All men, that have but once heard the name and power of the Stone,
unlesseunless they be such as are alltogtheraltogether incredulous, doedo coḿonlycommonly askeask -
where it is to be found, that they may runnerun as it were by a straight line
to it? The Philosophers answer in two places: first, that Adam brought it
with him out of Paradise, that it is in you, in meeme, and in every man, -
that birds flying carry it with them out of farrefar countryescountries: Secondly
that it may be found in the earth, mountains, aireair, and water. Which
therefore must weewe adhere to, whether to this, or that? To both, in my -
opinion, but in a peculiar respect, though the last is more plausible, and
seems to us more safe. It is saydsaid to be throwne upon the earth, because
the Element of earth dothdoes first appear in a darkedark and blackeblack body: Se=
condly, because it is a thing of meanemean and small esteemeesteem, which is trodden
upon in the wayesways of travellers, and in dung itselfeitself; Whereupon saythsays
Rosarius, if I should name it, foolesfools would not beleivebelieve that to be it: And
Calis sifting Morienus, and trying to get much out of him, heehe answers -
him thus: This, as a wise man saythsays, hathhas both the rich and the poorepoor, -
both the liberallliberal and the covetous, going allsoalso and sitting. For it is thrownethrown
in the wayesways, and trampled upon in dunghills, and many men have all=
readyalready diggddigged in dunghills for it, and herein have been deceived. Mundus all=
soalso in Turba saythsays, if the Sellers knew it, they would not sell it at soeso
mean a rate. And Arnold affirms, that the stone may be had gratis, -
as much as a man will, and for that reason noeno man ought to be interro=
gated. All which things are true. For who, but an inhumaneinhuman wretch, -
will deny water and earth to him that desires it? The most ancient
Cimbri having desired and not able to obtaineobtain the same guiftsgifts from -
the Romans, entringentering Italy with a great army slew many thousands
of the Romans with their Consuls, as historyeshistories declare. For earth, as
the mother of all things, is most pretiousprecious, as the last matter of things
putrefyedputrified, most despicable; NoeNo thing more vile than clay or dirt, -
which notwithstanding is nothing elselse, but earth mixdmixed with water. -
What more coḿoncommon than a cloddclod of earth? Yet Euripylus the SonneSon
of Neptune offerdoffered it as a present to the heroickeheroic Argonauts, by -
which not refused, but thankfully accepted, afterwards being dis=
solved in water Medea divined many things. For earth must be
dissolvd in water, otherwise neither this, nor that avaylesavails any thing:
After this manner is the Stone cast upon the earth, in which not=
withstanding it dothdoes not continue abject and contemptible,

but is
exalted to the mountains, as the flammivomous Athos, Vesuvius, -
ÆtnaAetna, and the like, whereof many such are seen in diversdiverse parts -
of the world: For a perpetuallperpetual fire burnesburns in them, which subli=
methsublimes the Stone, and raysethraises it to the highest dignity. As in
mountains it growesgrows in a rude formeform out of Sulphur and Argent vive, soeso
is it matured and perfected at the top of the mountains, where allsoalso -
is an herbeherb produced, without which fire cannot be regulated, because
being cold and moist if it be cast into fire, the vehemency of it is re=
tunded by its contrary: From the mountains it passethpasses to the aireair, -
where it finds habitation. For the aireair becomes a house to it, wherein it
is enclosed, which is nothing elselse, but to be carryedcarried in the belly of -
wind, and borneborn in the aireair, of which terms weewe have spoken before.
At length it is nourished in rivers, that is, Mercury in waters: For that -
reason the Athenians in honourhonor thereof instituted their HydrophoryesHydrophories, be=
cause the matter of the Philosophers stone is water, as Rosarius saythsays, and
is understood of the water of those three. For which reason Mercury was all=
soalso saydsaid to have three heads, as being marine, cœlestiallcelestial, and terrestriallterrestrial, -
because heehe recidedresided in the water, earth, and aireair. HeeHe is reported to be
educated by Vulcan, notorious for theiverythievery, because Mercury is saydsaid to be
enurdinured to fire, which is volatile, and carryescarries away with it that wherewith
it is mixed: Mercury in the dayesdays of old gave laweslaws and discipline to
the ÆgyptiansEgyptians, yea religion allsoalso to the ThebaneTheban PreistsPriests, and to a -
great part of the world, because the ÆgyptiansEgyptians received polity, and -
sacred things from ChymicallChymical institutions, from them the Greeks, from -
them the Romans, from those many other nations, as hathhas been elsewhere
more at large demonstrated. Argus heehe slew with a stone, and conver=
ted Baltus into a Touch=-stoneTouchstone called Index. What need many words? All -
the volumes of the Chymists doedo inculcate nothing elselse but Mercury, and
sufficiently confirmeconfirm his power in this one versicle; What wise men seekeseek
in Hermes is containdcontained. HeeHe therefore must be sought, till heehe be found, -
whether his harbourharbor be in the aireair, fire, water, or earth. For heehe is in
perpetuallperpetual motion, running sometimes here sometimes there for the -
service of the ChymicallChymical Gods, as their foot=-manfootman, which his office is de=
noted, some men ascribing to him a daughter named Angelia . . .