(31) And when the light riseth up out of the sweet fountain-water in the heat, in the astringent and bitter qualities, then the bitter and astringent qualities taste the light and sweet water, and the bitter quality catcheth the taste of the sweet water, and in the sweet water is the light, but only of a sky-colour or azure, which is blue.

(2) The silver one became this earth, the golden one the sky, the thick membrane (of the white) the mountains, the thin membrane (of the yoke) the mist with the clouds, the small veins the rivers, the fluid the sea.

(76) In the earth the heat of the sun kindleth the sweet quality of water, in all imaged or framed figures; and then through the heat the light cometh to be in the sweet water, and that enlighteneth the astringent or sour quality, and the bitter, so that they see in or by the light; and in that seeing the one riseth up into the other, and proveth the other, that is, in that seeing the one tasteth of the other's sharpness, from whence cometh the taste.

(29) There the light kindleth in the heat in the sweet fountain-water, and this is the beginning of life: For the astringent and bitter qualities are the beginning and cause of the heat and of the light also, and thus the sweet fountain-water becometh a shining light, like the blue or azure light of heaven.

(109) But when the light, which is the Son of God, shineth into this sea of nature, then it getteth its yellowish and whitish colour, which I cannot compare to anything; you must be content to stay or tarry with this aspect or vision, till you come into the other life.

(29) Its Essence is the Flash in the Circle [or Circumference] of the Springing of the Life, which in the Water makes the Glance and Shining; and its Root is the Fire; and the Stock is the [sour] Harshness. Now the Flash separates the Bitterness and Harshness from the Water; so that the Water becomes soft, [fluid] and clear, wherein then the Sight of all Creatures does consist, so that the Spirit in the Flash in the Matrix of the Water does see; and the Flash stands therein like a Glance, [or Luster,] and fills the Spirit of the Essences; from which the Essence draws vehemently to itself; for it is the [sour] Harshness, and the Flash continually separates the Darkness from the Light, and the Impure from the Pure; and there now stands the divine Virtue [or Power:] And the divine Glance continually imagines [or imprints] itself in the pure, from which the [sour] strong [Property] is separated out from Nature; and the divine Glance makes the Pure Sweet; for it mingles itself, [or infects] there.

(10) The golden lamp conveys another enigma as a symbol of Christ, not in respect of form alone, but in his casting light, "at sundry times and divers manners," on those who believe on Him and hope, and who see by means of the ministry of the First-born. And they say that the seven eyes of the Lord "are the seven spirits resting on the rod that springs from the root of Jesse."

(30) And that bright light fountain-water kindleth the astringent and the bitter qualities, and the heat (which is generated by the astringent and the bitter qualities in the sweet water), riseth up out of the sweet fountain-water through the astringent and bitter qualities, and in the astringent and bitter qualities the light first then becometh dry and shining, as also moveable and triumphing.

(30) But the Sweetness is like Oil or Fire, wherein the Flash continually kindles itself, so that it shines: But the Oil being sweet, and mingled with the Matrix of the Water, therefore the shining Light is steady, [constant and fixed,] and sweet: But seeing it cannot, in the Nature of the Water, continue to be an Oil only (because of the Infection of the Water) therefore it becomes thick; and the [Nature or] Kind of the Fire colours it red; and this is the Blood and the Tincture in a Creature, wherein the noble Life stands. Of the Death and of the Dying. The Gate of Affliction and of Misery.

(150) In such manner and colours the heaven of God's nature sheweth or presenteth itself in the rising up of the spirits of God: Now when the light of the Son of God shineth therein, then it is like a bright clear sea of the colours of the abovementioned precious stones or jewels. Of the wonderful Proportion, Alteration or Variation, and Rising up of the Qualities in the heavenly Nature.

(157) When the heat in the sweet quality riseth up, and kindleth the sweet source, fountain or spring, then that fire burneth in the sweet quality; now seeing the sweet quality is a thin or transparent lovely pleasant sweet fountain or springwater, it allayeth the heat and quencheth the fire, and so there remaineth in the sweet fountainspring of the sweet water only the joyful light.

(14) Some are of the quality of the water, and those are light, like the holy heaven; and when the light shineth on them, then they look like to a crystalline sea.

(38) In those colours grow all manner of fruits, which rise or spring up in the Salitter, and the Mercurius or sound mingleth itself therewith, and riseth up in all the powers of the Father, and then sounding and tunes rise up in the heavenly joyfulness.

(66) Behold, what are thy five Senses? In what Virtue do they consist? Or how come they in the Life of Man? Whence comes thy Seeing, that thou canst see by the Light of the Sun, and not otherwise? Consider thyself deeply, if thou wilt be a Searcher into Nature, and wilt boast of the Light of Nature. Thou canst not say that thou seest only by the Light of the Sun, for there must be something which can receive the Light of the Sun, and which mixes with the Light of the Sun (as the Star does which is in thine Eyes) which is not the Sun, but consists of Fire and Water; and its Glance, which receives the Light of the Sun, is a Flash, that arises from the fiery, sour and bitter Gall, and the Water makes it soft [or pleasant.] Here you take the Meaning to be only, concerning the outward, viz. the third Principle, wherein the Sun, Stars, and Elements are; but the same is also true in every one of the Creatures in this World.

(7) The eighth bottle is divided horizontally by a golden band, from which rises a golden stem ending in five leaves protruding from the neck of the bottle. The contents of the vessel are transparent, and it is written that "the black clouds are past and the great whiteness has been completed." The ninth bottle (from the neck of which rises a golden white rose) is also partly filled with a transparent liquid. The rose is made to say: "He who blanches me makes me red." The tenth and last bottle represents the consummation of the Great Work. The lower half of the vessel is filled with the blood-red Elixir and from the neck rises a red rose with many petals and of extreme beauty. After declaring all the planets to have been present at the consummation of the Great Work, the author of the document concludes: "I gave to the Master [spirit] so much silver and gold that be can never be poor."

(154) The meaning is not here, as if the spirit of the water were swallowed up or devoured, which dwelleth in all the seven qualities, but its quality or upper place or predominancy was changed into a dusky hot and sour quality.

(10) O nobly-born, five-coloured radiances, of the Wisdom of the Simultaneously-Born, which are the purified propensities, vibrating and dazzling like coloured threads, flashing, radiant, and transparent, glorious and awe-inspiring, will issue from the hearts of the five chief Knowledge-Holding Deities and strike against thy heart, so bright that thy eye cannot bear to look upon them.

(93) Now when the wrath of these four spirits is killed, then the mineral orey Salitter stands in the water, like a tough matter, and looketh like that spirit which is predominant in the mineral ore; and the light which stands in the fire coloureth [tinctureth] it according to its own quality, be it silver or gold.

(95) For as it is generated out of all powers, and has the fountain of all powers, so with its shining lustre it also bringeth the fountain of all powers into each power; from whence then existeth the taste and smell, also seeing, feeling and hearing; as also reason and understanding.

(91) Yet the sun possesses a nearness to gold, The dry branch and the green are alike near the sun, Does the sun veil himself from either? Yet what is the nearness of that green branch, Wherefrom thou eatest ripe fruits? But as for the dry branch) from its nearness to the sun, What does it but more quickly grow dry and sapless? Be not intoxicated after the manner of this branch, Which, when it becomes sober, has cause for repentance, But, like those drunkards who, when they drink wine,