Essais chimiques d’eckartshausen

The Object of the Work of the Ancients

We know that the true matter of metals is phosphorus; the question is to know from what substance the Ancients extracted the phosphorus with which they worked and which they

and, if you want to hear me, at the second rung of the ladder of the wise. By unanimous agreement, the philosophers sawed or buried the first rung very deep in the arid soil, as an appetizer ...

51. 
    Continuations of the first work in the style of the dry voice.
    

<sup>53 Philosopher's mercury, virgin milk.

54</sup> This paragraph is in no way a continuation of the foregoing. The very original process which is given here is almost

full. It is as sure, perhaps more, than that said "of the two Dragons". I have said enough for the careful seeker. I will add two words: do not take floras ignis and lucis too literally ...

<sup>55 It is perhaps charitable to warn that months may elapse between this operation and the previous one.

56</sup> Here an essential phase described in one of these preceding pages is omitted. We arrive without relay at

the elixir, this time following more of the wet technique, it seems.

named lapis ignis (More probably lapidis ignis. The text incorrectly reads "lapidem ignis".)

For that, we have to go back to the Egyptians and the Persians.

We will find that they generally agreed in saying that their material was a gray-black stone, sometimes white as milk, adorned with veins, heavy in weight; the Arabs called it Albaon and also Abakozodi.

The Persians Puch57.

The ancients said that this matter was the flower of the earth and of the astral spirit which deposited all the forces of the fifth being in this mineral.

The Persians dyed their hair black with this material58 which they put in water. This water became quite black, then a layer of black matter was deposited at the bottom of the vase. Desiccated and kneaded with fat, it served as a dye.

This material is called black lead; there are different kinds; one is better than the others. It was she who was distilled by the Ancients and from which they drew their phosphoric acid.

This was poured over the residue and the white earth was obtained59.

We know that there is phosphoric lead and that lead pyrite is the intermediary between this lead and the common lead.

Let us reread what is written on pyrites.

If a sulfur ball is suspended from a glowing iron bar, a pyrite results, ie. To

d. that the white earth, the basis of combustibility, combines with a part of the phosphoric acid contained in the iron, in the form of a pyrite which is in itself a compacted fire. The pyrite is under the metal.

PHOSPHORUS. PYRITE. METAL

Where

Phosphorus-fire, compacted phosphorus, pyrite.





<sup>57 See the Aseh Mesareph; the Vulgate renders this word by stibium. After Christian, Éliphas Levi first (in the key to the great mysteries), then Jolivet Castello (how one becomes an alchemist) reproduced this word by crippling it, by confusion between a final KAPH and a Daleth. Puch or Phok has for number 106 (80 + 20 + 6) or seven (1 + 0 + 6). These authors have copied themselves without even trying to understand and verify. Otherwise could he have written: "the central metalloid whose name is Phod or Plumbaya, whose number is 106 = 7"? The number of PHOD is undoubtedly 90 = 9. Just this, which is obvious, should have saved them from error if they had had the slightest inclination to study for their own guidance what they were giving to readers, not necessarily Hebrew,

58 This is apparently Kohol or antimony fard. Perhaps it would be wise not to conclude from this digression a little ... Seeing that the common antimony is materia bruta philosophorum.

59 Or first mercury.</sup>

Phosphorus, extremely condensed METAL

The first kind of such lead ore is found in the Joachims-Tal, and is called Glanz ("galena"). The Zentner, (half quintal) contains 6 to 8 Loths (half ounces) of silver. The better the material, the more money there is. Its sign is:

The second kind is found in Poland at Ekkisch, thirteen miles from Krakow. It is called galena with silvery reflections. Its sign is

The third kind has been found in Friborg-en-Meissen; it is covered with silver buds and is therefore called lunaria.

The fourth is even purer; it is found in the soil on the Hungarian border, not far from Klobuck; it is thus designated:

and, from this representation results the error on the lunaria grass which symbolizes this mineral, also called silver lead, and which is still represented in this way:

The fifth kind is virgin lead (gediegen) which has not yet been on any fire, easy to melt as well as to dissolve.

It is found near Villach. It is thus designated

The sixth kind is in Meissen and it is called Glaserx; this ore holds lead, it can be cut and sigillated. The Zentner contains 24 to 26 Silver Loths; it is often referred to as:

It is then the real raw materia: on which the Sages worked who drew their Stone from it.

This is the filia aethiopium, of which it is written:

Nigra sum sed f ormosa, filia Jerusalem, adeo dilexit me rex, and introduxit me in cubiculum suum.

This material is called Electrirm minerale inïmaturum60.