12zrjjUXi

But beware you urge not the Spirit too much, but remember that he is avolatile substance, and if he be over-provoked, he will certainly break theVessel, and fly, and leave thee the ruines of thy Glass for a recompence ofthy over-speedy rashness; which trust me will make thee fetch a deepPhilosophical sigh, and say when it is too late, I would I had been contentto wait Natures time. Let the Fire then be such in which thy Spirit may beso stirred up, as to return to its Body in the Glass, and not so irritated as tobreak the Vessel, and return to the Ashes or Sand of the nest, or stick aboutthe sides of the Cover of your Nest, or else fly about in the Room whereinthe Artist is, and lodge in his Head, and so make it far more unconstantthen it was before, by adding to his rash giddiness a Paralytical shaking.Therefore the Water out of the Earth thou draw,And make the Soul therewith for to ascend,Then down again into the Earth it throw,That they oft-times so ascend and descend.Proceed therefore not as a Fool, but as a Wise man; make the Water of thyCompound to arise and circulate, so long and often until the Soul, that is tosay, the most subtle virtue of the Body, arise with it, circulating with theSpirit in manner of a fiery form, by which both the Spirit and Body are theSpirit and Body are enforced to change their colour and complexion: for itis this Soul of the dissolved Bodies, which is the subject of Wonders; it isthe life, and therefore quickens the dead; it is the Vegetative Soul, andtherefore it makes the dead and sealed Bodies, which in their own Natureare barren to fructifie exceedingly.Therefore if this return unto the earth for which it first took its flight, it willmake it for to fructifie, and to increase in Tincture, and in the earth it selfwill multiply as a grain of Wheat doth in the ground.Be sure then that so fast as thou makest thy ascension, so fast also thydescension by; this is agreeable both to Nature, and the intent of allPhilosophers, especially Trevisan in his Chymical Miracle; Authors, saithhe, differ especially in the documents of the Fire, but in this all agree, thatthe volatile ascend not higher then it may return. This is the truetemperament of the fire.From violent heat and sudden cold defendThy Glass, and make thy Fire so temperate,That by the sides the Matter be not vitrificate.Take diligent heed then that thou exceed not this measure, especially have acare that your Furnace be not apt to exceed, but that you may govern it atyour pleasure, without uncertain increasing or slacking of heat, but that167