Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	air_n	body_n	element_n	4,001	5	9.7677	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67915	Collectanea chymica a collection of ten several treatises in chymistry, concerning the liquor alkahest, the mercury of philosophers, and other curiosities worthy the perusal / written by Eir. Philaletha, Anonymous, Joh. Bapt. Van-Helmont, Dr. Fr. Antonie ... [et al.].; Collectanea chymica.	Philalethes, Eirenaeus. Secret of the immortal liquor called Alkahest. Latin and English.; Helmont, Jean Baptiste van, 1577-1644. Praecipiolum.; Anthony, Francis, 1550-1623. Aurum-potabile.; Bernard, of Trevisan. De lapide philosophorum. English.; Ripley, George, d. 1490? Bosome-book.; Bacon, Roger, 1214?-1294. Speculum alchemiae. English.; Starkey, George, 1627-1665. Admirable efficacy and almost incredible virtue of true oyl.; Plat, Hugh, Sir, 1552-1611? Sundry new and artificial remedies against famine.; H. V. D. Tomb of Semiramis hermetically sealed.	1684 (1684)	Wing C5103; ESTC R5297	83,404	240

in Mercury of white matter and of white Substance cometh that Mercury For so he is of a pure subtil Earth Sulphur most clear and most subtil commixed with pure Water and with Commixtion and heat these two Elements digesteth with Temperance of heat and so turneth into Mercury the Sperm of Metals therefore Water and Earth is the first matter of Mercury and Mercury is the first matter of all Mettals and when they be put into that Water they all melt and dissolve in him as the Ice doth in warm Water and why do they so because they were first Water coupled by cold and now here is Aristotles's Principle assoyled And although there were two things first yet nevertheless when they be resolved into clear currant Mercury and no palpable thing of the Body seen nor felt but passeth through the Philter clean as Water then is it but one thing upon the which all Philosophers accord and ground them est una Sola res And here now I have shewed you more plainly then it hath been shewed here before And I say to thee for truth this is the very true Key of this Science for Merlin and many others write here of divers ways as in the verse of Merlin dissipare leviter extracta c. and Albertus in the fifth Book de mineralibus de semine Metallorum where he upon a little Gloss teacheth Solution as there ye may see But of all special Books that ever I could read or see Stella Complexionis is the Father of Truth and Doctrine shewing the clear light and the right way of the Preparation of this precious Treasure and he expoundeth all the Figures of the Philosophers openly where I doubt not but God hath his Soul in everlasting ●iss For by the space of thirty years I ever ●udied and busied my self upon the Mystery ●arables Figures and Sayings of old Phi●oso●hers in the which I was marvellous blinded ●nd overseen and specially by one book which is called the 12 Chapters or 12 Gates ●n Metre in English which was made by a suf●●cient Clerk and well learned but I warn ●very man to beware of him for by him ye ●hall never know the privity but rather he ●eadeth you out of the way for he sayeth it is ●ne Vessel one thing one furnace and no ●ore True it is that it is but one thing as I have before opened and shewed It is one ●orm of a Vessel as Stella Complexionis declareth And I say to you this one thing in the which all ●he Wise Philosophers have grounded themselves on it is after the full putrefying and utter rotting of the Elements then to be separate and every one of them well rectifyed and then reduced again to the Body by Nature in marvellous Sulphur elect And here I Counsel thee to Practise truly and to remember and consider the saying of the great Philosopher Constantius Affricanus in the Book of Elements where he● sheweth that man is made by ingression of contrary things which is to be ●●●derstood of the four Elements and after this Body reverted to him simple then all his humour is turned into Water the Spirit into Air the heat into Fire and the Bones and Flesh into Earth now mayest thou hea● and know by visible Experience and in likewise with our Water one thing by rotting is turned again into his simple Elements and moisture then separate them and the first shall ascend as a Smoak and turn into Air as Water keep that Treasure and then thou shalt distil after that an Air more intentive and thicker and one drop of this will swim and go above Water if thou mix it with Water and in this Air is Fire aud beneath in the bottom of your Cucurbit is your Earth as a dead Body corrupt and infect Note well here be the four Elements reverted into their Simple as before is said by the Authority of Constantius And I assure you that this is as true as ever God made Gold and Silver and all things else and Heaven and Earth and the Sea therefore believe me if thou wilt or chuse thee to thy own folly and leave off true Doctrine of the Philosophers and wander forth in the World as Mist in the Wind and so thou shalt never come to thy purpose but thou must first make the Bodyes water after digest them not burning nor destroying their radical moisture which is the life of Tincture of this precious Treasure and utterly rot them and after divide the Elements and well rectifie thy Earth by due Calcination and with washing of his own Water till it be pure clear bright and white shining and then sublime up all the quintessence again then thou hast the wonderful Earth called Terra foliata Sulphur Elect of the Philosophers more noble more precious then Gold or Silver if ●hou wilt work it up as thou mayest at thy pleasure by continuance of Reiteration and Sublimation then he will become clear as Heaven Christaline shining bright as thou mayest see in the Rosary of the Secrets of all Philosophers in the last work Therefore may you see and understand when your Tincture is perfect which is in the fourth Governance plainly in writing and also mark other Authors of this secret Science for when he is perfect fixt and stable and will not fume then he will run through a Plate of Copper and make it perfect Silver or perfect Gold better then ever was produced out of the Mine by Nature and also the very truth of this Secret is more wo●th and richer then man can devise for of his own sperm or seed he shall evermore encrease and multiply to the Worlds end for as fire elemental burneth all and overcometh all things and nothing can overcome him even so this Magnesia the Child of Fire shall never be blemished nor va●quished by the Fire but ever standing and abiding bright shining clear so that almost man cannot express the brightness which is incredible to any man except to them that have seen it with their Eyes And thou that art a finder of this Book I charge thee as thou wilt answer to God that thou never shew this but to a vertuous and wise discreet and well disposed man which is ever glad to help the Poor and needy People for with this glorious Science ye may procure many glorious Gifts of the blessed Trinity both in Riches and Soul which shall never fail you everlastingly Da gloriam Deo Amen Magnalium Dei FINIS RAECIPIOLVM OR THE Immature-Mineral-Electrum THE FIRST METALL Which is the MINERA OF MERCVRY By Ioh. Bapt. Van-Helmont LONDON Printed for William Cooper at the Pelican in Little Britain 1683. Electum Minerale Immaturum id est Metallus primus est Minera Mercurii TAKE of the best Argentum vivum which you shall Distil from its own Minera that is of the best Hungarian Minera which shall hold abundance of Argentum vivum one pound will hold twelve thirteen or fourteen ounces of

the Neck of the Retort which close well together that no fume issue forth of the Receiver Then encrease your Fire by little and little till the fume which issueth be reddish then continue the greater Fire until drops like blood come forth and no more fume will issue forth and when that leaveth bleeding let it cool or asswage the Fire by little and little and when all things are cold then take away the Receiver and close it fast suddenly that the Spirits vanish not away for this Liquor is called our blessed Liquor which Liquor keep close stopped in a Glass till hereafter Then look into the Neck of the Retort and therein you shall find a white hard Ryme as it were the Congelation of a Frosty vapour or much like sublimate which gather with diligence and keep it apart for therein are contained great Secrets which shall be shewed hereafter after the great Work is ended The Creation of our Basis. Then take out all the Feces which remaineth in the Retort and are blackish like unto Soot which Feces are called our Dragon of which feces Calcyne one pound or more at your pleasure in a fervent hot Fire in a Potters or Glass-makers Furnace or in a Furnace of vente or a Wind Furnace until it become a white Calx as white as Snow which white Calx keep well and clean by it self for it is called the Basis and Foundation of the Work and it is now called Mars and our white fixed Earth or ferrum Philosophorum The Calcination of the black Feces called our black Dragon Then take all the rest of the aforesaid black Feces or black Dragon and spread them somewhat thin upon a clean Marble or other fit Stone and put into the one side thereof a burning Coal and the Fire will glide through the Feces within half an Hour and Calcyne them into a Citrine Colour very glorious to behold The Solution of the said Feces Then dissolve those Citrine Feces in such distilled Vinegar as you did before and then filter it likewise three times as before and after make o● evaporate it to a Gum again and then draw out of it more of our Mens●ruum called now Dragon● Blood and ●terate this Work in all points as afore un●il you have either brought all or the most part of the Feces into our Natural and blessed Liquor all which Liquor put to the first Liquor or Menstrue called the Green Lyons Blood and set that Liquor then altogether in one Vessel of Glass fourteen days in Putrification and after proceed to the Separation of Elements for now have you all the Fire of the Stone in this our blessed Liquor which before lay hidden in the Feces which Secret all the Philosophers do marvellously hide The Separation of the Elements whereof the first is the Air and is also counted our Ardent-Water and our Water Attractive Then put all the said putrified Menstruum into a Still of fine Venice Glass fit for the quantity thereof put on the Limbeck and close it to the Still with a fine Linnen Cloth dipt in the White of an Egg and then set it in Balneo Mariae put to the Receiver which must be of a great length that the Spirit respire not out again and with very temperate heat separate the Elements one from another and then the Element of Air will issue forth first which is an Oyl Our Ardent Water or Water Attractive is thus made When all the first Element is distilled● then in another Still fit for it rectify it tha● is to say distil it over 7 several times and until it will burn a Linnen Cloth clean up that is dipt in it when it is put to th● flame which then is called our Ardent Water rectified and is also called our Water Attractive which keep very close st●pped for otherwise the Spirit thereof which is very subtil will vanish away By often rectifying the Ardent Water there will come Aer in a white Oyl swimming above the Water and there will remain behind a yellow Oyl which with a stronger Fire will also come over Put Sublimate beaten small upon a Plate of Iron and in the cold it will dissolve into Water and filter it then and put upon it some of the Ardent Water and it will draw to it self all the Mercury in form of a green Oyl swimming aloft which separate and put into a Retort and distil first a Water and afterward will come a green thick Oyl which is the Oyl of Mercury The Flood or Water of the Stone Then draw out the Flood or Water of the Stone by it self in another Receptory which Liquor will be somwhat white and draw ●t with a very gentle Fire of Balneo until ●here remain in the bottom of the Still a ●hick Oily substance like unto liquid Pitch keep this Water by it self in a fit Glass very close stopped Note when the Liquor cometh white you must put on another Receiver for then all that Element is come over two or three drops of this black Liquid Oyl given in Spirit of Wine cureth all Poyson taken inwardly Our Mans Blood is thus made and rectified Then put our Ardent Water upon that Matter black and liquid stir them well together and let it so stand well covered for 3 Hours then decant and filter it put on fresh Ardent Water and repeat this Operation 3 times and then distil it again with a moist lent Fire of Balneo and so do three times and then it is called Mans blood rectified which the Workers in the Secrets of Nature do so seek and so hast thou the Elements exalted in the virtue of their quintessence namely the Flood that is Water and the Air let this Blood be kept for a season The Oyl or Fire or the Earth of the Stone Then put up the Flood or Water upon the black and soft matter or Earth of the Stone let them be well mingled together and then distil the whole until there remain in the bottom an Earth most dry and black which is the Earth of the Stone save the Oyl with the Water for a season close stopt in any wise The Fiery Water Then beat this black Earth into Powder and mingle it with Mans blood and so let it stand 3 Hours after that distil it on Ashes with a good Fire and Reiterate this work 3 times and then it shall be called Water of the Fire rectified and so hast thou three of the Elements exalted into the Virtue of the quintessence namely Water Air and Fire The Earth Then Calcine the Earth black and dry in Furnace of Reverberation until it become very fine white Calx The Water of Life which is our Mercury and our Lunary Then mingle with this white Calx the ●iery Water and distil it with a strong Fire all 〈◊〉 as before and Calcine the Earth again ●hat remaineth in the bottom of the Still ●nd then distil it again with a strong Fire ●s before and again Calcine it and thus

bright permanent pure and shining of a Celestical Colour And if Water did not enter into our Medicine it could not purifie nor mend it self and so thou couldst not obtain thy desire But that which doth mend it is Sol for the Water cannot be made better without it For without Sol and his shadow a tinging Poyson cannot be generated Whoever therefore shall think that a Tincture can be made without these two Bodyes to wit Sol and Lune he proceedeth to the Practic● like one that is blind For Body doth not Act upon Body nor Spirit upon Spirit Neither doth Form receive an Impression from Form nor Matter from Matter when as like doth not Exercise either Action or Passion upon its like ● For one is not more worthy than an other wherefore there can be no● Action betwixt them when as like doth not bear Rule over like But a Body doth receive Impression from a Spirit as Matter doth from its Form and a Spirit from its Body because they are made and created by God that they may● Act and suffer each from other For Matter would flow infinitely if a Form did not retard and stop its Flux Wherefore when the Body is a Form informing it doth inform and retain the Spirit that it afterwards cannot flow any more The Body therefore doth tinge the Spirit and the Spirit doth penetrate the Body whereas one Body cannot penetrate an other Body but a subtil Spiritual congealed Substance doth penetrate and give Colour to the Body And this is that Gummy and Oleaginous Stone proportioned in its Natures containing a Spiritual Nature occul●●y in it self together with the Elements purifyed Therefore the Philosophers-Stone is to be wholy reduced into this Gumminess by the last Reiteration or Inceration of a certain gentle Flux resolving all the Elements that they flow like Wax But when it is the Stone it appeareth like Copper whereas notwithstanding it is a certain Spiritual Substance penetrating and colouring or tinging all Metallick Bodys From hence thou mayst easily guess that this doth not proceed from the cras●itude and grossness of the Earth but from a Spiritual Metallick Substance which doth penetrate and enter Wherefore it behoveth thee to resolve the Body into a subtil Metallick Spirit and afterwards to congeal and fix retain and incerate it that it may flow before ●it tinge For Gold doth Colour nothing besides it self unless first its own Spirit be extracted out of its own Belly and it be made Spiritual And know that our Mercurial Water is a living Water and a burning Fire mortifying and tearing in pieces Gold more than common Fire And therefore by how much more it is better mixed rubbed and ground with it by so much more it destroyeth it and the living fiery Water is more attenuated But now when three are made one in the Form of a congealed Substance then it hath in it a true Tincture which can endure the Violence of the Fire Therefore when the Body is so tinged it can tinge another and it hath in it self all Tincture and Virtue And from hence all they who tinge with Sol and his Shadow viz. with the Poyson that is Argent vive do perfectly compleat our Stone which we call the great and perfect Gumm And know for certain that it is not necessary that our Stone or Gumm lose its first Mercurial Nature in the Sublimation of its crude and first Spirit for the Oyl and Gumm pertaining to this Stone are nothing else then the Elements themselves Mercurialized and made equal together shut up and coagulated resoluble and living retained or bound in the viscosity of the Oyly Earth and inseparably mixed And we ought to know that that Gum or Oyl is first drawn out of the Bodys which being added it is reduced into a Spirit until the superfluous humidity of the Water be turned into Air drawing one Element out of another by digestion until the Form of Water be converted into the Nature of Oyl and so our Stone in the end getteth the Name of Gumm and Sulphur But whosoever hath brought the Stone thus far that it appear like a mixing Gumm and suffereth it self to be mixed with all imperfect Bodies he verily hath found a great Secret of Nature because that is a perfect Stone Gum and Sulphur This Stone then is compounded of a Body and Spirit or of a volatile and fixed Substance and that is therefore done because nothing in the World can be generated and brought to light without these two Substances to wit a Male and Female From whence it appeareth that although these two Substances are not of one and the same species yet one Stone doth thence arise and although they appear and are said to be two Substances yet in truth it is but one to wit Argent-vive But of this Argent vive a certain part is fixed and digested Masculine hot dry and secretly informing But the other which is the Female is Volatile crude cold and moyst and from these two Substances the whole may easily be known and the whole Stone intirely understood Wherefore if our Stone did only consist of one Substance in it there could be no Action and passion of one thing towards the other for one would neither touch nor come nigh or enter into the other As a Stone and piece of Wood have no Operation on each other since they do consist of a different matter and hence they can by no means no not in the least be mixed together and there is the same reason for all thing● that differ in matter Wherefore it is evident and certain that it should be necessary for the Agent and Patient to be of one and the same Genus but of a different species even as a man differeth from a Woman For although they agree in one and the same Genus yet nevertheless they have diverse Operations and Qualities even as the Matter and Form For the Matter suffereth and the Form acteth● assimulating the Matter to it self and according to this manner the Matter naturally thirsteth after a Form as a Woma● desireth an Husband and a Vile thing a precious one and an impure a pure one so also Argent vive coveteth a Sulphur as that which should make perfect which is imperfect So also a Body freely desireth a Spirit whereby it may at length arrive at its perfection Therefore Learn thou the Natural Roots and those that are better with which thou oughtest to reduce thy Matter whereby thou mayst perfect thy work For this blessed Stone hath in it all things necessary to its perfection The Practick of the same Author If we well consider the Words of Morienus that great Philosopher in Alchimy who saith Mix together Water Earth Air and Fire in a due weight without doubt thou wilt obtain all the Secrets of this Divine Science And first when he saith put into the Water or putrifie the Earth in Water this signifieth nothing else then the Extraction of Water out of

Earth and the pouring of Water upon the Earth so long until the Earth putrifie and be cleansed otherwise it would not bring forth its Fruit. Secondly when he saith mix Water and Air it 's no more then if he should have said mix Water now prepared with Air dissolved or joyn and mix together dissolved Air with Water Judge ye your selves For you know that Air is warm and moyst and ye have the saying of Morienus concerning the dissolution of Air Earth Fire and Water Some when they speak of Dissolution say that the Solution of the Fire is better because whatsoever is dissolved in the Fire that floweth in the Air. And Note that the Fire of the Philosophers is nothing else then the Air dissolved and congealed This you may better comprehend from similitude and suppose that first you have Air dissolved and congealed to which add Fire The Earth ought to be first prepared and the Fire dissolved before they are mixed For the Earth together with the Fire ought to be put into a fit Vessel and after is to be introduced the inextinguishable Fire of Nature which when it descendeth upon the Earth devoureth the whole together with its Gumm and converteth it into its own Nature Wherefore if ye consider well the Sayings and Precepts of the Philosophers and understand their Mystical Sence ye shall come to all the Secrets of the Divine Chymick Art FINIS A Catalogue of certain Chimical-Books Sold by William Cooper at the Pelican in Little-Britain London ROg Bacon of the Cure of Old-Age and Preservation of Youth 1683. 8o Edward Madeira Arrais his account of the Tree of Life 1683. 8o Cardinal Cusa the Idiot of Wisdom and of the Mind Sublime Philosophy for a mental Man 1650. Dominicus de Nuysement of the true Salt and Secret of the Philosophers 1657. 8o Lazarus Erkern of the Refining of Metalls with 44 Figures 1683. Folio Fulke of the Causes of all kind of Stones Metalls Earths c. 1563. 8o Dr. Meverells Answers concerning the Compounding Incorporating Separation and Variation of Metalls and Mineralls 1679. 8o Lirenaeus Philalethes Ripley reviv'd or a Commentary upon Sr. Geo. Ripleys Works of the Philosophers-Stone 1678 Aurifontina Chimica or 14 Treatises of the Philosophers Mercury 1680. 24 s Io. Ioach Bechers Magnalia Naturae of Transmutations done at Vienna c. 1681. Ioh. Ern. Burgravius his Introduction to Astral Philosophy 1664. 8o William Bacons Key to the understanding of Van-Helmonts works 1682. 4o Io. Case his Wards to the Key of Van-Helmont against Dr. Bacon 1682. 4o Rob. Boyle his Aerial Noctiluca or the wonder of this Age. 1680. 8o his Observations upon the Icy Noctiluca 1682. 8o his Antielixir or Degradation of Gold Sr. Ken. Digbies Rare Chymical Secrets as they were presented to him in his Travels through France Spain Italy and Germany by the best Chymists of those Countrys through which he passed and published since his Death by Mr. Hartman his Steward and Operator 1682. 8o Nic. Flammells summary of the Philoso●●ers-Stone 1680. 24. Chr. Glasers compleat Chymist 1677. 8o Geber the Arabian his Works in Chymistry 1678. 8o Hydropyrographum Hermeticum or the true fiery Water o● the Philosophers 1680. 24. Rara Avis in Terris or the compleat Miner their Laws Customs c. 1681. 12o Nic. Lemerys's Course of Chymistry 1677. 8o His Appendix to his Course of Chimistry 1680. 8o Reym Lullies's Clavicula or Key to his Works 1680. 24. A strange Letter concerning the vast Treasure of an Adept 1680. 24 s. William Maxwells's 100 Aphorisms of the Body of Natural Magick 1656. 8o The Principles of the Chymists of London 2 parts 1676. 8o A Philosophical Riddle in Verse with Aurifontina Chym. A Brief Preparation of the Philosophers Stone ibid. Paracelsus his Mystical Philosophy written to the Athenians 1657. 8o The Privy Seal of Secrets discovering the first matter of Philosophers 1680. Io. Rays's Account of the melting smelling preparing and refining of the Metalls and Mineralls in England 1674. 8o Sr. George Ripley's Treatise of Mercury 1680. Const. Rodo●anacis his Discourse of Antimony and its Vertues 1664. 4o An Account of the Philosophers transmuting Powder found by Winces Seilerus in the Chappel of a Monastery in Germany 1683. 4o David Persons Salamandra or Treatise of the Philosophers Stone 1636. 4o Synesius the Greek Abbot of the Philosophers Stone 1678. 8o Secrets Disclos'd of the Philosophers Stone 1680. 24. William Simpsons Philosophical Dialogues of the Principles of things 1677. 8o The Treasure of Treasures 1680. 24. A Treatise of the Blessed Manna of the Philosophers 1680. Tumba Semiramidis the Wise-men's inexhaustible Treasure 1676. 8o The Touch-stone of Gold and Silver wares by W. B. 1677. 8o A new Touchstone of Gold and Silver wares by Io. Reynolds 1679. 8o G. Kendall's Appendix teaching the way to make Mathew's Pill 1663. 8o Bernard Earl of Trevisan his Epistle to Thomas of Bononia concerning the Secret workings of Nature in the Product of things 1680. 24. William Cooper's Catalogue of Chimical Books in 3 parts 1675. 8o The end THE BOSOME-BOOK OF Sir GEORGE RIPLEY CANON OF BRIDLINGTON CONTAINING His Philosophical Accurtations in the makeing the Philosophers Mercury and Elixirs LONDON Printed for William Cooper at the Pelican in Little Britain 1683. The Bosome-Book of Sir George Ripley The whole Work of the Composition of the Philosophical Stone of the great Elixir and of the first Solution of the gross Body FIrst take 30 pound weight of Sericon or Antimony which will make 21 pound weight of Gum or near thereabouts if it be well dissolved and the Vinegar very good and dissolve each pound thereof in a Gallon of twice distilled Vinegar when cold again and as it standeth in Dissolution in a fit Glass Vessel stirr it about with a clean Stick very often every day the oftner the better and when it is well moulten to the bottom then filter over the said Liquors three several times which keep close covered and cast away the Feces for that is superfluous ●ilth which must be removed and entreth not into the Work but is called Terra damnata The making of our Gum or green Lyon Then put all these cold Liquors thus filtred into a fit Glass Ves●el and ●et it into Balneo Maria to evaporate in a temperate heat which done our Sericon will be coagulated into a green Gum called our green Lyon which Gum dry well yet beware thou burn not his Flowers nor destroy his greenness The Extraction of our Menstrue or blood of our green Lion Then take out the said Gum and put it into a strong Retort of Glass very well Luted and place it in your Furnace and under that at the first make sober Fire and anon you shall see a faint Water issue forth let it waste away but when you see a white Smoak or fume issue forth then put too a Receiver of Glass which must have a very large Belly and the mouth no wider then it may well receive into that

●istil and Calcine 7 times until all the Sub●●ance of the Calx be lifted up by the Limbeck ●nd then hast thou the Water of Life recti●ied and made indeed Spiritual and so hast ●hou the 4 Elements exalted in the Virtue of their quintessence This Water will dis●olve all Bodies and putrify them and Purge ●hem and this is our Mercury and our Luna●y and whosoever thinketh that there is any other Water then this is Ignorant and a ●ool and shall never be able to come to the ●ffect A grand secret or Accurtation of Sr. Georg● Ripley for the help of those which have made the Philosophers Mercury and whose Poverty disables them to proceed to either the Red or White Elixir Take the Cerus or Cream of the fine●● and purest Cornish Tinn moulten reduce 〈◊〉 into fine white Calx put it into a fit Glas● Still and thereupon pour a convenient quantity of our Mercury when it is our Luna●ry perfect then distil that Mercury from the Calx again and inbibe it therewith again and again distil and reiterate this work until the Calx is become subtil an● Oyly yea and so subtil indeed that it wil● How upon a Plate of Copper Fiery hot 〈◊〉 Wax and not evaporate which then wil● convert Copper into fine Silver for the softness and neshness of the Tinn is taken away by the benefit of our Mercury confixed unto it by Virtue of which it is made indurate an● clean that it may agree with hard● Bodies in fusion and in Malleation even as pure Silver This work is very gainful and easie to be dealt withal use it therefore until thou be Rich and then I pray thee for our Lords sake go to the great work which ●s hear truly set forth unto thee according as ●y Practice I have wrought and proved the ●ame For the which thank God The Oyl which is the Element of Fire and our red Mercury The Flood with the Oyl afore reserved ●hall be distilled with a most lent Fire of ●alneo and the red Oyl which remaineth in ●he bottom shall be diligently kept by it self ●or it is the Element of Fire and the Water ●hall be rectified again and the same work ●terated until no more of our said red Luna●y will remain in it The work of Putrification When all your Elements be thus separated then take the white Calcined Feces first of all reserved called Mars and put so much thereof into a Chymia as will scarcely fill half the Glass and thereupon pour so much of our Ardent Water rectified as may but well cover the Calx which done incontinent stop close the Glass with a Blind-head and set it into a cold place until the Calx have drank up all the Liquor which it will do in 8 days then imbibe it again with the like quantity of the same Water and let it stand eight days more and so Reiterate the work from 8 days to 8 days untill the same Calx will drink no more but stand Liquid still then Seal up the Glass with Hermes seal and set it in Balneo Mariae in a temperate heat to Putrifaction The digestion of the white Stone Then in that temperate Balneo let your Glass stand unremoved by the space of fully● 150 days and until the Stone within the Glass become first Russet and after whitish green and after that very white like unto the Eyes of Fishes which then is Sulphur of Nature flowing and not evaporating in Fire and our white Stone ready to be firmented Another Secret Accurtation of Sr. George Ripley Take the above said Sulphur of Nature and project a quantity upon a Plate of Glass fiery hot and the Glass shall be converted into a Silver Colour and that Colour shall not be removed by any Art The digestion of the Red Stone Then take out the white Stone and divide it in to two and know the true weight of each half the one half reserve to the white work the other half put into the Glass and seal it up again with Hermes Seal and then remove the Glass into a Cinerition which is somewhat a hotter Fire and let it stand there likewise unremoved in that digestion until it become Red and of a Purple Colour so have you the red Stone also ready to be fermented The Preparation of the Ferment to the white-Stone Then take Silver well purged from all Metalls and other filth that may be joyned with it and dissolve it in as much of our Lunary which is our Mercury as the quantity of your Silver is and in no greater quantity as near as you may and set it upon warm Ashes close covered and when it is throughly dissolved the whole Liquor will be green then rectifie our Mercury clean from it again twice or thrice so that no drop of our Mercury be rest with it then seal up the Oyl of Luna in a Chemia and set it in Balneo to putrifie until it shew all Colours and at the last come to be Christaline white which then is the white Ferment of Ferments The Fermentation of the white-Stone Then put that half of the white Stone before reserved for the white-Work into a fit Glass and know his weight and put so much of the foresaid Lune Ferment into the Glass with the Stone as may contain the 4 th part of the said Stone and in the said Glass well luted fix them together in a fixatory Vessel under the Fire which will be well done in 2 or 3 days The Inceration of the White-stone When they are thus fixed together and become one very fine Powder incerate that is to say imbibe it with the white Oyl of our Stone which is our Lunary by pouring on as it were drop after drop until the Stone be Oylish then congeal it and again imbibe it and in this manner iterate this work until this Stone will flow in Fire like Wax when it is put upon a Plate of Copper Fiery hot and not evaporate and congeal it up until it be hard white and transparent clear ●s Chrystal then it is the Medicine of the ●hird degree and the perfect white Stone ●ransmuting all Metaline Bodies and chie●●y Copper and Iron into pure and perfect Silver The Preparation of the Red-ferment Then likewise take Gold very purely first ●urged from all other Metals that may be joy●ed with it with ten parts of Antimony and ●hen dissolve it in our Mercury or Liquor So●●tive as before you did the Lune and when 〈◊〉 is perfectly dissolved the Liquor will be Citrine then in like manner rectifie from 〈◊〉 again our Mercury or Liquor Solutive and then Seal up the Oyl of Gold Ferment in a Chemia fit for it and set it in Balneo to Pu●●ifie which likewise will become black and must stand still unremoved in digestion until it become white which then remove into a stronger Fire without opening the Glass and then keep it until it change Colours and become Citrine which then is also

the Philosophers Fire is what the magical Elements the Key or dissolving Menstruum whence it is to be drawn whether sweet or corrosive cold or fiery it hath troubled me often to see such men so concerned and in vain laborious in those things wherein they at length could find nothing but vanity and affliction of mind wherfore commiserating them by the impulse of Charity I do freely impart though many will accuse me as guilty of violated silence the Light mercifully communicated to me that they may use the same as a Key to the Sanctuary of that sacred Knowledg But the curious Industry and indefatigable Curiosity of you being most excellent in the exact Arcana's and Work of Polydaedalus nature having invited all the Learned men of the World by your most sweet incitements to communicate the most secret things enjoyneth and obligeth me to make you the genuine Sons of all sorts of Knowledg Heirs of this which in my judgment is the most exact and curious Work of all Nature But who I am enquire not I am a man that makes it my study to profit others your Friend and an admirer of your Vertues known to many at least by name Farewell therefore ye Students of Nature and High-Priests of Art the lofty Stars of Germany God be with you and with his Power strengthen your Works and Thoughts that they may be highly advantagious to the whole Commonwealth of Learning for the encrease of the Publick-good and the immortal Glory of your own Names From my Study Ian. 1. 1674. THE Tomb of SEMIRAMIS Hermetically Sealed CHAP. I. Of the Physical subject of the Philosophers Stone THE Fear of the Lord is the beginning of our Work and the end Charity and love of our Neighbour Entring therefore with the assistance of our good God upon so divine a Work it must be first enquired what the subject thereof is For as a Plough-man in vain prepares his Ground for Harvest unless he be assured of the Seed so also he prepares the Chymical Ground without ●ny recompence if he knows not what he sows therein and herein at this day many do perplex themselves and are hurried into different opinions But this is not a place to discuss all these things whilst some do seek it in the Animal Kingdom in Blood Sperm Sweat Urine Hair Dung Egs Serpents Toads Spiders c. Others are with great diligence imploy'd in the Vegetable Kingdom especially in Wine for the unprofitable Magistery For though it be manifest to us that the supreme Medicine of our health may be obtained in either Kingdom and indeed in Man especially in his heart as also in Wine for as Gold contains the vertues of all Minerals so do these two comprehend the powers of all Animals and Vegetables as contracted into one yet that the great work of Philosophers could be made from them was never in the thought of any Adept it is therefore requisit to be sought in the Mineral Kingdom But there is also here a great company of Dissenters so that we have need of an Oedipus For some there be that think to extract it out of the middle Minerals as they call them namely Salt Nitre Alom and such other but all in vain because they have in them no Argent vive into which they may be resolved in which error even we in our primitive ignorance were also involved It remains therefore to be supposed that Metals are the Physical subject of our blessed Stone But here also the matter is in suspence because Metals are some perfect and some imperfect But in fine we say that all fused Metals but especially the not fused though imperfect may by the intimate depuration of their original pollution which yet is very difficult and by outward appearance scarce possible be the subject of the Stone whereof saith Flamel some have operated in Iupiter others in Saturn but I saith he have operated and found it out in Sol and in Exercit. ad Turbam it is read That all Metals clean and unclean are internally Sol and Luna and Mercury but there is one true Sol which is drawn from them And the Author of the ●ecret work of the Hermetick Philosophy Can. 16. saith He that seeks the Art of multiplying and perfecting imperfect Metals but by the nature of Metals deviates from the truth for Metals must be expected from Metals as the species of Man from Man of Beast from Beast And Can. 18. He proceeds thus Perfect Bodies are endowed with a more perfect Seed under the hard shell therefore of the perfect Metals lieth the perfect Seed which he that knoweth how to extract by Philosophical Resolution is entred into the Royal Path. So also that Anonymous Philalethes in his Introduction into the King's Sacred Palace Chap. 19. concerning the progress of the Work in the first forty days There is indeed in all even in the common Metals Gold but nearer in Gold and Silver though as the same Adept speaks well there is yet one thing in the Metallick Kingdom of an admirable off-spring in which our Gold is nearer than in common Gold and Silver if you seek it in the hour of its nativity which melts in our Mercury as Ice in warm Water c. But leaving now these more imperfect Metals at present we declare those two great and more perfect Luminaries Sol and Luna to wit Gold and Silver to be the Physical subject of the Stone which way a great part of the Philosophers have followed and came to their desired end Which same thing Augurellus shews 2 Chrysop when he saith Take a Metal pure and purged of all its dross whose Spirit recedes in its secret part and being pressed with a great weight lives privily and desires to be released from bands and to be sent out of prison to Heaven being spread into thin plates The same in Chrys. lib. 1. Seek not the principles of Gold any-where else for in Gold is the seed of Gold though being close shut up it retires further and is to be sought by us with tedious labour And concerning the dignity of both the Luminari●s Lully that Star of Spagyrick Philosophy in his Book P.M. 28. saith Two are more pure than the rest●●amely Gold and Silver without which the Work cannot be begun or finished because in them is the purest substance of Sulphur perfectly purified by the ingenuity of Nature and out of these two bodies prepared with their Sulphur or Arsenick our Medicine may be extracted and cannot be had without them And Cla●gor Buccinae saith You must operate prudently and expresly because neither Sol nor Luna can be without ferment and any other seed or ferment is not proper and useful but Gold to the red and Silver to the white which bodies being first subtiliated under weight must then be sowed that they may putrify and be corrupted where one form being destroyed another more noble is put on and this is done by the means of our Water alone From hence

Mercury and the Mercury of Metals which many have sought but few have found Ioachimus Poleman of the Mystery of the Philosophers Sulphur by help of his duplicated and satiated Corrosive divides a Metal into the least Atomes and dilacerates it to be delivered to the ●●ry Menstruum dissolving it to a tinging Soul It is calcined by us another and better way which Calcination we rather call the first solution and it is done by pouring the Wine of Life to the Calxes of Sol or Luna aforesaid put into a Phial which is our Menstruum of which hereafter in Chap. 6. to the heighth of a fingers breadth and putting to an Head or Alembick they must be digested in Ashes or also in Sand and coagulated being coagulated you must pour on new Menstruum as before and coagulate and that three or four times or till the metallick Calx melt at the ●●re like Wax or Ice which is a sign of sufficient Philosophical calcination and this is done with the preservation of the Metal in its primitive vertue and this is that which Aristotle saith in the Rosary joyn your Son Gabricius deare● to you then all your Children with his Sister Beja who is a tender sweet and splendid Virgin CHAP. IV. Of the second and true Philosophical Solution of Bodies and their reduction into Mercury HAving performed Calcination or th● first Solution whereof we have spoke● in the preceding Chapter and which a● the anonymous Philosopher in his Golden Treatise of the Philosophers Stone in his Answer hath it ought to be sweet and full natural that is which should without noise dissolve the Subject with the preservation o● its radical moisture then the Bodies so calcined● must be put into a Phial hermetical●y sealed and in a gentle heat of Bal. Mar●r Dew be digested or putrified the space ●f a Philosophical Month for a voluntary ●olution is better than a violent a tem●erate than a speedy as the Philosopher ●ath it And thus is made the second and true Solution of a Metal into viscous water ●r a certain Oleity with the preservation of ●he radical moisture in which is the true metallick Sulphur together with the true ●nd most noble Mercury for one of them is always the Magnet and remains solving with ●he solved and desires to continue inseparably and that because of the similitude of substance Wherefore the Ancients said Na●ure rejoyceth in Nature Nature overcom●th and altereth Nature whereby the essen●ial or formal Solution is distinguished from the corrosive Solution But you must know that from Luna is obtained a liquor or green ●incture which is the true Elixir of Luna and the highest Arcanum to comfort the Brain But from Sol by equal putrifaction ●s produced a Liquor of the highest redness which is the true Elixir of Sol and the quinessence of Metal Whereof saith Geber we make sanguine Gold better than that produced by Nature which Nature no wise makes Concerning this Viscosity Geber further speaks briefly We have most exactly tried all things and that by approved Reasons but we could never find any thing permanent i● Fire except the viscous Moisture the sole radi● of all Metals when as all the other Moisture being not well united in homogenei●y do easily ste● from Fire and the Elements are easily separated from one another but the viscous Moisture to wit● Mercury is never consumed with Fire nor is the Water separated from the Earth but they either remain altogether or go altogether away But will you enquire in what weight the Menstru●m is to be ●spoused to a Metal The Philosophers Rosary saith As in the working of Bread a little Le●ven le●veneth and sermenteth a great quantity of Paste so also a modicum of Earth is sufficient for the nutrition of the whole Stone Aristotle nominates the weight saying do thus and coct till the Earth that is the Gold hath exhausted ten parts of the Water The Author of Novum Lumen at the end of his Book breaks forth into these words There ought to be ten parts of Water to one part of Body and by this way we make Mercury without common Mercury by taking ten parts of our Mercurial Water that is the Mercurial Oyl of Salt putrefied and alembicated which is an unctious vapour to one part of the body of Gold and being included in a Vessel by continual coction the Gold is made Mercury that is an un●●uous vapour and not common Mercury as some falsly do imagine CHAP. V. What a Quintessence properly is PARACELSVS in his third Book of long Life chap. 2. discoms●th thus A Quint●ssence is nothing else but the goodness of Nature so that all Nature passeth into a spagyrick mixture and temperament in which no corrup●ible thing and nothing contrary is to be found He also in his fourth Book Archidox of the Quintessence saith A Quintessence is a matter which is corporally extracted out of all Creseitives and out of all things that have life being separated from all impurity and mortality most purely subtiliated and divided from all the Elements thereof And a little after in the same place You ought to know concerning the Quintessence that it is a matter little and small lodged and harboured in some Tree Herb Stone or the like the rest is a pure body from which we learn the separation of the Elements Rupescissa concerning the Quintessence in chap. 5. about the end saith The Quintessence which we seek is therefore a thing ingeniated by divine breath which by continual ascensions and descensions is separated from the corruptible body of the four Elements and the reason is because that which is a second time and often sublimed is more subtile glorified and separated from the corruption of the four Elements then when it ascends only once and so that which is sublimed even to a thousand times and by continual ascension and descension comes to so great a vertue of glorification that it is a compound almost incorruptible as the Heavens and of the matter of the Heavens and therefore called Quintessence because 't is in respect of the Body as the Heavens are in respect of the whole World almost after the same way by which Art can imitate Nature as by a certain like very near and connatural way CHAP. VI. Of the Philosophical Fire or Dissolving Menstruum or our Liquor Alkahest THe preparation of this Water or most noble Juice which is the Kings true Bath the Philosophers always held occult so that Bernard Count Tresne and Neigen Book 2. said he had made a vow to God to Philosophers and to Equity not plainly to explain himself to any man because it is the most secret Arcanum of the whole Work and is so indeed for if this Liquor were manifested to every man Boys would then deride our Wisdom and Fools would be equal to the Wise and the whole World would rush hither with a blind impulse and ●un themselves headlong without any regard to Equity or Piety to the bottom of Hell