and Omnipotent Plato in his Timaeo giueth testimonie when hée speaketh thus When the sempiternall GOD had created this Vniuersal hee put into it certaine seedes of reason brought in the beginning Life that he might beget with the world the procreating force Wherein our explication which I brought before concerning the Soule of the worlde is confirmed Which also agreeth with that which the Prophet Moses hath written and which King Dauid hath in his Psalme in these wordes By the worde of the Lorde were the Heauens made and all the vertue of them by the spirit of his mouth By which vertue of the quickning spirit that great Trimegistus more conuersant and exercised in Moses writings then all other Philosophers vttered these diuine wordes in his second booke which is called Asclepias All spirit saith he in the world is acted and gouerned by the spirit The spirit telleth all things the worlde nourisheth bodies the spirit giueth them soule By the spirit all things in the world are ministred are made to growe and increase And after that he saith againe All things haue neede of this spirit For it carryeth all things and it quickneth nourisheth all things according to the dignitie of eache thing in it selfe Life and the spirit is brought forth out of the holy fountaine By which diuine words it appeareth plainely that this eternal and quickening spirit is infused and put into all things so that it is not obserued to deduce and deriue the actions forces and powers also all naturall things from the spirits as from the causes CHAP. III. HAuing spoken sufficiently of the first and second beginning that is to say of God vniuersal Nature God the first cause vsing that generall Nature as his handmaid it resteth that somewhat be spoken of nature natured that is to say of that which is particular To make an apt and conuenient definition whereof let vs knowe that it is no other thing than euery naturall body consisting of forme and matter For of these two causes and not onely of the causes but also of the parts of the whole compound all nature that is to say euery naturall body consisteth For the Peripateticks do thinke that whatsoeuer is the beginning of generation ought to be called nature by a certaine peculiar right And Aristotle saith that the same from whence any thing is made at the first and whereof it hath the first motion mutation is the very beginning I say the beginning from whence the essence of all natural things ariseth The which nature Aristotle in another place defineth to be the beginning substantiall and the cause of motion and of the rest thereof in the which it is at the first and not by Accidents the explication of which definition he hath comprehended in eight bookes And Aristotle doth rightly call Nature the cause and the beginning of internall motion For those things which are made by Nature and are therefore called naturall haue a certaine beginning of motion whereby they are moued of their owne accord not by force Whereby plainly appeareth the difference betweene those things which are naturall and which are endued with an effectuall spirit and with power to worke by it selfe and those things which are made by Arte which haue no force nor power of doing but are dead and deuoided of all sense and motion By these things it appeareth that things natural are called properly naturall existences or beings and such as haue nature And they are saide to haue nature which possesse in themselues the beginning of their motion and of their rest the which beginning of motion of euery thing is either the forme or the matter wherof we haue spoken Forme which is wholly spiritual hath all her motion likewise spiritual So the soule is of this same nature in a liuing creature the motions and sences plainely celestiall spirituall and a light beginning Whereas the Matter is terrestriall ponderous and corporal the other beginning of naturall motion By whose waight and grossenesse the body tendeth downeward so as this kind of motion procéedeth not from the soule or spirituall forme but from the corporall matter which is terrestriall and heauy by his owne nature Hereof it commeth that the name of nature is giuen as well to Matter as to Forme but more aptly and conueniently to Forme because Forme doth manifestly giue to a thing his being actually whereas Matter alone cannot performe that For not euery liuing creature hath sense and motion from that body which is solid terrestriall and ponderous but onely from the spiritual forme that is to say the soule mouing the body and informing it with the vitall vertues As for example A horse is in act and in truth a horse when he neither moueth leapeth nor runneth but these motions which are spiritual are the effects operations of the soule or forme whereas otherwise the body hauing nothing but the lineaments and visible forme whereby it séemeth a horse is meere terrestriall heauie and deade Howbeit neither the soule alone of the horse can bée saide to bée a horse except it be coupled with the body For both being ioyned and coupled together make a horse Knowe therefore that the Forme is far more noble and excellent then the Matter and that Nature as touching her effects and operations is of that power that it generateth and giueth being to all things it putteth matter on the formes it beautifieth and suffereth nothing to bee corrupted but preserueth all things in their estate Thâ—se her vertues faculties and powers she very apparantly sheweth when as she worketh and causeth all sorts of beings out of the 〈◊〉 and out of the seedes and beginning of all things Salt Sulphur and Mercurie and informeth with great variety of impressions of the vitall spirits colours and taste and with the properties of such kinde of powers and faculties that it giueth to euery thing so much as concerneth the office and dignity thereof in all sufficiencie The which building and 〈◊〉 of things so aptâ—â— and conueniently formed in order in number and measure wee may wâ—ll call diuine not terrestriall and corporall 〈…〉 same be naturall according to the power which God hath giuen vnto Nature And yet wée must not thinke that God hath so forsaken the frame of this worâ—d that he sitteth idle as hauing giuen such admirable and potent â—ffects to nature onely according to the opinion of Anâ—xagoras Protagoras and many other Atheâ—â—â—i all Philosophers which acknowledge no other God but Name as also did the Epicures 〈◊〉 it they be to be accused and condemned for so wicked an opinion then do they deserue no small reprehension which denie nature her partes and offices in working For the offices pecuâ—â—ar both of her first and second cause are to be attributed to either according to 〈…〉 Neither are these places of Scripture any thing repugnant 〈◊〉 is God which worketh all in all And againe in him wee liue moue and haue our beeing For
tradition and are deliuered as it were from hand to hand and euery one adorneth his arte with new inuentions according as he excelleth others in dexteritie of wit And albeit it may be said that it is an easie matter to adde to that which is inuented yet both the Inuentors and also the augmentors are to be thankfully imbraced CHAP. II. THere are thrée principall things mixed in euery Naturall bodie to wit Salte Sulphur and Mercurie These are the beginnings of all Naturall things But he from whom all things haue their beginning is GOD vppon whome all things do depende hée himselfe subsisting by himselfe and taking the Originall of his Essence from no other and is therfore the first and efficient cause of all things From his first beginning procéedeth Nature as the second beginning made by GOD himselfe through the power of his worde This Nature next vnder God ought to be religiously estéemed thought of enquired and searched for The knowledge hereof is very necessary and wil be no lesse profitable the searche and raunsacking thereof will be swéete and pleasing The profite which commeth hereby appeareth in this that the knowledge of all things which consist thereof and wherof they borrow thei◠name and are called Naturall things procéedeth herehence whether they bée subiect to our sences or aboue our sences Hereupon great Philosophers both Christians and Ethnicks haue bene mooued to make the signification of the name of Nature to sitte and serue almost all things Insomuch that Aristotle himselfe in that diuision which he maketh of Nature diuiding the same into the first and second Nature and speaking of the first he calleth it Naturam naturantem Naturing nature by which he meaneth God So in like manner Zeno a Prince of Stoikes openlie taught that Nature was no other thing then God Therefore the first Naturing nature is God but the seconde which properly is said to be Nature is subdiuided into vniuersall and particular The Vniuersall is that ordinarie power of God diffused throughout the whole worlde whereof it is sayd that Nature doth suffer this or that or doth this or that as Augustine teacheth in his booke De ciuitate Dei and Lactantius and among heathen wryters Pliny and Seneca This vniuersall Nature is also taken for the diuine vertue which God hath put and implanted in all creatures by the benefite whereof certaine notes of the Diuinitie are to be discerned in them Hereuppon some olde Fathers were woont to say All things are full of Goddes as did Heraclitus among others Some others take this vniuersal nature for a certaine influence and vertue whereby the Starres do worke in these inferior things or else for an acting vertue in an vniuersall cause that is to say in a bodie Celestiall Furthermore that is vniuersall Nature wherof Plato speaketh when he saith Nature is a certaine force and strength infused throughout all things the moderator and nourisher of all things and by it selfe the beginning of motion and of rest in them The which Nature Hermes Trimegistus almost in the same words saith to be a certaine force risen from the first cause diffused throughout all bodies by it selfe the beginning of motion and rest in them This force the Pythagoreans called God And therefore Virgil a great follower of the Pythagorean disciplne wrote thus saying The spirit nourisheth inwardly c. And the Platonicks called the same the Soule of the worlde But yet the Platonicks haue not defined shewed in what maner by what means this Soule of the world doth moderate and order all these interior things and doth stirre vp in the generation of things neither can they yet determine But the more witty and learned sort of Philosophers holde affirme that this world which comprehendeth in the circumference and compasse therof the fowre Elements the first beginnings of nature is a certaine great bodie whose partes are so knitte together among themselues euen as in one bodie of a liuing Creature all the members doe agrée that there is no one part of the parties of that great body which is not inlyned quickened and susteined by the benefite of that vniuersall soule which they haue called the soule of the worlde affirming also that if the bodyes of liuing creatures doe deriue life and beeing from the soule which is in them the same is much more done and effected in the farre more noble and more excellent body of the whole world by the meanes of the more potent and farre more excellent soule with the which this body of the vniuersall world is indued and by which it subsisteth For it all the parts of the world haue life as manifestly appearing it hath then must it needes follow that wholely it liueth for that the parts drawe and deriue their life from the whole from the which they being separated cannot but perish and die And héereupon they inferre that the Heauen compassing all things is that Soule which nourisheth and susteineth all things Also further they affirme that all the formes virtues and faculties of things by which all things are neurished susteined and haue their being doe come from the worlds Soule And as the body and soule are gathered and ioyned together in one through the benefite of the Spirits bond for that it is partaker of both Natures so the soule and body of the world are knit together by the meanes of the Aethereall Spirits going betwéene ioyning each part of the whole into one subsistence And yet hereof we must not conclude as did Aphrodisaeus and Philoponas which were Platonists that the worlde is a most huge liuing creature indued with sense and vnderstanding wise and happie the which is a most absurde and false opinion But the Platonists by the soule of the world gaue vs rather to vnderstand a certaine spirit which cherisheth quickeneth conserueth and susteineth all things as it were a certaine spirit of that Elohym or great God which mooued vpon the waters which Plato might remember as one not ignorant of Moses and thereupon frame his soule of the worlde Whereupon also it must needes come to passe that all these inferior things otherwise transitorie and infirme should soone come to destruction without they were conserued and continued in theyr being by that diuine power perpetually maintaining and suspecting them the which being disseuered a great confusion perturbation of the whole worlde arise therof Which ruine and destruction God of his great goodnes would preuent creating that vniuersall Nature which should defende all this great worke and kéepe it safe and sounde by his vertue and moderation and that by the yearely and continual rotation and reuolution of the right Heauen and by the Influences and vertues of the Starres Planets and Celestiall powers all things might be well gouerned and might constantly remaine and abide in full fastnes of theyr estate vntill the predestinated time of theyr dissolution To this Aethereall spirit or rather Diuine power euery effectuall
gold to it selfe with the which it is mingled and vnited into one body in such wise that it swalloweth vp gold whereas all other metalls except siluer do floate aloft and wil not sinke into the same Consider therefore saith Arnold that thing onely which cleaueth to Mercury and to the perfect bodies and thou hast the full knowledge And when he hath thus discribed the deuouring Lyon he addeth these words Because our stone is like to the accidentall quicksiluer which carrieth gold before it and ouercommeth it and is the very same which can kill and make aliue And know further that our coagulated quicksiluer is the father of all the minerals of that our magistery is both body spirit c. The same thrée chiefe beginnings doe offer themselues vnto vs in other semi mineralls as in Arsenick orpinent and such other like which albeit in their whole substance they bee contrary to our nature and spirits yet by nature they haue that spiritual promptnes and flying swiftnesse that by their subtiltie they easily conuey and mingle and mingle themselues with our spirits whether they be inwardly taken or outwardly applyed and doe worke venemous and mortal effects and that by reason of the Arsenical Mercury poinson ful or arsenical Sulphur and arsenicall Salt Gems also and precious stones haue in them the vertues and qualities of those thrée beginnings by reason of whose fier and brightnesse the pure Mercury in them doth shine cleauing firmly to his fixed Salt and also to the Sulphur of the same nature whereby the whole substance of a contrary kind being seperated there ariseth and is made a most pure stone of contrinance like vnto gold Of this sort is the most firme and constant Diamond to whom that good old Saturne hath giuen the leaden colour of his more pure Mercury together with the fixed and constant spirits of his more pure Sulphur and hath so confirmed coniealed and compacted it in all stability with his christalline salt that of all other stones it is the most solyd and hardest by reason of the most firme vnion of the thrée principal beginnings and their coherence which by no art of seperation can be disioyned and sundered into the solution of his spiritual beginnings And this is the cause that the ancient Physitians had no vse thereof in medicine because it could not be dissolued into his first matter And it is not to be thought that those auncient Physitians refrained the vse thereof for that they déemed it to be venemous by nature as some falsely imagin which being homogenial and of a 〈◊〉 simple nature it is wholely celestial and therefore most pure and for that cause nothing venemous but the poyson and daunger commeth here hence that being onely broken and beaten and in no sort apt to preperation taken so into the stomack and remaining there by reason of his soliditie and hardnesse inconcocted by coutinuance of time and by little and little it doth fret and teare the laps of the stomack and so the intralls being â—â—oriated death by a lingering consumption ensueth It belongeth to golde with his Sulphur to giue a red tineture to Carbuncles and Rubines neither doth the difference of their colours come of any other cause then this that their Mercuries and Chrystallyne salts are not defeked and clensed alike the which clensing the more perfect or imperfect it is the colour appeareth accordingly either better or worse And albeit Siluer be outwardly white yet within it hath the colour of Azure and blewe by which shée giueth her tincture to Saphyrs Copper hauing outwardly a shew of rednes hath a gréene colour within as the Viridgreese that is made thereof doth testifie by which it giueth greennesse vnto the Emerand Iron red within as his Saffron yeallow colour doth plainly shew and yet nothing like the colour which gold hath within it giueth colour to the Iacint Tinne albeit it is earthie yet being partaker of the celestial nature it giueth vnto Agates diuers and sundry colours From gold and from other mettals as also from precious stones their colours may be taken away by Cementation and Reuerberation by their proper menstrues which things are well knowen to Chymists and fire workmen The which colours and sulphurs so extracted are very fit for the affects of the braine The colour of gold serueth for the affects of the heart The colour of tinne for the lunges The colour of Mercury The colour of lead for the splene The colour of Iron for the rednesse The colour of Copper for the priuie parts The heauenly menstruéese to dispoyle mettalls of their colours and sulphures naturall is this namely the deaw which falleth in the moneth of May and his sugar Manna out of the which two mixed together digested and distilled according to Arte there wil come forth a general dissoluer most fit to dispoyle stones and mettals of their colours Yea of onely Sugar or of hony by it selfe may be made a dissoluer of mettals Now if these thrée beginnings Salt Sulphur and Mercurie are to be found in the Heauen in the Ayer and in the Waters as is al ready shewed who wil make any doubt but that by a farre greater reason they are to be found in the earth and to be made no lesse apparant séeing the earth of al other elements is the most fruitfull and plentiful The Mercurial spirits shâ—we themselues in the leâ—ues and fruites The Sulphurus in the flowers séedes and kirnels The salts in the wood barke and rootes and yet so that eache one of those thrée partes of the trée or plant seuerally by themselues albeit to one is giuen the mercurial spirit to another that of Sulphur and to the third that of Salt yet euery one apart may as yet be resolued into those thrée beginnings without the which they cannot consist how simple so euer they be For whatsoeuer it bée that hath being within the whole compasse and course of nature doe consist and are profited by these thrée beginnings And whereas some are said to be mercurial some Sulphurus and some Salt it is therefore because the Mercurials doe conteine more Mercurie the Sulphurus more Sulphur and the Saltish more Salt in them than the others For some whole trées are to be séene more sulphurus and roseny than other some as the Pine and Firre-trées which are alwayes gréene in the coldest mountaines because they abound with their Sulphurus beginning being the principal vital instrumeÌ„t of their growing For there are some other plants as the Lawrel and the Trées of Oranges Citrons and Lemons which continue long gréene and yet are subiect to colde because their Sulphure is not so easily dispersed as is the Sulphur of the firre trées which are roseny and are therefore thrice of a more fixed and constant life furnished against the iniuries of times Furthermore al Spice-trées and al fragrant and odoriferous hearts are Sulphurus And as there are sundry sortes of trées of this kinde so are
may be seperated in such wife that the same Salt Armoniac being extracted the same liquor will be made swéete and potable and the Salt remaine by it selfe the which being againe mixed with spring water or with any other liquor deuoid of taste it wil make the same sharpe That same sharpnesse or Salt Armoniac spirituall is not onely found in Vitriol but also in common Salt in Niter yea in Sulphur also it selfe as also in all things For that sharpnesse is that very same which coagulateth Sulphur which is plentifully found therein For without it Sulphur will not cleane vnited but would be running as are other oyle-like liquors The same Salt Armoniac of nature is manifested vnto vs by that extraction of sharpe oyle which is drawen out of Sulphur whose nature is farre different from that of the said Sulphur For it is so farre from taking fleame that contrariwise it is a hinderance to gun-poulder not-suffering it to be inflamed with the touch of fire as is said already The same liquor doth dissolue pearles and coral no lesse then doth the iuice of Limons of Barberies or any other of that nature the which power it hath by the dissoluing vertue of Salt Armoniac of nature which is in it The like and by the same reason doth Vineger performe For Wine as is saide afore partaketh of the nature of Vitriol more then any other vegetable and containeth much of the foresaide sharpe Salt of nature He which doth exactly consider these things shal readily and out of true grounded reasons dissolue the question concerning the true and natural qualitie of Vineger which question hath troubled many of the most learned Piysitians For the dissoluing vertue which appeareth to be in Vineger euen in this that when clay or earth is put into it it wil as it were boyle argueth that the nature thereof is altogether hote Others on the coâ—trary part denying Vineger to be colde appoint it as a chiefe remedy to extinguish and represse external Inflamations Also by the taste which they affirme to bee the effect of coldnesse they conclude that Vineger is colde But they can very easily end this controuersie which haue the perfect knowledge of the nature of Salt Armoniac which Vineger containeth mat For this Salt is the true cause of dissoluing vertue But because the â—ame Salt is of force to coagulate spirits and to dissolue bodies therefore it is effectual and a singular remedy against both inward and outward inflamations For it doth coagulate the Niter Sulphurus exhalations which stirreth vp those inflamations For such heates and feauerous passions doe procéed out of the spirits onely either Niterous or Sulphurus arysing out of the Saltâ—Niter Sulphurus or tartarus of our body and lifted vp into euaporations which cause such vnkindly heates The which coÌ„meth not so to passe when the same spirits be as yet bound together and lye as it they were buried in their proper bodies or tartarous feces But if thou wilt yet knowe more manifestly the corrosiue force and inflaming heate of the saide spirits consider the strong waters which are nothing else but the spirits of Niter and Vitriol which thou shalt sée will dissolue siluer or any hard metall But if thou put but one onely ounce of siluer to one hundred pound waight of Vitriol and Niter as they are in their owne nature and body yet they will neuer be able to dissolue it It is therefore manifest that such violent forces and operations are onely in the spirits seperated euaporated and dissolued from their body the which forces thou shalt by no safer meanes take away and suppresse then if the same spirits bée againe incorporated and coagulated And this is performed by that Salt Armoniac sharpe of nature which is in Vineger as also in other things which haue sharpnesse But peraduenture there are some which now thinking that wee haue killed our selues with our owne swoord will inferre vpon the same example by vs alleaged that such essences prepared by Chymists are all for the most part spiritual and therfore by consequence are more violent remedies then is fitting for nature to beare and therefore cannot be giuen with safetie I would haue those which make this obiection to be in this wise answered That the reason is not all one and therefore the conclâ—sion not good For it we take the spirit of Vitriol or of Salt-Péeter which indéed are spirits partaking of the terrestrial fire yet neuerthelesse they may bee so swéetened and mingled with broathes or other conuenient liquor that they wil be very familiar to nature grateful sauory and gentle and not without great vertue and efficacie The iuice of Limons giuen by it selfe alone into great plenty can hurt the stomack For the which cause our maner is to mingle it with some liquor or with sugar and to bring it into a syrup or Iulep no lesse profitable then pleasing to the stomack But the vertue of the spirit of vitriol is better knowne at this day and commended of the most approued Physitians of diuers countries then that the ignorant can detract any thing from the dignity and praise thereâ—f It is reported very credibly that in France it is much vsed and commended for the effects it hath to extinguish burning feauers And not without iust cause for it is a most singular remedy not onely against feauers but also against many other contumacious sicknesses as hereafter in due place shal be shewed but it is fit that no other presume to administer it then such as are expert Phisitians not Emperikes and such as try conclusions by killing men Furthermore the sharpe spirit drawen out of Niter alone or Sulphur among the metallick Salts is of the same nature and property For these doe auaile no lesse then the other to extinguish feauers of what kind soeuer by their coagulatiâ—e vertue whereby they doe tame subdue and coagulate those Sulphurs and burning spirits of our body Moreouer there are other some which iudge vs worthy of much reprehension because we said afore that one and the selfe-same sharpe Salt Armoniar hath both vertue to dissolue and also to congeale which being effects contrary cannot procéed from one and the same cause according to the common opinion of Phylosophers To this we answere that as we haue spoken it so we will maintaine it And therefore we say againe that this Salt Armoniac sharpe of nature whereof we speake can both dissolue bodies and also which is more to be maruailed at congeale spirits yea and which is yet more wonderfull euen in the middest of fire it can congeale And concerning dissolution it shall not be necessary that we proue this because it is well known to persons of very meane skill And now to say somewhat for the ignorants sake The spirit of Vitriol or of Sulphur or of sower Niter wel prepared and seperated from all terrestreitie doth dissolue corall and pearles By which dissolution an excellent
blood draweth his first beginning of his composition That tartar or lées is of the blood which cleaueth to the vessels of the bowels Now the feces of the Chylus are nothing else but that huge heape of excrements of diuers sorts which are in that nourishment existing in diuers parts of the body And when those Niter-Sulphurus and tartarous impurities cannot by nature be digested ouercome and expelled they stuffe the bowels they are made the seminarie and store-house of most grieuous sicknesses so that if we will confesse the truth we must of necessity say with great Hipocrates that sicknesses haue both their séedes and also their rootes in our bodies the which most euidently appeareth by the foresaide comparison of wine and blood The which standeth vpon apparant and sensible foundations and not vpon doubtfull figments and Imaginations And as we sée in the spring times when nature putteth forth her flowers that the lées of wine are mixed with the wine it selfe and doe trouble it and oftentimes corrupt it and that as in the excéeding heate of the Sommer Sunne the more hote Sulphurus part of the same wine that is the spirit may and is woont to vapour away whereof followeth the corruption of the same wine euen so also about the same seasons and times the feces and tartarous heape mixed with our blood doth at the last peruert and corrupt it hereof commeth the occasion and multiplication of sicknesses For the spirit of blood being disprearced and seperated both by external and also by internal heate it must needes bée corrupted to the which corruption arising of the said causes the cause of many sicknesses is rather to be referred then to those bare simple qualities of hote and cold dry and moyst As therefore we haue taught in the seperation of the true spirit of wine which resembleth the celestiall and spiritual Nectar of our life many impurities thereof doe manifestly appeare euen so and after the very same sort it fareth with wheate with fruits and with meates and drinkes prepared of them and generally with all other vegetable things procéeding after the same maner as we haue said concerning wine For they haue no light proportion with our blood according to this saying We are nourished with those things whereof we consist which thou maiest aptly turne and say we consist of those things wherewith we are nourished But the one partaketh of the other or of this or of that more then of the other as for example of the spirit of the Mercurial liquor of Salt of the feces of the stinking vnprofitable excremēts which is the reason that out of this or that more commendable kinde of meate the more worthy and commendable blood is generated Therefore to adde one example more in stéed of a surplussage of waight let it not be forgotten that out of Hydromel Cider Ale or such like kind of drinkes out of their feces the same preparations and seperations as wel of a commendable liquor as of feces may be made after the same maner as we haue before shewed to be done concerning wine and that the beginnings and heterogeneall and vnnaturall parts may in the same sort be extracted out of these as out of that other To conclude thou maiest with better successe learne the beginnings of sicknesses by making a comparison betwéene the preparation and seperation of those things which giue nourishment vnto man and our blood then if according to the cōmon maner thou haue recourse to the humours bare qualities and so to séeke out and discerne the causes originals of sicknesses by a certaine witty contemplation rather then by that which is more true and infallible Thus we haue thought good to set down these things by way of anticipation concerning the exact and internal anatomy of humours concerning also the artificiall examining of them both that thereby it might appeare from whence the natural impressions of things the infallible causes of diseases are to be sought as also that the true Philosophers Physitians may vnderstand thereby the way to cōpound prepare and administer artificially medicines and remedies which now we intend to shew euen according to the order and method of the Dogmatickes So as wée thinke it not good vtterly to reiect the olde nor wholy to followe the newe but to restore the old forme of composition of Medicines increased and amended with many of our inuentions experiments and compositions for the publique good and for the health of the sicke as also for the instruction of some ignorant Physitians An Elixir of our description A wonderfull remedy to cure inueterate and almost desperate diseases and to conserue health and to prolong life as followeth TAke of the roote of Zedoary of Angelica of Gentian of Valerian Tormentil or Setfoyle Goates beard Galanga the wood Aloes and citrine or yeallow Sanders of each thrée Ounces Of Baume of red Mint Maioran Basil Hysope Germander Chamepithis of each halfe a handfull of Lawrell Berries Iuniper of the séedes Peony of Seseli or Comin of Anis of Mugwoort of Cardus-Benedictus of each two ounces the barke of Citrine of Missel of the oake and of all the Mirabolans of each one Ounce Cloues Cinamum Mace Ginger Cubebs Cardamony Pepper long and round Spikenard of each one ounce and a halfe Aloes Hepat Myrrhe Olebanum Mastic of each sixe Drachmes The flowers of Rosemary of Sage of Stechados of Mary-golds of Saint Ihons woort of centaury the lesser of Betonie of the Linden tree of each so many as yée can gripe with two fingers and the thumbe at twise of the flowers of Chicory commonly called Suckary of red Roses and of Buglosse of each one gripe in like sort onely of gruat hony and of white Suger of each one pound Of Aqua-Vitae after the best maner rectified ten pound Cut that which is to be cut and beate that which is to be beaten All these things being put into a large Matrat and close stopt that no breath come forth set in horse-dung meanely hote by the space of eight or ten dayes to putrifie Being putrified let them be hard and well pressed or strained and put the liquor distrained into an Allembic and distill it by a Cornute at aconuenient fire The first water which commeth forth from the distrained liquor wil be most cleare kéepe it by it selfe for it is precious Thy Receiuer being of glasse must be of good receit and must be passing wel closed with the Cornute by the necke that the least vapour come not forth And when the Receyuer beginneth to bée darkened and to be filled with white spirits thou shalt increase thy fire by degrées a little and a little according to arte vntil the said whited spirits appeare no more Then take away the Receiuer that thou mayst put by it self that water which commeth foorth the second time and kéepe it wel it is called the mother of Balsam being very profitable to roote out many sicknesses and to
by intemperate life by a naturall disposition by the thicknesse of the skinne or by such like occasions then it cannot be but that such bodies shal be subiect to many other diseases than those whereof we haue spoken before It is also to bée remembred in this place that in all these euaporations ordinarie exhalations somewhat of our substancetying nectar of life or of our radical Balsam doth also breathe away The which breathing if it be gently and sparingly and without all manner violence and force but by a certaine voluntarie continuance and naturall then our age is prolonged in the meane time declining to extreame old age by little and little vntill al our water of life or radical oyle which continueth the lampe of our life be consumed But if the sayd exhalation or breathing bée violently and suddenly enforced as it commeth to passe in burning feauours and in many other sicknesses faintings passions and most vehement motions of the spirits of our body then our life shall be preuented before age Haereupon commeth the vntimely and in some sort the violant death of many and yet the cause of such violence comming from an internal occasion And because it is very pertinent and necessarie that wée rightly vnderstand those things which wée haue now spoken concerning the natures of the contents in vs that is to say of the enforcings moystenings and out-flowings and so much the rather because by them wée come to the knowledge of our â—pirits and of our radicial moysture or nectar of life and also to the causes of the conseruation prolongation destruction and abreuiation of our life I wil therefore now declare them all by an example whereby euery one which wil giue eare may come to the perfect knowledge of those things And yet wée doe not much estéeme presumptions probable reasons or authorities but wée wil ground our demonstration vppon the very senses themselues that those things which wée speake may bée both séene and felt And if so bée any bée so farre deuoyd of shame that hée will yet obstinately contradict vs we will say to him as sometime Aâ—errho said One experience is more of value than many reasons Experience cannot bée without sense he which denieth sense is worthy to haue no vse of sense And forasmuch as Aristotle sayd that the foundation of all demonstration is in sense Who is hee that dare gainesay it Therefore wée wil take Wine againe for an example forsomuch as wée vsed the same before In which wine how apparantly and manifestly doe such separations and excrements appeare to bée made And this it doth by his owne proper nature that the more easily the nature of either of them and of both may manifestly bée knowen by this Analogie and resemblance which it hath with our blood For by the clensing of wine wée know the vitall Anatomie of our blood and by the same it will appeare which are our natural spirits ethereal as also which is our natiue heate and radicall moysture which two doe vphold our body and defend our life and of whose helpe either of them haue néede forasmuch as that radicall moysture is the foode and nourisher of heate and this same heate subsisteth by the benefite of that moysture Thus these two replenished with spirit and as it were knit together are spred and diffused through the whole body By this same example the difference betwéene nourishing vital humiditie and that which is vnprofitable and excremental wil plainly appeare Furthermore it wil appeare which be moyst and which be dry in that kind of moystures which are outflowing and which of them are hurtful to our nature and which profitable By which anatomie of blood the reader willing to learne shal profit more as I thinke because we referre those foure humors whereof they make blood one to the very same and doe by a certaine analogie and resemblance compare it therewith But to come to the 〈◊〉 Therefore when the wine is prepared the clusters of grapes are crushed in the wine-presse first and the skinnes and kernels with the stalkes are throwne away Then the vnprofitable clensings and excrements being partly by mans industrie and partly by the nature of the wine it selfe being reiected the wine is powred into caskes and vessels In these digestion being made by his owne force it seperateth and purgeth forth together those seculent and more grosse superfluities This done the wine is all most perfect and fit for drinke and nourishment That first artificiall preperation of wine which is made by the expression and separation of the Vintners doth after a certaine manner represent vnto vs the preparation of wheate in the which separation the chaffe and the branne being taken away the rest is grouÌ„d into meale that it may be more fit for nourishment Euen so in like maner in our mouthes first preparation of the flesh is made from the bones or such like And the expression or grinding is made with the mouth and téeth then after due chewing the meate is sent down into the stomach This is the first resembled preparation of our nourishment with that first preparation of wine and wheate and that which is put into our stomach answereth that wine which at the first is put into vessels the meale which is ground Therefore after this there is another working in the stomach by nature For whatsoeuer the stomach receiueth it concocteth and digesteth yea all kind of meates mixed together like wine in his caskâ— or any other kind of drinke made of hony fruites barley or of water wherein diuers things are sodden The stomach therefore is that vessell of nature wherein not only the matter put into it is concocted and digested but also it is the same which seperateth the tartarous feces and whatsoeuer is excremental therein by such passages and vents as nature hath prouided to that end At the length after much purifying the blood is clensed being the red fountaine and the original of the spirits of our life euen like as wine which throughly fined is preferred before all others which serue for the nourishing and restoring of our life But let vs now procéede 〈…〉 Out of this artificial wine with the hâ—â—pe of gentle fire by circulatorie vessels as they terme them is extracted a fire of nature which attendeth the radical moysture namely a water of life wholy fiery and ethereal a quintessence altogether spiritual and almost of an incorruptible nature After the very same manner through the benefite of nature and by Circulation which is made by the heate of the Heart and of the Liuer there is generated and extracted in vs that quickening fire accompanied and nourished with his proper vnctuous humour and radical which is the water of life and true and quickening Nectar the quintessence and almost the ethereal spirit the incorruptible vpholder and conseruer of our life This also here by the way commeth to be noted in the operatioÌ„ of the foresaid wine which is also
worthy the marking and admiration namely that two or thrée fiery coales and no moe put vnder a large vessel or chaldrone which may containe sixe gallons will heate the same wine and will procure the spirit of wine to distill when as by that small heate a much lesse portion of water cannot bée made blood warme But which is more to bée maruailed at and obserued when the same spirit of wine doth passe through the Colunrina as they terme it namely by very long cunduites and pipes of brasse reforsed fit for this distillation it doth so heate them as also a whole pipeful of cold water-besidâ— and farâ— enough from fire in the which the saide pipes are moystened that a man may scarce handle them The which is to bee attributed to the great heate which the spirit of wine giueth to the colde water passing through the foresaide pipes For when all the spirit of wine is distilled forth although thou put vnder the saide vessell a much more vehement fire yet thou shalt féele the heate of that water in the vessel contained to bée extinguished and cooled The which should put vs in minde what is the next cause and original of natural or connatural heate in vs for this heate is stirres vp in vs by the continual circulation of the quickening spirit of our blood When all this water of life is at last distilled forth by a certaine internal external and violent heate or else vtterly wasted by progresse of time then doth appeare the extinction of that quickening heate and cold death insueth But to returne to the matter After the extraction of the true Aqua-Vitae or spirit of wine which is the whole purity of those thrée substantial beginnings whole liquor representeth Mercury whose flame which it readily conceiueth sheweth the Sulphurus nature and the excéeding strong taste declareth the spirit of Salt Armoniac there remaineth great plenty of â—â—eame or of Mercurial water which as yet containeth some quantity of spirit of wine But the last remainder is no better then vnprofitable water which soone corrupteth in like manner after the extraction of the water of life which is truly spiritual from out of our blood there remaineth in our body that moyst and moystening liquor which is partly nourishing and partly excrementall as is saide afore Lastly there remaine ouer and aboue the former the Feces Tartarous residences and Niterus Sulphurus matter which containe many stinking Impurities as also greate plentie of Salt The impurities doe sufficiently shewe the impurities in the eyes and filthy stinkes out of the nosthrils where as diuers oyles are distilled out of the said feces by vehement fire And out of the very feces there is extracted Salt if they be calcined and the same is also fixed with his proper fleame as we haue shewed afore in the working of the same vegetable This Salt is made Volatil with Salt Armoniac flying contained in his own spirit or water of life procéeding as we haue already shewed In like sort in blood beside that spirit of life and Mercurial liquor which two may in very déede be seperated from blood it selfe and shewed to the eye after conuenient digestions in the heate of Balne Mary which resembleth the heate of nature that it may the better and more easily appeare how the same heate and the same nature in vs maketh the same seperations and operations I say beside those two a certaine soft consistence like liquor wil reside in the bottome wherein thou shalt finde many impurities to be séene and smelt if the same matter be dryed vpon a fire of ashes proportionable to the heate of a feauer and no greater This Niter-Sulphurus stinke is that which manifestly causeth in vs fiery meteors as wel in the vpper as in the inferiour part of the body and which bringeth forth innumerable passions and paines beside as is already shewed afore So also by the force of the fire Sulphurs and oyles thick and gluing like pitch may be seperated out of the feces and tartar of blood no lesse then out of wine so offensiue with stinke as thou art not able to abide the odour thereof whereof how many diseases may arise in our bodies euery man may easily coniecture This done there wil remaine ashes out of which a Salt is extracted the which by the vertue of the Salt Armoniac of nature may be made Volatil and the very same which Lullie calleth the greater Lunarie for the imitation of the vegetable work This worke is very admirable by which the true Numie the vniuersal Medicine and the true Balsam conseruing and restoring nature is made And this is the true and vital anatomie of blood which by manifest demonstration we haue shewed that it hath a great analogie proportion and resemblance with wine when as a true Phylosopher as wel out of the one as out of the other sauing that the one requireth greater artifice knoweth how to seperate waters of life méerely spirituall which are saide to be very forcible and strong and beside these Mercuriall liquors which are as wel profitable as hurtful which are also moystening and finally which knoweth how to extract vapors and exhalations fuming which are called out-flowings Now therefore if so be in wine which we easily vse to nourish our bodies and the same pure and cleare after the seperation of the spirit thereof we sée and behold so many vnkindly things and so impure how many more grosse impurities I pray you shall we finde in the Lées of wines cleaning to the caskes and in the grosse residence of the same They which knowe and vnderstand that great and excéeding blacknesse of wine lées which is manifestly to be séene in the calcination thereof and the sepreation of his spirit and of his oyle red blacke and stinking which is done by destillation they I say can giue cleare testimony and credibly informe what a great stinke there is in the Sulphur thereof and how great the acrimony and byting sharpnesse is in the same tartar or lées by reason of the Salt which is extracted out of the same and the oyle which is made by the resolution of the same Salt of tartar And trust mée in the feces of the same wine there are found beside the things already spoken those matters which are more grosse impure and stinking as they wel knowe who to calcine them into ashes which they call clanelated are compelled to goe out of the Cities into the fieldes and places further off by reason of their excéeding infection and stinke with the which they are wont to infect the places néere adioyning What maruaile is it then as is shewed afore if in our blood after the seperation of the true spirit there are found so many vnkindly tartarous stinking and Sulphurus impurities But what maruaile I say if more and greater impurities and stinkes are to bee found in diuers of the Heterogeneal parts of the Chylus or best matter digested in the stomach for nourishment from whence