(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.

(12) Understand rightly the Manner of the Existence of this Mercurius. The Word M E R, is first the strong, tart, harsh Attraction; for in that Word (or Syllable Mer) expressed by the Tongue, you understand that it jars [proceeding] from the Harshness, and you understand also, that the bitter Sting or Prickle is in it; for the Word M E R is harsh and trembling, and every Word [or Syllable] is formed or framed from its Power or Virtue, and expresses whatsoever the Power or Virtue does or suffers. You [may] understand that the word [or syllable] C U, is [or signifies] the Rubbing or Unquietness of the Sting or Prickle, which makes that the Harshness is not at Peace, but heaves and rises up; for that Syllable [thrusts itself or] presses forth with the Virtue [or Breath] from the Heart, out of the Mouth. It is done thus also in the Virtue or Power of the Prima Materia [or first Matter] in the Spirit, but the syllable C U having so strong a Pressure from the Heart, and yet is so presently snatched up by the Syllable R I, and the whole Understanding [Sense or Meaning] is changed into it, this signifies and is the bitter prickly Wheel in the generating, which vexes and whirls itself as swiftly as a Thought: The Syllable U S is [or signifies] the swift Fire-flash, that the Materia, or Matter, kindles in the fierce Whirling between the Harshness and the Bitterness in the swift wheel; where you may very plainly understand [or observe] in the Word, how the Harshness is terrified, and how the Power or Virtue in the Word sinks down, or falls back again upon the Heart, and becomes very feeble and thin: Yet the Sting or Prickle with the whirling Wheel, continues in the Flash, and goes forth through the Teeth out of the Mouth; where then the Spirit hisses like a Fire in its kindling, and returning back again strengthens itself in the Word. mark.

(23) In such a Manner as this the Sun rose up in the Fiat, and out of the Sun (in its first Kindling) [rose] the other Planets, viz. upwards, out of the raging Bitterness, Mars [rose,] which pTo. the Splendor of the Sun stayed [or upheld] when it discovered it: And out of the Virtue of the Sun, which raised itself higher, [rose] Jupiter imprisoned in the Center of the Fiat: And out of the Chamber of Anguish [rose] Saturnus: And downwards Venus [rose] from the soft Mildness, when the Harshness was overcome, and was soft, sweet, and sinking down like Water. And when the Light kindled, then out of the sour harsh Wrath came Love and Humility to be, running downwards: And out of the overcome Virtue in the sour Harshness [rose Mercurius,] wherein stands the Knowledge of what was in the Original before the Light: But when the Light made the Virtue in the Place of the Sun material, as it were in an earthly Manner [rose] the Moon.

(7) Now to speak in a creaturely way, Sulphur, Mercurius, and Sal, are understood to be thus. S U L is the Soul or the Spirit that is risen up, or in a Similitude [it is] God: P H U R is the Prima Materia, or first Matter out of which the Spirit is generated, but especially the i Harshness: Mercurius has a fourfold Form in it, viz. Harshness, Bitterness, Fire, and Water: Sal is the Child that is generated from these four, and is harsh, eager, and a Cause of the Comprehensibility.

(14) Yet here I do not altogether [mean or] understand the Mercurius [Mercury or Quicksilver] which is the third Principle of this created World, which the Apothecaries use, (although that has the same Virtue or Power, and is of the same Essence,) but I speak [of that] in the first Principle, viz. of the Originality of the Essence of all Essences, of God, and of the eternal unbeginning Nature, from whence the Nature of this World is generated. Although in the Originality of both of them there is no Separation; but only the outward and third Principle, the syderial and elementary Kingdom [Region or Dominion] is generated out of the first Principle by the Word and Spirit of God out of the eternal Father, out of the holy Heaven.