The eggshells calx and cooking diverting the Sunbeams by a mirror. The last part of my translation from Ortheli Explicatio Verborum Mariae Prophitissae.
My translation has been kept verbatim for the operative parts and more interpretative for the speculative ones. It is fair to say that Orthelius latin is imprecise and full of neologisms. And, incredibly enough, the speculative parts, that’s to say those on the two Suns, celestial and terrestrial, are so chaotic and incorrect to make the puzzled reader ask him/herself whether Orthelius is making fun of us or is serious. Anyway, the pages are here produced so that you can judge yourself. My translation is in quotation marks, and comments are normal.
You can find the first part in Orthelius Commentary on Maria Prophitissa. Part 1. On page 3 of the first part, you can find a reference link to the “Dialogue between Maria and Aros on the Alchemical Art”.
Theatrum Chemicum tome 6, page 481: “Inito itaque Solis & Lunae matrimonio, necesse est ulterius rem perfequi, in quem finem textus ait, utrumque Zaybech, vel fumos, vel aquas currentes debere vitrificari… And so of Sun (Sol) and Moon (Luna) the marriage is stipulated, it is necessary to bring the thing even more to perfection, in that the test has its goal, either Zaybech, or fumes, or running waters must vitrify, that’s to say to fix and solidify.”
The marriage is stipulated; that’s to say, there is a promise, a declaration, but not the real marriage yet. Because there cannot be a physical union in the form of matters too challenging to handle yet. As said in the first part, vitrificari is a neologism from Italian rather than latin.
“The agent is here indicated, which is humid calx. From this matter, the calx is really prepared, either by means of the body of mountain dwellers ( ex corpore monticulorum) or eggshells (seu corticibus ovorum); this is partly made clear from the test, and my experience.”
Now, eggshells are easily intelligible, but the body of mountain dwellers. Never, ever read of this “tool”. I said tool since we are not discussing ingredients here, but instrumental matters. Not only that, but it is pretty impossible to guess what Orthelius means by monticulus clearly. Monticulorum is the genitive plural of monticulus, that’s to say, a “slight rounded projection above a surface, a little hill”. Wallerius and J.Manget mention the word as a hidden synonym of the human pubic area, which seems rather extravagant for an alchemical use ( we are talking of gold and silver, after all). Orthelius may mean something different, almost suggested by the wording” body of monticula”. Surely in ancient Latin, the word for sparrow was “passer”, very similar to the Italian passero. The scientific definition of a sparrow is monticola solitarius, that’s to say lonely mountain dweller ( nevertheless, monticola is an incorrect modern spelling of monticula). Anyway, would a sparrow corpse play the same role as eggshells? A pile of feathers and small bones? Not to mention that the scientific name is a modern definition ( even if in Latin). Dom Pernety, in his Dictionnaire Mytho-Hermétique, says: “… Quelquefois les Alchymistes ont entendu par le terme de Montagne, leur vase, leur fourneau, et toute matière métallique.” Sometimes Alchemists by the term Mountain mean their vase, their furnace, and any metallic material. Further, we will encounter the wording calx monticulorum, calx of little hills.
Concerning the eggshells, Orthelius doesn’t mention whether they should be crushed into powder or almost keep their form. My question is not pointless since we will encounter the wording ” calx of eggshells ” further on.
“It is described elsewhere how the starting point of the common air calx (calx vulgari aeri) without either snow or rainwater, saturated with the hidden air chill, tends to fail and how, by this power, Mercurius Saturni, in turn, after twelve days of digestion, gets coagulated in the form of either Magnesia or Zineti.”
By the way, snow and rainwater are also rich in Secret Fire, or Mercurius Universalis in this case. Mercurius of Saturn is the proper definition for processing the matter with digestion. Of course, the Magnesia is coming out of this operation, and then Zineti, which perhaps is a synonym of ferment, that’s to say, a step forward the white Magnesia ( nevertheless, according to some alchemists, Magnesia can also be the black before the white).
“It is very likely to have to wet as required with the Elzarog gum the calx of eggshells freshly removed from the fire, and mix on Porphyrio so as to get chilled and frozen (in the sense of coagulated) virtue.”
Rulandus says Porphyrio is a red marble. Concerning Elzarog, Dom Pernety, in his Dictionnaire Mytho-Hermétique, comes to rescue: ” Elzaron. C’est le sel des Sages qu’ils appellent leur corps, leur gomme. Prenez le corps clair, pris sur les petites montagnes, qui ne se fait point par la putréfaction, mais par le seul mouvement. Broyez ce corps avec la gomme EIzaron et les deux fumées. Car la gomme EIzaron est le corps qui saisit l’esprit. Marie, Epît. à Aros. It is the salt of the Sages they call their body, their gum. Take the clear body, taken from the little mountains, which is not developed by putrefaction, but by movement. Grind the body with gum EIzaron and both fumes (1). Because the gum EIzaron is the body that captures the spirit. Maria to Aros.” Orthelius in a side-note states: Elzarog est aqua saturni, or water of saturn. But, don’t stop now to ask yourself what does it mean, since the process is not finished yet.
Water, the element Water, doesn’t necessarily mean to necessarily a liquid but something flowing. As for “monticula”, we have bumped again into the little hills. But, mind, Orthelius says we need the body of these little hills. Anyway, the eggshells apparently do the same function. (2).
“Simile processes too; they teach imbibitions and exsiccations must be repeated.”
A significant difference between Alchemy and Chemistry is the repetition of the operations. In fact, the Secret Fire tends to come out after reiterated operations.
” This done, I place two Mercurii of Sun and Moon joined together and raised to stratify in the above-mentioned setting until they can be kept at a moderate heat to a perfect hardening. On the other hand, is the Elzarog gum, which of course, as a medium is embracing or getting them embraced, and incorporates the Tincture in itself, as in the text is described by the excerpt, since the water of Saturn has the power to hold tight either the common mercury or the Mercurius of bodies.”
Here we have three salts: the alchemical marriage celebrated by either the bishop or the servant. Though in very complex construction. Of course, if Elzarog can hold tight both the common mercury and Mercurius of bodies, it is unquestionably our universal dissolvent. So, yes… apparently, we have three Mercurii joined together. One of them will be called Sulphur, acting as a male or carrier of metals seed. That’s to say, a Dissolvent into which metal has been reincrudated.
” Maria Prophitissima suggests a simile idea in her dialogue to Aros about this Water ( if I remember right, Mercurius in the real Water tends to harden ). Paracelsus also mentions this virtue. Where Saturnus makes a disquisition on its own nature: the stone cold ( lapis frigiditatis) is within me, which is my own water, by which I froze the corporeal spirits of my brothers.”
Here Orthelius plays with Saturnus’ meanings, Dom Pernety tells us this god devours his children. Saturnus is a synonym of Mercurial Dissolvent and one of the major metals. But the fundamental difficult concept is how mercurial water, so a dissolvent, can freeze or harden our volatile matters.
“Actually, the first and last part of that Great Work is by that clear enough. The other part is rigorous; if one goes on the right way, even following a slightly different practice, provided he/she obtains either vitrification or congelation of the running water, an operation which does not prevent the main work.”
What is Orthelius referring to? The color passages are the Main Work’s major feature.
” This is my opinion, I don’t want to compel anybody or reject any other artist or philosopher’s opinion. If one carefully follows my lessons and generously compares, no doubt, with God’s help, I will succeed as more eyes can see better than only one. Although Maria tells Aros: that by ancient wise, the secret was not revealed to them through research and pondering. Aros replies: Nevertheless, it has not always been so; Hermes’ heirs and successors communicate their opinions and experiments, and on this same secret, finally, something was revealed.
So the two Zaybech are made corporeal and joined together, and the embracing medium, of course, the Saturnus cold, in themselves they conceive, as in aerial form as frozen they appear, then the first part of this Work is done, as well as the beginning of the following… “
The end of the preparatory works is roughly the achievement of Mercurius Philosophorum, the division, duplication, and marriage (see an Opus Magnum scheme).
“… the science of Hermes does miracles; in three hours’ time, they (arrive to perfection, by the virtue and power of the celestial solar fire, which is the igneous Jehovah’s instrument supplying the fertility of all inferior things, bringing them to ripeness and perfection. This fire with expressed temporal names is overtly indicated. It is said to liquefy by the secret of nature.
On the other hand, the measure of your fire has to be that of the temperature of the Sun in June and July. And additionally says: that the whole regimen consists of the fire time. Every attention has to be taken to the constellation’s correct setting in July, with the Sun in its own dwelling, of course during Leo, in which this fire manifests a great effect. Really this work’s perfection is directly divine. In fact, it is uniquely God’s job. There the Philosopher sits, using the divine instrument, and with that, the divine blessing is exerted.
On the other hand, this operation is successfully performed by the terrestrial sun and the virtue of the celestial sun, as well as the divine power, one perceives the creation growing, minute by minute, degree by degree, color by color, by the Sun essential fire, more and more starts to grow, till arrives at perfect maturation.
The sympathy between the Inferior and superior Sun must be considered on this occasion. That’s to say, the magnetic invisible, and spiritual virtue of the terrestrial Sun. In the same way, a corporeal contact is made and a wish of the superior celestial Sun to affect the inferior in every aspect, provided there is free access and no obstacle standing in the way. For this immeasurable merge to rise, the inferior terrestrial Sun should be more penetrable while the incomparable spiritual and essential virtue of the superior Sun should actually become visible and corporeal, and by such an impetuous transformation that no human being could ever see this miracle, that did not mute unless he was completely stupid and unable to discern the miracle in all this, It has to be noted that the brightness of the Sun is not naked and external but by its essential and at the same time internal natural power and heat feeds and digests everything. “
The following paragraph is side-noted as “the external heat of Sun (Externus calor Solis). These passages are so poorly written, probably intentionally, that in most cases, more than a translation, it has been a deciphering operation word by word. Anyway:
“The external one (heat and power) is like a lantern or candle, in the nearby; a quantity of bright and transparent air aggregation returns-emits while illuminating (Iste externus similis est lucernae vel candelae accesae, vicinumque; tantum aeris complexum illuminando reddit perspicuum & lucidum), either without any other (alone, I guess) or taking part in something, or with the imprint of life and animated. Indeed, it is the darkness and the surface of its interior is off, as well as the parts placed in the top; to summarize, I said this spirit to be a body of middle of the way nature, and corporeal dwelling… “
… corporeum habitaculum magni illius spiritus mundani. This is, to me, quite an impossible sentence to translate. In fact, magni and mundani are genitive, but they are adjectives; where are the substantives? Habitaculum and spiritus? And why are these instead in nominative case? Probably Orthelius here misses the declination of “illius spiritus”, which instead should be at genitive. So, dear readers, content yourself with a ridiculously interpretative translation, but logic ( the bad of most interpretative translations from latin)…
“… and corporeal dwelling of this material spirit. Of course, this interior power and heat is the same real royal and essential Sun power that vivifies the essence of all things, the only one they wish, and a single technique. Nevertheless, the Philosophers managed to derive and find the magnetic virtue in the inferior hidden Sun from the superior. The natural property of the instantaneous beam is a simile, not to be brought without distinction with light as part of the air, not even illuminates the air with the outside light, but the magnetic and floating is made to move and pulled to a determinate place by the power of its compliant and familiar nature, which only brings (sets in motion) all remaining and unharmed…
… vimque suam activam evidenti nota impressa clare demonstratas as by the visible impressed distinctive note clearly demonstrates it is active ( I failed to find the substantive object of the action since suam activam are pronoun and adjective in accusative case)… “Additionally, here Orthelius opens a long parenthesis in which he takes more than three lines to designate a subject of the following action…
“… very much we are interested in those works, which with the light of the Sun at the same time effective and living manages the economy of the essential powers, and the same for the body, of the gold well open and quite distributed, as well as the subject self, harmonized and proper and largely made to flow and penetrate. “
The subjects of this action are in the parenthetical phrase (relictis illis superficialibus & relollaceis radiis externi, utpote qui absq; vitalium virtutum energia lumen tantum praebent otiosum et sterile)…
“… those neglected external superficial beams, whose energy-light of their fertility and virtue proves useless and sterile…
Now let’s put together subjects and action: “So (those neglected external superficial beams, whose energy-light of their fertility and virtue proves useless and sterile) very much we are interested in those works, which with the light of the Sun at the same time practical and living manages the economy of the essential powers, and the same for the body, of the gold well open and quite distributed, as well as the subject self, harmonized and proper and largely made to flow and penetrate. “
The following paragraph is side-noted as ” Proceeding Method to use a Mirror perfectly”.
“On this essential Sun Heat has been said by Morienus who talked about. The cooking of the making Stone is about the heat. The same. Place it under the boiling Sun. The equipment in turba (Mundus in turba)… “
I doubt the correct translation may be: the equipment in the “pile” (mundus in turba). But, very likely, Orthelius means to indicate the treatise Turba Philosophorum, not a bland pile.