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So that it is not now as it was at first beginning of Operation, when the onewas above, the other below, compared to two Dragons or Birds, the onewinged, the other without wings; but now both are capable to resist the Firein its utmost fury.Now hath the Water received a fermental impression from the Earth orSulphur, so that it is now made Sulphur with Sulphur, as the other is madeby the Water life with life.This is the highest perfection which any sublunary Body can be brought to,by which we know that God is one, for God is perfection; to which whenever any creature arrives, in its kind rejoyceth in unity, in which is nodivision or alterity, but peace and rest without contention.Thus in two things all our intents do hing,In moist and dry, which be contraries two;In dry, that it the moist to fixing bring;In moist, that it give Liquefaction to the Earth also.Whatever then we seem to say or write to the contrary, all our intentionalSecret consists only in two things; whatever we seem to advise more, is butonly to intangle the unwary.Our first Secret is to know our true Sulphur, which many do allegorize toall the absurdities in the World: This is Gold, which is to be bought purealmost in any place.The next is to know our Mercury, which is not common, but artificial,drawn from three heads by the mediation of one thing, which makes thetwo which are dry and Sulphurous, to untie with one which is moist andMercurial. These are different in their qualities, which difference ourdecoction so reconciles, as to make of them sweet harmony. For theSulphur in whose increase of virtue consists our final intent, it doth giveconsistence to the Water, yet so as that it doth not part with it from it self,but with its Fermentative virtue it doth so infuse it, that of a moist Spirittender and volatile, it becomes a fixt dry Fire-abiding substance.But first of all the Water doth mollifie the Body, and soak into it, andsearch out its profundity; for the Sun teyneth not, till it teyned be, for hardand dry Bodies cannot enter so as to transmute, till such time as themselvesbe first Radically entred, and changed from colour to colour, till they cometo perfection; then it is fluid and penetrative, for it will enter to the root ofthe imperfect, and cause it to lose its imperfection, and become perfect,flowing upon it like Wax when it is heated by the Fire.143