Splendor Solis

«QUICKSILVER is a matter common to all metals.» — atribuido en el texto a Aristóteles, Meteorologicorum, libro cuarto.

«T h i s Stone rises in growing, greening things» — el troceo espacia las letras del impreso— en boca de Hali.

«Their Putrefaction is a moistening of dry bodies, that they may be restored to their former state of Greening and Growing.» — la putrefacción de los filósofos no es la común, que el texto distingue en la misma página.

«In this process of Putrefaction, moist and dry are joined together and not destroyed, but the moisture is quite separated from the dryness, then it is necessary to separate the dry parts» — húmedo y seco se unen sin destruirse.

«wanting the knowledge and perception of things, which the Philosophers have described in their books, are erring immensely» — en boca de Rosinus.

«wherewith kings are decorated and crowned» — de lo que ha de escogerse para la Piedra— en boca de Aristóteles.

«It is indeed n e e d e d t h a t a t t h e E n d o f t h i s W o r l d , H e a v e n and Earth should meet and come home» — [el impreso espacia las letras, y el troceo lo conserva] — en el pasaje de Hermes, «Padre de la Filosofía».

«It will receive the powers of the highest and lowest planets.» — sobre el Azufre de los filósofos.

«The Destruction of one thing is the birth of another.» — atribuida a Aristóteles dentro del texto.

«When Heat operates upon a moist body, then is blackness the first result.» — atribuida a Avicena (grafía del digest: AVINCENA).

«When Heat penetrates, it makes subtle all earthly things, that are of service to the matter.» — atribuida a Sócrates.

«the same says GALENUS, when he speaks of the Herb LUNATICA or BERISSA. Its root is a Metallic Earth; it has a red stem, spotted with black, grows easily and decays easily, and gains Citrine Flowers after three days; if it is put in Mercury, it changes itself into perfect Silver, and this again by further decoction changes into Gold, which then turns hundred parts of Mercury into the finest Gold» — la hierba LUNATICA o BERISSA, en boca de Galeno.

«Of this tree speaks VIRGILIUS, in the sixth book of the AENEIDE, when he relates a Fable, how AENEAS and SILVIUS went to a tree, which had golden branches, and as often as one broke a branche off, another one grew in its place.» — la rama dorada del libro sexto, citada por el texto.

«He was crowned with three costly crowns, the one of Iron, the other of Silver, and the third of pure Gold. They saw in his right hand a Sceptre with Seven Stars, all of which gave a Golden Splendor, and in his left hand a golden Apple» — el Rey de la Tierra, liberado y renovado.

«Rosinos relates of a vision he had of a man whose body was dead and yet beautiful and white like Salt. The Head had a fine Golden appearance, but was cut off the trunk, and so were all the limbs; next to him stood an ugly man of black and cruel countenance, with a bloodstained double-edged sword in his right hand, and he was the good man's murderer.» — la sexta parábola.

«OVID the old Roman, wrote to the same end, when he mentioned an ancient Sage who desired to rejuvenate himself was told: he should allow himself to be cut to pieces and decoct to a perfect decoction, and then his limbs would reunite and again be renewed in plenty of strength.» — la séptima parábola, por el rejuvenecimiento mediante corte y decocción.

«MENALDUS the Philosopher, says: "I command all my descendants to spiritualise their bodies by DISSOLUTION, and again to materialise the spiritual things by means of a gentle decoction.» — el mandato de Menaldus; la comilla que abre no cierra en la plana, el texto sigue al otro lado.

«The Spirit dissolves the body, and in the Dissolution extracts the Soul of the Body, and changes this body into Soul; and the Soul is changed into the Spirit, and the Spirit is again added to the Body, for thus it has stability.» — Senior, sobre el trueque de cuerpo, alma y espíritu.

«The Philosophers give to this Art two bodies, namely: Sun and Moon, which are Earth and Water, they also call them Man and Wife, and they bring forth four children, two boys, which are heat and cold, and two girls, as moisture and dryness. These are the Four Elements, constituting the QUINTESSENCE, that is the proper white MAGNESIA, wherein there is nothing false.» — la quinta parábola.

«The next is COAGULATION, which is turning the WATER again into the CORPUS or MATTER.»

«before-mentioned moisture of the earth, for if the water is reduced into the earth, it is evaporated into the lightness of the air»

«this is the Spirit of the FIFTH ESSENCE, which is called the TINCTURE, ANIMA, FERMENTUM, or the OIL, and which is the very next matter to the STONE OF THE PHILOSOPHERS.» — cuatro sinónimos de la quinta esencia en una línea.

«Because in the DISSOLUTION the LIVING SILVER is active, but in the COAGULATION it is passive, operated on.» — la plata viva, agente y paciente.

«If a thing is deprived of its heat, then is there no motion in it.»

Tres regímenes de fuego regidos por el zodiaco: Aries (calor suave, como el de la gallina que empolla), Tauro (más fuerte, para el blanqueamiento) y Leo (máximo, para el rojo final) — «when the Sun is in LEO ; that is her highest dignity, when she is in her own house»

«The Heat or Fire of the whole work is uniform, for some say that the heat of the first regimen shall be as the warmth of a brooding hen» — la SCALA PHILOSOPHORUM, citada por el texto como fuente sobre el gobierno del fuego.

«In the order of nature the father changes into the son, which means that the Spiritual is materialised, and the Volatile made permanent ; or that Sun and Moon have come home. Of these two planets SENIOR speaks also: "I am a hot and dry Sun, while thou, LUNA, art cold and moist, and when we shall rise in the order of our most ancient nobility, a burning light will be poured into us." Whereby he is indicating that through the knowledge and mastery of the ancients the renewals of the moistures will be received, and Sun and Moon become transparent.» — con Senior citado en medio.

«Beware of great heat, for if you make the fire too fierce in the beginning, then will it arise red before its time» — Lucas.

«Decoct your composition, till you see it white, and quench it in Vinegar and separate the white from the black» — Baleus.

«more the colours change the stronger you must make the fire, of which you must not be afraid» — Pitágoras.

«The water is the beginning of all soft» — «substances», al otro lado del renglón— en boca de Hermes; y las aguas se dividen en un tercio de calor y dos tercios de humedad.

«Our Fire is a Water. If you can give a Fire to a Fire and Mercury to Mercury» — Senior.

«Among all the arts none follows nature so closely as Alchemy» — Albertus Magnus.

Negro, blanco y rojo son los colores principales, y «color perfecto» el que permanece visible un tiempo; Iraldus describe la sucesión, Miraldus sostiene que el amarillento tras el blanco es perfecto y el Conciliator lo contradice — desacuerdo interno consignado sin armonizar.

«GEBER and ARISTOTELES, these Philosophers say: in Three Years.» — la duración de la obra, contra las estaciones que dan la Turba y Alphidius en la misma página.

«Putrefaction is the first and demands the UTMOST SECRECY. It is the true separation of the elements, reversing them in this Operation.» — la putrefacción como primera operación, en boca de la Turba.

«Reverse the elements, the moist make dry, and fix that which is volatile, powder it, and prepare it all carefully.» — la Turba, citada como fuente de la trituración filosófica.

«It is as well the Philosophic ASSATION, or roasting, for the accidental moisture is consumed by a mild fire and very great care is to be taken, that the spirit which dries up the body, may not escape from the body» — la assation con fuego suave.

«Sublimate, rectify, fix till it sticks to the ground, further, incinerate and imbibe till it flows;»

«I am a dry and hard Iron, and nothing is like me, for I am a coagulation to the Quicksilver of the Philosophers.» — Deckname en primera persona: habla el hierro.

«The most noble Art and comforter of the poor, above all natural arts, which man may ever have on earth, the noble Alchemy, is to be esteemed as the gift of God;» — el cierre del tratado.

«They also teach to roast the black Sulphur till it turns red, when they distil it all they obtain white transparent Gum like the thing which is so highly praised and called LAC VIRGINIS. Then they mix the water which is drawn off from the Virgin Milk and transfer it into a red golden gum and a white transparent water, which must be left to coagulate, after which process they call it Tincture of the Wise, TINCTURA SAPIENTIAE» — de la goma blanca LAC VIRGINIS a la Tintura de los Sabios.

«About the second virtue it is written that it changes all imperfect metals into Gold, and this is evident;» — la segunda virtud; la tercera cambia las piedras en preciosas y la cuarta ablanda el vidrio fundido, en la misma plana.

«for it is a medicine above all other medicines of HIPPOCRATES, GALEN, CONSTANTINE, ALEXANDER, AVICENNA, and surpasses all the learned Physicians.» — Senior, sobre la medicina alquímica; la lista de médicos superados la nombra el propio texto.

El Orsan, «pájaro de los filósofos», vuela bajo Aries, Cáncer, Libra y Capricornio — los cuatro signos cardinales.

«Further rectify Body and Spirit; make white VENUS, deprive JUPITER of his bolt, harden SATURN, and soften MARS, make LUNA Citron-coloured and solve all bodies in water which makes them perfect.» — las instrucciones planetarias, dentro de la División de las Partes.

El Plomo Rojo («Red Lead») es el principio de toda la obra, el metal más semejante al oro; contiene la vida y el secreto oculto.

«The FIRST Operation is the EXTRACTION of the most noble and pure substance from Matter. 2. The Matter or Subject to be DISSOLVED in Water.» — las dos primeras de las Siete Reglas, que el impreso titula AVINCENA'S SEVEN RULES; siguen putrefacción, dealbación, coagulación y calcinación.

«the whole of our work is being perfected in one way or manner, in one vessel, and that all goes into one, and upon one, and from one.» — la séptima regla: un solo recipiente.

«One part tinged 1,500 parts Silver into Gold. I will not tell how after manifold augmentation what quantities of Silver and other metal I tinged after the MULTIPLICATION.» — la multiplicación, en el relato en primera persona, no entre las Siete Reglas.

«I was grieved at heart that I could not have this art, but he refused to tell his secret process.» — el narrador sobre el minero Flocker, que añade al plomo un azufre peculiar: la aleación con plata pura, al fundirse, da oro.

«Then I travelled about, up and down in Italy, and came to an Italian tradesman, and a Jew, who understood German. These two made English Tin look like the best fine Silver, and sold it largely. I offered to serve them. The Jew persuaded the Trader to take me as a Servant, and I had to attend the fire, when they operated with their art I was diligent, and they kept nothing from me, as I pleased them well. In this way I learnt their art, which worked with corrosive and poisonous materials, and I stopped with them fourteen weeks.» — el comerciante italiano y el judío, socios, que hacían pasar estaño inglés por plata fina.

«They soon brought the Silver to the test with strong acids, and refined it on the Cupel; but it did not stand the test, and all flew away in the fire. And they spoke harshly to me asking where I got the Silver.» — el ensayador de la plaza de San Marcos descubre el fraude.

«The Rector told me of a Hospital where there were other Germans, and there we got sumptuous food. It was an Institution for destitute strangers, and people of all nations came there.» — el hospital de extranjeros de Venecia.

«he took me straight to the Chief Chemist, named Tauler, a German, and he was glad to get me. So he engaged me on the spot at a weekly wage of two crowns and board as well.» — el laboratorio del noble veneciano, en la mansión de Ponteleone.

«It was a Cinnabar the Chief had covered with all kinds of dirt, just to try my knowledge, and he told me to get it done with in two days. I was kept busy, but succeeded with the Particular Process, and on testing the ingot of the fixed Mercury, the whole weighed NINE Loth, the test gave three Loth fine Gold.» — la prueba del cinabrio.

«I was then put on oath not to reveal my Art to anyone» — el juramento impuesto por el noble veneciano, que compró por 6 000 coronas un proceso de tinción en lengua griega: el manuscrito SARLAMETHON.

Receta del Agua Mercurial: alumbre, salitre, sal de mesa y sublimado corrosivo, triturados y sublimados; «This is the MERCURY of the Philosophers, the Mercurial Water, as it were the "Hellish Fire in Water."»

«it will become blood red; this is the 'Lion's Blood'.» — la Sangre del León se obtiene pudriendo oro con Agua Mercurial, calentada durante los Dog Days.

«This Lion's Blood pour into another glass retort, or Phial, which seal hermetically, and give it the heat of the Dog Days, and it will at first turn black, then variegated, then light grey when heat is increased it will turn yellow and at last deep red. This is the first Tincture.» — la Tintura A, por los colores del calor creciente; la B se obtiene proyectando la A sobre oro fundido y la C sobre mercurio caliente, en la misma plana.

«AND IS DIVIDED INTO SEVEN PARTS, IN WHICH IS DESCRIBED THE HIDDEN MYSTERY OF THE OLD PHILOSOPHERS, AS WELL AS ALL THAT NATURE REQUIRES TO CLEARLY ACCOMPLISH THE WHOLE WORK, INCLUDING ALL THE ADDED THINGS; AFTER WHICH NO ONE SHALL BE ADVISED TO GRAPPLE WITH THE MYSTERY OF THE NOBLE ART WITH HIS OWN SENSES.» — la propia portadilla del tratado anuncia siete partes y advierte contra abordar el arte por cuenta propia.

«I AM THE WAY AND EVEN ROAD, WHO PASSES HERE WITHOUT A REST, WILL FIND A GOODLY LIFE ABODE, AND IN THE END BE EVER BLESSED.» — el lema en verso que cierra la portadilla, en primera persona del camino.

«E ve r y on e w h o doe s n ot c a r e f or the tr oub l e of obtaining the Philosopher's Stone, will do better in making no enquiries at all than only useless ones.» — el texto lo pone en boca de Alphidius (el impreso escribe LPHIDIUS, con la capitular suelta) y el troceo conserva el espaciado de letras del impreso.

«Let it be said then to all, I hereby admonish them most earnestly, that none be so foolhardy to presume to understand the unknown intermixture of the elements» — la admonición que el texto atribuye a Rhases y a su libro LIGHT OF LIGHTS.

«Though it is evident that all corporeal things originate in and are maintained and exist of the Earth, according to Time and Influence of the Stars and Planets, as : Sun, Moon and the others, together with the four qualities of the elements, which are without intermission, moving and, working therein» — en boca de Rosinus: todo lo corpóreo se origina y se mantiene de la tierra según el tiempo y la influencia de los astros y las cuatro cualidades de los elementos.

«All this is well described by the natural master ARISTOTLE, in the fourth Book METEOROLOGICORUM, when he says, that QUICKSILVER is a matter common to all metals.» — la adjudicación completa que hace el texto: Aristóteles, libro cuarto de los Meteorologicorum.

«In acknowledging this property of Nature, the Philosophers called their Matter MERCURIUS, or QUICKSILVER.» — de ahí el nombre que los filósofos dan a su materia.

«How this MERCURIUS takes the perfect form of Gold, silver or other metals through the working of nature need not be mentioned here.» — el texto declina explicar la formación natural de los metales y remite a los libros de los filósofos de la naturaleza.

«Upon such is based and founded the ART of the Philosopher's Stone ; for it originates in Nature, thence follows a natural end in a just form, through just and natural means.» — el fundamento que el tratado se da: el arte de la piedra se origina en la naturaleza y por eso acaba en forma justa.

«For Art does not undertake to produce Gold and Silver, anew, as it cannot endow matter with its first origin, nor is it necessary to search our Art in the places and caverns of the earth, where minerals have their first beginning.» — el límite que el arte se pone: no crea la materia ni se busca en las minas.

«Art goes quite another way to work and with different intention from Nature, therefore does Art also use different tools and instruments.» — y de ahí que use herramientas distintas de las de la naturaleza.

«For that reason can Art produce extraordinary things out of the aforesaid natural beginnings such as Nature of herself would never be able to create.» — el arte hace lo que la naturaleza sola no puede, partiendo de los mismos comienzos naturales.

«For unaided Nature does not produce things whereby imperfect metals can in a moment be made perfect, but by the secrets of Our Art this can be done.» — el reparto de papeles: la naturaleza pone la materia, el arte los instrumentos y el método.

«For the form of every thing be it living, growing, or metallic, comes into existence by virtue of the interior force in matter—except the human soul.» — la forma de todo lo vivo, vegetal o metálico viene de la fuerza interior de la materia; el alma humana queda expresamente excluida.

«But it must be borne in mind that the essential form cannot originate in matter unless it is by the effect of an accidental form, not by virtue of that form, but by virtue of another real substance, which is the Fire or some other accidental active heat.» — la forma esencial necesita una forma accidental para nacer, y esa forma accidental es el fuego o un calor activo.

«By way of allegory, we take a hen's egg; in this the form of the chicken can not take shape, without the presence and aid of accidental form, which is the intermixture of the red with the white, by virtue of the heat coming from the hatching hen» — la alegoría del huevo de gallina: sin la mezcla de lo rojo con lo blanco y el calor de la clueca no hay pollo.

«PUTREFACTION takes place when the natural heat of a moist body is expelled by an external heat, or else when the natural heat of the subject is destroyed by cold. For then the natural warmth leaves everything and gives room to putrefaction.» — la definición de la putrefacción común, la que el texto rechaza en la línea siguiente.

«This Incineration the Philosophers will also not have, but they will have their Putrefaction, which is a drying, trituration and calcination, to be done in such wise, that the natural moisture and dryness be united together» — tampoco quieren la incineración: su putrefacción es secado, trituración y calcinación con lo húmedo y lo seco unidos.

«Even as the food is being absorbed on entering an animal's stomach, that it may be digested and changed and afterwards supply the feeding force and moisture necessary to the existence and augmentation of nature, and be separated of its superfluous parts.» — la analogía digestiva con que explica cómo se alimenta y se depura la materia.

«You shall know that the whole work of this Art ends in two Operations hanging very close together, so that when the one is complete, the other may begin and finish, this perfecting the whole Mastery.» — en boca de Morienus, que el impreso escribe ORIENUS con la capitular suelta: dos operaciones encadenadas, la segunda empieza al acabar la primera.

«But as they only act on their own matter, it is necessary to give more particulars about it.» — el paso al asunto del segundo tratado, la materia propia de esas dos operaciones.

«GEBER says in his "SUMMA PERFECTIONS MAGISTERI IN SUA NATURA" "that Nature produces the Metals from Mercury and Suphur," and to the same effect we see FERRARIUS speak in his "TREATISE ON ALCHEMY," in the 25th chapter, that from the beginning of the Origin of Metals, Nature also uses a slimy, heavy water, mixed with a very peculiar white sulphuric subtile earth, which resolves the former into a steam and vapour, raises it in the veins or crevices of the earth and decocts, steams and collects it together so long, till at last dryness and moisture completely unite, thereby forming the substance which we call Mercury, and which constitutes the peculiar and very first Matter of» — el texto adjudica a Geber la generación de los metales a partir de mercurio y azufre, y a Ferrarius, capítulo 25 de su tratado, el agua limosa y la tierra sulfúrea sutil de las que sale el mercurio; la frase sigue al otro lado de la plana.

«Those who will imitate nature, are not to use Mercury only, but Mercury mixed with Sulphur, but not the common Mercury and Sulphur, but those only which Nature herself has mixed, well prepared and decocted into a sweet fluid. In such a Mercury Nature has begun with primary action and ended in a metallic nature, having thus done her part, leaving the rest for Art to complete her work» — en boca de Ferrarius, capítulo 26: no el mercurio y el azufre comunes, sino los que la propia naturaleza mezcló y coció en fluido dulce.

«From the aforesaid it will be seen that he who will proceed properly in this Art, shall according to all Philosophers, begin where nature has left off, and shall take that Sulphur and Mercury which nature has collected in its purest form, in which took place the immediate union, which otherwise cannot be accomplished by anybody without art.» — la consigna que el texto atribuye a todos los filósofos: empezar donde la naturaleza dejó.

«In order to receive the force that penetrates such subtle Matter, some Alchemists calcinate Gold that they may dissolve it, and separate the elements until they reduce it to a volatile spirit or to the subtle nature of the greasy fumes of Mercury and Sulphur, and this then is the nearest matter, that combines most closely with gold, and receives the form of the occult Philosopher's Stone, this matter is called the Mercury of the Philosophers» — el procedimiento de algunos alquimistas —calcinar el oro, disolverlo y reducirlo a espíritu volátil— y el nombre que recibe esa materia próxima.

«about which ARISTOTLE, speaking to ALEXANDER the King, says : " Chose for our Stone that» — el texto lo pone en boca de Aristóteles dirigiéndose al rey Alejandro; la frase se corta con la plana y remata al otro lado con lo que adorna y corona a los reyes.

«Though this Mercury alone is the matter and the one only thing and a combination of other things, yet is this thing so manifold in its effects, and in its names, that no one can find out the true meaning from the writings of the Philosophers, and this is done for the purpose as ROSINUS says, " that every one may not get at it.» — el texto explica la multiplicidad de nombres como ocultamiento deliberado, y lo respalda con Rosinus.

«It is at the same time a way of producing effects and a vessel wherein all things multiply themselves, because of the adjustment of all things comprised in Nature.» — el mercurio es a la vez procedimiento y recipiente donde todo se multiplica.

«For now the Philosophers say: "dissolve the thing, and sublimate it, and then distil it, coagulate it, make it ascend, make it descend, soak it, dry it, and ever up to an indefinite number of operations, all of which take place at the same time and in the same vessel.» — la serie de operaciones —disolver, sublimar, destilar, coagular, ascender, descender, empapar, secar— que ocurren todas a la vez y en un mismo recipiente.

«ALPHIDIUS confirms this and says: "You must know that when we dissolve we sublimate as well and calcinate without interruption," and if our Corpus is being thrown into the water, for the purpose of dissolution, it first turns black, then separates itself, dissolving and sublimating, it unites itself with the spirit which is its origin and birth.» — en boca de Alphidius: al disolver se sublima y se calcina sin interrupción, y el cuerpo arrojado al agua primero ennegrece.

«It has been compared as analogous to all things in the world, visible or invisible, possessed of a soul or not, corporeal or animal, dead or alive, mineral or vegetative» — la analogía universal del mercurio, que sigue al otro lado de la plana.

«analogous to the elements and their compositions, to things hot and cold, further to all colours, all fruits, all birds, and in short to all things between Heaven and Earth, and among all these axe belonging to this Art the aforesaid operations, which are explained by the Philosophers in two word "Man and Wife," or "Milk and Cream." He who does not understand these does not understand the preparation of this Art.» — y remata en dos parejas de palabras, Hombre y Mujer o Leche y Nata; quien no las entiende no entiende la preparación del arte.

«GOD created the Earth plain and coarse, and very productive of Gravel, Sand, Stones, Mountains and Valleys, but through the influence of the planets, and the working of Nature, the Earth has been changed into many forms.» — abre la Primera Parábola: la tierra fue creada tosca y la mudaron los planetas y la naturaleza.

«Where the Earth first began to grow large, or to expand and multiply, the constant operation of the Sun-Heat also formed in the interior of the Earth a sulphury vapourous and damp heat, penetrating her through and through.» — el calor del sol forma dentro de la tierra un calor sulfúreo, vaporoso y húmedo.

«This penetrating work of the Sun's heat caused in the cold and damp of the Earth, the formation of large quantities of vapour fumes, fog and gas, all of which grow with the length of time strong enough to follow their tendency to rise, thus causing on the Earth's surface eruptions, forming hill and dale» — de esos vapores salen las erupciones que levantan montes y valles.

«Where there are such hills and dales, there the Earth has been matured and most perfectly mixed with heat and cold, moisture and dryness, and there the best ores may be found.» — donde hay monte y valle la tierra está madura y mezclada, y ahí están los mejores minerales.

«But where the earth is flat there has been no accumulation of such fumes and vapours, and there no ores will be found» — y en el llano no hay minerales, porque no se acumularon los vapores.

«for no earth can become stone, unless it be rich and slimy and well mixed with moisture.» — la condición para que la tierra se haga piedra.

«After the drying up of the water by the Sun's heat, the fat substance will keep the ground together, as otherwise it would remain brittle and fall to pieces again.» — la sustancia grasa es lo que mantiene unido el suelo tras secarse el agua.

«That which has not become perfectly hard as yet, may become so, and turn to stone, under the constant influence of the Sun's heat and Nature, as well as the aforesaid fumes and gases originating in the properties of the elements, which are by these means still being operated upon in the interior of the earth, and when they seize upon watery vapours with a pure, subtle earthy substance, then they form the Philosophers' Mercury; but when they are solid and brought to a fiery, earthy and subtle hardness, then will the Philosophers' Sulphur be the result.» — la bifurcación: si los vapores prenden en vapor acuoso con tierra sutil resulta el Mercurio de los Filósofos, y si quedan sólidos y de dureza ígnea, el Azufre.

«About this Sulphur HERMES says: "It will receive the powers of the highest and lowest planets, and with its force it penetrates solid things, it overcomes all matter and all precious stones.» — en boca de Hermes, sobre el Azufre de los Filósofos.

«The Water of the Air, which is between Heaven and Earth, is the Life of everything; for by means of its Moisture and Warmth, it is the medium between the two opposites, as Fire and Water, and therefore it rains water on earth, Heaven has opened itself, and sent its Dew on earth, making as sweet as honey, and moist.» — en boca de Hermes, primer maestro del arte: el agua del aire es medio entre fuego y agua, y de ahí la lluvia y el rocío.

«Therefore the Earth flowers and bears manifold coloured blooms and fruits, and in her interior has grown a large Tree with a silver stem, stretching itself out to the earth's surface. On its branches have been sitting many kinds of birds, all departing at Daybreak, when the Ravenhead became white.» — el árbol de tronco de plata que crece en el interior de la tierra, y las aves que lo dejan al blanquear la cabeza de cuervo.

«The same tree bears three kinds of Fruit. The First are the very finest Pearls. The Second are called by Philosophers TERRA FOLIATA. The Third is the very purest Gold.» — los tres frutos del árbol: perlas finísimas, la TERRA FOLIATA de los filósofos y oro purísimo.

«This Tree gives us as well the fruit of Health, it makes warm what is cold, and what is cold it makes warm, what is dry it makes moist, and makes moist what is dry, and softens the hard, and hardens t. soft, and is the end of the whole Art.» — el mismo árbol da el fruto de la salud, que invierte cada cualidad en su contraria y es el fin del arte entero.

«Thereof says the Author of "The Three Words," "The Three Moistures are the most precious Words of the whole Mastery.» — el texto adjudica la sentencia de las Tres Humedades al autor del Libro de las Tres Palabras.

«AVINCENA says in the Chapter on the MOISTURES:— "When Heat operates upon a moist body, then is blackness the first result.» — el texto adjudica el dicho a Avicena, que el impreso escribe AVINCENA, y lo remite a su capítulo sobre las humedades.

«For that reason have the old Philosophers declared they saw a Fog rise, and pass over the whole face of the earth, they also saw the impetuosity of the Sea, and the streams over the face of the earth, and how the latter became foul and stinking in the darkness.» — de ahí la visión de los viejos filósofos: la niebla que cubre la tierra, la impetuosidad del mar y las corrientes que se pudren en la oscuridad.

«They further saw the King of the Earth sink, and heard him cry out with eager voice: "Whoever saves me shall live and reign with me for ever in my brightness on my royal throne," and Night enveloped all things.» — el Rey de la Tierra se hunde y promete reino a quien lo salve; con eso cierra la noche de la Tercera Parábola.

«the King an apparent Morning Star, and the Light of Day clear up the darkness, the bright Sunlight pierce through the clouds, with manifold coloured rays, of brilliant brightness, and a sweet perfume from the earth, and the Sun shining clear.» — al día siguiente, la estrella matutina sobre el rey y el sol atravesando las nubes con rayos de muchos colores; la frase arranca al otro lado de la plana.

«Herewith was completed the Time when the King of the Earth was released and renewed, well apparelled, and quite handsome, surprising with his beauty Sun and Moon.» — el rey liberado y renovado, más hermoso que el sol y la luna.

«and in his left hand a golden Apple, and seated upon it a white Dove, with Wings partly silvered and partly of a golden hue» — en la mano izquierda la manzana de oro con la paloma blanca de alas medio plateadas y medio doradas.

«Meaning in this Masterly Art: "Deprive the thing of its Destructive Moisture, and renew it with its own Essential one which will become its perfection and life.» — la lectura operativa que el texto da a la sentencia de Aristóteles: quitar a la cosa su humedad destructiva y renovarla con la esencial.

«Here then the body becomes spiritual by force of the Spirit. This the Philosophers give to understand in the following Signature, or Figure: They saw a man black like a negro sticking fast in a black, dirty and foul smelling slime or clay; to his assistance came a young women, beautiful in countenance, and still more so in body, most handsomely adorned with many-coloured dresses, and she had wings on her back, the feathers of which were equal to those of the very finest white Peacock, and the quills were adorned with fine pearls, while the feathers reflected like golden mirrors. On her head she had a crown of pure gold, and on top of it a silver star; around her neck she wore a necklace of fine Gold, with the most precious Ruby, which no king would be able to pay; her feet were clad with golden shoes, and from her was emanating the most splendid perfume, surpassing all aromas. She clothed the man with a purple robe, lifted him up to his brightest clearness, and took him with herself to Heaven.» — la figura de la Cuarta Parábola: el hombre negro hundido en el limo y la mujer alada, coronada de oro con estrella de plata, que lo viste de púrpura y lo sube al cielo.

«It is a living thing, which no more dies, but when used gives an eternal increase.» — en boca de Senior, cerrando la misma parábola.

«So let us understand this meaning better. The Philosophers take for example an Egg, for in this the four elements are joined together. The first or the shell is Earth, and the White is Water, but the skin between the shell and the White is Air, and separates the Earth from the Water; the Yolk is Fire, and it too is enveloped in a subtle skin, representing our subtle air, which is more warm and subtle, as it is nearer to the Fire, and separates the Fire from the Water. In the middle of the Yolk there is the Firm ELEMENT, out of which the young chicken bursts and grows.» — el huevo como figura de los cuatro elementos: cáscara tierra, clara agua, piel aire, yema fuego, y en medio el elemento firme.

«In conclusion SENIOR remarks: "When these five are gathered together, they form ONE substance, whereof is made the natural Stone, while AVICENA contends that: "if we may get at the Fifth, we shall have arrived at the end.» — Senior sobre los cinco reunidos en una sola sustancia, y Avicena sobre llegar al quinto; el texto encadena las dos autoridades.

«Thus we see in an egg all the elements combined with matter to form a source of perfect nature, just so as it is necessary in this noble art.» — el cierre de la Quinta Parábola.

«In his left hand was a paper on which the following was written: "I have killed thee, that thou mayest receive a superabundant life, but thy head I will carefully hide, that the worldly wantons may not find thee, and destroy the earth, and the body I will bury, that it may putrefy, and grow and bear innumerable fruit.» — el papel que sostiene el asesino de la Sexta Parábola: mata para dar vida sobreabundante, esconde la cabeza y entierra el cuerpo para que pudra y fructifique.

«RISTOTLE in the Book of Origins speaks thus: "SUN and Man create a Man, for the Sun's force and spirit give life, and the process has to be gone through seven times, by means of the Sun's heat.» — abre el Cuarto Tratado en boca de Aristóteles —el impreso pierde la capitular y escribe RISTOTLE—, con el proceso que ha de repetirse siete veces.

«But as the Philosophers in their work have to aid Nature with Art, so have they also to govern the heat according to the Sun, so as to create the before-mentioned Stone, which as well has to undergo seven processes.» — y de ahí la regla del tratado: gobernar el calor según el sol, porque también la piedra pasa por siete procesos.

«For such a work requires FIRSTLY, a heat powerful enough to soften and melt these parts of the earth that have become thick, hard and baked, as mentioned by SOCRATES when he says : that the holes and cracks of the earth will be opened to receive the influence of Fire and Water.» — primer grado de calor, con Sócrates como autoridad: abrir los poros de la tierra endurecida.

«SECONDLY: The Heat is necessary, because through its power the earth becomes freed from darkness and blessed with light instead.» — segundo grado: libra a la tierra de la oscuridad.

«heat turns every black thing white, and every white thing red. So, as water bleaches, fire gives off light, and also colour to the subtilized earth, which appears like a Ruby, through the tinging Spirit she receives from the force of the fire, thus causing SOCRATES to say: that a peculiar light shall be seen in the darkness.» — y su efecto sobre los colores, con Sócrates otra vez: la luz peculiar que se ve en la oscuridad.

«THIRDLY: The Heat causes earthly things to be penetrated by a Spiritual Force, of which it is said in the TURBA: Spiritualize the bodies and make Volatile that which is Fixed. Of which RHAZES reminds in his LIGHT OP LIGHTS," as follows: "A heavy body cannot be made light without the help of a light body, nor can a light body be kept pressed down to the ground without the aid of a heavy body.» — tercer grado, con la Turba y con Rhazes: espiritualizar los cuerpos y volatilizar lo fijo, y la reciprocidad entre cuerpo pesado y ligero.

«FOURTHLY: The Heat cleanses that which is unclean. It throws off the mineral impurities and bad odours and nourishes the Elixir. In mention of which HERMES advises: Separate the gross from the Subtil, the earth from the fire. Whereof says ALPHIDIUS: The earth can be molten and becomes fire. Thereon says RHAZES: There are several Purifications preceding the perfect preparation, namely, Mundification and Separation.» — cuarto grado, con Hermes, Alphidius y Rhazes encadenados: separar lo grueso de lo sutil, y las purificaciones previas.

«FIFTHLY: The Heat works elevatingly, for by its force the spirits hidden in the Earth are raised up into the air, wherefore the Philosophers say, that whosoever can bring to light a hidden thing, is a Master of the Art. The same is meant by MORIENUS, when he teaches that "he who can recreate the Soul is able to see colour, and also by ALPHIDIUS saying: "Hence it is that this Combat raises upwards, or else you shall not gain by it.» — quinto grado, con Morienus y Alphidius: quien saca a la luz lo oculto es maestro del arte.

«SIXTHLY: The Heat warms the cold earth, that while cold was half dead. Thereof says SOCRATES: When Heat penetrates, it makes subtle all earthly things, that are of service to the matter, but come to no final form while it is acting on the matter.» — sexto grado, con Sócrates: el calor sutiliza lo terrestre sin darle todavía forma final.

«The Philosophers conclude on the mentioned Heats in brief words, saying: Destil seven times and you have separated the destructable moisture and it takes place as in one destillation.» — la conclusión de los filósofos sobre los calores: siete destilaciones equivalen a una.

«SEVENTHLY: Is the Force of the heat thus mixed with heat in the earth, that it has made light the collected parts and resolved them so as to surpass the other elements, and therefore this heat shall be modified with the Coldness of the Moon, "Extinguish the Fire of one thing with the Coldness of another " says CALID.» — séptimo grado, templado con la frialdad de la luna, y la sentencia que el texto adjudica a Calid.

«EIGHTHLY, AUCTOR DE TRIUM VERBORUM, the author of THE THREE WORDS gives in his writings a peculiar method to govern the HEAT or the FIRE, saying: "When the Sun is in Aries, he indicates the First Heat, or Grade of the Fire, which is weak because the heat is under the Rule of the Water, but when the Sun is in Leo, then it indicates the Second Grade, which is hotter because the great coldness of the Water being under the Rule of the Air. In the Sign of Saggitarius is the Third Grade, this being not of a burning heat, and under the Rule or Order of Rest and Pause.» — el octavo apartado toma del autor de las Tres Palabras el gobierno zodiacal del fuego: Aries el primer grado, Leo el segundo y Sagitario el tercero.

«ISSOLUTION is the FIRST Operation which has to take place in the Art of ALCHEMY, for the order of Nature requires that the CORPUS, BODY, OR MATTER, be changed into WATER which is the much spoken of MERCURY. The LIVING SILVER dissolves the adjoined pure SULPHUR.» — abre el Quinto Tratado —el impreso pierde la D capitular—: la disolución es la primera operación y muda el cuerpo en el agua llamada mercurio.

«This Dissolution is nothing but a killing of the moist with the dry, in fact a PUTREFACTION, and consequently turns the MATTER black.» — y su definición: matar lo húmedo con lo seco, es decir una putrefacción, de donde el negro.

«meaning thereby that the SULPHUR, which before was dissolved by the LIVING SILVER, absorbs the same and draws it into itself.» — la coagulación explicada por el azufre que reabsorbe la plata viva que antes lo había disuelto.

«The Water that turned to Earth, which the Corpus has absorbed, necessarily shows other and manifold colours. For if the properties of an operating thing alter, so must the thing operated on alter.» — de ahí el cambio de colores: si mudan las propiedades del agente, muda lo operado.

«Wherefore is this Art compared to the play of children, who when they play, turn undermost that which before was uppermost.» — el símil del juego de niños, que ponen abajo lo que estaba arriba.

«The Third is SUBLIMATION, distilling the before-mentioned moisture of the earth, for if the water is reduced into the earth, it is evaporated into the lightness of the air, and rises above the earth, as an oblong cloudlet, like an egg» — la tercera operación: la humedad de la tierra sube como una nubecilla oblonga en forma de huevo.

«For from the Sublimation remain ashes, which by virtue of their own AIR, given to them by GOD, dissolve themselves by a moderate heat, after which earth of a fiery nature and property remains calcined at the bottom of the glass.» — las cenizas de la sublimación se disuelven solas por su propio aire, y en el fondo del vidrio queda tierra ígnea calcinada.

«This being the proper philosophical sublimation, by means of which the perfect method is carried out. And this is why this Art is compared to Woman's Work, which consists in cooking and roasting until it is done.» — el segundo símil doméstico: la obra comparada al trabajo de la mujer, cocer y asar hasta el punto.

«The fourth Chapter sheweth the last or fourth thing belonging to this water which has been separated from the earth, be again joined to the earth. The one thing must be done with the other, if the Stone is to be made perfect.» — la cuarta operación: devolver a la tierra el agua que de ella se separó.

«The reason why all natural things are put together in a body is, that there may be a united composition.» — la razón que el texto da: que haya composición unida.

«In these last four Chapters is all contained wherewith the Philosophers have filled the whole world with innumerable books.» — el propio tratado declara que en esos cuatro capítulos cabe lo que llenó el mundo de libros.

«In the order of nature the father changes into the son, which means that the Spiritual is materialised, and the Volatile made permanent ; or that Sun and Moon have come home. Of these two planets SENIOR speaks also: "I am a hot and dry Sun, while thou, LUNA, art cold and moist, and when we shall rise in the order of our most ancient nobility, a burning light will be poured into us." Whereby he is indicating that through the knowledge and mastery of the ancients the renewals of the moistures will be received, and Sun and Moon become transparent.» — el capítulo del gobierno de los fuegos: el padre se muda en hijo, es decir lo espiritual se materializa y lo volátil se fija, con Senior citado en medio.

«The "SCALA PHILOSOPHORUM" treats of the FIRE as follows: "The Heat or Fire of the whole work is uniform, for some say that the heat of the first regimen shall be as the warmth of a brooding hen, others that it ought to be as the natural warmth of the digestion of food and nourish» — el texto adjudica a la Scala philosophorum la doctrina del fuego uniforme; la frase se corta con la plana y sigue con la digestión y el sol en Aries.

«ment of the body, while some take the heat of the Sun, when she is in the sign of ARIES, as the proper one.» — el remate de la cita de la Scala al otro lado de la plana.

«Though the stone is obtained through one operation, nevertheless has the operation of the Fire to be changed thrice. In the first operation of the work shall the heat be mild moderate and warm, till the matter turns black continually, and further till it becomes white again.» — una sola operación, pero el fuego cambia tres veces: el primer régimen es suave hasta el negro y luego hasta el blanco.

«This heat is compared to the heat of the Sun when he is in ARIES and begins to move towards TAURUS. When the White appears the Fire should be increased and continued until the perfect drying up or Calcination of the Stone ; this heat is compared to the Sun's heat when he is in TAURUS and moving towards GEMINI.» — el primer régimen se compara al sol de Aries hacia Tauro, y el segundo, ya con el blanco, al de Tauro hacia Géminis, hasta la calcinación.

«And when the stone is perfectly dried up, and calcined, the fire has again to be made more fierce still, until the stone becomes perfectly red, and clad with a royal coat from the fire, and this heat is compared to the summer heat, when the Sun is in LEO ; that is her highest dignity, when she is in her own house. This much is enough said on the government of the FIRE.» — el tercer régimen, el más fuerte, lleva la piedra al rojo y se compara al calor del sol en Leo, su domicilio.

«IRALDUS, the PHILOSOPHER, says in the "TURBA": It turns black twice, yellow twice, and red twice, and therefore decoct it, for in the process of DECOCTION appear many colours, and according to these is the heat changed.» — abre la segunda parte del Quinto Tratado, sobre los colores, con Iraldus en la Turba: dos veces negro, dos amarillo y dos rojo; el impreso pierde la capitular.

«And although all colours appear so are there yet but three most noticeable amongst all. The principal colours are black, white and red; between these many others appear ; a yellowish one after the white, or after the first red, said by MIRALDUS, to be a perfect Colour, while CONCILIATOR calls it NOT perfect, and hardly remaining on matter long enough to be visible.» — los tres colores principales y el desacuerdo interno sobre el amarillento: Miraldus lo llama perfecto y el Conciliator lo niega, y el tratado deja los dos.

«But the other yellowish colour which ariseth after the perfect white, and before the first red, can be seen for some time, and is therefore a perfect colour. This is the same that MIRALDUS says above, but they do not last so long as black,» — pero el otro amarillento, el que aparece entre el blanco perfecto y el primer rojo, sí dura y sí es perfecto; la frase se corta con la plana.

«white, or red, which stand in the matter for four days; though black and red appear perfect a second time. But the first perfect colour is the black resulting from the mildest heat.» — los cuatro días que los tres colores permanecen, y el negro del calor más suave como primer color perfecto.

«According to Conciliator, the Whitening should take place in a mild heat, till the Black disappears.» — el blanqueamiento, según el Conciliator, se hace a fuego suave hasta que desaparece el negro.

«While LUCAS, the PHILOSOPHER, says in the "TURBA": "Beware of great heat, for if you make the fire too fierce in the beginning, then will it arise red before its time, which is useless, for in the commencement of its government you ought to have first the black, then the white and lastly the red.» — en boca de Lucas, en la Turba: el orden obligado es negro, blanco y rojo, y adelantar el rojo lo echa a perder.

«BALEUS, the Philosopher, says in the "TURBA": "Decoct your composition, till you see it white, and quench it in Vinegar and separate the white from the black, for the white is a sign of approaching Fixation, it needs to be extracted from the black by means of the fire of calcination, for the augmented heat separates the superfluous parts, leaving them but a coarse earth under the Matter, like a coarse black ball, not capable of mixing with the pure and subtle matter of the Stone.» — en boca de Baleus, en la Turba: el blanco anuncia la fijación y hay que sacarlo del negro por el fuego de calcinación.

«That is what the Philosophers say: "the red must be extracted from the white, for there is nothing superfluous in it, nor is there anything separated, but all turns perfectly red, for which purpose they order to make a stronger fire.» — y el rojo se extrae del blanco, sin nada superfluo que separar, aumentando el fuego.

«For the Matter is fixed in the White, and the species fly not from it.» — el remate de la sentencia de Pitágoras al otro lado de la plana: en el blanco la materia queda fija.

«About these remarks the Philosopher Lucas: "When our Magnesia is made white, it does not yield its species.» — Lucas otra vez, sobre la magnesia blanqueada.

«HERMES, a father of Philosophers says, that "one should not take out the aforesaid white Magnesia until all the colours are perfect, when it will become a Water dividing itself into four other Waters, namely one to two and three to one. One third of it belongs to heat and two thirds to moisture. These Waters are the Weights of the Philosophers.» — en boca de Hermes: no sacar la magnesia blanca hasta que los colores sean perfectos; el agua se parte en cuatro, un tercio de calor y dos de humedad, y ésos son los pesos de los filósofos.

«It should further be known, that the Vine which is a Sap of the Philosophers, is extracted in the Fifth, but its Wine has to be opened (finished ?) in the Third, and in proper preparation. For in Decoction it gets less, while in Trituration, it forms itself. In all this is included beginning and end.» — la vid como savia de los filósofos, que se extrae en el quinto y se abre en el tercero; el impreso deja la duda del traductor en un paréntesis.

«Therefore the Philosophers say that it was made perfect in SEVEN DAYS ; others say in Four Days, some say in Three Times, some in Four Times, some in Ten Days, some in Forty Days, some in ONE YEAR.» — la duración de la obra, sin conciliar: siete días, cuatro, tres veces, cuatro veces, diez días, cuarenta días o un año.

«TURBA and ALPHIDIUS: In The Four Seasons of The Year, as: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, some others again say in a Day, in One Week or in One Month.» — y la lista sigue con la Turba y Alphidius en las cuatro estaciones, y con quienes dicen un día, una semana o un mes.

«All this is nothing else but one thing in another thing, for the philosophers say the Operations are manifold, and so are the times, weights and names in consequence, all of which an intelligent Artist must know well, otherwise he can produce nothing.» — la explicación que el tratado da a esa discrepancia: las operaciones son muchas, y con ellas los tiempos, pesos y nombres.

«ALCINATION is put in the beginning of the Work as the Father of a Generation, and is of three kinds two of which belong to the Corpus or Matter, and the third to the Spirit.» — abre el Sexto Tratado —el impreso pierde la C capitular—: la calcinación es padre de la generación y es de tres clases.

«The First is a preparation of the Cold Moisture, which protects the wood from being burnt, and is the beginning of our Work. The other is a fatty moisture, which bums the wood. The Third is an Incineration of the dry earth, and gives a truly fixed and subtle moisture; it is little in bulk, and gives no flames, but gives a body as clear as glass.» — las tres calcinaciones: la humedad fría que protege la leña, la grasa que la quema y la incineración de la tierra seca, que da un cuerpo claro como vidrio.

«Thus the Philosophers order their Calcination to be made, and it is accomplished With AQUA PERMANENTE, Or With ACETO ACCERRIMA. Such moistures are in the metals, for they are the beginning of fusion.» — la calcinación se hace con agua permanente o con vinagre acérrimo, humedades que ya están en los metales.

«therefore the Calcination is the indication of a destructive moisture, and of an application of a foreign fiery moist subject, from which the essentiality and life originates. For this reason it is called a fusion of the incineration, taking place with the Water of the Philosophers, which in reality is the Sublimation, or Philosophic Solution, for this changes the hard dryness into a dry softness ; and thus is extracted the QUINTA ESSENTIA, and separation of the elements.» — la calcinación como fusión de la incineración, que es en realidad la sublimación o solución filosófica, de donde sale la quinta esencia.

«Therefore it is called SUBLIMATION, the process by which the coarse earth becomes thin or subtle, and changed into the moisture of the water, and the cold of this water, and the warmth of the air, and the moisture of the air, turned into the heat of the fire, is a reversion of the elements, and the extracted QUINTA ESSENTIA of the elementary FAECES. And this QUINTA ESSENTIA is a radical moisture of a very high nature, tinging infinitely.» — la sublimación definida como reversión de los elementos, y la quinta esencia como humedad radical que tiñe sin fin.

«It further is the true fixation, of which GEBER says: "What becomes Fixed becomes Illumined, and is changed into a beautiful transparent substance.» — en boca de Geber: lo que se fija se ilumina y se vuelve sustancia transparente.

«the SULPHUR PHILSOPHORUM, or the ash extracted from ash, without which the whole mastery is in vain. For it is a metallic water, generated in the body, making it alive. It is an Elixir of the red and white Tincture, and a tinging volatile spirit.» — de ahí sale el Azufre de los Filósofos, ceniza extraída de ceniza, sin el cual la maestría es vana; grafía PHILSOPHORUM del impreso.

«In this Work also takes place the true Ablution, or cleaning of blackness and stench, and the Dead will be made again to live by the introduction of a pure, indestructible heat and metallic moisture, supplying the tinging force, by means of which is also effected the Philosopher's Putrefaction, spoken of at the beginning of this book, restoring what was before, and bringing to light that which was hidden.» — la ablución que limpia la negrura y el hedor, y devuelve la vida a lo muerto: la putrefacción filosófica que restituye y saca a luz lo escondido.

«It is as well the Philosophers Destillation, or clarification; this being nothing but the uniting of a thing with its own essential moisture, and with the Coagulation the Philosophers complete the whole work.» — la destilación filosófica como unión de la cosa con su propia humedad esencial, y la coagulación como remate.

«Thereof says HERMES: that the Earth is its foster mother, by which he means that its power is complete when changed into a constant earth capable of producing innumerable effects, as we shall see hereafter.» — en boca de Hermes: la tierra es su madre adoptiva, y su poder se completa al volverse tierra constante.

«Nothing else can yet be effected on a more natural way than this art, when followed in truth and not in form only and appearance.» — el tratado reclama para el arte la vía más natural, con la condición de seguirlo de verdad y no de apariencia.

«This SENIOR confirmed saying: "There is no man living able to exercise this art without nature. Yea and with such nature as has been given us by Heaven to unite with nature.» — en boca de Senior: nadie ejerce este arte sin naturaleza, y sin la naturaleza que el cielo dio para unirse a ella.

«T is a common saying of the Philosophers, that whoever knows how to kill the living silver, is a master of this art, but very great attention has to be paid to their Quicksilver, for they describe it very differently and manyfold.» — abre el Séptimo Tratado —el impreso pierde la I capitular—: matar la plata viva hace al maestro, pero el mercurio se describe de muchas maneras.

«He further says:"The Soul is extracted by Putrefaction, and when nothing more of the soul remains, then have you well washed the Body, that they both again are one.» — Senior sobre la extracción del alma por putrefacción y el lavado del cuerpo hasta que ambos vuelven a ser uno.

«Then it is called QUINTA ESSENTIA, the Quintessence, or a Spirit, Permanent Water or Menstrum.» — los nombres que entonces recibe: quinta esencia, espíritu, agua permanente o menstruo.

«The TURBA says also: "Take Mercury and coagulate it in the body of Magnesia, or in the Sulphur which does not burn, and dissolve it in the very strongest Vinegar» — en boca de la Turba: coagular el mercurio en el cuerpo de la magnesia o en el azufre que no arde, y disolverlo en vinagre fortísimo; la receta sigue al otro lado de la plana.

«this Vinegar it will become neither black nor white or red, and thus it becomes a dead Quicksilver, and is of a white colour, and before the approach of the fire it becomes red.» — y ahí remata: queda mercurio muerto y blanco, que enrojece al acercarse el fuego.

«TURBA speaks about it as follows: "Lay it in Gold when it will become an elixir, that is his Tincture, and it is a beautiful water extracted from many tinctures, it gives life and colour to all whom it is given to take.» — la Turba sobre el elixir puesto en oro: agua sacada de muchas tinturas, que da vida y color a quien la toma.

«Further the TURBA continues: "The Tyrian colour red is the very best; after that comes a costly Purple colour, and this is the true Quicksilver; it brings a sweet savour, and is a genuine Tincture.» — y sobre los colores del mercurio verdadero: el rojo de Tiro el mejor, luego el púrpura costoso.

«From this it is sufficiently to be seen, that all Philosophers, not only ascribe the beginning of the art to Quicksilver, but the Middle and perfect end as well.» — la conclusión que el tratado saca: el mercurio no es solo el principio del arte, sino también el medio y el fin.

«I have been observing a bird called the Philosophers' ORSAN, which flies when in the Signs of ARIES, CANCER, LIBRA, or CAPRICORN, and this bird you may receive for all eternity from true minerals and precious mountain stones.» — en boca de Hermes: el pájaro Orsan de los filósofos vuela en Aries, Cáncer, Libra y Capricornio, y se recibe de minerales verdaderos y piedras de monte.

«and a fire to the colours, one Soul one Spirit drawing, back again to home those after wandering about far away. Further, SULPHUR RUBEUM, GUMMI AUREUM, AUREUM APPARENS, CORPUS DESIDERATUM, AURUM SINGULARUM, AQUA SAPIENTIAE, especially if it possesses great whiteness.» — los otros nombres de la misma cosa que el tratado enumera en fila: azufre rojo, goma áurea, oro aparente, cuerpo deseado, oro singular, agua de sabiduría.

«The Turba says also: "You should know that, unless you make the Gold first white, you will never be able to get it red, black and pure waters ; the Cristalline will show itself from the» — en boca de la Turba: sin blanquear primero el oro no se llega al rojo; la frase se corta con la plana y remata con el rojo cetrino.

«It is a peculiar thing, if you throw it over the other three already mixed up, so will it help the white over the citrine and the red, it will turn the colour of silver; after that it helps the red over the Citrine, and makes it white; over the white and red and makes it Citrine Golden coloured; then it helps as well the red over the Citrine, and makes it of a white colour.» — en boca de Senior: el juego de un color sobre otros tres, que vuelve el resultado plateado, blanco o cetrino dorado según el orden.

«Of these things MORIENUS speaks thus: "Behold the perfect Citrine, and that which is altered in its Citrinity; the perfect red and the one lessened in its redness, and further the perfect black in its blackness.» — en boca de Morienus: distingue el cetrino perfecto del alterado, el rojo perfecto del menguado y el negro perfecto.

«Hence it is clear that the gold of the Philosophers is different to common Gold or Silver; though some Philosophers compare it for some reasons, not only to common Gold or Silver, but even to all metals.» — la distinción que el tratado sostiene: el oro de los filósofos no es el oro común, aunque algunos lo comparen con todos los metales.

«TURBA says: "Copper and Lead become a precious Stone of the Philosophers. The Lead which the Philosophers call Red Lead, is a beginning of the whole work, and nothing can be done without it; therefore some say: "From red lead make iron, or Crocum; from white lead make a white tincture, or tin, from tin make copper, from copper make white lead, from white lead make Minium, from Minio make a Tincture, and you have begun the» — en boca de la Turba: el Plomo Rojo es el principio de toda la obra, y la cadena de conversiones de plomo a minio a tintura; la frase acaba en la plana siguiente.

«Moreover MARCASIT, of which the stinking earth wins golden scintillations, as MORIENUS says, it is also compared to ARSENIC, AURIPIGMENT and TUTIA. Others again compare it to many things not mineral at all, as to the Four Complexions, to Teriac, to the Basilisk, to blood, and such like superfluous things, among minerals to Salt, Alum, Vitriol, and other things, on account of its manyfold qualities.» — el catálogo de comparaciones que el tratado recoge sin suscribirlas: marcasita, arsénico, oropimente, tutía, las cuatro complexiones, la triaca, el basilisco, la sangre, sal, alumbre, vitriolo.

«Above all things ALPHIDIUS warns us thus: "Dear Son, beware of spirits, bodies and stones which are dead, as mentioned, for in them is no way, nor would you find guidance for your purpose with them, for their force does not multiply, but comes to nothing instead, while the Salt of the Philosophers is a Tincture extracted and absorbed from the bodies of metals, like as other alkaline salts are absorbed from other bodies.» — la advertencia que el texto pone en boca de Alphidius: apartarse de espíritus, cuerpos y piedras muertos, porque su fuerza no multiplica.

«Of this SENIOR says: "that at first it turns to ashes, afterwards it becomes a Salt, and at last with a great deal of labour, it becomes the Mercury of the Philosophers. But the best and noblest of all is SAL AMONIAC, as confirmed by ARISTOTLE in his book OF THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS, where he says: ALMISADIR, that is SAL AMONIAC,» — en boca de Senior el orden ceniza, sal y mercurio de los filósofos, y en boca de Aristóteles, en su libro de los Siete Mandamientos, la primacía del sal amoniaco; el impreso escribe ALMISADIR.

«shall serve you only, for it solves the bodies, and makes them soft and spiritual." The same says TURBA "Know that the body does not tinge itself unless the Spirit which is hidden in its interior, be extracted, when it will become a water and a body of a spiritual nature, because the thick earthy substance cannot tinge, but the proper one is of a thin nature, and colours the tingent spirit of a watery nature to an Elixir, because there has been extracted a white and red fixation, of a perfect colouring, and an all penetrating Tincture, which mixed with all the metals.» — el remate al otro lado de la plana y, en boca de la Turba, la condición para que un cuerpo tiña: sacarle el espíritu escondido dentro.

«That the SULPHUR be extracted from THE PERFECT BODIES. THEY have MARS FIXED, which Sulphur is their noblest and most subtle part, a crystalline salt, sweet and savoury and a radical moisture, which, if it were to remain for a year on the fire would always be like molten wax. Wherefore a small part exalteth a large quantity of common Quicksilver into genuine Gold.» — la perfección de la maestría entera reducida a pocos puntos: el azufre sacado de los cuerpos perfectos, sal cristalina y humedad radical, del que una parte pequeña exalta mucho mercurio.

«On that account, the moisture or the water which is extracted from the metallic bodies, is called the Soul of the» — el agua sacada de los cuerpos metálicos se llama Alma de la Piedra; la frase cruza la plana.

«Stone, or Mercury, but its forces are named Spirit, when affecting things of a Sulphurous nature; while the solid Earth is the Body, the QUINTESSENCE is the ultimate TINCTURE. All these three are a united thing of one sole root, but having manifold effects and innumerable names, which, though having all the same meaning are yet like a chain linked into one another, so that where one ends the other begins.» — y al otro lado reparte los nombres restantes: Espíritu las fuerzas, Cuerpo la tierra sólida, Tintura última la quintaesencia, las tres de una sola raíz y encadenadas.

«In the last part is to be noticed the virtues and powers of the noble Tincture, which is to its opponents like a strong tower, and of which the old Sages discovered four principal virtues. Firstly, it gives health and cures man of various diseases; Secondly, it makes perfect the metallic bodies; Thirdly, it changes all base stones into precious ones; and Fourthly, it softens every kind of glass.» — las cuatro virtudes de la Noble Tintura que el texto atribuye al hallazgo de los viejos sabios.

«Of the first the Philosophers say that if taken in a warm draught of wine or water, it will immediately cure paralysis, dropsy, leprosy, jaundice, palpitation, colic, fever, palsy, and many other internal diseases, as well as external ores, when used as a salve. It strengthens an unhealthy stomach, takes away rheumatism and cures all mental diseases; it relieves catarrh and bad eyes, and it invigorates the heart; it brings back the faculty of hearing, and renews the teeth, restores the lame limbs, it heals burns and gangrene, as well» — el catálogo de dolencias que la primera virtud cura, por vía interna y como ungüento; la lista sigue al otro lado de la plana.

«SENIOR says that it makes the man joyous, fresh, healthy, rejuvenates inside and outside, for it is a medicine above all other medicines of HIPPOCRATES, GALEN, CONSTANTINE, ALEXANDER, AVICENNA, and surpasses all the learned Physicians. This medicine should as well be mixed with other ones meeting the particular disease, or with water» — en boca de Senior, y con la indicación de mezclarla con otras medicinas según la dolencia.

«Thirdly, according to what is written (!) this medicine changes all stones into precious ones, as in Jasper, White and Red Coral, Emerald, Chrysolite, Sapphires, further Crystals into Garnets, Rubies and Topazes, which are much more powerful than the natural ones. It softens and fuses all base and precious stones.» — la tercera virtud, muda las piedras en preciosas, y el impreso lleva ahí un signo de admiración entre paréntesis que marca la reserva del traductor.

«And FOURTHLY, in mixing this medicine with molten glass, the latter may be cut and changed into all colours. The rest may be learnt by experience by any skilful artist.» — la cuarta virtud, ablandar el vidrio fundido, y el remite final a la experiencia del artífice.

«So says the Philosopher SENIOR: " A sensible man, if he but tries this art, will soon perceive it from the books, and get a knowledge of this art, if his mind and intellect are illuminated.» — en boca de Senior, en la Conclusión: al hombre sensato le basta la lectura si tiene la mente iluminada.

«Whosoever therefore will act wisely should search for the Wisdom of the old Philosophers, which is shown in the wit and Artfulness of the manifold parables and roundabout sayings, thus hiding the proper operations and thus rendering their unriddling difficult.» — el consejo final: buscar la sabiduría de los viejos filósofos en sus parábolas, que esconden a propósito las operaciones.

«To think over these things requires a very subtle mind, and only those with suitable faculties and knowledge will find it easy and natural.» — y su límite: solo quien tenga facultades y conocimiento lo hallará fácil.

«But as SENIOR says : " For those who have no natural understanding of these things, there is nothing so precious in Nature as he who possesses this Art ; he is like one " who had a flint from which he strikes fire and gives to whosoever he likes, without the stone getting any smaller through it.» — en boca de Senior: el poseedor del arte es como quien saca fuego de un pedernal y lo reparte sin que la piedra mengüe.

«It is as good as giving superfluous fine Gold. This Art is also better than all commerce, Gold and Silver, and her fruits are better than the wealth of all the world.» — el arte por encima de todo comercio, de oro y plata.

«For by means of this Art, is obtained that which furthers long life, health, her youngest fruit being the true AURUM, the most powerful balm and most precious gift of God, which the old Philosophers could find in Nature with their Art.» — el cierre del tratado: vida larga, salud y el AURUM verdadero como bálsamo y don de Dios.

«Translated from the AURUM VELLUS, ROHRSCHACH, 1498» — el propio encabezado del relato declara su fuente y su fecha: traducido del Aurum Vellus de Rohrschach, 1498.

«HEN I was a young fellow, I came to a Miner n a m e d F l o c k e r , w h o w a s a l s o a n A l c h e m i s t , b u t h e k e p t h i s k n o w l e d g e s e c r e t, a n d I c o u l d get nothing out of him. He used a Process with commom Lead, adding to it a peculiar Sulphur, or Brimstome, he fixed the Lead until it became hard, then fluid, and later on soft like Wax.» — abre el relato en primera persona —el impreso pierde la W capitular—: el minero Flocker fijaba el plomo con un azufre peculiar hasta volverlo duro, luego fluido y por fin blando como cera.

«Of this prepared Lead, he took 20 Loth (10 ounces), and 1 mark pure unalloyed Silver, put both materials in flux and kept the composition in fusion for half an hour. Thereupon he parted the Silver, cast it in an ingot, when half of it was Gold.» — la receta observada: veinte loth de ese plomo y un marco de plata pura en fusión media hora, y al partir la plata la mitad era oro.

«Shortly thereafter he tumbled down a mine and no one could tell what was the artifice he had used.» — Flocker se despeña en una mina y el artificio se pierde con él.

«As I had seen it really done by this miner, I started in the year 1473 on my travels to search out an artist in Alchemy, and where I heard of one I went to him, and in these wanderings I passed 18 months, learning all kinds of Alchemical Operations, of no great importance, but I saw the reality of some of the PARTICULAR processes, and I spent 200 Florins of my own money, nevertheless I would not give up the search.» — el año en que empieza el viaje, 1473, y el balance de dieciocho meses y doscientos florines gastados en operaciones de poca monta.

«I thought of boarding with some of my friends, and took a journey to Laibach, thence to Milan, and came to a monastery. There I heard some excellent lectures and served as an assistant, for about a year.» — el paso por Laibach, Milán y un monasterio donde sirvió cerca de un año.

«Then I journeyed with the Jew to Venice. There he sold to a Turkish merchant forty pounds of this Silver.» — el viaje a Venecia y la venta de cuarenta libras de esa plata a un mercader turco.

«Silver, and brought it to a Goldsmith, who spoke Latin, and kept two Journeymen, and I asked him to test the Silver.» — el narrador toma seis loth de esa plata mientras se regatea y los lleva a un orfebre para que la ensaye; la frase arranca al otro lado de la plana.

«He directed me to an Assayer on Saint Marks' Place, who was portly and wealthy. He had three German Assay-assistants.» — el ensayador de la plaza de San Marcos, con tres ayudantes alemanes.

«I told them I had come on purpose to have it tested, that I might know if it was real silver.» — la respuesta del narrador ante el reclamo de los ensayadores.

«When I saw the fraud, I returned not to the Jew, and paid no more attention to their art, for I feared to get into trouble together with the Jew, through the false silver.» — descubierto el fraude, abandona el oficio por miedo a verse implicado.

«I then went to a College in Venice, and asked there if they could give me two meals daily while I looked for employ» — el paso por el colegio de Venecia pidiendo dos comidas al día; la palabra se parte con la plana.

«The next day I went to Saint Marks' Place, and one of the Assay assistants came up, and asked me where I got that Silver ? Why I had it tested, and if I had any more of it ? I said I had no more of that silver, and that I was glad to have got rid of it» — el reencuentro con el ayudante del ensayador, que pregunta de dónde salió la plata.

«telling it to him. That pleased the Assayer, and he asked me if I could work in a Laboratory ? I told him I was a Laborant travelling on purpose to work in alchemical Laboratories. That pleased him vastly, and he told me of a nobleman who kept a laboratory, and who wanted a German Assistant.» — y el ensayador lo recomienda al noble que buscaba un asistente alemán.

«I readily accepted, and he took me straight to the Chief Chemist, named Tauler, a German, and he was glad to get me. So he engaged me on the spot at a weekly wage of two crowns and board as well.» — el enganche con Tauler, químico jefe alemán, a dos coronas por semana y comida.

«He took me about six Italian miles out of Venice to a fine large mansion called Ponteleone. I never saw such Laboratory work, in all kinds of Particular Processes, and medicines, as in that place. There everything one could think of was provided and ready for use. Each workman had his own private room, and there was a special cook for the whole staff of Laboratory assistants.» — la mansión de Ponteleone y el laboratorio, con cuarto propio para cada operario y cocinero para la plantilla.

«The Chief Chemist gave me at once an Ore to work on, which had been sent to the nobleman, four days previously.» — la mena que le dan a trabajar nada más llegar.

«That was my first work and stroke of luck. The Chief Chemist reported it to the nobleman, who came out unexpectedly, spoke to me in Latin, called me his Fortunatum, tapped me on the shoulder and gave me twenty-nine crowns.» — el noble lo llama su Fortunatum y le da veintinueve coronas.

«He spoke a funny kind of Latin I could hardly understand, but I was pleased with the money.» — y la acotación del narrador sobre el latín del noble.

«To make a long story short, everything had to be kept secret, as it should be. If someone boasts of his art, even if he has got the Truth, God's Justice will not let such a one go on. Therefore be silent, even if you have the highest Tincture, but give charity.» — la moral que el narrador saca del juramento: callar aunque se tenga la tintura más alta, y dar limosna.

«I saw all kinds of operations at this Nobleman's Laboratory, and as the Chief Chemist favoured me, he gave me all kinds of operations to do, and also mentioned, that our employer spent about 30,000 Crowns on these arts, paying cash for all manner of books in various languages, to which he gave great attention.» — las treinta mil coronas que el noble gastaba en estas artes y en libros de varias lenguas.

«I myself witnessed that he paid 6,000 Crowns for the Manuscript SARLAMETHON. A process for a Tincture in the Greek Language. This the nobleman had soon translated and gave me to work. I brought that process to a finish in fifteen weeks. Therewith I tinged three metals into fine Gold; and this was kept most secret.» — las seis mil coronas del manuscrito SARLAMETHON, en griego, que el narrador remató en quince semanas tiñendo tres metales.

«This nobleman was gorgeous and powerful, and when once a year the Signoria went out to sea, to witness the throwing of a Gem Ring into the water at the ceremony of wedding the Adriatic, our gentleman with many others of the Venetian nobility went out in his grand pleasure ship, when suddenly a hurrican arose and he with many others of the Venetian Lords and Rulers, was drowned.» — el noble muere ahogado en el naufragio del día en que la Señoría desposa el Adriático.

«The Laboratory was then shut up by the family, the men paid off, but they kept the Chief Chemist.» — cerrado el laboratorio, solo conservan al químico jefe.

«Then I went away from Venice, to a still better place for my purpose, where Cabalistic and Magical books in Egyptian language were entrusted to my care, these I had carefully translated into Greek, and then again retranslated into Latin.» — el destino siguiente, con libros cabalísticos y mágicos en lengua egipcia que hizo traducir al griego y de ahí al latín.

«There I found and captured the Treasure of the Egyptians. I also saw what was the great Subject they worked with, and the ancient Heathen Kings used such Tinctures and have themselves operated with them, namely, Kings XOFAR SUNSFOR, XOGAR, XOPHALAT, JULATON, XOMAN and others. All these had the great treasures of the TINCTURE and it is surprising that GOD should have revealed such Secrets to the Heathen, but they kept it very secret.» — el tesoro de los egipcios y la lista de reyes paganos que el narrador dice haber hallado usando esas tinturas.

«After a while I saw the fundamental principles of this art, then I began working out the Best Tincture (but they all proceed, in a most indescribable manner from the same» — el narrador dice haber visto los principios fundamentales y ponerse a labrar la Mejor Tintura, con el paréntesis de que todas salen de una misma raíz; la frase cruza la plana.

«root), when I came to the end of the Work I found such a beautiful red colour as no scarlet can compare with, and such a treasure as words cannot tell, and which can be infinitely augmented.» — y ahí remata: el rojo que ningún escarlata iguala, un tesoro indecible y aumentable sin fin.

«STUDY WHAT THOU ART, WHEREOF THOU ART A PART, WHAT THOU KNOWEST OF THIS ART, THIS IS REALLY WHAT THOU ART. ALL THAT IS WITHOUT THEE ALSO IS WITHIN, THUS WROTE TRISMOSIN.» — el epigrama en verso con que cierra el relato, y la única firma que el texto se da a sí mismo.

«AVINCENA'S SEVEN RULES F O R T H E COMPOSITION OF THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE» — el título que el impreso da a las Siete Reglas y que las adjudica a Avicena, con la grafía AVINCENA.

«The GENERATION has to be preceded by the PUTRE-FACTION, for the Philosophers say that the destruction of one thing is the Generation of another.» — la tercera regla: la generación va precedida de la putrefacción, con la sentencia de la destrucción que engendra.

«DEALBATION is necessary that the putrefied Matter may be washed and purified from all corruption and impurity. But the Philosophers say that the longer the Water remains on the surface of the Earth, the more thoroughly will the latter be washed.» — la cuarta regla, la dealbación, y el criterio de cuánto lavar.

«Now follows the COAGULATION, for through the moderate warmth and boiling of our Sun, our Water has to be dried into Earth, and has thus to become a powder.» — la quinta regla: el agua se seca en tierra por el calor moderado del sol propio, hasta polvo.

«After this it must be calcinated, as the calcined materials are of more use in our work, than the raw ones ; some Philosophers say that the calcination is the same as the fixation, which is not badly told, because both have to go through Sublimation..» — la sexta regla, la calcinación, que algunos filósofos equiparan a la fijación; el impreso cierra con dos puntos seguidos.

«Take 8 Loth (4ozs.) calcined Alum, 8 Loth calcined Salpetre, and 4 Loth calcined Table Salt, and triturate with 20 Loth Corrosive Sublimate, and sublimate in a proper Subliming Vessel.» — el primer paso del proceso del León Rojo: alumbre, salitre y sal de mesa calcinados, triturados con sublimado corrosivo.

«Carefully take out the Sublimate and resublimate it with 20 Loth fresh Salts. During this Operation it will» — la resublimación con sales frescas; la instrucción cruza la plana y remata con la precaución contra los vapores venenosos.

«be wholesome, on account of the poisonous fumes, to eat bread thickly spread with butter.» — la precaución misma: comer pan con mucha mantequilla mientras dura la operación.

«Put the Sublimate in a Glass Retort, and cover it with Alcohol, and distil over in water bath until half the fluid remains as an oil behind. 4. The Alcohol distilled over is poured back (cohobated) on the residue in the retort, until it is covered about a finger's breadth.» — la destilación en baño maría y la cohobación del alcohol sobre el residuo.

«This Distillation repeat three times, and the whole of the Sublimate will pass over into the Recipient. This is the MERCURY of the Philosophers, the Mercurial Water, as it were the "Hellish Fire in Water." This Mercurial Water fumes always, and must be kept in a closed Phial, or Glass stoppered bottle.» — tres destilaciones dan el Mercurio de los Filósofos, que humea siempre y ha de guardarse en frasco cerrado.

«Take fine Gold, in leaf or thin beaten, put it in a glass retort, just cover it with the Mercurial Water, and put the retort on gentle heat, when the Water will begin to act upon the Gold, and dissolve it, but it will not be reduced to a liquid entirely, and only remain at the bottom like a greasy substance, then pour off the Mercurial Water, which can be used again.» — el oro en hoja disuelto por el Agua Mercurial, que queda al fondo como sustancia grasa y deja el agua reutilizable.

«The Gold sediment divide into two parts. Take one half and pour thereon Alcohol, and let the mixture putrefy on gentle heat 15 days» — la mitad del sedimento con alcohol, puesto a podrir quince días a fuego suave.

«The Red Tincture TRITURATE (How will a fulminate triturate ?) in a glass Mortar. Take one grain (or part) thereof, wrap it in paper and project it on 1000 (?) Grains (or parts) of Gold in fusion. When it has remained in fusion for of an hour, the gold will turn to Tincture.» — el paso noveno: un grano de la Tintura A envuelto en papel proyectado sobre mil de oro fundido da la B; el paréntesis con la objeción es del editor, dentro del propio renglón de la receta.

«Take one part of Tincture B. project it on one thousand parts fine Silver, and it will transmute it into fine gold.» — la B sobre mil partes de plata fina la vuelve oro.

«Project one part of Tincture A. wrapped in paper, upon 1000 parts of pure Quicksilver, which has been heated until the fumes arise, and the Quicksilver will be changed into Tincture (C).» — la A sobre mil partes de mercurio caliente da la Tintura C.

«Take one part of Tincture C., wrapped in paper, project the same on 1000 parts heated Quicksilver, and it will become transmuted into fine Gold.» — y la C sobre mercurio caliente da oro fino.

«Take one part of Tincture B., project on 1000 parts Tin or Lead in fusion, and it will be transmuted into Gold.» — la B sobre estaño o plomo fundidos.

«Take one part of Tincture B, and project it on Copper in fusion, and it will be transmuted into Gold of a very red colour.» — la B sobre cobre da oro de color muy rojo.

«Project some Tincture B on red hot iron, insert the iron again into the blaze, and it will be transmuted into brittle Gold.» — la B sobre hierro al rojo da oro quebradizo.

«Melt the Gold that has been transmuted of the iron, with equal gold transmuted from Quicksilver, and it will become good malleable Gold.» — y fundiendo ese oro con el sacado del mercurio se obtiene oro maleable.

«Dissolve some Tincture B. in strong alcoholic wine, and take a spoonful in the morning, it will strengthen and renew your constitution. It rejuvenates the aged and makes women prolific.» — el uso medicinal de la B: una cucharada en ayunas rejuvenece y vuelve fecundas a las mujeres.

«Tincture C. dissolved in strong wine, and a wine-glassful taken fasting in the morning will cure Leprosy or any skin diseases in a few days.» — y la C cura la lepra y las enfermedades de la piel en pocos días.

El editor firma solo «J.K.»; dedica el libro a Joseph Wallace, «místico y sanador», y lo imprime Fox, Jones & Co. en Oxford.

«The 22 Pictures of Splendor Solis are arranged in the same order as the 22 Keys of the Tarot and have the same Mystic meaning.» — la tesis vertebral de la edición de 1920, anunciada en la introducción (p. 5) y rematada en el colofón; lectura de 1920, no del texto.

J.K. propone la lectura doble — oro material y oro del alma, «Stands both for GOLD SPLENDOUR and SOUL SPLENDOUR» — y discute la vigencia de sal, mercurio y azufre a la luz de la química moderna.

«Thus is JACOB BEHMEN an Adept of Hermetic Philosophy, but not an Adept in Physical Alchemy. In His Philosophy the Philosopher's Stone is a Symbol for Divine Illumination, and the Mastery, or Great Work, relates to the Regeneration of the Soul.» — J.K., en la introducción de 1920.

«A study of the Works of Jacob Behmen, especially of the "AURORA"—the SUN—or Soul—rise in the Mind, will give an idea of the Life of God in the Soul of Man.» — la Aurora invocada es la de Behmen, obra DISTINTA de la Aurora consurgens; no convergen.

Schmieder sostiene que el nombre real de Trismosin era «Pfeifer».

«The origin of the writings attributed to Trismosin is uncertain and wrapped in mystery.» — así abre el editor su nota sobre la autoría.

«some wealthy Amateur Alchemist, possibly a Fugger, may have encouraged the Artist who produced this Manuscript, by his patronage» — el mecenas conjeturado.

«all the writings attributed to that author, with the exception of "SPLENDOR SOLIS " and his Alchemical "WANDERINGS" are either spurious, or have been tampered with.» — el editor salva dos títulos y descarta el resto del corpus trismosiniano.

«Trismosin's Story of his travels also gives a reason for the Venetian Palaces and Italian landscapes that appear in his allegorical Pictures. The scenes in the margins probably depict reminiscences of his " WANDERINGS " that he may have recounted to the artist.» — el argumento iconográfico del aparato a favor de la autoría.

«Assuming that he was a youth when he started on his travels, in 1473, his age when the MS. was produced would have been over a hundred.» — la cuenta de la edad, del propio editor.

«AND GIVEN at length in the AUREUM VELLUS, published Rohrschach, 1598, also in the TOISON D'OR, 1602 and 1622, as summarized by Professor Schmieder in his History of Alchemy, 1832, and veiled in the Pictures and Treatises of SPLENDOR SOLIS is given with all reservation and without assuming any responsibility for its correctness or efficacy» — el proceso del León Rojo, publicado con reserva expresa.

«The Medical efficacy of the Tincture is affirmed in the book ARUM VELLUS (TOISON D'OR) not only in general terms, but in particular instances of restoration to health, and of rejuvenation, of the aged there given.» — el Arum Vellus como fuente de la eficacia curativa.

«Thus far the unguaranteed directions for making the Philosophers Stone, which, if they fail to give the promised result, will at least ha» — «have that virtue left»— — la ironía del propio editor; y su pregunta: «Is AURUM FULMINANS the PHILOSOPHER'S STONE?».

«In an 18th Century Cyclopedia (Zedler, vol. 39), Splendour is called, the brightness, or brillance of light, which a dark body incapable of giving out light has revived from a luminous body. It differs from radiance, or rays emanating from a luminous body. Splendour also means Magnificence, Excellence, Glory.» — la definición que el aparato toma del Zedler.

«Sol, in Alchemy, simply means Sulphur of the Philosophers, and in common Chemistry, GOLD. 4. The SOL or SUN of the Philosophers of Mercurial Origin, is the FIXED, while the MOON is the UNFIXED part of Matter of the great work. These are the two Dragons of Flamel.» — la equivalencia Sol ↔ Azufre de los Filósofos ↔ Oro, y los dos dragones.

«As the Unfixed and Fixed are drawn out of the same Mercurial source, the Philosophers say the SUN is the Father and the MOON the Mother of the Philosopher's Stone. (PERNETY, DICTIONNAIRE MYTHO-HERMETIQUE» — Pernety como fuente de la simbología padre/madre.

«composed in Latin Rhymes, was written by Rhases Castrensis, or of Castres, in Languedoc, and it is an error to attribute its authorship to the Arabian physician.» — el aparato sigue a Schmieder para adjudicar el Liber Lumen Luminum; Hoefer menciona el Lumen Luminum Magnum y su preparación de ácido sulfúrico comparable al proceso de Nordhausen, en la misma plana.

«ROSINUS, an Arabian Alchemist, first quoted by 14th Century writers. The ARTIS AURIFERA, BASIL, 1610, contains three treatises by this author: (1) AD EUMICIAM. (2) AD SARANTANTAM EPISCOPUM. (3) LIBER DEFINITIONUM» — grafías TAL CUAL del impreso, sin cotejo contra el facsímil.

«The SCALA PHILOSOPHORUM, is attributed to GUIDO MONTANOR, a:French Alchemist, of whom very little is known.» — el aparato añade que cita a Roger Bacon y a Ricardus Anglus.

«is RALLED RACHAIDIB, an ARABIAN Alchemist, who lived about 1200. His book laid the foundation to the theory of Trimaterialism, i.e., that all metals consisted of Salt, MerCury, and Sulphur.» — grafía TAL CUAL del impreso, autor del «Book of Three Words»; sobre este nombre cuelga la adjudicación del trimaterialismo.

«The ideas on the origin of mountains, &c., in "THE FIRST PARABLE" are largely taken from AVICENA DE CONGLUTINATIONE LAPIDIS» — la fuente que el aparato adjudica a la Primera Parábola.

«ARISTOTLE, the Alchemist, is not identical with the Stagirite Philosopher (384-322 B.C.) but the Fourth Book, METEOROLOGICORUM, referred to in the Preface, is of the ancient Greek Philosopher. The " LETTER TO ALEXANDER" is, of course, spurious.» — el aparato separa las dos figuras.

«The author's name may be forged, but the contents of the work may nevertheless be of great value. The wisest Adepts, possibly, concealed their identity behind these ancient names. In times when it was dangerous to be suspected of Occult knowledge, such precautions were necessary.» — la posición declarada del editor sobre el pseudoepígrafe.

«attributed to a Latin writer named sometimes ARISLEUS, at other times ARISTEUS, supposed to have lived in the 12th century.» — la atribución de la Turba, con las dos grafías; Hali, Menaldus, Miraldus y Senior se consignan como nombres que ocurren dentro de ella (p. 117).

«Some names are fictitious, others are of writers whose works are actually quoted.» — el aparato sobre los nombres de la Turba.

«The sayings foisted upon PYTHAGORAS, SOCHATES, &c., though never uttered by those ancient Greek Sages, may nevertheless convey valuable suggestions.» — grafía SOCHATES del impreso.

«Este mito de dolor, muerte y resurrección se irá ampliando con elementos cristianos tal y como muestra la célebre obra ¡^Splendor Solis (siglo XVl) que hace referencia explícita a Rósino» — el aparato la sitúa en el siglo XVI y la liga a Rósino (Zósimo); grafías del troceo, el ¡^ es la marca de remisión de la enciclopedia y el XVl lleva ele por i.

Von Franz lo data «alrededor de 1490» y consigna que contiene pasajes tomados de la Aurora consurgens.

El Dictionary lista a Trismosin entre los «autores legendarios» de las series pictóricas alquímicas, y consigna que se lo presenta como maestro de Paracelso aunque su biografía es ficticia.

«whose name Schmieder believes to have been Pfeifer, and that he was a Saxon, it is related in the Preface to the book " ELUCIDARIUS CHYMICUS, 1617 " that he lived by virtue of (or perhaps, despite) his MEDICINE to an age of ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS» — la longevidad y el nombre real, en una sola frase del editor.

«Die Zahl der in spätmittelalterlicher Zeit bebilderten Alchemica einschließlich der deutschsprachigen Schriften31 scheint gering» — Telle enumera en esa misma plana el Splendor solis, um 1500, entre esos pocos alquímicos ilustrados, junto a la Aurora consurgens y el Donum Dei.

Traducciones consignadas: la francesa de «L.I.» (París, 1612) y la inglesa de Backhouse (s. XVII); Glockendon como posible ilustrador sin pruebas concluyentes.

«ALCHEMICAL TREATISES OF SOLOMON TRISMOSIN ADEPT AND TEACHER OF PARACELSUS Including 22 Allegorical Pictures Reproduced from the Original Paintings in the Unique Manuscript on Vellum,» — la portada de 1920 declara la atribución y el testimonio: tratados de Trismosin, adepto y maestro de Paracelso, con veintidós láminas del manuscrito en vitela.

«and if he declares to have reached that Eldorado of Hermetic Knowledge wherein is found the prized Philosopher's Stone, although we may feel inclined to doubt his word, we are, nevertheless not in a position to entirely dispute his statement.» — J.K. abre reconociendo la duda sobre la palabra de Trismosin y a la vez negándose a desmentirlo del todo.

«The very Elementality of the chemical Elements is questioned, and the alchemical idea, that Metals can be decomposed into three ultimate principles : SALT, MERCURY, and SULPHUR, may not be so absurd after all.» — el argumento de actualidad de 1920: la radiactividad habría vuelto discutible la elementalidad de los elementos, y con ello menos absurdos los tres principios.

«a minute description of the 22 pictures, fully aware of their Mystic meaning, has been inserted in the middle of the text of SPLENDOR SOLIS, that the allegorical importance of the figures may not be overlooked.» — J.K. declara por qué intercala en mitad del texto la descripción minuciosa de las láminas: la fotografía no reproduce el color del manuscrito.

«The Alchemical theory describes in veiled terms a Gold Process, possibly the very process of which Kiesewetter observes, in his History of The Occult Sciences, that it stretches through the History of Alchemy like a Sea-serpent.» — atribuye a Kiesewetter, en su historia de las ciencias ocultas, la imagen del proceso del oro que atraviesa la alquimia entera.

«It may, for all that be the true Process, that has been transmitted by tradition, and the Sea-serpent may be a living aquatic monster, that has survived the Deluge and other Cataclysms» — y la sostiene: la serpiente marina podría ser un animal real sobreviviente, igual que el proceso podría ser el verdadero.

«It is with the Philosopher's Stone as with the Sea-serpent, some say they have seen it, while the whole mass of mankind has not ; but the evidence of the few who have seen, outweighs the opinion of the many» — el criterio probatorio que J.K. propone: el testimonio de los pocos que vieron pesa más que la opinión de la mayoría que no vio.

«A thing still is, though people know nothing about it. Like Argon or Neon, it may be universal, and remain universally unknown, yet, nevertheless, it exists.» — argumenta con el argón y el neón que algo puede ser universal y desconocido a la vez.

«What is unknown, may be ignored, but, although we know nothing about it, it is there, for all that.» — cierre del mismo argumento.

«Hermetic Science does not relate to material things, but uses Alchemical symbols as a blind for SPIRITUAL REALITIES.» — la tesis espiritualista de J.K.: los símbolos alquímicos serían pantalla de realidades del alma.

«BEHMEN—the name has been naturalised in England three hundred years ago, and is preferable to the German BOEHME,—frequently uses the word TINCTURE. His definition of it is that it gives lustre to metals, and colour and fragrance to flowers. It is the Life. For when TINCTURE vanishes, pallor and decay result.» — J.K. explica la *tincture* de Behmen como lustre del metal y color y fragancia de la flor, es decir la vida misma.

«Therefore we say the SOUL-POWER is the SOLE-POWER in NATURE. It is the supreme Mind that rules all, and of which Man's Mind is a part.» — el juego de palabras con que J.K. identifica poder del alma y poder único de la naturaleza.

«As Man's Mind unfolds, Nature's secrets are revealed, and her Forces axe invaded, showing that Mind rules the All, and Man's Mind is ONE with the ALL-MIND of the CREATOR.» — la doctrina de la mente que J.K. superpone al tratado: la mente del hombre es una con la Mente-Todo del Creador.

«The Creator thinks as man thinks, and when man thinks as the Creator thinks his Thought is TRUTH.» — el criterio de verdad que se sigue de esa identidad.

«The object of our being here, is to gain Experience. It is our Duty to ascend to the heights of the Mind, and take stock of Existence, in as far as it affects us.» — el fin que J.K. asigna a la existencia: ganar experiencia y hacer inventario.

«Many do not gain Wisdom, but all gain Experience.» — y su acotación: la experiencia es de todos, la sabiduría no.

«the main thing is to rise to a coign of vantage, and get the Mind-View» — lo que J.K. pide del lector, más que la publicación de lo hallado.

«WO men are approaching an arched doorway at the left side of the picture, LE AVI NG A L ANDSCAPE B E H I N D T H E M , to come into the apartment of the building—in which are to be seen two beautifully executed Golden Suns» — abre la descripción que J.K. intercala en mitad del texto: dos hombres entran dejando atrás el paisaje, y dentro hay dos soles dorados; el impreso pierde la T capitular.

«On this shield is painted the lowest Golden Sun, upon which is superimposed a black helmet or casque surmounted by a flowing, from above, blue drapery, studded with golden stars. This lower Sun and shield lies aslant, about 45 degrees. The mouth is rounded and is so painted as to resemble a human face, each eye has the same peculiarity» — el sol inferior pintado en el escudo, con boca y ojos que le dan rostro humano.

«THREE FACES shewn on the ONE. The eyes themselves seem as if suffused with tears, the mouth as if the tongue was slightly protruding and parched, the face blotched or mottled as from Smallpox, or impure living.» — los tres rostros en uno y la cara enferma que el descriptor de 1920 lee como viruela o vida impura.

«The picture is surmounted by the motto: ARMA ARTIS in red and embellished with a golden margin» — el mote ARMA ARTIS que corona la primera lámina, transcrito por la edición.

«In his left hand he holds a long-necked flask, cucurbit, or glass retort, which is one-third filled with a yellowish transparent fluid, partly luminous, and to which he is pointing with his right finger thoughtfully, whilst walking upon the foreground of a beautiful lansdcape.» — la segunda lámina descrita: la cucúrbita llena en un tercio de fluido amarillento y luminoso (el impreso escribe lansdcape).

«From the neck of the cucurbit flows a black ribbon upon which is printed in gold letters : "EAMUS QUESITUM QUATUOR ELEMENTORUM NATURAS» — la cinta negra de la cucúrbita, con la divisa pintada en el manuscrito sobre ir a buscar las naturalezas de los cuatro elementos.

«A Knight in dark armour ornamented with Gold, with a drawn sword in his right hand, and in his left he holds a red banner or shield, on which is inscribed in gold letters: "EX DUABUS AQUI UNAM FACITE, QUI QUAERITIS SOLE ET LUNA FACERE ET DATE BIBERE INIMICO VINO. ET VIDEBITIS CUM MORTUUM. DEINDE DE AQUA TERRA FACITE, ET LAPIDEM MULTIPLICASTIS» — la tercera lámina y su inscripción latina —de dos aguas hacer una, dar a beber al enemigo, hacer tierra del agua y multiplicar la piedra—, en el latín agramatical que transcribe la edición.

«He stands upon two fountains, with a foot on each. That to the right, is surmounted by a little nude figure of a boy from which runs a black fluid and overflows by a joining conduit into the left fountain which is also surmounted by a little nude figure of a girl, but from this one runs a golden liquid into the receptacle below, which transmutes by its blending the black stream all into golden water.» — las dos fuentes de la tercera lámina: el niño vierte fluido negro y la niña líquido dorado, y la mezcla transmuta lo negro en agua de oro.

«Represents on right side a King in red and gold robes, with golden crown on head and standing upon a blazing fire, holding a sceptre in his hand with a scroll upon which is: "COAGULA MASCULINUM" in golden letters.» — la cuarta lámina: el rey sobre el fuego con la divisa COAGULA MASCULINUM.

«He is talking to a Queen robed in blue with red lining to dress, holding a blue scroll with "LAC VIRGINIS " inscribed in gold letters.» — y la reina con la divisa LAC VIRGINIS, término que el propio tratado usa en la p. 93.

«She stands upon a dark full Moon with both feet, over her head in the air is a faint silvery Sun, which has its eyes directed towards the King enquiringly and hopefully. Above his head is a golden red Sun which has its eyes directed towards her sorrowfully.» — los dos soles con ojos de la cuarta lámina, uno esperanzado hacia el rey y otro apenado hacia la reina.

«On top of picture is the motto: "PARTICULARIA." At the bottom is inscribed: "VIA UNIVERSALIS, PARTICULARIBUS INCLUSIS.» — los dos motes de la cuarta lámina, lo particular y la vía universal que incluye lo particular.

«Represents two men Quarrying at a rock and digging for Gold. A bronzed crescent Moon lies floating in the water on the foreground. Underneath is the word: "ESTHER," and below that is the interior of the Palace of King AHASUEROS, who is seated on a throne, handing his Sceptre to the Queen.» — la quinta lámina: los mineros, la luna creciente broncínea en el agua y, abajo, Ester ante Asuero.

«Contains a Tree with Golden branches and fruit, having a golden crown encircling the root. Upon a ladder with SEVEN ROUNDS and leaning against the tree; stands a man, on the sixth and seventh rounds» — la sexta lámina: el árbol de ramas y frutos de oro con la corona en la raíz, y la escala de siete peldaños.

«Upon the tree above is perched a large black bird with a white head, pecking at the fruit, while THIRTEEN varied coloured birds axe in the act of flying away to the air.» — el pájaro negro de cabeza blanca y las trece aves de colores que abandonan el árbol.

«Represents a Queen, or young King, draped in Ermine and Gold enbroidered robe, loose and flowing, holding in right hand a sceptre surmounted by seven Golden Stars, and in left a golden ball.» — la séptima lámina: el cetro de siete estrellas de oro y la bola dorada, atributos que el propio tratado da al Rey de la Tierra en la p. 32.

«In the middle distance a King is seen swimming or drowning in the sea, and reaching his arms out as if for help to save his life.» — y al fondo el rey que se ahoga pidiendo auxilio, como en la Tercera Parábola.

«Depicts a Queen with angels' wings—and most gorgeously dressed. She has a golden crown and neck ornaments, with golden chains, yellow sleeves and flowing. Skirt of dress ornamented with a flowing green foliage pattern and red and blue flowers. From her left shoulder hangs a blue drapery with gold edges, her slippers are red and gold. In her hand she holds a crimson robe edged with gold, which she is holding out to a naked black man who is standing to the knees in a black mud pool.» — la octava lámina: la reina alada que tiende el manto carmesí al hombre negro metido en el lodo, escena de la Cuarta Parábola.

«He stands with right side towards us and on the profile is seen a circular transparent glass globe, just covering head all but profile, through this globe are to be seen on the organ of Self-esteem, the right cheek bone, and over the right eye, three luminous spots, in each of which is seen a small red cross.» — el globo de vidrio sobre la cabeza y las tres manchas luminosas con cruz roja que el descriptor localiza en órganos frenológicos.

«Standing on the foreground of a magnificent Claude-like picture is an exquisitely formed figure of a man dressed in black with golden edging and cross button bars of red and gold in front. A red and gold waistband with a fringe of golden tassels or ornaments. He has two heads and necks.» — la novena lámina, el andrógino de dos cabezas, descrita con una comparación pictórica de 1920.

«A golden emanation or halo radiates from the man's head while a silvery radiation proceeds from the female.» — la emanación dorada del varón y la plateada de la mujer.

«In the left hand he holds a Golden Egg, which both are intent upon, and in his right hand he holds a Circular Shield» — el huevo de oro y el escudo circular del andrógino.

«Represents a ferocious villainous man with wild dishevelled black hair, clothed in red with an outer garment of white shaded with pale purple and having a drawn sword in his right hand. In his left he holds the golden head of a fair beautiful skinned corpse of a man which lies at his feet freshly mutilated. The arms and legs are separated fresh and clean, showing the clear red flesh freshly cut.» — la décima lámina: el asesino de la Sexta Parábola con la cabeza dorada del cadáver desmembrado.

«This scene is represented in the open grounds attached to a palace. A river runs past on which are plying gondolas. Castles and fine mansions are seen in the distance, as when Venice was in her glory, a city of palaces.» — el descriptor sitúa la escena en una Venecia de palacios y góndolas, y el aparato usará después ese dato como argumento de autoría.

«The picture to the right represents a female in a boat holding a three-pronged fork, a trident, in her right hand (without a handle), with reins in the left hand, guiding three river horses. A Satyr and two females are going on before; and two more are coming up behind, one of the latter sits on the back of a Merman.» — el pie de la décima lámina: la mujer con tridente que guía tres caballos de río, con un sátiro y una figura montada en tritón.

«In a court yard of a magnificent palace and under a corridor is a circular furnace on which is an iron vessel or copper boiler filled with water, and in which is a naked man with red skin, breast high. On his head stands a dove, with outspread white wings, blue shaded.» — la undécima lámina: el hombre de piel roja metido hasta el pecho en el caldero, con la paloma blanca posada en la cabeza.

«A man is blowing at the furnace with a pair of bellows very intently and anxiously. His inner garment is red, his nether garment blue, his coat black and edged with blue, slippers black, apron white, hair longish and careless. The whole figure betrays the workman.» — el fuellero del horno, cuya facha delata al operario según el descriptor.

«In two niches in the wall are to be seen figures of Mercury and Jupiter. At the base or pedestal of a column is an intaglio or bas-relief of Vulcan working as a blacksmith, with an assistant having his arm raised with hammer, as if assisting.» — los nichos con Mercurio y Júpiter y el bajorrelieve de Vulcano herrero al pie de la columna.

«Represents in a highly ornamental niche as the leading feature of the picture, a large upright glass cucurbit, or retort hermetically sealed, standing upon a green wreath, and is circled at narrow part by a red and gold crown, which comes about one-fourth down from the top.» — la duodécima lámina abre la serie de cucúrbitas selladas en nicho, ceñidas por corona de oro y rojo.

«Inside this cucurbit 6 seen a naked child, holding a black flask or crucible in his right hand with which he is pouring its contents down the throat of a Dragon, or some horrid aquatic monster, having claws scales and finny wings. The legs and breast axe covered with peacock feather spots. In the left hand the child holds a pair of small bellows, with which he points towards the heart of the monster.» — dentro del vidrio, el niño desnudo que vierte el crisol en la garganta del dragón y le apunta al corazón con un fuelle; el impreso escribe 6 donde debiera ir *is*.

«An allegorical figure of Mercury seated on a car (with a caducean rod in his left hand and a reaping hook in his right, an infant reclining before him on the car, and driving two green and gold Dragons or Monsters» — Mercurio en carro con caduceo y hoz, tirado por dos dragones, corona el nicho de la duodécima.

«On the base of the picture is seen a river from which an old man draws water and which he is pouring into a barrel, but which is running out as fast as he fills it in.» — al pie, el viejo que llena un barril sin fondo, entre escenas de oficios.

«Is another similar niche and Cucurbit surmounted in like manner by a Golden Crown or Coronet. Inside the glass vessel are three doves or birds. One is coloured RED, one WHITE, and the third BLACK. The two former are busy pecking or fighting the black one, which they have got down upon its back and it is throwing up its claws in self defence. The WHITE pecks it UNDER THE TAIL, while the RED pecks it upon the HEAD.» — la decimotercera lámina: las tres aves —roja, blanca y negra— y el modo en que las dos primeras atacan a la negra, cada una por su sitio.

«Golden scintillations appear opposite the head of the red 'bird on the surface and outside the glass.» — las centellas doradas fuera del vidrio, frente a la cabeza del ave roja.

«Underneath the base of the niche is a massive wide staircase inside the Vatican. Half way up this stair is a wide landing space, upon which are a table and two black trunks or boxes. On the table are a pair of scales, two heaps of gold, ink bottles, desk and a printed paper hanging over the side of the table.» — al pie de la decimotercera, la escalera del Vaticano con la mesa de balanzas, montones de oro y papel impreso.

«two steps further up sits the Pope robed in red and gold with his triple golden crown, in the act of placing a crown upon the kneeler's head. The Pope is surrounded by numerous Cardinals» — el Papa coronando al arrodillado, rodeado de cardenales.

«Two are seen working a still or retort in the quadrangle, while a pack of hounds and people are seen hunting in the distance.» — y en el mismo patio, dos figuras destilando mientras al fondo se caza.

«Surmounting the niche is a mythological picture of a man with two arrows in his hand and sitting upon a car which is drawn by two peacocks, upon one wheel of the car is Saggitarius and on the other Pisces. A knight is upon one knee handing him a dish, etc. The radiance of the Sun shines behind him. (Jupiter in Saggitarius and Pisces).» — el remate de la decimotercera: Júpiter en carro de pavos reales, con Sagitario en una rueda y Piscis en la otra; la lectura planetaria la añade el descriptor entre paréntesis.

«A similar glass cucurbit in a golden niche. Inside the glass, standing upright is a white bird shaded blue, with three heads, each of which is decorated with a golden crown.» — la decimocuarta lámina: el ave blanca de tres cabezas coronadas.

«Above the niche is a mythological representation of Mars with shield and spear and sitting upon a car with a» — el remate de la decimocuarta, Marte con escudo y lanza en su carro; la frase sigue al otro lado de la plana.

«coiled up serpent before him. On the front wheel is Capri-come and on the hind one Cancer. The car is drawn by two Foxes.» — y ahí se leen Capricornio y Cáncer en las ruedas del carro de Marte, tirado por zorras; el impreso parte Capricorne en dos.

«Underneath and around margin is a War going on between helmetted and armoured horsemen with red and gold skirts outside their armour, and the populace on foot armed with spears, etc. Burning of houses, and seizures of cattle are to be seen in the distance. Possibly intended to represent scenes from the Swiss War of Emancipation.» — la guerra del margen, que el descriptor conjetura de las guerras de emancipación suizas: la adjudicación es suya y va con un *possibly*.

«In the Cucurbit is a Monster Dragon, having three heads, and long necks attached to one body, similar to that in the twelfth Picture. The heads are turned to the right, that nearest us is white, the centre one is red, the farthest one is black, the necks are all speckled green.» — la decimoquinta lámina: el dragón de tres cabezas blanca, roja y negra, la sucesión de colores de la obra.

«The niche is surmounted by an allegorical representation of a King in golden garments and seated upon a light green two-wheeled chariot drawn by two horses with golden harness, over golden-tipped clouds. There is the figure of Leo on the wheel.» — el rey en carro dorado sobre nubes, con Leo en la rueda.

«Before the King is a golden Sun aslant and on a level with his face, from or through whose influence, the King is enabled to radiate» — el sol frontal de cuya influencia el rey recibe su halo; la frase remata al otro lado de la plana, donde el descriptor rotula Sol en Leo.

«Inside the Cucurbit is a beautifully painted peacock looking down upon a group of musicians below. One of them is playing a guitar, and another a viol.» — la decimosexta lámina: el pavo real del vidrio mirando a los músicos.

«The niche is surmounted by the figure of a lady draped in red and gold, holding a golden arrow in her hand and sitting in a red golden car. On one wheel is Aries and on the other Libra, Venus in Aries and Libra.» — Venus con flecha de oro en carro de palomas, con Aries y Libra en las ruedas.

«In the Cucurbit is the figure of a Queen with the upper part of her body naked, but with a pale blue robe thrown loosely round the rest of the body except the feet and ankles are bare. Around her is an oval shaped halo» — la decimoséptima lámina: la reina en la cucúrbita, con un halo oval que la plana siguiente describe como arcoíris azul y amarillo.

«Beneath her feet is a golden side face of the Sun, Flowers are painted on the golden margin of the niche which is surmounted by the blue figure of a man upon a blue car, holding in his hand a radiant caducean rod, the car is drawn by two cocks, on one wheel are Gemini and on the other Virgo. Mercury in Gemini and Virgo.» — y Mercurio con caduceo en carro de gallos, con Géminis y Virgo en las ruedas.

«Underneath the base of the niche are two philosophers studying a Globe. Another is writing at a desk, while another is sitting at the table counting gold into bags. To the right side of the table is an ancient organ, which is being blown by a man at the bellows behind, while the organist manipulates the keys in front. Two choristers and a man playing a brass wind instrument completes this group of Commerce, Science, Literature, and Music, while Sculpture is represented by two men operating with hammer and chisels upon a short stone pedestal. The back ground depicts a very busy and prosperous commercial city, possibly Venice.» — al pie, el grupo de comercio, ciencia, letras y música que el descriptor sitúa en una ciudad próspera, quizá Venecia.

«In another golden niche surrounded with birds and flowers upon a golden ground stands a similar glass flask or cucurbit. Inside of the same is a youthful boy King, dressed in red and gold. His legs are bare from above knees to lower part of calves. Boots red and gold. He holds a golden» — la decimoctava lámina: el rey niño dentro de la cucúrbita; la frase se corta con la plana.

«ball in his left, a sceptre in his right hand. He stands upon a crescent moon, convex side up, and with an oval halo of light, throws a great radiance all around, of deep yellow and golden emanations. The niche is surmounted by a golden car drawn by two female figures in red and gold. In the car is seated a female figure holding a crescent Moon in her hand concave side up. On the wheel of chariot is the sign of Scorpio (Moon in Scorpio).» — y remata con el rey sobre la luna creciente y, encima del nicho, la figura femenina con la luna cóncava y Escorpión en la rueda.

«It is a most dismal and curiously dark weird-like subject. A bleakish stunted landscape, with black blighted withered trees in foreground. A MONSTER BLACK SUN is in great part sunk below the ground, yet visible and partly rising above the ground at the centre of the landscape—or middle distance. The rising of this pall-like bristly black sun, overspreads and hides totally the body of the true sun, which lies beyond» — la decimonovena lámina: el sol negro monstruoso que se alza y tapa por entero el cuerpo del sol verdadero.

«of the true sun, which illuminates with its golden tinted light a nice landscape in the extreme distance. The clouds above are red and the building seen afar off (in the extreme distance) are also red and glowing. Faint golden radiation are to be seen shooting through all this foreground blackness, as if emanating from the true hidden sun which lies behind all.» — y las radiaciones doradas que aun así atraviesan la negrura desde el sol verdadero escondido.

«In a long room are to be seen ten children of various ages at play. Six of these are naked, three are clad in blue and one in yellow. Toy hobby horses without legs, little paper windmills. A cushion made into a car to give rides upon, etc., form the chief amusements.» — la vigésima lámina: los diez niños jugando en la sala larga, la lámina que el texto no glosa doctrinalmente.

«Has a river and landscape. A cauldron with fire underneath and a few black earthenware vessels surrounding it are on the immediate foreground. On the foreground are nine women washing and wringing clothes, hanging out, drying, and bleaching.» — la vigesimoprimera: el caldero al fuego y las nueve mujeres lavando y blanqueando.

«Exhibits the Sun just risen, golden red, serious thoughtful and severe looking. The eyes seem so penetrating as if they would search into and question your inmost soul.» — la vigesimosegunda: el sol recién salido, con ojos que el descriptor dice que interrogan el alma.

«The landscape has the sanctity of night over it and is of a blackish grey tint. A city is seen on the hill right underneath the chin of the Sun. Yet it is seemingly wrapped in night. There is nothing like life stirring, all appears wrapped in night and sleep, and as if the Sun had stolen UPON THEM UNAWARES AT VERY EARLY MORNING, and was unable to give any light to the Earth or waken the people.» — y el paisaje dormido, sobre el que el sol se alza sin poder aún alumbrar.

«Birds, strawberries and flowers on a golden ground in the margin completes the picture which is PREGNANT WITH THE DEEPEST MYSTERY that can be known to man here or hereafter.» — el cierre de la descripción: el descriptor declara la última lámina preñada del misterio más hondo, y ahí acaba su intercalación.

«Provided it does not explode !» — la acotación que el editor mete en la propia receta al cabo del octavo paso, sobre el riesgo de estallido.

«qualified either to affirm or deny the above extraordinary statements, we can only exclaim, with the all but forgotten DOMINIE Sampson: " PRODIGIOUS I " and pass on, hoping, or doubting, that we have learned some Truth.» — el editor se declara incapaz de afirmar o negar el proceso y se abstiene con una exclamación prestada del Dominie Sampson.

«As concerns the Process itself, no one but a practical Chemist should attempt it, for apart from the poisonous fumes, for which eating bread, thickly spread with butter, would hardly be a safe and sufficient antidote,—Sublimation should be done under an open chimney with a strong upward draft—there is that lovely booby-trap, the Fulminating Gold, left wide open. Some process has been omitted that would shut that trap and render the fulminate harmless.» — la advertencia práctica del editor: los vapores venenosos, la sublimación bajo campana y la trampa del oro fulminante, con la conjetura de que se omitió un paso.

«Here the question arises whether in depriving the Fulminate of its FULMEN it is not also deprived of its power of Transmutation ? Which further gives rise to the crucial question : Is AURUM FULMINANS the PHILOSOPHER'S STONE ? This question can only be answered by the careful experiments of trained Chemists.» — y la pregunta que el editor deja abierta y remite a químicos entrenados.

«The "Splendor Solis," apart from its magnificent Pictures of indubitable artistic merit, is the best of those Alchemical compositions.» — el juicio del editor sobre el lugar de esta obra dentro del corpus trismosiniano.

«I am of opinion, that if not executed by TISMOSIN'S order, and under his immediate directions, some wealthy Amateur Alchemist, possibly a Fugger, may have encouraged the Artist who produced this Manuscript, by his patronage» — el editor marca su conjetura como opinión propia; el impreso escribe TISMOSIN'S sin la R.

«SPLENDOR, according to the Dictionary is the state or quality of being splendid, giving out or reflecting Light, brightly shining; lustrous, glittering—exceeding brilliancy of emitted or reflected light ; as the splendour of the Sun.» — abre las Notas Explicativas del editor con la acepción de diccionario del título.

«The Sun is the Mystic Symbol for the Soul, as the Sun illumines the World with Life-giving Light and Energies, does the SOUL sustain the body with Life and Thought. Body and Mind are formed by the Soul.» — la lectura anímica del sol que el editor añade en sus notas.

«ALBERTUS MAGNUS (1193-1280) Dominican monk, Theologian, Philosopher and Alchemist. His collected Works are contained in 21 Folio Volumes, comprising the knowledge of his time. He was author of ten works on Alchemy.» — la nota del editor sobre Alberto Magno, con las veintiuna carpetas de sus obras y las diez de alquimia.

«ALPHIDIUS. A Latin MS. " ALPHIDI, PHILOSOPHI, CLAVES QUINQUE ET ALIA FRAGMENTA DE LAPIDE PHILOSOPHICO COMPONENDO," is according to SCHMIEDER'S HISTORY OF ALCHEMY preserved in the Library of the ESCURIAL.» — la nota sobre Alphidius y el manuscrito latino del Escorial, siguiendo a Schmieder.

«HOEFER, HISTOIRE DE LA CHIMIE, vol. 1, p. 348, considers the name probably a Latinised corruption of AL KINDI, who died between 861-870, C.E., whose real name would be ABU JUSSUF JACUB BEN ISHAK AL KENDA. This author was well versed in Mathematics, Physics, Medicine, Alchemy and Astrology.» — y la conjetura de Hoefer de que el nombre sea corrupción latina de Al Kindi, con el nombre árabe en la grafía del impreso.

«MICHAEL CASIRI, in his BIBLIOTHECA ARABICO-HISPANO ESCURIALENSIS, MADRID, 1760-7, vol. i, p. 353, gives a list of his works. AL REND is not as KOPP " ALCHEMIE," vol. ii, p. 339, makes out an alchemical writer of an unknown period nor can he be Classified (id p. 363) as of the Twelfth Century.» — el editor discute a Kopp por su lado y le niega la clasificación; el impreso escribe AL REND.

«AVICENA, or ABU ALI AL HUSSEIN BEN ABDALLA DIN SINA, (980-1036) equally famous as Philosopher and Physician. Some of his writings are in MANGETI BIBLIOTHECA CHEMICA CURIOSA and in the THEATRUM CHEMICUM.» — la nota sobre Avicena, con las fechas y las colecciones donde el editor sitúa sus escritos.

«The Romantic story of Sultan CALID, or KALID, of Eygpt, blended with the Life of the Alchemist MORIENUS, or MARIANOS, given in LENGLET DU FRESNOY'S HISTOIRE DE LA PHILOSOPHIE HERMETIQUE, vol. i, ch. 21, and in WAITE'S LIVES OF THE ALCHEMISTICAL PHILOSOPHERS, pp. 53-7.» — la nota sobre Calid y Morienus, remitida a Lenglet du Fresnoy y a Waite; el impreso escribe Eygpt.

«GALENUS, a Physician of Asia Minor, in the second Christian Century, No alchemical works are attributed to him. He prepared drugs, later called Galenical Medicines, for treatment of disease, and thus became the Father of Pharmacy.» — la nota sobre Galeno, a quien el editor no atribuye obra alquímica alguna, contra lo que el propio tratado hace en la p. 31.

«Paracelsus the Swiss Alchemist and PhysiCian (1493-1541) nicknamed the other " Luther " the first teacher who ever held a chair of Physical Science, began his leCtures at Basle by lighting SOme sulphur in a dish and burning the works of Galen and others, saying: "So you-too, will burn in hell." See "Life Understood " by F. L. Rawson, p. 52.» — y la anécdota de Paracelso quemando a Galeno en Basilea, que el editor toma de un libro de F. L. Rawson.

«GEBER, whose true name was ABU MUSSA JAFAR AL SOH, the most famous mediaeval alchemist, flourished at Seville, about 800 C.E. His chief works are reproduced i n M A N G E T I B I B L I O T H E C A C H E M I C A C U R I O S A , V O L i, No. 29 and 31. Foremost among them is his "SUM OF PERFECTION," "SUMMA PERFECTION'S MAGISTERI," also to be found in RICHEBOURG'S BIBLIOTHEQUE DES PHILOSOPHES CHIMIQUES," vol. i, No. 4. The best text, however, of the genuine works of GEBER is to be found in BERTHELOT'S " LA CHIME AU MOVEN AGE," Paris, 1893, vol. ill , pp. 128-224. "OEUVRES DE DJABER." A vast improvement on the foregoing.» — la nota sobre Geber, con la Suma de Perfección y la preferencia declarada del editor por el texto de Berthelot.

«HALI, MENALDUS, MIRALDUS, SENIOR, &C., are names occurring in an Alchemical work " TURBA PHILOSOPHORUM,» — la nota que adjudica esos cuatro nombres a la Turba; la frase cruza la plana.

«The title of the book can be translated either as "Contention" or "Assembly" of "Philosophers." The author's idea was to take leading Quotations from all the writers on Alchemy he knew, and introduce them in a form of discussion on Transmutation, held by an assembly of Philosophers.» — y explica su procedimiento: citas de todos los alquimistas conocidos puestas en boca de una asamblea, y el título vertido como contienda o asamblea.

«HERMES, the Father of Alchemy and Hermetic Philosophy, supposed to be identical with the equally unknown Egyptian TOTH. No certain date can be given when he is supposed to have lived, if ever.» — la nota sobre Hermes, con la duda del propio editor sobre su existencia.

«The EMERALD TABLE OF HERMES, is as follows: It is true, and without falsehood ; whatever is below is like that which is above ; and that which is above is like that which is below : to accomplish one sole miracle.» — el editor imprime su propia versión de la Tabla de Esmeralda dentro de las notas.

«As all things have come from one MIND, so can all things be improved by ADAPTATION to that MIND.» — la segunda cláusula de esa versión, que traduce la unidad en términos de Mente.

«The SUN is the Father, the MOON the Mother, the Wind carries it in its belly, and it is nursed by the Earth.» — el sol padre y la luna madre en la misma versión; la frase cruza la plana.

«the Father of all the Power in the world. Its virtue is complete when changed into Earth. Separate the Earth from the Fire, the subtle from the coarse, but carefully, and with great judgment.» — el remate al otro lado: separar la tierra del fuego y lo sutil de lo grueso, con juicio.

«It ascends from Earth to Heaven, and descends from Heaven to Earth, and, thereby gets the Force of Above and Below. Thus the Glory of the World will be thine, and all darkness shall flee from thee. This is the FORCE of FORCES, that overcomes all subtle things and penetrates all solid.» — la fuerza de las fuerzas, en la versión del editor.

«Hence I am called Thrice Great Hermes, having mastered the three parts of the whole world's Philosophy. What I have to say on the Solar Work is finished.» — el cierre de la Tabla, con la mención de la obra solar.

«This version will be found to differ slightly from the one that appears at the end of "The Lives of the Alchemystical Philosophers, London, 1815.» — el editor declara que su versión difiere de la que cierra las Vidas de los filósofos alquimistas de 1815.

«HIPPOCRATES, the greatest Physician of Antiquity, born at Cos, an island off the coast of Asia Minor, 460 B.C. The Genuine Works of Hippocrates translated from the Greek, and published by the Sydenham Society, 1849, are purely medical.» — la nota sobre Hipócrates, cuyas obras genuinas el editor califica de puramente médicas.

«RHASES (860-940), a famous Arabian Physician, who lived in the reign of the Khalif Al-Mansur. According to Abou Abaiah, he composed 226 books, most of which are lost.» — la nota sobre Rhases y las 226 obras que le adjudica Abou Abaiah, grafía del impreso y nombre no cotejado.

«Hoefer Histoire de La Chimie, vol. i, p. 341, says : that in the book LUMEN LUMINUM MAGNUM, Rhases desCribes a preparation of Sulphuric ACid from Sulphate of Iron, in a way similar to the Nordhausen Process.» — Hoefer, según el editor, sitúa en el Lumen Luminum Magnum una preparación de ácido sulfúrico comparable al proceso de Nordhausen.

«The "Liber Lumen Luminum " was therefore a recent work when Splendor Solis appeared.» — la consecuencia cronológica que el editor saca de esa reatribución.

«giving allegorical descriptions of the Male and Female Principles, and the General properties of the Philosopher's Stone.» — el contenido que el editor asigna a los tratados de Rosinus.

«He quotes Roger Bacon and Ricardus Anglus, and is quoted» — el editor sitúa la Scala philosophorum entre Roger Bacon y Ricardus Anglus por un lado y Ripley por otro; la frase cruza la plana.

«by Ripley and other 15th Century Artists. The book is included in MANGETI BIBLIOTHECA CHEMICA CURIOSA, vol. ii, No. 74.» — y remata al otro lado con la referencia a la Bibliotheca de Manget.

«A Latin translation is given in Mangeti Bibliotheca Chemica Curiosa, vol. ii, No. 79.» — el editor remite el Libro de las Tres Palabras a la traducción latina de la Bibliotheca de Manget.

«as can be seen by a comparison with that Treatise, in the THREATRUM CHEMICUM, vol. i, No. 36.» — el editor invita a cotejar la Primera Parábola con el tratado de Avicena que señala.

«This would favour the idea that he returned wealthy from Italy and lived in retirement as an Adept. If he was not an Adept and only a fraud, why the Manuscript with its calm sensible» — el argumento del editor a favor del adeptado, planteado como pregunta sobre un manuscrito de escritura serena; la frase cruza la plana.

«writing, not intended for publication ? Why the artistic paintings of undoubted merit ?» — y remata al otro lado con las dos preguntas: por qué un texto no destinado a la imprenta y por qué unas pinturas de mérito indudable.

«As I have already observed in the Introductory, the 22 Pictures of Splendor Solis are arranged in the same order as the 22 Keys of the Tarot and have the same Mystic meaning» — el colofón repite la tesis del Tarot que el editor había anunciado en la introducción.

«Printed by Fox. Jones & Co.. High Street, Oxford. England.» — el pie de imprenta con que cierra el volumen.

Putrefacción (putrefactio) — Humectación de cuerpos secos que les devuelve el verdor y el crecimiento, sin destruirlos; primera operación secreta que invierte los elementos.

Disolucion — Segunda operación: la materia se disuelve en agua; disolver el cuerpo para extraer el alma y recomponer.

Azufre (principio sulfúreo) — El Azufre de los Filósofos: vapores solidificados bajo calor que reciben los poderes de los planetas altos y bajos.

Quintaesencia (quinta essentia) — Producto de la sublimación, llamado también tincture, anima, fermentum u oil.

Materia prima — La materia común de todos los metales es el mercurio, y los filósofos llaman MERCURIUS a su materia por esa propiedad de la naturaleza.

Mercurio de los filósofos (Mercurius) — Se forma cuando los vapores del interior de la tierra prenden en vapor acuoso con tierra sutil y pura; es a la vez procedimiento y recipiente, y principio, medio y fin del arte.

Piedra filosofal (lapis philosophorum) — Se produce por medio de la naturaleza que verdea y crece, y el tratado se divide en siete partes para describirla.

Cuatro elementos (fuego, aire, agua, tierra) — Sol y Luna son Tierra y Agua, y engendran calor, frío, humedad y sequedad: los cuatro elementos que constituyen la quintaesencia o magnesia blanca; el huevo los reparte en cáscara, clara, piel y yema.

Nigredo (la obra al negro) — El negro es el primer color perfecto y resulta del calor más suave; la disolución, que mata lo húmedo con lo seco, vuelve negra la materia.

Albedo (la obra al blanco) — El blanco es señal de fijación cercana y ha de extraerse del negro por el fuego de calcinación, a fuego suave hasta que el negro desaparezca.

Rubedo (la obra al rojo) — El rojo se extrae del blanco con fuego más fuerte, y la piedra queda vestida de manto real por el fuego.

Calcinacion — Puesta al principio de la obra como padre de la generación, es de tres clases y se hace con agua permanente o vinagre acérrimo; algunos filósofos la equiparan a la fijación.

Sublimacion — Proceso por el que la tierra gruesa se vuelve sutil: reversión de los elementos de la que se extrae la quinta esencia; la humedad sube como nubecilla en forma de huevo.

Coagulacion — Vuelve el agua a cuerpo, porque el azufre reabsorbe la plata viva que lo había disuelto; con ella los filósofos rematan la obra entera.

Dealbacion — Cuarta de las Siete Reglas: lava y purifica la materia podrida de toda corrupción, y cuanto más tiempo el agua quede sobre la tierra, más a fondo la lava.

Decknamen (nombres cubiertos) — El tratado declara la multiplicidad de nombres como ocultamiento deliberado, y enumera en fila azufre rojo, goma áurea, oro aparente, cuerpo deseado, oro singular y agua de sabiduría.

Secreto (lo que se jura no fijar por escrito) — El juramento impuesto al narrador, la advertencia de que la justicia divina no deja pasar al que alardea, y la putrefacción que la Turba manda guardar con el mayor secreto.

León verde (leo viridis) — La piedra se produce por la naturaleza que verdea y crece, y la putrefacción de los filósofos devuelve a los cuerpos secos su estado de verdor y crecimiento.

Atanor (el horno de fuego constante) — Todo el trabajo se perfecciona de un solo modo, en un solo recipiente, y todo va a uno, sobre uno y de uno: la séptima de las Siete Reglas.

Multiplicacion — El narrador dice haber teñido mil quinientas partes de plata con una, y calla las cantidades logradas tras la multiplicación; no figura entre las Siete Reglas.

Tintura — Cuatro sinónimos en una línea —tincture, anima, fermentum, oil— para el espíritu de la quinta esencia; la Noble Tintura tiene cuatro virtudes que el texto enumera.

Elixir — Puesto en oro se vuelve elixir, agua sacada de muchas tinturas que da vida y color a quien la toma.

Aurum Fulminans — El editor de 1920 declara abierta la trampa del oro fulminante en la receta y deja la pregunta de si el Aurum Fulminans es la piedra.