^ir;^'^-^ A>> v-,^»as' , . j*>3- ^i>y ^^^ > z> » >yx> >:»^2: »2> ^■^ "">>^>' >:>!) ^^ ) ^yx>^ >:>^ :> > ^^:x> ^^1> 3 ;> >i2> Y^^ ^O ^33> '^S>. 3 i> »2> >s> >D ^^ ^ ?> -^ >> 2>> ^ > r>; '""^1 :>:>!> " :x» i> T*^ \! i:^ o> >i» Digitized by tlie Internet Arcliive in 2010 witli funding from Researcli Library, Tlie Getty Researcli Institute http://www.archive.org/details/aulalucisorhouseOOvaug Aula Lucis, OR, The Houfe of LIGHT: Difcourfe written in the year i^ S. N. a Medern Speculator. lie locus eft^ quern (ft verbis audjcia detur) Huudtimeammagni dixijfe palatia Cadi LONDON, rintcd kyvvVilJiamLeal^e, and arc to be fold ac his Shop arrhe feneof he Crowne in Vlm-fl'-^t, <^'^>4:^<^i^v^4f4«'4'4'4?i4^4'4''4^ <^ ■*''4'4'4'4'4'^ To my bejly and noble jl Friend^ Seleucus Abantiades, Hat yoH are J I need not tell you : what I^;;/, you know already. Our^c- quaintance began with my Child-hood^ and now you fee what afecr^ you havcpurchate3. I can partly refer my inclinations to y ouc felf^ and thofe onely which I derive from the contemplatizfe Or- der^fotthc reji are belldes your in- flnence. I here pre lent yon with the fruits of them, that you may fee my Light \\^x\\ Water to ^'zy withall. Hence it is, that I move in A 2 th^. the Sphere of Generation^ and fall fnort of that Tc/f ofHeraclitHs^ Lu- men Siccmn optima Amms, I need not expound this toyou^ for you are in the CenterydiwA (ceit. Howfo- iever you may excule me, if I pre- j fer Conceptiofis to Fancies , I could never a^cSi any thing that was Bar- iren-j (ov Sterility ^nd Lom^LXo: in^ CGi^jiJimt. Give me a k^orp ledge that's fertile in performances^ for Theories \v\Ll\out their effeBs^ are I but Nothings in the c/refs oi things. How true this is, you csuxtellmey • and if 1 but recite what is your owm^ you muft not therefore w«' ; der, that it h -^^^^^. cziui±£L^:miimlcr. ho.w l came to thinj^ it. Suffer mc then to be impertinem iov once i and giveqic leave to repent of an humour ^ wkich lam conjidtnt you place not a- mongft my faults , but amongft y our o wnc Indulgences. Tour humble fer^ aw S.N. From Heliopolis I <5 5 I. ■\ To the prefent Readers. tvoillbe quefiioned perhaps hy the enviousj to what pjirpoji thefe (heets are proftituted^ and efpeciall) that Drug wrapt in them ^ the Philofophtrrs Stone, 'to thefe it is anfvpered by Solomon, There a is time to caft away Stones : And truly Iniufi cenfejfe I cajt away this Stone, jor Zinifplace/f .• I contribute that to the Fabrickj which the Builders m all ages have refufed, Btit Icji I feer/ie to a& Sine pro- pofito, JmhfitellyoH I doe it not for this \ Generation , for they are as firre from Firej^x/ie Author is jroni Smoke. Vn- derfiandmeij you can ^ for I have told you \an honeji Truth. I write Bookes^ as the old jRoman plmted Trees^ Poderis & Diis immortalibus : for the glorie of God^ and \the benefit of Pofteritie. It is my de- ?i)gne to make over my Reputation to a let- ^■terAgQ for in this Iivjuld not injoy />v To the prefent Reader. Kcaufi^lkitownotanyfrim whom I would receive it,.- AndJ^crejqu fee how ambitious tm growhT^'^bkriyyTifj^^, the humor ariiilsj tell me not of it^ lejt Tjfjould laugh atjioH : I iook,7ndced a ftep ixxxthcTthen ynurXwcs^andifyou thin k^I may dye be- fore you, Iwofti'd haveyou k^owy it if the way togoc beyond you : To bcjloort^ ^f y^'^ attempt this SfcGurie^ y OH doe it w/ihout my advije^for it is net fitted to jf^nr for- tunes. There is awhitc Magic thts ho^fs inchanted withal : it is an adventure for Knights of the Sun^ and the Ern^nts of this umt ^/ay not fim(h it, ifpeake this to f/'ellniverfitieQuixotSj^/?.'^ tothofe only who are ill-difpos'dj ^/ well as ill-diki- ph'nd^ there is amcngji them a generati- on c^/W^ifps, things th.it n?/// fight though never provok'd : Thefe buckle on ihetr Logick ^x proof, but /t fares with then?, as with the famous Don ;, they mijiak,ea Ba- fonfor a Hehnet 5 for mine owne fart I am no Reformer, lean well enough tolerate their pofitionp, fo they dee not trouble mine, ivhat I write is no rule for thf m, .t isahcgZQiQ defer' d to pofteritie^j^^r ^/e A 4 iuturc. To the prefcnt Reader. future timesj weaned with the vanities oj the prefent, will fcrhips jeei^ after the Truth, and gladly entertaine it, Thuf yon jet what Readers / have predeftin'd for niyfelfy hut tf any frejent M.iftix fafiens on this dxCconrfe^ J wJfh him not to traduce />, lefi Ijjjould whip him j or it :1 his is njy adfrife, whuh if it he welUhferv'd^ 'tis poj' pblelmay communicate more of this na- ture : Imayflandtfpijk^ ^fe Pharus in a ds^ iiight, and hold out th 't Lamp^ which Philslethes7j.'/t/) overcajiwith that cnvi- ous-phviileofthe RabbinSj S^pes fapicn- tvx filemiuni. Aul, . Aula Lucis &c. Have refolved with my felf^ to dilcoiirfe of l7^/^^3 and to deliver it over to the hands of poftericiej a pra^ dice certainly very anci^ nt^ ani^firjl ufedhy thofe who wticfirji pjfe. It was us'd then for Charities not for 'o^/p^ the defigns of thofe Authors^ ha- ving nothing ia them oighrh^ but much Ahef/efit^ it wns not their intention to )rae5 that they themfelvs did Jee^ but to ^ thofe. who in fome fenfe were blinds tjxd did fjot fee : To effeft thJs^ they pr cccdednot as {om^ntodern Babari ns do by clamoroias, malicious difputes ^ a cahi ihflmQiOH vfas propos'd-, and that bcir once rejeiJedyVfits never afterwards urgec ibdifFcrcDtjandrctaotea path from th the School-men did they walk in^ and vt rily they might well doe it, for their ^r/« cipleshGmgoncQreJified^thty could nc inflifta gxczx^x pumfiment on their Aa verfiries^ then to conceak them. Ha their dod"rine been fuch as the Vniverfi //e/profcfs nowj their filcnce indeed ha< been a vertnn^ but their pofitions were no v^ttrnojfe 25yd Notion ^ they were mof deep experimental y^^ref/j and thofe o inftaite ufej and Benefit : Such a tradni on then as theirs wasj may wear t?K.;t ftyl of the noble rerw/^Wj and is moil: jufth called trad/t/o Lar/ipudir. Ru: I obferve that in their delivene oi r^fyjierief^ the] have as in all things elfej imitated nature ^Vv^ho difpenfeth nor her light without hei (hadowS: they have provided a Ke/7e fo their Art^ not fo much for ohfiuritie a; ornammt ^ and yet I cannot deny bu £c £xy\\^ V 3 J fome of theirij have rather burkd the truth then dreftit'-i }or n^yown partj 1 (hall cbferve a meane way^ nei- ther too chfcure ^ nor too ofen^ but ruchasrray icrvc pojieritie^ and add feme ffltncl^r to the Science it felfe. And now whofoevcr thou art^that in times to r^z/i'Cj fiialt caft thine eyes on x\i)$hook^^ if thou art corrupted with the common Thilofophie^ doe not pre- fently rage^ and take up the pea in defiance of what is here written. It may be thou haft ftudied thy three queftions fro forma^ and a quick dif'- futant thou art : but baft thou con- coSed the whole b^dy of Philcfophie ? haft thou made nature the oncly hnj!- nefs of thy life ^ and baft thou arri* ved at laft to an infallible, experimen-- tal knowledge^ If none of thefe thing*. Upon what loundatioa doft thou bfiila} It is nicer ^/^^r^^^^tooppoft the dead^ and fuch perhaps as thy betters durft not atte^/pt in time of Jife j but as one (aid, that advantage biecds baje-- «e/jfo fome may infuk becaufciheit Jdver» (4) Adverfane is out of the a^^z/j and tel mee with that friendly Stoic'k. Audifne hoc Ampk/arae fub ter- ram abdite ^ If any fuch Tares fpring above grounds when lam under itj I have alreadie looked upon them asan idle^ contemptible bundle^ I have prepared them a convenient Defiinki and by my prefent Scorn^ annihilated their future ??2al7ce : It is a better and more ferious Generation I woyld bee fcrvkeabJe untOjU Ge^en/^/Vw that feck naturemxhtJimpUciiJe thereofj and follow her not only with the Tong^ but with the hand, /f thou art fuch then as this Chdrailcr fpeakeF, let me advife thee not to defpairc ^ give mp , leave alfo to affirm unto thee^ and that I ipn my Joule ^ that the cot7J'i'quenccs and \freafHreso{x\{\s Art^ ^\fi juch^ and fo ; great^xhvit thy beft and higheir 7V^JI)cs i are farrcy&/?r^' of them 3 reade then withdrl/gence what I ftinll ivritCyJinA tt^ C 5 ) ^ to thy diligence add patience^ to thy j patience hope:, for I tdl thee neither ; fables nor follies. ^^ Tibi res J^itiq ti£ laudis^ & Artis Aggrtdior ^ SanBes aufus recludere fontes. I tell thee a XTKtk:t as ancient as the fundamentals o^ih^ world : and now left my Treface (hould exceed in Re^ /^f7{?« to the difcourfe it fdfe, which ^ muft bee but fiort^ I will quit this kmdeut'T^ork^^ that 1 may bring thee . within doores^ and here will I (bew,7 thee the Throne of Light^ and the Chryjiailine Court ihevGof. Light originally had no other birth . then manifeJiatio»:, for it wss cot l made but difcoveredj it is properly the life of every thing-^ and it is that which a3s in all particulars^ but the communion thereof with xhtfirfi mat- ^erxyascelebratcd by a genera II ccn- ■ irn& beioYC any particular jw(^t€made^ the matter of it Iclt was a prjjivxthv Suhfiancc:, but apt to retaine tight j as Smokp'i is to rctaine fl.ime. After im- -pregnation^ it was condens'd to a Chryftalline moijiure^ nnSuous and fiery ^ of naturs MermafhroditiCiil^dinA this in z double fenfe^^m relatioa to a double Center^ Cetefiral^iund terrefiriaL Fxovn the Terr eftrtal CefTter proceed- ed the earthly Venus^ v/hich is Fierie \ Siud Mafculme^ and the earthly Mer- { curyp which is IVaterie and Fsminine 5 I vana theie /23p^ are 7//» in his glorious blew ve- (iiment like the Heavens. But that [may fpeak fom thing more concer- iing the chaos It felfj I louft tell you tis not rain-vtter, nor^ j but it is ipettU mineral moi^re, a water fo :xtreamly thin and fpiritual, with uch a tranfcendeat incredible bright- ie/>, there is not in all«^/«re any //- '««r like it, bat itfelf. In plain term* t IS the middle fubjiance of the wife- nen's Mercurie, a water that is coagu- *hley and may beekardned by a pro- er heat mtoftones, and metals: Hence : was, that the Thilefophers cA6. it heir/;>»e,orifit be lawhil for mee Jreveal that, which the Devil out of ^f/e, would not difcover to Illardut, Jay they cal-d it a [tone, to the end lat no man might know what it was ley cal d fo : for, there is nothing 1 the world fo remote from the com- ^xionof^fione^ for it nwatery and ojtone. Now what water it is, I > have told you alreadjTj'and for yout ' better inftruftioa 1 fhal tell you more: itisav^termjideby n^^^ not ex* ^r^ffe^by thehandsof Mw, nor is it mecre w^ur^i but zfpermntic vifcoHs compojition of IVater^ Earthy Ait , and Tire all t qj(e foure nature unites in one ChrjijMline coagulahk Mafs^ ir the form or appearance oi water ^ anc -L^ therefore I told you it was a watct L Vnade by ^^/i^re : But it you ask mec hov^ nature may befaidto ff/a/{e anj fuch water^ I (hall inftrud you5y ar example that's obvious. Earth anc mtterdxc the onely materialr where- upon nature worksj for thefe trioo be ? ing/>^jfy?t/e3 are compafled about witi the a^ive fuferior bodies^ namely a with the Aire^ Heaven^ Sun and Stars ^ Thus doe they ftand in the very fire « at leaft undci the Beams and ejaculati '^{ ^w/thercofjfothat the Earth is fub^^ jcft to a continual torrefaSion ^ am is the water to a continuall coSion it Hence it comes to pafs, that wee ar< » perpetually overcaft with Clonds^ an( I thi \ y J Jhb by a Phyficall E;ic^r45^/Wor [uhli^ n.ition ofwiter^ which nature herfelf lijiilf^ and rains downe upon the arth: NoWj this TiJ^^er, though of a iifFercnt coinplexionj from the Phi- ofophev's Mlfneral jpater-i yet hath it Joany circumfijnces^ that well deferve I mr ebfervatjon. I (hall not infifl: long ponanyj Iwilloncly give you one T two injiances^ and then returne to ryfuhjeS. Firft of all then, you are jconliderjthat^^^^rf diftils notbe- ond the body^ as the ch^mift doth in ^Q Recipient^ (hedrawes the water p from the Earthy and to the Jame irth doth the returne ir^ and hence it 3 that (hee generates by circnlar and afonable imbibitions. Secondly, 3U muft obferve, that (hee prg ^^re x _ r moijinre before (hee inwibes the d'^ therewith, and that by a molt Imirable preparation'-) hot method \n ' is point IS very obvious, and &pen to the IVorld^ (b that if ^e« were not ind^ I needed not much to fpeai^ol Heijpater (wee fee) (hQC rarijies B 2 into mto clouds^ and by this meanes dot' Ihee rdck^2iXidi tenter- firetch the hodj ^^ fo that all xYxG parts thereof are expos\ ^^ to a fcarching fpiritual purgatorie o,. . n>mcle znd fire 5 for, her wind pafletl ^^ quite through the Clauds^ and cleanf ^^ cth them 3 and when they are vpe^ ^j, eleanfed^ then comes Heaven in wit! ^^ her F/re^ and fixe th it in £»^e yi^r^ ^t ^'J phirko : But this is net al/^ there an |pi other ch'cumiiances , which «^/«r . nfeth above ground:, in order to her ve "^ getablcs^2t\d now would I fpeak of he ],^ JuhtcrranecHs preparati^s^ in order v l^ her Minerals^ but that^is not lawfw \^^ for A?/ee as it was for the Poet^ Ji Fandere res