desired Oyls may be drawn from them the reason why Vitriols alone made of Copper should be deprived of the said Priviledge cannot easily be apprehended It matters not whether Vitriol be graduated according to the method given in Numb 113. or according to the prescription of the present Receipt for the same Spirit and Oyl is produced either way Now this Oyl of Venus being made and diluted in common Water Iron is reduced into graduated Vitriol which must like the Vitriol of Venus be also calcined into a Red Colour and then distilled tnto a White Spirit and Red Oyl The Method of this Process is in Libro particul in particulari Martis thus Take off the Red Oyl of Vitriol one part of Spring-water two parts mix wherein dissolve the Filings of Steel filter the Solution warm then evaporate it gently to the comsumption of a third part and in a cold place you shall find Cristals sweet as Sugar the true that is graduated Vitriol of Mars from which decant the Solution then draw it off a little and in a cold place you will have New Cristals which gently calcine under a Tyle stirring them continually with an Iron Spatula into a Powder of a Purple Colour to which pour Philosophical distil'd Vinegar extract the Soul Tincture or Essence of Mars draw off the Vinegar and edulcorate the Soul This is that Soul of Mars which being dissolved in the Spirit of Mercury and united with the Soul of Sol tingeth Luna into Sol. But of these below The Vitriol of Mars being graduated and calcined into a Purple Powder in our Receipt is without the extraction of its Soul distilled into the Philosophers Mercury and Philosophical Sulphur the true Oyl of Mars and Venus the Menstruum next fore-going in Numb 131. Out of which to make the present Spirit of Mercury the Salt must be extracted out of the Caput mortuum with Philosophical Vinegar which Salt being mix'd with the Oyl of Mars and Venus and distil'd together through an Alembick is call'd the first Matter of Metals Basilius sometimes used the Salt and Sulphur of Sol instead of the said Salt extracted out of the Caput mortuum Thus 133 The Oyl of Mars and Venus acuated with the Sulphur and Salt of Sol of Basilius In Supplemento TAke of the Purple Coloured Gold the Crocus of Sol des Konings Purpur Mantel half an ounce of the Philosophers Oyl of Mercury the Oyl of Mars and Venus one ounce and half dissolve to which add of the Salt of Sol two drachms all being resolved into an Oyl rectifie it by a Retort that it may be clear and pellucid For the Spirit of Universal Mercury Basilius took Copper dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar and cristallized into graduated Vitriol and with gentle calcination reduced it into the true Crocus or Red Powder of Venus But the Iron he dissolved in the Oyl of Venus distilled out of the said Crocus of Venus cristallized and calcined into the Crocus of Mars For the present Menstruum he requireth Gold dissolved in Balneo Regis described in Numb 89. and reduced into a volatile graduated Vitriol which then being dissolved in Distil'd Water he precipitates with three times as much of Argent Vive out of the Menstruum but the amalgame from thence produced he gently calcines under a Tyle into a Purple Powder or Crocus as to the making of which here only by the by but in the following second and third Books we shall treat more fully of it The way of making the Salt of Sol he has thus in Libro particul in particulari Solis described Take the White Body of Sol left in the extracting of its Soul the Essence extracted out of the Crocus of Sol with the sweet Spirit of Salt described in Numb 28. reverberate it gently for half an hour that it may be made corporal then pour to it the Corrosive Water of Honey well rectified which in a gentle heat will extract the Salt in the space of ten days All the Salt being extracted draw off the Menstruum from it in Balneo edulcorate the Salt by repeating Cohobations in common Distilled Water and lastly Clarify it with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and you will have the Salt of Gold Concerning this Water of Honey Basilius in Curra triumphali Antimonii Pag. 77. thus Out of sweet Honey may be made the strongest Corrosive and Poyson which is to most men a thing incredible The same affirms Paracelsus saying The like is to be understood in Honey which by its elevations is made much sharper than any Aqua Fortis and Corrosive and more penetrative than any Sublimate such a property of sharpness it hath not Naturally but by elevation which changeth this Honey into a Corrosive Libro 5. Archid. Pag. 18. and elsewhere Cap. 14. de Morbis Tartar Pag. 319. Honey of it self is innocent but in the third elevation becomes mortal The way of making this Water is not indeed in the Writings which we have either of Basilius or Paracelsus yet easily will a diligent Disciple learn the same by the Principles of his Art for either the Coelum Mellifluum of Parisinus must be dissolved in distilled Vinegar or some stronger acid or crude Honey cohobated in Philosophical Vinegar that is common mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and the Process will be shorter and better But this Salt of Gold may be also made without the said Water of Honey provided the Menstruum be so corrosive as to dissolve the remaining Body of the Gold thus in Labore tertio Revelat. he reverberates the Caput mortuum of Gold the space of three days then calcines it with an equal weight of the Salt of Tartar which he washeth off with Distilled Water and extracts the Salt out of the dried Powder with Vinegar which drawing off the Vinegar he clarifies with the Spirit of Wine that is he dissolves filters draws off and cristallizeth it into the true Salt of Sol. In another place he extracts the Salt of Gold by the Spirit of Vniversal Mercury as in Elucidatione 12. Clavium where he affirms that the Philosophers Stone cannot be coagulated or fixed without this Salt and that he hath taught the way of making it in the fourth Key By the Philosophers Oyl of Mercury he means the Oyl of Mars and Venus not yet reduced into the Spirit of Vniversal Mercury or acuated with its own Salt and the more fixed part indeed of this Menstruum which he calls the Philosophers Sulphur not the more volatile part which is call'd the Philosophers Mercury With this Sulphur he dissolves the Soul or Crocus of Sol and converts it into potable Gold Libro de supernaturali Medicina Yet sometimes he would have us take the same Oyl of Mercury for the Oyl of Roman Vitriol the Menstruum described in Numb 98. So in Libro de particular in particulari Solis he reduceth the white Body of the King Gold left in the extraction of the Soul or Crocus
and that so oft till all the Gold is come over but this Distillation ought to be done in a low Cucurbit with a flat bottom put the Golden Water which came over in a cold place to cristallize separate the Water from them Guido made the Volatile Vitriol of Gold out of Gold sublimed The Gold he sublimed thus Take of Gold calcined twelve times with three parts of Cinabar or of Leaf Gold four Ounces of the Oyl of Salt the Menstruum described in Numb 76. twelve Ounces dissolve in ashes Draw off the Oyl of Salt from it several times putrifie for a Moneth then distill and all the Gold will be sublimed of a Red Colour in the tenth or twelfth Sublimation but if it will not be sublimed joyn all together and draw off the Phlegme in Balneo to the remainder add of the Oyl of Tartar per deliquium four Ounces gradually and force it with a stronger Fire and the Gold will ascend Red with the Menstruum and be precipitated in the bottom of it decant the Water from the Gold upon which kindle Rectified Spirit of Common Wine eight or nine times to take away all the Acidity of the Oyl of Salt Pag. 11. Thesaur Chym. With Gold thus sublimed he prepared the graduated Vitriol of Sol by the following Method Take of Gold sublimed four Ounces and a half pour to it Radical Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Wine the height of three Fingers digest three days in Balneo decant the Vinegar and pour on new till all be dissolved which draw off in Balneo but beware of too much put it in a cold Cellar and the Vitriol of Gold will be cristallized of a Ruby or Granat Colour more or less beautiful according to the Method of Operating from which decant the Liquor again to be drawn off to a thin Skin till you have five Ounces of the Vitriol Pag. 19. Thesaur Chym. The same way also he prepared the Graduated Vitriol of Luna Pag. 31. as also of Mars Pag. 36. But Jupiter Pag. 42. Venus Pag. 45. and Saturn Pag. 49. he calcin'd onely and reduc'd them with the aforesaid Vinegar into Graduated Vitriols out of all which Vitriols may Menstruums of this Kind be distilled as Basilius his Spirit of Venus Isaacus distilled the Spirit of Saturn out of the Graduated Vitriol of Lead thus 114. The Water of Paradise of Isaacus In Opere Saturni TAke of Saturn ten or fifteen Pounds which no other Metal is mix'd with beat it into thin Plates and have a Bottle half full of Vinegar lute put it in a warm Balneo and every three or four days scrape the Saturn that is calcined from the Plates gather about five or six Pounds of it grind this calcined Saturn Ceruse with distilled Philosophical Vinegar upon a Marble so as with a Pencil to serve for a Picture then take a Stone Jugg and therein pour Distilled Vinegar to the calcined Saturn leaving a third part of the Jugg empty mix very well stop it with a Glass or Stone Stopple set it in Balneo stir it five or six times a day with a Woodden Slice or Spoon stop it again nor heat the Balneo more than that you may endure your hand in it let it thus stand 14 days and nights then pour off the clear and pour new Vinegar to the Calx not yet dissolved mix proceed as before repeating till all the Calx of Saturn is dissolved put the Saturn being thus dissolved in Balneo evaporate the Vinegar with a slow Fire the Saturn will be reduced into a Mass which move to and fro till it be dry it will be of a Honey Colour rub it on a Marble with Distilled Vinegar like Soap put it again in the Stone Jugge being very well mixed in a warm Balneo the space of five or six days stir it every day with a Woodden Slice stop the Glass let it cool pour off what is dissolved into another large Stone Jugge pour other Vinegar to it mix very well put it again in Balneo pour off and thus proceed till nothing more will be dissolved which you may try by your tongue for if the Vinegar be sweet it is not enough dissolved or put a little in a Glass Cucurbit and let it evaporate if any thing remains all that will be Gold is not dissolved and that which remains in the Jugge or Feces if they be sweet upon the tongue and you find yet something in the Cucurbit that is not enough dissolved you may dissolve it by pouring new Vinegar to it These Solutions coagulate as before dissolve in Distilled Vinegar as before these Coagulations and Solutions continue till no more Feces remain in the bottom but are all things dissolved into a clear and limpid Water then is Saturn free from all its Leprosie Melancholy Feces Blackness and Superfluities and is pure as now being exempted from all filth fusible as Wax and sweet as Sugar c. Take half of the Purged Saturn put it in a Stone Jugge and pour to it four Pounds of Distilled Vinegar put on an Alembick and distill the Vinegar in Balneo but the Alembick must have a hole in the top through which pour new Vinegar distill as before pour on new and draw off and that till the Vinegar be drawn off as strong as it is poured on then is it enough because the Matter hath imbibed as much of the Spirits of the Vinegar as it needs and as much as it can retain Take the Jugge from the Fire and the Alembick being taken off put the Matter into a Glass that can endure the Fire put an Alembick to it put it in a Copel with Ashes in a Fornace make first a gentle Fire increase it by degrees till your Matter goes over of the Colour of Blood and thickness of Oyl sweetness of Sugar and of a heavenly smell if the heat diminisheth keep it while the Matter distills increase the Fire till the Glass begins to be Fire hot keep it in this heat till nothing more distills let it cool by it self take away the Receiver and stop it very well with Wax beat the Matter Caput mortuum in an Iron Mortar with a Steel Pestle and then grind it upon a Marble with Distill'd Vinegar Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine put it in a Stone Jugge two parts full distill by Balneo pour on new Vinegar distill as before repeat till the Vinegar distills with the same strength as it was poured on let them cool distill the Matter in a strong Glass upon Ashes as before first with a gentle Fire then alstronger as you did before a Red Oil will go over as before c. beat the Matter and proceed again till the Matter will retain no more of the Spirit of Vinegar in the Distillation in Balneo then take the Matter distil what will distil in a glass Cucurbit upon Ashes till you have distilled the Matter into a Red Oil which is the noble Water of Paradise by
we are solicitous to describe would be prostituted to all men were this one only Word literally understood by Wine therefore is meant a Philosophical Secret hidden from all the unexpert It is expedient to draw from the Death of Wine by the Office of an Alembick that is we must rectifie so often till it become most pure without the Foeces and Phlegm of Wine which is by Lully called the Death of the Spirit It is saith he purged from all its Superfluity and Phlegmatick corruptible matter which is its Death and which mortifies its Spirit which hath the power of vivifying its Earth let therefore the corruptible Phlegm be purged and separated from it by a subtil method which I will tell you For what reason because if it be not well purged its Earth will never become white nor will Matrimony be made between the Body and Spirit and so that Spirit is call'd the Spirit of the Stone in Apertorio The Method of Rectification omitted in the former Receipt is described in the latter as also in Epistola accurtatoria This Rectification of Philosophical Wine Sendivogius understood not as appears by the Sixth of his Epistles Brux 25. Martii 1646. Where thus The second Article my Companion of the Pagesian work endeavours to repeat the mysterious way of extracting and preparing Mercury more than needed the Authority of Lully being misunderstood and the Precepts of other Philosophers ill applied he commanding the tenth part of his Magnesia first ascending by distillation to be saved as the only useful and truly Mercurial substance but the other nine parts proceeding by continuance of distillation to be cast away as of no use to this end that the said tenth part reserved might at length be restored to the Earth remaining after compleat distillation which Earth is foolishly supposed to be the Salt and Sulphur of Mercury and by repeated cohobations inhumations digestions and sublimations described by him united but it is a grievous Error for that which Authors declare concerning the tenth part containing the Spirit and of inhumations in its own Earth is otherwise referred than to the extraction and preparation of Mercury as shall be elsewhere in time demonstrated nor for the said extraction and preparation of Mercury is there any Rule to be used besides the bare distilling of Magnesia whereby the Spirit and Oyl are together elevated to a Siccity even of the Foeces and separation of the Spirit from the Oyl and rectification of the same Spirit oftentimes repeated But these things we will in their proper place more amply treat of in the Method of operating Parisinus a Disciple of Lully will correct Sendivogius who learnt of Lully to rectifie his Spirit of Philosophical Wine after this manner Take A Chaos our Vegetable Mercury in which the four Elements are found confused pag. 271. Vol. sext Theat Chym. and put it in a Vessel to be distilled through Y Balneo pag. 276. and in this temperate distillation gather its B. Celestial ardent Spirit pag. 269. continue that distillation this way and method till you attain to the Signs declared in our Apertorial and till you know that the said B. is dissolved and separated from its Elemental Nature continuing this Magistery even to the fourth Revolution Then put this Celestial fiery Matter into a pure Vessel and distil slowly with ordinary fire and take only a tenth part in the second distillation take half and in the third two parts of three and in the fourth take four parts of five and more Then take that last Celestial Water and distil it three or four times by the Rule abovesaid taking the whole without any separation appointed This observe and admire the necessity of this Mystery and Foundation and you will understand the reason why dull and ignorant men make the worst Bread with the finest and purest Flower because they mix the course part with the fine The same thing happens to presumptuous Artists who perswade themselves that they are able to find out the beauty of our Quintessence with the exuberated Spirit negligently purified without an exact separation of the pure from the impure in Elucid pag. 230. Vol. 6. Theatri Chym. Which way notwithstanding of rectification so exactly to observe there seems to me to be no necessity rectification of the Spirit being good enough which way soever done either with fewer or more cohobations provided it be separated from the impurities of the Wine which you will know saith Lully when it burns a piece of Linnen by reason of its vehement heat that is as elsewhere more clearly till a Linnen Cloth moistned with this Spirit and kindled be wholly consumed This rectified Spirit is in distilling sharpned with the oyly Vegetables nominated in the Receipt the Oyls of which being nearest to it it easily carrieth with it and is impregnated with the same and acuated by the aridity contained in them Yet are we not obliged to use these Vegetables only and no other or is it necessary to mix all of them together as if one or two would not suffice The Oyl of any Vegetable or drawn out of a Vegetable with the help of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or already made and added to the Spirit of Philosophical Wine will here satisfie us I will give one form or other in confirmation of this kind of Menstruums of which sort is 6. The Aqua Vitae of Paracelsus Pag. 508. Tom. 1. TAke of the Alcool of Wine exsiccated three pounds of the Flowers of Rosemary Macis Lavender of each half an ounce of Cubebs Cloves Cinamon of each two ounces of Mastick half an ounce of both sorts of Storax half a dram of each of Doronicum three ounces and cohobate seven times The following Vse besides the Alcool of Wine exsiccated testifies that this Water is made with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Take of the Leaves of Gold Num. 20. of Pearls not perforated Granats Rubies of each half a drachm digest for a Month Then take of this Oyl three or four grains with Malago wine or the water of Majoram or Sage This Menstruum is Vinum Essatum or Essentificatum or Spiâ—it of Philosophical Wine impregnated with the Essences of the Oyly Ingredients with which Paracelsus dissolves Gold and Precious Stones into a most noble Oyl or Elixir which he says is a Secret against the superfluity of Womens Menstruums The Description of this Water being clear requires no other Light I will therefore propose another Receipt more obscure 7. Another Aqua Vitae of Paracelsus Pag. 115. Chyr Min. TAke of the waters of Melissa Roses Cheirus Sage Balsamus of each one pound of all the Peppers Cubebs Ginger Cinamon Mastick red Myrrh Mace Cloves of each two ounces of the Juyce of Honey half a pound of rectifi'd Aqua Vitae sive pound Let them be all digested together for the space of nine days and after that separated and distilled in a Pelican into a Spirit Then to this Liquor add an Apple roasted and
being this way too much diluted in a greater quantity of that Oleosum loseth much of it strength and becomes less fit for the dissolutions of dâ—y Bodies But now if the volatile Salt of Tartar be a Menstruum in a dry form some have unadvisedly said it serves instead of a Philosophical Menstruum which notwithstanding is rightly and very well said if a corrosive Menstruum which we call Mineral be understood whose place the volatile Salt of Tartar or Vegetable Menstruum may upon several occasions supply Now as this Sal Armoniack reduced into a liquid substance by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine makes our Vegetable Heaven so being dissolved with the Spirit of common Wine it makes the Spirit of Wine of Basilius dissolved with Vinegar our Vinegar dissolved with Aquafortis the Philosophers Aqua Regis and so of many others At present the aforesaid Spirit of Basilius hath its place 18. The Spirit of Wine of Basilius In Fine Libri Revelat. TAke generous white-Wine common and distil after the usual manner to make a strong Aqua Vitoe thereof in a Copper which rectifie in a Phial and separate the Phlegm this Aqua Vitoe is thus proved If it burn all away and leave no Aquosity behind it being kindled in a Glazed Vessel but if any remain distil yet once or twice the Joynts being very close that the Volatile Spirit of the Wine may not exhale The Aqua Vitoe being thus distilled and exactly rectifi'd but have a care that in the time of distilling you put not a Candle to it lest it hurt you joyn three Ounces of Tartar perfectly sublimed with a quantity of this Aqua Vitoe in another Phial so as that the Phial be half full put an Alembick to it with a Receiver large enough and distil in Balneo Marioe most gently because of the Volatile Spirits a little of the Aqua Vitoe being left in the bottom and as you distil cool the Alembick with wet Cloaths thus is the Spirit sooner resolved and passeth into the Receiver This is that Spirit of Wine which Basilius used in several places especially in his Conclusions where by the Spirit of Wine he reduceth as well Metallick as Mineral Bodies into Oyl Whosoever hath imagined to himself another Spirit instead thereof must have a care lest he prove the truth of this saying to his own detriment There is yet indeed another description of that Spirit of Wine in Appendice Elucidationis which notwithstanding differs not from the former except that in the former description it was read the Volatile Salt of Tartar but here it is read Sal Armoniack perfectly sublimed but that they are Synonyma's is even now manifest by the Receipt of Lully For whatsoever Salt either fix'd or volatile is joyned with the Spirit of Philosophical VVine and sublimed is called our Volatile Salt our Sulphur of Nature and our sublimed Mercury which may be used promiscuously as Salt Philosophically sublimed for both those Salts of Tartar and Sal Armoniack were by Basilius made perhaps out of one and the same matter But this his Menstruum is not so strong as the Coelum Vegetabile of Lully though prepared out of the same Salt of Tartar just as that For Basilius diminisheth the virtue of this Salt by adding the Spirit of common Wine Lully accomplisheth the same work but with the Spirit of Philosophical VVine yet Basilius sometimes also made his Menstruum stronger than the Coelum Vegetabile of Lully by separating the Spirit of common Wine from the Philosophical Sal Armoniack which indeed he performed two ways First by kindling the Menstruum in a Copper Vessel design'd for this use to burn away the Spirit of common Wine but leave the Vegetable Sal Armoniack by it self reduced into a liquid substance The way is this 19. The Fiery Spirit of Wine of Basilius In the Place as above TAke the antecedent Spirit of Wine being fit for this preparation of the Fiery Spirit make an Instrument of Copper which may be taken up in the middle below and above the Holes as also above the middle of the Vessel put on an Alembick with a Pipe let them be all of Copper except the Receiver which must be of Glass which put in a wooden Vessel into Water and cover it above with wet Cloaths in the wooden Vessel let there be a passage by which the Water when hot may fly out and cold be poured on all things being thus prepared the Spirit of Wine prepared is put in through the lower Holes so as to touch the Holes then is it kindled and the Mercury is driven upwards through the middle Holes and resolved by the coldness of the Water and passeth out of the Alembick into the Receiver Thus is the true Spirit of Wine prepared but in the work never cease from refrigerating and pour on new Aqua Vitoe lest it burn too low In the Addition or Appendix of manual operations Basilius described this Spirit thus Take Wine burned rather Wine to be burned made of the Sal Armoniack of Tartar and Spirit of Common Wine which put in a strong Vessel that can endure the flame of Fire and kindle it with a Match of Sulphur and forthwith apply an Alembick of Iron or Copper with a large Receiver and the true fiery Spirit of Wine is resolved and distilled into a Liquor this is the true airy and fiery Spirit of Wine Secondly He impregnates Calx Vive or Quick Lime with the Menstruum described in Numb 18. from which he distills a Menstruum yet stronger called Spirit of Calx Vive Calx Vive saith he is strengthened and made more fiery by the pure and not sophisticated Spirit of Wine made of Sal Armoniack and Spirit of Common Wine very often cohobated to which Calx add the Sal alkali of Tartar the dryed Faeces of the same Salt being also added from which being thoroughly mix'd distil the true Spiritus Gehenneus or Spirit of Hell in which are great Mysteries hidden the method of acquiring this Spirit I have told you which observe keep and accept for a farewel-Gift Basilius in Repet Lapidis in Cap. de Calce viva Mark saith he in the End of this Book De Medicinis supernaturalibus I told you of the Virtues and Qualities of Precious Stones but there are also found many Stones despicable and ignoble yet of great Virtue as Experience testifies though the ignorant and unskilful will scarce give Credit to these sayings and cannot conceive those things with their dull Brains yet will I demonstrate it by an Example of Calx vive which Calx is according to the judgment of the Vulgar of little value and contemptible in obscurity yet nevertheless there is powerful Virtue in it which appears in the application of it against most grievous Diseases but its triumphant and transcendent efficacy being in a manner unknown to most Men for the sake therefore of those that inquire into Natural and Supernatural Mysteries do I discover the secrets of
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
a Retort and administer Fire till Mercury vive is gone over into the Receiver sublime again as before with the same new Matters then as before vivify by a Retort thus repeat the Magistery four times Then take this Mercury thus prepared and make it boyl with Philosophical Aqua Vitoe being dryed press it through a Goats Skin Then take this Mercury and put it in Vessels three Aludells which must be firmly and strongly joyned together and covered on all sides with strong lutum sapientioe then prepare a Furnace in which these Vessels may be fitly placed so as that they may all have equal heat but the Receiver must by no means feel the Fire so also the Beak of the first Vessel through which the Mercury is to pass must be out of the Furnace Then give Fire to the said Vessels so as to be red hot both within and without then put in the Mercury through the Pipe on the outside of the Furnace and presently stop the Mouth of the Pipe with Cotton and by the sharpness of the Fire part of the Mercury will in a short time distil into the Receiver but one part in the likeness of Water separate the Water from the Mercury and keep it but that which remains quick cast again into the said Vessel as before so oft till it be through the sharpness of the Fire all converted into Water empty the Receiver every time into another Vessel and keep it well stopp'd Then take of this Water four Ounces and of the Oyl or Salt of the first Experiment Salt of Tartar impregnated with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine one Ounce make it go over together with the said Salt distilling that Water in Ashes with a most gentle heat at first then in the end increasing the Fire till more will not distil Then take new Salt or Oyl of the same first Experiment and joyn it with that Water a little before distilled and make it go over again distilling by Ashes as before but this Magistery you must repeat five times mixing one Ounce of the said Salt or Oyl of the first Experiment every time with three Ounces of the said Water distilling as before in Ashes with the same degree of Fire and the same weight as before as well of the Water as of the Salt or Oyl And by this means will you by the help of God have a Mineral and Vegetable Water united together which hath the power of dissolving Mercury and all Metals especially the two Luminaries For the multiplication of this Water you must proceed thus Take one Ounce of Mercury purged and five Ounces of the said sharp Water now prepared joyn these two together in a small Cucurbit lute it well then will the Mercury be forthwith dissolved which dissolution put in a little Urinal with an Alembick and Receiver the Joynts well luted distilling in Ashes and it will all come over into a Water some Terrestreity of no moment being left in the bottom of the Vessel Then may you this way multiply the saâ—d Water as much as you will viz. by taking five parts oâ— it and one of Mercury purged dissolving first and distilling through an Alembick as before He revivisies Mercury sublimate to be purged after the common way by the Oyl of Tartar and quick Lime being now purged to digests it in Aqua Vitae that is Philosophical for common Spirit of Wine would be here of no effect wherein this digestion with Philosâ—phical Aqua Vitae much of the permanent unctuâ—sity sticks to the Aâ—gent vive altering it exceedingly then he puts it into divers Aludels joyned together and to the Receiver and made red hot in order to be converted into a Mercurial Water The way of distilling by Vessels red hot I find in many places to have been much in use among the Adepts but whether they contrived this way for the abbreviating or more exquisite way of operating or for what other cause I know not Basilius Lib. particularium in particul Solis distils not Mercury but Gold often extinguished in the Philosophical Aqua Vitae through a hot Vessel into a red Liquor Take of Aurum fulminans saith he one part of the Flowers of Sulphur three parts calcine with a gentle Fire till the Sulphur be consumed the red hot matter extinguish in the Spirit of Wine acuated with some drops of the Spirit of Tartar the Vegetable Menstruum made of the Salt of Tartar decant the Spirit and the powder dry at the Fire to which being dryed add again three parts of the Flowers of Sulphur calcine and quench as before This Work repeat six times that the powder of the Gold may be made like Butter soft and fat which must be carefully dryed because it melts with a little Fire this powder being a little heated put into a Retort with a Pipe and made red hot and the Pipe being presently stopp'd distil the red drops falling into good Spirit of Wine put before into the Receiver If the Gold being divers times extinguished in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine is made soft and fat why might not this be also done in common Mercury digested according to the Receipt in the same Spirit of Wine But suppose Lully propos'd it only to himself to reduce Argent vive into a common acid Liquor yet does he out of this with the addition of the Salt of Tartar of the first Experiment make a Vegetable Menstruum of the Fifth Kind with which he dissolves common Argent vive and reduceth it into a Mercurial Water then he dissolves common Mercury by this Mercurial Water and draws it off so as to remain in the Form of an Oyl which Oyl of Mercury being dissolved in the Vegetable Heaven he circulates and being circulated calls it the incalcinated Menstruum If instead of the Oyl of Mercury you take crude Mercury reduced into the true first matter of Mercury and acuate the Vegetable Heaven with this Mercurial Sal Armoniack you will make the same yea a much better incalcinated Menstruum The way of making the Sulphur of Nature of common Argent vive is this following The Mercurial Sal Armoniack or Mercury of the Mercury of Lully In Experim 18. TAke Mercury being twice sublimed with Vitriol and Salt put the sublimate upon an Iron Plate being first very well pulverized add to it two Ounces of Tin calcined then set it in a moist place and it will be dissolved sublime again and lay it upon an Iron Plate as before and it will be all dissolved and thus may you dissolve as much Mercury as you please then take this Water and rectify it seven times in Ashes or till it will yield no more Terrestreity then distil it in Balneo with an easie heat and distil one part of ten which is of no use being Phlegm which it contracted in the moist place then know the weight of the Water remaining in the bottom and to every four Ounces put one Ounce of the Vegetable Salt of the first
put it to the Earth in Balneo and digest six Days and in the said Balneo distil all the Menstruum for one Day and the Fire in Ashes separating then every one by it self as you did before and keep the Fire in Balneo And again put the Air with the Menstruum upon the Earth in which is the Fire and digest as before and this Magistery repeat till the Earth is well emptied of its Fire which is done in forty times or repetitions Then must you sublime the Earth after this manner Take that Earth which remained after the separation of the Air and Fire and put it in a Glass Vessel and pour upon it of the Vegetable Menstruum according to the quantity of the Earth and set it in Balneo for a Natural Day then another Day distil in Ashes and again put of the said Menstruum according to the weight of the Earth and digest in Balneo the space of one Day and distil in Ashes another Day and again repeat digesting in Balneo and distilling in Ashes till all the Earth is converted into an impalpable Powder Then take that and put of the Menstruum upon it according to its weight and digest in Balneo two Days then distil in Ashes one Day and put the distillation in Balneo Then take the Earth and put again of other Menstruum equal to its weight digest two Days and distil as before proceed in repeating the inhumations and distillations till the Earth has passed through the Alembick together with the Menstruum That Earth being thus mixed with the Menstruum is called Argent vive exuberated according to the intention of the Alcyhmists put therefore those distillations wherein is that Earth to be distilled by Balneo and draw off the Menstruum and the Earth will remain dry and prepared in the bottom of the Vessel which keep Thus Son have you the Elements of the Sulphur of Gold divided with the help of God Then must you have the Sulphur of Silver the Philosophers Mercury prepared from Silver or the Sal Armoniack of Luna and separate the Elements from it separating the Air with the Menstrual Water and the Fire with the Air and Water and the Earth subliming with the Menstruum and cause it to pass through the Alembick with the same Menstruum Thus have you my Son the Elements of the white Sulphur and the Elements of the red Sulphur separated and divided Now take the Menstruum or Water with which you separated the Elements of the Sulphurs of Gold and Silver and for every Pound of the Menstruum in which you dissolved the Gold dissolve one Ounce of Gold and in the Menstruum wherein you dissolv'd the Silver an Ounce of Silver and put either of them by it self in a Vessel of Circulation in Balneo or Dung the space of fifteen Days and there it will be strengthened into its Menstrual Nature This Water Son we call Elemented Menstruum or Water washed and drawn from the Faeces of the Earth Now take the two Elements namely the Air and Fire of the Sulphur of Gold put them together into a Glass distilling Vessel and distil in Ashes with a most temperate heat till you have three parts of five distilled in the Receiver then let it cool and that which is distilled receive by it self and distil it seven times and keep it apart then distil that which you left when you have distilled three parts of five continue distilling the two which remained till you see the Fire congealed at the sides of the Vessel let it cool till the Fire be congealed And that Fire which you drew off till the Fire was congealed he means that which ascends as yet moist before the sublimation of the Matter from these two parts left is called the second Air and Tincture and we call it our Secret and our Treasure and the Vapour of the Elements This my Son you must rectify by seven distillations or rectifications and the Earth which after the distillation of the first and second Air you drew out of the Vessels in which you distilled the first and second Air put in the Fire to be congealed and that Earth is called Fire Now Son prepare this Fire after this manner Put it in a distilling Vessel and upon it pour its own Water which is that wherewith you separated the Elements of the Sulphur of Gold when we commanded to reduce it to a fifth Spirit in the Vessel of Hermes and said Take the Water wash'd from the Faeces of the Earth otherwise the Elemented Menstruum of Sol five parts of its weight that is five Ounces of the said Water Elemented Menstruum of Gold to one Ounce of the said Fire and digest in Balneo eight Days then distil in Ashes most gently and again put new Water namely five parts digest and distil as before repeating this method seven times and so you have the Fire and Earth of the Sulphur of Gold calcined by Philosophical calcination and they are the two Elements of the red Sulphur prepared for the desert Limes And take notice that you must put the Earth of the white Sulphur which you calcined and prepared after the separation of the Elements of the red Sulphur with the Earth which you drew from the Air mix'd with the Fire and put both with the Fire congealed Now Son take the Earth of the Sulphur of Silver which remained after the separation of the Elements and prepare it as you did in calcining and preparing the Earth of Gold after the separation of the Elements sublimed together with the Menstruum and reduced into an impalpable Powder and carryed through the Alembick with the same Menstruum You may also prepare the Earth of the Sulphur of Silver with the Menstruum that you used in separating the Elements of the Sulphur of Silver Then have you the Earths of the Sulphur of Gold and Silver prepared by themselves which you will know by the sign given you that is putting a little of it upon a red hot Plate of Luna the greater part will fume away Then take those Earths in equal weight and ounces and put them in a preparing Vessel then take the Menstruum with which you prepared the Elements of Luna and in one Pound of it put one Ounce of the Vegetable Sulphur which we shewed you how to make from the Earth of Wine Vegetable Sal Armoniack made of the Earth of Philosophical Wine and distilling make the whole pass through the Alembick and then will you have the Menstruum with which you extracted the Elements of the Sulphur of Luna animated and acuated Then Son you must mix and prepare the Earths of the aforesaid Sulphurs that is of Gold and Silver together allowing of the said Menstruum now animated and acuated a fourth part of their weight digesting and drying as is done in the making of the Sulphur of Nature or Sal Armoniack till they have drank up four parts of the said Menstruum and are disposed to
fortis into the aforesaid Aqua vitoe digest eight Days This quantity of Aqua fortis is insufficient to dissolve three Pounds of the Spirit of Wine Ounces perhaps are to be understood for so many Pounds No Art is here required provided the Acid and Oyly be mix'd together In former times the Adepts used distilled Vinegar instead of Aqua fortis for this Menstruum thus 75. Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Wine of Basilius Cap. de Wein Essig in Repet Lapidis DEr Wein Essig Vinegarwine a single undeclinable Word is not the Philosophers Vinegar which is another Liquor viz. the Matter it self of the Stone because the Philosophers Stone is made of the Philosophers Azot but Vinegarwine is made of common Azot distilled common Vinegar and Spirit of Wine that is Philosophical And elsewhere Libro de particularibus de particul Veneris I spoke even now saith he Parabolically of this preparation in Libro Clavium in Repetitione Capite de Wein Essig where I said that common Azot Vinegar is not the Matter of the Stone but our Azot or first Matter extracted out of common Azot and Wine which composition is called the expressed Juice of unripe Grapes with which the Body of Venus is to be dissolved and reduced into Vitriol then into our Azot the first Matter of the Stone Philosophers Mercury Spirit of Mercury made of Vitriol c. which you must very well observe that you may be free from many troubles and dangers The Philosophers Mercury saith he Libro de Conclusionibus Sect. 2. de Vitriolo Philosophorum or first Matter of the Stone must be made by Art for our Azot is not common Vinegar but extracted by Virtue of common Azot Though therefore a Philosophical Menstruum may be made of common Azot or distilled Vinegar and the Spirit of Philosophical Wine as also sufficient and qualified for the dissolutions of some Bodies yet being less sharp especially in the Alchymical use of Metals and Minerals instead therefore of Vinegar the Adepts took Aqua fortis the sooner to finish their Operations You must know saith Isaacus Hollandus that our Ancestors laboured in the Art divers ways and yet came to one and the same end but their Stone made not projection always alike one making a deep another a strong projection as the Works Menstruums were sharp or of a deep Colour some sweat a long time with pains before they produced the Stone others shortned the time by sharpness of Wit as it is now done every day with sweat and pains Some of our Ancestors wrought three Years some four before they acquired the Stone for in those days Aqua fortis was unknown and they used nothing but distill'd Vinegar but now their Successors have found out Aqua fortis which hath much abbreviated the Work Cap. 6. Lib. 2. Oper. min. pag. 423. Volum 3. Theat Chym. Even at that time Bodies were to be opened slowly namely by calcination reverberation solution in our sharp Vinegar Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which their posterity observing and considering quickned their Wits and found out Aqua fortis which did much abbreviate the way to them Cap. 77. Lib. 1. Oper. min. pag 358. of the same Volume To make the present Kind of Menstruums the Adepts dissolved this Spirit of Philosophical Wine not in Vinegar and Aqua fortis only but in any acid Spirit not tinging as of Salt Sulphur c. It is thus prepared 76. The Spirit of Salt of Basilius Lib. partic in particul Solis TAke of the Spirit of Salt accurately dephlegmed one part of the best Spirit of Philosophical Wine without any Phlegm or of the Sulphur of Wine half a part the Vessels being luted distil with a strong Fire so as that nothing remains If you add new Spirit of Wine to the distillation and digest for some time it becomes sweet It is therefore requisite to dissolve the Spirit of Wine in the Spirit of Salt without digestion lest the acidity or brackishness of this Spirit be lost Guido sometimes took his Circulatum either minus or majus instead of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine into which he distilled the Spirit of Salt 77. The Spirit of Salt of Guido Pag. 7. Thesauri Chym. TAke of the less Vegetable Menstruum in Numb 36. or the great in Numb 38. one Pound put it in a large Receiver Then take of common Salt or Sal Gemmoe of the Stone of Tripoly of each four Pounds distil in an Earthen Retort with an open Fire first gentle till all the Phlegm is drawn off then put the Receiver with the Circulatum to it and distil the Spirits till not a drop of the Oyl of Salt ascends and you will have an acuated Menstruum To make these Menstruums stronger they sometimes separated or drew off the Acid from the Oleosum that the Spirit of Philosophical Wine might remain in the form of Oyl or Ice thus 78. Aqua fortis mix'd with the Spirit of Wine of Lully In Elucidat Testam pag. 147. Artis aurifer TAke of Vitriol one part of Nitre one part of Alume a fourth part mix them all well together and distil with a gentle Fire till the Liquor is gone over then give a stronger and lastly most strong till the Alembick grows white for then is the Aqua fortis prepared Then take of the aforesaid Water one pound put it in a large Cucurbit and pour it upon four ounces of Aqua Vitoe Aqua ardens four times distilled and put an Alembick on with its Receiver then will it make great noises boyling exceeding violently without Fire and therefore the VVaters ought to be mixed by little and little Then put it into a less Cucurbit and put on an Alembick with its Receiver and distil the Water in Balneo that a Matter may remain alone at the bottom of the Vessel in the form of Ice pour back the water and distil again and this repeat nine times then will an Oyl or Matter like Ice remain in the bottom This Menstruum of Lully is clear and therefore requires not our Explanation But it is described by an Anonymous in Rhenanus thus 79. Aqua fortis mixed with the Spirit of Wine of an Anonymous Author Libro de Principiis Naturae Arte Alchym pag. 28. Syntagm Harm Joh. Rhenani TAke an equal Quantity of Niter and Alume distil the Phlegm till the strong and dissolving Spirits ascend and set before them new and clean distilled water and force the Spirits into it with a most strong Fire Then take the Spirits of Wine being well purged and artificially distilled in Balneo take four ounces of them to one pound of Aqua fortis put them into a large Cucurbit apply an Alembick to it stop and put it into cold water and let them boyl till they will boyl no more Then put it in Balneo and distil the water so that the Spirits may remain yet moist then pour the water first drawn off to them again and do as
very small Fire and sometimes increase it by degrees till your Matter begins to sublime which it will do with a little heat and when you see the Matter ascend diligently observe to keep the Fire in the same degree that it may sublime very gently which will be easily done for the Matter is sublimed and ascends with a very little Fire pag. 402. of the same Volume Gold dissolved in this Aqua fortis of Isaack and once or twice cohobated then washed with common Water becomes so volatile as to ascend with a very small heat into a most poysonous Sublimate if any man does the same by as easie a Method with common Aqua Regis made of Sal Armoniack and Niter we declare he needs not Menstruums of this Kind but that common Sal Armoniack is insufficient for such a purpose even the Novices of vulgar Chymistry have long since experienced Besides the Vse of this Menstruum the Encomiums of Sal Harmoniack which agree not in the least with the Common of the same Name do prove the excellency of this Menstruum Now saith he we have a mind to teach you how and which way to joyn Soul Body and Spirit together so as to enter one into the other for a Congregation of Contraries cannot be so as to remain together without a Medium which before in cap. 146. he called Sal Harmoniack or dry Water Take an example from the Dyers that dye Cloaths c. Thus it is with our Stone Though we have rightly prepared the Body Soul and Spirit if they enter not into one another they will neither now nor at any time ever remain together without the Medium of our dry Water Now Beloved where now shall we find this Water For Geber saith Our water is not Rain-water Aristotle saith Our water is a dry water Hermes saith Our water is gathered out of a filthy and stinking Menstrual Matter Danthynus saith Our water is found in old Stables Houses of Office and stinking Sinks And Morienus Our water springs in Mountains and Valleys and Fools understand not these words but think it Mercury it is not Mercury it is a dry water which causeth all Mineral Spirits Soul and Body to enter and mix together and when it has joyned them together it departs from them and lets them remain fixed And this water is found in all things of the world For if this water was not in vain should we endeavour to make the Stone For how should we make one of our prepared Matter enter into another As the Apothecaries gather their Herbs together so ought we to do either in the Vegetable Animal or Mineral Kingdom to make a perfect work or Quintessence we ought to have a dry water out of every distinct thing A dry water therefore is in all things to make themselves perfect Therefore saith Galen All things have their own Medicine to make the Stone either in the Mineral Animal or Vegetable Kingdom without the addition of any exotick things Wherefore when we would make the Stone or any Fixation we ought to make that conjunction with our dry water as was said of the Dyer and Apothecary Therefore is it my Beloved that so many fall into Errors because they do not understand nor follow Nature Therefore did I mention the Dyer and Apothecary for you to understand Nature by that rude way that you may in your own mind perceive that no conjunction can be made without a Medium .. Wherefore all the works above cited are good but those two things are not there named the Spirit that is and Dry Water weights and way of joyning wherein consists our whole Art wherefore I conjure you never to reveal this Secret for all the Art that is in the world is comprehended in it to make the perfect work in a short time and little pains Cap. 147 148 149. 2. Oper. Min. pag. 524 525. Vol. 3. Theat Chym. Ripley hath described the same Water thus 88. The Aqua Regis of Ripley Pag. 349. Viatici MAke a corrosive Water of Salt Peter and Harmoniack and put not above four Ounces in the Destillatory and draw a water with a slow Fire wherein dissolve and make the Oyl of Sol c. This Water Basil Valentine calls the Kings Bath of which thus in the elucidation of the second Key Take notice Friend and seriously consider because here lies the principal Secret Make a Bath have a care that no strange thing enter into it lest the Noble Seed of Gold be radically destroyed after the dissolution of it Exactly therefore and with care examine the things which the second Key informs you of that is what Minerals are to be taken for the Kings Bath wherein the King ought to be dissolved and his external form subverted that his Soul may appear without blemish To this purpose will the Dragon and Eagle that is Niter and Sal-Armoniack serve out of which being united is made an Aqua fortis as you will be informed in my Manuals where I shall treat of the Particular of Sol. 89. The Kings Bath of Basilius Lib. Partic. in Particul Solis TAke of Salt Peter one part of Sal Harmoniack one part of Flints pulverized half a part mix and distil Take notice that this Water must be carefully and exactly distilled for it cannot be distilled by the common method He that is expert in the operations of the more secret Chymy will know what is to be done Observe you must have a strong earthen Retort well luted in the upper part of which must be a Pipe half a span long and two fingers broad put a great Receiver to it lute well and increase the Fire by degrees till the Retort grows red hot Then put in a spoonful of this Matter through the Pipe and suddenly stop the Pipe with a wet Cloath and the Spirits will pass impetuously into the Receiver the Spirits being asswaged put in another spoonful of the said Matter thus proceeding till no Matter remains and you will have Aqua Gehennea or Hell-water dissolving the Calx of Gold in an instant into a thick solution which we mentioned in the third Part as also in the second Key not only dissolving Gold but reducing the same into volatibility c. This Kings Bath is described also by Basilius in Revelatione Manualium Operationum thus 90. A Philosophical Water for the Solution of Gold of Basilius Labore primo Revelation Man Operat TAke of Salt Peter and Sal Armoniack of each two parts of Stones washed one part grind them together and by a Retort with a Pipe distil the Water into a large Receiver putting in two or three ounces through the Pipe the Receiver must be a big one and lie in a Vessel full of cold Water and covered with wet Linnen Cloaths that the Spirits may cool for it will be very hot stop the Joynts of the Retort very close kindle a Fire and the Retort being hot cast in three ounces of Matter the Pipe being suddenly
stopp'd the Spirits will pass through and the Receiver will grow white and drops fall When the Spirits are setled put in three ounces more stopping the Pipe immediately proceed as before changing very often with wet Linnen Continue this Operation till you have water enough which stop very well that it may not evaporate it is the true Water and Mineral Bath for the King That Basilius as well as Isaacus used the Sal Harmoniac not common Sal Armoniac for his Bath the Vse of the same doth also prove Take of this Water three parts of the Calx of Gold one part mix them in a Cucurbit put it with an Alembick upon hot Ashes to be dissolved if it be not wholly dissolved pour out the Water and pour on new and that till all the Calx is dissolved in the water being cold white Faeces settle in the bottom which separate put all the water together and digest for a day and a night in Balneo then removing the Faeces digest the space of nine Days continually distil the Water that the Water may remain in the bottom like Oyl c. distil so often till all the Gold has pass'd through the Alembick In the same place This unctious Bath reduceth Gold and all other Metals into Oyls because it is made of the Oyly Spirit of Philosophical Wine concentrated and dryed in some Vegetable Alcali and Spirit of Nitre whereas on the contrary Sal Armoniack or common Aqua Regis cannot transmute Metals beyond its saline Nature for that Oleity which it hath not it cannot give Isaacus for want of a Retort with a Pipe perhaps not being at that time known sustained no small loss of Spirits in distilling this Menstruum which Basilius did by help of the said Retort endeavour to repair though that also not without some difficulty The later Adepts Crinot Trismosinus and Paracelsus observing the difficulty of distilling and the loss of Spirits made it better who by a plain but better method dissolved the Vegetable Sal Harmoniack in Spirit of Nitre or Aqua fortis without any loss danger or delay 91. The most strong Aqua fortis of Paracelsus Lib. 3. Arch. de separ Elem. pag. 7. TAke Sal Nitre Vitriol and Alume in equal parts which distil into Aqua fortis this again pour to its Faeces and repeat distil in a Glass which Aqua fortis clarify with Silver and dissolve Sal Armoniack in it That Paracelsus neither by Sal Armoniack meant the common is also demonstrated by the use of the Menstruum which he thus describes These things being done take a Metal reduced into Plates and there resolve it into Water in the same Water then separate by Balneo and pour on again this repeating till you find an Oyl in the bottom of Sol or Gold a purple of Luna a lazurine of Mars red and very dark of Mercury white of Saturn livid and lead Coloured of Venus altogether green of Jupiter yellow in the same place Whoever dissolved Metals promiscuously with common Aqua regis both Silver and Gold into an Oyl either purple or lazurine Not to say any thing of the reduction of all Metals into two Fat 's red and white the Essence thereof and the Dead Body It is therefore clear from the effect that Paracelsus dissolved Sal Harmoniack in Aqua fortis for his most strong Aqua fortis In making this Menstruum Guido adds the weight of the Sal Harmoniack which Paracelsus omits 92. The Aqua Regis of Guido Pag. 22. Thesauri Chym. TAke Vitriol common Salt and Nitre distil into Aqua fortis take one Pound of this four Ounces of Philosophical Sal Harmoniack and distil yet once Solomon Trismosinus sometimes dissolved Metals in commâ—â— Aqua fortis and to the solution added Sal Harmoniack Thus he volatalized Silver being dissolved in Aqua fortis with the aforesaid Salt Lib. 8. Tinct quinta pag. 81. Aurei velleris German Take of pure Luna four Ounces dissolve it in common Aqua fortis draw off the Phlegm to the remainder add six Drachms of Sal Harmoniack and pour on new Aqua fortis draw off again in Ashes to an oleity this repeat four times with new Aqua fortis then urge it strongly and the Luna will ascend together with the Aqua fortis Sometimes he volatilized Gold and Silver together with this Menstruum In Tinctura Regis Julaton pag. 16. Aurei veller Take of the filings of Gold of Sal Harmoniack each two Ounces to which put four Ounces of the best Silver dissolved in eight Ounces of Aqua fortis draw off to an Oleity pour on new Aqua fortis and repeat three times with new Aqua fortis and the Gold will ascend with the Silver through the Alembick Lully made his Aqua Regis by dissolving Vegetable Sal Harmoniack in the acid Water of Mercury sublimate 93. The Aqua Regis of Lully In Exp. 17. TAke Mercury being twice sublimed with Vitriol and common Salt prepared each time with new materials grind and if there be one Pound of sublimate take the whites of nine new laid Eggs which whites beat so long that it seems to be Water then mix the white with that sublimate and put it in a Retort with a long Neck joyn a Receiver to it very close giving it a Fire of Ashes at the beginning most gentle till it distils by that degree The distillation ceasing increase the Fire and at last give a most violent Fire and by this means part of the Mercury will turn into Water and part into running Mercury which running Mercury being gone over sublime again then grind and joyn it with the distilled Water and distil again as before repeating the Magistery till all the sublimate is gone over and converted into Water Wherefore you may the same way multiply it as often as you please always putting new sublimate to the Water and distilling till it be converted into Water Now take this Water put it in a small Urinal Cucurbit joyning a Head to it with a Receiver then distil by Balneo till the white seems to be gone over mixt with it which you will thus know take an Iron or Copper Plate upon which let one drop of the distillation fall if it boyls and seems to dissolve take away the Receiver joyning another very well luted and distil by Ashes and again by Ashes repeat this Magistery seven times And thus you will have a Mercurial Water which will serve you in many operations Take now one Ounce of the Salt of the second Experiment Volatile Salt of Tartar declared in Numb 17. and four Ounces of this Water the acid Water now distilled from Mercury sublimate mix them together and the mixture will presently be dissolved being dissolved distil by Ashes with a gentle Fire luting the Joynts well in the last place increase the Fire that all the Salt may with the Water pass through the Alembick then again put one other Ounce of the Salt into the same Water and by distillation
which all Fixed Stones may be resolved and the Stone made perfect This Water of Paradise the Ancients call'd their sharp clear Vinegar c. Metals sometimes are not reduced into graduated Vitriols but by repeated Cohobation made Menstruums of this Kind Thus 115. The Mercurial Vinegar of Trismosinus Libro Moratosan sive Octo Tincturarum in Secunda Tinctura Pag. 79. Aur. Vell. Germ. TAke Argent Vive purged the common way put it in an Alembick whereto pour very sharp Vinegar Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine described before in Numb 72. three Ounces of Vinegar to one Ounce of Mercury draw off six times in Balneo then force it to ascend into the Receiver being distilled rectifie it and it will be prepared Sometimes instead of Philosophical Vinegar he used the strongest Aqua Fortis described in Numb 73. 116. The Mercurial Water of Trismosinus Libr. Octo Tincturar in Tinct quarta Pag. 80. Aurei Vell. Germ. TAke of Roman Vitriol Sal Niter of each one Pound and a half of Vegetable Sal armoniack four Ounces of Tiles pulverized one Pound out of which distil Aqua fortis by the Rule of Art Take of Venetian Mercury sublimed you must have a care of its Venemous Fume four Ounces put it in a Cucurbit pour the said Aqua fortis to it draw off strongly that the Mercury may be well mixed with the Aqua fortis and it will be prepared Albertus Magnus prepared the same Mercurial Water thus 117. The Mercurial Water of Albertus Magnus Libro Compositum de Compositis Cap. 5. Pag. 937. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. TAke of Roman Vitriol two Pounds of Sal Niter two Pounds of Alume calcined one Pound being well ground and mix'd together put the Matter in a fit Glass Phial and having luted the Joynts very close that the Spirits may not evaporate distill Aqua fortis after the common way first with a weak Fire secondly a stronger thirdly with Wood that all the Spirits may go over and the Alembick turn white then put out the Fire let the Fornace cool and keep the Water carefully because it is the Dissolvitive of Luna keep it therefore for the finishing of the Work because that Water dissolves Luna separates Gold from Silver calcines Mercury and the Crocus of Mars c. This is the first Philosophical Water Common Aqua fortis and hath one Degree of Perfection in it Take of the first Water one pound dissolve in it two Ounces of Vegetable Sal armoniack pure and clear which being dissolved the Water is presently otherwise qualified and otherwise coloured because the first was of a Green Colour and the Dissolvitive of Luna and not of Sol and presently after the putting in of the Sal armoniack the Colour of it is turned to a Citrine and dissolveth Gold Mercury and Sulphur sublimed and tingeth a Mans Skin of a most Citrine Colour keep that Water Philosophical Aqua Regis apart Take of the second Water one Pound and of Mercury sublimed with Roman Vitriol and common Salt five Ounces and a half put it to the second Water by little and little gradually seal the Mouth of the Glass well that the Virtue of the Mercury put in may not suddenly exhale put the Glass in Ashes temperately hot and the Water will presently begin to work upon the Mercury dissolving it and incorporating and let the Glass stand thus in hot Ashes and in the dissolution of the Water till the Water appears no more but has wholly dissolved the Sublimed Mercury Now the Water acts always upon Mercury by the way of imbibition till it dissolves it totally But take notice if the Water cannot wholly dissolve the Mercury put in then lay aside the Mercury that is dissolved by that Water and that which is not dissolved at the bottom dry with a gentle Fire grind and dissolve it with new Water as before and thus repeat this Order till all the Sublimed Mercury is dissolved into Water And then joyn all the solutions of that third Water into one in a clean Glass and stop the Mouth of it well with Wax and keep it carefully This is the third Philosophical thick qualified Water in the third degree of Perfection and is the Mother of Aqua Vitae which dissolves all Bodies into their first Matter Take the third clarifi'd Mercurial Water qualifi'd in the third Degree of Perfection putrefie it in the Belly of a Horse to be well digested in a clear Glass with a long Neck well sealed the space of 14 days make it putrefie and the Feces settle at the bottom then will this Water be transmuted from a Citrine to a Yellow Colour which done take out the Glass put it in Ashes with a most gentle heat put on an Alembick with its Receiver and begin to distil by little and little a most clear clean ponderous Aqua Vitae Virgins Milk most sharp Vinegar drop by drop continuing constantly a slow Fire till you have distilled all the Aqua Vitae gently then put out the Fire let the Fornace cool and keep it diligently apart Behold this is Aqua Vitae the Philosophers Vinegar Virgins Milk by which Bodies are resolved into their first Matter which is called by infinite Names The Signs of this Water are these if a Drop be cast upon a Copper Plate red hot it will presently penetrate and leave a White Impression it smoaks upon Fire is coagulated in the Air after the manner of Ice and when this Water is distilled the Drops of it do not enter continually as other Drops but one is distilled one way another another way this Water acts not upon Metallick Bodies as another strong Corrosive Water which dissolves Bodies into Water but if Bodies be put into this Water it reduceth and resolves them all into Mercury as you shall hear hereafter Paracelsus made this Water by the following Method 118. The Mecurial Water of Paracelsus In Appendice Manualis de Lap. Phil. Pag. 139. TAke of Mercury seven times sublimed with Vitriol Sal Niter and Alume three pounds of Vegetable Sal armoniack sublimed three times with Salt clear and white one Pound and a half being ground together and alcolized sublime them in a Sublimatory nine hours in Sand Being cold draw off the Sublimate with a Feather and with the rest sublime as before This Operation repeat four times till no more sublimes and a Black Mass remains in the bottom flowing like Wax being cold take it out and being ground again imbibe it often in the Water of Sal armoniack prepared according to Art the Menstruum described in Numb 91. in a Glass Dish and being coagulated of it self imbibe it again and dry nine or ten times over till it will scarce any more be coagulated Being ground finely upon a Marble dissolve it in a moist place to a clear Oil which you must rectifie by Distillation in Ashes from all Feces and Sediment This Water keep diligently as the best of all Lully made his Mercurial Water
of Sol with Philosophical Sulphur which is the second Principle in order and the Spirit of Mercury a little before call'd the White Spirit of Vitriol into pure and malleable Gold as it was before not in the least defective in colour and virtue Sometimes he acuates the Spirit of Vniversal Mercury with the Sulphur and Salt of other Metals Thus 134. The Spirit of Universal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur and Salt of Luna of Basilius Libr. partic in particul Lunae THe Sulphur of Luna being extracted and edulcorated dry the remainder of the Calx of Luna to which pour the same Corrosive Water of Honey that you used for the Salt of Sol digest gently the space of four or five days that the Salt of the Luna may be extracted which you will know by the Whiteness of the Menstruum All the Salt being extracted draw off the Water of Honey edulcorate the Salt distilling and clarifying it with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine The remainder left in extracting the Salt of the Luna edulcorate and dry then pour the Spirit of Tartar to it digest fifteen days and proceed as with the Gold and you will have the Mercury of Luna of which in the Second Book for here we use it not The said Salt of Luna hath excellent Virtues for the Body of Man of which I shall treat in a place more convenient In the mean time the efficacy of the Salt and Sulphur of Luna you will learn by the Process following Take the Lazurine Sulphur of Luna dissolved in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine rectified and coagulated put it in a Cucurbit pour to it double the quantity of the Spirit of Mercury made of the White Spirit of Vitriol In like manner take the Salt of Luna extracted and clarified which mix with three times the quantity of the Spirit of Mercury lute both the Glasses and digest gently in Balneo the space of eight days and nights have a care that none of the Sulphur and Salt be lost but let them be in the same quantity as they were separated from the Silver Putrifaction being ended mix both Dissolutions and distil c. He sometimes acuated this Spirit without Metallick Salt and Sulphurs only thus 135. The Spirit of Universal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur of Sol and Luna of Basilius Libro particul in particul Lunae TAke of the Sulphur of Luna one part of the Sulphur of Sol half a part of the Spirit of Mercury six parts joyn them together lute well digest in a gentle heat and a Liquor will come over of a Red Colour distil through an Alembick so as nothing to remain This Spirit of Mercury he fermented not onely with the Sulphurs of the perfect Bodies but sometimes added to them withal the Sulphur of some imperfect Metal as Mars thus 136. The Spirit of Universal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur of Sol and Mars of Basilius Libro partic in partic Solis TAke of the Sulphur of Sol and of the Sulphur of Mars equal parts of each of the Spirit of Mercury the heighth of two Fingers above them that the Matter may be well dissolved into a C … n Water of a Ruby Colour being mix'd distil through an Alembick that they may become one as they were 〈◊〉 first from one Stem keep it well that nothing may evaporate Besides the Sulphur of Mars he sometimes added also the Sulphur of Antimony thus 137. The Spirit of Universal Mercury acuated with the Sulphurs of Sol Mars and Antimony of Basilius Libro partic in particul Antimonii TAke of the Sulphur of Antimony two parts of the Sulphur of Sol one part mix Take of the Sulphur of Mars three parts of the Spirit of Mercury six parts being well luted di … that the Sulphur of Mars may be wholly dissolved therâ— cast in a fourth part of the Sulphur of Antimony and Sol â—ure again and digest till they be all dissolved then add another fourth part of Antimony and Sol repeating the Work as before till all be perfectly mix'd and the Matter made like a thick Red Oyl distil the whole through an Alembick Sometimes he fermented this Spirit after an unusual way namely without the Sulphur of any perfect Metal but meer imperfect onely thus 138. The Spirit of Universal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur of Mars Jupiter and Saturn of Basilius Libro partic in partic Mercurii Vivi TAke of the Soul of Mars two Ounces of the Soul of Saturn one Ounce of the Soul of Jupiter one Ounce dissolve them in six Ounces of the Spirit of Mercury being well dissolved distil them through an Alembick without any Sediment into a Golden Water like to the transparent Dissolution of Gold Tho these Menstruums of Basilius may well deserve the first place among the Dissolvents of the Adepts yet some of the Adepts made Menstruums not much inferiour to them Isaacus Hollandus not onely the better to dissolve Bodies but tinge them also deeper made his Menstruums of Tinging Menstruums and common Mercury but being satiated with the Tinctures Souls Sulphurs c. of Tinging Things Thus made he the Menstruum call'd 139. A Compounded Mercurial Water for the Red Work of Isaacus Cap. 43.3 Oper. Miner TAke Argent Vive purged with Salt and Vinegar which sublime with an equal quantity of Aes ustum Crocus of Mars Crocus of Venus and Lapis Haematites of Roman Vitriol the weight of all and a little Salt and repeat the Sublimation seven times every time with new Species and the Mercury will be sublimed for the Red. Take of Aes ustum Cinabar Crocus of Mars Venus Lapis Haematites Antimony equal parts of each of Roman Vitriol the weight of all mix and reduce to a fine Powder to which pour of Aqua Vitae compleatly rectifi'd Spirit of Philosophical Wine the height of two hands breadth digest in Balneo three days stirring the Matter daily then draw off the Aqua Vitae with a gentle Fire then increase the Fire gradually lastly force with a most strong Fire for the space of Twelve hours that all the Spirits may ascend This Work must be three times repeated with new Matters continually Take of this Water one Pound of Argent Vive sublimed for the red as much as sufficeth or you can dissolve distil and reserve Besides Mercury he sometimes added also Sulphur and Sal Armoniack sublimed for the red thus 140. The Philosophers Water made of Three Spirits of Isaacus Cap 10.3 Oper. Min. TAke of Roman Vitriol six parts of Lapis Haematites Crocus of Mars of Venus Cinabar Aes ustum Mineral Antimony of each one part dry well and mix put the Matter in a Retort and pour to it of Aqua Vitae rectifi'd Spirit of Philosophical Wine four Pounds distil and cohobate three times with the Caput Mortuum pulverized Divide the Water into two parts whereof save one in the other dissolve one Ounce of Salarmoniack sublimed to redness in Balneo which being dissolved dissolve one Ounce of Sulphur prepared
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
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
the Quintessence cannot be extracted from Metals especially Gold which cannot be subdued by it self alone but some fit Corrosive must be made Use of which may afterwards be separated from it again so Salt dissolved in water is drawn again from the water left void of Salt Whereas notwithstanding it must be considered that every Corrosive is not fit for this purpose because they cannot all be separated For if Vitriol or Alume be mix'd with water neither can be separated from it again without detriment or corruption but will leave some sharpness behind them because they are both watry and two likes concur together which ought not to be in this place Wherefore it is to be advised not to put watry to watry or oyley to oyley nor resiny to resiny but a thing contrary must separate the Quintessence and extract it as waters extract the Quintessences of things oleaginous and the oleaginous the Quintessences of watry things as we may learn by the Quintessences of Herbs The Corrosives therefore are to be separated again after the separation and extraction of the Quintessence which may easily be done for oyl and water are separated with ease but oyl cannot be drawn from oyl nor water likewise from water without mixing which being lest would indeed infer very great detriment to the Quintessence For a Quintessence ought to be clear and pure without any mixture so as to have an uniform substance by virtue whereof to penetrate the whole Body Lest the Essence should be defiled by things added for the necessity of extraction he commands no Watry Matter to be extracted by a watry Menstruum an oyley by an oyley a resiny by a resiny but by some contrary This Rule if understood according to the Letter is erroneous for it takes away all the permanence of Menstruums established upon the Maxime so often repeated by the Adepts The Dissolution of the Body is the Coagulation of the Spirit or Menstruum and on the contrary It takes away I say all the natural homogeneity of the dissolvent and the dissolved yea is repugnant to the Experience of Paracelsus himself who had no Menstruum but what remained in a radical mixtion with the things dissolved in it as by the Vse of them we shall prove hereafter Now an Essence is divers ways coinquinated by things added in the extraction of it First When a Natural or Seminal Essence is extracted by the like Natural Essence of another species For example the Essence of Saffron is inquinated and confounded with the virtues of Cinamom in extracting it with the specifick Essence of Cinamom and therefore the Essences of Vegetables are not to be extracted with a Natural or rather Artificial Essence or with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine not yet specificated Secondly An Essence is inquinated when a Menstruum or Essence is in greater than convenient quantity used in the extraction of another Essence by which quantity the quality of the said Essence is washed wasted and as it were inquinated wherefore the superfluity of the Menstruum must always be taken away that the Essence may remain by it self alone without any mixture Thirdly An Essence is inquinated by extracting it with Air or mineral Menstruums according to some Processes of the Ancients For an Acid though it cannot be radically mix'd with any Essence being no Essence it self yet is easily absorbed or hidden by the aridity of mineral Essences and so joyned with the said Essences by accident and from a thing otherwise innocent creates a very strong Poyson This therefore to remove the Ancients first washed off that which stuck to the outside of the Body then transmuted that which was more deeply admitted by the digestion of Vegetable Menstruums But in the making of Essences with acid or mineral Menstruums according to the reformed Process otherwise called by Paracelsus the Process of two Colours the said inquination of an Essence hath no place In the beginning of this Process the acid being absorbed by the arid becomes indeed the cause of venenosity as in the Process of the Ancients but when this Process of Paracelsus is by industry and ingenuity raised to such perfection that no more Aridity can remain to hide any Acidity in it but on the contrary the whole Body is converted into two Oyls or Fat 's from which all Acidity may easily be washed away with common Water then is there no inquination to be feared from Acids The Saying of Paracelsus we suppose is to be referred to this Method he having there treated of it on purpose especially having said that the oleaginous Essences of Metals are to be extracted by Watry that is acid or corrosive Menstruums but that the watry Essences of Herbs that is less oyley in respect of Metals must be made by Oleaginous that is Vegetable Menstruums which things being not in common terms but obscurely enough delivered we do therefore leave them to be better explained by his Disciples but if they were to be understood according to the Letter it would certainly be an Errour not indeed to be connived at in the Prince of Adepts But according to the Proverb We are Men c. For sometimes good Homer himself has nodded and the Pen of Paracelsus has wanted mending The Fifteenth KIND Simple Mineral Menstruums made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and Acid Spirits as Aqua fortis Spirit of Nitre Spirit of Sulphur Salt c. distilled Vinegar c. 73. Aqua fortis mixt with the Spirit of Wine of Paracelsus In Tinct Paracelsica Pag. 37. Aurei Vel. Germ. TAke the best Wine the red or white of Lully rectify till a Linnen Cloath burneth being dipp'd therein and kindled This Spirit is called the Essence of Wine Take of Vitriol two Pounds of Nitre one Pound from which distil Aqua fortis into the aforesaid Essence of Wine then digest ten Days that they may be well united Annotations THat the Adepts acuated the Spirit of Philosophical Wine divers ways as well with Oyly as Dry things we have given plenty enough of Examples in the antecedent Kinds of Vegetable Menstruums it shall now be declared in the following Menstruums which ways this Spirit is to be acuated by Acids In this Fifteenth Kind we will joyn the unctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine with some Acid Spirits that by the help of their acidity it may dissolve and perfect Arids sooner and easier than before without Paracelsus in our Receipt intending to asswage the excessive effervescence in dissolving the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in Aqua fortis distill'd the Aqua fortis into the Spirit of Wine that they might both by degrees be mix'd together which being thus mix'd one with the other he digested moreover the space of ten Days The same Menstruum is described by Trithemius 74. Aqua fortis mix'd with the Spirit of Wine of Trithemius Pag. 46. Aurei velleris Germ. TAke of the Spirit of Wine three Pounds of Vitriol and Nitre one Pound distil the Spirits of the Aqua