemed the true -
PhilosophicallPhilosophical stone, yet let not any man perswadepersuade himselfehimself, that im=
possible things can performed by it, us IsaackIsaac admonishethadmonishes: noeno man
being bound either by the laweslaws of nature, or polity to things im=
possible: as for the transmutation of gemmsgems by it, and performing the -
malleability of glasseglass any man thereby perceive, whether these
things are possible, and congrouscongruous to this nature, or noeno: Geber affirms -
that the Philosophers speakespeak many things allegorically, as allsoalso of him=
selfehimself, that where heehe Spoke clearly and plainly, heehe saydsaid nothing, but -
where figuratively, there heehe absconded the truth, as wheat under -
chaffechaff: Those things which a man sowessows, the same allsoalso will heehe reap, which takes
place in vegetables and animallsanimals, though different Species may sometimes proceed
from the things sowed: whether these ought to be applyedapplied to metallsmetals, -
which are not propagated by seed, as those, must be considered: In these the
parts onelyonly are homogeneous, Sulphur, and Argent vive, in those they are hete=
rogeneous or organickeorganic: In these are noeno receptacles of seed, but in those: -
In these there is not found any nutrition, augmentation, or extension in all
dimensions, in those very much: yea these are elemented weights admitting -
mixtion alone, those allsoalso besides mixtion have either a vegetive or sensitive
soulesoul: NeverthelesseNevertheless it is without doubt true that there is something in places
under the earth, which is not gold now, but will after a thousand years be -
gold by nature: Who will deny this to be the analogicallanalogical seed of gold? both -
gold and the aurifickeaurific nature being of one originalloriginal and radix, though -
this of the more noble formeform, and therefore the seed of gold being knowneknown, -
this allsoalso will be manifested: The Philosophers affirmeaffirm siccity and mois=
ture or Sulphur and Argent vive to be that, which being most pure must
be extracted out of two mountains . . . . . . . . . . .