Know therefore that copper, which is the gold of the Philosophers, is their gold, but

Senior said "Our gold is not common gold". And you have sought after the greenness,
thinking that copper had been a leprous body by reason of that greenness which it hath.
Whereupon, I tell you that all that is perfect in copper is only that greenness which is in
it, because that greenness is by our magistery quickly turned into our most pure gold, and
this we have tried, but you can by no means prepare the stone without green and liquid
Duenech, which is seen to grow in our minerals. 0 blessed greenness, which engenders all
things. You know that no vegetable and fruit appeareth in growing but it is of a green
colour. Know therefore, that the generation of this thing is green, wherefore the
Philosophers have called it their growing or springing. And likewise, they have called it
water of their purification or putrefaction, and they spoke the truth, because it is purified
by their water or purified from its blackness. It is washed and it maketh it white and
afterwards red. Know therefore, that there is no true tincture, but of our Copper, decoct it
therefore with his soul, grind it, and do thus, until the spirit be conjoined with his body
and be made in one, and you shall have your desire. The wisemen have given many
names to it, but consider you only of that matter which sticketh to Argent vive and to the
bodies, and you shall have the true knowledge and science. But that you may not err,
know therefore what it is to stick in the bodies. Some have said that common Argent vive
sticketh in the bodies, which is false. For they think that they understand the chapter of
Geber intimating of Argent vive, where he saith, "When we search in other things, we
find out by our searching nothing to be more friendly to the nature of bodies than Argent
vive". But all this must be understood of the philosophical Argent vive, for it only
sticketh in bodies, and the ancient Philosophers could find out no other thing which
would stick to the bodies but philosophical Argent vive, because common silver sticketh
not in the bodies, but rather the bodies cleave and stick to Argent vive. And this is true by
experience, because if common Argent vive be conjoined with any body, the Argent vive
remaineth in its own nature, or goeth away and does not turn the body into its nature. And
therefore, it sticketh not unto the bodies but the bodies cleave and stick to it, and by
reason of this many men are deceived in working in that common Argent vive, because it
is clear our occidental stone exceeding Argent vive, which hath preferred itself before
gold and hath overcome it, is that which killeth and causeth to revive again. Know
therefore, that Argent vive coagulated and mortified in his own nature, is the father of all
the miracles of this our magistery, and it is a spirit and a body, that is a spiritual body,
because it ascends by sublimation. And this is because Geber said the consideration of the
true thing which doeth all things, is the consideration of the choice of the pure substance
of Argent vive, but of which especially this substance of Argent vive may be chosen, that
must diligently be sought after. And we answering say that it is chosen out of those things
in which it is.
Bonellus: The Copper which before I spoke of is neither copper nor common tin, but it is
our true work, because it must be mingled with the body of Magnesia that it may be
decocted and grinded with aqua vitae, until it be destroyed. But you Sons of Learning,
you must have much water, and that continually, until you have put it by parts and that
the greatest part of the earth be dissolved.
Avicenna: That which is spiritual, ascendeth upwards in the vessel, but that which is

thick and gross, remaineth downwards in the vessel, and unless you deal with the body in
this sort, until the water will not be mingled with it, or be received of the earth, you shall
but lose your labour. Therefore, unless you turn all into spiritual powder, you have not yet
contrived it, i.e. grinded it, and that which you do in the white body do likewise in the
red, because this medicine is