All the sciences of the world, O Son are comprehended in this my hidden Wisdom; and this, and the learning of the Art, consists in these wonderful hidden elements which it doth discover and complete. It behoves him, therefore, who would be introduced to this hidden Wisdom, to free himself from the hidden usurpations of vice; and to be just, and good, and of a sound reason, ready at hand to help mankind, of a serene countenance, diligent to save, and be himself a patient guardian of the arcane secrets of philosophy.
And this know that except thou understandest how to mortify and induce generation, to vivify the Spirit, and introduce Light, until they fight with each other and grow white and freed from their defilements, rising as it were from blackness and darkness, thou knowest nothing nor canst perform anything; but if thou knowest this, thou wilt be of a great dignity so that even kings themselves shall reverence thee. These secrets, Son, it behoves thee to conceal from the vulgar and profane world.
Understand, also, that our Stone is from many things, and of various colours, and composed from four elements which we ought to divide and dissever in pieces, and segregate, in the veins, and partly mortifying the same by its proper nature, which is also in it, to preserve the water and fire dwelling therein, which is from the four elements and their waters, which contain its water; this, however, is not water in its true form, but fire, containing in a pure vessel the ascending waters, lest the espirits should fly away from the bodies; for by this means they are made tinging and fixed.
O, blessed watery form, that dissolvest the elements: Now it behoves us, with this watery soul, to possess ourselves of a sulphurous form, and to mingle the same with our Acetum. For when, by the power of the water, the composition is dissolved, it is the key of the restoration; then darkness and death fly away from them, and Wisdom proceeds onwards to the fulfillment of her Law.
Bating these instances of unavoidable severity, the reign of Mftstunjid was distinguished, for its wholesome regulations to promote the end, of justice, to relieve the distresses of the indigent, and to punish the crimes, and usurpations of vice and oppression. In one circumstance he may perhaps be quoted as an example for the imitation of sovereigns far more illustrious. lie was a determined discourager of detraction in all its disguises. As a proof of this, it is related, that having consigned to a prison one of his subjects who had been found guilty of defaming, or perhaps informing against his neighbour, he was, at the expiration of a reasonable interval, applied to by one of the friends of the delinquent for his release, with an offer of ten thousand dinaurs if he acceded to the application ; to which the Khalif observed in anwer, that if, on the contrary, the proposer of this request would engage to discover another person guilty of similar defamatory practices, so as to bring him to confinement, he would, for his part, for such a piece of service, promise him a reward of the same sum of ten thousand dinaurs.
Chronological retrospect: or memoirs of the principal events of Mahommedan history, from the death of the Arabian legislator,to the accession of the emperor Akbar, and the establishment of the Moghul empire in Hindustaun. From original Persian authorities, Volume 2, By David Price
Latin
Etymology
From aceō (“to be sour”).
Noun
acētum (genitive acētī); n, second declension
vinegar
(figuratively) wit, shrewdness
Wiktionary - acetum
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