"Mercurius philosophorum"
"O great Mercury of the Philosophers! It is in you that Gold and Silver unite, after being brought from potentiality into act: Mercury all Sun and all Moon; triple Substance in one, and one Substance in three. O admirable thing! Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt show us three Substances in one single Substance." — "Light Emerging from Darkness by Itself", Bibliotheque des philosophes chimiques: tome troisiéme, c. 1741
"Thus is born the child of the Sun and the Moon, Called the glory of the Earth. And in the world, however great he may become, He is called the Mercury of the Philosophers." - Turba Philosophorum, sive tractatus de auri conficiendi ratione, c. 1501-1600
“Believe stedfastly, that the whole philosophic industry consists in the preparation of the Mercury of the wise, for in it is the whole of what we are seeking for, and which has always been sought for by all ancient wise men; and that we, no more than they, have done nothing without this Mercury, prepared with Sun or Moon: for without these three, there is nothing in the whole world capable of accomplishing the said philosophical and medicinal tincture. It is expedient then that we learn to extract from them the living and spiritual seed.” - From the Breviary or Testament of Nicholas Flamel
"The Mercury of the Philosophers is depicted under the form of a hermaphrodite because it partakes of both natures — feminine or mercurial and masculine or sulfurous; for the Mercury of the Philosophers is composed of both, as is seen in practice. It has wings because of its volatile nature, venomous and serpent-like, since it destroys metals by its violence. Beneath its feet is the moon, or white sulfur. The Mercury of the Philosophers is signified by the whitening white dove, and the whitish flowers likewise represent the same Mercury of the Philosophers."
"Know that it is Mercury cold and moist and God hath created all minerals of it, for it is an airy element, flying from the fire. Therefore, when any part is fixed to it, it effecteth an high matter and it is a profitable spirit, and there is not any thing in the world but it. Neither is there any thing that may stand in the place of it, and it is a thing searching to the bottom in every body, and enriching it. Therefore, when it is mingled with the body, it reviveth it and illuminates it and converts it from disposition to disposition, and, from one colour into another, therefore it is the whole Elixir of whiteness and redness, and it is a permanent water, and water of life and death, it is virgin's milk, the herb of washing and the animal fountain, of which whosoever drinks dies not, and it is susceptive of colour and a medicine of them causing them to take colours, and it is that which mortifies, dries, moistens and makes hot and cold, and it does contrary things according to the measure of its regimen, and when it is quick it hath other operations, and when it is dead it hath other operations of others, and when it is sublimed there are other operations unto it. And he is a Dragon which marries himself and does impregnate himself and he brings forth in his day, and kills all animals with his poison, and the fire destroys him, and it destroys in short time by reason of the Argent vive.”