← Back to Browse

Turba Philosophorum

The Fifty-Fourth Dictum
Alchemical trans. Arthur Edward Waite • c. c. 12th century (Waite translation 1896)
54
Anaxacoras saith: Take the volatile burnt thing which lacks a body, and incorporate it. Then take the ponderous thing, having smoke, and thirsting to imbibe. The Turba answereth: Explain, O Anaxagoras, what is this obscurity which you expound, and beware of being envious! And he: I testify to you that this volatile burnt thing, and this cther which thirsts, are Ethelia, which has been conjoined with sulphur. Therefore, place these in a glass vessel over the fire, and cook until the whole becomes Cambar. Then God will accomplish the arcanum ye seek. But I direct you to cook continuously, and not to grow tired of repeating the process. And know ye that the perfection of this work is the confection of water of sulphur with tabula;* finally, it is cooked until it becomes Rubigo, for all the Philosophers have said: He who is able to turn Rubigo into golden venom has already achieved the desired work, but otherwise his labour is vain.