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 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 following paragraph is side-noted as ” Proceeding Method to perfectly use a Mirror”.
“On this essential Sun Heat has been said by Morienus who talked about. The cooking of the making Stone is about heat. The same. Place it under the boiling Sun. The equipment in turba (Mundus in turba)……”
I doubt the right translation may be: the equipment in the “pile” (mundus in turba). But, very likely, here Orthelius means to indicate the treatise Turba Philosophorum, not a bland pile.
“After in the fiery Sun dry as long as the Stone is done. Rosarium (Philosophorum): the Sun heat is an excellent aggregate (complexionem), with which sometimes the fire can be imitated etc.
On the other hand about the proceeding method, to set a process, two for us are the Works to accomplish this opus, of them one is the olympic fire of Sun, according to some is the natural fire, according to Paracelsus is called invisible fire of the Sun beams. This fire occurs by means of a mirror made from either steel or crystal, visible by eyes, is sensitive to the remaining senses, and greatly demonstrates its efficacy, as metals and other flowing and greasy things on a table can liquefy. On this subject the ancient …..wrote (De qua re veteres ne gry quidem scripserunt….I fail to catch who does in earth “ne gry” mean).
The second is the required, is the vessel in which, or upon which this opus is carried out to perfection, of which the text is about, how vitrous and closed must be, since this is what it says.
You should be on guard and watch out for any fume not to escape, also when it will be open and chilled out.”
The following paragraph is side-noted as ” Use of the mirror”.
“So i push as in the second and third part of this opus separately (Unde conicio quamvis secunda & tertia pars huius operis separatim. I cannot see a precise point where to insert the adverb “separately”. It is up to you), whichever performed by its self, nevertheless nobody can carry out both together at the same time. As in the previous process the calx of “monticulorum” ( see above for eggshells and calx of eggshells) has to be placed with moistured Elzarog gum in an oblong glass phial, and add on the joined Mercurius of Sun and Moon, and this done close tightly the vessel’s opening, as over the said fire will be heated, perfectly fulfilled. The use of this fire is otherwise not in a closed vessel but usually on cinders, evidently together with the frozen-fixed Mercurius Saturni (see above) or similar easy medicine powders get placed over cinders (super cineritio) with a winch, and in removal I put, under full Sun when in summer its heat is of extreme force.
Then a concave, triangular, or round, smooth, and clean incendiary mirror, from steel, air, even prepared from heated air, you to have, and that even of the Sun must hold hands to place in front and align, to be increased the collecting of many rays in it, and in the center joint, rebounding hits the cinders, so the brightening of the Sun and mirror hits your matter with rays, then as Mercurius causes your medicine to move and begins to turn around, this done check the golden Ungarian calx, or something else whether the opus is active according the process of your work, step by step and when can receive bring into.”
Orthelius, like Johann Isaac Hollandus, uses the word “cineritio” to mean “cinders”. This is a neologism from Italian composed by the real latin word cinis-cineris (cinders) and the ending “itio”, a typical ancient italian to indicate a whatever apparatus. Anyway Orthelius here seems to mean that the Sun beams have to hit the cinders as well. What he doesn’t mention is if those cinders must be already hot, before being exposed to the Sun, or not.
Look at this with wonder so the God’s work you are allowed to contemplate, on that the text so states: linger beside the vessel, watch inside. It is prodigious, how the matter is moved from color to color. “”Thus in front of the mirror ( Sicque sub speculo. Unfortunately the preposition sub also means: under, before, just after, in the bottom, close to, inside, all with ablative case) to turn you will finish, as long as the sky of Saturnus (Saturni coelo) by itself evaporates-vanishes, or its matter rests motionless.
We know that in the Main, or second, Work our matter goes from color to color. And also in the third the matter being given the Cauda Pavonis, peacock tail. As Orthelius talks of a marriage to be done between two Mercurii and celebrated by a third, probably the matter enters the rotations from black to red through white, that’s to say the Main Work, indeed. In many paths this colors rotation is performed by the alchemist with exhausting operations and common fire. In some path the amount of Secret Fire inside the matter is so powerful to do a part of the work. In this case the sun light helps cooking a lot.
“Only in this way through an incendiary mirror, many other things, actually almost hard mineral things, the beast of their unripeness is torn by the Sun, brought to maturity in the amount of sweet honey, and useful for health, is reduced.
Even this operation is not achieved, but because of the internal power of the external Sun, a matter naturally implanted, the only way to be brought from power to act: But at the same time too its extrinsic virtue gets pushed inside the matter. If in fact only from the external heat and internal form is moved. Why the hypocaust furnace, or lazy Henricus as they called, does not offer a similar effect and impregnation? therefore just like grapes and fruits cooked the hypocaust heat, have nothing to do with those completed under the Sun, therefore everything I say of this work is rational. As what is said of wine can endorse. In wine this is usually done by heat and light, from which it drew down and shifted. While this happens, however there is no way to refuse the digestion, which by artificial and material fire used strongly to be, and to many useful functions is necessary, to Maria Prophitissa’s practice is not required.
This paragraph is side-noted as ” Preparation of Regulus of Antimonium by the Sun”: In the same way Suchten makes his regulum Martial Antimonii to digest, liquefy and get to perfection, as for the second instead it is derived that Hercules proved to be a strong hero and conqueror of all evil. “
The labors of Hercules are a synonym with preparatory works, that’s to say the operation to achieve our Volatile Mercurius, the part described in the previous article. By those works the raw matter is taken to salts than volatilized. See Carlo Lancillotti’s commentary on Basilius Triumphant Chariot of Antimony.
“On that they wrote:
Just like the apple acidity and taste sour of grapes are unpleasant. unless first they get cooked and ripened from the sun, the same it is understood on the starry Regulus Antimonii, that when raw there is nothing less mature as medicine. And therefore by means of the sky this opus has to maturate, neither by our invented first, second, third, fourth heat degrees, nor in balneum, cinders or sand.
Take the following example. Look at the fire lighted on a tree, and wish to eat, nevertheless an unripe stony and hard is. Which if in the tree remains, with time softens. Eat fittingly it will be: if really extinguishes and into your furnace even another heat turns on by itself, what are you going to do? What is I ask the difference between the fire you have lighted and the other that in the time was growing up?”
The other fire Orthelius is mentioning, is our Secret Fire/Mercurius extracted from the raw matter.
“Certainly the greatest difference; the same felt by alchemists, who varied furnaces have made and find out subtle digestions, nevertheless some (who do not lack artificial fire) set up, even convince themselves, I ask for advice on how I can prepare a subtle artificial fire, which the degree and efficacy of natural fire be matching, but they completely mistake, since they don’t consider his fire, that is not because of it that God is less effective.
So why is their own fire not an instrument of the God Creator, for this reason, therefore, they attempt to operate with that, that to them is not given, but it is due as a divine and universal tool, since only by virtue of this divine it receives. How does a wheat field ripe ? How the fruit in the garden? How do the grapes in the vines? God demonstrates himself by heaven, which is his instrument. “
The last paragrapg is side noted “Mercurius maturation”.
“If even with our fire we can do, more certainly we will be estimated. But God does not like, and therefore it is forbidden even this, meanwhile, however, we are debtors, and it is necessary that we do mature Mercurius, since we are forbidden to make ( noster ignis hoc efficere nequeat) so to hunt the real fire for us is necessary. Whereas we will take and try to get.
Perhaps we need to ascend to heaven, and subtract this fire from God’s hands? Not at all. But we have to implore the grace of God and do what they did. It is a gift from God. It is that a creature of God therefore not of humankind. Anyone can give to anyone, this is not ours, but to indicate, where to search. What do you think?
Rather from the highest degree of heaven will come down? Not at all? This is a great job and a great difficulty, they studied that before, and now they are understood. Not without cause therefore even wrote about this in different ways, and parables, allegories, metaphors that they threw in their books, whereas in accordance with their minds of that handles.
To the humankind it needs to be sensibly easy, a great mystery is contained in these things, you can not know, words of Suchten, so by this short interlocutory sentence I finish.”
You can find the first part at Orthelius Commentary on Maria Prophitissa. Part 1.
- See also Symbola Aureae Mensae and the Supreme Purpose , Hortulus Hermeticus and Love Between Fumes ;
- See also The Zuretti Anonymous and Matters for a Good Sublimation .