The
story tells that Marquis Massimiliano Palombara (who was a friend of
Christine of Sweden's) enjoyed the company of alchemists and
astrologers. One day, a young alchemist, Giuseppe Francesco Borri, asked
the marquis the permission to use his laboratory. He said that "the art
of making gold was not impossible". Borri locked himself up in the
laboratory a day and a night.
In the morning, the marquis had the door smashed in. Borri had fled by a
window, only leaving behind him a crucible with a little solid gold
inside and a few scrolls covered with strange symbols. The scrolls were
studied but no one coud find out what they meant. Marquis Palombara had
the symbols carved on the gate so that future alchemists could study
them.
TRIA
SUNT MIRABILIA DEUS ET HOMO MATER ET VIRGO TRINUS ET UNUS: Three are the
wonders: God and man, mother and virgin, Trinity and Unity.
HORTI MAGICI INGRESSUM HESPERIUS CUSTODIT DRACO ET SINE ALCIDE
COLCHICAS DELICIAS NON GUSTASSET JASON: The dragon of the west (or
of Hesperides, or of the night) is keeping the gate to the magical
garden, and without Alcide, Jason would never have enjoyed the
delights of Colchis.
QUANDO IN TUA DOMO NIGRI CORVI PARTURIENT ALBAS COLUMBAS? TUNC
VOCABERIS SAPIENS: When in your house, black ravens will father
white doves, you will be called a wise man.
QUI SCIT CUMBURERE AQUA ET LAVARE IGNE FACIT DE TERRA COELUM ET DE
COELO TERRAM PRETIOSAM: The one who knows how to burn with water and
wash with fire will turn the earth into sky and the ciel into a
precious stone.
AZOT ET IGNIS DEALBANDO LATONAM VENIET SINE VESTE DIANA: For the
purifying of nitrogen quicksilver and fire, Diana will appear
without a robe.
DIAMETER SPHERAE THAU CIRCULI CRUX ORBIS NON ORBIS PROSUNT: The
sphere's diameter, the circle's thau, the orbit's cross are useless
to the blind.
SI FECERIS VOLARE TERRAM SUPER CAPUT TUUM EIUS PENNIS AQUAS
TORRENTUM CONVERTES IN PETRAM: If you had made the earth fly above
your head, you would change the torrent water into stone by using
cock feathers.
FILIUS NOSTER MORTUUS VIVT REX AB IGNE REDIT ET CONUGIO GAUDET
OCCULTO: Our dead son is living, and will come back as the king of
fire and the beneficiary of the occult wedding.
CENTRUM IN TRIGONO CENTRI: The center is in the triangle's center.
EST OPUS OCCULTUM VERI SOPHI APERIRE TERRAM UT GERMINET SALUTEM PRO
POPULO: This is the secret task of the wise man to open the earth in
order to sow the people's prosperity.
SI SEDES NON IS: What can be read from the left to the right and
from the right to the left, then it has a different meaning.
