THEFIFTH PARTOF THEProsperity ofGERMANY.
Clearly and Solidly demonstrating, and as it were shewing with the Fingers, what Alchymy is, and what benefit may by the help thereof, be gotten every where, and in most places ofGermany. Written and Published to the Honour of God the giver of all good things, primarily; and to the Honour of all the great ones of the Country; and for the Health, Profit, and Assistance against Forreign Invasions, of all their Inhabitants that are by due right and obedience subject unto them.
Like as the weighty command of God injoyns all Children to love their Parents, and to submit themselves unto them, with a due obedience in all lawfull and equitable things, and to yield them due fidelity: Even so likewise doth he require from every subject a due obedience to their particular Magistrates, that they most willingly obey them (with a faithfull observance, as being the Fathers of the Countrey, and to whom they are tied by all right of Fidelity) in all such things as pass not beyond the boundaries of equity, and withall it behoves each such subject to communicate any thing whatsoever that is requisite for their safety and defence, and for the repelling and beating off the Enemies.
The consideration of this dutifull service, which binds every Subject to his Magistrate, stirred me up (seeing that greivous and sudden Fire which almost destroyed all the Kingdom ofPoland, and therefore fearing, lest by dilating it self it should also detrimentour Countrey) to take care in publishing, some four years ago, a little Book intituled thefirst Part of the Prosperity ofGermany. I therein taught, by what means the vast plenty of Corn and Wine might be so concentrated as to be easily preserved and kept, and so be made serviceable for the common good, and of exceeding profit, in future calamitous times.
I likewise shewed the way and manner of some other Arts, and such as are most usefull for the common good of the Countrey, ’mongst which, that discovery of making Salt-peter out of old and rotten Wood, (from which may a vast quantity thereof be had) is none of the meanest.
I have also bethought my self of another way of pleasuring my Countrey with no small benefit afore I die, and thus I intend it.
First of all, I would have the whole World know by this small Work or Treatise, that I have a mind to demonstrate the most profitable and principal secrets which I have treated of (partly openly or plainly, and partly obscurely or more darkly) in those four parts of the Prosperity ofGermany, and that both to the high and low in my publick and private Laboratory, afore this year is run about. To this end, I have already the chiefest and most necessary Utensils at hand, and when all the necessary provision is gotten together and made ready, those saidArcanumswhich will be so exceedingly profitable to the Countrey, shall be visibly demonstrated to such as the chiefest Magistrates shall make choise of, and to other honest Citizens and Men of the Countrey. And amongst theseArcana’swhich are of such great benefit, the three following ones are the most principal.
The first is, the making of good Salt-peter out of contemptible, and every where obvious subjects.
The second is, how by the help of this Salt-peter, easily and copiously to extract the fugitive, and the fixt Gold and Silver and Copper out of theMinera’sor Oars, with a great deal of profit and mighty advantage, and that without any melting or fusion by Fire.
The third is this, the truth and certainty of Alchymy shall be shown, and it shall be proved, that it is not any vain dream, deceitfull Phantasie or Fallacy, as the greatest part and number of its haters andIgnoramus’shave hitherto slanderously reported; but that it is a most true Artifice, and of wondrous consequence, by the help of which, (it making use of Fire and Salt,) all contemptible Minerals and Metals, and which are of no great gain, asLead,Iron,Tin,Bismuth,Cobolt,Zink,Lap Calaminaris,Marchasites, all other fugacious Minerals may be so fixed and ripened, as that much and true and constant Gold and Silver may be extracted out of them with small costs, but abundance of profit.
These three secrets verily are in my judgment of great moment and therefore are worthy for the great ones, and Princes, and other Fathers of the common Weal to be made partakers thereof by revealing the same unto them.
I have deemed it worth while, in a few words to illustrate the incredible utility thencefrom arising, that any one that hath but any reason may perceive it.
And first, as concerning Salt-peter, the whole World knows what profitable and needfull a subject it is. There can never be so great a quantity thereof prepared, but it may not onely be applied to necessary uses but also to such as bring a great deal of profit. I forbear to speak of its most great use and exceeding profit in making Gun-powder, which no Kingdoms, no Common-wealths can want to defend their Countrey withall, and drive off their Enemies.
And if there were no need of it for this thing, yet would it be of mighty moment, and bring in abundance of profit by extracting Gold and Silver out of the poorer Oars which will not bear the charges of melting, and now there will never be so much Gold and Silver, as that it will not be of any profit to a Countrey.
Nay more, if there were no want of Gun-powder, nor of Gold nor Silver, (which time when ’twill come, and how it should come, for my part I cannot see) yet (having Peter) we cannot be in want of Bread; and how great soever the plenty is of Wine, and Corn, and Fruits, yet there is never wont to be too much. Corn and Seeds being macerated with Salt peter afore they are sown, and the Roots of Vines and Trees being moistned with a very little of its liquor, do not onely grow more plenteously, but also produce more plenty of Fruits, and such as ripen far sooner, and are of a sweeter Tast, than if they were dung’d with that stinking Beasts Dung liquor. If then, Salt-peter be a subject so excellent, as that we can by no means want it, and that it may so easily be prepared out of Wood and Stones in plenty; if above all other things it makes the Earth fruitfull, if it can extract plenty of true Gold and Silver out of the contemptible Sand and Flints, what can we desire more from it, unless it be a sound and healthfull Body, whereby we may in fulness of health quietly and peaceably enjoy such great benefits vouchsafed us by God? But now this very same Salt being justly called the wonder of the World can bestow upon us, this very health we speak of.
I do affirm that Alchymy it self, or the Transmutation of the lesser, or meaner Metals into the greater or more noble, and into Gold and Silver, is not a vain dreaming dotage, and an opinion void of reason, but is the very truth it self, and confirmed by many experiments; the demonstration of which, I do, God willing, this Summer not rashly but advisedly set about shewing it by publick and evident experiments, and its use for the good of the Country.
Now then, forasmuch as the Countrey is every where sufficiently stored with Iron, Lead, Salt and other mineral matters, and such like contemptible subjects, and yet notwithstanding there is not at present any profit arising thereby; verily it cannot be, but that in a few years time (if such melting Houses were in all places made) Men would be rendred Masters of great Treasures. Who knows what God will do, and whether or no it may not so come to pass, that it may be said of the great ones of [our] Countrey as is mentioned in Holy Writ concerningSolomon. And he made Silver as plentifull as the Stones that lie in the Streets,&c.
But that I may yet more open the Eyes of the Studious after all, and show them, by what means all these things may come to pass, and fall out true, I do hereby assure him, that there’s no need of taking those Metals for this Fusion, that are already pure enough as Iron, Lead, Tin, and already fit to be imployed about Mans use; no, those common and sulphureous leadenMinera’sor Oars which are found to be uncapable of yielding profitable and venal orsellable Lead, are well enough for this Fusion and operation we speak of; and so likewise those Irony and Coppery Oars, out of which (seeing they admit not by nature of any fusion or melting) mallable fusile Copper or Iron cannot be extracted. For this Operation of ours needs not Copper, Iron or Lead to work upon, as being content with those poor sort of Oars, and with the bare Salt which the Earth is every where well replenished withall, so that there’s no cause to fear that there will ever be a want of any matter for such an Operation.
But what need I speak much of these unknown, and so very profoundly hidden secrets of nature, seeing I have openly enough taught already, in the second part of theMiraculum Mundi, by what means, pure and natural Gold may be gotten out of every Herb. This very thing I publickly demonstrated in my Laboratory above a year ago, in the presence of most learned Men, Professors, Doctours of Physick, and other Men both noble and ignoble, as their Testimonies, which are [under] hand affirm.
But there’s no need of that, forasmuch as the manner it self of the Operation is published in Print, and manifested to every one, and there can hardly pass over one years space, but that even a thousand Men or more may imitate the Operation and search into the truth it self of the business.
But that the well minded Reader may have a little more light, and may himself see what foundations the work I have undertaken is built upon, I have judged it altogether necessary in a few words to set afore your Eyes, what Alchymy it self is, and whether or no it has any foundation in Nature and Art. For if so be any ingenious Man gives an Herb, an Animal, or a Man any name, certainly he does it not rashly and without any ground, but well knows and understands for what cause he intitles any thing by such or such a name, and it is chiefly done on this account that by such assumed names the nature of the Herb, Animal, or Man, and its properties might be known. A few Examples will illustrate it the more.
What reason have the Physicians and Philosophers of old to call the Herb St.Johnswort, perforata? Because its leaves are full of small holes, and it is so signed by nature, to shew, that it has eminent virtues [and peculiarly appointed] to take away and cure external and internal stabs and wounds of the Body, and this is confirmed by experience. Why are some Herbs calledSaxifragers? because their nature is, to cleave assunder and break through great heaps of Stones in their growing up, and to penetrate through old Walls, by the growth of their hard roots. Their Seeds likewise are like unto the smallest Sand and after a sort stonyish and do break the stony matter in the Reins and Bladder of Man’s Body and bring it forth. So a Serpent hath its denomination from creeping, because it wants Feet, and creeps and crawls along on the Earth.
A Shoemaker hath his title from his making and sewing of Shoes. A Black smith is not wont to be called a Gold-smith, because he works not on Gold but on Iron, and he hath his denomination from Iron, which he is occupied about.
The same is to be understood of the word Alchymy, which denoteth no other thing save a Fusion and liquefaction of Salt, and so it teacheth us, what cause it was for, that the Ancients called the Transmutation of Metals Alchymy;viz.because of the fusing or melting of Salt, without which, no particular Transmutation of the viler Metals can be perfected and accomplished. Therefore it was not an unadvised and rash action that the Ancient Philosophers did when they put the title of Alchymy on the Transmutation of Metals, but as a Gold-smith is so called from the Gold, which he is a Labourer in, so is it with this.
The name therefore doth openly point out the matter transmuting the baser Metals into the more noble,viz.Salt, which being as an universal Agent does not onely maturate and bring to due perfection the Metals generated in the Bowels of the Earth by a natural Operation, but it also does the same out of the Earth by the Operation of Art, Salt alone, and Fire alone are sufficient for the maturation and transmutation of the unripe Metals. For Salt (as being the Agent) is driven or forced as ’twere by the Fire to display its virtues upon the Metals and by exercising its power, to render them better and more noble, asParacelsusopenly witnesseth in hisCœlum Philosophorum, saying, that the Corporal mixtion of metals though commixt a long time and kept so in Fusion, is neither wont to give, (nor indeed can contribute so much as ought to their Transmutation. But if so be the metals are to be perfected by any amending, they are to be conjoyned in a spiritual commixtion, and so they come to their hoped-for amendment; and this is very agreeable to the truth, and evidently signifies, that without a saline agent and fire, there is no way of attaining to a particular transmutation and bettering in the metals.Eliasthe Prophet, whose name inverted yields the wordSaliæ[or Salts,] did not work his most great miracles afore he came intoZarpath, orSarepta, that is, into the melting House [or fusing Work-shop] where he filled the poor Widows Oil Vessels, that so she might have wherewith to live in a time of scarcity. For as long as the terrestrial Salts do lie hid in barren and stoney Mountains, in which there grows nothing butJuniperBushes, and are [there] nourished by the Stars, they cannot shew forth their wonders, but they are wont then to disclose them when they come into the melting Houses. Even so is it with Salt, when it comes into the melting Shop, it doth effect so much as not onely to fill the Oil Barrels but the Cellars and Barns too, and that plentifully, but especially when the due [or suitable] SaltsEliasandElisado come together, andEliasis carried in his fiery Chariot into Heaven, and sundred fromElisaand doth send down a double portion of his Spirit uponElisahis Companion; by which,Elisabeing strengthned and acquiring more strength than it had afore, is made fit for greater and more powerfull Operations.
But amongst those most great miracles, this was an eminent one, that after the departure ofElisathe Prophet out of this life, there was another dead Man thrown into his Sepulchre who by the touch of his Bones was restored to life.
Therefore, like as this miracle did supernaturally happen by the divine power: Even so [doth it come to pass] naturally, by the virtues of ourSal Mirabiliscorroborated with a double Spirit, which doth not onely restore a dead [body] and Wood turned by the Fire into Charcoal, when it is cast into the Sepulchre, that is into the Earthen Pot or Crucible to the white Bones of ourSal Mirabilis, and bring it (in the space of one quarter of an hour) unto its former viridity and life, and with this very green Liquor of the Wood may other half dead Trees, as alsoother things be restored to viridity, and increase, and their former fertility, more than by any thing else: But also, even various dead insects, if they be put to ourSal Mirabiliscan recover life again. And although that this may seem a new unheard of, and incredible thing, yea a meer Paradox to any one, yet is it as true as truth it self; the true way of which Operation I will (God willing) describe and shew clearly in the first Century of my general Appendix.
But although that these wonderfull Operations of mySal Mirabilismay seem such, as to be never capable of being effected yet, to all such as know its Composition, ’tis a thing very easily accomplished. Nor can it be but that the divine wonders should be still more and more laid open by the help of mySal Mirabilis, and be exceedingly sown abroad, and made known to such as are ignorant. Which being done, the World will conceive a far other guess Opinion of Alchymy, and judge otherwise thereof than hitherto it has done.
But that such as are admirers of the divine and natural wonders, may clearly see how large an extent those things I have hitherto discovered, are of, I cannot omit the adding of the solar Work or Smaragdine Table ofHermes, the Father of all the Philosophers, the which being in my judgment accommodated to this discourse of mine I will illustrate.
But to summ up all I will say, I have here briefly declared, that if a Spirit be elevated or sublimed from a true Salt by the help of a strong Fire, or be drawn from out of its Body, and be again returned to the same own fixed Body left behind and be restored to it in a due manner; that fix Salt, gets double the strength and virtue it had, (as hath been shown concerning mySal Mirabilis) and does perform things wonderfull; whichHermesandBasil Valentinehave hinted unto us in these next ensuing expressions.
Hitherto belongs the small Circular Figure, notedPag. 19.at the beginning of thethird Part of the Prosperity ofGermany.
[See it at the end of the First Part ofMiraculum Mundi.]
The Ænigma of BrotherBasil Valentine.
There is a Stone, of all others the least precious, out of which is extracted a fugitive [or volatile] Fire, and out of this Fire is the Stone it self made, it is of colour white and red and yet is it no Stone. In this Stone doth nature operate, and produceth a Limpid or clear Fountain, which choaketh in the Waters and swallows up his own fixed Father, untill at length a Soul be given [or restored] him, and [his] fugitive Mother be made like [him] in the Kingdom. Likewise this Stone brings power and great strength, it exceeds the Sun in Age, [its] fugitive Mother [is] prepared byVulcanand [its] Father [was] begotten by the Spirit. Likewise the Soul, Body, and Spirit consist or abide in two, out of which, all things are; these things are of one, and is one thing, conjoyning the fix and the fugitive. They are two, and three, and one, and if thou art ignorant of this, thou will be frustrated and deprived of the effect of the Art.
Adamis placed in a Bath, in whichVenusfinds her like, now this Bath was prepared by that old Dragon, when he had lost his strength and power. But now this is nothing else (saith a Philosopher) but a duplicateMercury. In this is its name hidden, which is to be sought after with all diligence and continual labour.
It seemed unto me very expedient to set down here in this place, these few, but exceeding weighty words ofHermesand BrotherBasil, because they do so notably square with this Work of mine which I have here described. And therefore I do here again affirm what I have often said,viz.That he who knows Salts well, but especially Niter and Vitriol, and knows how to conjoyn them, is well skilled in Medicine and Alchymy; and sufficiently enough understands that the Smaragdine Table ofHermesis Vitriol, an excellent Smaragd or Emrald, and that Niter is (according asParacelsusandBasil Valentinehave at large described) the Kingly Infant of the Sun, with whose descriptions we at present content our selves. I will make a more prolix mention of the same in my Centuries, those things that I have adjoyned here I could not, for certain reasons let slip and pass by.
Now by these few words it is manifest, what virtues Salts are endowed withall, and what miraculous effects they shew, when they are cast into the melting Fire,viz.Such Salts as are corroborated with a double Spirit poured down from above. These Salts (I say) are wont not onely to fill the poor Widows Oil Vessels, but even the Cellars and Barns with Wine and Corn.
But I would not that any should interpret it amiss, in that I make some kind of Comparison ’twixt the wonderfull virtues of Salts, and the miracles of the Holy Prophets: For verily the thing it self admits it, and by such Comparisons, the natural light is greatly strengthned, which thing we shall speak more at large of elsewhere.
Whosoever he be that well knows the nature and properties of Salts, and is something skilled in the management of the Fire, he will hereby easily learn thus much, as easily to perceive that there is such a thing, as a profitable transmution of the more vile Metals into the more noble ones.
But there are requisite to this Operation manual Arts, peculiar Furnaces, and singular Commixtions of Metals, the knowledge of all which, he must have that desires beneficially to employ himself in these Operations. The whole Operation with all the appurtenances requisite, and all the things thereto appertaining, shall (if God please) be exposed to be seen in my Laboratory this Summer. As my Writings lately published, and the Labours performed in my Laboratory the last year, do sufficiently enough testifie that I have both publickly and privately demonstrated and manifested the truth of the chiefest secrets which I have mentioned in my Writings. And as for what remained of being done the last year, this present Book promiseth the demonstration of, this Summer. What Writer alive, did ever endeavour the demonstration of the truth of his Writings by most evident experiments? None at all saveGlauber.
Therefore I doubt not but that seeing this little Book offers the Countrey such great benefits and Commodity, there will not onely be some of the Vulgar sort, but also many of the Noble ones [or Magistrates] be found, to whom the reading of the same will not be a tedious thing.
And now I return again to speak of Alchymy, openly disclosing my Opinion concerning it, and firmly averring, that Salts onely have power to wash, maturate, and perfect the unripe Metals.
But some of ther may here say, if Alchymy be the fusing of Salt, by what means can it possibly ever be, that Gold and Silver should be gotten out of Salt by melting? If there were Gold in it, cannot it be gotten forth easier than by melting in the Fire? I answer, you are not so to understand it, as if huge heaps of Gold could be gotten by a bare fusing and melting of Salt. No! no such matter. But when the Metals have Salts adjoyned to them in a due manner, and so undergo a melting Fire, they do (in that fusing) display their virtues upon the Metals, and do so bring them to a maturity as to yield forth Gold and Silver. For Salts are the universal ripening Agents, both in the dry and in the moist way, as is clearly evident from the third and fourth part of the Prosperity ofGermany, so that there needs no more to be spoken as to this.
But yet, that these things may not seem new, or altogether absurd, I say, that in all Salts there lies hidden spiritual Gold, but yet it cannot be extracted from them without the addition of the Metals. For all the things that are, are generated, encreased, and sustained by the Sun, (and amongst these may be reckoned up the smallest Vegetable) do contain the fugacious beams of the Sun hidden in them, which said beams may by the benefit of Art be made corporeal and fixt. This I taught and demonstrated more prolixly in the second part of myMiraculum Mundi. I will teach the same in the first Century of my general Appendix, which said Appendix shall illustrate all my Writings with more clear notes; and I will evidently show the way, by which true and natural Gold is to be gotten (by the benefit of a certain precipitating matter, out of Sea Salt, both by the dry and by the moist way. This Operation brings not any considerable profit, but doth in very truth show the possibility of the thing. But he who knows the way of conjoyning true and due [or proper] Metals with legitimate [or suitable] Salts, and of handling them in a due and true way of Fusion, will get Gold and Silver out of all the imperfect Metals, and that with no small profit; and this shall be demonstrated in my Laboratory this present Summer by God’s help.
And for the more evident proof hereof, it seems worth while to adjoyn a Story out of the Journal ofWilliam LitgouofEngland, [ratherScotland] who Journying throughItaly, testifies that he saw inTrapundia, a City inSicilia, much Gold excocted or drawn out of Sea Salt; which thing, seeing it agrees with my Opinion, and confirms what I say, I will add the Words of the Authour himself as they are inLatin.
“The fourth City ofSicily, isTrapundia, scituate in the West-side, and opposite to the CityBiserta, seated on theBarbarianCoast ofAfrica, which yields pure Gold, which is exported by the Merchants intoItaly,Venice,Dalmatia, andGreece. It is excocted in some Artificially made Salt-pits by the more vehement beams of the Sun, which Pits are filled and emptied every month. Now the Salt here on the Sea-shore, has a colour like the redness of a Ruby, or Corral: The City is almost the one half of it imployed about working thereupon. The Gold it self being purged is distributed throughout the whole Christian World.”
“The fourth City ofSicily, isTrapundia, scituate in the West-side, and opposite to the CityBiserta, seated on theBarbarianCoast ofAfrica, which yields pure Gold, which is exported by the Merchants intoItaly,Venice,Dalmatia, andGreece. It is excocted in some Artificially made Salt-pits by the more vehement beams of the Sun, which Pits are filled and emptied every month. Now the Salt here on the Sea-shore, has a colour like the redness of a Ruby, or Corral: The City is almost the one half of it imployed about working thereupon. The Gold it self being purged is distributed throughout the whole Christian World.”
These are the words of the said Authour, I know nothing of the certainty of the thing it self, he that is desirous to find out the truth of this Relation may easily do it. As for my self, I easily credit this Relation, because of the MountÆtnawhich always is burning in that Island, and because of the Sulphur too, which all the Land ofSicilyabounds withall. And verily it seems a thing altogether likely, that when the Inhabitants of this Island upon the Seashore, make Salt of the Sea Water for their necessary use, by digging Pits in the Earth after the manner of all those hot Countries, and letting in the Sea Water, and that the warm beams of the Sun separate [or any of] the unprofitable sweet [or insipid] Water, in Vapour, and that that Water of Salt is endued with a notable sharpness; it extracts the Sulphur out of the Earth which is there in plenty every where, and it renders this [Sulpher] by the help of the heat of the Sun, constant, corporal and fixt, so as that it can be afterwards molten in a melting Furnace into Gold. If now the most hot beams of the Sun, and Salt Water can change common earthly Sulphur into Gold, why may not the same be done also by the benefit of Fire, Salt, and Art.
That all Gold is at first naturally generated of a pure Sulphur in the Earth, no body will indeed deny. That any Sulphur may by the help of Fire and Salt be fixed and changed into natural Gold, daily experience witnesseth, not onely in my own Laboratory, but in my Disciples Laboratories too, the which, visibly demonstrates, and even by manual Operation confirms the truth of those things which I have mentioned in the second part of myMiraculum Mundi, hereabouts.
That which is mentioned in the old Hymn of the Ancient Church-Fathers,viz.who made Gold of Rods or Twigs, and Gems of Stones, seems to the ignorant altogether as Paradoxal, new, and incredible: and from which ’tis gathered that St.Johnthe Evangelist made Gold of Sticks of Wood, and Gems of common Stones: I can in a few words demonstrate that both are true.
Dissolve common Sulphur, or any Vegetable in common Salt, this Solution will make the Sulphur of a red colour. Keep this Solution for at least one hours space in the Fire, you shall find a little of the Sulphur changed into Gold; to the red Salt, adjoyn the Calx ofSaturn, melt them by Fusion into one Body, and reduce the Lead by a Cupel, you shall find a grain of Gold, it yields indeed no profit but demonstrates the certainty and possibility of Art. But if any one shall be skilled in managing this Operation in great quantity (as shall be done this Summer in my Laboratory) he will not complain of loss, but will always get profit.
But let this suffice as to the making Gold out of any Wood, or any Herb, by the help of Fire and Salt.
Let us now see by what means Stones of manifold colours may be made by the help of Salt, out of Wood or any Herb. Adjoyn to the red Salt made of Wood, a little Powder of white Flints, put themin a Crucible, and melt them in the Fire, that they may become a red Glass, resembling almost the colour of a Ruby; if you keep them longer in the melting, the red colour will be changed into a green, and have the likeness of an Emrald: After this, comes a sky-colour, resembling a Saphir, then follows a yellow, not unlike a Jacynth: then in a longer continuance of Fire, it becomes black and like an Agath. Indeed these Stones are no harder than common Glass, but as to their colours and beauty do exactly resemble the precious natural Stones.
These twoArcanum’sindeed do as to the outside view seem not very excellent, but yet I believe, the well minded Reader, to whom I offer them as a pledge or Love-token for to remember me by, will not think them (seeing they teach the extracting of Gold out of any Wood or Vegetable, and how by white Flints to make Stones of several colours) of so small a moment or value, as they appear here to be, but will believe that he has a foundation laid open for him, to arrive to greater secrets.
As concerning these kind of wonderfull things, and Transmutations hitherto unknown to the World, and changing things into more noble and better Species, I will treat more at large in the ten Centuries, in which, my Writings shall be declared with more evident and clearer Explications, to which I refer the well minded Reader, concluding this Book with those Verses ofOvid.
Jamque opus exegi, quod nec Jovis ira, nec Ignis,Nec poterit ferrum, nec edax abolere vetustas.
Jamque opus exegi, quod nec Jovis ira, nec Ignis,Nec poterit ferrum, nec edax abolere vetustas.
Jamque opus exegi, quod nec Jovis ira, nec Ignis,Nec poterit ferrum, nec edax abolere vetustas.
Jamque opus exegi, quod nec Jovis ira, nec Ignis,
Nec poterit ferrum, nec edax abolere vetustas.
And now, a work I finisht have, of which,Jove’swrath, or flame,
Or Sword, or all devouring time can ne’er raze out the name.