(22) IV. The fourth generating is the fire, which existeth from the mobility or rubbing in the astringent spirit, and that is now a sharp burning, and the bitter is a stinging and raging. But when the fire-spirit rubbeth itself thus ragingly in the astringent coldness, then there is an anxious horrible quaking, a trembling, and a sharp, opposite, contentious generating. Observe here the Depth.

(16) And the Fire generates now also a Fire, according to the Property of every Quality; in the tart Spirit it is tart; in the Bitter, bitter; in the Love, it is a very hearty Yearning, Kindling of the Love, a total, fervent, or burning Kindling, and causes very vehement Desires; in the Sound it is a very shrill tanging and where the Sound in all Qualities tells or expresses, as it were with the Lips or Tongue, whatsoever is in all the Fountain-Spirits, what Joy, Virtue, or Power, Essence, Substance, or Property [they have,] and in the Water it is a very drying Fire.

(95) Else if the astringent were not so much kindled in the cold fire, and the water were not so thick, also the bitter not so swelling, rising and murderous, then they might kindle the fire, from whence the light would exist, and from the light the love; and so out of the fire-flash the tone would exist. Then thou wouldst see plainly whether there would not be a heavenly body there, wherein the light of God would shine.

(91) III. Thirdly, the bitter quality, which existeth in the kindling of the water in the fire-flash, is melted away, for that is a rager, raver, tyrant and destroyer. Also no silver nor gold can subsist, if that be not killed or mortified; for it makes all dry and brittle, and presenteth or sheweth forth itself in several colours; for it rideth through all spirits, assuming the colours of all spirits.

(5) And if from smoke a fire may be inferred, Such an oblivion clearly demonstrates Some error in thy will elsewhere intent. Truly from this time forward shall my words Be naked, so far as it is befitting To lay them open unto thy rude gaze." And more coruscant and with slower steps The sun was holding the meridian circle, Which, with the point of view, shifts here and there When halted (as he cometh to a halt, Who goes before a squadron as its escort, If something new he find upon his way) The ladies seven at a dark shadow's edge, Such as, beneath green leaves and branches black, The Alp upon its frigid border wears. In front of them the Tigris and Euphrates Methought I saw forth issue from one fountain, And slowly part, like friends, from one another. "O light, O glory of the human race! What stream is this which here unfolds itself From out one source, and from itself withdraws?"

(55) For they kindled the Salitter of the body, and generated a high triumphing son, which in the astringent quality was hard, rugged or rough, dark and cold, and in the sweet was burning, bitter and fiery; the tone was a hard fiery noise; the love was a lofty enmity against God.

(22) Now the Sun and the Stars [or Constellations] continually kindle the Tincture, for it is fiery; and the Tincture kindles the Body, with the Matrix of the Water, so that they are always boiling, [rising] and seething. The Stars [or Constellations] and the Sun are the Fire of the Tincture, and the Tincture is the Fire of the Body, and so all are seething. And therefore when the Sun is underneath, so that its Beams [or Shining] is no more [upon a Thing,] then the Tincture is weaker, for it has no Kindling from the Virtue of the Sun. And although the Virtue of the Stars and the quality are kindled from the Sun, yet all is too little, and so it becomes feeble, [or as it were dead.] And when the Tincture is feeble, then the Virtue in the Blood (which is the Tincture) is wholly weak, and sinks into a sweet Rest, as it were dead or overcome.

(3) Thus round about me flashed a living light, And left me swathed around with such a veil Of its effulgence, that I nothing saw. "Ever the Love which quieteth this heaven Welcomes into itself with such salute, To make the candle ready for its flame." No sooner had within me these brief words An entrance found, than I perceived myself To be uplifted over my own power, And I with vision new rekindled me, Such that no light whatever is so pure But that mine eyes were fortified against it. And light I saw in fashion of a river Fulvid with its effulgence, 'twixt two banks Depicted with an admirable Spring. Out of this river issued living sparks, And on all sides sank down into the flowers, Like unto rubies that are set in gold; And then, as if inebriate with the odours, They plunged again into the wondrous torrent, And as one entered issued forth another. "The high desire, that now inflames and moves thee To have intelligence of what thou seest, Pleaseth me all the more, the more it swells.

(72) This spirit taketh its original in the fire-flash, that is, in the bitter quality, and riseth up in the flash through the sweet water, wherein it mitigateth itself, so that it becometh clear and bright, and is caught or held in the astringent quality, and there it toucheth or stirreth all the spirits; and from this touching or stirring riseth up the tone; its rising source or quality stands in the flash, and its body or root stands in the sweet water in the love.

(111) Yes, dear man, here lies or sticketh the Mystery. The wood which thou kindlest is not very fire, but a dark or opaque stock, still the fire and light take their original from thence.

(44) ["Here is meant or understood out of or from a quite Godless seed, whereout there often grows a thistle; though yet there were a remedy, if the will were but once broken; but it is a rare and precious thing; however, indeed on a good tree it is often so, that some branches do also wither."] Note.

(80) But when nature kindled itself thus horribly, then the house of joy came to be a house of trouble, affliction and misery. For the astringent quality became kindled in its own house, which is a very hard, cold and dark essence, like a cold, hard frosty winter, which only attracted the Salitter together, and dried it up, so that it became rugged, cold and sharp like stones, wherein the heat was captivated, imprisoned, and also attracted together, and so formed or framed into a hard, cold, dark essence.

(119) For the kindled spirits of God generate themselves thus: I. The hardness generateth a hard, raw, rough, cold and astringent quality. II. The sweetness is grown faint, and gaspeth, like a glowing coal splits when there is no more sap in the wood, and there is no refreshment for it. III. The bitterness teareth like a hot plague, and is as bitter as gall. IV. The fire burneth as a fierce wrathful Sulphur. V. Love is an enmity here. VI. The sound is a mere beating, rumbling or cracking, like the noise of a fire breaking forth out of a hollow place, as if it were great claps of thunder. VII. The circuit, region, court or residence of the body of the seven is a house of mourning.

(9) For the Harshness is as hard as a Stone [or Flint,] and the Bitterness rushes and rages like a P breaking Wheel, which breaks the Hardness, and stirs up the Fire, so that all comes to be a terrible Crack of Fire, and flies up; and the Harshness or Astringency breaks in Pieces, whereby the dark Tartness is terrified and sinks back, and becomes as it were feeble or weak, or as if it were killed and dead, and runs out, becomes thin, and yields itself to be overcome: But when the strong Flash of Fire shines back again upon or into the Tartness, and is mingled therein, and finds the Harshness so thin and overcome, then it is much more terrified; for it is as if Water was thrown upon the Fire, which makes a Crack: Yet when the Crack or Terror is thus made in the overcome Harshness, thereby it gets another Source, [Condition or Property,] and a Crack, or Noise of great Joy proceeds out of the wrathful Fierceness, and rises up in fierce Strength, as a kindled Light: For the Crack in the Twinkling of an Eye becomes white, clear, and light; for thus the Kindling of the Light comes in that very Moment as soon as the Light (that is, the new Crack of the Fire) is infected or impregnated with the Harshness, the Tartness or Astringency kindles, and shrieks, or is affrighted by the great Light that comes into it in the Twinkling of an Eye, as if it did awake from Death, and becomes soft or tmeek, lively and joyful; it presently loses its dark, rough, harsh, and cold Virtue, and leaps or springs up for Joy, and rejoices in the Light; and its Sting or Prickle, which is the Bitterness, that triumphs in the turning Wheel for great Joy.

(80) Then next the bitter spirit, which existeth in the fire-flash, is also in the matter or mass, and that cannot endure to be captivated or imprisoned in the dried exsiccated matter, but rubs itself against the astringent spirit in the dried mass or lump, so long till it kindleth the fire; and so when that is done, then the bitter spirit is terrified, and getteth its life. Conceive this here aright.

(41) Inside they are precious pearls, big and little. These men also resemble the musk deer's bag; Outside it is blood, but inside pure musk; Yet, say not that outside 'twas mere blood, Nor say that outside the alembic 'twas mere copper, And becomes gold inside, when mixed with elixir. In you freewill and compulsion are vain fancies, On the table bread is a mere lifeless thing, This transmutation occurs not in the table's heart,

(4) On which account, if thou unto the virtue Apply thy measure, not to the appearance Of substances that unto thee seem round, Thou wilt behold a marvellous agreement, Of more to greater, and of less to smaller, In every heaven, with its Intelligence." Even as remaineth splendid and serene The hemisphere of air, when Boreas Is blowing from that cheek where he is mildest, Because is purified and resolved the rack That erst disturbed it, till the welkin laughs With all the beauties of its pageantry; Thus did I likewise, after that my Lady Had me provided with her clear response, And like a star in heaven the truth was seen. And soon as to a stop her words had come, Not otherwise does iron scintillate When molten, than those circles scintillated. Their coruscation all the sparks repeated, And they so many were, their number makes More millions than the doubling of the chess. I heard them sing hosanna choir by choir To the fixed point which holds them at the 'Ubi,' And ever will, where they have ever been.

(83) Here now we find, that they heard the Voice of God in the Garden; for the Element, which is before God, wherewith Man qualifies [or mixes,] that did tremble because of Sin; and Sin was manifested in the Element of the Mind, first in Adam and Eve, and then Fear and Terror fell into the Essences of the Soul; for the first Principle in the [fierce] Sternness was stirred, so that [Principle] got (as a Man may say) Fuel for its Source of Fire. And it is risen up in the Kindling, in a Contrariety of Will, in the Essences, where one Form has continually opposed the other, viz. the sour Tartness, and the Cold, with their Attracting, have awakened the bitter Stinging and Tormenting in the Essences of the Tincture of the Blood in the Spirit; and the bitter Raging and Rising has awakened the Fire.

(1) Soon as the blessed flame had taken up The final word to give it utterance, Began the holy millstone to revolve, And in its gyre had not turned wholly round, Before another in a ring enclosed it, And motion joined to motion, song to song; Song that as greatly doth transcend our Muses, Our Sirens, in those dulcet clarions, As primal splendour that which is reflected. And as are spanned athwart a tender cloud Two rainbows parallel and like in colour, When Juno to her handmaid gives command, (The one without born of the one within, Like to the speaking of that vagrant one Whom love consumed as doth the sun the vapours,) And make the people here, through covenant God set with Noah, presageful of the world That shall no more be covered with a flood, In such wise of those sempiternal roses The garlands twain encompassed us about, And thus the outer to the inner answered. After the dance, and other grand rejoicings, Both of the singing, and the flaming forth Effulgence with effulgence blithe and tender,

(56) While there is sap in the wood the fire shineth as a shining light; but when the sap is consumed in the wood the shining light goeth out, and the wood becometh a glowing coal.