they might then wel perfect the imperfect. And foraſmuch as nature doth alwaies work ſimply, the perfection which is in them is ſimple, inſeparable, & incommiſcible, neither may they by art be put in the ſtone, for ferment to ſhorten the worke, and ſo brought to their former ſtate, becauſe the moſt volatile doth ouercome the moſt fixt. And for that gold is a perfect body, conſiſting of Argent-uiue, red and cleare, & of ſuch a Sulphur, therfore we chooſe it not for the matter of our ſtone to the red Elixir, becauſe it is ſo ſimply perfect, without artificiall mundification, & ſo ſtrongly digeſted and ſod with a natural heate, that with our artificiall fire, we are ſcarcely able to worke on gold or ſiluer. And though nature dooth perfect any thing, yet ſhe cannot throughly mundiſie, or perfect and purfie it, becauſe ſhe ſimply worketh on that which ſhee hath. If therfore we ſhould chooſe gold or ſiluer for the matter of the ſtone, we ſhould hard and ſcantly find fire working in them. And although we are not ignorant of the fire, yet could we not come to the through mundification & perfection of it, by reaſō of his moſt firme knitting together, and naturall compoſition: we are therefore excuſed for taking the firſt too red, or the ſecond too white, ſeeing we may find out a thing or ſom body of as cleane, or rather more cleane Sulphur & Argent-uiue, on which nature hath wrought little or nothign at all, which with our artificiall fire, & experience of our art, we are able to bring vnto his due concoction, mundification, colour and fixation, continuing our ingenious
