C. R. CHARLES the Second by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting Whereas JOHANNES SEGERVS WEIDENFELD Gent. hath by his humble Petition represented unto us That with much Study and great Expence he hath composed a Tract De Secretis Adeptoâ—um which he is desirous to Print in Our Dominions and hath therefore humbly besought us to grant unto him Our Royal Licence and Priviledge for the sole Printing and Publishing thereof We have received good Testimony of the Usefulness of the said Tract and being willing to give all fitting Encouragement to such commendable Works have thought fit to condescend to that his Request and We do accordingly hereby grant Our Royal Licence and Priviledge unto him the said JOHANNES SEGERVS WEIDENFELD his Executors Administrators and Assigns for and during the space of fourteen Years to be computed from the day of the first setting forth of the same And Our Royal Will and Pleasure is and We do hereby Require and Command That during the said Term of Fourteen Years no Printer Publisher or other Person whatsoever being our Subjects do presume to Imprint or cause to be Imprinted without the Knowledge and Consent of him the said JOHANNES SEGERVS WEIDENFELD his Executors Administrators or Assigns the aforesaid Tract or any Part thereof or to sell the same or to import into our Kingdom of England any Copies thereof Imprinted in any Parts beyond the Seas upon pain of the Loss and Forfeiture of all Copies so Imprinted Sold or Imported contrary to the Tenor of this Our Royal Licence and of such other Penalties as the Laws and Statutes of this Our Realm will inflict And of this Our Pleasure the Master Wardens and Assistants of the Company of Stationers are to take Notice that the same may be Entred in their Register and due Obedience be yielded thereunto Given at Our Court at Windsor the 18th Day of August 1684. in the Six and Thirtieth Year of Our Reign By His Majesties Command SUNDERLAND FOUR BOOKS OF JOHANNES SEGERVS WEIDENFELD Concerning the SECRETS of the ADEPTS OR Of the Use of Lully's Spirit of VVine A PRACTICAL WORK With very great Study Collected out of the Ancient as well as Modern FATHERS of ADEPT PHILOSOPHY Reconciled together BY Comparing them one with another otherwise disagreeing and in the newest Method so aptly digested that even young Practitioners may be able to discern the Counterfeit or Sophistical Preparations of Animals Vegetables and Minerals whether for Medicines or Metals from True and so avoid Vagabond Impostors and Imaginary Processes together with the Ruine of Estates ISAACUS HOLLANDUS 2. Oper. Miner Cap. 3. Pag. 420. Vol. 3. Theatr. Chym. I discours'd you plainly using no Allegories should I tell you of Selbach Kalcabria Manessi and of a red Matter or of the Sky-coloured Muerach Illabar and Calfaria or the like you would not easily apprehend me but I have opened you the way and removed every Obstacle that you may not err London Printed by Will. Bonny for Tho. Howkins in George-Yard in Lombard-Street MDCLXXXV Authori Sacrum QUod nemo est ausus citior quod nemo Sophorum Praestitit in calamo claret in orbe tuo Hactenus in sophicis sparsim tumulata tenebris Ars jacuit dubiis inveterata strophis Fabula nasutis avidisque Tarantula stultis Oedipus ignaris Labyrinthus avis Hic asinum fingebat equum mox certior alter Pone aures leporem se tenuisse putat Sic inhians Lapidi Lapidis vice volvere saxum Conatur chymici nescia turba gregis Hoc quantum tua nunc removendo industria saxo Contribuat sophiae judicat ipse tyro Semisophique tuos psallent sine fraude labores Veri candoris propria signa tui Et ciniflona cohors exspes prostrata resumptis Viribus antiquum macte subibit onus Ne vero sine re sis infelicior ipsis Perge laborantem continuare manum Participesque Sacro digitos carbone notare Ut videant sibi Te reddere nolle parem Quo tua sedulitas tibi nomen omen Adepti Aspirante Dei conciliabit ope Posteraque emeritas cantabit natio laudes Et referet grates ubere dote pias Sic Amico suo cecinit ALBERTVS OTHO FABER Reg. Maj. Britannicae Med. Ordinar To the Right Honourable ROBERT BOYLE A CHIEF MEMBER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY Long Life and Health THE Arcanums of Paracelsus being applauded by many men with so many and such ample Encomiums yet not enough incited me Ten Years since first to undertake the consulting of Paracelsus himself about his Medicines Two Years thereof had elapsed in which I turned over his Books day and night with an indefatigable and invincible Mind yet with unequal Success and scarce any Benefit at all For in the Books of Paracelsus besides the usual way of concealing Secrets common to the Adepts I found another much greater difficulty withal yet less frequented by the Adepts Paracelsus as Corrector of the Adepts having propos'd to himself therein the instructing of not only raw initiated Scholars but even expert Masters of the more secret Chymy and for this reason he abbreviates his Receipts with wonderful Accurtations Learned indeed to the Learned but to us seem as lame and impeâ—fect and besides they are so disguised with most intricate Terms of the true Philosophical Chymy as to illude not only shallow but profound Capacities Which Impossibility I had almost said of understanding Paracelsus aggravates by intermixing Common with Secret Receipts which is not for a Scholar but a most experienced Master to distinguish But of these Difficulties the first and greatest Obstacle withal was my own unhappy Preconception of some Alkahest For being now out of the hope of attaining to the preparation of this Liquor by other mens Books as well as Paracelsus his own De Viribus Membrorum I betook my self to other places treating of the Circulatum minus and Specificum corrosivum as synonimous Terms of the Alkahest with some men to which I added the Aqua or Oleum Salis Aqua Comedens Aqua Regis Circulatum majus and one after another being perswaded that some one only universal Menstruum was intended by all that I might find the Method of preparing this Liquor in all places compared together which I could not in each severally but at length despairing and being overcome by the manifold and almost incredible yet unsuccessful pains I took I resolved to decline Chymy and Medicine as Arts too deep for my understanding When behold on a sudden the Eyes of my Mind were opened and I saw all these things differ not in name only but also in matter preparation and use so instead of one Liquor Alkahest which I sought for I found in Paracelsus many Menstruums with the several Uses of them all in Medicine now knew I how to prepare and according to Paracelsus distinguish things into Essences Magisteries Astrums Arcanums and those
which he calls the less Medicines so that which was in Paracelsus most difficult to be understood by others became more clear to me than any thing else and so I obtained the End sooner than the Beginning Yet the Joy from thence accrewing fell shorter than expectation for having tried several Experiments in vain I came to understand that these Menstruums of Paracelsus contained something abstruse and unknown to be understood not in the least according to the Letter whereupon examining them more exactly and comparing their Qualities with the Nature of the Liquor Alkahest I found a vast difference between it and them for it is said There is one Liquor Alkahest and that universal but many are the Menstruums of Paracelsus that indestructible that destructible that not mixing with Bodies these abiding with them that preserves the Virtues of things these alter them that ascends after the Essences of things in destillation these before their dissolutions c. I was at a stand sometime which part to take one while I wish'd for one indestructible Liquor rather than many destructible Menstruums supposing that one better than many another while changing my Mind I desired the Menstruums as sufficient for many Uses I knew before Truth overcame at length enabling me now to demonstrate the most if not all the Medicines of Paracelsus in Guido and Basilius On the contrary I perceived the Arcanums of Paracelsus commonly so called as prepared by that Liquor Alkahest or the like to be more and more different yea contrary to the Authentick wherefore as to the Preparation of Medicines I began to abstain yea desisted from further enquiring into the obscure Matter Preparation and Use of that Liquor Alkahest namely that which I find described in one place of Paracelsus as a Medicine but not in the least as a Menstruum Which Obstacle being removed I found an easie way from Paracelsus to Lully Basilius and other Philosophers of the same Faculty who I saw agreed all unanimously in confirmation of the Paracelsian Menstruums yea Light adding Light to Light appeared so clear that their preparation variety simple and literal sense shewed themselves all at once one only Word remaining unknown yet expressing the universal Basis of all the Adepts and that is Spirit of Wine not Common but Philosophical which being known and obtained the greatest Philosophical Medicinal Alchymical and Magical Mysteries of the more secret Chymy will be in the power of the Possessor In no Books of the Adepts hitherto known of me have I found any thing rare that owes not its original Being to this Spirit so that I dare affirm that whatsoever Chymical Spirits lower and higher fixed and volatile are able to do the very same and more will this our Spirit perform This it was that moved me to employ all my Study and Endeavours turning over every Stone in quest of the Spirit of this Wine and continually ruminating upon those abstruse and variously disguis'd Terms whereby they clouded it as the Key of all Philosophy behold the Fame of your great Name welcom'd me to Wilde the Metropolis of Lithuania and observing that You in expounding Natural Philosophy abstained from all manner of Intricacy and as the first and only Person indeed using a plain and candid Series of Words in applying common Examples of Vulgar Chymistry I rejoyced with my self thinking What could not this great man do if Master of the more secret Chymy I resolved with my self therefore to take a Journey into England for your sake alone that I might confer with you about the Menstruums as well as Medicines and other Secrets of Paracelsus from whom also I promised to my self very great Assistance in some other things not yet known Nor indeed has my hope deceived me for besides the easie admission common to all Strangers and Foreigners you have been pleas'd to vouchsafe me a more free Access received me courteously and commended my Studies and thereby rais'd my Mind to greater Things Which Favours do oblige me to Dedicate this part of my Studies to you your self Earnestly and Humbly beseeching you kindly to accept it and continue your Love and Friendly Countenance to him that is and ever will be Your Honour 's Most Obedient Servant J. S. W. TO THE STUDENTS OF THE MORE Secret Chymy UNder Heaven is not such an Art more promoting the honour of God more conducing to Mankind and more narrowly searching into the most profound Secrets of Nature than is our true and more than laudable Chymy This is it which shews the Clemency Wisdom and Omnipotence of the Creator in the Creatures which teacheth not only Speculation but also Practice and Demonstration the Beginning Progress and end of things which restoreth our Bodies from infinite Diseases as by common means intolerable to pristine health and diverts our Minds from the Cares and Anxieties of the World the Thorns and Bryars of our Souls to Tranquility of Life from Pride to Humility from the Love and Desire of worldly Wealth to the Contempt thereof And in a word which raiseth us from earth to heaven Yet for all that may we say of it with the same truth that amongst all the Arts which have yielded any benefit or profit to the World there is none by which less honour has hitherto accrued to God Almighty and less utility to mankind for lest a Science of so great dignity and utility should be too common or ill managed by the ignorant and impious the prudent Possessors of the same made it their business so to describe it as to make it known to their Disciples only but exclude unworthy altogether from it But in process of time the Adepts arriving to a greater perfection of Knowledge and Experience invented sometimes one someâ—imes another shorter Method in their Work altering Fornaces Fires Vessels Weights yea and the Matter it self who being thereby also constrain'd to make new Theories and Terms of Art according to the new invented Practice it happened that the Scholar of one Adept understood not the new Theory much less the practice of another which also sometimes happened to the Adepts themselves those especially which were under the document of some certain Patron in some particular Method and Process for they had not the power of discerning further than they had learnt whereupon they commonly suspected all the Notions of other men especially those that differed from theirs though in themselves good and right as fallacious and contrary to Nature or applied other mens Theories Sentences and Terms of Art unknown to themselves to their own private Process with which they were acquainted as I shall by many Examples elsewhere declare by which very thing they involved this Art in such a Chaos of obscurity that hitherto neither Masters nor Scholars have scarce had the power of communicating any benefit to the learned World It is to be wondred at but rather lamented to see such imperfect Philosophical Systems as have been hitherto bequeathed to us by the Masters
as well the congruity as wonderful dexterity of the Masters that where you take away or deny one of them you cannot but reject all the rest as false on the contrary he that owns one amongst all to be true must repute all the rest true and consequently vindicate the Authors of them our most venerable Masters from all the Infamy of Lying and Scurrility Variety springing out of Unity the Fountain of Truth and returning into it as into its Ocean illustrates the excellency of those Receipts I could never yet satisfie my self whether there be infinite or only one Receipt in our Chymy divided into divers parts and designed for several Uses Variety I observe in the various and distinct parts of these four Treatises but Unity in every part yea in the Individual of every Part you will always find three confirming one Treatise In the the First Book of Menstruums you will find also the Medicines of the Second and Alchymical Tinctures of the Third and Secrets of the Fourth Book which very thing is also to be understood of the Second Third and Fourth Books Lastly These Receipts are not only true but also clear described by plain and common Words to be understood not only according to the Letter but also by their clearness illustrating and explaining Places more obscure otherwise not intelligible so that by one only Process you will sometimes explain more than ten Theoretical Books never explicable but by this Light Now these Receipts I was willing to communicate to you ye indefatigable Students of this Art for the Reasons already given as also that you may throughly apprehend the absolute necessity of Lully's Spirit of Wine in our Chymy before I treat with you concerning the Matter and Preparation of it No man desires that which is unknown to him or pursues that which he knows not the benefit of Wherefore I was desirous first to demonstrate the several Vses of this Spirit by the Experiments of the Adepts which if you find true they will be of such service to you hereafter as to be much to your detriment to be without them but if false slight and give no credit to them but accuse the Masters the Authors of them of Lying Deceit and Villany but such wickedness I never expect from you whatsoever Adversaries the blind and ignorant of this Art will do we little regard and if a Zoilus or Momus appear according to his Custom let him chaw the Shell that is the homely Style the slender and slight Observations and Conclusions given upon the Receipts all which we give him freely but touch the Kernel he cannot But if either now or hereafter you reap any joy or benefit by the sight of Diana attribute it not to Diana though of Ephesus nor to me but to God Almighty who hath by his Light brought us out of this Cimmerian Darkness The time perhaps will come wherein I may be further useful and assistant in procuring liberty for you to embrace Diana in your Arms as also discourse familiarly with her concerning her Doves Forest Fountain Milk Aqua vitoe c. for at present you read the Inscription upon her Forehead Touch me not Wherefore I advise you not to touch the Secrets of Diana unless you have to try the Fate and Fortune of Acteon Inscius Actaeon vidit sine veste Dianam Praeda suis canibus non minus ille fuit Actaeon hunting in the Woods alone When he the naked Goddess saw unknown He for who could her Fury stay Was to her Fury and his Dogs a Prey We may indeed behold her but not embrace her yet a while for this is permitted to none but Adepts and such as are Masters of the Philosophical Wine but if you object with the Poet Quid juvat Aspectus si non conceditur Vsus 'T is not the Sight but Use that gives Delight To these Things I answer you That by viewing Diana naked 1. You will find that all the Secrets of Chymy depend upon one only Center of the Art namely the Spirit of Philosophical Wine 2. You will understand that all the Preparations of all the Secrets are done according to the signification of the Words 3. You will perceive that all Processes of what Method and Matter soever if not without the Spirit of Philosophical Wine are true and will never be false 4. Whatsoever is rare or select dispersed here and there by the best of the Adepts you will have here pick'd and digested into order so as that there will be nothing wanting but the enjoyment of them 5. You will moreover have the convenience of chusing the best and shortest out of all the Processes 6. Or you will be enabled to find out also more of your selves if these please you not 7. You will see that he who hath performed even the least thing in this Art may consequently also perform the greatest 8. One only clear Process will open the understanding of more otherwise most obscure 9. You may know also that the Adepts themselves have been sometimes in the dark and oftentimes understood not the style of anothers Writing That some have corrected others and so made the Art more perfect 10. And to say all at once No man though never so Learned though never so Eloquent though never so subtil an Impostor will be able for the future either by his Authority Perswasion or subtilty to deceive any man and drive him out of our common Road into an untrodden Path except he be willing himself Nor will you alone be free from the Deceipts of other men but your own Mistakes also by which you have hitherto most miserably lost all Time Pains Money Health and what not You have made your very Life it self vain unprofitable and offensive to your selves as well as others Yea and such are the glittering Rays of our Diana that I fear they will dazzle your eyes like as the Israelites were at the sight of Moses descending from the Mountain You will scarce believe me should I affirm that the Secrets of the Adepts are to be understood and prepared according to the Letter if you argue it to be improbable that the Adepts should have exposed their Mysteries to the view of all men they themselves having advertised you of the contrary What then Is not this our Art saith Artesius cabalistical and full of Mysteries And you Fool believe we teach the Secrets of Secrets openly and understand our Words according to the Letter be assured I am not envious as others he that takes the Philosophers Sayings according to the common sence and signification has already lost the Clew of Ariadnes and wanders up and down the Labyrinth and it would be of the same benefit to him as if he had thrown his Money into the Sea The same thing adviseth Sendivogius in the Preface of the twelve Treatises I would saith he have the candid Reader know that my Writings admit not so much a verbal construction but such rather as Nature
Mercury and other things synonymous to the Matter of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or things prepared by the same Spirit Vegetable Sal Harmoniack Philosophical Vinegar c. For this Spirit of Wine being prevaricated the Adepts knew that all the rest though never so plainly discovered to the Sons of Art could not contribute the least benefit to the Reader Wherefore I fear not the indignation of the Adepts nor the Anathema's which they thundred out against the Betrayers of their Secrets having herein done nothing more but to speak ingenuously less than they themselves I have according to my capacity methodically digested those things which were here and there confusedly dispersed but added nothing of my own and so expect neither Honour nor Thanks from you but this only that I may know if our Studies please and I shall supply those things that are here wanting and desired somewhat more largely for I will not refuse to assist you yet further by the industry of my Studies So that nothing remains but upon our bended Knees to return most humble Thanks to the Father of Lights in vouchsafing us this Art by the Writings of his Servants and the High Priests of Nature without which it would be beyond the power of man to arrive to so great a degree of Knowledge Now celebrate with me the Urns of our pious Masters who have for the Welfare of Mankind rather dispersed than buried their Talents and may you oblige your selves to the same good Office if you have any of their Writings not yet published Finally It is my earnest Suit to the Adepts now living that they would please to employ themselves freely in expounding Nature correcting Philosophy and Medicine And lastly refuting all the deceitful Sects of Philosophers as well in the Academies as private Schools for the advancement of the Glory of God being singularly eminent in this Art So be it The First Book OF MENSTRUUMS RIPLEY Cap. 2. Medullae Philos Chym. We will here demonstrate the clear Practice how such Menstruums as be Unctuous and Moist Sulphureous and Mercureal well agreeing with the Nature of Metals wherewith our Bodies are to be artificially dissolved may be obtained London Printed for Tho. Howkins in George-Yard in Lombard-Street 1685. The Translator to the Reader YOur Business it is not mine otherwise than as a Reader to judge of this Work but the ample and publick Encomiums of Learned Societies beyond the Seas already declaring their Sentiments of its Rarity and Excellency are convictive Authorities far beyond my Opinion and therefore I shall be silent only this I think necessary to let you know that our Author having little spare time himself left his Latine Impression to be by others corrected which has been the cause of many Errors and indeed in some Places so gross that the Author himself could scarce retrieve his own Meaning This to prevent in the English Translation he has been pleased to use all Care to have it exactly import his own Mind I must also tell you that though I have taken no small pains in endeavouring to make this weighty Work speak true and perfect English yet my Copy not being punctually observed you will find many small Mistakes besides the Errata's inserted at the latter end of the Book which you may please as you read to correct Farewel G. C. A Catalogue of Menstruums I. Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of Philosophical Wine only 1. THE Heaven Essence or Spirit of Wine of Lully 1 2. The Essence Soul or Spirit of Wine of Rupescissa 9 3. The Spirit of Wine of paracelsus 11 4. The Essence of Wine of Guido 12 II. Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of Spirit of Philosophical Wine and the hottest Vegetables Herbs Flowers c. being Oyley 5. The Anima Metallica or Lunaria Coelica of Lully 16 6. The Aqua Vitae of Paracelsus 21 7. Another Ibid. 8. The Aqua Vitae of Ripley 23 9. The Compounded Aqua Vitae of Ripley Ibid. III. Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of Spirit of Philosophical Wine and Oyley Sals as Sugar Honey Tartar Common c. 10. The Mellifluous Heaven of Parisinus 31 11. The Spirit of Honey of Lully 34 12. The Spirit of crude Tartar of Guido 36 13. The Spirit of crude Tartar of Paracelsus Ibid. IV. Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of Spirit of Philosophical Wine and Volatile Salts as Sal Armoniack Salt of Blood Urine c. 14. The Spirit of Sal Armoniack of Trismosinus 38 15. A Water of Sal Armoniack of Trismosinus 40 16. The Gelative Sulphur of Lully Ibid. V. Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of Spirit of Philosophical Wine and Fixed Salts of Vegetables and Minerals not Tinging 17. The Coelum Vegetabile of Lully 46 The Volatile Salt of Tartar of Lully 48 18. The Spirit of Wine of Basilius 52 19. The Fiery Spirit of Wine of Basilius 54 20. The Spirit of Calx vive of Basilius 55 21. The simple Spirit of Calx vive of Basilius 57 22. The Tartarized Spirit of Wine of Basilius 58 23. The Vegetable Acetum acerrimum or Ignis Adepti of Ripley 59 24. The Aqua fortissima of Rupescissa 60 25. Vegetable Mercury acuated with the Salt of Tartar of Lully 61 26. The simple Vegetable Menstruum produced from 3 Individuals of Lully 62 27. The Circulatum minus or Water of Salt circulated of Paracelsus 65 28. The sweet Spirit of Salt of Basilius 70 VI. Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of the Spirit and Tartar of Philosophical Wine 29. The Coelum Vinosum of Parisinus 73 30. The Coelum Vinosum of Lully 76 Vegetable Sal Harmoniack of Parisinus 78 Vegetable Sal Harmoniack of Lully 80 Vegetable Sal Harmoniack of Lully 81 Another 83 Animal Sal Harmoniack of Lully 85 Vegetable Sal Harmoniack made by the Accurtation of Lully 89 Another 90 31. Coelum Vegetabile of Lully circulated 92 32. The less Vegetable Menstruum of Lully 93 33. The Vegetable Menstruum per deliquium of Lully 94 34. The Vegetable Mercury of Lully 95 35. The rectify'd Aqua Vitae of Lully 96 36. The Circulatum minus of Guido 97 37. The Animal Heaven of Parisinus 98 VII Vegetable Menstruums compounded of the aforesaid Simple Menstruums 38. The Circulatum majus of Guido 103 39. The Menstruum acutum of Guido 104 40. The Coelum majus of Parisinus 105 VIII Vegetable Menstruums compounded of Simple Vegetable Menstruums and Common Argent vive or other Metals 41. The Ignis Gehennae of Trismosinus 110 42. The Alchymical Mercury of Ripley 113 43. The Exalted Water of Mercury of Ripley 114 44. The Glorious Water of Argent vive of Lully 115 45. The incalcinated Menstruum of Lully 115 46. The Mercurial Water by three Vessels of Lully 116 The Mercurial Sal Harmoniack or Mercury of Mercury of Lully 119 47. The Menstruum of Guido for Pretious Stones 122 48. The Lunar Menstruum of Lully 123 49. The Circulatum majus or Acetum acerrimum of Lully 124 50. The Circulatum majus of Parisinus 126
Vegetable Heaven dissolved in a mineral Menstruum of Lully 364 145. Ice compounded of Vegetable and Mineral Menstr of Lully Ibid. 146. The Aqua mirabilis of Ripley 365 147. The stinking Menstruum acuated with the Sal Harmoniack of Lully 366 148. The stinking Lunar Menstruum acuated with the vegetable Sal Harmoniack of Lully 366 149. The Spirit of Mercury made with Vitriol and the fiery Spirit of Wine of Basilius 367 150. The mixt Menstruum of Paracelsus Ibid. THE PREFACE TO exempt Diana from being exposed Naked to the Petulant Lust of Vnsatiable Men as also to the Scorns and Contempt of the Ignorant as a Common Prostitute the Adepts have taken care not only to cloath but cover her almost with several sorts of Garments To this kind of Apparel Antiquity has been pleased yet not properly enough to refer an Allegory of the Procreation of Man deduced from the Analogy of Seed anciently received however ill applied to the Mineral Kingdom First They reckon Coition Secondly Conception Thirdly Impregnation Fourthly Birth Fifthly Nutriment If therefore no Coition no Conception without Conception no Impregnation without which no Birth can be premised Which Disposition the Ancient Morienus himself confesseth to have been derived to him from Antiquity Hermes whom they call Father of the Adepts in his Tabula Smaragdina hath described to us the Father Mother and Nurse of the Chymical Infant No wonder therefore that such an Ancient and Easie Doctrine as this should have found so easie an access to Posterity it would be besides the Intention and Scope to offer those things which might be inferred by us against this Analogy of Seed Here let it suffice to remember only that the greater part as also the more ancient Adepts comparing the Chymical Magistery to the Generation of Man did under the Notion of this Allegory call their Dissolvents Menstruums or Feminine Seed but the Things which were to be Dissolved Masculine Seed My Son saith Lully The Vegetable Menstruum is of the Nature of a Womans Menstruum because a Mineral Menstruum proceeds from it by Dissolution of Minerals and Metals and is made artificially as Nature requireth for it hath the property of an incorruptible Spirit which is as a Soul and hath the Conditions of a Body because it generates and produceth Seed as a Woman therefore we call our D. Dissolvent Menstrual Blood or Menstruum because it is Generative and Nutritive and makes the said C and C Metals grow and increase till they be converted into M Sulphur of Nature or Philosophers Mercury or into Q Tincture or Philosophers Stone for as Menstrual Blood perfects the Embryo by nourishing and altering one Principle into another and one Quantity into another and one Form into another yet the Principles and Quantities appearing in every Alteration under divers Forms differing from the first Forms themselves till a certain Substance appears in one entire Quantity dependent upon several Matters which is a Body with Spirit and Soul reduced into Action And thus it is with our Infant Philosophers Stone Lully Distinct 3. Can. 4. Lib. de Essentia When K. Colour appears yellow then let the Artist know that the Body of our Infant is formed made and compleatly organized and begins to be prepared for the reception of the vegetable Spirit into it and Nature continues in that preparation till the yellow K. vanisheth away and a red K. Colour appeareth and then may the Artist be assured that the said Infant is perfect both in Body and Soul so that he may let the Fire alone till it grows cold which being cold the Artist will find our Infant round as an Egg which he must take out and purifie for it is a hard Stone in the middle of many Superfluities as the Infant of a Woman appears after Birth Can. 11. Distinct 3. Lib. Essent and let him take and put it into some clean Glass Vessel c. 3 Distinct 3 Part Lib. de Essent Parisinus Ripley Espanietus and other later Adepts the Disciples of Lully had this Analogy of Seed from him being doubtless the most Learned of the Chymical Philosophers Of this living Heaven saith Parisinus Raymund speaks in his Third Book de Quintessentia in the Chapter beginning Coelum Mercurius noster Our Heaven hath the property of an incorruptible Spirit which is as the Soul of it and hath the Conditions of a Body in it generating and producing Seed as a Woman and herein it differs from the other Principles of the Art It is also sensual because it is apprehended by sense namely by sight taste and smell as is declared in the first Distinction in the Chapter which beginneth Proeterea est principium movendi scilicet corpus sive forma And a little after speakidg of the aforesaid living Heaven he saith And in this point our Understanding knows that D. his living Heaven or Dissolvent hath a Vegetable property the similitude of which R and S Gold and Silver do transmit into the Sulphur of Nature which is the Spirit of Metals or Stone or transforming Poyson according to the signification of Raymund which signification he useth in his Alphabetum figuroe arboris Philosophicoe and therein produceth this following Sentence in Capite de figura Quintoe Essentioe As the Vegetative part of the Mother or Nurse transmits her Likeness into the Son which she generates which property the Son retains so our Mercury The Intention of the Philosopher Lully is to demonstrate that the Philosophers Sulphur or Stone or transforming Poyson receives all its benefit by the excitation of the vegetative Virtue which is in this Divine Vegetative Heaven The same Author in the Continuation of his Doctrine saith And also the Understanding knows that the said Metals R and S Gold and Silver retain the property of Menstruum with which they extend their similitudes into exotick substances transmuting the said substances into their own kind which is the reason why we call it Vegetable Mercury as also because it is extracted out of Vegetables The same thing at the end of the said Chapter he speaks afresh And our Understanding also knows that principle is as a Woman conceiving the Mans Seed and bringing forth in the same form and virtue as it was in the beginning From whence we necessarily conclude that the Elements of this Stone namely Gold ought to be moved by vertue of a living Quintessence and the aforesaid Vegetable Heaven which way I have sufficiently proved and demonstrated Parisinus in Lib. 1. Elucidarii pag. 221. Vol. 6. Th. Chym. Ripley having the same Master as Parisinus expounds this Doctrine more briefly thus As an Infant in the Womb of the Mother does by the concoction of temperate heat convert the Menstruums into its own Nature and Kind that is into Flesh Blood Bones yea Life with all other Properties of a living Body so if you have the Water of Sol and Luna it will attract other Bodies to its kind and make their Humors perfect
if they be not known nothing can be done as to the transmuting of Metals Elucid pag. 222. Vol. 6. Th. Chym. Wherefore I think it enough to declare to you in short that these Menstruums which hitherto you have with so much study to little purpose sought in the Theoretical Books of Adepts are now offered to you being found by me in Practical Books no longer shrowded with Obscurity but disrobed and exposed naked to the sight and understanding of all men But you have no cause to fear the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which you perceive in any Menstruum it being familiar and most gentle because Philosophical Nor have you need of many Conjurations to make it appear to you for in all Pages of the Theoretical Books of Adepts it offers it self willingly and expects you provided you pray to God that he would graciously vouchsafe to open your Eyes for without his permission or special appointment it dares not manifest it self to you By the Menstruums of the Adepts understand not therefore yours though they be most secret to you because I fear they are yet but vulgar which dissolving a dry Body are transmuted with it into a Salt or Vitriol not with a true but seeming coalition and mixture which a searching Fire easily discovereth presently separating these same heterogeneous substances again On the contrary the unctious Spirit of Philosophical Wine does by its Vnctuosity mollifie a dry Body and transmute it not into a Salt or Vitriol but into an Oyl It easily joyns things heterogeneous by its own equal temperament and is by its homogeneity easily joyned with things homogeneous to it by which also it is augmented according to that of Bernhard No Water dissolveth bodies but that which is of their species and which can be inspissated in bodies for a Dissolvent ought not to differ from that which is dissolved in matter but proportion and digestion Pag. 43. of his Epistles For Nature is not meliorated but by its own nature our matter therefore can be no otherwise meliorated than by its own matter Parmenides saith the same L. de Alchym pag. 768. Vol. 1. Th. Chym. This Spirit of Phylosophical Wine may be united to all things and is able to unite all things inseparably But they that suppose another water are ignorant and unwise and will never come to the effect saith Parisinus in Eluc p. 222. Vol. 6. Th. Chym. Of which Morienus pag. 52. thus As to this Magistery let Fools seek other things and seeking err for they will never attain to the effect of it till Sol and Luna be reduced into one body which cannot come to pass before the Will of God Which Arnold if I mistake not thus expresseth You will sooner joyn the Sun and Moon in the Heavens than Gold and Silver in the Earth without our Menstruums But you that have hitherto desired one only universal immortal indestructible Menstruum I mean the Liquor Alkahest or Ignisaqua that undeclinable word instead of one whereof you never yet knew the Name Matter Preparation and Vse behold I offer a great many kinds of universal Menstruums in their Descriptions more clear in Virtues equivalent if not better than this your Alkahest What others have either obscurely or impertinently said and written of this Liquor Alkahest we little regard as Opinions and Conjectures By the Menstruums of the Adepts we intend not all manner of Dissolvents prepared without the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and only corroding but not in the least altering the more minute Particles of Bodies Nor do we understand an immortal Liquor not permanent with things dissolved in it But by Menstruum we mean a volatile Liquor made several ways of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and divers things not only separating Bodies but also continuing with them and altering them with the addition of it self so as to be no more two nor again what they were before For out of this Dissolution the solemn Wedlock inseparable Vnion and Combination of Body and Menstruum emergeth a new Being containing the unblemished Properties of the thing dissolved and the thing dissolving not at all separable by Art or Nature These Menstruums I have distinguished into Vegetable and Minerals not as if the Vegetables were made of Vegetables only and the Mineral of Minerals but every Menstruum that hath not manifest acidity acting without ebullition and motion is called Vegetable though it be made of meer Animals or Minerals by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine On the contrary a Menstruum becomes Mineral so soon as manifest acidity is mixed either with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or a Vegetable Menstruum for by adding the acidity it now dissolves Bodies with violence and effervescence I have subdivided both kinds into Simple and Compound but not as if the Simple consisted of fewer Ingredients but because they are of more simple or less virtue Simple Menstruums tinge Bodies dissolved in them less but the Compounded more OF Vegetable MENSTRUUMS The First Kind Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of Philosophical Wine only I. The Heaven Essence or Spirit of Wine of Lully Described Can. 1. Dist 1. Lib. De Quinta Essentia TAke Wine Red or White the best that may be had or at least take Wine that is not any way eager neither too little nor too much thereof and distil an Aqua ardens as the custom is through Brass Pipes and then rectifie it four times for better purification But I tell you it is enough to rectifie it three times and stop it close that the burning Spirit may not exhale because herein have many men erred thinking it ought to be seven times rectified But my Son it is an infallible sign to you when you shall have seen that Sugar steeped in it and being put to the flame burneth away as Aqua ardens Now having the water thus prepared you have the matter out of which the Quintessence is to be made which is one principal thing we intend to treat of in this Book Take therefore that and put it in a circulating Vessel or in a Pelican which is called the Vessel of Hermes and stop the hole very close with Olibanum or Mastick being soft or quick Lime mixed with the White of Eggs and put it in Dung which is naturally most hot or the remainings of a Wine-Press in which no heat must be by accident diminished which you may do my Son if you put a great quantity of which you please of those things at a corner of the House which quantity must be about thirty Load This ought to be that the Vessel may not want heat because should heat be wanting the circulation of the water would be impaired and that which we seek for uneffected but if a continual heat be administred to it by continual circulations our Quintessence will be separated in the colour of Heaven which may be seen by a diametrical Line which divides the upper part that is the Quintessence from the lower namely from the Faeces
Bath Dung Vapor c. become thick pitchy yea at length dry insipid black as a Coal and sometimes like a Tyle capable of being made red hot which is a manifest sign that they want rather a Dissolvent than are themselves Dissolvents 3. It is necessary to observe that the Spirit of Philosophical Wine appears in two forms either like an Oyl swimming upon all Liquors or like the Spirit of Common Wine to the Nature of which it comes sometimes nearer and therefore doth from the Analogy borrow its Name not swimming upon watry Liquors but mixible with them and its own Phlegm yet separable by simple Distillation it easily by this means leaving its Phlegms behind it but if being rectified and kindled it burns wholly away it affords us the common sign of perfect rectification of the common Spirit but however they are not two but one only Spirit differing in degree of purity and subtilty Which to prove is not necessary examples being obvious to us in almost every Description of the Vegetable Menstruums 4. Lastly Distinction must be made between the first and second Spirit of Philosophical Wine Father and Son The first doth in its preparation require Laborem Sophiae the most secret difficult and dangerous work of all true Chymistry The second is easily made with the former Spirit according to the Rule of perfect Chymistry An Essence makes an Essence a Magistery a Magistery Differ they do in Order not in Nature they are both of one Virtue though of different preparation for this as hath been lately said is of a more easie that of a mor difficult preparation Essences they are both the former artificial the other natural in Medecines therefore unequal though alike in Chymistry as Menstruums but they are easily distinguished one from the other by their Epithets The first hath these more general Names in the Latine Tongue Essentia Vini Alcool Vini Mercurius Vini Vinum Vitae Vinum Salutis Aqua Vitae Aqua ardens Vinum adustum Vinum sublimatum c. Examples of which you will have in these and the like Receipts Take beaten Gold and let it be resolved into Liquor by the Essence of Wine Paracels in Descript Auri Diaphoret Lib. 3. de male curatis Take Flints and dissolve them in the Essence of Wine as Salt in Water c. Paracels in Descript Essentioe silicum cap. 18. de Morbis Tartar pag. 327. Take the Crocus of Sol and the Alcool of Wine corrected c. Paracels in Tinct Croci Solis lib. de proeparat pag 81. The Alcool of Wine exiccated or corrected is saith Paracelsus when the superfluity of the Wine is taken away and the Vinum ardens remains dry and dephlegmed without fatness leaving no Faeces in the Vessel pag. 507. But as to this you will have many more Examples especially in the following Book of Medecines The Second Spirit of Philosophical Wine hath its Sirnames annexed to these more general Names indicating the radix of its Original of which the following Receipts may be for Examples Take the Leaves of Sol four scruples of the Alcool of Wine drawn from a Pine from Balm ana c. Paracels in descript Balsami Solis pag. 90. Chyr major The Extraction of Mummy is made by mixing it with the Essence of Wine drawn from Celandine c. Parac in descript Tincturoe Mumioe cap. 10. Lib. 3. de Vita long pag. 65. Take the Essence of Wine drawn from Celandine Mercury of Saturn c. Paracels Lib. 8. cap. 10. de Tumoribus Pustulis c. pag. 138. Chyr major In these and the like Receipts he does by the Alcool of Wine drawn from the Pine Balm Celandine c. mean the second Spirit of Philosophical Wine or the Essence of those things made with the former Spirit which also is proved out of the fifth Chapter of the third Book of long Life pag. 63. Where Paracelsus calls the Essences of Herbs the Elixir of Life or the Wine of Health made from this or that Herb which he saith will be manifested in the example of Balm Digest Balm with the first Spirit of Philosophical Wine a Philosophical Month in an Athanar then separate so as that the duplicated Elements may appear apart and the Quintessence which is the Elixir of Life will presently shew it self in Nepitha sharp in Lolium yellow in Tincium blackish in Lupulus thin and white in Cuscuta harsh in others likewise to be judg'd according to the Prescript of Experience Moreover that Spirit being extracted and separated from the other behold the Wine of Health Essence of Balm in which the Pseudo-Philosophers have earnestly laboured some Ages yet never acquired any thing And a good part of them that followed Raymund intending to follow him according to the Letter understanding Wine red or white emptied some Butts of Wine in extracting the Quintessence of Wine but found nothing at all but burnt Wine which they unhappily used for the Spirit of Wine sufficient it is to have thus admonished the Spagyrist which way the Quintessence may be had in Herbs This twofold the first as well as second Spirit of Wine may be made not only out of the Vegetable but the Animal Kingdom also So is it read of the Aqua Vitae and Phlegm of the Wine of Vrine in the 16th Experiment of Lully and in Paramiro Paracelsi pag. 57. Many have diligently laboured to find in man his own Health Aqua vitoe Lapis Philosophorum Arcanum Balsamum Aurum potabile and the like Which they did rightly for all those things are in him as also in the external world So also hath he a description of the Liquor of Flesh pag. 505. Take of the Liquor of Flesh six ounces of Mummy c. Here by Liquor he means the Wine of Flesh which is proved by Paracelsus himself saying Where and according to this it is to be noted that the Wine of Balm is a Secret in an Asthma Here also it is to be observed that by Pulmonaria not the Herb but the Liquor that is the Wine of it hath place in this Cure In which words the Liquor and Wine of Pulmonaria are synonimous So in Lib. 8. de Tumoribus cap. 3. By the Liquor of Hermodactils And cap. 9. By the Liquor of Balm and lib. 9. cap. 4. By the Liquor Parthenion And cap. 5. By the Liquor of Bdellium c. The Wines or Essences of them all ought to be understood Though neither the first nor second Spirit can be produced out of the dry Kingdom of Minerals there are indeed some purely Oyly as Oleum Petrae Naphthae Carbonum fossilium Succini Agathis c. which are reputed Members of this Kingdom the Oleosity of which notwithstanding differs so little from the Vnctuosity of Vegetables and Animals that scarce deserve to be called Subjects thereof yet for the same reason that the Essences and Liquors of Vegetables are called Wines is an Essence of the Mineral Kingdom sometimes also called the Liquor and Wine of Minerals
so the Liquor or Essence of Vitriol or Copper is called Wine of the first Metal Cap. 12. Lib. 3. de Vita longa pag. 65. Being now instructed by the light of these Premises let us come nearer to the Spirit of Wine of Lully which we shall find like an Oyl swimming upon its Phlegms deduced not from the Common but Philosophical Aqua vitae by Circulation But all other Essences being made by the belp of some certain Essence this first Essence of Wine alone must by its own virtues emerge its self out of its own foeculencies and impurities In this respect the making of Philosophical Wine red or white renders the work of all the most secret Chymistry most difficult and abstruse of which we shall by the Blessing of God clearly and truly treat in a particular Book namely our Fifth Our purpose at present is to prosecute the Vse of this Wine in the making of Menstruums where we find Aqua vitae the first and weakest of all Menstruums which being by circulation alone reduced into an Oyl is made much more excellent than before Lully 's Receipt is clear enough yet however we thought it advisable to confirm at least if not illustrate it with the Receipts of other Adepts Johannes de Rupescissa a Scholar of Lully had so great an esteem for the first Distinction of his Master's Book of Essence that he made it his own with a little alteration He hath described the Spirit of Philosophical Wine after this manner 2. The Essence Soul or Spirit of Wine of Johannes de Rupescissa described Chap 5. of his Book de Quintessentia REpute me not a Liar in calling Aqua ardens a Quintessence and saying that none of the modern Philosophers and Physicians have attained to it Aqua ardens being commonly found every where for I spoke true of a certain for the Magistery of a Quintessence is a thing occult and I have not seen above one and him a most approved Divine that understood any thing of the Secret and Magistery of it And I affirm for a truth that the Quintessence is Aqua ardens and is Aqua ardens And may the God of Heaven put prudence in the heart of Evangelical Men for whom I compose this Book not to communicate this Venerable Secret of God to the Reprobates Behold now I open the Truth to you Take not Wine too watry nor Wine that is black earthy insipid but noble pleasant savoury and odoriferous Wine the best that can be found and distill it through cooling pipes so oft till you have made the best Aqua ardens you can that is you distill it from three to seven times and this is the Aqua ardens which the modern Physicians have not acquired This water is the Matter out of which the Quintessence which we intend principally in this Book is extracted because when you have your noble water you must cause such a Destillatory to be made in a Glass-makers Furnace all entire of one piece with one only hole above by which the water must be put in and drawn out for then you shall see the Instrument so compleatly formed that that which by the virtue of Fire ascends and is distilled into the Vessel through the Pipes may be again carried back in order to ascend again and again descend continually day and night till the Aqua ardens be by the will of God above converted into a Quintessence and the understanding of the Operation is in this because the best Aqua ardens that can be made hath yet a material mixture of the four Elements therefore it is by God ordained that the Quintessence which we seek for should be by continual Ascensions and Descensions separated from the corruptible composition of the four Elements and this is done because that which is a second time or oftner sublimed is more pure and glorified and separated from the corruption of the four Elements than when it ascends only one time and so to a thousand times and that which is by continual ascent and descent sublimed comes at length to so great an altitude of Glorification as to be almost an incorruptible Compound as Heaven it self and of the Nature of Heaven it is therefore called Quintessence because it is in reference to our Body as the Heavens in respect to the whole World almost after the same manner so far as Art can imitate Nature in a near and connatural similitude Circular Distillation therefore being for many days made in a Vessel of Circulation you must open the hole which is in the head of the Vessel which is indeed suppos'd to have been seal'd with a Seal made of Lutum Sapientioe compounded of the finest Flower and the White of an Egg and of wet Paper most carefully pick'd and mix'd to prevent the least exhaling And having opened the Hole if the Odour which ought to be super-admirable above all the Fragrancies of the world which shall seem to have descended as it were from the sublime Throne of the most glorious God be so great that setting the Vessel in a corner of a house it shall by an invisible force with the fragrancy of the Quintessence which is wonderful and highly miraculous attract to it self all people that enter in then have you the Quintessence which you heard of to which none of the modern Philosophers and Physicians except him that I excepted before have so far as I have been able to understand attained But if you find not the Odour and Influence of attracting men as I said seal the Vessel as before and bring it to the heat above described in order to compass your desire by Sublimations and Circulations namely in finding out this Quintessence so glorified into an Odour of inestimable fragrancy and savour glorified to a wonder and the influx of attraction before expressed and not only so as to yield a wonderful Scent but also to raise it self more fully to a kind of incorruptibility it hath not that heat in your mouth which Aqua ardens hath nor that moistness that is such an Aqueity flowing because the acute heat of the Aqua ardens and its watery moistness is by Sublimations and Circulations wholly consumed and the Terreity will remain apart in the bottom And the Heaven as well as Stars of which this our Quintessence is compounded both as to Matter and Form are not as that which is compounded of the four Elements but there is but little of it glorified so much even to the highest fill'd with so noble a form that the power of Matter cannot aspire to any other Form and so remains uncorrupted till the Composition be destroyed by command of the Creator Nor is the Quintessence which we seek altogether reduced to the incorruption of Heaven as neither is Art equal to Nature yet notwithstanding it is incorruptible in respect of the Composition made of the four Elements because should it be altogether incorruptible as Heaven it would absolutely perpetuate our Body which the Author of Nature
the Lord Jesus Christ forbids Now have I opened to you much of the Secret to the Glory of the immortal God Paracelsus extracts his Essence of Philosophical Wine not out of Aqua ardens but out of Philosophical Wine it self Thus 3. The Spirit of Wine of Paracelsus Described Chap. 9. of the Third Book of Long Life pag. 64. YOur Wine being powred into a Pelican digest in Horse-dung and that the space of two Months continually you will see it so thin and pure that a Fatness which is the Spirit of Wine will of it self appear in the superficies Whatsoever is under this is Phlegm without any nature of Wine but the Fatness alone being put into a Phial and digested by it self is of most excellent energy for long Life Guido used the following Method little differing from the Paracelsian 4. The Essence of Wine according to Guido Described Pag. 1. Thesaur Chym. TAke White or Red Wine which is better distil by Balneo till the Matter remain in the consistence of Honey which being divided into two parts in a duplicated Cucurbit mixt with the distilled Liquor and joyn together again and after the digestion of six weeks a green Oyl will swim upon the Matter which separate through a Funnel From the Receipts we think these Things following worthy of Observation 1. That the Wine Red or White is not Common but Philosophical and that is the only thing that is obscure in these four Books to be understood not according to the Letter but by Analogy but Aqua ardens Aqua vitae Spirit or Essence of a Philosophical Wine are the proper Names of it 2. That the Aqua ardens of Philosophical Wine doth in some things agree with the Properties of Common Spirit of Wine namely it goes before its Phlegm in distillation it is rectified as the Common from its Phlegm Lastly being rectified it is known by burning Linnen Sugar c. 3. That this Aqua ardens doth by Circulation dayly lose its moisture and sharpness and is at length converted into a swimming Oyl the Essence and Spirit of Philosophical Wine But who ever reduced Common Spirit of Wine or Aqua Vitis by bare Circulation into an Oyl Who I say hath by continual Circulation brought that Oyl to Driness so as to be sublimeable as a volatile Salt and that not but by a strong Fire as Isaacus affirms himself to have experienced in the Description of his Vegetable Stone Of which lower in the Third Book 4. That the Oyl or Essence of Wine may be divers ways made out of Philosophical Wine 5. That not only the Time but also the Scent Colour c. of the Essence are varied according to the variety of Method The Essence of Lully is like Heaven that is of a Sky-colour the Oyl of Guido is green 6. That it hath not a Scent so fragrant unless it hath a Body especially a Metallick or Mineral dissolved in it 7. That this Heaven the first of all Menstruums is also a Medecine and is called the Essence or Specifick to a long Life 8. That it is called Heaven for several Reasons by Lully First Because it works Contraries like Heaven Our Vegetable Menstruum saith Lully the Celestial Animal which is call'd Quintessence preserves Flesh from corruption comforts things elemented restores former Youth vivifies the Spirit digests the crude hardeneth the soft rarifies the hard fattens the lean wasteth the fat cools the hot heats the cold dries the moist moistens also the dry One and the same thing can do contrary operations The Act of one thing is diversified according to the nature of the Receiver as the heat of the Sun which hath contrary operations as in drying Clay and melting Wax yet the Act of the Sun is one in it self and not contrary to it self Secondly Because like Heaven it receives the Forms of all Things As the universal Form the Macrocosmical Heaven hath an appetite to every Form so the Quintessence of Philosophical Wine to every Complexion whereby it is evidently manifest that the Quintessence of things is said to be of that complexion to which it is adjoyned if joyned to hot hot if to cold cold c. This therefore the Philosophers called Heaven because as Heaven affords us sometimes heat sometimes moisture c. so the Quintessence in mens Bodies at the Artist's pleasure c. Distinct 1. Lib. Essentioe To this Heaven we apply its Stars which are Plants Stones and Metals to communicate to us Life and Health Ibid. Thirdly Because like Heaven it moveth all things from power to act Therefore Heaven or our Mercury is the Cause and Principle moving G C Metals from power to act And in this point knows the understanding of an Artist that D our Heaven hath action upon C and C ruling and governing and reducing it into action as Heaven brings that which is in Elemental things by its own motion into action c. For we call it Heaven by reason of its motion because as the upper Heaven moves the universal Form and first Master and Elements and Senses to compound Elemented Individuals so D moves C and C and the four Elements to M the Sulphur of Nature or Philosophers Mercury or to Q the Tincture Distinct 3. de quarto principio Libri Essentioe 4. Because like Heaven it is incorruptible Aqua vitoe is the Soul and Life of Bodies by which our Stone is vivified therefore we call it Heaven and Quintessence and incombustible Oyl and by its infinite other Names because it is incorruptible almost as Heaven in the continual circulation of its motion pag. 145. Elucid Testam 5. Because it is of the colour and clarity of Heaven Heaven or our Mercury is the fourth Principle in this Art and is signified by D of an azure colour and line and is signified by that colour because it is celestial and of a celestial Nature as we said before in the description of it Dist 3. Lib. Essentioe This Essence Johannes de Rupescissa calls Humane Heaven for the following Reasons We ought to seek that thing which is to the four Qualities of which our Body is compounded as is Heaven in respect of the four Elements Now the Philosophers called Heaven Quintessence in respect of the four Elements because Heaven is in it self incorruptible and immutable and not receiving strange impressions but by the command of God so also the thing which we seek is in respect of the four Qualities of our Body a Quintessence in it self incorruptible so made not hot dry with Fire nor moist cold with Water nor hot moist with Ayr nor cold dry with Earth but is it a Quintessence able to work Contraries as the incorruptible Heaven which when it is necessary infuseth a moist Quality sometimes a hot sometimes a cold sometimes a dry Such a Radix of Life is the Quintessence which the most High created in Nature with power to supply the necessity of the Body to the utmost term which God hath appointed to our
Life And I said that the most High created the Quintessence which is by the Art of man extracted from the Body of Nature created by God And I will name it by its three Names attributed to it by the Philosophers It is called Aqua ardens Anima or Spiritus Vini and Aqua Vitoe And when you have a mind to conceal it call it Quintessence because this is its Nature and this is its Name the greatest Philosophers have been willing to disclose to no man but caused the Truth to be buried with them And that it is not moist as the Element of Water is demonstrated because it burns which is a thing repugnant to Elementary Water That it is not hot and moist as Ayr is declared because dry Ayr may be corrupted with every thing as appears in the generation of Spiders but that remains always uncorrupt if it be kept from expiring That it is not dry and cold as Earth is expresly manifest because it is exceeding sharp and heats extreamly And that it is not hot and dry as Fire is apparent to the Eye because it infrigidates hot things and wastes and eradicates hot Diseases That it conduceth to incorruptibility and preserves from corruptibility I will demonstrate by an Experiment for if any Bird whatsoever or piece of Flesh or Fish be put into it it will not be corrupted so long as it shall continue therein how much more will it therefore keep the animated and living Flesh of our Body from all corruption This Quintessence is the humane Heaven which the most High created for the preservation of the four Qualities of mans Body as Heaven for the preservation of the whole Universe And know of a certain that the modern Philosophers and Physicians are altogether ignorant of this Quintessence and of the truth and virtue thereof But by the help of God I will hereafter declare to you the Magistery of it And hitherto I have taught you a Secret the Quintessence that is the humane Heaven Cap. 2. Lib. Essentioe 9. Lastly That many Receipts more obscure and otherwise intelligible by no man are by these illustrated The Second KIND Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and the hottest Vegetables Herbs Flowers Roots c. being Oyly 5. The. Anima Metallica or Lunaria Coelica of Lully Described in Composit Animae Transmut pag. 193. Vol. 3. Theat Chym. FIrst you must know that the Matter of our Stone or of all the Stones of the Philosophers together with Precious Stones which are generated or compounded by Art is this Metallick Soul and our Menstruum rectify'd and acuated or the Lunaria Coelica which among the Philosophers is called Vegetable Mercury produced from Wine red or white as is clearly manifest being revealed to us by God in our Figura Individuorum Distinct 3. Libri Quint. Essent c. But first it is expedient to draw our Menstruum by Art from Death that is the Impurities and Phlegm of Wine by the Office of an Alembick and to acuate it in distillation with pertinent Vegetables such as are Apium sylvestre Squilla Solatrum Carduus Oliandrum Piper nigrum Euphorbium Viticella or Flammula and Pyrethrum an equal quantity of all and pulverized Then the Menstruum must be circulated continually for the space of ten days in hot Dung or Balneo Marioe Annotations THE Vnctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine attracts none but the Vnctious natural Essences of Vegetables as we shall observe below in the Book of Medecines Essences being thus extracted as also all other Oyly things crude or expressed and all distilled of both Kingdoms Animal and Vegetable this Spirit of Wine doth by simple digestion divide into two distinct parts two Oyls or Fat 's whereof one is the Essence of the thing the other the Body The Essence so made we named the Second Spirit of Wine Both Essences this by Division and that by Extraction prepared are by longer digestion made one with the aforesaid Spirit of Wine For those things which are of one and the same purity and of a symbolical Nature are easily mix'd together and that inseparably and so an Essence made by an Essence is joyned to that Essence And if we protract Digestion further one of the Fat 's namely the Body less Oyly and therefore left hitherto is at length received also into a symbolical Nature by reason of which mixtion not only is the Spirit multiplied but also made fitter for the Dissolutions of dry things because the Particles of this Body less Oyly incline to dryness concerning which way we treat in this Receipt in the Prescription of which the Oyl drawn out of Oyly Vegetables is by distillation together with the Spirit of Philosophical VVine circulated into a Magistery or double Essence Natural and Artificial of which lower in its place by which the Spirit of Wine is multiplied and made more homogeneous to dry Bodies There is the same Menstruum but a little otherwise described in his Natural Magick pag. 358. thus Take Nigrum nigrius Nigro and distil ten or eight parts of the same in a Glass-Vessel and in the first distillation you must receive only one half this again distil and hereof take a fourth part and the third distillation you must take in a manner all and so distil that part eight or nine times and it will be perfect but not rectified under one and twenty Distillations Take of this VVater a quarter of a pound and acuate the same by distilling it with the Vegetables which are Apium Sylvestre and so of the rest of which was spoken above in Anima Transmutationis in the Chapter which begins First you must know c. And then put it into a Vessel of Circulation in hot dung or in the remains of a Wine-press with the preservation of the Species Which water is also one of the things without which nothing can be effected in the Magistery of this Art That Menstruum which ought to be drawn from the Death of Wine by the Office of an Alembick acuated with the said Vegetables and at length circulated is the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which is by these degrees so exalted as to be by Lully deservedly called the Matter of all the Stones of the Philosophers and vertuous Stones that is Precious Stones Anima Metallica and Lunaria Coelica which also is called Vegetable Mercury deduced from Wine red or white The Matter of which this Menstruum is made is called Wine in the former Receipt the Menstruum must be extracted from the Death of Wine But in the latter it is called Nigrum nigrius Nigro To these two Lully adds a third synonimous pag. 1. Test novissimi Take red Wine which we call the Liquor of Lunaria and Nigrum nigrius Nigro By which synonimous Terms none but a Fool can understand Common Wine for the common Spirit herefrom distilled is altogether insufficient to perform such and so great things yea all the Arcanums of the more secret Chymy which
broken and let them be digested together with the following Spices upon Ashes for three days of which take five grains every day The Spices are these Take of Cinamon Cloves Mace of each two ounces of Cheirus Anthos of each half an ounce of Amber two drachms of Musk five grains of Zibeth half a drachm of Ginger Cubebs Nutmegs of each one ounce and half of Amomus two drachms of Zedoary two ounces and half of Grains of Paradise one ounce and half After Digestion of them all separate and keep the Matter in Glass Vessels very close stopp'd From the Dose it self of this Prescription it is manifest that the operation is meerly Philosophical for if by Aqua vitae he would have understood the Common Spirit of Wine it would be altogether ridiculous to give only five grains for a Dose We meet with many more Menstruums of this kind which little differing from the pristine Nature of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine were less observed by some Adepts wherefore Christophorus Parisinus a Noble Sicilian doth not very much commend this acuation of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Some saith he have made the aforesaid Spirit acute with Vitriol which way is very good some with Nitre some with Cinnabar some with these two some with all three some with their Earth which way displeaseth me because a thick Unctuosity and ponderosity was hereby introduced some use Vegetables as Herbs Roots Flowers and Seeds known to you which have strong Vegetable Mercuries in them wherefore they that handled it after this manner augmented rather its Vegetable Form Vnctuosity than that they made it more soluble Parisinus in Elucidario pag. 231. Vol. 6. Theat Chym. For this reason Ripley following the same Master as Parisinus believed these things to be covered with a Mantle of Philosophy for so he writes in his Medulla Philosophioe Raymund saith it ought to be drawn out from the Death and Faeces of Wine for the space of one hundred and twenty days by continual rotation in a Balneo of of the hottest Dung and that it must be acuated with hot Vegetable things as Piper nigrum Euphorbium Pyrethrum Anacardus Squilla Solatrum Apium Sylvestre and such like for without the virtue of these things as he saith it is not sufficient to dissolve Metals except in a long time but that nothing of doubt or ambiguity may appear I say that all these things are covered and shrowded with a Philosophical Mantle For his meaning is that in this Spirit may be had another resoluble Menstruum because without such a resolutive Menstruum Solution can never be made And that resoluble Menstruum is generated only from the Metallick kind and is by our resolutive Menstruum produced into act Ripley pag. 168. Medul Philos Ripley did by the resoluble Menstruum produced into act by the Menstruum resolutive that is the Spirit of Philosophical Wine mean a certain Mercurial Water of the Preparation of which lower where likewise it will appear that by the aforesaid Vegetables Ripley thought Lully intended running Mercury yet nevertheless his following Menstruum proves that these Vegetables have been sometimes also taken by him literally 8. The Aqua Vitae of Ripley Pag. 338. Viatici THE Menstruum being distilled from the first Faeces circulate it with the hottest Species such as are Black Pepper Euphorbium Pyrethrum Anacardus Grains of Paradise and the like for the space of 100 days in Balneo and after that distil only half of it and make your putrefaction with it c. It is here manifest that Ripley took these Vegetables Not Argent vive because Circulation being finished he distilled only one half of the Spirit as the most subtil part of the Vegetables in which case that Metal Mercury though dissolved would remain in the bottom But whereas Lully acuates the Spirit by distilling and then circulates Ripley does this by circulating and after that distils To this Aqua Vitae he sometimes adds Oyls or Essences either of Metals or Vegetables as followeth 9. The Compounded Aqua Vitae of Ripley Pag. 343. Viatici CIrculate the strongest red Wine with known Vegetables for the space of 120 days with continual Rotation in Balneo and then draw only the purest Spirit by distillation to which put the Oyl of the purest Luna made without a Corrosive and let them be circulated together 100 days more and then is the Water of the nature of the Basilisk because as a Basilisk kills a man at an instant by the Aspect alone so this Water being put upon Argent vive does without any other Fire suddenly in a manner congeal it into the purest Silver And note if the Fire Oyl or Essence of Celandine be put in or the Fire of the Flowers of Thyme after the first Circulation and they circulated together without the Oyl of Luna the Argent vive will be much better congealed c. But that which begets the greater scruple is the Paraphrase of Lully himself upon this place We saith he would not have you ignorant of that you may extract our Argent vive Veget. from it s Myne another way The way my Son is to take the Herb which is called Portulaca marina Apium Squilla c. distil the Faeces which remain calcine draw off the Salt with the distilled water and abstract the water from it purifie the Salt by often dissolving and coagulating and you will have the Salt of the acuating Vegetable Herbs These saith he I meant when I said acuate with acuating Vegetables that is the Salts not the simple Herbs Wherefore you might say it follows that this Receipt of the Metallick Soul hath not at all been described so as to be understood according to the Literal Sense but I have my Answer ready namely that Lully acuated the Spirit of Wine with crude Vegetables also it is easily proved by the third Distinction of his Book of Essence in Figura individuorum alledged by him where he rehearseth the nearest Individuals acuating the Spirit of Philosophical Wine as are red Wine new Honey Celandine Flowers of Rosemary Herb Mercury red Lilly Tartar Mans Blood and white Wine Why he chose these not others and these only it is not my business to answer that which we learn from thence is that he commended two of those Individuals to us before the rest Tartar and Honey of which thus There are some Individuals in which Mercury Vegetable hath a free Act in some respect in Tartar it hath one free operation only and in Honey two and this an Artist ought to know that he may be certified in this Art and the first Truth thereof He prefers Tartar not for the sake of the Tartar but the Alkali made from thence and that he resolves as the best of Alkalies per deliquium and circulates it being purified with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine according to the Doctrine prescribed in prima Tabula individuorum in the second Experiment and in other places The Alkali of Tartar
said Menstruum made of Honey to Circulate in Balneo or Horse Dung the space of thirty or forty Days at the expiration of which time you will have C converted into D into the Quintessence in its Perfection drawn from excellent Wine which is the Form of the Vniversal Body reduced into B and B into C and then Circulation to be made This Quintessence is Vegetable because all the rest of the sharp Waters destroying Metals this alone doth by its Virtue vegetate augment and multiply them Wherefore this Water is the Mystery of Art because it is Burning Calcines and dissolves Bodies if it be perfectly rectified pag. 269. But the Sign of knowing whether this Conversion be made will be a sediment in the bottom of the Vessel like that which appears in the Urine of a sound Man When the Glorious Body draws nigh after thirty Days in the end of Perfection then will you see D or the Quintessence in greater clarity and splendor than any Diamond The clarity whereof surpasses all Precious Things so as that it is difficult to judge whether that Divine Liquor be in or out of the Vessel Then you must separate our Heaven from its Sediment or Hypostasis with Industry keeping it in a Vessel well luted in a cold place that nothing may from thence expire This Quintessence is by the Philosophers called Spiritus Vivus because it gives Life to humane Bodies and Metalls as also Aqua Argenti vivi Aqua Vitoe Aqua Coelestis Aqua Divina Stella Dianoe Anima Spiritus Mercurii nostri Vegetabilis Fumus Ventus Coelum Nostrum To conclude infinite Names have been given it which notwithstanding signifies one and the same thing Annotations THe antecedent acuition of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine with Oyly Vegetables did not so well please Christopher Parisinus and therefore instead thereof he substituted this which he found better than the other The great Mystery and Treasure saith he which we teach you in this Chapter is how you ought to make B the Coelestial and Ardent Spirit acute which we signifie by C wherefore give Ear for I know not how I ought to propound this Doctrine lest this Secret should be prostituted to all Men For all the Philosophers that ever have been have absconded this Secret under divers Figures because without all doubt this is the thing which is the Principal or one of the Principal Keys of this admirable Science This I would have you certainly believe that B hath no solutive Nature actually but only potentially for if B were not acuated by the way and means manifested to you it would have no power of Dissolving Some made it acute with Vitriol which way is good enough Some with Niter Some with Cinnabar Some with these two and some with all three Some with their Earth which way displeaseth me because this way thick Unctuosity and Ponderosity was introduced Some have used Vegetables as Herbs Roots Flowers and Seeds known to you which have powerful Mercuries in them for this Reason it is That they which handled it this way augmented rather its Vegetable Form than made it solutive Some used Flowers United for acuition which is the Principal Way and of our Intention which is found in the Alphabetum apertoriale Some not knowing the true way of acuating this B spent much time in preparing divers Waters before they could put any Body into B as happened to us in the beginning seeking that Practice which is now manifested to you by the Practice of our Summetta which though it hath succeeded well yet with very great Labour The Mystery of this dissolutive part is difficult and tedious and therefore I will undertake the Repetition of it for having made B acute by this Method which we now manifest concerning the solution of Bodies to be perfected without trouble in a little time you will be certain But I confess when I was with you at that time wherein we made the first beginning of dissolving we did not understand Raymund Lully in this dissolutive part but having read him over again returning to our Studies Practising Praying and Fasting a perfect Illumination of Mind came to us this way therefore will I manifest under the Seal of Silence pag. 231. Vol. 6. Theat Chym. Parisinus doth by these Words make us more assured that the Spirit of Philosophical Wine hath no power of dissolving any but Oyly things because it is Oyl it self but in order to dissolve dry things also it is necessary for it to be acuated that is so tempered as to be made homogeneous also to dry things and so dissolve them which to be a Work difficult and tedious his own Experience proveth out of many acuators therefore of the Adepts he chooseth Hony before the rest whose principal acuating faculty he calls the great Mystery and Treasure of the Art For according to Lully the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in Honey hath two free Operations that is this Vnctious Spirit is easily Vnited to the Vnctuosity of Honey and by the same means also easily tempered with the aridity of Honey In a Word there are other indeed yea all the following Menstruums stronger than this but none more easie to be prepared and better for a young Beginner Lully made the same Menstruum after this manner 11. The Spirit of Honey of Lully Cap. 19. Lib. Mercur. TAke of Aqua Vitoe and put into this Vegetable Humidity a third part of a Honey-Comb with all its Substance Wax and Honey together ferment or digest it in a gentle heat for three Hours and the longer it stands the better it is then let it be Distilled in Balneo and repeat the Distillation and Fermentation nine times renewing the Comb every second Distillation Parisinus it seems to me learnt not only the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but also the preparation it self of this Menstruum from his Master Lully though the preparation he corrected a little Parisinus digests one Pound of Honey inspissated with three or four Pounds of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine for a Day in Balneo then Distilling three times mixeth them together The Work he repeats three times so as at these four times to have joyned four Pounds of Honey together with so many Pounds of Spirit and Circulates both each time Lully digests the Hony-Comb three Hours with three parts of Spirit and in two Distillations joyns both together He repeats the Work four times so as in eight Distillations to have Vnited four parts of Honey with three of Spirit the Menstruum now joyned together he Distills once more that in nine times or cohobations he makes his Spirit of Honey Parisinus made choice of three Ingredients for his Medicine The most High Creator created three Mines among Minerals one and that is of Sol and Luna among Vegetables the Wine among Animals the Bee pag. 222. Elucid Lully of these three thus cap. 46. lib. Mercurior Amongst all Minerals Vegetables and Animals fixed Gold is chosen for the
making of Medicines and above all the Virtues among Vegetables and Animals are the Virtues of the Juice or Broth of Lunaria and the Fly of Besena which makes Honey Parisinus in his Alphabetum apertoriale hath indeed the same way of acuating the Spirit of Wine but he in the same place superadding the Salt of Honey extracted out of the Caput mortuum calcined to the Menstruum this acuition is referred not to this but to another Kind But the Honey seems to have this special Priviledge as if Menstruums of this third Kind could be made of it alone yet you must know that all Oyly Salts as are Sugar Cristallized Manna Cristallized crude Tartar of common Wine c. do on one side prove their affinity with Oyly things but on the other side with dry and so do by that their Oleosity introduce their own aridity into the Oyly Spirit of Philosophical Wine but by their aridity temper the Oleosity of that Spirit Wherefore the same things are to be understood of Sugar and Manna as have been spoken of Honey one Example or two we will add of crude Tartar being dryer then the things aforesaid 12. The Spirit of Crude Tartar of Guido Pag. 51. Thesaur TAke of crude Tartar two Pounds of Spirit of Wine three Pounds Distill and Cohobate ten times upon its own Caput Mortuum Paracelsus prepared this Spirit of Tartar after this manner 13. The Spirit of Crude Tartar of Paracelsus Lib. 8. Paragraph pag. 505. TAke crude Tartar beat and digest it seven or eight times in the Alcool of Wine and Distill it into a Liquor in which is no Alkali Out of the Receipts we observe the things following 1. That the Spirit of Philosophical Wine hath in dry things no dissolving faculty without acuition 2. That this acuition is the Mystery of the Art being difficult and tedious 3. That it is best made with crude Honey white Sugar-candy and Manna purified 4. That such Menstruums as these are somewhat hard to be made with crude Tartar 5. That Lully by Aqua Vitae Parisinus by the Celestial and Ardent Spirit Guido by Spirit of Wine and Paracelsus by the Alcool of Wine meant not common Aqua ardens which if a Man try an experiment with the Spirit of common Wine he will by his own Experience find the Truth of the Matter confirmed 6. That Menstruums of this Kind are the Magistery of Honey Manna Sugar crude Tartar mix'd with Spirit of Philosophical Wine they are made extempore thus Take of the Essence of Philosophical Wine and the Magistery of Hony or Sugar equal parts of each mix 7. That these Menstruums are Medicaments 8. That not only the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but also the Menstruums themselves have been Circulated by reason of which Circulation the Menstruums are called Circulatums and though it be not always expresly declared in Receipts that they should be Circulated yet it ought to be understood in all for this Circulation is the Purification and Melioration of the Menstruum By F saith Parisinus in Alphabeto Summetta pag. 9. mei M. S s. We mean Aqua Vitoe Circulated thirty Days at least in which Operation it is Purified from its Terrestreity so as to raise it self to the Celestial Virtue of a Quintossence which is called our Heaven Influencing upon the Elements such effects as you may deservedly call miraculous We therefore Name it Quintessence and Aqua Vitoe because it viviâ—â—es Bodies Without this F no alteration can be made in Bodies which caution may serve you for a general Rule It is otherwise called Vegetable Water whereof we have more than often made mention in several places of our Summetta which we sent you affirming the difference between F and D to be greater than between a clear Day and a dark Night as will appear in the Operation of it in particulars as well as generals which Virtue proceeds notwithstanding from our Circulation The fourth KIND Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of Spirit of Philosophical Wine and Volatile Salts such as common Sal Armoniack Salt of Blood Urine Soot c. 14. The Spirit of Sal Armoniack of Trismosinus In Tract Aquil. nig pag. 13. Aur. Veller Germ. TAke of Sal Armoniack one Pound of common Salt melted one Pound and a half being very well pulverized and mix'd sublime them the Matter sublimed sublime again with new Salt and that to be repeated so oft till the Sal Armoniack be made like an impalpable Spirit Powder then imbibe with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and the Vessel being very close set it in Balneo to be dissolved being dissolved decant and putrify with new Spirit of Wine added the space of eight Days in Balneo then Distill gently one half in Balneo and being Distilled pour it again to the remainder and Distill again but with a stronger Fire that all may ascend through the Alembick Being Distilled rectifie it so often till it be without Faeces Annotations HItherto of things Oyly acuating the Spirit of Philosophical Wine now follow those things which are less Oyly Volatile Salts which though they seem not to be Oyly yet that they are so is easily demonstrated by the following preparations of Salts Harmoniack whose Earths otherwise most fixed and flowing like Wax are by the Vnctuosity alone of the Menstruum made Volatile but this will not now be our inquiry It sufficeth us to use crude and common Sal Armoniack Salt of Vrine Blood c. for the acuition of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which Salts do by their aridity alter their Vnctuosity of this Spirit more than the aforesaid Oyly Matters and consequently make the Vegetable Menstruum stronger The same Receipt hath Trismosinus Libro novem Tincturarum in Tinctura Quarta pag. 59. as also in Tinctura Pitrumorisonis Philosophi Angli pag. 90. of the aforesaid Book Trismosinus sublimes crude Sal Armoniack several times upon Salt fused to be acuated by the acidity of this Salt and then the better dissolved by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Geber de investigat Magist pag. 284. Sublimes Sal Armoniack with an equal proportion of Salt Aristotle the Chymist perfected this sublimation after this manner pag. 74. Volum 3. Theat Chym. Take of Sal Armoniack one Pound of Spuma Maris six Ounces of Sal Gemme of common Salt and Alum of each two Ounces grind them all together and Sift through a thick Hair Sieve then put the Matter into an Aludel and sublime and the Sublimation repeat The Sal Armoniack being thus sublimed is impregnated with the Spirit of Wine not common for then would the process not succeed but Philosophical Wine and then dissolved per deliquium For the Vnctuosity of this Spirit cannot dissolve the substance of Sal Armoniack being heterogeneous to it but successively and by slow degrees Wherefore this dissolution will better succeed according to the Method of Lully Dissolve saith he Sal Armoniack in the Phlegme of Vinum of Lotium Philosophical Wine made of Vrine pass it through
a Filter and remove the Water by Balneo and the Salt will remain coagulated and white dissolve again with the Phlegm and Distil it away by Balneo Then take such a quantity of Aqua Vitoe Spirit of Philosophical Wine as you have of Phlegm and pour them together upon the same Salt and the Vessel being covered with its Antenotorium Blind Alembick set it in Balneo twenty four Hours the Antenotorium being taken away and an Alembick put on Distill by Balneo with a most gentle Fire when the Salt is coagulated congeal it again repeat the same Magistery dissolving by turns after this manner and congealing three times and so have you reduced the said Salt into a Vegetable Virtue by the help of the Vegetative Spirit by which you dissolved and congealed it Lully in Exp. 16. Sal Almoniack is easily dissolved in the Phlegm of Philosophical Wine and so is by this means sooner joyned with the Vnctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine than if it were immediately cast into this Spirit That Trismosinus knew also this Method and sometimes made use of it appears by the following Menstruum 15. Another Water of Sal Armoniack of Trismosinus In Tinctura Gereton pag. 98. Aur. Vel. German TAke of Sal Armoniack Crude two Pounds let it be dissolved in Wine Philosophical Cristallize it let the Cristals be dissolved per deliquium the solution divide into two parts one of which distil into the other with a Fire sufficiently strong rectify the parts being joyn'd together into a strong Water of Sal Armoniack The Sal Armoniack therefore being dissolved either in the Phlegm of Philosophical Wine that is Aqua ardens not rectify'd or Philosophical Wine it self Cristallized and resolved per deliquium is either by it self or with the addition of new Spirit of Wine Distilled into a Water of Sal Armoniack This Kind of Menstruums is made not of Sal Armoniack only but also of the rest of the Volatile Salts thus 16. The Gelative Sulphur of Lully In Exp. 8. TAke of the aforesaid animated Spirit of Vrine one part and of Aqua Vitoe perfectly rectify'd four parts which pour upon the animated Spirit and forthwith stop the Vessel that it may not respire which Vessel must be a large Bottle which shake and move with your Hands so in the twinkling of an Eye or Moment you will see all the Water converted into Salt but if any part of Phlegm be in the Philosophical Aqua Vitoe it will be immediately separated from the Salt in the Form of Water the Aqua Vitoe therefore ought to be very well purged from all Phlegm that when the work is done no Matter may remain with the Salt but be wholly converted which will be better and more useful and by this means you will have the Animal and Vegetable Salt which we will call Coagulative and Gelative Sulphur because it hath the property and virtue of dissolving the two Luminaries and reducing them from power to act their Vegetative and Germinative Form being preserved Lully sometimes sublimed this Offa or Pap of Vrine in the Ninth Experiment following thus There is saith he besides another way of Copulating the aforesaid Animal Spirit with the Vegetable Spirit namely thus Take of the Animated Spirit rectifi'd as above what quantity you will and pour it upon three parts of our Philosophical Aqua Vitoe perfectly rectifi'd which Copulation ought to be made in a Body large and high to which an Alembick may be suddenly fitted the said Copulation therefore being made you must have presently ready some Cotton-Wooll dipped in Oyl and very well squeezed wherewith the Mouth of the Distilling Vessel must be forthwith stopped and it must be let in within the Neck downward a hands breath fastened with a strong Flanel thread that upon occasion you may draw out the said Cotton-Wooll â—hen put to it an Alembick with a Receiver very close stopped and set it in a Furnace of Ashes giving it at first a gentle heat but then by degrees increasing the Fire till it be sublimed which sublimation you must keep in a Vessel firmly stopped because with this Salt and other Means you will be able to do Wonders Parisinus in his Apertorium pag. 15. M. S. S. mei doth by this Salt of Vrine acuate his C. or Spirit of Philosophical Wine which being acuated he then Circulates by the way used and before described in the Circulation of his Coelum melleum Lully hath also sometimes used the Volatile Salt of Blood for the making of these Menstruums as in his twelfth experiment Take Blood ground Blood drawn from sound and cholerick Men dryed on a clean Table that the Phlegm may be separated from it and then pulverized Exp. 11. put it in a Glass Body with a long Neck and having fitted an Alembick to it with a Receiver Distil first with a gentle Fire till the moisture exhale then encrease the Fire till the Salt be sublimed which will be very white gather it warily and keep it for it is of very great Virtue and Efficacy You have my dearest Son all the Medicines Salts which have properties with the two Luminaries as also with the other imperfect Metals without which this Art of Transmutation cannot obtain its desired end The Things which I observe from the Receipts are 1. That by Wine Spirit of Wine and Aqua Vitae common is not meant Aqua Ardens with which it is impossible to reduce or distil common Sal Armoniack into a liquid substance and though it might yet that Menstruum would be Common not Philosophical being made without the Spirit of Philosophical Wine 2. That these Menstruums are made of all Volatile Salts 3. That the Menstruums of this Kind are the Magisteries of Volatile Salts Mix the Essence of Philosophical Wine with the Magistery of any Volatile Salt and you will in a moment make a Menstruum of this fourth Kind 4. That these Menstruums may be also made by Parisinus his way of Coelum melleum namely by Circulation and therefore called Circulatums common Sal Armoniack Circulated Salt of Vrine Blood Harts-horn c. Circulated or the Water of Sal Armoniack Circulated the Water of the Salt of Blood Circulated c. 5. That it is very uncertain what Philosophical Menstruum Trismosinus meant by Spirit of Wine For divers Menstruums have been by the Adepts signified by the same Name of Spirit of Wine for the most part they meant the simple Spirit of Philosophical Wine sometimes the same acuated after a different manner that is the simple Vegetable Menstruum So Basil in his Book of Conclusions prepares the Oyls of Metals with Spirit of Wine by which he declares himself to have meant not the simple Spirit but a simple Vegetable Menstruum in the preparation of the Oyl of Mercury he commanding this open Metal to be by the Spirit of Wine rectify'd first with Salt of Tartar which Menstruum we shall have in the following Kinds reduced into an Oyl with the rest of the
this Book as a farewel also will I reveal the Mystery of Calx vive and declare first the way of distilling the Spirit of it which work does indeed require an expert Artist well informed before in this preparation 20. The Spirit of Calx vive of Basilius In Fine Lib. de Med. Supernatur TAke of Calx vive what quantity you will grind and prepare it on a Marble into an impalpable Powder whereto pour of the Spirit of Wine Menstruum in Numb 18. so much as the pulverized Calx is able to imbibe no Spirit swimming upon the Calx Then apply an Alembick lute well and put a Receiver to it abstract the Spirit from it in a most gentle Balneo this abstraction must be repeated eight or ten times this Spirit strengthens much the Spirit of the Calx which is thereby made more fiery Take the remaining Calx out of the Cucurbit grind it very well and add to it of the Salt of Tartar Alkali a tenth part and as much as all of the Earth of the Salt of Tartar or matter left in extracting the Salt of Tartar and well dryed distil them all being well mix'd out of a Retort well luted three parts of which must be empty in a Receiver large and firm Take notice that the Receiver into which the Beak of the Retort is put must have a Pipe one Fingers breadth to which another Receiver is to be applyed in which must be a little quantity of Spirit of Wine Menstruum in Numb 18. then distil with a soft Fire and the Phlegm will ascend into the first Receiver the Phlegm being distilled increase the Fire and then will come a white Spirit in the Form of the white Spirit distilled from Vitriol Philosophical which will not descend into the Phlegm but through the aforesaid Pipe into the other Receiver there joyning it self with the Spirit of Wine even as Fire is easily joyned with Fire Take notice if this Spirit of Calx be not rightly prepared or impregnated with the like Spirit of Wine by the aforesaid cohobations it is in distilling mixed with its Phlegm extinguished and loseth its Virtue so difficult a thing it is to drive deeply into Nature she reserving many things to her self This Spirit being now mix'd with the Spirit of Wine take away the Receiver pour out the Phlegm and keep the Spirits of the Calx and Wine wearily Observe both these Spirits are separated not without difficulty for they embrace one another and in distillation ascend together Wherefore if you kindle the Spirits being mix'd and united in a Glass Vessel the Spirit of Wine is burned but the Spirit of the Calx remains in the Glass which keep diligently This is a great Arcanum few Spirits do exceed its efficacy if you knew the use of it its qualities can scarce be described by way of Compendium This Spirit dissolves Crabs Eyes andthe hardest Cristals these three distilled together through an Alembick and many times cohobated make a Liquor three drops of which taken in warm Wine do break and dissolve the Gravel and Stone in Mans Body this Liquor expells the very root or cause of that Disease without any pain to the Patient This Spirit of Calx at the beginning is of a Sky-Colour but being gently rectified appears white transparent and clear leaving some few Faeces behind it This Spirit dissolves the most fixed Jewels and Precious Stones and on the contrary fixeth all Volatile Spirits by its transcendent heat This Spirit overcomes all Symptoms whatsoever of the Podagra though never so knotty and tartarous all which it dissolves and radically expells If Spirit of Wine acuated with Vegetable Sal Harmoniack be kindled the Spirit of common Wine is burned but the Sal Harmoniack being incombustible ascends in the Form of a Liquor and is called the Fiery Spirit of Wine of Basilius but the same Spirit of Wine joyned with the Sal Harmoniack being absorbed by the Calx vive and then distilled into it self and then kindled the Spirit of common Wine is indeed consumed by the Flame as before but the Spirit of the Calx or rather the Vegetable Sal Harmoniack ascends not as before but remains in the bottom of the Glass because more digested and made more fixed But for the greater elucidation of these Spirits we thought good to add another Description of the Spirit of Calx 21. The Simple Spirit of Calx vive of Basilius In manualibus Operationibus TAke pure Calx vive burn it in a Potters Furnace with a most strong Fire to reduce it to an exact maturity grind it very fine upon a Marble and put it in a Cucurbit pour to it Spirit of Wine made of Philosophical Tartar as I shall teach in my method of making Aurum potabile that the Calx may be made like thin Pap this being done distil from thence the Phlegm till the Calx be dry pour on new Spirit of Wine and draw of repeat it six times then grind the matter very curiously and put it in a Cellar to be dissolved per deliquium and within a few days a Liquor will run from it which being gather'd and distilled by a Retort in Sand first sends forth a Phlegm to be kept by it self after that a Spirituous Liquor which also keep apart Now take Cristals pulverized mix them with the same weight of Vive or Mineral Sulphur burn this matter continually stirring it till all the Sulphur be burned away then reverberate in an open Fire the space of three Hours this done pour the aforesaid Liquor to this matter Take also Crabs Eyes to which also pour the same Liquor of quick Lime in another Glass let them be digested fourteen Days in a heat strong enough and from both will ascend an humidity upon the superficies which decant finely into a little Glass and rectifie in Balneo and a Liquor will remain in the bottom three grains of which administred in Wine have produced very great and admirable effects This Medicine cures also radically the Stone of the Bladder and Kidneys as well in Men as Women The Spirit of Wine made of Philosophical Tartar which Basilius promised to give in his method of making Aurum potabile will confirm all the aforesaid Menstruums of Basilius for those are made of Sal Harmoniack or the Volatile Salt of Tartar being divers ways prepared but this Spirit of Philosophical Wine is acuated with the Salt of Tartar not indeed the common Alcali but that being reduced together with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine into a liquid substance for we are to be admonished that it is not always necessary to make the Coelum or Heaven of Lully and the rest of the Menstruums of this kind with the Salt of Tartar as being Philosophically Volatilized but that sometimes also the same Menstruum may be made of the Salt of Tartar without the sublimation or reduction of it into the Vegetable Sulphur of Nature by cohobating only the Spirit of Philosophical Wine upon
Raphanus putrefies and with a stronger Fire distils but the Caput mortuum the remaining Salt rather he dissolves on a Marble per deliquium In the second Receipt he dissolves Sal Gemmae being first five or six times melted in an equal quantity of the Juice of Raphanus made hot then coagulates putrefies and distils like common Aqua fortis the remaining Salt reduced into Powder being as yet hot he dissolves per deliquium in a moist place Sometimes he does without this stinking Juice of Raphanus more compendiously prepare that Oyl of Salt per deliquium and that is from Salt calcined with Nitre The Receipt is to take of common Salt and the Salt of Urine equal parts to be by the Rule of Alchymy calcined two hours then resolved in a Cellar after the usual manner c. From this calcined Salt is distilled a Spirit which resolveth Gold into Oyl but if it be again extracted and to the highest degree prepared a most excellent Aurum potabile will be had but without that extraction Distillation the Gold is only resolved then is it a most pure Art for Goldsmiths in guilding and for Iron-smiths a constant and precious Treasure to guild with yet they that prepare it ought to be skilful Alchymists Libro de rebus Nat. Cap. 4. de Sale pag. 190. That Paracelsus by the Salt of Vrine intended Nitre is easily proved by what follows In what place soever saith he the Urine of Man or Beast is poured forth at the same succeeding time is Sal Nitre produced for Urine gathered and prepared into another Salt is called Sal Niter ibidem But the same Receipt Tract de Sale pag. 171. Puts it out of all doubt being thus described Take Salt and Sal Nitre in equal proportion let them be calcined by themselves till they melt then resolve them into a Liquor The Second is The Oyl or Essence of Salt In the first process he takes the Oyl of Salt per deliquium and cohobates it so oft with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine till the Salt remains at the bottom in a form of an Oyl and no Phlegm ascends but if instead of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine any Vegetable Menstruum be taken as for example the Menstruum which we treat now of being already prepared or Salt circulated there is no necessity for the Salt to be dissolved per deliquium but is with less pains reduced into an Oyl or natural Essence Though saith he there are more ways to extract the Ens primum of Salt yet this is most commodious and most expeditious and after this there is that other way which we mention'd speaking of the Elixir of Salt namely that new Salt mix'd well with the dissolving water which is the distill'd Spirit of Salt the Circulatum minus made of Salt the water of Salt circulated the Arcanum of Salt the Menstruum which is now in hand must be putrify'd and distill'd so long till the substance of the Salt be dissolved and reduced into a perpetual Oleosity the Body in the Form of Phlegm being abstracted from it The place alleadged is in Lib. 8. Archid. de Elixeriis pag. 31. Take Salt well prepared most white and pure put it into a Pellican with six times the weight of the dissolving water by the dissolving water is our water of Salt circulated to be understood Lib. 10. Archid. pag. 38. Digest them a month together in Horse-dung then separate the dissolving water by Distillation and pour it on again and separate as before and that so oft till the Salt be converted into Oyl This way of making the Essence of Salt with the Circulatum minus is much better and more exquisite than that former preparation performed by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine though Paracelsus affirms the former method to be more useful and more expeditious than the latter which is to be understood of the use of both not the preparation For the Essence of Salt is both sooner and better prepared with some Circulatum minus than with the simple Spirit of Philosophical Wine from which Essence of Salt which way soever made is prepared the Arcanum of Salt which reason will have more commodious and more expeditious in extracting the Essences of things than the Oyl of Salt not yet so graduated In the second Process Paracelsus commands indeed the Oyl of Salt made per deliquium to be putrefy'd but as to the means of putrefaction whether with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or some simple Vegetable Menstruum makes no mention without which notwithstanding the Salt would not ascend in the Alembick and if it were distilled yet would it be of no use in extracting Essences He putrify'd therefore the Oyl of Salt per deliquium for some time with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine then being putrifyed distil 〈◊〉 with a stronger Fire the residue of the Salt he again dissolv'd on a Marble and being dissolved putrify'd and distill'd it with new Spirit of Philosophical Wine or some Simple Vegetable Menstruum so often till he had distill'd the whole into Spiritual Water of Salt The third Branch consists in the Reduction of the Essence of Salt into the Arcanum of the same for the Natural that is Saline Essence of Salt doth by being cohobated sometimes with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine ascend together with it becomes sweet and is transmuted into the Arcanum of Salt or Artificial Essence of which Arcanums more in the second Book of Medecines Common Salt therefore distilled with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine through an Alembick is the Circulatum minus of Paracelsus the Aqua salis circulati the Primum ens salis the Arcanum salis the Aqua solvens the Spiritus salis distillatus the Matrix and Center of Metals and Minerals c. It is called Circulatum by reason of the Circulation or Digestion of the Essence of Salt for a Month with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or which is more probable because of the common Circulation of all the Vegetable Menstruums for the space of 30 40 or 60 Days after the Menstruum was already made so that this Circulation though omitted in our Receipt must be understood in these Circulatums of Paracelsus It is not therefore called Circulatum minus as if common Salt had less Virtues in dissolving than the other Salts but because it hath those only and not the quality of tinging superadded as the greater Circulatums after the same manner as Salt is made a Circulatum may also Vitriol be made a Circulatum Alum a Circulatum Tartar a Circulatum c. This way also saith Paracelsus is the Arcanum or Magistery to be made of Vitriol as also of all other Salts Lib. 10. Arch. Cap. 3. Pag. 38. Lastly As the saline Essence of Salt loseth its saltness and becomes sweet by being digested and cohobated in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine so the Common Spirit of Salt well mixed and digested with the Spirit of Wine becomes a sweet Menstruum It is
Spirit ascends without diminution of its Virtue and then will you have the fixed Salt acuated which put in an Alembick and pour to it the Vegetable Oyl three Fingers high digest in Ashes for a day increase the Fire and distil whatsoever can ascend the distillation keep warily because it is the Vegetable Mercury But if any of the Salt remains in the Alembick you must repeat the same operations till at length all the Vegetable Mercury passeth through the Alembick which will extract the Tincture of Gold being calcined with common Mercury and Salt and lastly with Sulphur which is an excellent Aurum potabile Sometimes they prepared these Menstruums by cohobation alone without any imbibition For Example 35. The rectified Aqua Vitae of Lully In potestate Divitiarum TAke Wine separate the Spirit warily as soon and as purely as you can because you will never separate it so warily but that it will contain in it some of the purest part of this Phlegmatick Substance or Water this Spirit being once separated is called Mercury that is Aqua ardens the sign of which is that if you dip a Linnen Cloth in it it will turn into a flame if first kindled and not be burned but if you separate often times rectify it is called Lunaria rectify'd that is Aqua ardens rectify'd whereof the sign is that a Linnen Cloth dipp'd in it burns all away Separate now all the superfluous Phlegm till none at all remains and at the bottom will reside a Pitch then mix the Lunaria that is the Aqua ardens rectify'd with that substance made like soft Pitch shaking it well till it be incorporated and set it to distil and that which goes over is called Man's Blood rectify'd which Alchymists seek for That Blood is also called Air or Wind and of this thing spake the Philosopher when he said Wind carryed him in its Belly from the remainder separate the superfluous Oyl called above Vegetable by distilling it through a Glass Alembick till nothing remains which Oyl keep a part till I shall tell you but the residue will be a substance black and dry which reduce to a fine powder and mix by little and little with the rectify'd Man's Blood and let them stand together for the space of three Hours and then distil and then this Water is called Aqua ignea rectificata or Fiery Water rectify'd then calcine the Caput mortuum in a Furnace of Reverberation till it be made like Lime and this Calx or Lime mix with the Fiery Water rectify'd and distil seven times and then is it called Aqua Vitoe rectify'd The same Menstruum hath Paracelsus in his Book de Elixire Vitae and the Author of the Appendix of the third Volume of Theatrum Chymicum These Menstruums differ not from the aforesaid made of Sal Armoniack but only in preparation in those the whole Earth of the Philosophical Wine is by its own Spirit reduced into a liquid substance with which is performed the same Work but after another manner Hitherto ought to be referred the Menstruum of Guido made thus 36. The Circulatum minus of Guido In Thesauro Chymiatrico TAke of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine one pound of the Salt of the same Wine four ounces mix the Joynts being well luted distil through an Alembick in Balneo pour back the distillation and cohobate four times and it will be prepared Lully reduceth his Sal Armoniacks with some difficulty into a liquid substance but Guido distils the Salt of Philosophical Wine by four cohobations into the same Menstruum the cause of abbreviation is to be sought in the preparation of that Salt which is two-fold common or secret of the common saith Guido thus The ardent Spirit of Wine being distill'd draw off the Phlegm till the matter remains in the substance of the thinner sort of Honey which will in a cold Cellar yield Cristals like Nitre which are called the Salt of Wine which take out and keep the remainder evaporate a little while and take more c. Of the secret way of making this Salt saith Guido also pag. 8. Thes Take of the Salt of Wine and Spirit of Wine of each four ounces digest the space of eight or ten days draw off gently in Balneo and the Phlegm only will ascend and you will have six ounces of the Salt of Wine to which Salt add again an equal quantity of its Spirit and digest again ten days and draw off the Phlegm pour new Spirit to the remaining Salt and proceed as above and thus may you increase the Salt of Wine as you please This latter way of making the Salt of Wine is not only the multiplication and addition as well of the quantity as quality of it but moreover is also the volatilization of it It is no wonder therefore that the Salt whose half part was Spirit of Philosophical Wine should so easily ascend with the same Spirit yet is it to be well observ'd lest we temper the aridity of the Salt of Wine too much with too great an addition of Vnctuosity and instead of a Menstruum of this Kind make a weaker of the second Kind What has been declared of Vegetable Menstruums is also to be understood of animal Menstruums for an Example we will instance 37. The animal Heaven of Parisinus In Apertorio TAke the Urine of Children between eight and twelve Years of Age of good disposition and health get that which is good and a good quantity and put it in many Glass Vessels which you must not fill above two thirds that it may the better circulate To every ten measures of Urine mix of our C. Philosophical Aqua ardens half a measure which must be without any Phlegm the Vessels being very well sealed with Wax let them putrefy fifteen days and then you will find the matter black and separated from its Terrestreity And you must know the longer it remains in putrefaction the more perfect will be the work every five days the Dung must be changed then pour it out into the Vessel which we described in the Vegetable Work and the Joynts being well luted distil till you see the sign which we spoke of in Chap. B. but for a more certain sign distil only two parts then take away the Receiver and put another to continuing the distillation till it remains like Syrup or melted Pitch then take these two parts reserved and distil by the same Balneo receiving three parts of four the remaining fourth cast away but distil half of these three and again distil three parts of four parts of this half which distil twice by themselves and thus will you have your Flower rectify'd with which we extract Acetum acerrimum out of its own Earth Take therefore this Earth being in the form of Syrup to which pour the Flower Spirit the height of three Fingers cover the Vessel with a blind Head and lute the Joynts with gumm'd Wax put it in putrefaction three natural Days and shake the
stronger than the rest as to the preparation of the Sal Armoniack though it may be sooner made with this Oyl than simple Aqua ardens but as the Sal Armoniack already made is mixed and again circulated not with the thin Philosophical Water but with the Oyl or Aqua Vitae circulated 7. That the divers ways of subliming these Salts do most clearly discover to us as well the Nature of that Spirit of Wine as of these Menstruums and moreover commends the incomparable Experience of Lully in these things 8. Animal Menstruums tho' extracted out of the Vrine and other parts of Man are nevertheless not properly so called so long as the matter of that Spirit of Philosophical Wine was Vegetable and only acuated with an animal thing yea the very Spirit of Philosophical Wine made also out of the animal Kingdom as also acuated would notwithstanding differ not from the simple Vegetable Menstruums in the properties of dissolving because it would together with the said simple Vegetable Menstruums very much vary from the tinging faculty of the compounded Vegetable Menstruums from which it ought to be distinguished whereas otherwise it might be ranked among the Vegetable Menstruums The Seventh KIND Vegetable Menstruums compounded of the aforesaid Simple Menstruums 38. The Circulatum majus of Guido Pag. 4. Thesauri Chym. TAke of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine six Ounces of the Salt of the same Wine four Ounces the Vessel being well stopp'd distil the Spirit in Balneo which pour back upon the Salt of Wine and again distil and this ought to be done twelve times then distil for a Month in Balneo roxido Putrefaction being done take out the matter and distil in a Cucurbit with an Alembick of two Heads or Beaks in Balneo and the Spirit of Wine will ascend through the upper Beak into its Receiver but the Phlegm through the lower into its Vessel Take out the Salt of Wine pour one half of the Spirit of Wine to it and distil with a Retort into the other part of the Wine distil yet once upon the remainder and all the Salt will ascend into a strong Menstruum But if you desire a weaker add six other Ounces of the Spirit of Wine and if you would have it very weak pour to it a greater quantity of Spirit but according to the aforesaid weight it is made our great Vegetable Menstruum or Circulatum majus Annotations HItherto of Simple Vegetable Menstruums now follow those which are said to be compounded not as if they are compounded of more Ingredients but because they are stronger than the Simple as well in their qualities of dissolving as tinging The Menstruums of this Kind differ not from the former in matter nor in the method of preparing but in weight only for the more aridity you add to the unctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine the stronger are the Menstruums made Guido made his less Circulatum of one part of the Salt of Wine and four parts of the Spirit of Wine but the greater Circulatum he makes of two parts of the Salt of Wine and three parts of the Spirit of Wine The greater quantity of the Salt the stronger is the Circulatum The less Circulatums do extract the Essences or Tinctures of things but the greater Circulatums do dissolve the whole Body into a Magistery as will appear in the second Book Vegetable Menstruums compounded are made also if the simple Vegetable Menstruums be taken instead of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in the Descriptions of them all as thus 39. The Menstruum acutum of Guido Pag. 8. Thesauri Chym. TAke of the Vegetable Menstruum Circulatum minus described in Numb 36. one Pound of Sal Armoniack common twelve Ounces distil by a Retort first with a weak Fire then a stronger and the Sal Armoniack will in part ascend pour it back and distil yet once then again add twelve Ounces of new Sal Armoniack distil strongly in Ashes pour back and cohobate yet twice and you will have our acute Menstruum Sal Armoniack reduced into a liquid substance by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine is a Menstruum of the fourth Kind but the same Salt distill'd with the Circulatum minus of Guido is made not a simple but compound Menstruum and the better for adding so great a quantity of new Sal Armoniack Parisinus in the third Kind of Menstruums acuates the Spirit of Philosophical Wine with crude Honey by which way it is made a simple Menstruum of that Kind but if mixed with its fixed Salt and distilled through an Alembick 't is made a compound Menstruum 40. The Coelum majus of Parisinus In Apertorio TAke B that is red Wine putrify'd as you know how put it in a Glass Cucurbit with its Alembick and Receiver well luted and set it in Balneo wherein must be so much Water as to swim two Fingers above the said Lunaria and distil gently and forthwith you will see Veins appear in the Alembick continue the distillation so long as they appear and these Veins will be like Tears clear as Cristal and when Death Phlegm comes which kills the Spirit the said Veins or Tears will cease and appear round as Pearls then take away the Receiver stop it that the Spirit may not evaporate and set it in a cold place and so have you separated the Soul Spirit of it tho' it contains a little of its Death yet in it and thus continue the distillation the Receiver being now changed till all the odoriferous Phlegm is ascended and the matter remains like melted pitch black and thick which observe not to dry overmuch but according to the said Signs only And thus will you have two ferments from our B. beware of revealing to any one this Practice which we communicate to you under the peril of your Soul for you would be the cause of much Evil in this World to be committed by the Sons of Iniquity put it therefore into the hands of Almighty God who knows the Will of those that live according to his Will and the triumphant Gospel for the Glory of which you have extracted the Form out of B and the same way you may extract from all Individuals Animal and Vegetable Cap. secundum significatum per C. Take the Soul Spirit of it reserved in the cold place and distil half of it in Balneo or till the precious Veins cease from ascending rectify yet twice observing the same Rules but the third and fourth time so soon as the Veins appear leave off distilling and try whether it will burn a linnen Cloth if not repeat the distillation till it doth then cohobate by it self four or six times in Balneo And thus have you acquired a way fit for the rectifying of the said Matter or Soul Spirit which is of so great Virtue as not to be expressed by any Tongue or the Secrets which the Eternal God hath vouchsafed to it recited as when we were at Venice that Famous City we both
well as perfect Metals from power into action And though I may seem not to have delineated to you the Form of the Glass yet I know and do remember that I left some of them at your House and many other of our Cucurbits which are every one good Govern your self according to your discretion we having sufficiently manifested to you the way of Truth in this Chapter From the Receipts we observe 1. That the Menstruums of this seventh Kind differ from the former simple Menstruums not in matters nor in ways of making but in the weights and use of the Ingredients 2. That these Menstruums tinge not their dissolution which is the property of compound Menstruums Every Vegetable Mercury contains indeed its own tinging Sulphur in its Bowels sufficient both for it self and others as will be demonstrated in the third Book but especially in the fifth nevertheless we affirm that every Spirit of Philosophical Wine wants Tincture as being not acuated with things more tinging The Eighth KIND Vegetable Menstruums compounded of Simple Vegetable Menstruums and common Argent Vive or other Metals 41. The Ignis Gehennoe of Trismosinus made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and Mercury Sublimed Pag. 7. Aurei Velleris Germ. TAke of Alum calcined Nitre of each two parts of Salt decrepitated one part mix take of this mixture and Mercury sublimed of each one pound sublime by the Law of Art mix the sublimation with new mixture of Salts and sublime and that repeat three times To this Mercury thus sublimed and pulverized pour the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and draw it off in Balneo to an oleity cohobate sometimes and the fourth time will ascend the Mercury together with the Spirit of VVine rectify the distillation till it leaves no Faeces and it will be a VVater burning like Hell-Fire This VVater rectify again in Ashes till it ascends without leaving any Sediment lastly distil through a Paper seven times double in Balneo and you will have a VVater truly Spiritual which keep in a Vessel close stoped by reason it is very Volatile Annotations THe Kind immediately antecedent is indeed computed in the number of the greater Circulatums or Vegetable Menstruums compounded because the Menstruums of that Kind do in the power of dissolving excell the other Simple Menstruums but not in Tincture which that as well as those do want but we will now offer those which shall be better they will not only dissolve but in dissolving moreover tinge the things dissolved in them and so make them better they will not only extract the Essences of things but transmute whole Bodies into Magisteries Amongst these the Vegetable Mercurial Waters made of common Argent vive and simple Vegetable Menstruums have priority for many of the Adepts being so taught by Experience have called common Argent vive the open Metal for it is sooner dissolved than the other Metals and does by its aridity more temper the unctuosity of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine than the individuals hitherto used in the antecedent Kinds of Menstruums As concerning this matter hear the Philosophers and above the rest the great Paracelsus Prince without question of all the Adepts who saith If you intend to convert Metals into a Magistery and tinge the whole Body altogether into an Essence you must take the chief and open Metal to which all the rest have affinity in Nature and putrify it in its own Matrix which is situated in VVater and is call'd the Mother of all Metals Paracelsus his Circulatum minus made of common Salt purge it from superfluities and reduce it into its liquid first being that is the Metallick Acetum acerrimum the primum Ens of Mercury Lib. 10. Arch. Cap. 3. pag. 37. As a temperate Essence he goes on is drawn out of Herbs as out of a Vine for example by which very Essence the like Essence may be extracted out of all sorts of Herbs and Roots so as that the Mercury of VVine shews not its own Nature but the Nature of that with which it is essentiated for the like reason out of Metals and Minerals the like Mercury or Spirit is extracted out of the open and middle Metal Mercury Lib. 10. Arch. pag. 39. Mercury vive is the Mother of all the seven Metals and ought deservedly to be called the Mother of Metals for it is an open Metal Libro de rebus naturalibus pag. 87. VVherefore call to mind those things which have been said before of half perfect Natural Things among which Mercury vive is one which is not brought into compaction but left in liquidity Besides you must know that every generated thing which is open as Argent vive is like an open House into which every Man that will may enter for so lies Mercury open that every Physitian may take what he will from it but it is not so with Gold Silver Tin c. for that Gate is shut by coagulation till opened dissolved and reduced into the first matter by Art which Metals have indeed many impediments such as are not in Mercury for it is open and wants nothing but the direction of preparation Tract 2. lib. 2. de morbis metallicis 723. Basilius agrees with Paracelsus saying In the beginning of Generation the first of all is Argent vive being open and loosely coagulated because it hath little Salt communicated to it and therefore is more Spiritual than Corporeal the rest of the Metals being derived from its Essence have more Salt and therefore are made more Corporeal Lib. de rebus natural supernat Cap. 2. Chortalassaeus affirms the same saying Argent vive is of divers Colours white skyish ash blackish one slow another swift yet in it self an open Metal and hath a Body easily transmutable Cap. pag. 359. Volum sexti Theat Chym. In searching for Sulphur despair not saith Sendivogius I tell you by all that 's sacred it is in Gold and Silver most perfect but in Argent vive most easy Pag. 213. lib. de Sulphure Of the antient Philosophers I will add Arnold who in Lib. 1. Cap. 7. Rosarii saith The Medicine is as well in Metallick Bodies as also in Argent vive as to Nature because they are found to be of one Nature but indeed in these Bodies harder in the Argent vive nearer but not more perfectly In Argent vive alone it is found more easily and more nearly not more perfectly it being the Father of both those Luminaries and all things fusible for they are all derived from it and therefore are they all resolv'd into it because Nature embraceth its own Nature more amicably and rejoyceth with it more than with that which is Heterogeneous For in it is the facility of extracting that subtil substance Among the Metals there is none that sooner mixeth with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and is more easily altered than Argent vive wherefore the Adepts esteemed it as an open Metal all other Metals and Mineral Bodies are with
again as before putrifying in a close Vessel in Balneo then upon Ashes and emptying the several dissolutions of Gold and Silver into their several Vessels as before If any thing remains undissolved dry and dissolve as before till all the remainder be fully dissolved then putrifie both dissolutions twenty Natural Days being putrifyed take the dissolutions and put them severally into their Urinals with their Receivers and having luted the Joynts well distil the Waters of both Metals in Balneo in the bottom of the Vessels will remain the Bodies like melted Honey or Oyl pour upon those Oyls again of their own Waters The Menstruum now drawn from the Oyls distilled only by Balneo so as to swim three Fingers above the Matter cover both Vessels with their Antenotoriums and putrifie for a Natural Day then take away the Antenotoriums and put on Alembicks lute well and distil upon Ashes lastly increase the Fire that the Soul or Element of Air may pass over into both their distilled Waters and last of all increase the Fire to the highest degree that the Element of Fire may pass into the Air But to the Composition of Luna this Redness or Fire is not necessary Distillation being compleated let the Vessels cool take the Receivers from them and keep them very well stopp'd that they may not respire and put distinct Schedules or Inscriptions upon them that when you have occasion you may not take one for the other Then again to the Earths of Gold and Silver left in distillation pour their Waters distilled by Balneo as before and having put an Antenotorium to it putrifie as before then distil by Ashes each Vessel having its own Receiver wherein you kept the Souls of those Bodies and thus repeat the Magistery till the Earths are exanimated and destitute of radical moisture Then take those Earths grind well and joyn them together then put them in a Glass Egg and keep them in hot Ashes till I tell you what to do with them Then take the animated Spirit of Luna and rectifie it seven times in Ashes then take the animated Spirit of Sol and after the same manner rectifie it seven times in Ashes the limosities remaining Earth which the Spirit of Sol will in every rectification eject keep very close being the Element of Fire in the form of an Earth Having rectifyed take the animated Spirit of Sol and the animated Spirit of Luna and joyn them together then Circulate in a large Vessel as that wherein we Circulated the simple Menstruum continue this Circulation sixty Days in which time you will have a true Mineral Menstruum not acid but made of Minerals as Mercury Gold and Silver by which you may operate innumerable Experiments Hereto ought to be referred the Menstruum which is called by Basilius 55. The sweet Spirit of Mercury of Basilius Cap. 3. Libri de rebus nat supernat TAke of Natural Cinabar or Oar of Mercury and of the best Oar of Gold equal parts to which being pulverized and mixed pour the Oyl of Mercury made of Mercury sublimed and putrifyed that is Oyl of Mercury sublimed alone no other Ingredients being added except the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or some Vegetable Menstruum without which it cannot be made digest them for a Month and you will have a Celestial rather than Terrestrial extraction draw off the extraction in Balneo and the Phlegm being taken away in the bottom will remain a ponderous Oyl dissolving all Metals in a moment to which add of the Spirit of Wine Philosophical or Fiery Spirit of Wine of Basilius three parts Circulate in a Pellican to a Blood redness and incomparable sweetness being Circulated pour it upon Tartar calcined to whiteness and distil the Spirit of Mercury with a strong Fire the Spirit of Wine remaining with the Tartar We must distinguish between this Spirit and another of the same Name lest one be taken for the other For Basilius prepared also a Spirit of Mercury from the white Spirit of Vitriol of which you may read in several places in the Book de particularibus especially in the particular of Luna a Description of which Spirit is lower among the Mineral Menstruums because it is acid But the other namely this our Spirit of Mercury is most sweet and fragrant which you have also in the particular of Luna as also in the seventh Chapter of the Book de rebus nat supernat where he dissolves the Crocus of Luna in the white Spirit of Vitriol as also in the most fragrant Spirit of Mercury Parisinus for Alchymical Tinctures made a Mercurial compounded Menstruum of his Circulatum majus and the first or middle substance of common Argent vive thus 56. The incalcinated Menstruum of Parisinus Cap. G. Apertoris TAke of the Circulatum majus described before in Numb 50. one Pound of Mercury prepared as we shall teach in the tenth Chapter two Ounces mix and observe that true putrefaction be made with this Menstruum But when first it is incalcinated that is mix'd with such Mercury it is no more used for Men's Bodies but only as Medicines for Metals now the said tenth Chapter is this as followeth Of reducing common Mercury into the first Matter or Middle Substance Now my Son we will give you full instruction and demonstration of decocting and reducing common Argent vive into its first Matter or middle substance and as in the foregoing Chapters we declared the way of reincrudating the two Luminaries so now we will demonstrate the ways and means of decocting the said Mercury First we will teach the way of distinguishing good Mercury from bad sophisticated and corrupted which way is to take common Mercury brought out of Spain in Skins sealed or if you cannot have this take any other and put a little of it in a Silver Spoon heated so as to make the Mercury evaporate and if the remainder of it be of a white or citrine Colour 't is good but if of another Colour bad and not at all sit for our Work because sophisticated Then take of Roman Vitriol two Pounds melt it in a glazed Vessel being melted add one pound of Mercury and as much of common Salt prepared stir and shake till they be all mix'd evaporating the moisture with such a heat as that of the Sun then take out the Matter grind and put it in a Sublimatory and sublime the Mercury by the usual degrees of Fire The Vessels being cold take out the sublimation to which being put into a Retort pour of the Vegetable Water without Phlegm Philosophical Aqua Vitoe rectify'd about three or four Fingers let it boyl in Balneo two Hours then distil in Ashes that the Vegetable Water may ascend then cover the Retort with Ashes and increasing the Fire the Mercury vive will ascend into the Aqua ardens decant the Water from the Mercury which again sublime with new Matters and that six times always casting away the Faeces But take notice that
against Nature without which our Natural Fire could not subsist whereof we will say more in its proper place And these namely the Mineral and Vegetable Water being mix'd together and made one Water do operate contraries which is a thing to be admired for this one dissolves and congeals moisteneth and dryeth putrefies and purifies dissipates and joyns separates and compounds mortifies and vivifies destroyeth and restoreth attenuates and inspissates makes black and white burneth and cooleth begins and ends These are the two Dragons fighting in the Gulf of Sathalia this is the white and red Fume whereof one will devour the other And here the dissolving Vessels are not to be luted but onely stopp'd slightly with a Linnen Cloth and Mastick or common Wax For this Water is a Fire and a Bath within the Vessel and not without which if it feels any other strong Fire will be presently elevated to the top of the Vessel and if it finds no rest there the Vessel will be broken and so the composition will be left frustrated So much as this compounded Water dissolves so much it congeals and elevates is congealed and elevated into a glorious Earth And so it is the secret dissolution of our Stone which is alwayes done with the congelation of its own Water And because this Fire of Nature is added to the Water against Nature so much therefore as it lost of its Form by the Fire against Nature so much it recovers by the Water of Nature that our work by the Fire against Nature may not be destroyed or annihilated From the Receipts we observe 1. That the Menstruums of this kind being made of the very matter of Philosophical Wine or Philosophical Grapes are the first of all other Menstruums either Mineral or Vegetable 2. That the milky Liquor or Spirit Virgins Milk white Mercury the White Wine of Lully and the Glew of the Green Lyon called by Paracelsus the Glew of the Eagle are terms synonymous and that the Red Liquor Blood of the Green Lyon Red Mercury the Philosophers Sulphur and the Red Wine of Lully otherwise by Paracelsus the Blood of the Red Lyon are likewise Synonyma's 3. That the acid Mineral Menstruums are by digestion or further elaboration transmuted either into a simple Vegetable Menstruum or into the Heaven or Spirit of Philosophical Wine 4. That these acid Menstruums are to be distilled with very great caution by reason of the excessive effervescence of the Azoquean Vitriol or rather Spirit of Philosophical Wine which is in this Vitriol caused by the Acids 5. That Mineral Menstruums are the Heaven or Essence of Philosophical Wine dissolved in an Acid so that having acquired this Spirit you may make them ex tempore by simple dissolution 6. That the Menstruums even now prepared are presently to be used lest they perish 7. That Menstruums are by dissolving Bodies coagulated 8. That Metallick Bodies are by these Menstruums reduced into running Mercury 9. That these are called Stinking Menstruums because of their stinking smell By the smell alone we easily distinguish these from those fragrant Menstruums called Vegetable Thus the unsavoury smell of the Menstruum it self proves that Morienus used the Stinking Menstruum What is the smell of it saith King Calid by way of Question before and after the making of it Morienus answereth Before it is made the sent of it is strong and unsavoury but after the preparation of it it has a good sent according to that which the wise man saith This Water resembles the unpleasant smell of a Body dead and void of life for the smell of it is ill and not unlike to the smell of Graves He that can whiten the Soul and cause it to ascend again and keep the Body well and take away all obscurity from it and extract the ill savour out of it will be able to infuse it into the Body and in the hour of conjunction exceeding Miracles will appear Morien de Trans Metal p. 33. Geber also acknowledgeth himself to have operated with a mineral Menstruum Cap. 25. Summoe perfect The first natural Principles saith he out of which Metals are procreated are the Stinking Spirit that is Sulphur and Water Vive which also we allow to be called dry Water And in another Place at the end of his Book de Investigat he goes on We do by plain and open proof conclude our Stone to be nothing else but a Stinking Spirit and living Water which we also call dry Water being cleansed by natural decoction and true proportion with such an Union that nothing can be added or taken from it to which a third thing ought to be added for the abbreviation of the Work that is a perfect Body attenuated 10. That Adrop the Name of the Matter of these Menstruums signifies the Philosophers Saturn or Lead The first Matter of this leprous Body saith Ripley is a viscous Water inspissated in the Bowels of the Earth The great Elixir for the Red and for the White saith Vincentius is made of this Body whose Name is Adrop otherwise called Philosophical Lead pag. 132. Medul Phil. Chym. Our Stone saith Arnold in Speculo Alchym is called Adrop which is in Latine Saturnus in English Lead and according to the Trojans Dragon or Topum that is Poyson Septima Dispos Speculi pag. 596. Vol. 4. Theatr. Chym. I have shewed that the Philosophers gave it divers Names because of the diversity of Colours but as to their Intention they had one peculiar Name that is Roman Gold or Adrop or Stone above all the Stones of this world Quarta dispositio Speculi pag. 594. of the same Volume Laton and Azoth are together and never asunder but remain always joyned together but because of the diversity of Colours the Philosophers call'd them by many Names and as the Colours are varied and changed they imposed so many Names because Azoth among the Indians is Gold among the Hermians Silver among the Alexandrians and Macedonians Iron with the Greeks Mercury with the Hebrews Tin with the Tartars Brass with the Arabians Saturn and among the Latines and especially among the Romans Ognividon by an Anagram Dono G vini G signifying Philosophical Mercury or Sulphur aqueum But that none may err I say it hath one proper Name and is commonly called by men and every one knows the Stone Tertia dispos Specul p. 593. of the same Volume Some of the Adepts write not Adrop but Atrop by which Name they have been pleas'd to signifie the Matter of these Menstruums to be as it were the Gate of all the most secret Chymy for Atrop by the inversion of the Letters is read Porta a Gate Thus Robertus Valensis in Gloria Mundi pag. 305. That you may attain saith he to the true foundation I will once again repeat it to you and call it the first Hyle that is the beginning of all things it is also called the only Holy apprehend what Elements are in it by those which are repugnant the
this Kind are made not only of Mineral Salts not tinging but also of Vegetable Alcalies thus 83. The fixative Water of Trithemius Pag. 37. Aurei Veller Germ. TAke Aqua fortis mix'd with the Spirit of Wine described above in Numb 74. whereto add of the Oyl of Tartar per deliquium half a Pound distil the Spirit throw away the Phlegm and dissolve the remaining Earth or Salt in the Spirit Keep the solution for the fixing of things but for volatilization the Salt of Tartar must be cohobated so oft till it ascends as the common Salt in the Eating Water Hereto is referred the Menstruum called 84. The Aqua Mirabilis of Isaacus Cap. 29. 2 Oper. Min. pag. 91. Manus Phil. TAke old Urine distil with a weak Fire then a stronger that whatsoever can may ascend rectifie the destillation taking away all the Fatness or Oyl till it leaves no Faeces behind it The Caput Mortuum left in the bottom calcine the space of two hours but without fusion of the Salt draw all the saltness from the calcined Matter with common Water evaporate the Liquor to a thin skin that the Salt may be Cristalized repeat sometimes that the Salt may be made most pure which dissolve in the distilled Urine Then take of this regenerated Urine six pounds of distilled Vinegar and Spirit of Philosophical Wine of each three measures of Common Salt two pounds of Sal Armoniack and calcined Tartar of each half a pound dissolve them all together into an Aqua Mirabilis The like Water almost hath Basilius but that he distils his through an Alembick the Description of which followeth 85. The Resuscitative Water of Basilius Pag. 81. Currus Triumphalis Antim TAke of the Salt of Mans Urine clarified and sublimed of Sal Armoniack and Salt of Tartar of each one part mix the Salts pour strong Philosophical Vinegar to them lute with lutum sapientioe digest the Salts for a Month in a continual heat then distil the Vinegar by Ashes till the Salts remain dry then mix them with three parts of Venetian Earth force them with a strong Fire through the Retort and you will have a wonderful Spirit for the making of Running Mercury out of Antimony The same Water we find also pag. 39. of his Manual Operations The Adepts have sometimes used some crude Oyley Matter instead of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in making these Menstruums thus Paracelsus volatilized four Salts into a Menstruum of this Kind with Wax dissolved in Aqua fortis 86. The Water of Sallabrum of Paracels Libro de reductione Metallorum in Argentum vivum sive Tractatu 4. Rosarii novi Olympici Bened Figuli pag. 24. TAke notice there is no shorter Method of reducing Metals into Mercury known to us than that which we used in our Book de putrefactione quatuor Salium which we there called Sallabrum as thus each of those Salts as lower must be converted into a pure Water or Oyl per deliquium which being mixed in equal weight are called Lac Veterum or Milk of the Ancients Which Philosophical Milk put into a strong Receiver and distil the Spirits of calcined Vitriol calcined Alume and the best Niter ana five times upon it and the mixture will be called Flying Eagle carrying Metals in its Talons aloft such a Metal being sublim'd grind to powder from which draw the Spirit of strong Wine being poured to it the height of a Finger three or four times gently in Balneo and you will have a quick or running Metal as common Mercury Now the Eagle is made volatile thus To the Philosophers Milk acuated with the said Spirits or Eagle pour Wax being very well liquefied and purged about the thickness of a Finger distil the Phlegms together with the Spirits by a Cucurbit in Balneo which Matter must be cohobated so often till they are all coagulated or well mixed and you will have the Philosophers Borax which we wrote of in our Book de virtute Vitrioli wherein the Volatile Eagle absconded it self with its Feathers namely Spirits Now take the Calx of what Metal you please made of Aqua fortis one part of the Flying Eagle half a part mix putrefie nine days the longer the better then sublime the Matter upon Sand in a Cucurbit well luted and all the Metal you took will ascend wherewith proceed as before Sallabrum described in the Book mentioned de putrefactione quatuor Salium Take Sal Niter Sal Gemmoe common Salt Pot-Ashes an equal quantity of each dissolve every one by it self and purge it from all Terrestreity out of all being mixed together make a clear and transparent Water which again coagulate in a clean Vessel and you will find the Salt of another colour namely yellow penetrating and sweetning dissolving and fixing Love and esteem this Salt because there are many Secrets in it for it fixeth the Volatile and vivifieth the Spirit being dead and mollifieth the hard and friable and freeth from any Leprosie and Poyson sixeth Arsenick and moreover is the promoter of many famous works to a happy and desired End In the first place let us admonish you to beware of this and such like Menstruums for a Mystery lies in these Receipts which to observe is necessary lest you begin to doubt the Truth of them after many most dangerous Experiments tried in vain for you Beginners let this suffice that it is impossible for Wax or any other oyley Matter to supply the place of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine There would be no need of this Spirit in the whole Art if crude oyley things could perform the same as this most pure and most unctuous Liquor No man but he that is expert in the Method of preparing the Spirit of Philosophical Wine can make these Menstruums whereas all the rest may be made by any Ideot if he hath but the Spirit of this Wine given him The Adepts do in these Receipts both prepare and acuate this Spirit of Wine no wonder therefore that they either wholly omitted the Mystery or not sufficiently express'd it in their Compositions for which reason also these Menstruums do appertain to the preparation of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine rather than as all the rest to the Vse of this Spirit or compositions of these Menstruums nor should I have remembred them here had they not been detrimental to many men and that to my own knowledge The Name Sallabrum is given quasi Salis labrum or Salt-Cellar not that Salt is to be contained in this Vessel as Candelabrum or Candlestick is so called because Candles are set in it but rather because the Essence or Fire of some Metals or some Chymcial Light is either to be reserved or made in this Sallabrum as Alume is by Isaacus in Man Philosophor pag. 28. called Lucerna signifying a Lanthorn Concerning this Sallabrum Thomas Aquinas in Lilio Benedicto pag. 1085. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. Thus Adde labrum Salis quanta sit sexta duorum Conjunge poneque
brings this pale Colour to the highest degree of a permanent Colour Though Paracelsus thought it not always necessary to admonish his Disciples of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine as an addition in his Compositions yet nevertheless ought I to declare to you the necessary addition of this Spirit in this Menstruum that you may not err for without it it would be of no consequence but rather a dammage to you in the more secret Chymy The Adepts made sometimes Menstruums of this Kind not with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but the Matter of it namely some Vegetable Oleosum Thus 97. The Water of the sixth Gradation of Paracelsus Libro de Gradationibus pag. 132. TAke of Sulphur vive two pounds of Linseed Oyl four pounds boyl them to a Composition commonly called the Liver of Sulphur which must be distilled into an Oyl by a peculiar and Philosophical manual Operation appertaining to the making of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine To this must be added again the same quantity of Sulphur vive and boyl'd as before to a Composition and digested in Horse-dung for a Month or if longer better Then must be added of Sal Niter Vitriol Alume Ingredients of Aqua fortis Flos Aeris Crocus of Mars Cinabar to increase the Tincture of the Sulphur of each half a Verto einem halben vierling that is a fourth part of half a pound or two ounces distil whatsoever will ascend and take away the Liquors the Oyls only being kept not Oyl but Oyls because they are two White and Red which must be put into a glass Cucurbit the Species being added as before and the Caput mortuum pulverized distil them again together as before then pour the distillation back to the Faeces and let it be putrified again for a Month and distilled again Then the Colours being evacuated or separated the Red from the White keep the Red and rectifie it as is requisite in which let Plates of Luna be digested a due time and then reduced by cupellation Paracelsus sometimes made this Oyl or Fire of Sulphur by it self without other tinging things for the graduating of pretious Stones as well as Metals It is come to that saith he pag. 200. Lib. de Sulph that the Spirit of Transmutation hath given his Receipt of making a Liver or Lung out of Linseed Oyl and Sulphur The distillation of this Lung or Liver is done many ways but it is sound by operating that this Liver yields a Milk nothing differing from common Milk being thick and fat it yielded also a red Oyl like Blood This Milk and that Blood confounded not their Colour and Essence by distillation but remained distinct and separate one from the other the White setling to the bottom and the Red ascending to the top Now Art has been solicitous in making Silver out of the White or Milk and out of the Red Gold but to me it is plain that never any thing could be either by the Ancient or Modern Philosophers done with the White or Milk of Sulphur I do therefore affirm that Milk to be dead and nothing contained in it But as to the Red Oyl which yields the Liver observe every Cristal or Beril being first well polished or purified c. See the fourth Book concerning the Vse of this Oyl in the Gradutions of Pretious Stones exalts Gems even to the highest degree yea higher than they can be exalted by Nature Here also note that all Silver put into it a due time at length grows black and leaves a golden Calx yet not fixed before its exact time but a volatile and immature thing but if it hath its time it performs all things feasible whereof no more must be here declared Thus therefore observe of Sulphur if it be taken into degrees the more subtil clearer higher and of quicker operation it is the higher and better it is This way are Metals and Stones made He that is about to attempt it must not think but know himself able for it is as to Operation the most dangerous Labour in all Alchymy and therefore requires notable Experience and repeated Practice nor must he proceed by Hear-say but by much Experience c. Yet not being satisfyed with the strength of this Oyl in this twelfth gradation he was willing to exalt it yet higher with other tinging things as Flores Aeris and Crocus of Mars by which Paracelsus meant not Common but Philosophical Medicines We perceive saith he Lib. 4. Archid. de Essentiis pag. 16. Verdegrease is accounted the Quintessence of Venus whereas it is not but the Crocus of Venus is a Quintessence so to be understood Flos Aeris is a common transmutation with a thick and subtil substance together extracted out of the whole Complexion of Copper wherefore it can be no Quintessence but the Crocus of Venus as we have taught is a true Quintessence it being a potable thing without corrosion and in mixtion divided from the Body very subtil yea more than I am minded here to write to avoid prolixity So also the Crocus of Mars and the rust of it has hitherto been esteemed a Quintessence it not being so but the true Crocus of Mars is the Oyl of Mars which is sometimes in a dry form under the Name of an Essence and called the Philosophical Crocus of Mars in the second Book of Medicines From the Receipts we observe 1. That common Spirit of Vitriol Butter of Antimony Arsenick Tin c. mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine are Philosophical Spirit of Vitriol Philosophical Butter of Antimony c. 2. That the Menstruums of this Kind are the same with the Menstruums of the Fifteenth Kind but with this difference namely in that Philosophical Vinegar not tinging is prepared but in this Philosophical Vinegar tinging because these are made of the Acid Spirits of things tinging that is Metals and Minerals but those of the Acid Spirits of things not tinging that is Vegetable Salts and some Minerals whose dry part was neither Metal nor any coloured Body 3. That these Menstruums are not only dissolving Waters but also gradatory because prepared with things tinging 4. That these Menstruums are the Essences of things tinging or Magisteries dissolved in an Acid and consequently Medicines 5. That these Menstruums may be also made of crude Oyls provided a Man knows the way of preparing the Spirit of Philosophical Wine 6. That the same two Oyls of Sulphur whereof the Red is an Essence after the way of Paracelsus that is the best which Paracelsus elsewhere prepares with the most strong Aqua fortis described before in Numb 91. are here made by the same Author of a crude oyly matter 7. That Vegetables and Animals as such and crude are not Ingredients in Philosophical Works but as they are made incombustible and reduced into a Metallick Nature The said separation saith the Author of Via Veritatis pag. 253. You must well observe for from hence the Ancient Sophi took occasion to inquire into
distillation dissolved in its own Acid Part produced a Menstruum of this Kind whereas in the Precedent Kind that small quantity of Copper dissolved or contained in common Spirit of Vitriol and elevated with a violent Fire is by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine reduced not into the Essence but Magistery little effectual as well through the smalness of its quantity as Tincture This present Oyl of Vitriol is not the least esteemed among the Secrets of Basilius and therefore we will a little more exactly consider his most clear description that by his more abundant Light we may Illustrate darker places First Basilius bids us purifie Roman Vitriol by divers solutions and coagulations which purification is necessary to separate the Vitriol from strange Dust Dross and other impertinent Offals yet this we think Superfluous when the Vitriol is purely cristallized for the Terestreity setling in the dissolution of Vitriol is not Foeces but Copper less dissolved than the rest and left by the Acid being too much diluted with common Water The Vitriol being purified he enjoyns to be distilled with the Spirit of Wine into a red Oyl He reduced not only Natural Vitriol but also Artificial Vitriols made of Metals into such Oyls The Sugar or Vitriol of Saturn he distills together with the Spirit of Wine into a red Oyl curing Melancholy the French Disease c. Coagulating and fixing Mercury but if fixed with the Mercury of Mars tinging thirty parts of Mercury into Gold Libro de Conclu Tract 2. Sect. 1 Cap. 1 de Sulphure Saturni The same way saith he is a red sweet Oyl tinging Saturn into Gold to be distilled out of Sugar or Vitriol of Jupiter in the following Chapter which he repeats in Sect. 2. Cap. 2. de Vitriolis Saturni Jovis Argent vive he dissolves in Aqua fortis and being reduced into Cristal or Vitriol distils with the Spirit of Wine rectify'd before with the Salt of Tartar the Menstruum described in Numb 18. into a sweet Oyl curing the French Pox Old Vlcers Palsie c. to be joyned to Martial Tinctures in the Transmutation of Metals Sect. 2. Cap. 5. de Vitriolo Mercurii The more fixed Metals Gold and Silver he distills in Balneo Regis in Numb 89. through an Alembick which the Menstruum being drawn off he reduceth into Volatile Vitriols to be distilled with the Spirit of Wine into Oyls Sect. 2. Cap. 1. De Vitriolo Solis et Luna The more dry Metals Iron and Copper he prescribes to be distilled into the same Oyls but omits the way of distilling Sect. 1. Cap. 3. De Sulphuribus Martis Veneris Sect. 2. Cap. 3. De Vitriolo Martis Cap. 4. De Vitriolo Veneris but the following Kind of Menstruum will prove that they are to be distilled with Philosophical Vinegar By these places compared together we are better assured of divers things First that the Oyl of Vitriol is not any common Acid of Vitriol though drawn out of Vitriol most exquisitely purify'd for the same Oyls may be made with the Vitriols of all Metals by the same Spirit of Wine Secondly that common Spirit of Wine is altogether useless to this Work but that the Philosophical or Menstruum rather described in Numb 18. is meant by Basilius by the Spirit of Wine Moreover that the Vitriols of Saturn and Jupiter do yield sweet Oyls because made of some weak Acid namely common Vinegar which is easily altered or transmuted by this Philosophical Menstruum But that the Oyls of the other Metals being made with stronger Acids either Philosophical Vinegar or Mineral Menstruums do remain Acid especiaily the present Oyl of Vitriol in the distillation of which the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or Vegetable Menstruum is dissolved by the Natural Acid or common Oyl of Vitriol and with such a prevalent Acidity ascends in the form of a red Oyl Lastly that this Oyl of Vitriol is commended to us by Basilius as a Menstruum to be fermented with Gold which we would have you take special notice of for Basilius hath here and there in his Books discovered many notable things concerning the Menstruum of Vitriol but most rarely advised the distillation of it with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine yet without which all Processes and Labours all Endeavours and experiments are vain and of no importance in the more Secret Chymy For the making this Oyl of Vitriol the Adepts sometimes dissolved it in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which afterwards being cristallized they called Vitriol corrected or graduated Of this correction or graduation of Vitriol Paracelsus thus The Description of Vitriol saith he is to be directed to Medicine and Alchymy In Medicine it is an excellent Remedy In Alchymy it is good for many other things but the Art of Medicine and Alchymy consists in the preparation of Vitriol For the Crude is not such but like Wood out of which any thing may be carved Lib. de Vitriolo pag. 200. At first he proceeds the Spirit of Vitriol being obtained the custom was to graduate it to the highest wherewith being exalted they cured the Epilepsie whether new or old in Men and Women of what condition soever c. But let us return to the beginning how the Spirit of Vitriol was found First they distilled the moist Spirit of Vitriol by it self from the Colcothar then they extended its degree by distilling and circulating it alone to the highest as the process teacheth Thus the Water began to be used for several Diseases as well Internal as External as also for the Falling Sickness so a wonderful Cure was performed But those that came after were much more diligent in the extraction for they took the Spirit of Vitriol corrected as before and distill'd it with the Colcothar eight or ten times with a most strong Fire so the dry Spirits were mixed with the moist They urged the work so long continually and without intermission extracting till the dry Spirits were over then they graduated both Spirits the moist as well as the dry in a Phial together their own time This Medicine they found to be of much greater operation against Diseases that they confounded all the Humorists in general Yet is there some correction by Artists added by Spirit of Wine for better penetration sake but of no higher degree But I will communicate to you my process which I commend to all Physitians especially for the Epilepsie which hath the only cure in Vitriol wherefore even the Charity of our Neighbour requires us to appoint the more diligent care in that Disease Now my Process is for the Spirit of Philosophical Wine to be imbibed by the Vitriol and then distilled as I said from the dry and moist Spirits c. But you must further know that the aforesaid Receipts of making the moist Spirit of Vitriol cannot be more clearly described for an Artist is required to understand it those sordid Boylers do not in the least understand a thing of so great moment You must expect
the contrary debilitate the Acidity of these Menstruums and they will be transmuted into Menstruums of the Eighth Kind 3. That these Menstruums are the Essences of Things tinging dissolved in an Acid. 4. That Hungarian Vitriol Copper naturally dissolved in an Acid tho artificially purged from Heterogeneous Salts and Feces does nevertheless as well as other things tinging require the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in order to be reduced into an Oil so excellent in Medicine as well as Alchimy 5. That it is even much at one by what Acid Copper or any other tinging Body is reduced into Vitriol provided it be afterwards graduated that is mixed with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Wherefore you must once for always take notice that not only in the Writings of Basilius and Paracelsus but of other Adepts also as in Via Veritatis c. in several places of which you will meet with these Phrases Things graduated corrected exalted c. you must understand not Common Menstruums but prepared with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and so made fit for the Works of the more Secret Chymy 6. That Roman Vitriol is reduced into so Noble an Oil not by the Spirit of Common but Philosophical Wine 7. That these Menstruums do by continued Cohobations become most red shining by Night so that Men at Supper want no other Light permanent and multiplying the Philosophers Stone but of these in their proper places namely the Third and Fourth Books The One and Twentieth KIND Compounded Mineral Menstruums of Simple Mineral Menstruums and Mercury the rest of the Metals and other Tinging Things 113. The Spirit of Venus or Spirit of Verdegreece of Basilius Libr. Partic. de Particul Veneris TAke of Copper as much as you will of which make Vitriol the common way or instead of it take Common Verdegreece sold in Shops which will do the same thing to which being pulverized pour Common Distilled Vinegar put it in a heat decant the Vinegar being transparent and green to the remainder pour new Vinegar and repeat the Work till the Vinegar be tinged and the Matter remain in the bottom of the Vessel black draw off the Vinegar being tinged and gathered together either to driness or to a thin Skin that the Vitriol may be cristallized and you will have the Verdegreece purified after the common way to which being pulverized pour the Juice of Unripe Grapes Philosophical Vinegar in Numb 74. put it in a gentle heat and digesting you will have a transparent Smagragdine Tincture with which is extracted the Red Tincture of Venus an excellent Colour for Painters This Tincture being extracted mix all the Extractions together and draw off the Phlegme gently that the Vitriol being very clear graduated may be cristallized in a Cold place whereof if you have a sufficient quantity you have also enough Matter for the making of the Philosophical Stone if perhaps you should doubt to perform such a Mystery with every Natural Vitriol whatsoever Concerning this Preparation we lately spoke parabolically in Libro Clavium Capite de Wein Essig where we said That common Azoth is not the Matter of our Stone but our Azoth or first Matter extracted by common Azoth and Wine which are the expressed Juice of unripe Grapes whereby the Body of Venus is to be dissolved and reduced into Vitriol This is to be well observed for thus you will free your selves from many Difficulties Now out of this Vitriol thus prepared distil a Spirit and Red Oil c. Annotations IN the Eighth Kind common Mercury and Metals were either by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or by some simple Vegetable Menstruums converted into compounded Vegetable Menstruums In the Twentieth antecedent Kind tinging Arids dissolved in Acids are more easily distilled together with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine into compounded Mineral Menstruums But the present Kind volatilizeth the said Bodies not by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but Mineral Menstruums that the Menstruums may be thereby made sooner easier and of a higher Kind In the last Kind we distilled natural Vitriol being macerated in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or which is much more conducible dissolved in the same Spirit and reduced into graduated Vitriol into a Mineral Menstruum For the natural acidity of Roman Vitriol for the corrosion of Copper was in the composition of it able and strong enough to dissolve the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in the making of the said Menstruum but here in Artificial Vitriols the matter is otherwise for the dry Bodies of Metals co-operating in their Dissolutions do debilitate the acid and therefore Vitriols containing this debilitated acidity are scarce fit either for the dissolution of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or the constitution of the present Menstruum Wherefore the Vitriols of Saturn and Jupiter being made with a common acid do by virtue of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine yield sweet Oils or Vegetable Menstruums not at all acid or mineral for that weak acid remaining in the Vitriolification of those soft Metals is wholly transmuted in the dissolution of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine as also in the very Distillation of it self so that Vitriol being artificially made of Copper and Iron by acids is distilled not by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but Mineral Menstruums into a Menstruum of the present Kind but Gold and Silver need not only these Mineral or Stronger Menstruums but to be likewise volatilized by the same and reduced into Volatile Vitriols Thus Basilius in Conclusionibus suis Sect. 2. de Vitriolis Cap. 1. de Vitriolo Solis Lunae reduced Gold and Silver into Volatile Vitriol It is requisite saith he first to have our Water made of the cold Salt of the Earth Niter and the Eagle Vegetable Sal harmoniack wherewith Gold and Silver are made spiritual and coagulated into Cristal or Metallick Vitriol by which c. In Labore primo Libri Revelationis ut in Elucidatione 12 Clavium this Vitriol of Sol is more exactly thus described Take saith he of this Water the Kings Bath or Menstruum described above in Numb 89. three parts of the Calx of Gold one part mixe put it in a Cucurbit with an Alembick upon hot Ashes to be dissolved if it be not all dissolved pour off the Water and pour on new and that till all the Calx is dissolved in the Water when it is cold white Feces settle in the bottom which separate joyn all the Water together and digest in Balneo a day and a night then having taken away the Feces digest the space of nine days continually distill away the Water that the Matter may remain in the bottom like Oyl the Water distilled from it pour on again being heated distill as before pour on again distill and this repeat some certain times thus will the Menstruum be debilitated then pour new Water to the Matter like Oyl digest a day and a night distill in Sand to an Oyl pour on Water again being hot distill
several times dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar and coagulated according to the Receipt in Numb 125 as Mercury is dissolved in the Water of Salt circulated in the Circulatum majus of Mercury This Vitriol being graduated in a close Vessel must be fixed into a most red Powder and being fixed then dissolved and coagulated in Philosophical Vinegar that it may again become volatile as Mercury being fixed in its own Circulatum is again made volatile by virtue of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine At last the Vitriol is to be Distilled into its Spirits Now by knowing the method it is manifest that the mystery of the Receipts consists in the Vinegar but to remove all scruple from these most excellent Menstruums we will prove by the very words of Isaacus himself that he meant not a common but Philosophical Menstruum Have not I taught you saith he how to draw all Metals through the Alembick so as to Distil wholly into Oyl leaving nothing but that alone does the strong Spirit of Vinegar and makes them Metals to be perfectly separated and rectified from their Feces within and without as I taught you and that the inside should be outward and the outside inward and then they are so resolved and subtil that the Elements cannot be separated one from another if you sought all the means in the world you would not be able to separate these Elements by reason of their subtility cleanness and resolution and when they have the subtil penetrating Vinegar with them they pass all together through the Alembick with the Vinegar but if you should put them to fire and any Spirit of Vinegar in sufficient quantity was present they the Metal and Vinegar would be forthwith fixed together and because the Vinegar is copiously in their clean open subtil Body they distil into Oyl and the Spirits of the Vinegar are fixed with the Body Now you must know thdt the Spirit of Vinegar is more Subtil than all things in the World yea a thousand times more subtil than the Quintessence of Aqua Vitae it cannot be contained in any Vessels but it is easily half fixed and therefore it easily fixeth the thing to which it is applied as it is demonstrated in the Vegetable Work where the Discourse is of Wine and the Nature of it where you will be sufficiently instructed what Vinegar is and the Spirit of it how all things are dissolved and ascend Cap. 77. 78. 2. Oper. Miner Pag. 477. Vol. 3. Theat Chym. You must know saith he elsewhere this is the greatest Secret in this Art for the middle parts of Vinegar are of so great Virtue as to be incredible by reason of their great Subtility for every thing they are mixed with becomes exceeding subtil and penetrable wherefore they make the Philosophers Stone a thousand times more subtil than it was before and more penetrable and the subtil parts mix themselves with the Stone for they are of one Nature and are both clean and subtil and are mixed together as Water with Water and it is a Medicine of that Nature as to make every thing fixed which it is mixed with and of its own Nature wherein it is and thus are the subtil parts of Philosophical Vinegar fixed in the Philosophical Stone and are made of one Nature with the Stone and they make the Stone as fusible as an Artist can wish as he oftentimes dissolves the Stone in Vinegar and congeals it for as many or few Spirits remain in the Stone the more fusible is the Medicine Wherefore I have taught my Son how to make his Stone so fusible as thereby to bring Mercury to Sol and Luna and it is a great Secret known to few peruse this Lecture diligently what vertue there is in Vinegar and what with the middle matter of Vinegar may be made Cap. 51. 1. Oper. Min. Pag. 337. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. That Vinegar which is a thousand times more subtil than the Quintessence of Aqua Vitae or Spirit of Philosophical Wine The Spirits of which makes the Philosophers Stone a thousand times more Subtil That is of one Nature with it and fixeth every thing it is mixed with you your selves will say is no common Menstruum but another of more excellent quality Isaacus moreover dissolves and coagulates the Stone in this Vinegar so oft till it is converted into Oyl which will be no more congealed Cap. 51 59 107. of the same Book With the same Vinegar also he made Metals fat and transmuted them into Oyls thus he dissolved and coagulated Gold so often continually in New Vinegar till an Oyl was made thereof as red as blood as Cap. 54. of the same Book Sometimes also he did with the same Vinegar reduce Gold to the consistence of an excellent White Oyl out of which he then distilled a White Spirit and a Red Oyl apart and not immixible together so subtil as that he advised the Artist to have a care lest these Oyls should condense again by too much Rectification for then being forced with too strong a Fire the greatest part of them would by reason of their great Subtility penetrate the Glass and so be lost Cap. 126 128 1. Oper. Min. Pag. 406. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. Who can expect such and so great things from Common Vinegar The same Vinegar that dissolved the fix'd Metal Gold and divided it into Spirit and Oyl the Constitutives of the Stone out of Sol alone the same also is required to dissolve fixed Vitriol and distil it into Spirit and Oyl the constitutives of the Stone out of Vitriol alone of the making of which in the Third Book of Alchymical Tinctures That this Oyl of Vitriol shews light by night affirms Trismosinus who hath described the said Oyl thus 127. The Oyl of Vitriol shining by Night of Trismosinus Libro Gangeniveron sive novem Tincturarum in Tinctura prima TAke of the best Hungarian Vitriol twelve pounds grind and dissolve it in pure clean Water or Rain Water distilled let the Feces settle decant the Solution into a Glass Dish placed in a Brass Bason full of Sand put the said Bason in Balneo and draw off the Water to a thin skin let it cool and stand three days in a cold place and in the mean time you will find green Stones which take out the remainder draw off again to a thin skin and let it Cristallize and this seven times repeat put the Stones in a Stove of the same heat as the Sun in Dog-days and in such a heat they will turn into a White Powder The Vitriol being thus prepared put it in a Cucurbit with a long neck well Sealed in Ashes under which put a Lamp so as that the heat exceed not the Sun in March thus leave it till the Vitriol begins to be yellow being yellow the Fire of the Lamp increase one Degree and thus leave it ten days and nights or till it begins to be red then again increase the Fire in the Lamp another Degree and
with your Purses and prepare Ten or Twelve pounds of this Vitriol and then you will finish your Work whereas Hungarian or other Vitriol would suffice 3. Because it is our Gold full of the Tincture of common Gold Green Vitriol saith Ripley being Stillicidium Veneris or common Vitriol is by many Philosophers called Roman Gold because of the abundance of its Noble Tincture which ought to be fermented with common Gold Pag. 140. Medulla Philos For Vitriol he goes on is nothing else but Stillicidium Cupri or droppings of Copper in the Mynes wherein Copper is generated as Bartholomaeus an English Monk and Philosopher saith and though it hath an admirable Tincture of redness yet is that Tincture polluted with an unclean terrestreity which is called its original blemish which hinders Gold and Silver from being made of it Therefore saith Raymund let not the Terrestrial Virtues over power the Coelestial Virtues of the Sun and the rest of the Stars and you will have a good thing in Vitriol Pag. 303. Pupillae Arnold to shew the Golden Nature in common Vitriol to his Disciple resolved to prove it by an Experiment in Speculo Alchymiae Pag. 605. Vol. 4. Theat Chym. where thus by the way of Dialogue Disciple I wonder good Master that you commended Brass so much I know not whether there be so great a secret in it I thought it to be a leprous Body because of that greenness which it hath in it Wherefore I still admire what you said that we ought to extract Argent vive Menstruum out of this Body Master Son You must know that the Philosophers Brass is their Gold and therefore saith Aristotle in his Book Our Gold is not common Gold because that greenness which is in that Body is the whole Perfection of it because that greenness is by our Magistry suddenly turned into most true Gold as we know by experience and if you have a mind to try we will give you a Rule Take Aes ustum well and perfectly rubified common to be Sold in Shops and let it drink seven times of the Oyl Duenech Spirit of Philosophical Wine as much as it can drink always assating and reducing cohobating and calcining then cause it to descend melting this Vitriol being impregnated with the aforesaid Oyl into a Regulus for pure Gold settles as grains of Kermes red and pure and you must know that so great a redness descends with it as to tinge some quantity of Silver of a most true Colour c. To alledge all that the Philosophers have said of the Golden Nature of Vitriol would be too much peruse Basilius alone especially the fourth and fifth Chapter De Rebus Naturalibus Supernaturalibus as also in the Elucidation of the 12. Keyes and you will find Vitriol more esteemed by him than any Gold for his Doctrine is that the Tincture of the Vitriol of Venus and Mars is far better than the Sulphur of Gold not indeed in its Kind for it is one and the same in all but that this Tincture is in the Natural as well as Artificial Vitriol of Venus and Mars higher and more noble in Colour more abundant in Quantity of easier Separation from its Body in Preparation and of less Charge in the use than the Tincture that is in Gold 4. Because it is Gold opened not yet fused and so of easier preparation You have laboured saith Isaacus a long time before this Matter is made subtil and spiritual enough to be sublimed But if you could procure the Stone which God hath given us freely there would be no need to prepare it so But you might presently take it reduce it to an impalpable Powder and wash away the uncleanness of it with a common Water till the Matter came clear from it then dry it again and it would be ready for Sublimation in which respect the Work of it is shorter Cap. 22. Pag. 317. Vol. 3. Theat Chym. To speak more plainly saith Ripley I affirm that the more subtil a Body is of the easier Dissolution it is And moreover you must know that Dissolution ought to be performed by our Vegetable Menstruum or some other Vegetable And this Vegetable Mercury Vegetable Menstruum cannot penetrate a Body so as to complete the dissolution of it except the Body be first made spongy but no Lead is so spongy nor so subtil as Red Lead or Minium Vitriol calcined and therefore if we would not be frustrated of our expectation it is necessary for us to take Red Lead that is Antimony prepared which is more spongy and subtil than any other Lead For the Vegetable Water will suddenly penetrate into it and dissolve the most subtil parts of it But now to declare further concerning the second Body which is Roman Vitriol you must know that it is an easier thing to make the separation of the Elements in a thing complexioned which was never before forced into a hard and compact Substance by the violence of Fire than to perform the same in a Substance forced into a hard Mass or in a Metallick and Stony Substance wherein the Congalative Virtue is extinguished and therefore in respect to the other is made Intractable not being soft nor unctious and consequently less obedient to Solution and Separation for Vitriol is nothing else but c. Pag. 301. Pupillae 4. That the Adepts in the more secret Chymy meant four things chiefly by the Stone 1. The Matter of the Menstruum or Spirit of Philosophical Wine of which God willing in the Fifth Book 2. All Menstruums whatsoever made with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Examples enough you will find in the Receipts of Menstruums produced to you 3. Every Matter of the Philosophers Stone so Gold and Silver are in many places called Stones but by the Stones which God hath given us freely Isaacus meant Vitriol for the Red and Alume for the White Cap. 39. 3. Oper. Miner Pag. 67. He hath besides these two other Stones also made of Arseniek and Auripigment both graduated of which see the Six former Chapters 1. Oper. and Cap. 112. and 113. 2. Oper. Miner But of these in their proper places 4. Every Alchymical Tincture tho not in the form of a Stone but Oyl 5. That Menstruums made of Vitriol or Venus are indeed better than the rest in point of Tinging but not Dissolving The Three and Twentieth KIND Mineral Menstruums made of Mineral Menstruums compounded and Metallick Bodies and other Tinging Things 131. The Oyl of Mars and Venus of Basilius Libro de Conclusion Sect. 1. Cap. 3. TAke of Verdegrese some Pounds and with Philosophical Vinegar distilled make an Extraction which is cristallized into a Noble Vitriol out of which by a Retort is distilled a Red Oyl which dissolves Mars into Vitriol out of which is the Red Oyl extracted again in a long time and with a strong Fire and thus have you the Sulphur of Mars and Venus together with this Oyl is Luna graduated and a good
increase the fire extreamly and that which comes over keep very close for it is the animated Spirit or Soul of the Gold From the Receipts we observe 1. THat the Menstruums of this Kind are more noble than those of the 20th and 21th Kinds there the Essences or Magisteries of Metals were dissolved in Simple Mineral Menstruums but here in the same compounded 2. That these Menstruums differ not from the Menstruums of the Tenth Kind but in the addition of Acidity dissolve a Menstruum of the said Kind in what Acid you will and it will be forthwith transformed into a Menstruum of this Kind 3. That these Menstruums are by Digestion made sweet again and Vegetable as before 4. That these Menstruums are not satiated but by their Dissolutions augmented as well in quantity as quality in infinitum 5. That the Spirit of Universal Mercury or first Matter of Metals of Basilius is by him also called Mercury duplicated wherein the Kings Mantle is to be dissolved Sect. 1. Cap. de Sulphure Mercurii Sect. 2. de Vitriolo Phil. and Sect. 2. Cap. 4. de Vitriolo Veneris In another place the Sulphur of Mars and Venus duplicated Sect. 1. Cap. 3. de dulph Martis Veneris In another place the Soul of Mars and Venus as in Particul Veneris 6. That this duplicated Mercury is made much better by adding the Kings Mantle the Crocus of Sol Luna and other Metals That the Menstruums of almost all Kinds are promiscuously called Philosophers Mercuries but of these more copiously and more exactly in the Third Book 7. That the Spirit of Universal Mercury of Basilius is the same with the Magisteries of Mars and Venus made after the Mineral way dissolve the Magisteries of Mars and Venus in the common Spirit of Vitriol and by this simple Dissolution you will make the same Spirit of Universal Mercury 8. That as Mars and Venus so also Jupiter and Saturn and the rest of the Metals may be made into the said first Matters that is of the same Virtues with the first Matter of Mars and Venus as to the faculty of dissolving But Mars and Venus are preferred for the excellency and exuberance of their Tinctures The Four and Twentieth KIND Mineral Menstruums compounded of Vegetable and Mineral Menstruums mix'd together 143. The Vegetable Fire dissolved in the Calcinative Water of Lully Pag. 363. Magiae Naturalis TAke of the Vegetable Water acuated the Metallick Soul of Lully described in Numb 5. one Ounce put it in a Phial with a long Neck into which you poured three Ounces of the Calcinative Water the Mineral Menstruum described in Numb 68. and suddenly cover the Phial with its Cover luted close with Wax then place it well in a Balneo the space of two Natural days and in that time the whole Vegetable will be converted into Clear Water Animadversions THe Adepts acuated the Spirit of Philosophical Wine divers ways and reduced it into several as well Vegetable as Mineral Menstruums in the antecedent Kinds Now in this 24th and last Kind of Menstruums they mix not either common Oyly or Arid or Acid Matters with the Vnctious Spirit of Philosophical Wine as they did in the aforesaid Compositions of Menstruums but joyn Vegetable and Mineral Menstruums already perfected together in order to make Menstruums of this Kind The like Menstruum almost is made by Luly and call'd 144. The Vegetable Heaven dissolved in a Mineral Menstruum of Lully Pag. 59. Testam Novissimi TAke of the Stinking Menstruum described in Numb 99. one Pound add one Pound or half a Pound which will be enough of Aqua Vitae most perfectly rectified Philosophical described in Numb 30. and acuated with the sublimed Salt of Tartar in Numb 17. or Wine Hold the Vessel in your hands and do not put it on the ground or any other place till the fury of the ebullition is over and it is a mixture of a Vegetable with a Mineral seal it with Wax and let it stand a day then put it two days in Balneo and distil in Ashes and you will have a limpid clarify'd and ponderous Water then put it in a Circulating Vessel very well sealed the space of sixteen days in Balneo conveniently till you return and see the Water well united and at the bottom of the Vessel in the form of a Cristalline Salt keep it The same Menstruum but of different weight he made elsewhere he added half a part of the Vegetable Menstruum to one part of the Stinking Menstruum in the antecedent but in the following Menstruum he takes more of the Vegetable than Mineral Menstruum 145. Ice compounded of Vegetable and Mineral Menstruums of Lully Pag. 68. Testam Noviss TAke of the Mineral G or Stinking Menstruum three Ounces and of Aqua Vitae rectifi'd and acuated with the Salt of Tartar four Ounces put them together in a Glass and distil nine times in Balneo and in that time it will be all converted into one as Ice Ripley mix'd vegetable and mineral Menstruums thus 146. The Aqua Mirabilis of Ripley Pag. 212. Philorcii TAke the Tartar calcined white as Snow grind it upon a Marble and incerate it with Aqua Vitae fortified with its Species as is premised with the Menstruum described in Numb 8. till it be as thin paste then put it in a Circulating Vessel and circulate the Water till it is wholly dried up in the Tartar repeat the same Work and so continue till it hath drank off the Water double its part and quantity in weight which done grind the Tartar and lay it upon a Stone or hang it in a Linnen Bag and put a Glass under to receive the droppings of it and this must be done in a place under ground till all the Tartar is distilled into clear Water out of which after Distillation and Coagulation is made a wonderful Salt of Nature which the Philosophers call Salt-peter and incombustible Sulphur properly the volatile Salt of Tartar which fixeth any Argent Vive But to have perfect Aqua Vitae requisite for this Work put Philosophical Wine in a Circulatory for a hundred days to be circulated with its Species and then extract Aqua Vitae out of it the Menstruum in Numb 23. because if you put to it as much Salharmoniack sublimed as Tartar one drop of it after it is perfected suddenly kills a Cancer in the Flesh of Man and if it be dropped upon ones hand penetrates it and dissolves every Body Without this Water we profit little in this Art and he that has this Water will not in the least doubt of compleating the Art But this Water is made twice as strong if an equal quantity of the Mineral Spirit which is the Philosophers acute Water the Green Lyon of Ripley in Numb 59. be added to it and then circulated upon the Tartar and upon the Sal harmoniack to spissity and then dissolved into Water which if done this Water will be of greater value than any Gold and
one of the wonderful things of this World Sometimes they mixed Vegetable Salharmoniack instead of Vegetable Menstruum with Mineral Menstruums Thus 147. The Stinking Menstruum acuated with the Salharmoniack of Lully TAke of the vegetable G. Vegetable Mercury or Salharmoniack one Ounce put it in the Phial with a long neck wherein you put three Ounces of E before the Stinking Menstrumm in Numb 67. and presently stop it with its stopple sealed with common Wax that nothing may respire then distil in a hot Balneo the space of three Natural days into a clear dissolved Water As they added Salharmoniack to simple Mineral Menstruums so also to the same compounded 148. The Stinking Lunar Menstruum acuated with Vegetable Salharmoniack of Lully Cap. 14. Practicae Test Major Pag. 163. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. IN the power of A God take one Ounce of the Compounded Water of Silver described in Numb 141. distilled through an Alembick and put to it one Ounce of the vegetable G. Mercury or Salharmoniack dissolve c. Basilius mixed these Menstruums thus 149. The Spirit of Mercury mixed with Vitriol and the Fiery Spirit of Wine of Basilius Labore 3. Libri Revelat. TAke off this Oyl the first Matter of Metals made out of Venus and Mars or Spirit of Universal Mercury described in Numb 132. eight Ounces of the Spirit of Wine rectified to the highest the Menstruum described in Numb 19. five Ounces distil by a Glass Retort and that three times always with New Spirit so as that fifteen Ounces of the fiery Spirit of Wine may be joyned to the eight Ounces of Oyl Paracelsus made the following mix'd Menstruum for the Arcanum Lapidis or Antimony 150. The mix'd Menstruum of Paracelsus Cap. 6. Lib. 10. Archidon Pag. 39. WHoever desires to graduate his Metallick Heaven Antimony to the highest and reduce it to an Action must first extract the liquid primum Ens Coelestial Fire Quintessence of Mercury not of Sol as it is ill read in the Latine and the Metallick Acetum acerrimum the Circulatum majus of Paracelsus described in Numb 51. out of its life that is common Mercury by dissolving it with its Mother that is the Arcanum of Salt Salt circulated in Numb 27. and mix it with the Stomack of Anthion that is the Spirit of Viâ—riol the Menstruum described in Numb 98. and in it the mix'd Menstuum dissolve digest c. the coagulated Mercury of Antimony the Regulus of Antimony From the Receipts we observe 1. THat these Menstruums are the mixtures of divers Menstruums 2. And that they may be made of all Vegetable and Mineral Menstruums being mix'd together at the Artists pleasure 3. Yet that they are made the better the more tinging the Menstruums were 4. That these Menstruums do by Digestion become sweet and pure Vegetable Menstruums EPILOGUE THese are the things My Friends which I promised you the Menstruums of Diana hitherto by none but the Adepts described declared and rightly applied to Vse and are now by me so manifestly explained and distributed into their Kinds that they may be distinctly apprehended even by the meanest Chymists There are indeed many more Menstruums remaining for Diana has superfluity of Menstruums which I have not shewed you but I thought these sufficient as Examples to you You if you please may collect more and appropriate them to their Kinds But if it be our duty to respect the common Good I could wish you would communicate to me some of the more rare Manuscripts or Impressions of the Adepts if you have any in your Studies or Libraries that they may be of service not only to you but to all Mankind or at least signifie their Names to me that I may either buy or by entreaty borrow them of you or others especially you being already well assured that in Practical Books all Secrets depend upon the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but that in the Theoretick they are all most obscure being figurative and not in the least to be understood according to the Letter which if you keep longer in your Libraries will be dayly exposed to a thousand dangers and at length as nothing worth being mouldy and rotten become the Aliment of Time the Consumer of all things In the mean time despise not these Receipts of Menstruums offered to you but rather read and peruse them and every where endeavour to find out the Chymical Truth but those which you do not either understand or not esteem cast away as trivial for if one only Kind or any one Receipt of a Kind out of four and twenty please you it is sufficient for we will easily prove that by that one all the Secrets of the more Secret Chymy may be prepared If also you are pleased to object against the Authority yea Honesty and Sincerity of this or that Adept as Paracelâ—us Lully c. you may leave him and reject his Receipts making choice of any other in whom you may have greater confidence and we will prove all the rest by his Receipt Learn therefore the ways of making these Menstruums observe their Orders Degrees Matters Methods of Making the Virtues of Dissolving Tinging Multiplying themselves c. and you will acknowledge them to be the best Instruments of all the more Secret Chymy as Keys without which nothing and with which all the Secrets of this Art are opened and unlocked To make these Things which we have declared in the former Discourse of the Excellencies of the Menstruums more easie to you I will here contract into a Breviary and reduce them into twelve subsequent and infallible Conclusions I. That the Descriptions of these Menstruums are understood according to the Sound of the Letter THat the Receipts of this Book contain nothing occult but the Spirit of Philosophical Wine the Use only of which we promised to define you will easily vouchsafe us your Assent Nor yet is it too obscure but that it may be properly called an unctuous Spirit proceeding from the White and Red Wine of Lully the Constitutives of the Menstruum foetens The rest which seem more obscure are Terms of Art for the most part explained in the very Descriptions of the Receipts of things made and produced from this Spirit But the obscurity which a shorter or longer description of a Receipt causeth is by accident to be easily overcome and removed by any diligent Disciple of this Art II. That no one of the aforesaid Menstruums is prepared without the Spirit of Philosophical Wine AMong all these Menstruums of the Adepts imparted to you there is not one which has not the Spirit of Philosophical Wine for its Basis There are indeed Menstruums in the Receipts of which we meet not with the Name of this Spirit yet there it is lurking under the name of this or that Menstruum Other Receipts of Menstruums there are which do not take the Spirit of Philosophical Wine free but as it were settered that is any Common Oyl but when in the making of these
Menstruums the Spirit is unsettered as also acuated such Menstruums cannot in the least be said to be made without it There are lastly also Menstruums in the Receipts of which neither the Spirit of Philosophical Wine nor any Oyley Matter is expresly mentioned but these are more rare on purpose alledg'd to shew us either the Envy or Morosity of the Adepts whereas notwithstanding it is by the Vse of the Menstruum manifest that this Spirit is added through necessity for that which is promised could not otherwise be effected Finally There are some which you will affirm may be made with Common Spirit Common Vinegar and Aqua fortis or Common Sal Armoniack without the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Suppose it so but when you proceed to Practice and try an Experiment with such a Menstruum you will soon find it not only too weak but also altogether ineffectual and destructive in the more Secret Chymy For it is impossible to do that with a common Menstruum which the Adepts have prescribed by a Philosophical Menstruum The Secrets of the more Secret Chymy have this Priviledge that they cannot be made by any man but him that is possessed of Philosophical Wine III. That these Menstruums are prepared from any sort of Matter We have demonstrated that the Menstruums aforesaid are made of divers Oleosities Aridities and Acidities of the three Kingdoms You have observed the simple Vegetable Menstruums to be made of things neither Tinging nor Acid Compounded Vegetable Menstruums of things Tinging not Acid Simple Mineral Menstruums made of things Acid and not tinging the Compounded of things both Acid and Tinging Wherefore being now better assured of your Menstrual Matter hitherto so anxiously sought for you may take crude Mercury or Vitriol Niter common Salt Salt of Tartar or Vrine Rain-Water May-Dew the Spirit of the World also by whatsoever Art obtained or any other Matter also which you have made choyce of before the rest for the true and universal Matter of a Menstruum in which choyce you will not err for it is much at one whether you make it of Gold or Mercury whether of Pearls or Arsenick Vegetable or Mineral Salt provided you proceed according to this or that Kind of Menstruums with consideration also of what Vse you would have the Menstruum lest you prepare an Essence instead of a Magistery or a Poyson for an Antidote On the contrary take pure Honey so applauded by Parisinus or the Salt of Tartar commended by Ripley or common Salt esteemed by Paracelsus as the Matrix of Metals or Vitriol abounding with the Tincture of Gold extolled by Basilius or Argent vive magnify'd by most of the Adepts as the open Metal Take I say which of them you please but you must know it cannot in the least answer your expectation except it be joyned that is corrected exalted and graduated with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine IV. That these Menstruums are also prepared by any Method YOV have here had several Methods of Preparation which if not satisfactory you may please to invent new ones Herein is contained nothing secret if your Matter and the Spirit of Philosophical Wine be without any possibility of being separated mixed together and distilled either in part or whole through an Alembick For every Matter by what method soever volatilized and distilled with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine is a Menstruum V. That these Menstruums are sufficient also for every Use YOV have now in this Book observed the Use of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine as also of most Menstruums in these ways of making Menstruums hereafter in the following Books you will perceive them to be sufficient for every purpose By these means you will make all the Medicines of the Adepts reduce all Metals into running Mercury or if you had rather into the Philosophers Mercury or first Matter of Metals By these will you make as well universal as particular Transmutatives of Metals the best of all in respect of deeper Tincture shortness of Time and conciseness of Work Hereby lastly will you prepare whatsoever curiosity has been left us by the Adepts and prescribed in their Books so that if they have any Preparations without the Spirit of Philosophical Wine you may decline them without any dammage For these Menstruums do volatilize all fixed Bodies and fix the volatile and volatilized dissolve the coagulated and coagulate the dissolved Vnder which few Notions are comprehended all the Operations of the more Secret Chymy VI. That these Menstruums are many YOV have observed divers Kinds of Menstruums designed for several distinct Vses Simple Vegetable Menstruums do extract rather than dissolve Bodies the Compounded dissolve only but not extract That which Vegetable Menstruums do the Mineral cannot and so on the contrary Of Vegetable Menstruums are made Medicines only not Poysons but of Mineral Menstruums Poysons only and not Antidotes without the singular dexterity of an Artist An Vse different and contrary to its self admits no universal Menstruum The Spirit of Philosophical Wine is indeed the universal Matter of them all but there is not one of all the Menstruums sufficient for every Vse wherefore unless you will for the same reason call every one universal because they all proceed from the Spirit of Light the universal Basis of all things we cannot but deny an universal Menstruum VII That some Menstruums are corrosive THat Mineral Menstruums are corrosive and therefore dissolve Bodies with ebullition is clearly manifest by the Receipts aforesaid I would not have you being perhaps not sufficiently instructed in the Sayings of the Adepts every where declaring against Aqua fortisses and all Corrosives either despise or think ill of them These are those Menstruums by which the ancient Adepts abbreviated their Time and Labour in preparing their Tinctures And Paracelsus justly entituled himself to the Monarchy of Arcanums he having been the principal Instrument in compleating not only the Abbreviations of Alchymy but moreover introducing these Mineral Menstruums to Medicinal Vse and that with so much dexterity that there seems to be now no hope left to his Disciples of mending any imperfection of this Art as will be demonstrated in the following Books Besides these Menstruums differ from the Vegetable Menstruums no otherwise than that an Acidum is superadded to them or to the Spirit of Philosophical Wine corroding the Aridum and dividing it into Atoms making way for the Oleosum to be sooner and better incorporated and mixed together which notwithstanding do by taking away the Acidum return into the same Vegetable Menstruums they were before VIII That these Menstruums are permanent yea fixed with Things dissolved in them IT is by the former descriptions of Menstruums manifest that as well the Spirit of Philosophical Wine as Menstruums made of it do stick to the things dissolved in them There is indeed no better Argument to confirm the excellency of Menstruums than that they are homogeneous and permanent with things dissolved and
consequently Dissolvents transmutable with the dissolved into a third substance different from both These Menstruums therefore are so far from being immutable that according to the Edict of the whole Crowd of Philosophers to wit The dissolution of the Body is the coagulation of the Spirit and so on the contrary nothing in the more Secret Chymy can be more infallible Now this permanence of Menstruums you have observed not only in the volatilizations of Menstruums but also in the fixations of some thus you had the fixation of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in the greater Circulatums of the Ninth and Two and Twentieth Kinds but you will find more in the Preparations of Medicines as well as Tinctures They were by an Analogy of the Ancients ill called Menstruums unless also they could be transformed into the substance of an Embryo and yield proper Nutriment and augmentation to the Infant The Spirit of our Wine is indeed an absolute Oleosum that is combustible but here being throughly mixed with Aridums it becomes incombustible and despiseth the violence of Fire It is also moist and so uncapable of fixation but the moister and thinner parts which it contains are separated in the work of fixation from the more Oyley Particles being now concentrated So you observed that in the Preparations of the Sal Harmoniacks or Sulphurs of Nature the Spirit of Philosophical Wine as also the Vegetable as well as Mineral Menstruums are partly reduced into insipid Water and partly sticking to the Matters left in the bottom and fixed But better Examples you will have both in the Second and Third Books IX That Menstruums are not satiated with dissolving but become rather more avidous and so are by Dissolutions augmented as well in quantity as quality THough the Spirit of our Wine is the Basis Root and Center of all Menstruums Medicines Alchymical Tinctures and Pretious Stones yet nevertheless doth it dissolve slowly yea only such Bodies as are homogeneous to it that is purely Oyley as it self is a pure Oleosum and associate the same to it transmuting into its own Nature and so multiplies its self by this means Now so soon as this Spirit is transmuted into an Arido-Oleosum it does under the name of a Simple Vegetable Menstruum dissolve Arido-Oleosums that is the Sulphurs or Tinctures of the Mineral Kingdom the pure Aridum being untouch'd and left in the form of a white Powder with which Essences the said Menstruums or Essences may indeed melt together but not in the least be satiated because there is an Addition and Multiplication of like Parts But the same Vegetable Menstruums being now compounded of the Simple do no more extract the Tinctures and Essences of Minerals but dissolve and transmute the whole Mass or Substance of these Bodies into an Oyl swimming above which is called a Magistery Now this being digested together with its Menstruum at length falls in is united and so multiplies the Compounded Vegetable Menstruum For an Example to young Beginners The Spirit of Philosophical Wine being a Menstruum of the first Kind and acuated with the Oyl of Nutmegs is hereby made a Menstruum of the second Kind or acuated with Honey if you would have a Menstruum of the third Kind distil either of those Menstruums with Common Sal Harmoniack and you will have a Menstruum of the fourth but if you desire one of the fifth Kind cohobate either of them with the Salt of Tartar and you will have the Acetum acerrimum of Ripley or with common Salt and you will make the Sal circulatum of Paracelsus Cohobate Mercury or any other Mercury or any other Metal through an Alembick with this Vinegar or Salt and you will transmute the Simple Vegetable Menstruums into the Compounded Vegetable Menstruums of the eighth Kind from which you will further prepare Menstruums of the tenth Kind by dissolving and volatilizing any other Metal in them The same Rule you have as to our Mineral Menstruums But the Common Menstruums cannot receive beyond their Capacity X. That these Menstruums are also Secrets of the Second Book YOu have in this Book observed that among the Vegetable Menstruums there is none but what is either an Essence or a Magistery and it will be more copiously demonstrated in the Book of the Preparations of Medicines You have also taken notice by the aforesaid Receipts of them especially being compared with the following Descriptions of Medicines that Mineral Menstruums are the same Medicines but mixed and dissolved with Acids XI That these Menstruums are likewise Secrets of the Third Book IT is now partly clear by the Receipts of them but will be more clear by the Secrets of the Third Book that the Simple Menstruums are the Philosophers Stones not yet fermented but the Compounded are Menstruums mixed with the Masculine Seed and therefore Volatile and Fermented Stones XII That these Menstruums are in like manner Secrets of the Fourth Book THat these Menstruums do gove Light by Night and consequently are perpetual Lights yield also Matters for Pearls Pretious Stones c. the Receipts themselves do shew which will be confirmed by the Fourth Book RIPLEY Cap. 13. Philorcii Without these Waters we do little Good in this Art but he that hath these Waters will without all doubt compleat the Art The End of the First Book ERRATA EPist Ded. pag. 5. l. 3. read these for that Ep. to the Reader p. 10. l. 10. r. have a mind to Preface p. 3. l. 20. for Vegetative r. Vegetable p. 8. l. 28. for Minerals r. Mineral p. ibid. r. fixt Vegetable p. ib. l. 8. after that r. it scarce deserveth p. 12. l. 6. for mixt r. mix p. 14. l. 26. for is it r. it is p. 24. l. 12. dele of p. 31. l. 3. after oyl r. or middle salts for salts or p. 39. l. 5. for their r. the. p. 42. l. 33. for with r. which p. 45. l. 4. for the r. a. l. 16. for that only are they able to do r. that only is able to do this p. 48. l. 16. for as r. us p. 54. l. 11. for fly r. flow p. 56. l. 14. for drive r. dive p. 69. l. 24. for distil r. distil'd p. 78. l. 19. for stored r. restored p. 81. l. 1. omit the first four lines wholly p. 95. l. 1. for the latter is r. it p. 119. l. ult dele to p. 127. l. 12. for Metallick of r. Metals p. 128. l. 31. for extract r. extracting p. 130. l. 32. for prefers r. preserves p. 138. l. 21. for wherefore r. whereof p. 146. l. ult r. for an Aurum potabile he prepares a Menstruum out of Gold and Silver thus p. 152. for away r. all the. p. 177. l. pen. for out r. out of p. 181. l. 8. for its r. in p. 182. l. 14. for greens r. greeness p. 199. l. 33. for fire r. Firr p. 215. l. 5. for into it r. it into l. ult for greens r. greenness p. 246. l. 22. for Water r. Matter p. 261. l. 3. after Wine r. and Salts p. 296. l. 27. dele and when the Destillation is p. 301. l. 14. for shewing r. shining p. 306. l. 2. after Menstruums r. made p. 326. l. 27. for Tho r. tho p. 349. l. 30. for Acids r. Arids d 351. l. 33. for repeating r. repeated Books Printed for and Sold by Tho Howkins in George-Yard near Lombard-Street CLavis Horologiae or The Art of Dyalling with an Explication of the Pyramidical Dyal set up in His Majesties Garden at Whitehal Anno 1669. Illustrated with 40 Copper Cuts in Quarto By John Holwell A Cabalistical Dialogue in Answer to the Opinion of a Learned Doctor in Philosophy and Theology That the World was made of nothing By F. M. Van-Helmont in Quarto Trigonometry made easie fitted to the meanest Capacity it being the Foundation of Astronomy Surveying Navigation c. in Octavo By John Holwell Mellificium Mensionis or the Marrow of Measuring wherein a new and ready way is shewed how to measure Glazing Painting Plaistering Masonry Joyners Carpenters and Brick-layers Work in six Books and Illustrated with Copper Cuts the like not heretofore Published The Second Edition Corrected in Octavo By Venterus Mandey The Royal Catholick English School Containing a Catalogue of all Words in the Bible beginning with one Syllable and proceeding by degrees to eight divided and not divided c. in Octavo By Tobias Ellis Dr. Everard's Works in Octavo The Paradoxal Discourses of F. M. Van-Helmont concerning the Macrocosm and Microcosm c. in Octavo The Narrow Path of Divine Truth described from living Practice and Experience of its three great steps viz. Purgation Illumination and Vnion according to the Testimony of the Holy Scriptures c. By F. M. Van Helmont in Twelves The Artless Midnight Thoughts of a Gentleman at Court The Second Edition with Additions in Twelves The Young Man's Companion or a very Useful Manual for Youth c. The Second Edition with Additions By William Mather in Twelves
requireth lest afterwards he should have Cause to bewail the expence of time pains and cost in vain c. Because as Arnold saith in his Speculum An intention according to the Letter nothing avails and to operate according to the intention of the Letters is the dissipation of Riches For saith Geber Where we spoke most openly we conceal'd the Art speaking to an Artist not Aenigmatically but in a plain series of Discourse Yea Roger Bacon proceeds further saying When I swear I say true believe it a lie that is as to the Letter and therefore when I tell you of Stalks understand Lead c. lib de Arte Chymica pag. 56. All that I say is false therefore nothing I say is true wherefore I pray believe me not but when I say true take it to be false and if this the contrary So that which is false will be turned into true and that which is true into false I tell you these things that you may beware of things that are to be avoided and believe things credible in writing properly I write not c. p. 301. And though I say Take this and this believe me not operate according to the Blood that is the Vnderstanding and so of all leave off Experiments apprehend my meaning and you will find believe me being already a lighted Candle pag. 345. These and the like may you alleadge to confirm your Opinion but give me leave to suggest to you the distinction that is to be made between the Theoretical and Practical Books of the Adepts In the Theoretical Books there is scarce any thing to be understood literally all things being parabolical aenigmatical c. But in the Practical Books all things are clear and intelligible according to the Letter Philosophical Wine alone excepted the foundation and beginning of all Secrets For example Take the magnum Testamentum of Lully in the Theoretical part of which is Philosophically that is by various Sophisms described the Nature Matter and Preparation of Lully's Wine but in the Practical part of this Testamentum the Vse of this Wine is declared according to the Letter From hence will you also easily observe That those Adepts which reject the Literal Sense are rather Theoretical than Practical We treating at present of the practice of the Adepts or the Vse of Philosophical Wine will prove that most of the Secrets delivered to us by them are according to the Letter But some of you will urge that the Adepts themselves have even more than often declamed against the Literal Sence of Practice against the very Descriptions commonly called Receipts of Experiments but let these our Companions know the Adepts wrote against two sorts of Receipts The first comprehends the Receipts of Smoak-sellers Deceivers wicked men who pretend they either had them from the Disciple of some Adept or found them in the Walls of some old Cloister or Sepulcher against whom hear Dionysius Zacharias Pag. 781. Vol. 1. Th. Chym. saying Before I left the Colledge of Arts I entred into familiarity and friendship with many other Scholars they had divers Books of Chymical Receipts which being lent me I transcribed with very great diligence my private Master who had also a long time before began to labour in this Art consenting so that before I went away I had gathered a very large Book of such Receipts I went presently with my Master to the Place where I was to study Law began to turn over my Writings whereof some contained Projections of One upon Ten others upon Twenty Thirty a Third a half part for the Red of eighteen Carrachs twenty c. into Gold of Crowns Ducats and of the highest colour that could be One was to endure Melting another the Touch-stone another all Tryals Of the White likewise one was to be of Ten penny another of Eleven another Sterling Silver coming white out of the Fire another white from the Touch In short I thought if I were able to perform the least of those things greater felicity could not happen to me in this world Especially when I read the Inscriptions of great Persons before such Receipts one of the Queen of Navarr another of the Cardinal of Lorain Turine and infinite others that by such Disguises and Titles Credit might be given by unwary men Bernhard also complains of the same Receipts pag. 771. ejusd Vol. If I had had saith he at first all the Books which I afterwards procured doubtless I should have sooner attained to the Art but I read nothing but false Receipts and erroneous Books besides I happened to confer with none but the most perverse Thieves wicked Men and Impostors The other sort contains Receipts of Adepts themselves against whom some other Adepts have also sometimes written As for example the same Bernhard Pag. 748. Vol. Theat Chym. saying To withdraw the true Speculators of this Art from common Errors into the right Way that they may not waste their Wealth and lose their Labours Name and Reputation insisting upon the false Receipts of Books as those of Geber Rasis Albertus magnus Trames Lumen Canonis pandectarum Demophon Summa and other Seducers I will first declare my own Errors c. And in pag. 750. goes on Infinite is the number of them whom to write is needless and there is great plenty of Books written upon this Subject under Metaphorical Words and Figures so as not to be easily understood by any but the Sons of Art the reading of which leads men out of the right way rather than directs to the Work in the number of which are Scotus Arnold Raymund Johannes Mehung Hortulanus Veridicus c. My Business therefore is to satisfie you and say That the Authors of the first sort of Receipts deceive actively wittingly and willingly But the Receipts of the later sort written by Adepts themselves seduce only passively And this for two Reasons either in respect of the Adept being less experienced in the Art and unacquainted with the Practice of his more Learned Consort for it is impossible for one Adept though never so expert in his Method to know the various Experiments of all the other much less the peculiar Theorems private Meditations different Denominations of things c. formed or derived from the same Or in respect of your selves who extort from those Receipts as to the Literal Sound more than the Adepts themselves allow not at all observing that the Spirit of Wine being once and always understood the rest you will easily understand For knowing this saith Flammel in his Hieroglyphicks pag. 28. I perfected the Magistery easily for having learnt the Preparation of the first Agent I following my Book according to the Letter could not err if I would And a little after Then following my Book from word to word I made Projection But why these Plenty enough of Examples in this Treatise will instruct you in all these things that are to be understood according to the Letter except Wine Lunary Vegetable