the Lord Jesus Christ forbids Now have I opened to you much of the Secret to the Glory of the immortal God Paracelsus extracts his Essence of Philosophical Wine not out of Aqua ardens but out of Philosophical Wine it self Thus 3. The Spirit of Wine of Paracelsus Described Chap. 9. of the Third Book of Long Life pag. 64. YOur Wine being powred into a Pelican digest in Horse-dung and that the space of two Months continually you will see it so thin and pure that a Fatness which is the Spirit of Wine will of it self appear in the superficies Whatsoever is under this is Phlegm without any nature of Wine but the Fatness alone being put into a Phial and digested by it self is of most excellent energy for long Life Guido used the following Method little differing from the Paracelsian 4. The Essence of Wine according to Guido Described Pag. 1. Thesaur Chym. TAke White or Red Wine which is better distil by Balneo till the Matter remain in the consistence of Honey which being divided into two parts in a duplicated Cucurbit mixt with the distilled Liquor and joyn together again and after the digestion of six weeks a green Oyl will swim upon the Matter which separate through a Funnel From the Receipts we think these Things following worthy of Observation 1. That the Wine Red or White is not Common but Philosophical and that is the only thing that is obscure in these four Books to be understood not according to the Letter but by Analogy but Aqua ardens Aqua vitae Spirit or Essence of a Philosophical Wine are the proper Names of it 2. That the Aqua ardens of Philosophical Wine doth in some things agree with the Properties of Common Spirit of Wine namely it goes before its Phlegm in distillation it is rectified as the Common from its Phlegm Lastly being rectified it is known by burning Linnen Sugar c. 3. That this Aqua ardens doth by Circulation dayly lose its moisture and sharpness and is at length converted into a swimming Oyl the Essence and Spirit of Philosophical Wine But who ever reduced Common Spirit of Wine or Aqua Vitis by bare Circulation into an Oyl Who I say hath by continual Circulation brought that Oyl to Driness so as to be sublimeable as a volatile Salt and that not but by a strong Fire as Isaacus affirms himself to have experienced in the Description of his Vegetable Stone Of which lower in the Third Book 4. That the Oyl or Essence of Wine may be divers ways made out of Philosophical Wine 5. That not only the Time but also the Scent Colour c. of the Essence are varied according to the variety of Method The Essence of Lully is like Heaven that is of a Sky-colour the Oyl of Guido is green 6. That it hath not a Scent so fragrant unless it hath a Body especially a Metallick or Mineral dissolved in it 7. That this Heaven the first of all Menstruums is also a Medecine and is called the Essence or Specifick to a long Life 8. That it is called Heaven for several Reasons by Lully First Because it works Contraries like Heaven Our Vegetable Menstruum saith Lully the Celestial Animal which is call'd Quintessence preserves Flesh from corruption comforts things elemented restores former Youth vivifies the Spirit digests the crude hardeneth the soft rarifies the hard fattens the lean wasteth the fat cools the hot heats the cold dries the moist moistens also the dry One and the same thing can do contrary operations The Act of one thing is diversified according to the nature of the Receiver as the heat of the Sun which hath contrary operations as in drying Clay and melting Wax yet the Act of the Sun is one in it self and not contrary to it self Secondly Because like Heaven it receives the Forms of all Things As the universal Form the Macrocosmical Heaven hath an appetite to every Form so the Quintessence of Philosophical Wine to every Complexion whereby it is evidently manifest that the Quintessence of things is said to be of that complexion to which it is adjoyned if joyned to hot hot if to cold cold c. This therefore the Philosophers called Heaven because as Heaven affords us sometimes heat sometimes moisture c. so the Quintessence in mens Bodies at the Artist's pleasure c. Distinct 1. Lib. Essentioe To this Heaven we apply its Stars which are Plants Stones and Metals to communicate to us Life and Health Ibid. Thirdly Because like Heaven it moveth all things from power to act Therefore Heaven or our Mercury is the Cause and Principle moving G C Metals from power to act And in this point knows the understanding of an Artist that D our Heaven hath action upon C and C ruling and governing and reducing it into action as Heaven brings that which is in Elemental things by its own motion into action c. For we call it Heaven by reason of its motion because as the upper Heaven moves the universal Form and first Master and Elements and Senses to compound Elemented Individuals so D moves C and C and the four Elements to M the Sulphur of Nature or Philosophers Mercury or to Q the Tincture Distinct 3. de quarto principio Libri Essentioe 4. Because like Heaven it is incorruptible Aqua vitoe is the Soul and Life of Bodies by which our Stone is vivified therefore we call it Heaven and Quintessence and incombustible Oyl and by its infinite other Names because it is incorruptible almost as Heaven in the continual circulation of its motion pag. 145. Elucid Testam 5. Because it is of the colour and clarity of Heaven Heaven or our Mercury is the fourth Principle in this Art and is signified by D of an azure colour and line and is signified by that colour because it is celestial and of a celestial Nature as we said before in the description of it Dist 3. Lib. Essentioe This Essence Johannes de Rupescissa calls Humane Heaven for the following Reasons We ought to seek that thing which is to the four Qualities of which our Body is compounded as is Heaven in respect of the four Elements Now the Philosophers called Heaven Quintessence in respect of the four Elements because Heaven is in it self incorruptible and immutable and not receiving strange impressions but by the command of God so also the thing which we seek is in respect of the four Qualities of our Body a Quintessence in it self incorruptible so made not hot dry with Fire nor moist cold with Water nor hot moist with Ayr nor cold dry with Earth but is it a Quintessence able to work Contraries as the incorruptible Heaven which when it is necessary infuseth a moist Quality sometimes a hot sometimes a cold sometimes a dry Such a Radix of Life is the Quintessence which the most High created in Nature with power to supply the necessity of the Body to the utmost term which God hath appointed to our
Life And I said that the most High created the Quintessence which is by the Art of man extracted from the Body of Nature created by God And I will name it by its three Names attributed to it by the Philosophers It is called Aqua ardens Anima or Spiritus Vini and Aqua Vitoe And when you have a mind to conceal it call it Quintessence because this is its Nature and this is its Name the greatest Philosophers have been willing to disclose to no man but caused the Truth to be buried with them And that it is not moist as the Element of Water is demonstrated because it burns which is a thing repugnant to Elementary Water That it is not hot and moist as Ayr is declared because dry Ayr may be corrupted with every thing as appears in the generation of Spiders but that remains always uncorrupt if it be kept from expiring That it is not dry and cold as Earth is expresly manifest because it is exceeding sharp and heats extreamly And that it is not hot and dry as Fire is apparent to the Eye because it infrigidates hot things and wastes and eradicates hot Diseases That it conduceth to incorruptibility and preserves from corruptibility I will demonstrate by an Experiment for if any Bird whatsoever or piece of Flesh or Fish be put into it it will not be corrupted so long as it shall continue therein how much more will it therefore keep the animated and living Flesh of our Body from all corruption This Quintessence is the humane Heaven which the most High created for the preservation of the four Qualities of mans Body as Heaven for the preservation of the whole Universe And know of a certain that the modern Philosophers and Physicians are altogether ignorant of this Quintessence and of the truth and virtue thereof But by the help of God I will hereafter declare to you the Magistery of it And hitherto I have taught you a Secret the Quintessence that is the humane Heaven Cap. 2. Lib. Essentioe 9. Lastly That many Receipts more obscure and otherwise intelligible by no man are by these illustrated The Second KIND Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and the hottest Vegetables Herbs Flowers Roots c. being Oyly 5. The. Anima Metallica or Lunaria Coelica of Lully Described in Composit Animae Transmut pag. 193. Vol. 3. Theat Chym. FIrst you must know that the Matter of our Stone or of all the Stones of the Philosophers together with Precious Stones which are generated or compounded by Art is this Metallick Soul and our Menstruum rectify'd and acuated or the Lunaria Coelica which among the Philosophers is called Vegetable Mercury produced from Wine red or white as is clearly manifest being revealed to us by God in our Figura Individuorum Distinct 3. Libri Quint. Essent c. But first it is expedient to draw our Menstruum by Art from Death that is the Impurities and Phlegm of Wine by the Office of an Alembick and to acuate it in distillation with pertinent Vegetables such as are Apium sylvestre Squilla Solatrum Carduus Oliandrum Piper nigrum Euphorbium Viticella or Flammula and Pyrethrum an equal quantity of all and pulverized Then the Menstruum must be circulated continually for the space of ten days in hot Dung or Balneo Marioe Annotations THE Vnctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine attracts none but the Vnctious natural Essences of Vegetables as we shall observe below in the Book of Medecines Essences being thus extracted as also all other Oyly things crude or expressed and all distilled of both Kingdoms Animal and Vegetable this Spirit of Wine doth by simple digestion divide into two distinct parts two Oyls or Fat 's whereof one is the Essence of the thing the other the Body The Essence so made we named the Second Spirit of Wine Both Essences this by Division and that by Extraction prepared are by longer digestion made one with the aforesaid Spirit of Wine For those things which are of one and the same purity and of a symbolical Nature are easily mix'd together and that inseparably and so an Essence made by an Essence is joyned to that Essence And if we protract Digestion further one of the Fat 's namely the Body less Oyly and therefore left hitherto is at length received also into a symbolical Nature by reason of which mixtion not only is the Spirit multiplied but also made fitter for the Dissolutions of dry things because the Particles of this Body less Oyly incline to dryness concerning which way we treat in this Receipt in the Prescription of which the Oyl drawn out of Oyly Vegetables is by distillation together with the Spirit of Philosophical VVine circulated into a Magistery or double Essence Natural and Artificial of which lower in its place by which the Spirit of Wine is multiplied and made more homogeneous to dry Bodies There is the same Menstruum but a little otherwise described in his Natural Magick pag. 358. thus Take Nigrum nigrius Nigro and distil ten or eight parts of the same in a Glass-Vessel and in the first distillation you must receive only one half this again distil and hereof take a fourth part and the third distillation you must take in a manner all and so distil that part eight or nine times and it will be perfect but not rectified under one and twenty Distillations Take of this VVater a quarter of a pound and acuate the same by distilling it with the Vegetables which are Apium Sylvestre and so of the rest of which was spoken above in Anima Transmutationis in the Chapter which begins First you must know c. And then put it into a Vessel of Circulation in hot dung or in the remains of a Wine-press with the preservation of the Species Which water is also one of the things without which nothing can be effected in the Magistery of this Art That Menstruum which ought to be drawn from the Death of Wine by the Office of an Alembick acuated with the said Vegetables and at length circulated is the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which is by these degrees so exalted as to be by Lully deservedly called the Matter of all the Stones of the Philosophers and vertuous Stones that is Precious Stones Anima Metallica and Lunaria Coelica which also is called Vegetable Mercury deduced from Wine red or white The Matter of which this Menstruum is made is called Wine in the former Receipt the Menstruum must be extracted from the Death of Wine But in the latter it is called Nigrum nigrius Nigro To these two Lully adds a third synonimous pag. 1. Test novissimi Take red Wine which we call the Liquor of Lunaria and Nigrum nigrius Nigro By which synonimous Terms none but a Fool can understand Common Wine for the common Spirit herefrom distilled is altogether insufficient to perform such and so great things yea all the Arcanums of the more secret Chymy which
Menstruum of Guido for Precious Stones Pag. 92. Thesauri Chym. TAke of the Vegetable Menstruum acuated described in the Seventh Kind in Numb 38. or Numb 39. four parts of the Oyl of the Mercury of Sol or Luna one part mix He elsewhere pag. 84. describes the Oyl of the Mercury of Metals thus Take of the Mercury of Sol a Description of which we shall have lower in the third Book three Pounds of the red Lyon Gold sublimed of the preparation of which in its place in the second Book twelve Ounces or equal weight mix very well put it in a Cucurbit with its Alembick lute well and increasing the Fire by degrees sublime and the Mercury will ascend partly quick partly in the form of a wâ—â—â—e or Ash-Colour'd Sublimate and about the lower part of the Glass of a citrine Colour mix the quick Mercury again with the Sublimate and again sublime and that so oft till all the Mercury is sublimed which being so sublimed put into Phials of a large bottom and in every one eight Ounces to putrify in Balneo six weeks and then six weeks in Balneo rorido and the sublimed Mercury of Sol will be resolved into a black Oyl which rectify through an Alembick first with a weak Fire then a stronger lastly most strong so will you have the Oyl of the Mercury of Sol. But besides Mercury that open Metal Menstruums of this Kind may be also made of the other Metals though more compact an Example of which we have in the Lunar Menstruum of Lully 48. The Lunar Menstruum of Lully In Experimento 24. TAke common Mercury and wash it with Vinegar when the terrestreity of it is taken away let it run through a Goats Skin then put it into those your Vessels of which you had a Form before in Numb 46. put the Mercury in those Vessels and distil with repetition till it turns all into Water as I taught you above then take four Ounces of this Mercurial Water and therein dissolve one Ounce of the Vegetable Mercury of the second Experiment Salt of Tartar sublimed or Vegetable Sal Armoniack made of the Salt of Tartar pass it through an Alembick together with the aforesaid Mercurial Water then in every four Ounces of the Water dissolve one Ounce of Mercury as before prepared that is Vegetable putrify eight days then distil by Ashes increase the Fire at last that so it may pass into that which was distilled in which dissolve half an Ounce of Silver cupellated then putrify three Days then distil in Ashes and lastly increase the Fire a little that all the clearness or whiteness of the Luna may go over by an airy resolution in this distillation He extracts not the whole Silver but the more Volatile part of it called in the ways of making Sal Armoniack animated Spirit by the Menstruum of three Vessels already described in Numb 26. with the Description of it there declared you may explain those things which are more obscure in the present Receipt He sometimes joyns the animated Spirit of Luna and the animated Spirit of Sol together and by circulation reduceth them into an admirable Menstruum after this manner 49. The Circulatum majus or Acetum acerrimum of Lully In Experimento 25. TAke the simple Vegetable Menstruum of three individuals described before in Numb 26. then take Luna calcine it with Mercury then take principal care to remove all the Mercury from the calcined Luna and the same way calcine Sol with Mercury then let all the Mercury be taken wholly from it these two Bodies put into Glass Dishes each by it self apart and to them each by it self apart pour clarifyed Honey mixing the Calxes of the two Bodies very well with the Honey upon Ashes so as to boyl then take the Honey from the Calxes by washing them in hot distilled Water and the Calxes will remain in the bottom of the Vessel then mix the Calxes with the Honey again boyling as before and mixing with a Spoon as before and thus repeat your Work three times as well in the Calx of Luna as Sol Then take these two Bodies being calcined and washed and put them into a Vessel of solution severally and pour upon them of the former coelificated Menstruum of the three individuals so much as will swim three Fingers above it cover the Vessel with a blind Head luting the Joynts well with wax gummed that it may no way respire set it in Balneo for a Natural Day so as to boyl gently then for two other Days put it upon Ashes and let it boyl gently as before then empty that part of Sol which was dissolved into another Vessel by it self which solution will be of a yellow Colour So also take out the dissolution of Luna by it self apart and pour it into another Vessel each of which dissolutions keep in each Vessel as before in Balneo but the dissolution of Luna will be of a Sea or Green Colour the undissolved Earth as well of Sol as Luna dry upon Ashes Which done pour again to each of the new circulated Menstruums and the Vessel being covered with a blind Head as before set it in Balneo and make it boyl gently as before and continue the same boyling upon Ashes lastly decant the dissolution of each Body as before into its Vessel wherein the other dissolutions above were kept by themselves apart But this Magistery you must repeat till all the Sol and all the Luna are dissolved these dissolutions putrify by themselves apart the space of forty Days after putrefaction put the dissolutions severally into two Urinals with Alembicks and Receivers stopp'd and the Joynts being well luted distil first the whole Menstruum in Balneo but the Bodies will remain in the form of an Oyl then again pour upon them so much of their Water lately distill'd as to swim three Fingers above the Matter cover the Vessel with a blind Head and putrify twenty four Hours then take away the blind Head and put on an Alembick with a Receiver and luting the Joynts distil with a gentle Fire in Ashes lastly increase the Fire somewhat that the air the animated Spirit may pass over into the Water last of all likewise force it with a stronger degree of heat till the Fire the Soul being more viscous ascends over into the air the Vessels being cold pour again the new reserved Water to the remaining Matter the animated Spirit of each Body being first luted in its Receiver to prevent respiring cover the Urinal again with a Hâ—nd Head putrifying as before and lastly distil in Ashes as before last of all as before increase the Fire thus repeat the Magistery till both the Bodies of Sol and Luna are by an airy revolution transmitted severally through the Alembick But if these Bodies will not entirely come over by distillation a little indeed will remain which keep for the rest of the Experiments then take the animated Spirit of Sol rectify it
oftentimes by it self in Ashes but be sure not to take away any of the Terrestreities which will every rectification remain in the bottom of the Vessel but rather pour back the distilled Water always to the same Faeces till you have performed the Work seven times compleat And observe the same order in rectifying the Water of animated Luna reserved before This done joyn these two Waters together which Conjunction is called the Conjunction of Father and Mother Male and Female Man and Woman And thus will you have the Menstruum majus the Animal Vegetable and Mineral being joyned together and these three reduced into one substance you must circulate sixty Days in a Vessel so luted as not to respire Circulation being compleated you will have the Menstruum majus brought to action the power of which is so great as not to be related This therefore is that admirable Menstruum which dissolves all Bodies with the preservation of their vegetative and transmutative Form This I say is that Menstruum containing in it such odour and fragrancy that nothing can be compared to it This lastly is the resoluble Menstruum which is by the Wise call'd by almost innumerable Names the Acetum acerrimum which converts Gold into a Spirit This is the Aqua Sicca Aqua Solis and Aqua Vitoe Parisinus made this Menstruum which he otherwise calls the greater Mercury or compounded Menstruum by this method 50. The Circulatum majus of Parisinus In Apertorio Cap. G. TAke of the best calcined Luna three Ounces of Sol also calcined according to Chapter H in which the Calcinations of Metals are after the common way described two Ounces to each being put by its self in its Glass pour of Circulated or the simple Quintessence acuated with Honey or the Coelum mellisluum described in Numb 10. the height of four Fingers the Vessels with their blind Heads put in Balneo two Days and in Ashes two more when you see the Waters in some measure tinged decant them and the dissolutions keep by themselves in Balneo well stopp'd to the undissolved Calxes pour again of E digesting decanting and repeating so often till the Bodies of Sol and Luna be reduced into a liquid substance then distil the Composition Dissolution of Sol and the Composition of Luna in Balneo and the Bodies will remain in the bottom of the Glass like an Oyl but to the Waters drawn from the said Luminaries in Balneo put Vegetable Sulphur according to the weights of the Sol and Luna and it will in the space of two Days be dissolved in Balneo so soon as the said Sulphur is dissolved in every of its Vessels pour every one to its Metallick Oyl but to avoid Error you must know that your dissolved Sulphur is that which we taught the preparation of in Chapter L namely that which is extracted out of Philosophical Wine otherwise called Sal Armoniack put the Vessels in Putrefaction eight Days then draw off the Waters in Balneo every one by it self then pour of new Water the height of two Fingers cover the Vessels with blind Heads and digest for a Day in Balneo then put on common Alembicks and distil the Waters gently in Ashes then increase the Fire that the air may also ascend into the Waters the Vessels being cold pour new Water to each remainder cover them with blind Heads digest in Balneo for a Night then distil in Ashes and this repeat as before till you have extracted all the Liquor of the two Luminaries keep the Earths and if a little of it be cast upon a red hot Plate and burns not it is an infallible sign because the said Earth is deprived of its Soul keep these two Earths mix'd together in digestion of Ashes for the receiving of their Mercuries the distilled Airs or Essences as we shall teach in Chapter L. in the way of making the mineral Sal Armoniacks or Metallick of Gold and Silver Now take the Liquors of both the said Luminaries that is their Souls or Mercuries already pass'd through an Alembick and joyn them together distilling through an Alembick in Ashes if any slimy Earth remains add it to the former Earths reserved and this do six times always removing the slimy Earth Take a large Vessel or Cucurbit with an Alembick made all of a piece in which pour your compounded Menstruum stopping the Mouth with a Glass Stopple luted with the white of an Egg quick Lime and course Paper which being dryed lute then with our Bitumen made of an equal quantity of Pitch Wax and Mastick and Circulate in a Sophical Balneo as we shewed you at Mr. Angelo's House in the Famous City of Venice when we made the simple Circulated Menstruum and let it be Circulating forty Natural Days which being expired you will see our Menstruum or Mercury clearer than Cristal and more odoriferous than any Perfume This Menstruum my Son hath the power of dissolving the two Luminaries and reducing them from power to action and you must know that by this alone yet with the addition of its red or white ferment you will by Circulation make particulars of great projection This is that which our Captain Raymund Lully in his Epistola Accurtatoria spoke of saying Having dissolved Sol and drawn the Water from it in Balneo then know the Gold is made Spiritual and irreducible into its former Body to which if you add a hundred parts of common Mercury it will congeal it into true Gold Moreover my Son if the said Gold congealed into a Gum be dissolved in some Water and given to a Patient of what infirmity soever he will in a very few Days return to his good temperament it removes whiteness of hair and all other signs of Old Age restores former Youth and preserves health even to the time prefixed by the Eternal God Know also that should I describe all the Miracles and indeed they may well be called Miracles and all the effects performed by this Mercury which as I remember I sufficiently declared to you by Word of Mouth and explained the various Sayings of our Captain in the Book of Quintessence then c. From the Receipts we observe 1. That these Menstruums are stronger than all the antecedent as being acuated with better arids or dry things and therefore do not extract the Essences but dissolve the whole Body into a Magistery 2. That these Menstruums are the Magisteries of Metals and Minerals and therefore Medecines 3. That they are made many several ways now known to us 4. That the Sal Armoniacks of Metals are made the same ways as Vegetable Sal Armoniacks 5. That every one of them is properly called Philosophers Mercury or Mercury of the Mercury of Gold Silver Iron c. sublimed the Mercury of Antimony common Sulphur c. sublimed because like common Mercury sublimed it is most easily resuscitated by hot Water or Vinegar into the running Mercury of Gold Silver Iron Antimony c. as we shall
animate it with the Water of Vegetable Mercury otherwise it can dissolve nothing And this is the Water containing all those things which you want and by Virtue thereof are Pearls made And this Vegetable Water being compounded doth by Virtue of the Mercury Mineral presently dissolve all Bodies and by reason of its Vegetability Vegetable Menstruum revivify every Body and by its attractive Virtue Symbolical Nature produce an Oyl from every Body and Mercury draws to it self its like that is the Mercury of a Body Of this Water saith Raymund in Compendio Art Transm ad Regem Robertum You know most Serene Prince that our Stone is made of nothing but Argent vive alone that is compounded of Vegetable and Mineral And therefore said the ancient Philosophers the Stone is made of one thing only that is Argent vive Viatic pag. 345. Mercurial Waters are called Ignes Gehennae by reason of this Fiery Nature of Argent vive the corrosive Specifick was because of the Mercurial Water call'd by Paracelsus Ignis Gehennae Libro de Specif Pag. 29. The Circulatum majus prepared from Mercury he calls a living Fire most extream Fire and coelestial Fire If you would bring into action saith he the Life of Antimony hidden in its Regulus you must resuscitate that Life with its like living Fire or Metallick Vinegar with which Fire many of the Philosophers proceeded several ways but agreeing in the Foundation they all hit the intended Mark c. Yet that Fire or Corporal Life in common Mercury is found much more perfect and sublime which manifestly proves by its flowing that there is a most absolute Fire and coelestial Life hidden in it wherefore whoever desires to graduate his Metallick Heaven the Arcanum Lapidis or Antimonii to the highest and reduce it to action he must first extract the first liquid Being as the coelestial Fire Quintessence and Metallick Acetum acerrimum out of the Corporal Life common Mercury c. Libro 10. Archid. Cap. 6. Pag. 39. Amongst the Deniers who judge Mercury to be of a cold Nature is first Bernhard illustrious for Learning as well as Linage saying Whereas Mercury is compounded of the four Elements they therefore being heated by the common and general Causes the Natural heat is excited by its own motion by such motion as this are the Fire and Air in Mercury moved likewise and by little and little elevated these Elements being more worthy than the Water and Earth of Mercury nevertheless moistness and coldness are predominant c. Lib. Alchym Pag. 766. Volum 1. Theat Chym. Argent vive being most cold may in a short time be made most hot and may the same way be made temperate with things temperate by the Ingenuity of an Artist Epist ad Thomam Pag. 57. Art Aurif Arnoldus de Villa Nova in the Book call'd Rosarium is observed to have declared that crude Mercury that is Argent vive which is by its Nature cold and moist may by sublimation be made hot and dry then by revivification made hot and moist like the Complexion of Men c. The said Arnold though a Reverend Doctor and Ingeniâ—us in other Sciences yet perhaps handled Experiments in this Art without the Doctrine of Causes but he saith that in the first Purgation the crude Spirit Argent vive is sublimed with the less Minerals and Salts and that Mercury it self which is in its Nature cold and moist may be made a Powder by Nature hot and dry as he saith this is indeed of no benefit to our Philosophical Work but suppose a Man may make such a Powder as he speaks of out of Mercury namely dry and hot by sublimation with saline Things yet these Purgations are vain and impertinent yea hurtful as to the perfecting of our Work c. And if it be said by way of instance that as by Purging the impurities of Mercury the said Arnold dryed it by sublimation so also as you say Thomas moistened it by revivification and made the Mercury hot and moist suitable to his own humane Body in Nature this indeed impedes not my Reverend Doctor nor impugnes the Truth of the Philosophical Art yea rather the Error appears in this Natural Art For as it is clear Arnold teacheth if you regard the sound of Words that Mercury being thus dryed by hot Water into which it is cast is revivifyed and he saith made hot and moist whereas when first sublimed it was hot and dry But what Philosopher can truly say that Mercury or any other Metal is by simple Water though never so hot and boyling changed as to its internal quality in Nature acquires moistness Natural to it self and so is revivifyed In this revivification therefore Mercury requires nothing forasmuch as common Water decocts not nor alters it because it enters it not and that which enters not alters not because every thing to be alter'd must first be mixed Some superficial impurities of Mercury such Water may indeed wash away from it but cannot infuse a new quality into it For such a Nature as Mercury had when reduced into Powder and mortified by sublimations such a Nature exactly will it keep being revivifyed by Water This I am willing to say with Reverence and Honour to the said Arnold but I consider and defend the Truth of Nature and Experiment About the end of his Epistle to Thomas But be it what it will it consists not with our Prudence to adhere to any Opinions of what Authority soever but to Truth alone in which respect we say Argent vive is neither cold nor hot yet that being of easier dissolution than the rest of the Metals it is most fit for this kind of Menstruums and that the Mercurial Waters prepared from it may by Chymical Liberty be called Hell-Fires though besides these Waters the Adepts call also other Menstruums Infernal Fire of which sort is the acetum acerrimum of Ripley in the Fifth Kind But the following Arguments taken out of the Text it self do prove that Arnold Lully 's Master was as to his reducing of Argent vive into the first Matter or Essence not sufficiently understood and misobserved by Bernhard taking Aqua servens for common boyling Water Arnold divided the Second Book of his Rosary into four Principal Works which are Solution Ablution Reduction and Fixion as appears by the first Chapter of the aforesaid Book Of the first Work namely the Dissolution of the Stone in the second Chapter thus You must dissolve the Stone Gold or Silver being dry and thick into Argent vive that it may be reduced into its first Matter and all this is done by Argent vive only it alone having the Power of converting Sol and Luna into their first Matter but Argent vive having a terrestrial and adustible seculency in it without inflammation and substance of aqueity you must of necessity take away that which is superfluous and supply what is wanting if you desire a compleat Medicine but
it of the Phlegm so much as to swim four Fingers above it and put it for two days in Balneo then one day in a Fire of Ashes that it may boyl leisurely and you will find the Phlegm much coloured which empty into another Vessel set it in Balneo again for two days with new Phlegm and for one day in Ashes then empty it into another Vessel and thus proceed till the Phlegm will be no more coloured and if Phlegm be wanting then take the coloured Phlegm and by distillation draw off one half or a third part of it by Balneo and operate with it as before but when that Phlegm is no more coloured then will there remain in the bottom of the Vessel an Earth almost white the Phlegm having attracted all the Oyl out of it if you would separate them asunder put them in distillation of Balneo then the Phlegm only riseth and the Oyl will remain in the bottom of the Vessel most red Take this Earth and pour to the same of Mercury Vegetable or Aqua ardens so as to swim two Fingers above it and put it in a Fire of Ashes for one natural Day so as to boyl gently then draw off distil the Earth by a Fire of Ashes as before and put it apart And of new Aqua ardens pour to the said Earth so much as to swim two Fingers above it and set it in Ashes for a Natural Day then draw it off by distilling in Ashes as before and thus proceed till there be no more Spirit elsewhere called Soul remaining in the Earth but all pass'd over with the Aqua ardens which you may know by the Earth remaining in a most impalpable powder and putting it on a Fire-hot Plate it will yield no smoak which will be a sign that it is without Spirit Soul which Earth put then into digestion in an Athanor and there let it stand ten days in a continued Fire Then take of the Aqua ardens in which the Spirit Soul is and pour it upon the said Earth swimming one Finger above it and put it in an Athanor for one Natural Day then set it in Balneo and by distillation draw off the Aqua ardens without the Spirit Soul the Spirit remaining in the Earth then pour on other Aqua ardens and thus reiterate till the Earth hath drank up all its Spirit which you will know by putting the Earth upon a red hot Plate because the greatest part of it will turn into Smoak which Earth digest for six Natural Days in an Athanor then put it in Ashes increasing the Fire till by the sublimation the Vegetable Mercury riseth at the sides of the Vessel and in the bottom remains the Terra damnata which is not an ingredient to our Work Which Mercury gather speedily and whilst it is new after its rising mix it with its Water for two days and it becomes a Water which hath wherewithal to dissolve all Metals with the preservation of their Form and this Water we call Vegetable Menstruum Animal Sal Armoniacks may also be made the same way as Vegetable Sal Armoniacks thus is made The animal Sal Armoniack of Lully In Testam Novissimo SOn there is another way of this animal Sulphur of Nature in which there is most accurate knowledge as in Vegetables which you must perform by the method which we shall teach you and Son the way is to take the Urine of Young Men of good Complexion and put it in a Glass Vessel forty days till it be putrified then take a Cucurbit and putting on an Alembick in Balneo for the space of forty hours distil a clear Water and the Spirit will remain in the Earth the Soul as Pitch dry it being well luted and rectify the Water seven times and the white Salt Volatile which it made in every distillation gather warily that it may not feel the Air and put it in its Water Spirit Then put the Earth and Water Pitch and Spirit together in Balneo or Dung for four days then distil in the same Balneo and put it again upon the Eaâ—â—â— digest and distil again as before four days then take the Water by it self and put it in Dung the space of two Natural Dâ—ys and distil in Balneo and again putrify in Dung and continue this order five times Then is the Water Spirit perfectly rectify'd and clear This work being ended restore the Water to the Earth Pitch and set it in Dung then distil in Balneo and dry up the Earth and the Alembick being taken off and another Cover put on sublime for the space of twenty four hours the animal Sulphur of Nature Then gather it together and upon the Earth which remained pour its animated Water and put it in Dung and distil in Balneo dry and sublime as before repeating till all the Sulphur be sublimed Son We have revealed to you every way of knowing our Vegetable Sulphurs and also the animal Sulphur with a Declaration of the whole Magistery Now with the help of God we shew you that there is one way and means in the animal and in the Vegetable without any variation This Receipt being less clear in making no mention of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and yet of no worth without it I will therefore add his sixth Experiment of the rational Animal where thus Very great certainly and incomprehensible Gifts hath the most high God vouchsafed to us in the acknowledgment of which our Duty is both Day and Night to love worship and revere him with our whole heart and everywhere extol his Name with all our might for besides his creating us out of nothing and redeeming us with his most precious Blood he hath also made Man partaker of all the Blessings contained in the greater World and for this reason is called Microcosm for it has by divine inspiration been revealed to us that all Virtues as well Animal and Vegetable as Mineral are in Man himself and this very thing I will prove to be true by this wonderful Experiment Take the Urine of Boys which must be from the eighth to the twelfth Year and no more which Urine gather from those Boys in the Morning rising out of Bed a great quantity of which 't is convenient for you to have which must be very well putrified in a Glass Vessel the Vessel being stop'd not to respire two parts of which Vessel must be full the other empty and thus ought it to be placed in Horse Dung to putrify till the Urine grows black which commonly happens within forty or fifty days but that the Urine may putrify and grow black in a shorter space of time this we have had for a secret and proved it by true Experiment thaâ—â—ixing and joyning a Cup of Aqua Vitoe Philosophical but first highly rectified with the aforesaid Urine will accelerate Putrefaction Putrefaction being done put the Urine in an Urinal Cucurbit with an Alembick and Receiver carefully stop'd two parts of which Vessel must
matter in the luted Vessel now and then as is convenient that the saline parts may the better be dissolv'd then take away the blind Head and put on a common Alembick but have a care in this changing lest the sharpness of the Salts offend your Eyes then distil gently in Ashes and when you have by such a heat extracted all the Water increase the Fire that the Oyl or Soul of it may ascend also together with the distill'd Water whereof one part will be sublimed the other part will stick to the superficies of the Earth in the form of a white powder let the Vessel cool gather the sublimation being gather'd put it in its Water make the Vessel very close because it contains the animated Flower Spirit then take out the dry Earth remaining reduce it into powder upon a Porphyry Stone pour to it the Flower or Spirit the breadth of three Fingers putrefy three days distil in Ashes increasing the Fire with Wood as above repeat the Magistery till the Earth remains of an Ash Colour then calcine it in a Reverberatory as we taught you in the Mineral Work in Chap. 2. And so you will have the animal Earth prepared abounding with so great Virtue as not to be expressed O absolute power upon which all other powers depend into what thing hast thou infused such Virtue No Man will comprehend so great a secret none will believe unless he himself hath seen by Experience as we have seen Take the animated Flower rectify it three times in Ashes always casting away the Earths Terrestial Foeces then distil in Balneo three parts from four the remainder throw away this repeat yet once then distil the whole so will you have the animated Flower rectifyed Take now a large Vessel a Cucurbit and put in the rectifyed Flower stop the Mouth of the Vessel with Cotton put on an Alembick with a Receiver and with a gentle heat of Ashes all or the greatest part will be sublimed in the Form of a most precious Salt with which if you will you may acuate our C which then you must circulate according to the Chap. D. D. wherewith you may perfect all your operations which we taught in the precedent Chapters which you will sooner compleat by this Menstruum But if you desire the animal Sulphur of Nature it is necessary for you to sublime presently after you have rectify'd the desired Flower namely by imbibing the Earth according to the method and order which we declared in the Vegetable Work that is with an eighth seventh sixth fifth and fourth part sublime and use to do as in the Vegetable Work to wit by acuating the animated Flower with its animal Sulphur sublimed circulating and doing all things as in the Vegetable Work Now Son you see how I love you having repeated such things over and over and with such pains lest you should have occasion to complain of me and that you should be expert in every thing in which I perswaded my self you might err therefore have we in this Chapter repeated and described that which no Philosopher ever did in his great Volume and I may easily believe that no Philosopher has presumed to describe so long and ample a practice as this of ours all which proceeds from my paternal affection towards you by which I would oblige you under the pain of God's wrath not to reveal it to any one but rather burn it as soon as you have reduc'd it into use as you have more than often promised us My farther advice is That you would strenuously endeavour to live according to the triumphant Gospel of Grace and Peace reject and avoid Evil Societies and Actions as we have often admonished you but if you do otherwise you will not please him who is the Donor of this Famous Knowledge of every good Thing and Grace it self From the Receipts we Note 1. That those things which were noted in the fifth precedent Kind may hitherto also be referred the Menstruums of this Kind differing only in matter from the antecedent these were made of Philosophical Wine only those of the fixed Salts of divers things but as to the way of subliming or the way of making Vegetable Sal Armoniacks they both agree in all things 2. That these Sal Armoniacks are called Sulphurs of Nature In the preparation of Philosophical Wine there is an Earth found which is called Sulphur existent in the Vegetable Mercury coagulating its own Mercury for the sake of which Earth they called every other exanimated and fixed Earth Sulphur but the animated Spirit Essence Tincture c. they termed Mercury to be coagulated by this Sulphur but both of them being reduced into one Body and sublimed they call'd Sulphur of Nature not more fixed but sublimed 3. These Salts are call'd Sulphurs of Nature to distinguish them from Sulphur against Nature that is of every Acid. Fire saith Ripley differs many ways for one is a natural Fire another unnatural another elemental and another contra naturam Natural Fire is that which proceeds from the Influence of the Sun Moon and Stars from which are produced the Spirits of burning Waters the essential vapours of Minerals as also the Natural Virtues of living things the unnatural is an occasional Fire which is called a moist Fire made artificially by Philosophers it is also called a Fire of the first degree which is for the meer temperance of heat called Balneo Stove or Dunghill in this Fire is made the Putrefaction of our Stone elemental Fire is that which fixeth calcines and burneth and is nourished by things combustible Fire against or contrary to Nature dissolves violently breaks kills and destroys the governing power of the Form of the Stone for it dissolves the Stone into the Water of a Cloud with the destruction of the specifick Form but it is termed Fire contrary to Nature because the operation of it is contrary to all natural operations as Raymond asserts for all things that Nature hath made this Fire destroys and brings to Corruption unless the Fire of Nature be added to it c. Med. Phil. pag. 135. Wherefore also there are four Fires in our art namely the Natural which is the Menstruum Sericonis the unnatural that is Horse Dung or Vindemia and the like the elemental viz. maintained by Wood and other combustible things and the Fire contrary to Nature that is all corrosive Waters made of Vitriol Salt and such like things Viatic pag. 342. but of these in another place namely the fifth Book 4. That these Salts are to be used presently after the sublimation of them 5. That Philosophical Aqua Vitae though never better rectify'd yet contains in it some certain superfluous moisture which it expells either by being circulated by it self as in the preparation of Lully's Heaven or imbibed in things fixed as in the ways of making the said Salts 6. That a Menstruum made of Lully's Heaven with the Essence or Oyl of Philosophical Wine is no
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
again as before putrifying in a close Vessel in Balneo then upon Ashes and emptying the several dissolutions of Gold and Silver into their several Vessels as before If any thing remains undissolved dry and dissolve as before till all the remainder be fully dissolved then putrifie both dissolutions twenty Natural Days being putrifyed take the dissolutions and put them severally into their Urinals with their Receivers and having luted the Joynts well distil the Waters of both Metals in Balneo in the bottom of the Vessels will remain the Bodies like melted Honey or Oyl pour upon those Oyls again of their own Waters The Menstruum now drawn from the Oyls distilled only by Balneo so as to swim three Fingers above the Matter cover both Vessels with their Antenotoriums and putrifie for a Natural Day then take away the Antenotoriums and put on Alembicks lute well and distil upon Ashes lastly increase the Fire that the Soul or Element of Air may pass over into both their distilled Waters and last of all increase the Fire to the highest degree that the Element of Fire may pass into the Air But to the Composition of Luna this Redness or Fire is not necessary Distillation being compleated let the Vessels cool take the Receivers from them and keep them very well stopp'd that they may not respire and put distinct Schedules or Inscriptions upon them that when you have occasion you may not take one for the other Then again to the Earths of Gold and Silver left in distillation pour their Waters distilled by Balneo as before and having put an Antenotorium to it putrifie as before then distil by Ashes each Vessel having its own Receiver wherein you kept the Souls of those Bodies and thus repeat the Magistery till the Earths are exanimated and destitute of radical moisture Then take those Earths grind well and joyn them together then put them in a Glass Egg and keep them in hot Ashes till I tell you what to do with them Then take the animated Spirit of Luna and rectifie it seven times in Ashes then take the animated Spirit of Sol and after the same manner rectifie it seven times in Ashes the limosities remaining Earth which the Spirit of Sol will in every rectification eject keep very close being the Element of Fire in the form of an Earth Having rectifyed take the animated Spirit of Sol and the animated Spirit of Luna and joyn them together then Circulate in a large Vessel as that wherein we Circulated the simple Menstruum continue this Circulation sixty Days in which time you will have a true Mineral Menstruum not acid but made of Minerals as Mercury Gold and Silver by which you may operate innumerable Experiments Hereto ought to be referred the Menstruum which is called by Basilius 55. The sweet Spirit of Mercury of Basilius Cap. 3. Libri de rebus nat supernat TAke of Natural Cinabar or Oar of Mercury and of the best Oar of Gold equal parts to which being pulverized and mixed pour the Oyl of Mercury made of Mercury sublimed and putrifyed that is Oyl of Mercury sublimed alone no other Ingredients being added except the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or some Vegetable Menstruum without which it cannot be made digest them for a Month and you will have a Celestial rather than Terrestrial extraction draw off the extraction in Balneo and the Phlegm being taken away in the bottom will remain a ponderous Oyl dissolving all Metals in a moment to which add of the Spirit of Wine Philosophical or Fiery Spirit of Wine of Basilius three parts Circulate in a Pellican to a Blood redness and incomparable sweetness being Circulated pour it upon Tartar calcined to whiteness and distil the Spirit of Mercury with a strong Fire the Spirit of Wine remaining with the Tartar We must distinguish between this Spirit and another of the same Name lest one be taken for the other For Basilius prepared also a Spirit of Mercury from the white Spirit of Vitriol of which you may read in several places in the Book de particularibus especially in the particular of Luna a Description of which Spirit is lower among the Mineral Menstruums because it is acid But the other namely this our Spirit of Mercury is most sweet and fragrant which you have also in the particular of Luna as also in the seventh Chapter of the Book de rebus nat supernat where he dissolves the Crocus of Luna in the white Spirit of Vitriol as also in the most fragrant Spirit of Mercury Parisinus for Alchymical Tinctures made a Mercurial compounded Menstruum of his Circulatum majus and the first or middle substance of common Argent vive thus 56. The incalcinated Menstruum of Parisinus Cap. G. Apertoris TAke of the Circulatum majus described before in Numb 50. one Pound of Mercury prepared as we shall teach in the tenth Chapter two Ounces mix and observe that true putrefaction be made with this Menstruum But when first it is incalcinated that is mix'd with such Mercury it is no more used for Men's Bodies but only as Medicines for Metals now the said tenth Chapter is this as followeth Of reducing common Mercury into the first Matter or Middle Substance Now my Son we will give you full instruction and demonstration of decocting and reducing common Argent vive into its first Matter or middle substance and as in the foregoing Chapters we declared the way of reincrudating the two Luminaries so now we will demonstrate the ways and means of decocting the said Mercury First we will teach the way of distinguishing good Mercury from bad sophisticated and corrupted which way is to take common Mercury brought out of Spain in Skins sealed or if you cannot have this take any other and put a little of it in a Silver Spoon heated so as to make the Mercury evaporate and if the remainder of it be of a white or citrine Colour 't is good but if of another Colour bad and not at all sit for our Work because sophisticated Then take of Roman Vitriol two Pounds melt it in a glazed Vessel being melted add one pound of Mercury and as much of common Salt prepared stir and shake till they be all mix'd evaporating the moisture with such a heat as that of the Sun then take out the Matter grind and put it in a Sublimatory and sublime the Mercury by the usual degrees of Fire The Vessels being cold take out the sublimation to which being put into a Retort pour of the Vegetable Water without Phlegm Philosophical Aqua Vitoe rectify'd about three or four Fingers let it boyl in Balneo two Hours then distil in Ashes that the Vegetable Water may ascend then cover the Retort with Ashes and increasing the Fire the Mercury vive will ascend into the Aqua ardens decant the Water from the Mercury which again sublime with new Matters and that six times always casting away the Faeces But take notice that
that Water Son you must dissolve one half Ounce of the purest Luna after the filtred dissolution separate the Water from the Faeces distil the Menstruum from the Silver through an Alembick in which the limosity of the Silver will ascend This Water Son resolves all other Bodies and Argent vive it self by Virtue of which Son Pearls are reformed by the way which I told you in our Testamentum and in the Compendium super Testamentum Codicillum missum Regi Roberto The second Water is thus made Take half an Ounce of Lead and of the aforesaid Water as much as sufficeth when you see the Lead dissolved separate the Water by filtred distillation filtre the dissolution of the Lead and throw out the Faeces as nothing worth then distil the Water by Balneo draw off the Menstruum in Balneo and keep the Faeces the dissolved Lead for occasion The third Water is thus made Take of Copper one Ounce and dissolve it in as much of the first Water as you please and let it rest in its Vessel in a cold place for a Natural Day then separate the Green Water through a Filtre and pour out the first Faeces that which remains in the Filtre must be cast away then distil the Water through an Alembick and keep the second Faeces The fourth Water is thus made Take one Ounce of the purest Tin of Cornwall which is purer than any other and dissolve it in a quantity of the first Water and distil through a Filtre that Water dissolution with its limosity and the Faeces which remain cast away then distil the Water through an Alembick and keep the residue or Tin dissolved the second Faeces The fifth Water is thus made Take of the purest Iron one Ounce and dissolve it in a sufficient quantity of the first Water then distil through a Filtre and cast away the Faeces distil the Water through an Alembick and keep the second Faeces The sixth Water is thus made Take of the purest Gold one Ounce and dissolve it as I told you in my Testamentum that is with pure Lunaria the simple Vegetable Menstruum without Argent vive and Silver mix'd with such a weight of the fifth Water now prepared from Iron and do as you did with the other You may also Son dissolve all those Metals in this order Having made the first Water in it dissolve the Metal which we commanded you to dissolve after the second way to wit Lead then do with it as we told you before In this second Water dissolve the third Metal Copper and in the Water of the third Metal dissolve the fourth Metal Tin and in the Water of the fourth Metal dissolve the fifth Metal Iron and in the Water of the fifth Metal dissolve the sixth Metal Gold Take which of those Waters you like best to dissolve a Metal Son these limosities of Metals are called Quintessences or Mineral Mercury which the Philosophers esteemed in the Alchymical work in Alchymical Tinctures and the lapidifick in the making of Pretious Stones and in the Medicinal Work in the preparing of Medicines But Son in the Alchymical Work those Quintessences ought to be more subtil and to be done by dividing the Elements as we in the third Book of this Volume shall declare but in making Pretious Stones the Quintessence aforesaid are not so in such a subtil Matter but in Medicine either of them this two-fold way of preparing may be used Having spoken of the Quintessences of Minerals of Metallick Waters how we are to make them it is now convenient to speak of the division of them in general And my Son do thus When your Metals are dissolved you must divide every Water being first filtred and distilled from its remainder and every divided Water now distilled into two parts and one part of every part you must put with its own Faeces the remaining Metal which the Water had left in distillation into a Glass Alembick and distil a Limus deserti which is Air made out of two Bodies or Metals in the Furnace which we design'd you first with a gentle Fire shining with great Mineral Lustre and with great limosity appropriated to receive Celestial Virtues And put every one of those Waters into a Glass Vessel with a long Neck and round and then stop the Mouth of it with common Wax and after that with Mastick and every of those Vessels put in the open Air so as that neither Stone nor any other hurtful thing may touch the Glass Son Take the material Faeces from which you resolved the Limus which are the second Faeces left in the distillation of the Waters which you put in the Air. Take the Caput mortuum from the distillation of every Limus desertus or the third Foeces for the first remaining in the Filtre were cast away from the second the Limus desertus was distilled now the Foeces of the Limus desertus are those which he here calls the second and put them in a Glass Vessel with a long Neck which may contain two hands breadth and put in part of its own Water which was reserved from that aforesaid limous substance and stop the Vessels with a Stopple of Wax and with Leather and Mastick as you did to the other and Bury them Waters of Metals in a Garden in an Earth half a Yard deep and put also something about the Neck of the Vessels which may appear above ground for the preservation of them and let them be there for one whole Year Son the Waters which are put into the Earth are of one Nature and those which are put in the Air of another for Son those which are put into the Earth have a hardning coagulating and fixing Virtue and Quality and those which are in the Air have the Virtue and Property of being hardened coagulated and fixed The Year being ended you will have all that is desired in the World for this Work c. Annotations YOu will perhaps wonder that we have assigned this so high a place to these Menstruums they being inferior to many Menstruums of the antecedent Kinds as to Ingredients as well as to the method of preparation but though it be so nevertheless these Menstruums are by being exposed to the Air for a Year or for so long a time committed to the Earth made better and more excellent than the aforesaid Menstruums as will appear hereafter by the use of them We will at present explain the methods of making these Waters The Waters of the first method he makes thus He dissolves Lead Copper Tin Iron and Gold in the Glorious Water of Argent vive acuated moreover with Luna filtres every dissolution casting away the Foeces draws off the filtred dissolutions in Balneo to dryness divides the distilled Waters into two parts in one of which he dissolves its own Metal left in the drawing off of the dissolution which he then distills into a Liquor which he calls Limus desertus Quintessence or
Mineral Mercury and hangs it in the air for a Year to be his Etherial Water The Caput mortuum of the Limus desertus he dissolves in the other part of the Water reserved and Buries it in the Earth for his Terrestrial Water In Compendio Animae transm pag. 208. Volum 4. Theat Chym. He adds also the Waters of common Mercury and Silver to the rest the Mercury Water is thus made Take of common Mercury one Ounce and dissolve it in the dissolving Water aforesaid in the digestion of I. Ashes distil through a Filtre regard not the Faeces but keep the second left in the bottom after distilling through an Alembick The Water of Luna is thus made Take one Ounce of the purest Silver dissolve it in what quantity of the dissolving Water you please distil through a Filtre and cast away the first Faeces then distil through an Alembick in the digestion of H. Balneo and keep the second Faeces you must keep the second Faeces of all the Waters in their own Vessels every one by it self Moreover in Compendio Animoe he divides not the distilled Waters into equal parts as in Libro Essentioe but draws off the dissolutions of Metals by distilling one half for the Terrestrial Water and distils the other half for the Etherial Water You must indeed saith he be cautious in resolving the Limus because you are to make two Waters or parts of every Limus distilling one half of the Limus which you must keep apart because the Terrestrial Water is made of that first part and you must likewise distil the other half part which the Aerial Water is made of which is hung in the Air as aforesaid for a Year Pag. 209. Volum 4. Theat Chym. The Waters made by the latter method are more compounded than those of the first the first were prepared promiscuously with the Lunar Menstruum the second not so for the Water of Lead is made by the Lunar Menstruum of which Water of Lead is made the Water of Copper of this Water of Copper is made the Water of Tin from the Water of Tin he prepares the Water of Iron but the Water of Gold is made with the Lunar Menstruum to which is added half of the Water of Iron O wonderful mixture I will not say confusion of Metals yet doubtless the most acute Philosopher had reasons for it This method is also in Lapidario Cap. 9. sequentibus From the Receipts we observe 1. That the Etherial Waters are the Essences of Metals exposed to the influences of the Heavens for a Year 2. That the Terrestrial Waters are the Bodies of Essences dissolved in their own Menstruums and Buried for a Year 3. That the Essences of not only Metals but the whole Mineral Kingdoms do by such a method yield Etherial and Terrestrial Waters 4. That these Waters acquire their principal Virtues by being impregnated with the Stars of Heaven The Adepts held divers Opinions concerning the Influences of the Heavens Some would have the Situations Aspects and determinate Times of the Planets to be highly necessary to this Work but others thought the contrary Amongst the Affirmers let us hear Thomas Norton an English Adept who thus in the Sixth Chapter of his Ordinal Pag. 99. of Theat Chym. Britannicum THe Fifth Concord is known well of Clerks Between the Sphere of Heaven and our subtil Werks Nothing in Earth hath more simplicity Than th' Elements of our Stone will be Wherefore they being in Work of Generation Have most Obedience to Constellation Whereof Concord most kindly and convenient Is a direct and fiery Ascendent Being Sign common for this Operation For multitude of their Iteration Fortune your Ascendent with his Lord also Keeping th' Aspect of Shrews them fro And if they must let or needly infect Cause them to look with a Trine Aspect For the white Work may Fortunate the Moon For the Lord of the fourth House likewise be it done For that is Thesaurum absconditum of Old Clerks So of the Sixth House for Servants of the Werks Save all them well from great Impediments As it is in Picture or like the same Intents Unless then your Nativity pretend Infection In contrariety to this Election The Virtue of the mover of the Orb is formal The Virtue of the Eighth Sphere is here Instrumental With her Signs and Figures and parts aspectual The Planets Virtue is proper and special The Virtue of the Elements is here material The Virtue infused resulteth of them all The first is like to a Work-man's Mind The second like his Hand ye shall find The third is like a good Instrument The remnant like a thing wrought to your Intent Make all the Premises with other well accord Then shall your Merits make you a great Lord. Amongst the Denyers is Lully himself Who thus we say not that it is the business of an Artist to operate with the Figures and Images of Heaven by the knowledge of their motions as many Philosophers affirm But it is enough for you to know the influence of the Celestial heat informed by the Figure of the Heaven and Stars by reason of which Virtues are infused into Matter being aptly appropriated which receives them by the Natural Industry of an Artist with resolution which is done by Art imitating Nature c. And in this Point the Philosophers have been mistaken in reprehending those Men that knew that the Celestial Virtue is too common to every elemented Nature for by its great Nobleness it takes determination at any time because in things mixed it is influenced as well by Art as by Nature and this is done by reason of the Natural Virtues which are the subject and proper detainer of it in such a manner as that it receives such a Virtue according to the properties of the Matter and its Kind which afterwards effects such things by Nature as are reputed for a Miracle In like manner let every Artist take Notice that Nature cannot operate but by the succession of the least particles nor also can it receive any Virtues but by the succession of its operation nor can they also do all at once nor can the Constellations suffer the Station of any time punctually in a certain Virtue which may not be immediately varied And it being also granted that it might the time of Constellation is so small by reason of the Circles of revolution as that it may sooner pass from one Virtue to another c. Lib. Essen dist 1. Pag. 18. An ingenious Artist saith Paracelsus will by diligent animadversion be able to prepare Metals so that being guided by true reason he may promote the perfection of transmuting Metals by his own work or conduct better than by Courses of the twelve Celestial Signs and seven Planets which therefore to observe will be superfluous as also the Aspects the ill or good times day or hour the prosperous or unhappy State of this or another Planet which cannot help much less hurt in the
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
sublimation which you must sublime with a Fire of the fourth degree And observe that all those preparations and distillations of the Earths are to be done in Balneo And thus Son have you our Sulphur or Matter or Vegetable and Metallick Earth in one Kind united for the making of the Glorious High and Virtuous Stone which will transform common Argent vive into perfect Sol or Luna without the help of Fire but as the Eye of a Basilisk which kills Animals by sight alone But it is your interest Son to use great diligence and exquisite Ingenuity in making the Roots of this high and lofty Tree which Roots we call desert Limes in which the whole Virtue of Heaven and Earth relating to this Magistery will be infused And the way is this Take of the Vegetable and Mineral Earth or Sulphur which you united in one Kind by sublimation which is that which you call'd the Earth of Sulphur in one Kind united put it in a Glass Vessel and pour so much as it weighs of the Menstruum with which you separated the Elements of the Sulphur of Luna and prepared the said kind of Earth and put it in a Philosophical Balneo three Natural Days and in that time it will be all dissolved which being thus dissolved put in a common Balneo and distil the Menstruum and the Earth united to its kind will by sublimation remain as an Oyl which we call the Philosophers Oyntment and it is one of the Secrets which we take care to have concealed Then Take of that Oyl or Oyntment aforesaid ten Drachms and of the rectify'd Air of the Sulphur of Luna one Drachm not one Ounce And of the Air of the Sulphur of Sol one Drachm and distil in a Fire of Ashes and that which is distilled which is almost all is called the Terrestrial desert Limes keep it Take of the Element of the Fire Sulphur of Gold already prepared and congealed ten Drachms not twenty and of the Element of the Air Sulphur of Luna one Drachm and of the Element of the Air of the Sulphur of Gold another Drachm and put all in Ashes and distil that which is distilled from it which is almost all is called the Etherial desert Limes keep it for occasion Take of the Element of the Fire of the Sulphur of Gold one Drachm or two and rectifie it again thus pouring upon it fiVe parts of its own Menstruum which is that with which you separated the Elements of the same Sulphur of Gold and put it to digest in Balneo for one Natural Day then distil in Ashes what you can And again pour the said Menstruum upon it digest and distil by Ashes and repeat till it be all pass'd over by a Fire of Ashes Then take its weight of the said Vegetable Earth united and sublimed together prepared above and you must unite them together with the distilled Element of Fire and not distil but so lay it aside and it is called the Terrestrial desert Limes of Gold not vaporized Take of the said Earth in one kind united one Drachm and of the Oyl of the Air of the Sulphur of Luna one Drachm mix them together and you will make the same Magistery as you did with the precedent Gold and it is called the Terrestrial desert Limes lunificated not vaporized We do now think good to shew the way of celificating and preparing those Limes in order to receive the Virtues of Heaven and Earth and the way is this Take Brass or Iron Cages and let them be like those wherein Parrots whistle but the twiggs must be closer so that no Earth neither Celestial nor Terrestrial can enter but only the vapour of Heaven and Earth which you will have by Influence Take the Limes above mentioned Terrestrial desert made of ten drachms of the Earth or Sulphur united which is that which you united with the Earth of the Sulphur of Silver and reduced into an Oyl or Oyntment and of one Drachm of the Air of the Sulphur of Luna and one Drachm of the Air of Sol mix'd and that Limes put in a Glass Vessel with a long Neck exactly Sealed with the Seal of Hermes and put it in the Cage and set it one Arm or two deep and let it stand a Year and half or at least a Year covering it well with Earth and keeping it from all dangers and in that time will it be made a powerful Water with wonderful fixative Virtues of the Stone and it hath admirable Virtues acquired from Heaven which it attracted from the Vapours of the Earth Son depend upon this Take the Limes above declared Etherial desert which you made of ten Drachms of the Fire of the Sulphur of Gold and of one Drachm of the Air of the Sulphur of Luna and one Drachm of the Air of the Sulphur of Sol and put it in another Glass Vessel with a long Neck Hermetically Sealed and put it in another Cage and hang it in the Air on a Tree or any private place free from all Wind Dust and Danger leave it a Year and half or a whole Year at least as we said of the other and so will be made a clear Water endowed with the Virtue of hardning fixing congealing penetrating and making the Stone Volatile and is called the Mercury of Air of most acute penetration Take the Terrestrial desert Limes of Gold not vaporized nor celificated neither distilled through an Alembick nor circulated which is that that you made by meerly mixing of one Drachm of the Element of the Fire of the Sulphur of Sol and of one Drachm of the Earth united in its Kind and that take also the Terrestrial desert Limes lunificated not vaporized which you made out of one Drachm of the Earth of Sulphur united and one Drachm of the Air of the Sulphur of Luna and put those Limes every one by it self in a Glass Vessel Sealed as was said of the other and put it in the Earth the depth of one Arm for a whole Year in a Cage and in that time will be made a Water of wonderful Virtue in joyning Bodies and content your self with this Take the Limes which you made out of ten Drachms of the Fire or Air and one of the Earth and take that which remains of the Air of the Sulphur of Luna because you took but three Drachms of it when you made the Limes and let it hang in the Air in a Glass Vessel Sealed and in a Cage as you did with the other and there will it receive the Celestial Virtues which are the means of Conjunction between the Limes of the Earth and the Limes of the Fire and other Limes also Take the second Air the Menstruum Elemented in which were dissolved the Air and Fire of the Sulphur of Gold and gently drawn off that is three parts only from five of it which is that which you drew from the Fire congeled which we call'd Philosophical Oyl and Philosophical Treasure not
that which is also called the Philosophers Oyntment made of the Earth united in one Kind but that which was call'd the Vapour of the Elements and put it by it self in another Glass Vessel well Sealed and put it in the Air near the other which you put for a whole Year Take the Menstruum with which you separated the Elements of the Sulphur of Luna and that Menstruum wherewith you separated the Elements of the Sulphur of Sol and put in every Vessel wherein is Menstruum of Luna and the Menstruum of Sol one Drachm of Sulphur or Vegetable Sal Harmoniack and set it in Balneo then in Ashes till you have made it all go over with every Menstruum by it self Then each Menstruum being thus rectify'd or animated put in a Glass Vessel Sealed by themselves in their Cages and hang them in the Air near the other for a Year Take the Oleagineity of Luna the first or first Air which is that which you drew from the Earth of Luna when you prepared it for the making of the Sulphur of Luna which we commanded you to keep and said it should be for the making of the Sulphur of Nature put it in a Glass Vessel Sealed in the Air and there it will be made a Fluxible and Virtuous Water of wonderful penetration And what we said of the white Oyl we say also of the red incerative Oyl of Sol. And now Son you have the Stone Menstruum divided into eight parts three in the Earth and five in the Air. Annotations THe Ten foregoing Kinds of Vegetable as well Simple as compounded Menstruums the Adepts made by tempering the unctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine with many sorts of dry Bodies and by such means produced Menstruums adapted equally for every use and permanent and inseparable they being of the same Nature with the things that were dissolved In the Kind immediately antecedent we shew'd you that all the aforesaid Menstruums whether simple or compound exalted with so great Labour to the highest degree by tempering them with dry things may be raised yet higher and augmented in their Virtues For what Art cannot do Nature can what the Earth cannot do Heaven can For Menstruums perfected by Art do by being exposed to the Influences of the Heavens attain to very great and incredible Virtues by Nature In the eleventh precedent Kind we had Menstruums for Pretious Stones made of the simple Elements of Metals In this twelfth he takes the Sulphur of Nature Sal Harmoniack or Mercury of the perfect Metals Sol and Luna instead of crude Gold and Silver and by exposing the Elements of them to the Heaven and Earth separates them much more Nobly for the best of all Alchymical Tinctures From the Receipts we observe 1. That Limes in their Compositions are indeed clear but Clouded with a wearisome multilocution and disguised by so great a variety of operations besides also in respect of time made most tedious on purpose to deter young and unadvised Practitioners 2. That these Limes differ from the former Etherial and Terrestrial Waters in fineness of preparation these Elements are of the Sal Harmoniack or Philosophical Mercury of Sol and Luna but those Elements of a crude Metal For said Lully Limes for Alchymical Tinctures ought to be of a purer Nature than those which are for Pretious Stones 3. That these Limes are Essences graduated exposed to the Influences of the Heaven and Earth and consequently are Medicines 4. That the Sulphurs Naturae of imperfect Metals do also by the same method yield Limes as strong in their kind as the Sulphurs Naturae of Gold and Silver in their kind Hitherto have we treated of Vegetable Menstruums now follow those which are called Mineral But before we proceed further we are to take notice that by Vegetable Menstruums are meant also Animal Menstruums For all the Vegetable Menstruums already alleadged are not called Vegetable in respect of Ingredients for besides Vegetables Animals also and minerals were made use of in their preparations but by reason of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine produced chiefly from a Vegetable unctuosity which Spirit if you knew how to extract out of some Oyly Matter of the animal Kingdom as the Adepts have more than often done You might with this Animal Spirit transmute the aforesaid Vegetable Menstruums into Animal Menstruums which nevertheless you cannot apply to Mineral Menstruums for though there are also in this Kingdom thin Oyls swimming upon watrish Liquors as Oyl of Petre Pit-Coals c. Yet these are extraordinary Oyls of this Kingdom produced either by exorbitancy or defect of Nature And therefore such Oyls as these the Adepts referred to both the Vegetable and Animal Kingdoms for they are of one and the same Nature whereas the Oyls of Minerals and Metals are more dry and masculine then to produce our feminine Seed or Menstruum Now to recite the parts of Animals and the way of extracting this Spirit of Philosophical Wine from them is not proper to this place but belongs to a peculiar Book namely our fifth treating more copiously of these things to be published in due time when God permits wherefore not mentioning Animal Menstruums we proceed to the Mineral or Acid Menstruums OF Mineral MENSTRUUMS The Thirteenth KIND Simple Mineral Menstruums made of the Matter of Philosophical Wine only 59. The Green Lyon of Ripley Libro Accurt Pag. 383. TAke the Green Lyon without dissolution in Vinegar as sometime the Custom is put it in a large Earthen Retort which can endure the Fire and distil it the same way as you distil Aqua fortis putting a Receiver under it and luting the Joynts well that it may not respire then distil first with a gentle Fire till you see white fumes appear then change the Receiver stopping it well and distil with a great Fire so as Aqua fortis is distilled thus continuing twenty four Hours and if you continue the Fire the space of eight Days you will see the Receiver always full of white fumes and so you will have the Blood of the Green Lyon which we call Secret Water and Acetum acerrimum by which all Bodies are reduced to their first Matter and the Body of Man preserved from all infirmities This is our Fire burning continually in one Form within the Glass Vessel and not without Our Dunghill our Aqua Vitoe our Balneo our Vindemia our Horse-Belly which effects wonderful things in the Works of Nature and is the Examen of all Bodies dissolved and not dissolved and is a sharp Water carrying Fire in its Belly as a Fiery Water for otherwise it would not have the power of dissolving Bodies into their first Matter Behold this is our Mercury our Sol and Luna which we use in our Work Then will you find in the bottom of the Vessel Faeces black as Coals which you must for the space of eight Days calcine with a gentle Fire c. Annotations HItherto we have mix'd or tempered the
common Gold The Philosophers Green Lyon therefore is green Gold Gold vive which is not as yet fixed but left imperfect by Nature and for this reason hath it the Virtue of reducing all Bodies into their first Matter and making those Bodies which are fixed Spiritual and Volatile Tract de Adrop Pag. 547. Thirdly It may also be called Lyon because as all other Animals give place to a Lyon so all Bodies yield to the power of Gold vive which is our Mercury Tract Adrop Pag. 548. Fourthly This Noble Infant is called Green Lyon because when it is dissolved it is cloathed with a Green Garment Yet out of the Green Lyon of Fools Vitriol is with a violent Fire extracted that which we call Aqua fortis in which the said Lyon ought to be elixirated Medulla Philos Pag. 139. These things spoken of the Green Lyon are also to be understood of Adrop being a Synonymous term of the same Matter Take saith Ripley Adrop that is the Green Lyon Now as to Adrop he declared as followeth Adrop saith he is Gold and Silver in power but not in sight as Rhasis saith and our Gold and Silver according to the Philosophers is not common Gold and Silver for our Gold and Silver are airy which in order to be well fermented ought to be joyned with the beloved common Gold Forasmuch as the Philosopher saith That Adrop in its prosundity is airy Gold and Adrop it self is called Leprous Gold And to these Sayings seems to assent Guido the Greek Philosopher speaking of the Mercurial or Menstrual Spirit the Spirit or Blood of the Green Lyon which is extracted out of the Natural Adrop by Art where he writes And that Spirit is Sol extracted out of the Philosophers Solary Water Arsenick and Luna And in the same place presently adds The Body is the ferment of the Spirit and the Spirit the ferment of the Body and the Earth wherein lies the Fire dries imbibes and fixeth the Water and the Air wherein lies the Water the Air which lies in the Water it ought to be read according to the Doctrine of separating the Elements washeth tingeth and perfecteth the Earth and Fire and so Guido's Saying that they tinge and perfect ought to be understood that the Stone the Menstruum drawn from Adrop or the Green Lyon is sufficient for the compleating of it self into an Elixir and that no Exotick or Heterogeneous Matter as he affirms is or ought to be introduced to it but all the parts of it are co-essential and concrete because the Philosophers meaning was to compleat that work in a short space above the Earth which Nature scarce perfecteth in a thousand Years under the Earth Unskilfully therefore according to the Opinion of the Philosophers as Guido saith do they proceed that seek to obtain a ferment from common Silver and Gold for our select Body For that Matter in which is Argent vive clean and pure not most is ill read throughly brought to perfection by Nature is as Guido affirms after compleat purification a thousand times better than the Bodies of Sol and Luna vulgarly decocted by the Natural heat of the Sun Concord Lully Guidon Pag. 323. A certain Philosopher saith He goes on Discoursing of the same Adrop A fume white is drawn from its own Mines which if rightly gathered and again sprinkled upon its own Mines will there make a fixation and so the true Elixir will in a short space of time be produced from it And certainly without those Liquors or Spirits that is the Water and Oyl of Mercury Menstruum this Alchymical Body which is Neutral or Adrop is not purged And that is the Alchymical Body which is called Leprous Body that is black at the beginning of the Work in which as saith Vincentius in his Speculum Naturale are Gold and Silver in power and not in aspect which in the Bowels of it is also airy Gold to which no Man can attain except the unclean Body be first cleansed which is without doubt after its compleat dealbation and then it is a thousand times better than are the Bodies of common Gold and Silver decocted by Natural heat The first Matter of this Leprous Body is a viscous Water inspissated in the Bowels of the Earth Of this Body according to the Judgment of Vincentius is made the great Elixir for the red and white the Name whereof is Adrop otherwise called the Philosophers black Lead out which Raymund commands us to extract an Oyl of a Golden Colour or such like Raymund adds But this Oyl is not necessary in the Vegetable Work namely for the inceration of the Vegetable Stone because solutions and coagulations are there soon made and if you can separate it from its Phlegm and after that ingeniously find out the Secrets of it you will in thirty Days be able to perfect the Philosophers Stone For this Oyl makes Medecines Tinctures penetrable sociable and amicable to all Bodies and in the World there is not a greater Secret Medul Phil. Chym. pag. 131. Ripley hath here recited various Synonima's of this Adrop We for a time will follow the Green Lyon by the way of Philosophical Lead as we are directed by Ripley in these very Words First understand when Avecenn saith that Gold and Silver are in Lead by Power and not by sight and they are left by Nature crude and half cocted and therefore that ought to be perfectly supplyed by Art which is left imperfect by Nature and by way of a ferment digesting and cocting that which is left crude For a ferment therefore take perfect Gold for a little paululum not paulatim of their fixed substance those fixed Bodies will draw and convert much of Bodies not fixed to the perfection of Gold and Silver And thus will Art help Nature that in a little space of time that may be done above the Earth which is not in a thousand Years done under the Earth And by this means you will understand how Lead contains in it the greatest Secrets of this Art For it hath in it Argent vive clean pure odoriferous not brought by Nature to perfection And this Argent vive is the Basis and Ground-Work of our pretious Medicine as well for Metallick as Humane Bodies so as to be the Elixir of Life curing all infirmities Which the Philosopher meant saying There is in Mercury whatsoever Wise Men seek From this are the Soul Body Spirit and Tincture drawn Moreover also in this Mercury is the Philosophers Fire always burning equally within the Vessel and not without It hath also a great attractive Virtue and Power in dissolving Sol and Luna and reducing the same into their first Matter With this Mercury are to be dissolved the Calxes of the perfect Bodies in congealing the aforesaid Mercurial Spirit c. Pupilla Pag. 295. But have a care that you operate not with common Saturn because commonly it is said Eat not of the Son whose Mother is corrupted and believe that
having stood a little while in digestion stir the matter often every day the oftner the better with a clean stick filtre the Liquor three times throw away the Faeces to be taken away as superfluous being no Ingredient to the Magistery for it is the damned Earth Then evaporate the filtred Liquors in Balneo Marioe with a temperate heat and our Sericon will be coagulated into a Green Gum call'd our Green Lyon dry that Gum well yet with care lest you burn the Flowers or destroy the Greens of it Then take the said Gum put it in a strong Glass Retort well luted and with a moderate Fire distil a weak Water to be cast away But when first you perceive a white fume ascending put to it a Glass Receiver large and of sufficient capacity whose Mouth is exactly joyned to the Neck of the Retort which must be very well luted lest any of the fume be lost or evaporate out of the Receiver Then increase the Fire by degrees till a red fume ascends and continue a stronger Fire till bloody drops come or no more fume appears Then abate the Fire by degrees and all being cold take away the Receiver and forthwith stop it that the Spirits may not exhale because this Liquor is called our blessed Liquor to be kept in a Glass Vessel very close stopped Then examine the Neck of the Retort where you will find a white and hard Ice in the form of a congealed Vapour or Mercury sublimate which gather carefully and keep because it contains great Secrets of which lower Then take the Faeces out of the Retort being black as Soot which are called our Dragon whereof calcine one Pound or more if you please in a Potters Glass-makers or Philosophical Furnace into a white Snowy Calx which keep pure by it self it being called the Basis and Foundation of the Work Mars our white fixed Earth or Philosophers Iron Now take the residue of the Faeces or black Dragon and sift it on a Marble or any other Stone and at one of the ends light it with a live Coal and in the space of half an Hour the Fire will run over all the Faeces which it will calcine into a very Glorious citrine Colour these citrine Faeces dissolve with distilled Vinegar after the aforesaid manner filtre also three times as before then evaporate the dissolution into a Gum and distil the Menstruum which is now called Sanguis Draconis or Dragons Blood and repeat this Work in all things as before till you have reduced all or the greater part of the Faeces into our Natural or Blessed Liquor all which Liquors pour to the first Liquor or Menstruum called the Blood of the Green Lyon the Liquor being thus mix'd putrefie it in a Glass Vessel the space of fourteen Days Then proceed to the separation of the Elements because in this Blessed Liquor you have now all the Fire of the Stone hidden before in the Faeces which Secret has been hitherto kept wonderfully close by the Philosophers Now take all the Menstruum being putrifyed put it in a Venice Glass of a fit size put an Alembick to it and lute with Linnen Rags dipp'd in the white of Eggs the Receiver must be very spacious to keep in the respiring Spirit and with a temperate heat separate the Elements one from another and the Element of Air which is the Oyl ardent Spirit containing a little white Oyl at the top will first ascend The first Element being distilled rectifie it in another Vessel fit for it that is distil seven times till it burns a Linnen Cloath being dipp'd in it and kindled then is it called our rectify'd Aqua ardens which keep very well stopp'd for otherwise the most subtil Spirit of it will vanish away In the rectifications of the Aqua ardens the Air will ascend in the form of a white Oyl swimming upon the Aqua ardens and a citrine Oyl will remain which is distilled with a stronger Fire Mercury being sublimed and reduced into Powder dissolv'd per deliquium upon Iron Plates in a cold place pour a little of the Aqua ardens to the Liquor being filtred and it will extract the Mercury in the form of a Green Oyl swimming a-top which separate and distil by a Retort and there will ascend first a Water and then a thick Oyl which is the Oyl of Mercury Then distil the Flood or Water of the Stone into another Receiver the Liquor will be whitish which draw off in Balneo with a moderate heat till there remains in the bottom of the Cucurbit a thick Oyly substance like melted Pitch keep this Water by it self in a Glass well stopp'd Take notice when first the Liquor riseth white another Receiver must be put to because that Element is wholly distilled Two or three drops of that black liquid Oyl being given in the Spirit of Wine do Cure any Poyson Now to this black and liquid Matter pour our Aqua ardens mix them well together and let the mixture settle three Hours then decant and filtre the Liquor pour on new Aqua ardens and repeat the operation three times then distil again in Balneo with a gentle heat and this reiterate thrice and it will come under the denomination of the rectify'd Blood of Man which Operators search for in the Secrets of Nature Thus have you exalted the two Elements Water and Air to the Virtue of a Quintessence keep this Blood for occasion Now to the black and liquid Matter or Earth pour the Flood or Water of the Stone mix them well together and distil the whole till the Earth remains very dry and black which is the Earth of the Stone keep the Oyl with the Water for occasion Reduce the black Earth to a Powder to which pour the aforesaid Man's Blood digest three Hours then distil in Ashes with a Fire sufficiently strong repeat this Work three times and it will be call'd the rectify'd Water of Fire and so have you exalted the three Elements namely Water Air and Fire into the Virtue of a Quintessence Then calcine the Earth being black and dry in the bottom of the Reverberatory into a most white Calx with which mix the Fiery Water and distil with a strong Fire as before the remaining Earth calcine again and distil and that seven times or till the whole substance of the Calx be pass'd through the Alembick and then have you the rectify'd and truly Spiritual Water of Life and the four Elements exalted to the Virtue of a Quintessence this Water will dissolve all Bodies putrefie and purge them This is our Mercury our Lunary but whosoever thinks of any other Water besides this is ignorant and foolish never attaining to the desired effects This Menstruum is made of the same Matter as the precedent Menstruums For Green Lyon Adrop Philosophical Lead Mineral Antimony Airy Gold Mercury c. are Synonima's of one and the same Matter This Matter being dissolved in distill'd Vinegar and again
cleansed and purified from all its superfluities most choice and most pretious keep it therefore warily and wisely in a Phial well stopp'd Then take all the Faeces of the Mercury as I have said before reserved grind them well on a Marble with the Phlegm of distill'd Vinegar dry them in the Sun and grind again from time to time imbibing them with the Water of distill'd Vinegar upon the Marble and drying in the Sun and repeat the operations of grinding imbibing and drying till all the blackness and superfluity is driven out of the Faeces which you will know thus If the Faeces be red or reddish or citrine by the aforesaid imbibitions and ablutions then it is well done but if they be yet black repeat the contritions imbibitions and desiccations till you have the sign aforesaid and then keep them Then take a Glass Cucurbit wherein put the aforesaid Faeces above prepared with a good quantity of distill'd Vinegar and set it in a Furnace that is in Balneo Marioe put Fire under and continue it in course till the Faeces aforesaid be throughly dissolved by Virtue of the Vinegar and Fire and being well dissolved take the Cucurbit from the Fire and distil them through a Filtre as is fitting all that Water dissolution of the Foeces being thus distilled filtred put it in a new Cucurbit well stopp'd but if any considerable part remains in the Filtre to be dissolved take that part and set it again upon the Fire as you did the first Faeces in Balneo Marioe till it be dissolved that you may dissolve those Faeces which remained with the Vinegar as you dissolved the first Faeces in Balneo with Vinegar in a Cucurbit then distil through a Filtre as before and put it with the other Water distill'd before which you reserved then take that new Cucurbit in which you put the aforesaid Faeces dissolved and distilled before and lute it well with its Alembick set it on a Furnace in Balneo give Fire and distil as is fitting but have a care that the Faeces be not throughly dryed but let them be moist or liquid Then take down the Cucurbit from the Furnace put it upon Ashes sifted and well press'd and give it a gentle Fire for the tempering of the Glass and extracting the Heterogeneous moisture which it hath from the Vinegar and see often to the Beak of the Alembick if a Golden or Ruddy Liquor distills if not continue the Fire till it does being distilled presently change the Glass being very clean and lute it very well to the Beak of the Alembick then strengthen the Fire receive the Ruddy Oyl and thus continue the Fire till all the Liquor be distill'd and save the Faeces because they are the Fire but the Oyl aforesaid the Philosophers us'd to call their occult Sulphur which you must rectifie thus put it again in a Cucurbit put on an Alembick well luted then set it on a Furnace in Ashes administer a gentle Fire till it distils receive the Liquor which distills in a Bottle well stopp'd with the Beak of the Alembick and the remaining Faeces save because they are the Fire joyn that Fire with the other Fire reserv'd and so putrefie by distilling it seven times and reserving the Faeces it makes as I said before and so you will have your Air or Sulphur well depurated clear bright and perfectly purified and of a Gold Colour c. The Blood of the Green Lyon being Fifteen Days putrify'd Bacon cohobated Seven times by Balneo into a clear and ponderous Water which he call'd the Philosophers Mercury out of the Foeces left in the rectifications of this Mercury dissolved in distilled Vinegar he made a new Gum out of which he then distilled a Golden Liquor or ruddy Oyl which after the Seventh rectification he would have be the Philosophers Air or Sulphur well depurated clear and bright But Ripley used two ways in rectifying the stinking Menstruum or Green Lyon for either he divided the fresh Blood of the Green Lyon into two parts distilling only one half the distilled part he called white Mercury white Tincture Virgins-milk c. The other remaining part he calls the red Mercury red Tincture c. as it may be seen in his Book called Adrop Phil. in the place before alleadged or putrify'd the whole Menstruum the Blood together with the white Fume the space of Fourteen Days which after that he divided into three Substances a burning Water a Water thick and white and an Oyl of which at length he made a Vegetable Menstruum which is described by Lully in Potestate Divitiarum and by Ripley above in Numb 35. in his Vade Mecum Concerning these three Substances of the stinking Menstruum Ripley hath these following Sayings in his Book named Terra Terrae Philosoph pag. 319. where thus When therefore you have extracted all the Mercury out of the Gum know that in this Mercury are contained three Liquors whereof the first is a burning Aqua vitae which is extracted by a most temperate Balneo This Water being kindled flames immediatly as common Aqua vitae and is called our attractive Mercury with which is made a Cristalline Earth with all Metallick Calxes also of which I will say no more because in this Operation we want it not After that there follows another Water thick and white as Milk in a small quantity which is the Sperm of our Stone sought by many men for the Sperm is the Original of men and all living Creatures whereupon we do not undeservedly call it our Mercury because it is found in all things and all places for without it no man whatsoever lives and therefore it is said to be in every thing This Liquor which now you ought to esteem most dear is that Mercury which we call Vegetable Mineral and Animal our Argent vivo and Virgins-milk and our permanent Water VVith this Mercurial Water we wash away the Original Sin and pollution of our Earth till it becomes white as Gum soon slowing but after the distillation of this aforesaid VVater will appear an Oyl by a strong Fire with this Oyl we take a red Gum which is our Tincture and our Sulphur vive which is otherwise called the Soul of Saturn and Living Gold our pretious Tincture and our most beloved Gold of which never man spoke so plainly God forgive me therefore if I have any way offended him being constrained to gratifie your will Some great Mystery of Art is here discovered by Ripley for the revealing of which he fears the displeasure of not only the Adepts but of God himself Lully and others have indeed plainly enough declared to their Disciples though perhaps it may not appear to us being less instructed in the matter what our Green Lyon is what common Mercury more common to us than common Argent vive what the Azoquean Vitriol is and the Menstruum made thereof but Ripley affirms that no man ever spoke so plainly of
parts and half a part of the husks of Grapes or the powder of dry Fire and mix it with the said Saw-dust and with this Composition fill your Furnace then light your Fire at both ends and let it burn for you must make no other Fire till you see six or ten or fifteen or twenty drops of Water distil and when twenty have distill'd make your Fire with small Wood dry and so by little and little make the Fire flame directly to the Matter and see when it distils that the Water be clear and when it is at fifteen Points and the Water clear and the fumes subtil continue that Fire equally And if you see it returned from fifteen to twelve Points or less strengthen the Fire and continue it according to the Point of its distillation and then thirdly strengthen your Fire one Point further and continue it till nothing more distills and then let the Fire go out stop your Furnace and let the Matter cool and if the Water be clear without any disturbed Colour or without muddiness take and keep it and stop the Phial with warm Wax that nothing may respire nor the Air enter because the Spirits which are subtil would presently be corrupted by the Air. Remember when you begin to make the Fire of dry Wood that your Vessels must be covered with the aforesaid Paste and wrapped about with Linnen Cloaths and the Phials well luted to the Beaks of the Alembicks with the same luting putting a Quill between the Beak of the Alembick and the Phial for whilst the Fire operates the Air will for the most part go out and respire when it hath not a Receiver to retain it for it is hot and the subject which retains it is not able to endure an exceeding heat and therefore it requires some place wherein it may respire when therefore you hear it blow open the Quill-hole for it O Father how have you made the practice thus tedious Son That you may be acquainted with all things both small and great and that you may have both a general and particular knowledge of Fires and other operations as also of all sorts of luting because it is not our intention to speak any more of them there being nothing difficult to the wise circumspect and intelligent and that you may hereafter say that the stinking Menstruum is at your command which is a mean thing by which all Bodies are in a short time converted into their first Nature and it is the pure and proper Original of a wonderful and most commodious thing but you must know how to apprehend it with a clear understanding c. The like Menstruum hath Lully in his Magia Naturalis which is called 68. The Water calcining all Bodies of Lully Magioe Naturalis Pag. 359. TAke of the Earth that is D. of Azoquean Vitriol five Ounces and a half and of the Water that is C. of Salt Peter and Niter two Ounces and a half the Sum of which is the weight of eight Ounces and being all mix'd grind the Matter fine upon a Marble then put it in a glass Vessel with an Alembick upon it and distil the whole substance first making a gentle Fire of Saw-Dust taking two parts of it and one part and a half of Coals small or ground and a little dry Bran and light the Fire and let it kindle of it self till it begins to distil from one Point to twelve twenty Points and then you must begin to strengthen the Fire with small Wood making the Fire of the Flame right under the Matter and so continue the Fire till it be returned to twelve or fifteen Points or also to fewer and then continue the whole Fire according to the Points of its distillation and after that strengthen the Fire one Point further and continue it till the Alembick loseth its Colour or no more distils then cease and let it cool gather the Water keep it in a hot and moist place and have a care that it respires not And remember to have a Quill in the luting of the Beak of the Alembick and the Neck of the Receiver that you may sometimes draw it out that the Receiver may have vent for the heat is there so quick that the Vessel containing the Matter cannot endure it wherefore it is requisite sometimes to be opened and sometimes shut Take notice that this Water though made of a contemptible thing hath the power of converting Bodies into their first Matter which being joyn'd to the Vegetable Virtue is of much perfection and must be put into practice presently after it is distill'd that the Spirit which is subtil and of a strange Nature may not be lost by the Air. The same Menstruum is described in Lully's Clavicula under this Title 69. The Stinking Menstruum for the dissolution of the Calx of Gold and Silver in order to the reducing them into Argent vive Cap. 15. Clav. Pag. 299. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. TAke of Vitriol two Pounds of Salt Peter one Pound of Cinabar three Ounces I do not understand by what Error Cinabar has crept in among the other Ingredients of this Menstruum for it is a constitutive not of this but of the following Menstruum for the dissolving of the Philosophers Stone especially Lully himself in Cap. 20. Claviculae speaking of the extracting of Mercury from a perfect Body having made no mention of Cinabar whereas notwithstanding in the same place he gave a Description of this Menstruum in these few Words saying Put of our stinking Menstrual made of two parts of red Vitriol and one of Salt Peter and let the aforesaid Menstruum be first distilled seven times and well rectify'd let the Vitriol be rubified and pulverized then put in the Salt Peter and Cinabar and grind all together then put the Matter in fit Vessels well luted to be distill'd let it be distill'd first with a gentle Fire as the Work requires and as they know how that have done it Let this Water be distill'd very often casting away the Faeces which remain at the bottom of the Cucurbit and so it will be your best distilled Menstruum Sometimes they added common Vitriol to the Azoquean Vitriol and Nitre It is thus done 70. The Stinking Menstruum made of Azoquean Vitriol common Vitriol and Niter of Ripley Cap. 1. Pag. 143. Medul Phil. Chym. TAke Vitriol made of the sowrest Juice of Grapes with the Fire of Nature and Sericon Azoquean Vitriol joyn'd together in one mass with Natural common Vitriol a little dryed together with the Sol Niter and out of these distil a Water which will first be weak and phlegmatick not colouring the Vessel which throw away Then will ascend a white Fume which will make the Vessel look like Milk which must be gathered till it ceaseth and the Vessel is returned to its former colour For that Water is the Stinking Menstruum wherein is our Quintessence that is the white Fume which is called the Fire
and do appertain not to this but to another Kind 3. That these Menstruums are by further digestion or cohobation made sweet and transmuted into volatile Arcanums less Circulatums or Simple Vegetable Menstruums of the Fifth Kind 4. That these Menstruums do dissolve Metals into Powder for the extraction of the Crocus or Sulphur of Metals and Minerals The way we will borrow from Ripley in the Vse of Stinking Menstruums Let us saith he proceed Pag. 145. Medul Phil. Chym. to practise upon the Calx of a Metallick Body duly calcined The Body therefore being prepared pour upon it so much of this compounded water in Numb 70. as to cover it half an inch and it will presently boil upon the Calxes of the Body without any external heat dissolving the Body and elevating it in the form of Ice together with the exficcation of it self which must be taken away by the hand of the Operator And the remaining Calxes being well dried again by Fire put so much water to them as before and proceed in all things as before continuing the same way of operating till all the Calxes be well dissolved which substance being well dissolved neatly separated and pulverized must be put into a good quantity of the rectify'd water of the Fire of Nature Spirit of Philosophical Wine that in that Vessel well stopp'd it may by the administration of external heat together with the excitation of internal heat be dissolved into an Oyl which will soon be done c. When the Menstruum of Sericon in Numb 63. is poured upon the aforesaid Calxes of Metals it begins to boyl up and if the Vessel be well stopp'd it will not leave working though no external Fire be administred to it till it be dried into the Calx wherefore you must not put a greater quantity of it than just to cover the Calxes In the same place pag. 171. For in this Operation the less of the Spirit and the more of the Body is put the better and sooner will be the dissolution which is made by the congelation of the Water You must have a care therefore as it is said in the Rosary that the Belly be not too moist because then the Matter would not receive driness And this way must be observed till all the water be dried up The same Place pag. 161. 5. That all the sharpness of this Metallick Powder may be wash'd away with sweet water That the Menstruums of the Adepts are permanent is manifest by the ways of making them but more clearly by the Vse of them in the Receipts of the following Books However Paracelsus seeming to have appointed the contrary by the present ablution of the Menstruum lest therefore you should fall into the greatest and most dangerous Errour of all the Adeptical Chymy we thought good to communicate to you an Observation or two about the permanence of Menstruums First That Aqua ardens the Philosophical that is is by digestion or circulation divided into Phlegm and Oyl swimming upon it as you observed in making the Essence or Spirit of Philosophical Wine You have taken also notice that the same Aqua ardens or same Oyl made of it is further concentrated and rejects the remaining Phlegm but that it self as a meer Oleosum remains with the inanimated Earths so called in the Preparations as well of Vegetable as Mineral Sal-Harmoniacks For it is impossible for the said Phlegm being the vehicle of the unctuous Spirit to abide with things dissolved much less be fixed with them they being so contrary to it wherefore the permanence of Menstruums but rather of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine is easie to be understood namely as these Menstruums are unctuous mixed with dry things not in the least diluted in their aquosities which do all separate themselves as useless in fixation Examples you will have in Lib. 2. De Astris Arcanis and often in Lib. 3. of Philosophical Tinctures Secondly These Menstruums do not presently or at the first time abide with their dissolutions For sometimes nay more than often we are forced to pour on and cohabate before any part of it will continue with the dissolved Body whereas in the mean time the rest ascends unaltered Thirdly Nor do the Menstruums persist with all things promiscuously but are united only to things homogeneous to them which in reason they should remain with Thus the Simple Vegetable Menstruums do continue with Essences but not with their relinquished white Bodies whereas the Compounded Vegetable Menstruums being sutable to these Bodies do dissolve them wholly in the making of Magisteries Fourthly Yea though every Menstruum is either an Essence or a Magistery and one Essence prepares another easily entring and mixing themselves radically one with another yet so long as they are of different kinds or degrees are they both separable again nor do they continue till one being newly extracted is raised to the same degree as the other then do they flow together at length into a mixture not to be separated by Art or Nature Fifthly As to these Mineral Menstruums you have observed that the Acidity of them admits of the same reason with the Phlegm or Aquofity of the Vegetable Menstruums so far as it is moist and therefore to be separated in the fixations of things But as it consists of the dry Particles of Mineral Salts but Salts they are dry things dissolved in Acids it will fall under two several Considerations In the first the Acidity of the Menstruum being perhaps in greater plenty than is necessary or sticking about the superficies of the thing dissolved is easily washed away with common Water But in the second the same Acidity being more artificially mixt and absorbed by the Aridity of the thing dissolved is made the cause of venenosity and now cannot be altered but by Vegetable Menstruums transmuting it Paracelsus commands the washing not of the Oyl of Salt but the sharpness of the Salt which penetrates not into the substance of the Metal and is easily washed away but the Vnctuosity of the Salt being throughly mixed with the unctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine and now united to the Vnctuosity of the Metal common Water cannot touch nor separate But an Acid received into the bowels of an Arid he corrects again with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine that it may not become the cause of venenosity Yet there is a place in Paracelsus where he seems to have established a particular Decree against the permanence of Menstruums Many several ways saith he Lib. 4. Archid. de Essentia pag. 12. are found whereby the Quintessence may be extracted viz. by Sublimation Calcination by Aqua fortisses by Corrosives by Sweet by Sowr c. It may be done which way you please Where this is withal to be observed that every thing added by way of mixture to the Quintessence for the necessity of extraction must be again taken away and so the Quintessence remain alone not mix'd or polluted with any other Matters For
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
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 Mercury and the Stinking Menstruum thus 119. The Stinking Mercvrial Menstruum of Lully Pag. 63. Testam Novissimi TAke of the Stinking Menstruum four Pounds and put in one pound of Mercury Vive put the Matter in Balneo or Horse Dung six days and it will be all converted into Water distil by Balneo and you will have a Mercurial Water truly Mineral Ripley followed his Master in the way of making the Mercurial Water as followeth 120. The Mercurial Green Lion of Ripley Pag. 310. Pupillae Alchymicae TAke Mercury sublimed with Vitriol and common Salt to the quantity of 20 or 40 Pounds in my opinion two or four ought to be read that you may have enough Grind it well into Powder and put it in a Glass Vessel very large and strong pour to it so many Pounds of the most strong Water the Stinking Menstruum is the strongest Water in the World Pag. 138. Medullae as there are Pounds of Mercury Shake them soundly together and the Vessel will become so hot that you can scarce touch it stop it well and let it stand nine days in a cold place shaking it strongly three or four times each day Which done put the Vessel in a Fornace of Ashes and with a most gentle heat distil away all the Aqua Vitae Menstruum which keep safe by it self then immediately add another Receiver well luted kindle a most strong Fire and continue it till all the Golden Liquor is wholly distilled The same ways as the Mercurial Waters are made may also be made Menstruums of this Kind out of the other Metals thus 121. The Stinking Lunar Menstruum of Lully In Experimento 29. TAke of the aforesaid Mineral Water described in Numb 104. as you have it in the former Experiment Numb 26. six or eight Ounces dissolve in it one Ounce of Luna which dissolution put into a small Retort to be distilled by Ashes which Distillation ceasing increase the Fire as much as possible and when no more moisture will with this degree of Fire distil cool the Vessel receive the Distilled Water wherein is the Soul of Luna and secure it from respiring Thus also Lully prepares the Water of Sol. 122. The Stinking Solar Menstruum of Lully In Experim 31. TAke the Aqua Fortis or Mineral Water described in Numb 104. as above and in every Pound thereof dissolve three Ounces of the Animal Salt prepared and fixed as you have it in its Sixth Experiment Which being dissolved dissolve therein two Ounces of Gold cemented as you know after that putrefie eight days then distill by Balneo Now that which remains at the bottom will be like melted Honey upon which Matter pour again some of its own Water distilled by Balneo so as to swim two fingers above it putrefie for a natural day then taking away the Antenotorium put on an Alembick with a Receiver so close as not to respire Distil by Ashes till no more will distil then increase the Fire a little that part of the Air may pass into the Water and lastly increase the Fire that also the Element of Fire may pass through the Alembick and when nothing will distil with this last degree of Fire cool the Vessel take away the Receiver with its Distilled Water and keep it well stopp'd Isaacus Hollandus made a Mercurial Water sometimes with the Mercury of Luna thus 123. Philosophers Vinegar made of the Mercury of Silver of Isaacus Cap. 99. 2. Oper. Min. Pag. 492. Vol. 3. Th. Cym. TAke of the Calx of Luna one Pound of Sal armoniack which must be clear and transparent as Cristal without moisture a fourth part being ground put them in a Stone Jugge then take Philosophical Vinegar distilled five or six times from its Phlegme so as to leave no Feces empty the Vinegar into another Stone Jugge and having put on an Alembick place it in Balneo The Jugge which the ground Calx is in lute well to the beak of the Alembick and let the Luting be throughly dried Then make Fire under the Balneo and distil the Vinegar leasurely upon the Calx of Luna and so many Pounds as you have of the Calx of Luna so many four Pounds of Vinegar distil upon it and when all the Vinegar is distilled let it cool gently the space of three days before you remove the Jugge for if you remove it sooner the Vinegar Luna and Sal armoniack will run over and you will retain nothing so vehement is that Matter for Cold and Hot do come together and when you would remove it have a Glass Stopple ready fitted to the mouth of the Jugge or Receiver which you must presently lute to it that the Virtue may not evaporate Then set the Jugge in Balneo let the Fire be no hotter than your hand can well endure in the Water up to the Knuckles or then may be drunk without burning and thus keep it the space of six weeks Then let it be cold break it and presently lute an Alembick to the Jugge very firmly and put a Receiver to the Beak distil in a temperate Balneo whatsoever will distil and when now no more distils take it out and put it in Ashes lute the Receiver again to the Beak and first apply a gentle heat then sometimes a stronger till your Mercury begins to sublime with the Sal armoniack as white as Snow and hanging to the White Matter with clear Fibers then keep it thus till you see it sublimes not in the same heat to extract the Mercury purely out of the Earth Then let it cool take away the Alembick take out the Mercury being sublimed with the Sal armoniack which are sublimed into a Mass together which weigh that you may know how much Mercury you sublimed out of the Calxes of Luna for you knew how much Sal armoniack you put into the Jugge Then put the Sublimate again into a Glass and again sublime that you may see whether any Feces remain for you must repeat the Sublimation till no Feces remain Keep this Mercury till I teach you what to do with it You must know that in that Vessel wherein you sublimed the Mercury with the Sal armoniack is the Body commonly called Caput Mortuum or Element of Earth with its Oyl or Fire this take out and weigh that so you may the better know how much Mercury you sublimed also out of it for you knew how much of the Calx of Luna you had in the Jugge so you may certainly know how much you have out of it Then put your Salt or Earth into a Glass and pour Distill'd Vinegar upon it and dissolve it into a pure Water if it yields any Feces pour off the top gradually and congeal again till it leaves no more Feces then congeal again Then have you your Salt prepared with your Earth clear as Cristal Now take your Sublimed Mercury and Sal armoniack and your clear Salt and grind them together upon a Marble dry being ground put all the
Matter into a Glass Plate set it on a Tripos or our Calcining Fornace and there let it stand six Weeks and apply such a heat as if you would keep Lead melted without congealing Those six Weeks being expired let it cool then put it in a cold Cellar and cover it with a Linnen Cloth that no dust may fall in and in the space of six or eight days it will be wholly dissolved into a clear Water Now you must know this is the Philosopers clear Vinegar for when they write our Vinegar they mean this Water and when they say Philosophers Mercury they mean this Water and it is their Vinegar which they write or so wonderfully speak of From the Receipts we observe 1. That Metals and Minerals volatilized with Simple Mineral Menstruums are Menstruums of this Kind 2. That these Menstruums are the same with the Menstruums of the Eighth Kind dissolved in Simple Mineral Menstruums but differ from the antecedent Kind in being made not with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but Philosophical Vinegar 3. That these Menstruums are the Essences or Magisteries of Things tinging dissolved in Simple Mineral Menstruums 4. That those Menstruums being Mineral or Acid are in Alchymical Processes better than the Vegetable Menstruums of the Eighth Kind because stronger 5. That the dissolutions of Metals performed by these Mercurial Menstruums have been by the Adepts sometimes called Amalgamations You must know saith Isaacus That this is the best Solution that ever was found in the World for herein is no error of Proportion and Weight For Nature errs not For when Mercury is dissolved it dissolves other Metals also as is rightly taught in other places Nor will it dissolve more than it is able nor will it receive more of a Body into it than its Nature can bear For whatsoever has no need of it it cannot dissolve And it is the best Amalgamation that can be found 2. Oper. Min. Cap. 103. Pag. 494. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. That Bernhard in Epistola ad Thomam treated not of a dry but of this moist Amalgamation I shall prove elsewhere 6. That the Menstruum of Venus Sol Luna c. is of the same Virtue as to the faculty of Dissolving with the Menstruum of common Argent Vive this Mercurial Menstruum has been indeed more in use than the other by some Adepts because of the more easie way of operating upon the Open Body of Mercury tho it be less powerful than the rest in Point of Tinging 7. That there are divers Kinds of Stinking Menstruums The Thirteenth Kind taught us how to distil the most Stinking Menstruum of all out of Atrop For there the Oyly Matter of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine being dissolved in Vitriol is in its Distillation purged from all its Putrid Feculencies but the Twentieth Kind treats of Menstruums less stinking being made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine now purified and sweet The present Kind produceth from the same Matter Menstruums of the same Name indeed but not of the same Stinking Savour Colour c. For Philosophical Vinegar is by reason of the perfect dissolution of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Diaphanous not of a Milky Colour but in the Distillation of a Menstruum it is made Milky because the Acidity of the said Vinegar being debilitated by the Aridity of a Body dissolved cannot retain the Vnctious Spirit of Philosophical Wine so well as before but in the precipitation of which the Distilled Liquor becomes Milky for this reason the Adepts sometimes added common Vitriol and Niter to the Azoquean Vitriol that the said Spirit might the better be dissolved In a word The greater quantity of Philosophical Vinegar or any other Mineral Menstruum stronger than this is made use of in the making of these Menstruums the less Milky and less Stinking will the Menstruums be because made not of the embrionated Stinking Matter of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but of the same purified by Circulation and Distillation 8. That these as all other Menstruums are by Digestion made sweet and transmuted into Dissolvents of the Eighth Kind The Two and Twentieth KIND Mineral Menstruums compounded of the Philsophers Vinegar and other Simple Mineral Menstruums and Things tinging being first fixed 124. The Menstruum of Venus of Isaacus Hollandus Cap. 82. 3. Oper. Miner I Will now Son teach you how to make the Stone which God gives us freely You must know it is made divers Ways but I will teach you the Way which I learnt from my Father Take of the Stone which God gives us freely the Vitriol of Venus as much as sufficeth which dissolve in Philosophical distill'd Vinegar let the Feces settle decant the Dissolution from the Feces warily and filter draw off the Vinegar with a gentle Fire that the Matter may remain dry being dried dissolve it again in Distill'd Vinegar decant filter and draw off and that to be four times repeated till no more Feces settle in the Solution Then distil away the Vinegar with a gentle Fire till the Matter becomes so dry as to flie away in the beating of it into Powder yet retains its Spirits Now it is prepared for Calcination You must know Son that this Matter is in its Nature Stiptick and Astringent partly volatile partly fixed and so dissolved in Distil'd Vinegar that it may retain the subtil Spirit of the Vinegar and be calcined together with the said Spirit made more subtil be better opened and dissolved for the Spirit of Vinegar dissolves well before all things The Vitriol being thus prepared Put it in a Glass Bottle or Egg lute hermetically but the Vessels must be fill'd that there may be no space for the Spirits to elevate themselves set it on a Tripos and there let it remain in a temperate heat to subtiliate it self Then take out the Matter and pulverize it put it in a Cucurbit put on an Alembick with a Receiver to it and so distil in Balneo whatsoever will distil it will be distilled in about 20 or 25 days Then lay aside the Distillation take out the Feces lying at the bottom of the Cucurbit grind them very fine upon a Stone put them in a Dissolving Vessel pour all the Distilled Water to them seal hermetically and it will be all dissolved in Balneo without Feces distil the Solution in a Cucurbit through an Alembick in Balneo with a moderate heat that all the Water may separate it self which keep very choicely continue the Distillation in Ashes that you may receive the Element of Air in the form of a very noble Citrine Oyl and this must be done with a strong Fire lay aside the Air by it self very well stopped near the Water The Feces being as red as Blood take out of the Cucurbit grind them to an Impalpable Powder upon a Stone put them in a Glass Bottle or Egge seal and set it 30 days and nights on a Tripos to be subtiliated with a temperate heat then take out the Matter grind
close Vessel in Balneo the space of six or eight days stirring it three or four times a day then let it cool and settle filter the tinged Vinegar pour on new repeat this Work till no more Vinegar will be tinged Draw off all the tinged Vinegar in Balneo that a Powder of a golden Colour may remain at the bottom This Powder prepare and extract with Vinegar as before filter the solution and draw it off till at length it leaves no Feces behind it then draw off the Vinegar that the rest of the Matter may remain in the form of a Powder Take of this Powder one part of Salt prepared one part of Roman Vitriol dried six parts mix them all well and sublime by degrees first with a weak Fire secondly stronger lastly most strong for the space of two days sublime the sublimation mix'd with its Feces three times then casting away the Feces sublime with new Species and repeat the Work three times then dissolve the Sublimation in the Dissolving Water for the red of what Description soever in the Twentieth Kind the Water being drawn off sublime pour on New Water and sublime and that do three times Then take seven parts of this Sublimation one part of the Calx of Sol and sublime This Sublimation being put into a Philosophical Egg made of Gold for one of glasswould be of little use for this purpose because it would become soft as wax stop it well and set it upon a Tripos the space of eighteen Weeks to be fixed but the first six Weeks with a gentle Fire the next six a stronger the last most strong These Eighteen Weeks being ended take out the Matter being fixed reduce it to Powder to which being put in a dissolving Vessel pour an equal quantity of our red burning Water of the aforesaid Dissolving Water for the red seal or stop the Vessel very well let it dissolve and settle then take it out and distil it through an Alembick in Balneo with a very small Fire It is necessary for the Receiver to be well luted and the Alembick must have a pipe in the upper part for it must be six times distilled always with new Red Water and your Matter will at length become thick as Honey which distil in Sifted Ashes by degrees and an Air will ascend like Water then changing the Reciver an Oyl of a Golden Colour will distil gilding the Alembick as also the Receiver let it continue in the same heat till the Alembick be of a Blood Colour then take away the Receiver stop it suddenly put another to and increase the Fire for the space of twenty four hours till the Vessel grows red hot in which heat let it continue twelve hours and the Matter will ascend red as blood and at last also a red fume These Spirits no more appearing let the Vessels cool keep the Distillation but the Feces reverberate c. Out of the Receipts these things we observe 1. THat these Menstruums made of the graduated Vitriols of Metals fixed in a close Vessel have the like place amongst Mineral Menstruums as the greater Circulatums of Paracelsus have amongst the vegetable Menstruums Dissolve the aforesaid Circulatums in any Acid Spirit and you will presently make Menstruums of this Kind 2. That these Menstruums are Medicines call'd Volatile Arcanums dissolved in an Acid. 3. That the graduated Vitriol of Venus has some certain peculiar Priviledges above the rest 1. Because in the Distillations of these Menstruums it hath a Fixed Body besides a Soul and Spirit whereby the two aforesaid must be fixed into the Stone but all the other Metals and Minerals being reduced into graduated Vitriols have no Fixed Bodies and are divided into two parts only Spirit and Soul but because the Adepts found it necessary to borrow some Fixed Body elsewhere for the fixing of these they therefore more than often affirmed the possibility of making the Stone out of Vitriol alone without any Addition thus have we heard Isaacus in the antecedent Receipts saying God hath vouchsafed such a blessing to Vitriol that the Philosophers Stone may be made of it alone without Addition it translating all Metals into true Sol but the Oyl of it must be fixed with its Earth or Body but that is not so with Metals for their Earth distils together through the Alembick But who observes not here these Words Without any Addition to be meant of any Foreign Matter and are so to be understood with some certain restriction For this most red Oyl of Vitriol shining by night and which must be fixed with its Salt into the Philosophers Stone cannot in the least be produced from Vitriol alone and that crude being not graduated with Philosophical Menstruums Moreover as the like Oyl being distilled from Gold and fixin the purified but not volatalized part of it is called by Isaacus the Stone of Sol alone whereas notwithstanding he used his Philosophical Vinegar to the making of it so the Stone may be said to be made out of Vitriol alone without Addition though the same Vinegar was used in the preparation of it Lastly It is manifest by the Kinds of almost all Menstruums that no Acid that is dry and incombustible Matter can be reduced into Oyl without an Oyly Menstruum because it must receive this unctiosity from the Vnctions Spirit of Philosophical Wine 2. Because it is of mean value and so by the Adepts call'd the Stone which God hath given us freely This Work saith Isaacus you cannot enter upon with a little Matter you must have at least four or five Pounds of Matter Gold or Silver if otherwise the Work will be insufficient For it is not the Work of poor men except the Stone given us by God freely might happily be obtained then other Charge is not necessary more than Vessels Coals and Food till we have prepared the Stone And the two Stones which God hath given us freely for the White and Red Work require but half the time as the Matter which is to be taken for preparation sake for before we come to Sublimation the Stone given us freely is already almost brought to fixation Cap. 17.1 Oper. Mineral Pag. 313. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. The same thing is affirmed by Basilius saying There is no moisture in Gold unless it be reduced into graduated Vitriol which would be a Work indeed of no Profit but much Charge because of the great quantity of Vitriol required to the making of the Philosophers Stone and though there is in Vitriol the desired Spirit of Gold of a white quality and a Soul and Salt of a glorious Essence but how many Countreys Estates and Riches have been thus consumed I will not reckon but this Admonition I give my Disciples to follow the shorter way of Nature that they may not also fall into extream and inextricable Poverty If you intend therefore he goes on to make the Philosophers Stone out of the Vitriol of Sol as many men indeed endeavour consult