(13) These four Forms are in the Originality of Nature, and from thence the Mobility exists, as also the Life in the Seed, and in all the Creatures, has its Original from thence; and there is no Comprehensibility in the Originality, but such a Virtue or Power and Spirit. For it is a poisonous or venomous, hostile or enemicitious a Thing: And it must be so, or else there would be no Mobility, but all [would be as] nothing, and the Source of Wrath or Anger is the first Original of Nature.

(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.

(11) But mark the Depth, in a Similitude which I set down thus; the harsh Spring in the Original is the Mother out of which the other five Springs are generated, viz. Bitterness, Fire, Love, Sound, and Water. Now these are Members of this Birth [of their Mother,] and without them there would be nothing but an anguishing dark Vale [or vacuum,] where there could be no Mobility, nor any Light or Life: But now the Life is born in her by the kindling of the Light, and then she rejoices in her own Property, and labours in her own tart sour Quality to generate again; and in her own Quality there rises a Life again, and a Center opens itself again, and the Life comes to be generated again out of her in a six-fold Form, yet not in any such Anguish as at the Beginning, but in great Joy.

(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.

(10) Which is a Similitude of that which is in the Original of the Generating of Nature: Yet it must be set down more intelligibly [and plainly.] Mark what Mercurius is, it is Harshness, Bitterness, Fire, and Brimstone- water, the most horrible P Essence; yet you must understand hereby no Materia, Matter, or comprehensible Thing; but all no other than Spirit, and the Source of the original Nature. Harshness is the first Essence, which attracts itself; but it being a hard cold Virtue or Power, the Spirit is altogether prickly [stinging] and sharp. Now the Sting and Sharpness cannot endure attracting, but moves and resists [or opposes] and is a contrary Will, an Enemy to the Harshness, and from that Stirring comes the first Mobility, which is the third Form. Thus the Harshness continually attracts harder and harder, and so it becomes hard and tart, [strong or fierce,] so that the Virtue or Power is as hard as the hardest Stone, which the Bitterness [that is, the Harshness's own Sting or Prickle] cannot endure; and then there is great Anguish in it, like the horrible brimstone Spirit, and the Sting of the Bitterness, which rubs itself so hard, that in the Anguish there comes to be a twinkling Flash, which flies up terribly, and breaks the Harshness: But it finding no Rest, and being so continually generated from beneath, it is as a turning Wheel, which turns anxiously and terribly with the twinkling Flash furiously, and so the Flash is changed into a pricking [stinging] Fire, which yet is no burning Fire, but like the Fire in a Stone. 1 1. But seeing there is no Rest there, and that the turning Wheel runs as fast as a swift Thought, for the Prickle drives it so fast, the Prickle kindles itself so much, that the Flash (which is generated between the Astringency and Bitterness) becomes horribly fiery, and flies up like a horrible Fire, from whence the whole Materia or Matter is terrified, and falls back as dead, or overcome, and does not attract so strongly to itself any more, but each yields itself to go out one from another, and so it becomes thin. For the Fire-flash is now predominant, and the Materia, or Matter, which was so very harsh [astringent or attracting] in the Originality, is now feeble, and as it were dead, and the Fire-flash henceforth gets Strength therein, for it is its Mother; and the Bitterness goes forth up in the Flash together with the Harshness, and kindles the Flash, for it is the Father of the Flash, or Fire, and the turning Wheel henceforth stands in the Fire-flash, and the Harshness remains overcome and feeble, which is now the Water-spirit; and the Materia, or Matter of the Harshness, henceforth is like the Brimstone- spirit, very thin, raw, aching, vanquished, and the Sting in it is trembling; and it dries and sharpens itself in the Flash; and being so very dry in the Flash, it becomes continually more horrible and fiery, whereby the Harshness or Astringency is still more overcome, and the Water- spirit continually greater. And so it continually refreshes itself in the Waterspirit, and continually brings more Matter to the Fire-flash, whereby it is the more kindled; for (in a Similitude) that is the ufuel of the Flash or Fire-spirit.

(18) Understand [or consider] it right; it is the Source- spirit [or working Spirit] out of the Gall which kindles the Heart, whereby the Life was stirred, which is choked as soon as the Tincture in the Blood of the Heart is extinguished. The right Soul has no Need of such Going-forth, it is much more subtle than the Brimstone- spirit, though (in the Life-time) it is in one only Substance.

(19) You must also mark the Form of the Water-Spirit; when that generates its like, so that it is predominant in its Regeneration or second Birth, and that a Center is awakened in it, (which itself in its own Essence does not awaken, but the other Fountain- Spirits do it therein,) it [the Water-Spirit] is still and quiet as a meek Mother, and suffers the other to sow their Seed into it, and to awaken the Center in it, so that the Fire rises up, from whence the Life is moved. In this [Form] the fire is not a hot burning [scorching] Fire, but cool, mild, soft and sweet; and the Bitterness is no Bitterness, but cool, mild, budding, and flowing forth, from whence the Forming [or Figuring and beauteous Shape] in the heavenly Glory proceeds, and is a most beautiful Substance; for the Sound also in this Birth flows forth most pleasantly and harmoniously, all as it were palpably or feelingly, or in a Similitude, as a Word that comes to be an Essence, or a comprehensible Substance. For in this Regeneration that is brought to pass in the Water-Spirit, (that is, in the true Mother of the Regeneration of all the Fountain-Spirits,) all is as it were comprehensible or substantial; although no Comprehensibility must be understood here, but Spirit.