Page:Hermetic and Alchemical Writings of Paracelsus Vol I (IA cu31924092287121).djvu/197

 so conquer him that he becomes the offspring of the Sun, and can thus subject himself to another planet, and make himself its son. It happens much in the same way to him as to the miner, who for a long time has hired out his labour to the master of the mines, and managed his department righteously at peril of his life. At length he holds this discourse with himself: "Are you going to spend all your life underground and endanger your body, nay, your very existence, by continuous labours? I will seek release from my master, and follow another where my life shall flow pleasantly on, where I shall have plenty of food and drink, where my garments may shine, where no work and much reward shall be given to me, and where I shall not be oppressed by the mountain overhanging me." In this way he can constitute himself lord where otherwise he would remain all his life a slave and mercenary, wasting away with hard labour and scanty food.

Moreover, as you have now perceived that man rules the stars, and can free himself from a malignant planet and subject himself to another better one, from slavery pass by virtue to freedom, and rescue himself from the prison of an evil planet, so also the animal man who is the son of Sol, Jupiter, Venus, or Mercury, can withdraw himself from that benignant planet and subject himself to Saturn or to Mars. This man is like one who, fleeing from a college of religions, and being tired of their soft life, becomes a soldier, or in other respects a man of no esteem, who must afterwards spend all his life in pain and care. Such, too, is the rich man, who, out of mere levity, wastes all his goods unjustly, gambling, feasting, keeping evil company, until at last, when all is gone, he comes to want, and in miserable conflict with discreditable poverty he deservedly rouses laughter and contempt in all, so that you hear even from the boys in the streets: "Look at yonder worthless man, who, when he could have been master, scorned dominion and preferred to be a slave, a beggar, a servant of servants, so that he cannot now even aspire to his dominion." It is to this that a bad star or a bad parent has led him. Had he not been foolish and wicked, he would not have left to the stars so unquestioned a dominion over himself, but he would have struggled against them. And, although of himself he had not known how to fight against his stars, yet he could have turned his mind to the examples of other men, thinking thus within himself: "See how rich this man was; but by foolish and shameful enterprises he involved himself in mere poverty!" Again, "This or that man lived splendidly, and without any great bodily labour; but, though having got good food and ample pay, he was not able to bear his fair fortune. Now he has to live frugally and sordidly. In place of wine he has to drink water, and whilst his daily labour increases his income is diminished." How often must such a man thus address himself: "What have I done? How have I thrown myself headlong down by wasting prodigally the substance I had collected and acquired? Who will restore it to me? If I could only recover what I have lost, quite another mode of life should be begun, and so I would learn wisdom from my own loss, and compensate for my evil deeds