Paracelsus: The Book Concerning the Tincture of the Philosophers

The title page presents the work as written against Sophists born since the Deluge, by Philippus Theophrastus Bombast of Hohenheim. In the Preface, Paracelsus addresses the Sophist who abuses him as ignorant and a wanderer, and proposes to disclose what arts existed in the first age. He cites Hermes, Archelaus, the Emerald Table, the Egyptians whom no king subdued, and Diocletian's burning of Spagyric books. He declares the Monarchy of the Arts conferred on him by God to blot out Aristotle, Galen, Avicenna, and Mesva, predicts his theory will flourish in the fifty-eighth year after its millennium and a half, mentions a treasure hidden at Weinden that neither Leo of Rome nor Charles the German could purchase, and promises to disclose the Tincture of the Philosophers. Chapter I names Hermes Trismegistus, Orus, Hali, and Albertus Magnus as reaching one end, long life; Paracelsus offers to teach the tincture, and lists required operations and vessels. Chapter II defines the Tincture's matter, called the Red Lion, transmutable into a White Eagle, and the Lili. Chapter III describes the ancients' process with Lili and putrefaction, referencing the Apocalypse of Hermes. Chapter IV gives Paracelsus's shortened process—rose-coloured blood from the Lion, gluten from the Eagle—and names transmutations in Gastaynum, Carinthia, Hungary, and the coming of Elias the Artist. Chapter V describes fixing Lili through colour changes to red, quoting "Seek and you shall find." Chapter VI treats transmutation of metals, citing Zifferbrunnen and Kuttenberg. Chapter VII treats renovation of men, Egyptian philosophers living centuries, diseases cured, and challenges Apollo, Machaon, and Hippocrates.

The text describes the Catholicum of the Philosophers, by which philosophers attained long life against diseases, naming it the Tincture of the Philosophers. It poses questions about purgation removing superfluity, states that when the seed is made sound all is perfected, contrasts the sophists' purgation, and names regeneration of nature and restoration of youth as the true physician's foundation. The Tincture's powers were miraculously discovered and kept concealed by true Spagyrists. The Book ends. Notes follow: Note 1 defines the Arcanum as essence and potency, and the Quintessence as separation of pure from impure (Paramirum; Explicatio Totius Astronomiae). Note 2 treats Vulcan as separator of good from bad, Alchemy as death, the Sun as heaven's Vulcan, and the Igneous Vulcan as Sulphur, Sal Nitrum, and Mercury (various works). Note 3 introduces the Revelation of Hermes, interpreted by Paracelsus, published by Benedictus Figulus, appended here with doubts about its authorship. The Revelation states Hermes, Plato, and Aristotle sought immortality; the answer is that One Thing postpones decay, death being punishment on Adam and Eve. It behaves like the Heavens, a fifth substance. Aristotle prepared an apple prolonging life by scent. Morienus and Avicenna are cited; the spirit is the Soul of the World. Five natures are described: earthly, watery, aerial/oily, fiery (Elixir of Life), and glorified—reviving dead trees, feeding an eternal lamp, and converting metals to gold. It is named Sandaraca, Kybrick, Azoth, Alcohoph, and Raphael. It enabled Moses, Solomon, Noah, Ezra, Miriam, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. After praises, warnings against revealing it to the unworthy, and testimony before God, it closes with praise to Trismegistus Spagyrus, Jesus Christ.