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also, so that all three shall become one with an union indissolvable; but allthis pre-supposeth a Putrefaction, or Corruption of one form, else cannotthere be an Introduction of another.Therefore since this mystery of Putrefaction is not more secret thennecessary, so necessary that without it there is nothing can be done topurpose, that is to say, with profit; I shall be a little plain and full in theprosecution of this mystery: For in the knowledge of this consists all that isrequired to make a Philosopher. All the intentions of the Artist, must beonly so to prepare and order things, that he may be sure of this terminus;and when he is there come, he is as sure a Master as if he had the Stone inhis Cabinet. By the failing of this sign, the Operator is always to turn eitherbackward to seek out some other principles, or forward, or to the right, orto the left; but when he is Master of this, he then can fail in nothing but inthe Regimen of the outward heat.And Putrefaction may thus defined be,After Philosophers definition to be of Bodies the slaying,And in our compound a division of things three,The killed Bodies into Corruption forth leading,And after unto Regeneration them ableing;For things being in the Earth, without doubtBe engendered of Rotation of the Heaven about.The definition that the Philosophers give of this Operation, is perpetuallyAllegorical, for this Gate they have named by all Metaphors almost in theWorld, especially from death, and dead men: therefore they allegorize theVessel in this station, to Grave, or Tomb, and emblematically discover thisOperation by the types of Skuls, dead Bones, and rotten Carcasses;according to which Metaphors they call Putrefaction, the death of theCompound.For when they saw the Body with the Water to melt in the Fire, to flow andto boyl, they called this Magnesia; when they saw the Water partly toascend, and partly to descend, and partly to remain below, so that there wasboth a Sublimation in vapour, and a Motion of what was below; they saidthat it was the Spirit of the Water that ascended, or more Airy part; and themore Fiery part, which rejoyceth most to be united to, and hidden in Earth,remained below, for that was more capable of the Fire, and did better agreewith it, as with its like: which because it did so uncessantly swell and boyl,and rage at the bottom, and make the Body begin to change its colour, theysaid it was Fire against Nature. Again, when they saw the ascendingVapour to change colour, they said it was the Soul of the Bodies was mixed153