added by way of conclusion, and superaddition.

i

t fell out upon a time, when i had sailed almost all my life from the artick pole, to the antarticke, that by the singular providence of god i was cast upon the shore of a certain great sea, and although i well knew and understood the passages, and properties of the sea of that coast, yet i knew not whether in those coasts was bred that little fish, which was called remora, which so many men of great and small fortunes have hitherto so studiously sought after. but whilst i was beholding the sweet singing mermaides swimming up and down with the nymphs, and being weary with my foregoing labors, and oppressed with divers thoughts, i was with the noise of waters overtaken with sleep; and whilest i was in a sweet sleep, there appear’d to me in my sleep[pg 52] a wonderfull vision, which is this. i saw neptune a man of an honorable old age, going forth out of our sea with his three toothed instrument, called tridens, who after a friendly salute led mee into a most pleasant iland. this goodly iland was situated towards the south, being replenished with all things respecting the necessity, and delight of man: virgils elisian field might scarce compare with it. all the banks were round about beset with green mirtles, cypresse trees, and rosemary. the green meadowes were covered all over with flowers of all sorts, both fair, and sweet. the hills were set forth with vines, olive trees, and cedar-trees in a most wonderfull manner. the woods were filled with orenge, and lemon-trees. the high wayes were planted on both sides with bay-trees, and pomegranate-trees, woven most artificially one within the other, and affording a most pleasant shadow to travellers. and to bee short, whatsoever is in the whole world was seen there. as i was walking, there was shewed to me by the foresaid neptune two mines of that iland lying under a certain rock, the one was of gold, the other of chalybs, or steel. not far from thence i was brought to a meadow in which was a peculiar orchard with divers sorts of trees most goodly to behold, and amongst the rest, being very many hee shewed to mee seven trees marked out by speciall names; and amongst these i observed two as chiefest, more eminent then the rest, one of which did beare fruit like the sun most bright, and shining, and the leaves thereof were like gold. the other brought forth fruit that was most white, yea, whiter then the lillies, and the leaves therof were as fine silver: now[pg 53] these trees were called by neptune, the one the tree of the sun, the other the tree of the moon. and although in this iland all things were at ones pleasure, and command, yet there was one thing, and but one wanting: there was no water to be had, but with great difficulty. there were indeed many that partly endeavoured to bring it thither by pipes, and partly drew it out of divers things: but their endeavours were in vain, because in those places it could not bee had by any means or medium; and if it were at any time had, yet it was unprofitable, and poisonous, unlesse they fetched it (as few could doe) from the beams of the sun, and moone; and he which was fortunate in so doing could never get above ten parts; and that water was most wonderfull: and beleeve mee, for i saw it with mine eyes, and felt it, that that water was as white as the snow; and whilest i was contemplating upon the water, i was in a great wonder. wherefore neptune being in the mean while wearied vanished away from before mine eyes, and there appeared to me a great man, upon whose forehead was written the name of saturne. this man taking the vessell drew ten parts of water; and tooke presently of the tree of the sun, and put it in; and i saw the fruit of the tree consumed, and resolved like ice in warm water. i demanded of him; sir, i see a wonderfull thing, water to bee as it were of nothing; i see the fruit of the tree consumed in it with a most sweet, and kindly heat, and wherefore is all this? but he answered mee most lovingly. my son, it is true this is a thing to be wondered at; but doe not thou wonder at it, for so it must be. for this water is the water of life, having power to better the fruit of this[pg 54] tree so, that afterward neither by planting, or graffing, but only by its own odour it may convert the other six trees into its own likenesse. moreover this water is to this fruit as it were a woman, the fruit of this tree can be putrefied in nothing but in this water, and although the fruit of it be of it self most wonderful, & a thing of great price; yet if it be putrefied in this water, it begets by this putrefaction a salamander, abiding in the fire, whose blood is more pretious then any kind of treasure or riches in the world, being able to make those six trees, which here thou seest, fruitfull, and to bring forth their fruit sweeter then the honey. but i asked, sir, how is that done? i told thee (saith hee) that the fruit of that tree is living, and sweet; but whereas one is now sufficed with it, when it is boyled in this water, a thousand may then bee satisfied with it. i demanded moreover, sir, is it boiled with a strong fire, and how long is it in boyling? but said he, that water hath an intrinsecall fire, and if it be helped with a continuall heat, it burns three parts of its body with this body of the fruit, and there wil remain but a very smal part, which is scarce imaginable, but of wonderful vertue; it is boiled by the skilfull wit of the artificer, first 7 months, then 10, but in the mean time there appeared divers things, and alwaies in the fiftieth day, or thereabouts. i demanded again, sir, cannot this fruit be boiled in other waters, or something be put to it? hee answered, there is but this one water that is usefull in this country, or island; and there is no other water can penetrate the pores of this apple, but this: and know also that the tree of the sun hath its originall from this water, which is extracted out of the beams[pg 55] of the sun, and moone by a magnetick vertue: besides they have a great correspondency betwixt themselves, but if any strange thing be added to it, it cannot performe that which it can do of it self. it must therefore be left by it self, and nothing added to it but this apple: this fruit after boiling becomes to bee immortall, having life, and blood, which blood makes all the trees bring forth fruit of the same nature with the apple. i asked him further, sir, is this water drawn any other way, or to be had every where? and he said, it is in every place, and no man can live without it; it is drawn divers ways, but that is the best, which is extracted by vertue of our chalybs, which is found in the belly of aries. i said, to what use is it? he answered, before its due boiling it is the greatest poison, but after a convenient boiling it is the greatest medicine, and yeelds nine and twenty graines of blood; and every grain will yeeld to thee the fruit of the tree of the sun in 864 fold. i asked, can it not be made yet better? the philosophicall scripture being witnesse (saith hee) it may bee exalted first to ten, then to a hundred, then to a thousand, and ten thousand. i required again of him, sir, doe many know that water, and hath it any proper name? he cryed out saying, few know it, but all have seen it, and doe see it, and love it: it hath many and various names, but its proper name is the water of our sea, the water of life not wetting the hands. i asked yet further, doe any use it to any other things? every creature (saith he) doth use it, but invisibly. then i asked, doth any thing grow in it? but he said, of it are made all things in the world, and in it they live: but in it nothing properly is, but it is that thing[pg 56] which mixeth it self to every thing. i asked againe, is it usefull for any thing without the fruit of this tree? to this he said, not in this work; because it is not bettered, but in the fruit of the tree of the sun alone. i began to intreat him, sir i pray, name it to mee by such a manifest name, that i may have no further doubt about it. but he cryed with a loud voice, so as that he awakened me from sleep; therefore i could ask him no further, neither would hee tell mee any more, neither can i tell any more. be satisfied with these, and beleeve mee, that it is not possible to speak more cleerly. for if thou dost not understand these things, thou wilt never be able to comprehend the books of other philosophers. after saturn’s unexpected and sudden departure a new sleep came upon mee, and then appeared to mee neptune in a visible shape: he congratulated my present happinesse in the gardens of the hesperides, shewing to me a looking-glasse, in which i saw all nature discovered. after the changing of divers words betwixt us, i gave him thanks for his courtesies shewed to me; because i not only entred into this garden, but also came into saturn’s most desired discourse. but because by reason of saturn’s unexpected departure some difficulties did yet remain to be inquired after, and searched into, i earnestly besought him, that by means of this happy opportunity hee would resolve mee my doubts. now i importuned him with these words, sir i have read the books of philosophers, and they say, that all generation is done by male, and female, yet i saw in my dream saturne put the fruit alone of the tree of the sun into our mercury; i beleeve also thee as the master of this sea, that thou knowest these things;[pg 57] answer my question i pray thee. but he said, it is true, my son, all generation is done in male, and female, but by reason of the distinguishing of the three kingdomes of nature, a foure footed animall is brought forth one way, and a worme another: although wormes have eyes, sight, hearing, and other senses, yet they are brought forth by putrefaction, and their place, or earth, in which they are putrefied, is the female. so in this philosophicall work the mother of this thing is that water of thine so often repeated, & whatsoever is produced of that, is produced as worms by putrefaction. therfore the philosophers have created a phenix, & salamander. for if it were done by the conception of two bodies, it would be a thing subject to death; but because it revives it self alone, the former body being destroyed, it riseth up another body incorruptible. seeing the death of things is nothing else but the separation of the one from the other. and so it is in this phenix, because the life separates it self by its self from a corruptible body. moreover, i asked him, sir, are there divers things, or is there a composition of things in this work? but he said, there is only one thing, with which there is mixed nothing else but the philosophicall water shewed to thee oftentimes in thy sleep, of which there must be ten parts to one of the body. and strongly, and undoubtedly beleeve, my son, that those things which are by me and saturn shewed thee by way of dreams, according to the custom, in this iland, are not dreams, but the very truth, which experience the only mistris of things will by the assistance of god discover to thee. i yet further demanded some things of him, but hee without any answer, after he had took his leave of mee, departing[pg 58] set me, being raised from sleep, into my desired region of europe. and so friendly reader, let this suffice thee, which hath by mee thus farre been fully declared.

to god alone be praise and glory.