(45) Subtle substance rises in ascending degrees, to that pure nature which has no distinguishing mark.

(33) In this rising up, the astringent Quality becomes meek, light, thin, or transparent, and pleasant or lovely, and obtains its Life, whose Original rises up out of the Heat in the sweet Water, and this now is the true Fountain or Well-spring of Love. Observe this in the deep Sense. [Observe this in the deep Sense.]

(73) But it retains its Seat in the Kernel, which is the Unctuosity or Fatness, or the Water of Life, or the Heaven; for it is the Body of Life, which the Death cannot comprehend, and yet it rises up in the Death.

(34) For the Oil, or Unctuosity in the Water, is generated through Meekness or Well-doing, and that is the Unctuosity, Oil, Unction, Marrow or Fatness, wherein the Light becomes Shining. But if the Unctuosity be burnt up, then the Water is turned into a sour Stink, and moreover becomes very dark. And

(112) But thou must understand this concerning the sweet Quality of the Water, and not concerning the Stick or Block; but it is to be understood concerning the Unctuosity or Fats which is the Spirit therein.

(102) Otherwise if the sweet Water could keep its Unctuosity or Fatness in its own Power, and that the astringent and the bitter Spirits did rub themselves one with another very gently in the sweet Water, then they would kindle the Unctuosity or Fatness in the sweet Water, and then the Light would instantly generate itself in the Water, and would enlighten the astringent and the bitter Quality.

(102) First, the astringent Spirit catches hold, and that draws together a Mass or Lump out of the sweet Water, that is out of or from the Unctuosity or Fæces of the Blood of the Heart, or from the Sap or Oil of the Heart.

(4) Panvotrus saith:—I signify to posterity that air is a tenuous matter of water, and that it is not separated from it. It remains above the dry earth, to wit, the air hidden in the water, which is under the earth. If this air did not exist, the earth would not remain above the humid water. They answer:—Thou hast said well; complete, therefore, thy speech. Sut he continueth: The air which is hidden in the water under the earth is that which sustains the earth, lest it should be plunged into the said water; and it, moreover, prevents the earth from being overflowed by that water. The province of the air is, therefore, to fill up and to make separation between diverse things, that is to say, water and earth, and it is constituted a peacemaker between hostile things, namely, water and fire, dividing these, lest they destroy one another.

The Turba saith:—If you gave an illustration hereof, it would be clearer to those who do not understand.

He answereth:—An egg is an illustration, for therein four things are conjoined; the visible cortex or shell represents the earth, and the albumen, or white part, is the water.* But a very thin inner cortex is joined to the outer cortex, representing, as I have signified to you, the separating medium between earth and water, namely, that air which divides the earth from the water. The yolk also of the egg represents fire; the cortex which contains the yolk corresponds to that other air which separates the water from the fire. But they are both one and the same air, namely, that which separates things frigid, the earth from the water, and that which separates the water from the fire. But the lower air is thicker than the upper air, and the upper air is more rare and subtle, being nearer to the fire than the lower air. In the egg, therefore, are four things—earth, water, air, and fire. But the point of the Sun, these four excepted, is in the centre of the yolk, and this is the chicken. Consequently, all philosophers in this most excellent art have described the egg as an example, which same thing they have set over their work.

(82) When the sweet Quality thus flies from the bitter, sour, and astringent, then the astringent and bitter make all the haste they can after it, as their best Treasure; and the Sweet presses vehemently from them, and strives so much, that it drives and penetrates through the astringent or harsh Quality, and rends the Body, and goes forth from the Body, out above the Earth, and hastens so fast, till a long Stalk grows up. [The Stalk.] And

(101) And in this Motion it grows unctuous or fat, and luscious or luxuriant; it increases and spreads itself, and the highest Depth generates itself very joyfully out of or from the Heart of the Spirit, just as if it would begin an angelical Triumph, and present or show forth itself infinitely in divine Power and Form, according to the Right of the Deity: And thereby the Body gets its greatest Strength and Power, and the Body colours, or tinctures itself with the highest Degree, and gets its true Beauty, Excellence, and Virtue.

(146) Now when he elevates himself, he elevates himself first in the astringent Quality, which he gripes close together, as a Woman which is in Travel, and presses himself, whereby the hard Quality becomes so hard and sharp, that the sweet Water can force or prevail with it no more, and so can rise up no more meekly or mildly in the Creature, but is captivated and dried up by the astringent Quality, and changed into a hard, sharp, fierce Coldness.

(115) Take Rye, Wheat, Barley, Oats, or what you will, wherein the sweet Quality is predominant, soak or steep it in the elementary Water, afterwards distil it, then the sweet Quality will take away the Predominance from the other; and afterwards kindle that Water, and then you will see the Spirit, which is remaining in the Water of the Unctuosity or Fatness of the Corn, which overcame the Water. [Or Cliniss.]

(13) For observe it, although now in the Harshness there be Bitterness, Fire, Sound, Water, and that out of the springing Vein of the Water there flows Love (or Oil) from whence the Light arises and shines; yet the Harshness retains its first Property, and the Bitterness its Property, the Fire its Property, the Sound or the Stirring its Property, and the overcoming the first harsh or tart Anguish, (viz. the returning down back again) or the Water-Spirit, its Property, and the springing Fountain, the pleasant Love, which is kindled by the Light in the tart or sour Bitterness, (which now is the sweet [Source or] springing Vein of Water,) its property; and yet this is no separable Essence parted asunder, but all one whole Essence or Substance in one another. And each Form or Birth takes its own Form, Virtue, Working and Springing up from all the Forms; and the whole Birth now retains chiefly but these four Forms in its generating or bringing forth; viz. the rising up, the falling down, and then through the turning [of the Wheel in the sour, harsh,] tart Essence, the putting forth on this Side, and on that Side, on both Sides like a Cross; or, as I may so say, the going forth from the Point [or Center] towards the East, the West, the North and the South: For from the Stirring, Moving, and Ascending of the Bitterness in the Fire-Flash, there exists a cross Birth. For the Fire goes forth upward, the Water downward, and the Essences of the Harshness sideways.

(147) For it becomes too empty and dry by the astringent Contraction, and loses its bright lustre, and its Unctuosity, Fatness, or Oiliness (wherein the light Spirit rises up, which is the Spirit of the holy angelical and divine Life) becomes so hard, compacted and pressed together by the astringent Quality, whereby it is dried up like sweet dry Wood. [Doth.] And

(103) For their Unctuosity or Fatness in the sweet Water is burnt up, and that Water is turned into a sour Stink, wherein the Light of God can no more kindle itself, and the Light of God can no more enter into it.

(94) And now this Matter in the fourth Melting looks like Silver or Gold, but it is not yet fixed, nor is it tough or malleable, and pure enough; its Body indeed is subsistent, but not the Spirit. [Subfistent.]

(117) For when it is put into warm Liquor, then the Life in the Thing becomes Rising, and would fain raise itself, and be kindled in the Light, but it cannot because of the Wrath, which is opposite to it in the astral Birth or Geniture.

(28) When the astringent and bitter Quality rub themselves so hard one upon another, that they generate Heat, and now the sweet Quality, the sweet Fountain-water, is therein in the Midst or Center between the astringent and bitter Quality, and the Heat becomes generated between the astringent and bitter Quality, in the sweet Fountain-water, through the astringent and bitter Quality;

(33) But he knew not, that if he kindled the dried Water, that the Kernel, that is, the Unctuosity, Oil, or Heart of the Water, would be consumed, and that the Light would turn into Darkness, and the Water turn into a sour Stink.

(124) Art thou a rational Man, then observe this; the Spirit which moves on high aloft from the Heat, takes its Exit, rising, and shining, in the sweet Quality; therefore the sweet Quality is its friendly or kind Will, and reigns in Meekness; and Meekness and Humility are its proper House or Habitation. [* The Mother Tongue explained according to the Language of Nature.] And