Vladimir Karpenko Charles University Alberfov 2030 Praha 2, Czechoslovakia
Viridarium Chymicum: The Encyclopedia of Alchemy
For more than 1800 years European thought was influenced by Aristotle's theory of Four Elements (Earth, Air, Water, Fire) of which all bodies were supposed to be composed. A consequence of this theory was the evolution of medieval alchemy. The first important turn occured in the 16th century, when Paracelsus (1493-1541) introduced his theory of "tria prima," the three basic principles as components of all matter: sulfur, mercury, and salt. Simultaneously he gave alchemy a new orientation from the primitive gold-making to the broader and more practical use in preparing chemical medicines. This century and the beginning of the 17th remained under strong influence of medieval alchemy, resulting in literature correlating Paracelsus' theory with that of Aristotle, both in the interest of the Great Work. A typical feature of this period was the increasing mysticism in alchemy, evident especially in M. Maier's works. Classical alchemy was mixed with Greek mythology, sometimes even with Christian myths. Frankfurt/M was an important center of this last period of medieval alchemy. With Boyle's "Sceptical Chymist" (1661) a breach into the old alchemical fortress begins, although we must wait another 100 years for modern chemistry to be developed in Lavoisier's "Trait6 Elementaire de Chimie" (1789). In 1623, Lucas Jennis, a prominent printer in Frankfurt/M, published one of the most curious alchemistic works to ever appear. "Viridarium Chymicum," (A Pleasure Garden of Chemistry, .. Fig. . 1) belongs . to works that are almost forgotten. It is a comprehensive encyclopedia of alchemy. The author, Daniel Stolcius, collected 107 engravings from several significant works stating at the end of the preface that the engravings came from the hooks of Michael Maier and Johann Daniel Mylius. Stolcius also explains in the preface why and how the book originated. "When I saw these pictures engraved in copper with Mr. Luca Iennisio in Frankfurt, and because I liked them, I expressed to him my wish . . . " ( I ) in the sense that he would compile a fully new book and promised further "to describe each picture with a short verse." "Viridarium Chymicum" is important because it contains the best illustrations in the history of alchemical literature, but simultaneously it is unique, because each of the 107 engravings is provided with a short Latin epigram explaining the sense of the picture. This book, a poetical collection, should serve adepts of Divine Art as a kind of uade mecum. The Latin original was translated into German by Stolcius's countryman Daniel Meissner of Commenthau and published bv Lucas Jennis later in the same year. The preface to "Viridarium Chymicum" reflects the influence of Paracelsian theories. Stolcius writes, ". . . if we follow the lead and controlling force of Nature, we will try to examine according to the judgment of intellect and true fire . . ." (1). This "true fire" is not only the fire of chemical furnaces which we are thinking about today. Paracelsus considered alchemy the real work in foundries and laboratories, hut he distinguished "real fire" used for the work in the laboratory and "philosophic," "vulcanic" or 270
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"true fire." As written in the preface, "philosophic fire" is a stronger way of observing things, when we do not reach out for their "transient shadow," it is a higher form of "fiery vision," contrary to the usual or "boorish" one. The aim of alchemical processes in symbolic meaning is then, "the alchemy of human being," the question how to improve man. After the unsuccessful search for the Philosopher's Stone, alchemy of the 17th century started with the orientation toward broader problems, tried to solve the relations between micro- and macrocosmos, and the question of human being, its qualities and possibilities. All the engravings do not form one completely closed set although Stolcius has chosen them for his hook with the intention of showing all that had been of use in alchemy. It is possible to divide all 107 figures into seven groups (2) forming cycles with one common idea. The f i t group (Figs. I-XIII) are The Twelve Keys of Basil Valentine, a series of highly symbolical pictures describing the preparation of the Philosopher's Stone. This preparation runs in twelve successive steps, each of them connected with one sign of the Zodiac (1) Calcination, the Ram (2) Congelation, the Bull (3) Fixation, the Twins 14) Solution. the Crab
( I )Sublimation, the Scales (8)Separation, the Scorpio
(9) Ceration, the Archer (10) Fermentation. the Goat (5) ~igestion,the Lion (11)~ultiplicatian, the Water-carrier (6) Distillation,the Virgin (12) Projection, the Fishes
In his work, Basil Valentine warns the seeker after the Stone that it cannot be derived from materials unable to resist fire. Although the Stone is capable of growth, it is not of vegetable or animal origin and arises from the seed of metals formed in the following way (3): "A Celestial influence . . . descendeth from above, and mixeth itself with the Astral properties . . . these two beget an earthly suhstance as a third thing, which is the beginning of our seed." Basil Valentine is a mysterious personality. Usually he is known as a Benedictine brother a t St. Peter's monastery in Erfurt in the 14th or 15th century, but his name
Figure 1. "Viridarium Chymicum." the title page of the L a t n Edition.
does not appear on the list of monks a t this time. Nevertheless the complicated symbolism of The Twelve Keys drew the attention of alchemists during the following three or four centuries. The second group (Figs. XIV-XXW) introduces into alchemy an enumeration of the most important persons of this science, mythic as well as real. The epigram to the first engraving (Fig. XIV), "Three Possessors of the Philosopher's Stone" runs as follows: "Cremerus in the middle, Norton himself on the left, Basil is seen on the right. Pray, read their writings and search . . ." ( I ) Who were these three lucky persons? We must search for them, which is not any easier than the search for the Stone. Basil Valentine was mentioned earlier. John Cremer, a reputed brother of the Benedictine Order and Ahhot of Westminster, was said to have been initiated into the mystery of preparation of the Stone by Raymond Lully, who, according to the tradition, worked with him in Westminster Abbey and in the Tower of London in 1311. Unfortunately, the name Cremer does not occur on the roll of the abbots of Westminster, and Raymond Lully in all probability never visited England (4). Two of three Possessors are not real persons, and what about the third? Thomas Norton is said to have been a memher of a Bristol family in the 15th century and his h w k "Ordinal of Alchemy" is dated 1477. But, as will he pointed out later, no known Thomas Norton fulfills all the requirements and thus the third Possessor of the Stone also remains uncertain. Further engravings of this group depict the Contrihution of Twelve Nations to the Golden Tahle, the emblems of twelve outstanding alchemists. Included are real as well as mythic persons; Hermes Trismegistos, the Egyptian (Fig. 2), Maria, the Jewess, said to have been a sister of Moses and the inventor of the water-bath, still known to the French as the bain marie. The series continues with Democrites, the Greek; Moriennus, the Roman; Avicenna, the Arabian; Alhertus Magnus, the German; Arnoldus Villanovanus, the Frenchman; Thomas Aquinas, the Italian; Raymond Lully, the Spaniard; Roger Bacon, the Englishman; Melchior Cihinensis, the Hungarian; and Michael Sendivogius, the Pole. The third group (Figs. XXVII-XXXII) dealing with the connection between micro- and macrocosmos, contains the engravings "Meteoritic Things," "Mineral Things," "Vegetable Things," "Animals" and "Man." In this last picture, the human being is symbolically represented as a glohe and the accompanying epigram explains that the head is Europe, while Africa feeds the heart, Asia keeps the abdomen, and the hands and legs are represented in this global symbolism by America. The fourth group (Figs. XXXII-LX) can he divided into two parts connected by the idea of the preparation of the Stone. The first part is a series of engravings illustrating the eleven steps of this operation, while some of the following pictures explain details or unusual terms. We can see again the pictures demonstrating Aristotle's theory of Four Elements, seven planets and corresponding seven metals: Suo-gold, Moon-silver, Mercury-mercury, Venus-copper, Mars-iron, Jupiter-tin, and Saturn-lead. A very important problem is that of the two sulfurs. We must distinguish between exoteric and esoteric alchemical writings. While the first use Sun as a symbol of gold, this planet is in esoteric literature a symbol of "sulfur of the philosophers," or "our sulfur," or the best understandable synonym, "seed of gold," the same, as we mentioned earlier describing the Twelve Keys. Simultaneously there exists the usual sulfur, hut in many books there is no clear differentiation between this sulfur and "our sulfur." The fifth group (Figs. LXI-LXXX) is usually called a cycle of "Philosophic Fire" ("Ignis Philosophicus"). The leading idea here is the influence of Sun and Moon, two
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Figure 2. Hermes Trismegstos ("vicidarium Chymicum." Fig. X V l j
basic forces, which are equilibrated and connected in the human being itself. This thought can he seen as a direct reflection of Paracelsus' theory. The sense of the "Philosophic Fire"was explained earlier. The sixth group (Figs. LXXXI-XCIII) to a certain degree, is a continuation of the previous group, repeats its initial motive of the "Water of Life" with the idea of immortality and rebirth. Both groups, the fifth and sixth, could he considered together, the pictures forming no expressive series as in the previous groups. After "Three Wells of True Water" follow the engravings "Philosoph," "Nymph of our Sea," "Our Sulfur,"etc. The seventh group (Figs. XCIV-CVII): Attention should he paid to the first engraving "Rhodostaurotic Atlas Carrying the Sky." The giant Atlas, dressed in a rustic suit, holds the glohe and the famous "Emerald Tahle" ("Tabula Smaragdma"). The main idea of this picture is that the strongest forces and the highest qualities are hidden in the heaven, that Earth is carried together with heaven and not vice versa. This is one example of the theories of the movement of "Rosicrucians" which has been extended in Europe in the 17th century as a secret organization carrying out esoteric studies of natural sciences (5). The foundations of this movement are four hooks written probably by Johann Valentin Andreae (1586-1654). Typical of almost all Rosicrucian works from the beginning of the 17th century is a marked alchemical character, in both the text and pictures, although very often with Christian or kahbalistic features. Michael Maier (1586-1622) had been attracted by this movement and his works were one of the sources used by Stolcius for "Viridarium Chymicum." In this way, it can he explained why we find here the secret movement of Rosicrucians in the title of the picture (XC1V)-"rhodon" is the Greek word for rosa, "stauros" for cross. The following, no less important figure (XCV) depicts "The Emerald Tahle of Hermes." This work strongly influenced medieval alchemy. According to an often repeated legend, the original emerald slab with the text written by Hermes himself, was discovered in the tomb of this god by Alexander the Great. This text was first printed in 1541 after it had been known for a t least 300 years. These thirteen oracular pronouncements, largely unintelligible, were nevertheless, regarded by medieval alchemists as an alchemical creed or confession of faith in the Divine Art. The whole text or some parts of it can he easily found in old literature and various sentences were even found engraved upon laboratory walls. Volume 50, Number 4, April 1973
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Figure 3. The Whole Work of Philosophy ("Viudarium Chyrnicum," Fig. CV).
To the last group of figures belongs the engraving shown as Figure 3. I t is "The Whole Work of Philosophy," one of the most remarkable and complete of all alchemical designs. On this engraving, we can see King Sol (Apollo), seated upon a lion, as a symbol of earth and fire, while on the right side Queen Luna (Diana) rides a dolphin, symbolizing water and air. In the central design there are usual geometrical symbols such as the square, triangle and circle, hut simultaneously the "Vitriol Acrostic" is there included. The initial letters of the Latin words uisita interiora terra rectificando muensis occultum lapidem (visit the inward parts of earth; by rectifying thou shalt find the hidden Stone) form an acrostic, which indicates that the searcher must use "vitriol" in his quest; not any common vitriol, of course, it must be "vitriol of the Sages." The epigram accompanying this figure ends with the words: "If you see nothing here, there is no reason why you should search further; so shall you be blind even in the midst of light" ( I ) . "Viridarium Chyrnicurn," is closed with figures, "The Connection of Saturn" and "The Coat-of arms of Our
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Hero." The pages of this book, as we can see, show the evolution of medieval European alchemy, its opinions, its procedures and its heroes. What about the author? Daniel Stolcius was born in Bohemia. Although he occasionally uses the name Cuttenbergenus, after the town Kutna Hora, formerly celebrated for its silver mines, no person of either name can he found in the municipal register. According to indirect evidence it seems highly probable that he was not horn before 1587. Stolcius studied a t Charles University in Prague and took his Bachelor's degree on August 1618 after successfully defending the thesis entitled "An bella et intestina ex astris praeuideri possint" (Whether wars, including civil wars, can he foretold from the stars). One year later on October 3, 1619, he received the Master's degree. Two years later his name appears, with the date May 29, 1621, on the matriculation roll of the Philippina University of Marburg. But "Viridarium Chymicum" is dedicated a t Oxford. Later he was active as a physician in Gdansk. His correspondence for 1639-40 with the Bohemian pedagogue Johann Amos Comenius has been found. It is all that is known about Daniel Stolcius. It seems that he left for Marburg, a very important Rosicrucian center. But the main personality of this movement, Professor Johannes Hartmann, left for Kassel in 1621, after some controversies with the University of Marburg (7). Perhaps after this event, Stolcius continued his way through Europe, the way interrupted and disturhed by the Thirty Years War. As he writes in the preface ( I ) : "I hear with grief of the strange and pitiable disasters of my country, and am, to my extreme sorrow, very often ioterrupted by these tumults of war that are scattered everywhere . . ." In the whirl of war many documents were destroyed, many lost, and today we do not know, where and when died Daniel Stolcius, alchemist, poet, and creator of the unique encyclopedia showing the last flourish of alchemy. Literature Cited D.."viridorhm Chymicum."L. Jennis, FranLfurt, 1624. (2) sfolciua, D., '~VindmiumChymicum." Repro.: Wis~enschaitlicheBuchgesellrchaft Darrnstadt, Editor F. Weinhandl, 1964. (3) The Lmt Will andTestsmentofRaai1 Valentine. Landon. 1671, p. 311. (4) Read. J.. " h e l u d o t o Chamlslry.'G. Boll& Sons, Lfd., London. 1961. ( 5 ) Kimssf. R.. "Johsnn Valentin Andreae und die vier eehten Rosenkreut~er-Sckiften."Palaostra 152. Leipzlg. 1926. (6) Rodwell. G. F.."TheBirth of Chern&rry."London, 18%. p. 62. (7) Jutfncr. G., ~rsanslcomrnunicafion. (I) Stoleiua,
