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was compounded of three Mercuries) had in it two which were superficial,and the third essential to Sol and Luna only, not to the Stone: for Naturewould produce these two out of it, by artificial decoction: but when theperfect Bodies are dissolved, they transmute the Mercury (that dissolved it)and then there is no more repugnancy in it, then there is no longer adistinction between superficial and essential, but all is become essential;And this is that one matter of the Stone, that one thing which is the subjectof all Wonders.In Sol and Luna our Menstrues are not seen.When thou art come to this, then shalt thou no more discern a distinctionbetween the Dissolver and the Dissolved; for the Water shall neither ascendnor descend, go out nor in alone, but the Fire of nature shall accompany it,and the colour of the mature Sulphur, which is unseparably joined, shalltincture thy Water.It appeareth not but by effect to sight.So that thou shalt never see them severed one from the other, but shaltdiscern them by the effect, and by the eye of the mind more then of thybody: Therefore saith the Philosopher, Azoth and Fire are sufficient for thenin the middle and end, but not in the beginning, for then they are not ourMercury, that is our universally united Mercury. But in the first days of theStone, there appear four Elements, of which three are in the Mercurysublimed, and one in Sol, which is counted all for Earth till it be dissolved,and then it fermenteth the Mercury, and makes the three qualities of it,which it hath, drawn from three substances to unite into one Mercury whichhath all in it one essential property, and that is Solary, which first will shewthe Moon in the full and is the true one matter of all our Secrets, our oneImage out of which springs white and red, not bare Sol and Luna, as willspring out of our Mercury, which we prepare with our hands, but the whiteand red Elixirs, which shew that this Mercury which Nature hath made inthe Glass, without our help, is far beyond that Mercury which we preparedwith a laborious toil.This is the Stone of which we mean,Who so our Writing conceiveth aright.And verily he that hath well studied our Books shall understand that thisgeneral one Mercury which we call Azoth, is indeed our Stone, whichwanteth only digestion, for it is inseparably united, not in a DyptativeConjunction, which is barely a mixture of the Sun with our Mercury; orTriptative, which is a mixture and union of the Body, Soul, and Spirit,which is before Putrefaction; but Tetraptive, which is the Anatization of40