Pernety - A Treatise On The Great Art.pdf - cyjack.com

The Great Art page 101Sun, Apollo, Phœbus. The mercurial water and the volatile earth, are always female, often mother, asCeres, Latona, Semela, Europa, etc. The water is ordinarily designated by the names, daughters,nymphs, naiads, etc. The internal fire is always masculine and active. Impurities are indicated bymonsters.Basil Valentin, whom I have before quoted, introduces the gods of Fable, or the Planets, asinterlocutors, in the short abrégé which he gives at the beginning of his Treatise on the Twelve Keys.The following is the substance of it.Dissolved from good gold, as Nature teaches, so says this Author, you will find a germ, which is thebeginning, the middle and the end of the work. From this germ our gold and its mate are produced,namely, a subtle and penetrating spirit, a soul, delicate, clear and pure, and a body, or salt which is abalm of the Stars. These three things are united in our mercurial water. This water was conducted tothe god Mercury, its father, who married it, from their union came an incombustible oil. Mercurythrew out his eagle wings, devoured his dragon tail, and attacked Mars, who caused him to beimprisoned, and appointed Vulcan as his jailer. Saturn presented himself and implored the other godsto avenge the injuries which Mercury had inflicted upon him. Jupiter approved the complaints ofSaturn and gave his orders, which were executed. Mars then appeared with a flaming sword, and gaveit to Vulcan, so that he might execute the sentence, pronounced against Mercury, and reduce thebones of this god to powder. Diana, or the Moon, complained that Mercury held her brother in prisonwith him, and that he should be released; Vulcan would not hear her prayer, and did not even yield tothat of the beautiful Venus, who presented herself with all her charms. But, finally, the Sun appeared,in all his glory, covered with his purple mantle.I end this treatise by the same allegory as d’Espagnet, The Golden Fleece is guarded by a threeheadedDragon; the first comes from Water, the second from Earth, the third from Air. These threeheads, must be united, by the operations, into a single one, which will be powerful enough to devourall the other Dragons. Call upon God, that he may enlighten you; if he accords to you this GoldenFleece, use it only for His glory, the good of your neighbour and your own welfare.