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Therefore as I advised before, so I do now, and shall make it theEpiphonema of this discourse; mix thy Seeds, and elaborate them withwhat pains thou canst, then shut them in a house of Glass, that is to say, anounce in a Glass that would hold about 16 ounces, or 20, or two ounces in aGlass that would hold two ounces or thereabouts of Water distilled; set thyGlass in thy Nest, about a 4th part of it in Sand, which must be sifted fromStones. Let the neck be fastened either with a Wyre, or set into a holewhich may be in the Cover of thy Nest, the Neck about 6 inches long, alonger a little. Let thy Athanor be so that thou mayst give in it what heatthou pleaseth, and keep it about a day, or 16 or 12 hours at least, withoutrenewing, and yet no sensible alteration in heat.In this Furnace thou shalt give thy Matter such a Fire, as may within thefirst day or two cause it to boyl, like to a Pot over the Fire, or as the stormySea swelleth in a mighty Wind; from the Surface of which there will exhalea Vapour which we call the Winds, which are in the belly or womb in theforming of our Embrio, which will condense at the top, (the Glass beingstrong) and run down in drops, and this continually night and day withoutceasing. Thus is verified the saying of the Philosopher, that our Stoneretaineth life, and is perfected, that is, divided and united, and at last fixtand congealed, by continual boyling ad subliming. Thus are thy Watersdivided, the uppermost part carry aloft the Soul with them, and thelowermost boyl and tear and soften the Body, and make it more fit for thereturning Spirit and Soul to work on, in their continual descending.And when thy Vessel hath stood by months five,And Clouds and Eclipses passed each one,The light appearing increase thy heat, then believe,Until bright and shining in whiteness be thy Stone.Then mayst thou open thy Glass anon,And feed thy Child which is ybore,With Milk and Meat aye more and more.Thus shalt thou keep them for the space of 150 days, in which time thoushalt see a gallant Game played, the earth shall be overflown with Waters,the two great Lights eclipsed, the Heavens be clouded, the Air darkened,and all things in disorder and confusion; then shall the earth be turned intoa Limus, and the Water by decoction continual shall be dryed up, and bymoderate showrs and dews shall be moistned, and by continual washingshall be cleansed; then through the good pleasure of God the day-light shallspring forth, and what was before dark, shall now become clear, and whatwas black of the blackest, shall now be made very white.141