A Dialogue Between Mercury and the Alchemist

The poor Alchymist was raised from sleep by noise, yet not without great comfort.

He took then a vessel full of Mercury, and began to conjure it diverse ways as his dream taught him.

He remembred the old man saying that Serpents are conjured and Mercury is painted with Serpents.

So he took a vessel with Mercury and said: Ux, Vx, Ostas, &c.

And where the name of the Serpent should be put, he put the name of Mercury, saying:

And you wicked beast Mercury, &c. At which words Mercury began to laugh and speak to him saying:

Mercury

What wilt you have, that you thus troublest me my Master Alchymist?

Alchemist

O ho, now you call me Master, when I touch thee to the quick, now I have found where thy bridle is, wait a little, and by and by you shalt sing my song, and he began to speak to him, as it were angerly, Art you that Mercury of Philosophers?

Mercury

(Fearful) I am Mercury, my Master.

Alchemist

Why therefore wilt not you obey me? Why could not I fix thee?

Mercury

Pardon me, I did not know that you wast so great a Philosopher.

Alchemist

Didst not you perceive this by my operations, seeing I proceeded so Philosophically with thee?

Mercury

So it is, my noble Master, although I would hide my self, yet I see I cannot from so honourable a Master as you art.

Alchemist

Now therefore dost you know a Philosopher?

Mercury

Yea, my Master, I see that your worship is a most excellent Philosopher.

Alchemist

Truly now I have found what I sought for. (In a most terrible voice) Now go and be obedient, or else it shall be the worse for you.

Mercury

Yes, my Master, if I am able, for now I am very weak because the Alchymist hurts me.

Alchemist

What, you still deride me?

Mercury

No, I speak of the Alchymist, but you art a Philosopher.

Alchemist

Yes that is true. But what had the Alchymist done?

Mercury

He had done many evill things to me. He had mixed me with things contrary to me which almost killed me. I shall never be able to recover my strength.

Alchemist

You deserved those things, for you art disobedient.

Mercury

I was never disobedient to any Philosopher. But it is naturall to me to deride fools. You are a great man, a very great Philosopher, yea greater then Hermes himself.

Alchemist

Yes, I am a learned man. But I will not commend myself, but my Wife also said to me, that I am a very learned Philosopher, she knew so much by me.

Mercury

I believe you, for Philosophers must be so, who by reason of too much wisdome, and pains fall mad.

Alchemist

How shall I make the Philosophers Stone of you?

Mercury

I do not know. You are a Philosopher, I am a servant of the Philosophers. They make of me what they please, I obey them as much as I am able.

If you know how, you shall make it. But if not, you shalt do nothing. You shalt know nothing by me, if you know not already my Master Philosopher.

Alchemist

You speak to me as to some simple man, perhaps you dost not know that I have worked with Princes, and was accounted a Philosopher with them.

Mercury

I believe thee. But I am yet foul, and unclean because of those mixtures that you hast used.

Alchemist

Are you the Mercury of Philosophers?

Mercury

I am Mercury, but whether or no the Philosophers, that belongs to thee to know.

Alchemist

Are you the true Mercury? Or is there another?

Mercury

I am Mercury, but there is another, and so he vanished away.

The Alchymist cries out and speaks, but nobody answers him.

Bethinking himself saith:

Alchemist

Surely I am an excellent man, Mercury had been pleased to talke with me. Surely he loves me.

Then he began to sublime Mercury, distil, calcine, make Turbith of him, precipitate, and dissolve him divers wayes, and with divers waters. But as he laboured in vain before, so now also he hath spent his time, and costs to no purpose.