Fols. 162-165 Sr. The Character which I heard of You some few years ago and some reflexions lately made, occasions the writing this Letter. As I know you not personally, so, Sr. I am not known by You; but that You may know what I am, please to give your self the trouble to read what follows, and you shall never have a just cause to repent you of it. it has pleased God to bless me so, as to attain to the knowledge and preparation of a Universal Tincture, so much talked of and pretended to: but as rarely known and seen. Next to the honour of God and our common Salvation. I prefer the contemplation of this, to all other things; as esteeming you of little or no value in comparison of it for the knowledge of God and universal nature and of this holy science are inseparable: for the more we advance in the later, the more must we, of necessity, in the former also. Notwithstanding this, for my Probation and Humiliation, what has happened to some in all ages, was permitted to befall me also; yt is, to loose so pretious and invaluable a treasure; which reminds me of these words: Ego quos amo, arguo, et eastigo. I have seen in a most eminent manner how the anger of God was inkindled against those who betrayed me in a very cruel manner. God forgive ym: I heartily do. may they truly repent of it, This prediction was occasioned by one mans acquaintance, whom I had for some years made my friend and confident and thought to be a person of unexceptionable piety and fidelity. Ictus Piseator sapit. Nothing but a train of miracles could have extricated me out of such a sea of danger and sorrow, and anxiety of spirit, which brought upon me grievous bodily sickness caused by the inexpressible trouble of my mind. I have been forced to leave France all on a sudden, destitute and forlorn, and to take post and ride day and night, which I could not have done, but by immediately selling a piece of […] Gold and two small Diamonds such I had about me, for I must not return to the Hotel, for fear of falling into the same circumstances as did, Alass! a most venerable sage, whose hairs are as white as a swan, who has been imprisoned and afterwards sent down to L’Isle de Sainte Marguerite, for no other reason than a suspicion of being an Adeptl where, without a miraculous deliverance, he will in all probability spend the rest of his days. I understand since (by Monsr. de Marêchal Bezon who had letters concerning him from Monsieur La Bret Intendant de Provence, and that too by the Duke Regent’s orders) that his manner of living and behaviour is most abidying, wonderfull and amazing. though the Duke of Orleans has vastly enriched himself, at the expence and utter ruin of hundreds of thousands, yet his detestable thirst after Gold continues still the same by which we clearly see, covetousness not […] only to be Idolatry, and the root of all Evil, but in its nature […] insatiable as that abyss from whence it proceeds: though his attempts of this kind will Eternally be in vain; for where God gives so great a blessing; strength and patience to a righteous and innocent sufferer will be given in proportion. In these piteous circumstances, Sr, after several years spent abroad, I lately came for England, where I had left a little brechold [sic] estate, which I found sold by my unkle, in my absence, since dead; which he had no right nor title to do, but poor man falling into strait circumstances, his reflecting upon my being a single person, and having no letter from me for several years, might be one occasion of it, which has put me to very great and pressing inconveniences, yet will I not go to Law if it be: any ways avoidable. Ei qui vult tecum judicio contenere, et tumicam tuam tollere, dimitte ei et pallium. Now by all this, I would not be understood, as if I had the least presumptious [sic] thought to pretend to inform you how to make Gold. God forbid. By so doing I should infallibly incur the displeasure of the Allmighty, and extreamly hazard the salvation of my soul. My design, Sr, is only to know, whither you are in the least manner initiated into that part of our art, wch is the Gift of God, which leads to a Universal Medicine; or whither your heart be, in the sight of God, disposed to receive such a blessing. Otherwise that a certain great person once said to Johannes Baptista Van Helmont a very learned honest man, is applicable to your self, were you President of all the Colledges of Physitians upon Earth Videlicet, Charissime […] nisi eo devenias, quod unico Remedio quea curare quenlibet morbum, manebis in by tocimio, utcun senex eva seris. After the Great Tincture, or medicine for metals, that is reserved for those to who in God will bestow it. T’is a sin through vain curiosity to search after it: yet a much heavier crime is it for those who willfully impose upon the over credulous, which credulity proceeds either from too great a curiosity, or an insatiable Avarice, but very often, if not alwaysm from both. These wretched and detestable pretenders are those, Sui [?] manos pollicentur montes, et petunt drachmas parvasl and justly are they lashed by Mr Johnsons Alchymist: yet he that reproaches the Art it self, as yet remains in a thicker than Ægyptian darkness, as to the pure Light of nature. These unhappy Alchymists can do nothing without quantities of Gold, and why? because the honour of God, and their Neighbours Good they have not at heart, but only vile and sordid gain acquired by fallacious means. He yt knows not what to do with Gold; yt is, he yt cannot find an Ins of Gold in the forever, will never know how to improve and augment it in the later. the most accurate solutions of Gold in the best corrosive liquours, (without out Homogeneal Vegetable Mentruum) do little more than he who dissolves salt in common water, for we cannot call, neither the one, nor the other, a Radical Solution for no Radical Solution can be without a previous putrefaction. This is the key to all true medicine. O how blind are those yt suffer ymselves to be deceived, when they see not their matter putrify in the beginning, according to the joint […] consent and common voice of all true philosophers. This one thing alone, duly considered, will for ever prevent out deceiving ourselves or being deceived by others and this I have faithfully communicated to you, to prevent all kind of imposition, though I should never see you. No perfect putrefaction can be without a Radical solution. no separation, no purification. no purification, no multiplication. All which can never be without a previous death or putrefaction. as it is written: Except a Grain of corn fall into the Earth and dye, it abideth alone, but if it dyes it bringeth forth much fruit. and again; Thou fool, yt which thou sowest is not quickened, except it dye. please to remember the common school Axiom: Corruptis Unius Generatio est alterius; et vice versa. Here, Sr, I have led you to the very central, Cardinal point. what effect these great truths may have upon you, I know not. T’is my duty to resign my self and what is here fundamentally and honestly disclosed to you to the Providence of the most High; as to the Event of what is written I am to be indifferent. if the hand of God is in this matter, His counsel shall stand and prevail. Tho if I did not hope His secret providence to be in it, I would not upon any account or consideration have thus addressed my self to you. You are to answer for what use, you shall make of it. for my part I have given you hints sufficient. my views only regard a medicine for the poor, that God may make use of you as an instrument of His Love, against the now prevailing vials of His wrath, when all Europe is threatened with the fatal scourge of pestilence and famine, for where the former is, the later never is wantingl and all this is a judgment upon Christendom, for its insatiable pride, covetousness, piacular [sic] and perseverance in sin, the forerunner of final impenitence […] the consideration of which makes me fearfull of burying my talent in a napkin; and the Character I have heard of you, has occasioned my thus applying my self to you, hoping to meet with a man of probity and Taciturnity. My business is not to trifle. Do you know, Sr, any thing of our secret fire, or to be plain with you, of our first Agent? for without this subtle and Adeptical preparation first, you can never kill and make alive (or quicken and multiply the principle of Life, and mortifye That of death, wch is all one and the same thing) at one and the same time. T’is by this secret alone we purifye. For want of this, Poutanus [sic] ingenuously declares, he erred two hundred times. He yt has experimentally known this preparation thoroughly is a Master; he yt knows nothing of it is not yet a scholar, and consequently knows nothing of a true medicine. If you know this Art of perfect putrefaction, which I have twice wrought with my own hands, let me have but the smallest hint thereof, and I shall immediately understand you; and this will give me occasion to communicate something to you, which (if I find the aforesaid disposition) will greatly rejoyce you, and wch is more, enable You to do good to some thousands of the poor, whose dayly labour is their whole estate, and who cannot do it, because they languish under distempers ignorantly termed incurable. yea, in such a case, confine not your charity to England, but let the poor in any other Country profit thereby, where any plague or pestilential maladies may rage […] Sr,Your charity to the poor gives excellent and edifying savour, this will render you acceptable to God, and praise worthy of all honest men. If you think it worth your while, let me have your sentiments, as to what I have touched upon. You well know this Command of our Lord. Nolite dare Sanctum canibus, ne que mittatis margaritas vestras ante porcios: ne forte conculcent eas pedibus suis, et conversia dirumpant vos. The Apostle Saint Paul sais: If any one love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. Now no one can love God, but by strenuously endeavouring to keep His commandments. as it is written: If ye Love me, keep me commandments. Let us then avoid this terrible Malediction, and gain His Temporal and Eternal Blessing, which I wish from the bottom of my heart. I am Sr, your most humble and most obedient Servant Gulielmi Please to direct as follows and it will be safely conveyed to me. vizt. For Mr S. to be left at Mr Morris’s near the Duke of Ormonds head at Kensington
Kensington December the 23d 1721.
