stopp'd the Spirits will pass through and the Receiver will grow white and drops fall When the Spirits are setled put in three ounces more stopping the Pipe immediately proceed as before changing very often with wet Linnen Continue this Operation till you have water enough which stop very well that it may not evaporate it is the true Water and Mineral Bath for the King That Basilius as well as Isaacus used the Sal Harmoniac not common Sal Armoniac for his Bath the Vse of the same doth also prove Take of this Water three parts of the Calx of Gold one part mix them in a Cucurbit put it with an Alembick upon hot Ashes to be dissolved if it be not wholly dissolved pour out the Water and pour on new and that till all the Calx is dissolved in the water being cold white Faeces settle in the bottom which separate put all the water together and digest for a day and a night in Balneo then removing the Faeces digest the space of nine Days continually distil the Water that the Water may remain in the bottom like Oyl c. distil so often till all the Gold has pass'd through the Alembick In the same place This unctious Bath reduceth Gold and all other Metals into Oyls because it is made of the Oyly Spirit of Philosophical Wine concentrated and dryed in some Vegetable Alcali and Spirit of Nitre whereas on the contrary Sal Armoniack or common Aqua Regis cannot transmute Metals beyond its saline Nature for that Oleity which it hath not it cannot give Isaacus for want of a Retort with a Pipe perhaps not being at that time known sustained no small loss of Spirits in distilling this Menstruum which Basilius did by help of the said Retort endeavour to repair though that also not without some difficulty The later Adepts Crinot Trismosinus and Paracelsus observing the difficulty of distilling and the loss of Spirits made it better who by a plain but better method dissolved the Vegetable Sal Harmoniack in Spirit of Nitre or Aqua fortis without any loss danger or delay 91. The most strong Aqua fortis of Paracelsus Lib. 3. Arch. de separ Elem. pag. 7. TAke Sal Nitre Vitriol and Alume in equal parts which distil into Aqua fortis this again pour to its Faeces and repeat distil in a Glass which Aqua fortis clarify with Silver and dissolve Sal Armoniack in it That Paracelsus neither by Sal Armoniack meant the common is also demonstrated by the use of the Menstruum which he thus describes These things being done take a Metal reduced into Plates and there resolve it into Water in the same Water then separate by Balneo and pour on again this repeating till you find an Oyl in the bottom of Sol or Gold a purple of Luna a lazurine of Mars red and very dark of Mercury white of Saturn livid and lead Coloured of Venus altogether green of Jupiter yellow in the same place Whoever dissolved Metals promiscuously with common Aqua regis both Silver and Gold into an Oyl either purple or lazurine Not to say any thing of the reduction of all Metals into two Fat 's red and white the Essence thereof and the Dead Body It is therefore clear from the effect that Paracelsus dissolved Sal Harmoniack in Aqua fortis for his most strong Aqua fortis In making this Menstruum Guido adds the weight of the Sal Harmoniack which Paracelsus omits 92. The Aqua Regis of Guido Pag. 22. Thesauri Chym. TAke Vitriol common Salt and Nitre distil into Aqua fortis take one Pound of this four Ounces of Philosophical Sal Harmoniack and distil yet once Solomon Trismosinus sometimes dissolved Metals in commâ—â— Aqua fortis and to the solution added Sal Harmoniack Thus he volatalized Silver being dissolved in Aqua fortis with the aforesaid Salt Lib. 8. Tinct quinta pag. 81. Aurei velleris German Take of pure Luna four Ounces dissolve it in common Aqua fortis draw off the Phlegm to the remainder add six Drachms of Sal Harmoniack and pour on new Aqua fortis draw off again in Ashes to an oleity this repeat four times with new Aqua fortis then urge it strongly and the Luna will ascend together with the Aqua fortis Sometimes he volatilized Gold and Silver together with this Menstruum In Tinctura Regis Julaton pag. 16. Aurei veller Take of the filings of Gold of Sal Harmoniack each two Ounces to which put four Ounces of the best Silver dissolved in eight Ounces of Aqua fortis draw off to an Oleity pour on new Aqua fortis and repeat three times with new Aqua fortis and the Gold will ascend with the Silver through the Alembick Lully made his Aqua Regis by dissolving Vegetable Sal Harmoniack in the acid Water of Mercury sublimate 93. The Aqua Regis of Lully In Exp. 17. TAke Mercury being twice sublimed with Vitriol and common Salt prepared each time with new materials grind and if there be one Pound of sublimate take the whites of nine new laid Eggs which whites beat so long that it seems to be Water then mix the white with that sublimate and put it in a Retort with a long Neck joyn a Receiver to it very close giving it a Fire of Ashes at the beginning most gentle till it distils by that degree The distillation ceasing increase the Fire and at last give a most violent Fire and by this means part of the Mercury will turn into Water and part into running Mercury which running Mercury being gone over sublime again then grind and joyn it with the distilled Water and distil again as before repeating the Magistery till all the sublimate is gone over and converted into Water Wherefore you may the same way multiply it as often as you please always putting new sublimate to the Water and distilling till it be converted into Water Now take this Water put it in a small Urinal Cucurbit joyning a Head to it with a Receiver then distil by Balneo till the white seems to be gone over mixt with it which you will thus know take an Iron or Copper Plate upon which let one drop of the distillation fall if it boyls and seems to dissolve take away the Receiver joyning another very well luted and distil by Ashes and again by Ashes repeat this Magistery seven times And thus you will have a Mercurial Water which will serve you in many operations Take now one Ounce of the Salt of the second Experiment Volatile Salt of Tartar declared in Numb 17. and four Ounces of this Water the acid Water now distilled from Mercury sublimate mix them together and the mixture will presently be dissolved being dissolved distil by Ashes with a gentle Fire luting the Joynts well in the last place increase the Fire that all the Salt may with the Water pass through the Alembick then again put one other Ounce of the Salt into the same Water and by distillation
will remain in the Vessel upon Fire in the Form of an Oyl but being removed from the Fire will suddenly be congealed But dearest Son Let not the Prolixity of time be irksome to you in dissolving and congealing this Matter so often to take away Corruption which remaining it can never be joyned with its Spirit extracted from the most precious and its nearest Individual which is the best Wine freed from all manner of Humidity and Corruption Then Circulate it in a Circulating Vessel and so reduce it into a Quintessence and it will forthwith embrace its Spirit this Circulation we perform'd at first in thirty days but afterwards compleated the same in forty days which Circulation was much better than the the first because the longer it is circulated the more is it purify'd and adepted for any of our Physical Operations which order when need requires you also must observe Menstruums of this kind may be divers ways made not only out of the Alcali of Tartar but other fix'd Alcalies may be also taken instead of that as proves the following Menstruum 26. The Simple Vegetable Menstruum produced from the three Individuals of Lully In Experim 25. TAke Aqua Vitoe so acute as to burn a Linnen Cloth which transmit again through an Alembick that it may be perfectly rectify'd Then take the Salt of Celandine Salt of Mans Blood Salt extracted from Honey as you have them above in their Experiments all which Salts put together in an Urinal Cucurbit and upon every Ounce of those Salts pour four Ounces of the aforesaid Aqua Vitoe cover it with its Antenotorium blind Head then having a little time digested put on an Alembick with a Receiver annexed lute the joynts well and distil in Ashes suffering the Salts to go over together with the Water If any thing remain pour to it again its distilled Water and when all is come over pour in new Salt again to wit one Ounce and pass it through the Alembick as before Thirdly add again another Ounce of Salt as above and distil repeating this Magistery three times every time adding new Salt These things being done Circulate this Water in a Vessel deep and narrow the space of fifty Natural Days but observe that the Vessel respire not Circulation being finished you will in the bottom of the Vessel see a Sediment like the Urine of a sound Man which will be white empty the Water warily into another clean Vessel and be careful that the Sediment pass not over with the Water but remain in the bottom of the Vessel stop the Vessel of the Circulated Water so as not to respire and keep it in Balneo The preparation of the Salt of Celandine is in the Fourth Experiment Then take the Ashes of Celandine gathered in the Month of May at full Moon with its Roots and Flowers and put them in a Glass Vessel and thereto pour the water of Celandine distill'd in Balneo that you may from thence extract a Salt and let the matter boyl two hours in a most soft Fire of Ashes empty the dissolution into another Vessel but dry the undissolved Earth and when the Vessel is cold grind it pouring again new water upon the Ashes as before make it boyl and decant the dissolution as before This Magistery repeat till you have extracted all the Salt which is the Mercurial part of that Individual then take all those dissolutions and filtre them that they may be purged from Terrestreity then distilling by Balneo congeal for the Liquor being gone over in the bottom of the Vessel will remain a Mercury or Salt of a white colour which Salt you must dissolve and by turns congeal three times and by this means you will have extracted the Mercury out of this matter which hath virtues almost innumerable in acuating the Vegetable Spirit drawn from Wine and hath the power of dissolving all Metals with the preservation of their Vegetative and Germenative Form The fixed Salt of Man's Blood is thus prepared in the Eleventh Experiment Take Blood drawn from found and cholerick men and put it on a clean Table and so let it dry that the Phlegm may be separated from it then take the Blood grind it very well and put it into a Glass Body and with a slow Fire distil the water which being distilled keep apart and having augmented the Fire a little but not too intensely lest the Salt perhaps should sublime let only the moisture and superfluous Oyl exhale till it will distil no more then the Vessel being cold take the burned Earth put it into a Vessel stopp'd close to keep it from respiring for in respiring it would vanish away into Smoak set the Vessel in a reverberating Furnace but the heat must be exceeding temperate that the Salt of the Matter which is volatile and not fix'd may not exhale and that the Vessel may not by the violence of the Fire be broken as hath hapned to us and let the matter stand in that degree of heat the space of two days and it will be calcin'd which done let the Vessel cool and being cold open it and upon the calcined matter pour its own Phlegm that is the water which you distill'd at first let it boyl upon ashes two hours that some part may be dissolved and that which is dissolved decant into another Vessel and again with new water do as before and thus repeat till you have extracted all the Salt then draw off the water by distillation in Balneo and in the Vessel will remain the Salt as white as Snow of a great many virtues and if you acuare the Vegetable Fire with it it will without doubt dissolve the two Luminaries with the conservation of their Vegetative Form And with it may be made a most excellent Aurum potabile to preserve the radical moisture in men and expel many diseases The Third Experiment teacheth the preparation of the Salt of Honey after this manner Take new white Honey together with the Comb put it in a Glass Vessel to putrifie the space of sixty days then distil c. Then take the Earth Caput mortuum which remained in the Urinal and being perfectly ground put it in an Earthen Vessel made of Valentinian Chalk or of that which Crucibles are made of or if you cannot have this Vessel put the same Earth between two Crucibles one joyned to the other and very well luted then set them in a reverberating or Glass-makers Furnace and there let them stay four or five days so will the Earth be white but if you do this work in a reverberating Furnace have a care that the Fire be not too violent for so would the Earth evaporate and if the Fire be too weak it will never be calcined a moderate heat therefore is requisite thus no such error can happen as we have met with for when we began this work we lost all the Earth by the violence of Fire but to the purpose this Earth being calcined as
aforesaid and the Vessel cold take it out and grind it then pour the water which you distilled by Balneo to it and let the matter boyl two hours upon ashes and empty the water into another Vessel from the Earth which Earth you must dry with a gentle Fire Upon the same ashes pour new Phlegm and let it boyl as before decant by emptying and keeping as before the dissolution of the Body and thus repeat the Magistery till you have evacuated all the most precious Salt out of it and converted it into water Then take all those dissolutions and filtre them through a clean Linnen-Cloth which water you must distil by Balneo at length in the bottom of the Vessel will you have a most Precious Salt or Vegetable Mercury Which done know the weight of the said Congelation or Salt and pour to it a third part of the Water which you kept before and which you rectify'd seven times in Ashes the acid Water of Honey and stop the Vessel with its Antenotorium and set it in Balneo five Days then having taken away the Antenotorium and put on an Alembick you must with a temperate Fire by distillation exhale all the moisture that will distil and that will be insipid for the Earth hath received and in it self retained the Virtue and Acetosity of the Water Then again imbibe the Earth with new Water as before and repeat the Magistery by imbibing digesting and distilling so oft as before till the Earth hath attracted and imbibed all its Water And so by the help of the living God will you truly have the Vegetable Salt drawn from this individual which Salt is most precious and hath the power of acuating the Vegetable Mercury and dissolving the two Luminaries and all the other imperfect Metals And with this may Metals be reduced into their first Matter To these Salts requisite for this Menstruum of Lully I will add the fifth Experiment which teacheth to prepare Alkalies from Portulaca Marina Apium Sylvestre Squilla Euphorbium Pyrethrum Rosmarinus Herb Mercury Solatrum Oliandrum c. with all which you may acuate the Vegetable Mercury drawn from Wine either joyntly or severally This sort of Menstruums is made not only out of the Alkalies of Vegetables but also out of Mineral Salts such as common Salt Sal Gemmae Alum c. Thus it is made 27. The Circulatum Minus or Water of Salt Circulated of Paracelsus Lib. 10. Archidox TAKE the true Element of Water or instead thereof another Salt which hath not been as yet boyl'd to plain Driness or also Sal Gemmoe putrified pour two parts of the water mix'd with a little Juice of Raphanus to it putrefie in acurate digestion the longer the better let it afterward congeal and putresie again for a Month then distil in a Retort the remainder urge with a strong Fire that it may melt reverberate in a Retort with a continual Fire dissolve upon a Marble the water slowing from hence pour to it and putrefie again distil again even to an Oleosity joyn it with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and that which is impure will fall down which separate but let the pure be cristalized in a cold place pour on again that which is distilled and cohobate so oft till a fixed Oyl remains in the bottom and nothing sweet goes over Digest moreover for a Month then distil till the Arcanum of Salt pass over through the Alembeck Nor let long labour grieve you for this is the third part of all the Arcanums which are hidden in Metals and Minerals and without which nothing can be made useful or perfect The same Circulatum hath Paracelsus described in his Treatise of reducing Metals into their first matter or running Mercury which is the fourth Treatise in Rosario novo Olimpico Benedicti Figuli which Description we thought good to compare with this that they may illustrate one another Take saith he Sal Gemmoe most finely pulverized put it in a strong Crucible and increasing the Fire by degrees melt the Salt being melted keep it so for the space of three Hours the Salt being cold pulverize it again and melt it in a new Crucible according to the aforesaid method and so proceed five or six times then to the pulverized Salt pour so much of the hot Juice of Raphanus that it may be dissolved mix the Salt and squeeze it with a little of the Juice with a wooden spoon in a wooden Vessel being dissolved strain it through a sleeve and set it apart add again a little of the Juice and repeat till all the Salt be dissolved coagulate or draw off the water by an Alembick reduce the Salt into Powder putrefie in Balneo six days then distil with an open Fire like Aqua Regis observing the degrees of Fire till nothing more ascends force it with a most strong Fire for an hour that it may be throughly calcined pulverize the Salt being yet hot very small on a Marble and let it be dissolved by it self in a moist place putrefie all that is dissolved in Balneo three days then distil gradually by the Rule of Art all the Liquor through an Alembick in Sand the remaining Body being well pulverized dissolve on a Marble putrefie and distil as before repeat this three times the remainder reduce into Powder and put in a Cucurbit to which pour these three distilled waters putrefie five days and again distil in Sand thus putrefying and distilling all the Salt will at length ascend through the Alembick except a little Caput mortuum to be cast away but the water distilled from the substance of the Salt putrefie for a Day and a Night and rectifie twice or thrice and you will have the water of Salt This Menstruum made of Sea-salt or Sal Gemmae Paracelsus made choice of before the rest of the simple Vegetable Menstruums as the best because according to his Doctrine it is the Matrix or Center of Metals and Minerals Because saith he being instructed by Experiments and having in other Books also made mention that the primum Ens or fifth Essence of the Element of Water is the Center of Metals and Minerals and having elsewhere also added that every product ought to dye in that in which it received life In a German Manuscript these Words are thus read Das ein iegelich frucht in seiner Mutter darinnen es das leben uberkommen sterben muss That is every Fruit ought to dye in the same Matrix in which it obtains its Life that afterwards it may receive a new Life better and so by the deposition of the old Body be reduced into the primum Ens or first Being The way therefore of extracting the Center of Water in which Metals ought to depose their Body will I here add This Menstruum we will explain by its Branches whereof the First is Oyl of Salt dissolved per deliquium In the first process he dissolves Sea-salt or Sal Gemmae in water mix'd with the Juice of
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
Menstruums as well of this as other Adepts are of no validity The same Earth which being less than well dissolved is the cause of opacity in Bernhard's permanent Menstruum the very same exactly dissolved is the cause of limpidity with Thomas inspissating and coagulating the Water as well if not better than if it had been less dissolved The diaphaneity of Menstruums is defended by Lully Parisinus and most of the Adepts Lully proclaims his Coelum Vinosum to be clear bright and resplendent as the Stars of Heaven In Test novis pag. 8. Of which very Menstruum Parisinus thus in Appendice Elucidarii pag. 273. Vol. 6. Theat Chym. Then will you see a Quintessence brighter and clearer than a Diamond which exceeds the splendor of the Stars so as to be doubted whether it be contained in the Glass or no. The Tenth KIND Vegetable Menstruums compounded made of Vegetable Menstruums compounded and Metallick Bodies 52. The Neapolitan Menstruum of Lully In Exper. 13. TAke Luna and calcine with common Argent vive that is by amalgaming and then grinding the Amalgame with common Salt prepared then evaporate the Mercury with a most gentle Fire then take away the Salt with hot Water distilled and so you will have Luna calcined Take the calcined Luna and pour to it four parts of the Mercurial Water described by the three hot Vessels before in Numb 46. and the Vessel being covered with its Antenotorium set upon Ashes so as to boyl gently and you will perceive a Green or Sea Colour which Liquor pour warily into another Vessel so that the Faeces be not disturb'd the Matter remaining at the bottom dry with an easie Fire like the heat of the Sun Then know the weight of the said Calx and pour again four parts of the said Mercurial Water upon one part of the said Calx and the Vessel being covered with its Antenotorium as above let it boyl again gently the dissolution pour into another Vessel as before and joyn it with the first dissolution but remember to keep the said dissolved Matter continually in Balneo till the whole Work of dissolution is compleated repeating the Magistery so oft 〈◊〉 the whole Body of Luna be fully dissolved and decanted over which has indeed hapned to us at the second time and set it in putrefaction fourteen Days Then put it in an Urinal with its Receiver and Alembick very well luted and distil in a Furnace of Ashes then increase the Fire that the Soul of the Body may ascend into its Water The Vessel being cold examine the weight of the Earth of Luna remaining in the bottom for I believe of one whole Ounce there will not remain above two Eights Drachms of the Body not dissolved the rest will be perfectly dissolved that is distilled But if more of the undissolved Earth remains then pour to it so much of its Water lately distilled as to be three Fingers above it and the Vessel being covered with an Antenotorium put it in Balneo for a Natural Day then taking away the Antenotorium and putting on an Alembick with a Receiver very close distil by Ashes at the end of the distillation increase the Fire as before This repeat till the whole Body of Luna be pass'd through the Alembick by an airy revolution and thus will you by the Help of God have a Menstruum with which you may dissolve Sol. Annotations HItherto we have by Argent vive acuated either the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or Menstruums made with this Spirit which had so good a faculty of dissolving that most of the Adepts being content with these Mercurial Waters desisted from inquiring after stronger Menstruums The Mercurial Water which Lully terms Glorious he saith is sufficient yea a proper Menstruum to make the Philosophers Mercury or Metallick Sal Armoniack out of all Metals and Minerals You must know saith he my Son that in the Truth and Faith of God no Sulphur of Nature of any Metal can be sublimed without this Water of common Argent vive Test Noviss Pag. 12. But in this Tenth Kind of Menstruums the Adepts made yet other Menstruums adding moreover divers Bodies according to the intended several uses to the aforesaid Mercurial Waters Lully to make a more Noble Menstruum for the dissolution of Gold added Silver to the Mercurial Menstruum If perhaps he wanted a Menstruum for Pearls he joyned Pearls with the Mercurial Menstruum If he had a mind to make Aurum potabile he prepared a Menstruum out of Gold and Silver as more suitable to this purpose yet with some Mercurial Menstruum and so of others as you will observe in the following Examples 53. The precious Menstruum for Pearls of Lully In Comp. Animoe transmut Pag. Vol. 3. Theat Chym. TAke the Liquor of Lunaria of the third or second rectification Philosophical Aqua ardens rectifyed pour it upon Argent vive so as to swim three Fingers above it and putrefie three Natural Days and a great part of it will be dissolved with the Water of Lunaria which decant and pour fresh Liquor upon the Faeces putrefie in Dung or Balneo and repeat till all the Mercury is reduced into Water then joyn all the distillations together and draw off in Balneo and when you see it in a manner thick so as to be half a Pound of the Water of Mercury and Argent vive Vegetable and Mineral putrifie six Natural Days then put in Pearls and they will within ten Hours be dissolved then exuberate them by the way which I taught in the exuberation of Metals till they be converted into a Sal Harmoniack or Sulphur Naturoe of Pearls whereof dissolve one Ounce in a Pound of its Menstruum aforesaid and distil four times then put in Pearls and they will in half a quarter of an Hour be dissolved by reason of the greater subtilty of the Menstruum As Silver is joyned to the Mercurial Menstruum made by the three Fire-hot Vessels for the Neopolitan Menstruum which may be so call'd because it was reveal'd to Lully at Neapolis by Arnold de villa nova so this Menstruum for Pearls is made of the Sal Armoniack of Pearls and the Mercurial Menstruum or Glorious Water of Mercury which if they be Circulated together a convenient time you will make thereof a Coelum perlatum 54. The Mercurial compounded Menstruum of Lully In Experim 34. TAke three Ounces of Luna and three Ounces of Sol calcine them severally with Mercury as in the former Experiments in the Neopolitan Menstruum then evaporate it from the said Metals being calcined put them severally in distinct solutory Vessels and put upon them so much of the incalcinated Menstruum described before in Numb 45. as will swim four Fingers above it cover the Vessel with an Antenotorium putrifie in Balneo two Days and two Days more in Ashes with a heat like that of the Sun decant the dissolution and dry the remainder being dryed pour upon them of the incalcinated Menstruum
put it to the Earth in Balneo and digest six Days and in the said Balneo distil all the Menstruum for one Day and the Fire in Ashes separating then every one by it self as you did before and keep the Fire in Balneo And again put the Air with the Menstruum upon the Earth in which is the Fire and digest as before and this Magistery repeat till the Earth is well emptied of its Fire which is done in forty times or repetitions Then must you sublime the Earth after this manner Take that Earth which remained after the separation of the Air and Fire and put it in a Glass Vessel and pour upon it of the Vegetable Menstruum according to the quantity of the Earth and set it in Balneo for a Natural Day then another Day distil in Ashes and again put of the said Menstruum according to the weight of the Earth and digest in Balneo the space of one Day and distil in Ashes another Day and again repeat digesting in Balneo and distilling in Ashes till all the Earth is converted into an impalpable Powder Then take that and put of the Menstruum upon it according to its weight and digest in Balneo two Days then distil in Ashes one Day and put the distillation in Balneo Then take the Earth and put again of other Menstruum equal to its weight digest two Days and distil as before proceed in repeating the inhumations and distillations till the Earth has passed through the Alembick together with the Menstruum That Earth being thus mixed with the Menstruum is called Argent vive exuberated according to the intention of the Alcyhmists put therefore those distillations wherein is that Earth to be distilled by Balneo and draw off the Menstruum and the Earth will remain dry and prepared in the bottom of the Vessel which keep Thus Son have you the Elements of the Sulphur of Gold divided with the help of God Then must you have the Sulphur of Silver the Philosophers Mercury prepared from Silver or the Sal Armoniack of Luna and separate the Elements from it separating the Air with the Menstrual Water and the Fire with the Air and Water and the Earth subliming with the Menstruum and cause it to pass through the Alembick with the same Menstruum Thus have you my Son the Elements of the white Sulphur and the Elements of the red Sulphur separated and divided Now take the Menstruum or Water with which you separated the Elements of the Sulphurs of Gold and Silver and for every Pound of the Menstruum in which you dissolved the Gold dissolve one Ounce of Gold and in the Menstruum wherein you dissolv'd the Silver an Ounce of Silver and put either of them by it self in a Vessel of Circulation in Balneo or Dung the space of fifteen Days and there it will be strengthened into its Menstrual Nature This Water Son we call Elemented Menstruum or Water washed and drawn from the Faeces of the Earth Now take the two Elements namely the Air and Fire of the Sulphur of Gold put them together into a Glass distilling Vessel and distil in Ashes with a most temperate heat till you have three parts of five distilled in the Receiver then let it cool and that which is distilled receive by it self and distil it seven times and keep it apart then distil that which you left when you have distilled three parts of five continue distilling the two which remained till you see the Fire congealed at the sides of the Vessel let it cool till the Fire be congealed And that Fire which you drew off till the Fire was congealed he means that which ascends as yet moist before the sublimation of the Matter from these two parts left is called the second Air and Tincture and we call it our Secret and our Treasure and the Vapour of the Elements This my Son you must rectify by seven distillations or rectifications and the Earth which after the distillation of the first and second Air you drew out of the Vessels in which you distilled the first and second Air put in the Fire to be congealed and that Earth is called Fire Now Son prepare this Fire after this manner Put it in a distilling Vessel and upon it pour its own Water which is that wherewith you separated the Elements of the Sulphur of Gold when we commanded to reduce it to a fifth Spirit in the Vessel of Hermes and said Take the Water wash'd from the Faeces of the Earth otherwise the Elemented Menstruum of Sol five parts of its weight that is five Ounces of the said Water Elemented Menstruum of Gold to one Ounce of the said Fire and digest in Balneo eight Days then distil in Ashes most gently and again put new Water namely five parts digest and distil as before repeating this method seven times and so you have the Fire and Earth of the Sulphur of Gold calcined by Philosophical calcination and they are the two Elements of the red Sulphur prepared for the desert Limes And take notice that you must put the Earth of the white Sulphur which you calcined and prepared after the separation of the Elements of the red Sulphur with the Earth which you drew from the Air mix'd with the Fire and put both with the Fire congealed Now Son take the Earth of the Sulphur of Silver which remained after the separation of the Elements and prepare it as you did in calcining and preparing the Earth of Gold after the separation of the Elements sublimed together with the Menstruum and reduced into an impalpable Powder and carryed through the Alembick with the same Menstruum You may also prepare the Earth of the Sulphur of Silver with the Menstruum that you used in separating the Elements of the Sulphur of Silver Then have you the Earths of the Sulphur of Gold and Silver prepared by themselves which you will know by the sign given you that is putting a little of it upon a red hot Plate of Luna the greater part will fume away Then take those Earths in equal weight and ounces and put them in a preparing Vessel then take the Menstruum with which you prepared the Elements of Luna and in one Pound of it put one Ounce of the Vegetable Sulphur which we shewed you how to make from the Earth of Wine Vegetable Sal Armoniack made of the Earth of Philosophical Wine and distilling make the whole pass through the Alembick and then will you have the Menstruum with which you extracted the Elements of the Sulphur of Luna animated and acuated Then Son you must mix and prepare the Earths of the aforesaid Sulphurs that is of Gold and Silver together allowing of the said Menstruum now animated and acuated a fourth part of their weight digesting and drying as is done in the making of the Sulphur of Nature or Sal Armoniack till they have drank up four parts of the said Menstruum and are disposed to
fortis into the aforesaid Aqua vitoe digest eight Days This quantity of Aqua fortis is insufficient to dissolve three Pounds of the Spirit of Wine Ounces perhaps are to be understood for so many Pounds No Art is here required provided the Acid and Oyly be mix'd together In former times the Adepts used distilled Vinegar instead of Aqua fortis for this Menstruum thus 75. Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Wine of Basilius Cap. de Wein Essig in Repet Lapidis DEr Wein Essig Vinegarwine a single undeclinable Word is not the Philosophers Vinegar which is another Liquor viz. the Matter it self of the Stone because the Philosophers Stone is made of the Philosophers Azot but Vinegarwine is made of common Azot distilled common Vinegar and Spirit of Wine that is Philosophical And elsewhere Libro de particularibus de particul Veneris I spoke even now saith he Parabolically of this preparation in Libro Clavium in Repetitione Capite de Wein Essig where I said that common Azot Vinegar is not the Matter of the Stone but our Azot or first Matter extracted out of common Azot and Wine which composition is called the expressed Juice of unripe Grapes with which the Body of Venus is to be dissolved and reduced into Vitriol then into our Azot the first Matter of the Stone Philosophers Mercury Spirit of Mercury made of Vitriol c. which you must very well observe that you may be free from many troubles and dangers The Philosophers Mercury saith he Libro de Conclusionibus Sect. 2. de Vitriolo Philosophorum or first Matter of the Stone must be made by Art for our Azot is not common Vinegar but extracted by Virtue of common Azot Though therefore a Philosophical Menstruum may be made of common Azot or distilled Vinegar and the Spirit of Philosophical Wine as also sufficient and qualified for the dissolutions of some Bodies yet being less sharp especially in the Alchymical use of Metals and Minerals instead therefore of Vinegar the Adepts took Aqua fortis the sooner to finish their Operations You must know saith Isaacus Hollandus that our Ancestors laboured in the Art divers ways and yet came to one and the same end but their Stone made not projection always alike one making a deep another a strong projection as the Works Menstruums were sharp or of a deep Colour some sweat a long time with pains before they produced the Stone others shortned the time by sharpness of Wit as it is now done every day with sweat and pains Some of our Ancestors wrought three Years some four before they acquired the Stone for in those days Aqua fortis was unknown and they used nothing but distill'd Vinegar but now their Successors have found out Aqua fortis which hath much abbreviated the Work Cap. 6. Lib. 2. Oper. min. pag. 423. Volum 3. Theat Chym. Even at that time Bodies were to be opened slowly namely by calcination reverberation solution in our sharp Vinegar Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which their posterity observing and considering quickned their Wits and found out Aqua fortis which did much abbreviate the way to them Cap. 77. Lib. 1. Oper. min. pag 358. of the same Volume To make the present Kind of Menstruums the Adepts dissolved this Spirit of Philosophical Wine not in Vinegar and Aqua fortis only but in any acid Spirit not tinging as of Salt Sulphur c. It is thus prepared 76. The Spirit of Salt of Basilius Lib. partic in particul Solis TAke of the Spirit of Salt accurately dephlegmed one part of the best Spirit of Philosophical Wine without any Phlegm or of the Sulphur of Wine half a part the Vessels being luted distil with a strong Fire so as that nothing remains If you add new Spirit of Wine to the distillation and digest for some time it becomes sweet It is therefore requisite to dissolve the Spirit of Wine in the Spirit of Salt without digestion lest the acidity or brackishness of this Spirit be lost Guido sometimes took his Circulatum either minus or majus instead of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine into which he distilled the Spirit of Salt 77. The Spirit of Salt of Guido Pag. 7. Thesauri Chym. TAke of the less Vegetable Menstruum in Numb 36. or the great in Numb 38. one Pound put it in a large Receiver Then take of common Salt or Sal Gemmoe of the Stone of Tripoly of each four Pounds distil in an Earthen Retort with an open Fire first gentle till all the Phlegm is drawn off then put the Receiver with the Circulatum to it and distil the Spirits till not a drop of the Oyl of Salt ascends and you will have an acuated Menstruum To make these Menstruums stronger they sometimes separated or drew off the Acid from the Oleosum that the Spirit of Philosophical Wine might remain in the form of Oyl or Ice thus 78. Aqua fortis mix'd with the Spirit of Wine of Lully In Elucidat Testam pag. 147. Artis aurifer TAke of Vitriol one part of Nitre one part of Alume a fourth part mix them all well together and distil with a gentle Fire till the Liquor is gone over then give a stronger and lastly most strong till the Alembick grows white for then is the Aqua fortis prepared Then take of the aforesaid Water one pound put it in a large Cucurbit and pour it upon four ounces of Aqua Vitoe Aqua ardens four times distilled and put an Alembick on with its Receiver then will it make great noises boyling exceeding violently without Fire and therefore the VVaters ought to be mixed by little and little Then put it into a less Cucurbit and put on an Alembick with its Receiver and distil the Water in Balneo that a Matter may remain alone at the bottom of the Vessel in the form of Ice pour back the water and distil again and this repeat nine times then will an Oyl or Matter like Ice remain in the bottom This Menstruum of Lully is clear and therefore requires not our Explanation But it is described by an Anonymous in Rhenanus thus 79. Aqua fortis mixed with the Spirit of Wine of an Anonymous Author Libro de Principiis Naturae Arte Alchym pag. 28. Syntagm Harm Joh. Rhenani TAke an equal Quantity of Niter and Alume distil the Phlegm till the strong and dissolving Spirits ascend and set before them new and clean distilled water and force the Spirits into it with a most strong Fire Then take the Spirits of Wine being well purged and artificially distilled in Balneo take four ounces of them to one pound of Aqua fortis put them into a large Cucurbit apply an Alembick to it stop and put it into cold water and let them boyl till they will boyl no more Then put it in Balneo and distil the water so that the Spirits may remain yet moist then pour the water first drawn off to them again and do as
the contrary debilitate the Acidity of these Menstruums and they will be transmuted into Menstruums of the Eighth Kind 3. That these Menstruums are the Essences of Things tinging dissolved in an Acid. 4. That Hungarian Vitriol Copper naturally dissolved in an Acid tho artificially purged from Heterogeneous Salts and Feces does nevertheless as well as other things tinging require the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in order to be reduced into an Oil so excellent in Medicine as well as Alchimy 5. That it is even much at one by what Acid Copper or any other tinging Body is reduced into Vitriol provided it be afterwards graduated that is mixed with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Wherefore you must once for always take notice that not only in the Writings of Basilius and Paracelsus but of other Adepts also as in Via Veritatis c. in several places of which you will meet with these Phrases Things graduated corrected exalted c. you must understand not Common Menstruums but prepared with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and so made fit for the Works of the more Secret Chymy 6. That Roman Vitriol is reduced into so Noble an Oil not by the Spirit of Common but Philosophical Wine 7. That these Menstruums do by continued Cohobations become most red shining by Night so that Men at Supper want no other Light permanent and multiplying the Philosophers Stone but of these in their proper places namely the Third and Fourth Books The One and Twentieth KIND Compounded Mineral Menstruums of Simple Mineral Menstruums and Mercury the rest of the Metals and other Tinging Things 113. The Spirit of Venus or Spirit of Verdegreece of Basilius Libr. Partic. de Particul Veneris TAke of Copper as much as you will of which make Vitriol the common way or instead of it take Common Verdegreece sold in Shops which will do the same thing to which being pulverized pour Common Distilled Vinegar put it in a heat decant the Vinegar being transparent and green to the remainder pour new Vinegar and repeat the Work till the Vinegar be tinged and the Matter remain in the bottom of the Vessel black draw off the Vinegar being tinged and gathered together either to driness or to a thin Skin that the Vitriol may be cristallized and you will have the Verdegreece purified after the common way to which being pulverized pour the Juice of Unripe Grapes Philosophical Vinegar in Numb 74. put it in a gentle heat and digesting you will have a transparent Smagragdine Tincture with which is extracted the Red Tincture of Venus an excellent Colour for Painters This Tincture being extracted mix all the Extractions together and draw off the Phlegme gently that the Vitriol being very clear graduated may be cristallized in a Cold place whereof if you have a sufficient quantity you have also enough Matter for the making of the Philosophical Stone if perhaps you should doubt to perform such a Mystery with every Natural Vitriol whatsoever Concerning this Preparation we lately spoke parabolically in Libro Clavium Capite de Wein Essig where we said That common Azoth is not the Matter of our Stone but our Azoth or first Matter extracted by common Azoth and Wine which are the expressed Juice of unripe Grapes whereby the Body of Venus is to be dissolved and reduced into Vitriol This is to be well observed for thus you will free your selves from many Difficulties Now out of this Vitriol thus prepared distil a Spirit and Red Oil c. Annotations IN the Eighth Kind common Mercury and Metals were either by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or by some simple Vegetable Menstruums converted into compounded Vegetable Menstruums In the Twentieth antecedent Kind tinging Arids dissolved in Acids are more easily distilled together with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine into compounded Mineral Menstruums But the present Kind volatilizeth the said Bodies not by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but Mineral Menstruums that the Menstruums may be thereby made sooner easier and of a higher Kind In the last Kind we distilled natural Vitriol being macerated in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or which is much more conducible dissolved in the same Spirit and reduced into graduated Vitriol into a Mineral Menstruum For the natural acidity of Roman Vitriol for the corrosion of Copper was in the composition of it able and strong enough to dissolve the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in the making of the said Menstruum but here in Artificial Vitriols the matter is otherwise for the dry Bodies of Metals co-operating in their Dissolutions do debilitate the acid and therefore Vitriols containing this debilitated acidity are scarce fit either for the dissolution of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or the constitution of the present Menstruum Wherefore the Vitriols of Saturn and Jupiter being made with a common acid do by virtue of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine yield sweet Oils or Vegetable Menstruums not at all acid or mineral for that weak acid remaining in the Vitriolification of those soft Metals is wholly transmuted in the dissolution of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine as also in the very Distillation of it self so that Vitriol being artificially made of Copper and Iron by acids is distilled not by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but Mineral Menstruums into a Menstruum of the present Kind but Gold and Silver need not only these Mineral or Stronger Menstruums but to be likewise volatilized by the same and reduced into Volatile Vitriols Thus Basilius in Conclusionibus suis Sect. 2. de Vitriolis Cap. 1. de Vitriolo Solis Lunae reduced Gold and Silver into Volatile Vitriol It is requisite saith he first to have our Water made of the cold Salt of the Earth Niter and the Eagle Vegetable Sal harmoniack wherewith Gold and Silver are made spiritual and coagulated into Cristal or Metallick Vitriol by which c. In Labore primo Libri Revelationis ut in Elucidatione 12 Clavium this Vitriol of Sol is more exactly thus described Take saith he of this Water the Kings Bath or Menstruum described above in Numb 89. three parts of the Calx of Gold one part mixe put it in a Cucurbit with an Alembick upon hot Ashes to be dissolved if it be not all dissolved pour off the Water and pour on new and that till all the Calx is dissolved in the Water when it is cold white Feces settle in the bottom which separate joyn all the Water together and digest in Balneo a day and a night then having taken away the Feces digest the space of nine days continually distill away the Water that the Matter may remain in the bottom like Oyl the Water distilled from it pour on again being heated distill as before pour on again distill and this repeat some certain times thus will the Menstruum be debilitated then pour new Water to the Matter like Oyl digest a day and a night distill in Sand to an Oyl pour on Water again being hot distill
and that so oft till all the Gold is come over but this Distillation ought to be done in a low Cucurbit with a flat bottom put the Golden Water which came over in a cold place to cristallize separate the Water from them Guido made the Volatile Vitriol of Gold out of Gold sublimed The Gold he sublimed thus Take of Gold calcined twelve times with three parts of Cinabar or of Leaf Gold four Ounces of the Oyl of Salt the Menstruum described in Numb 76. twelve Ounces dissolve in ashes Draw off the Oyl of Salt from it several times putrifie for a Moneth then distill and all the Gold will be sublimed of a Red Colour in the tenth or twelfth Sublimation but if it will not be sublimed joyn all together and draw off the Phlegme in Balneo to the remainder add of the Oyl of Tartar per deliquium four Ounces gradually and force it with a stronger Fire and the Gold will ascend Red with the Menstruum and be precipitated in the bottom of it decant the Water from the Gold upon which kindle Rectified Spirit of Common Wine eight or nine times to take away all the Acidity of the Oyl of Salt Pag. 11. Thesaur Chym. With Gold thus sublimed he prepared the graduated Vitriol of Sol by the following Method Take of Gold sublimed four Ounces and a half pour to it Radical Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Wine the height of three Fingers digest three days in Balneo decant the Vinegar and pour on new till all be dissolved which draw off in Balneo but beware of too much put it in a cold Cellar and the Vitriol of Gold will be cristallized of a Ruby or Granat Colour more or less beautiful according to the Method of Operating from which decant the Liquor again to be drawn off to a thin Skin till you have five Ounces of the Vitriol Pag. 19. Thesaur Chym. The same way also he prepared the Graduated Vitriol of Luna Pag. 31. as also of Mars Pag. 36. But Jupiter Pag. 42. Venus Pag. 45. and Saturn Pag. 49. he calcin'd onely and reduc'd them with the aforesaid Vinegar into Graduated Vitriols out of all which Vitriols may Menstruums of this Kind be distilled as Basilius his Spirit of Venus Isaacus distilled the Spirit of Saturn out of the Graduated Vitriol of Lead thus 114. The Water of Paradise of Isaacus In Opere Saturni TAke of Saturn ten or fifteen Pounds which no other Metal is mix'd with beat it into thin Plates and have a Bottle half full of Vinegar lute put it in a warm Balneo and every three or four days scrape the Saturn that is calcined from the Plates gather about five or six Pounds of it grind this calcined Saturn Ceruse with distilled Philosophical Vinegar upon a Marble so as with a Pencil to serve for a Picture then take a Stone Jugg and therein pour Distilled Vinegar to the calcined Saturn leaving a third part of the Jugg empty mix very well stop it with a Glass or Stone Stopple set it in Balneo stir it five or six times a day with a Woodden Slice or Spoon stop it again nor heat the Balneo more than that you may endure your hand in it let it thus stand 14 days and nights then pour off the clear and pour new Vinegar to the Calx not yet dissolved mix proceed as before repeating till all the Calx of Saturn is dissolved put the Saturn being thus dissolved in Balneo evaporate the Vinegar with a slow Fire the Saturn will be reduced into a Mass which move to and fro till it be dry it will be of a Honey Colour rub it on a Marble with Distilled Vinegar like Soap put it again in the Stone Jugge being very well mixed in a warm Balneo the space of five or six days stir it every day with a Woodden Slice stop the Glass let it cool pour off what is dissolved into another large Stone Jugge pour other Vinegar to it mix very well put it again in Balneo pour off and thus proceed till nothing more will be dissolved which you may try by your tongue for if the Vinegar be sweet it is not enough dissolved or put a little in a Glass Cucurbit and let it evaporate if any thing remains all that will be Gold is not dissolved and that which remains in the Jugge or Feces if they be sweet upon the tongue and you find yet something in the Cucurbit that is not enough dissolved you may dissolve it by pouring new Vinegar to it These Solutions coagulate as before dissolve in Distilled Vinegar as before these Coagulations and Solutions continue till no more Feces remain in the bottom but are all things dissolved into a clear and limpid Water then is Saturn free from all its Leprosie Melancholy Feces Blackness and Superfluities and is pure as now being exempted from all filth fusible as Wax and sweet as Sugar c. Take half of the Purged Saturn put it in a Stone Jugge and pour to it four Pounds of Distilled Vinegar put on an Alembick and distill the Vinegar in Balneo but the Alembick must have a hole in the top through which pour new Vinegar distill as before pour on new and draw off and that till the Vinegar be drawn off as strong as it is poured on then is it enough because the Matter hath imbibed as much of the Spirits of the Vinegar as it needs and as much as it can retain Take the Jugge from the Fire and the Alembick being taken off put the Matter into a Glass that can endure the Fire put an Alembick to it put it in a Copel with Ashes in a Fornace make first a gentle Fire increase it by degrees till your Matter goes over of the Colour of Blood and thickness of Oyl sweetness of Sugar and of a heavenly smell if the heat diminisheth keep it while the Matter distills increase the Fire till the Glass begins to be Fire hot keep it in this heat till nothing more distills let it cool by it self take away the Receiver and stop it very well with Wax beat the Matter Caput mortuum in an Iron Mortar with a Steel Pestle and then grind it upon a Marble with Distill'd Vinegar Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine put it in a Stone Jugge two parts full distill by Balneo pour on new Vinegar distill as before repeat till the Vinegar distills with the same strength as it was poured on let them cool distill the Matter in a strong Glass upon Ashes as before first with a gentle Fire then alstronger as you did before a Red Oil will go over as before c. beat the Matter and proceed again till the Matter will retain no more of the Spirit of Vinegar in the Distillation in Balneo then take the Matter distil what will distil in a glass Cucurbit upon Ashes till you have distilled the Matter into a Red Oil which is the noble Water of Paradise by
several times dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar and coagulated according to the Receipt in Numb 125 as Mercury is dissolved in the Water of Salt circulated in the Circulatum majus of Mercury This Vitriol being graduated in a close Vessel must be fixed into a most red Powder and being fixed then dissolved and coagulated in Philosophical Vinegar that it may again become volatile as Mercury being fixed in its own Circulatum is again made volatile by virtue of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine At last the Vitriol is to be Distilled into its Spirits Now by knowing the method it is manifest that the mystery of the Receipts consists in the Vinegar but to remove all scruple from these most excellent Menstruums we will prove by the very words of Isaacus himself that he meant not a common but Philosophical Menstruum Have not I taught you saith he how to draw all Metals through the Alembick so as to Distil wholly into Oyl leaving nothing but that alone does the strong Spirit of Vinegar and makes them Metals to be perfectly separated and rectified from their Feces within and without as I taught you and that the inside should be outward and the outside inward and then they are so resolved and subtil that the Elements cannot be separated one from another if you sought all the means in the world you would not be able to separate these Elements by reason of their subtility cleanness and resolution and when they have the subtil penetrating Vinegar with them they pass all together through the Alembick with the Vinegar but if you should put them to fire and any Spirit of Vinegar in sufficient quantity was present they the Metal and Vinegar would be forthwith fixed together and because the Vinegar is copiously in their clean open subtil Body they distil into Oyl and the Spirits of the Vinegar are fixed with the Body Now you must know thdt the Spirit of Vinegar is more Subtil than all things in the World yea a thousand times more subtil than the Quintessence of Aqua Vitae it cannot be contained in any Vessels but it is easily half fixed and therefore it easily fixeth the thing to which it is applied as it is demonstrated in the Vegetable Work where the Discourse is of Wine and the Nature of it where you will be sufficiently instructed what Vinegar is and the Spirit of it how all things are dissolved and ascend Cap. 77. 78. 2. Oper. Miner Pag. 477. Vol. 3. Theat Chym. You must know saith he elsewhere this is the greatest Secret in this Art for the middle parts of Vinegar are of so great Virtue as to be incredible by reason of their great Subtility for every thing they are mixed with becomes exceeding subtil and penetrable wherefore they make the Philosophers Stone a thousand times more subtil than it was before and more penetrable and the subtil parts mix themselves with the Stone for they are of one Nature and are both clean and subtil and are mixed together as Water with Water and it is a Medicine of that Nature as to make every thing fixed which it is mixed with and of its own Nature wherein it is and thus are the subtil parts of Philosophical Vinegar fixed in the Philosophical Stone and are made of one Nature with the Stone and they make the Stone as fusible as an Artist can wish as he oftentimes dissolves the Stone in Vinegar and congeals it for as many or few Spirits remain in the Stone the more fusible is the Medicine Wherefore I have taught my Son how to make his Stone so fusible as thereby to bring Mercury to Sol and Luna and it is a great Secret known to few peruse this Lecture diligently what vertue there is in Vinegar and what with the middle matter of Vinegar may be made Cap. 51. 1. Oper. Min. Pag. 337. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. That Vinegar which is a thousand times more subtil than the Quintessence of Aqua Vitae or Spirit of Philosophical Wine The Spirits of which makes the Philosophers Stone a thousand times more Subtil That is of one Nature with it and fixeth every thing it is mixed with you your selves will say is no common Menstruum but another of more excellent quality Isaacus moreover dissolves and coagulates the Stone in this Vinegar so oft till it is converted into Oyl which will be no more congealed Cap. 51 59 107. of the same Book With the same Vinegar also he made Metals fat and transmuted them into Oyls thus he dissolved and coagulated Gold so often continually in New Vinegar till an Oyl was made thereof as red as blood as Cap. 54. of the same Book Sometimes also he did with the same Vinegar reduce Gold to the consistence of an excellent White Oyl out of which he then distilled a White Spirit and a Red Oyl apart and not immixible together so subtil as that he advised the Artist to have a care lest these Oyls should condense again by too much Rectification for then being forced with too strong a Fire the greatest part of them would by reason of their great Subtility penetrate the Glass and so be lost Cap. 126 128 1. Oper. Min. Pag. 406. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. Who can expect such and so great things from Common Vinegar The same Vinegar that dissolved the fix'd Metal Gold and divided it into Spirit and Oyl the Constitutives of the Stone out of Sol alone the same also is required to dissolve fixed Vitriol and distil it into Spirit and Oyl the constitutives of the Stone out of Vitriol alone of the making of which in the Third Book of Alchymical Tinctures That this Oyl of Vitriol shews light by night affirms Trismosinus who hath described the said Oyl thus 127. The Oyl of Vitriol shining by Night of Trismosinus Libro Gangeniveron sive novem Tincturarum in Tinctura prima TAke of the best Hungarian Vitriol twelve pounds grind and dissolve it in pure clean Water or Rain Water distilled let the Feces settle decant the Solution into a Glass Dish placed in a Brass Bason full of Sand put the said Bason in Balneo and draw off the Water to a thin skin let it cool and stand three days in a cold place and in the mean time you will find green Stones which take out the remainder draw off again to a thin skin and let it Cristallize and this seven times repeat put the Stones in a Stove of the same heat as the Sun in Dog-days and in such a heat they will turn into a White Powder The Vitriol being thus prepared put it in a Cucurbit with a long neck well Sealed in Ashes under which put a Lamp so as that the heat exceed not the Sun in March thus leave it till the Vitriol begins to be yellow being yellow the Fire of the Lamp increase one Degree and thus leave it ten days and nights or till it begins to be red then again increase the Fire in the Lamp another Degree and
IX Vegetable Menstruums compounded made of Simple Vegetable Menstruums and Things tinging being first fixed 51. The Circulatum majus or Metallick Acetum acerrimum of Paracelsus 137 X. Vegetable Menstruums compounded made of Vegetable Menstruums compounded and Metallick Bodies 52. The Neapolitan Menstruum of Lully 144 53. The Pretious Menstruum for Pearls of Lully 146 54. The Mercurial compounded Menstruum of Lully 147 55. The sweet Spirit of Mercury of Basilius 148 56. The incalcinated Menstruum of Parisinus 149 XI Vegetable Menstruums compounded graduated made of the compounded Vegetable Menstruums impregnated with the Influences of Heaven and Earth 57. The Etherial and Terrestrial Waters of Metals of Lully 154 XII Vegetable Menstruums compounded most highly exalted made of compounded Vegetable Menstruums graduated 58. The Ethereal and Celestial Limes of Lully 163 XIII Simple Mineral Menstruums made of the Matter of Philosophical Wine only 59. The Green Lyon of Ripley 172 60. A Menstruum made of the Gum Adrop of Ripley 174 61. A Menstruum made of Red Lead of Ripley 179 62. The Simple stinking Menstruum of Ripley 181 63. The Menstruum of Sericon of Ripley 182 64. The Green Lyon of Roger Bacon 192 65. The Green Lyon of Paracelsus 198 66. The Stinking Menstruum made of the Gum Adrop and Common Vitriol of Ripley Ibid. 67. The Stinking Menstruum made of Azoquean Vitriol and Nitre of Lully 199 68. The Water calcining all Bodies of Lully 201 69. The Stinking Menstruum for reducing Metals into Argent vive of Lully 202 70. The Stinking Menstruum made of Azoquean Vitriol Common Vitriol and Nitre of Ripley Ibid. XIV Simple Mineral Menstruums made of the Acid or Saline Essences of Salt 71. The Water or Oyl of Salt of Paracelsus 211 72. The Water of Salt by another Description 214 XV. Simple Mineral Menstruums made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and Acid Spirits as Aqua fortis Spirit of Nitre c. 73. Aqua fortis mixt with the Spirit of Wine of Paracelsus 222 74. Aqua fortis mixt with the Spirit of Wine of Trithemius 223 75. Vinegar mixt with the Spirit of Wine of Basilius Ibid. 76. The Spirit of Salt of Basilius 225 77. The Spirit of Salt of Guido Ibid. 78. The Aqua fortis mixt with the Spirit of Wine of Lully Ibid. 79. Aqua fortis mixt with the Spirit of Wine of an Anonymous 226 XVI Simple Mineral Menstruums made of Philosophical Vinegar and Volatile Salts as Common Sal Armoniack Urine c. 80. The Oyl of Sal Armoniack of Guido 229 81. The Water of Sal Armoniack of Isaacus 230 XVII Simple Mineral Menstruums made of Philosophical Vinegar and fixed Salts non tinging as well vegetable as mineral 82. The Aqua comedens of Paracelsus 233 83. The fixative Water of Trithemius 234 84. The Aqua mirabilis of Isaacus 235 85. The resuscitative Water of Basilius Ibid. 86. The Water of Sallabrum of Paracelsus 236 XVIII Simple Mineral Menstrums made of Vegetable Sal Harmoniack and Acids not tinging 87. The Aqua fortis of Isaacus Hollandus 240 88. The Aqua Regis of Ripley 244 89. The Kings Bath of Basilius 245 90. A Philosophical Water for the solution of Gold of Basilius Ibid. 91. The most strong Aqua fortis of Paracelsus 247 92. The Aqua Regis of Guido Ibid. 93. The Aqua Regis of Lully 248 XIX Mineral Menstruums compounded of Philosophical Spirit of Wine and Acid Spirits not tinging Spirit of Vitriol Butter of Antimony c. 94. Spirit of Vitriol mixt with the Spirit of Wine of Lully 251 95. The Butter of Antimony mixt with the Spirit of Wine of Basil 253 96. The Water of the fourth Gradation of Paracelsus 254 97. The Water of the sixth Gradation of Paracelsus Ibid. XX. Mineral Menstruums compounded of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and other tinging things Vitriol Cinabar Antimony c. 98. The Oyl of Vitriol of Basilius 261 99. A Menstruum of Basilius made of Hungarian Vitriol 293 100. The Mineral Menstruum of Isaacus 294 101. The stinking Menstruum of Lully made of Vitriol and Cinabar 294 102. The same Ibid. 103. The stinking Menstruum of Lully made of Vitriol Cinabar and Nitre 295 104. The stinking Menstruum of Lully made of Vitriol Nitre Alume Tartar c. 296 105. The dissolving Water for the Red of Isaacus 297 106. Another 298 107. Again another 299 108. A dissolving Water of Isaacus for the White 299 109. Another 299 110. A Red Water shining Day and Night of Isaacus 300 111. Another 301 112. Again Another 303 XXI Mineral Menstruums Compounded made of Simple Mineral Menstruums and Mercury the rest of Metals and other tinging things 113. The Spirit of Venus or Spirit of Verdigreece of Basilius 306 114. The Water of Paradise of Isaacus 310 115. The Mercurial Vinegar of Trismosinus 312 116. The Mercurial Water of Trismosinus Ibid. 117. The Mercurial Water of Albertus Magnus 313 118. The Mercurial Water of Paracelsus 315 119. The stinking Menstruum of Lully 316 120. The Mercurial green Lyon of Ripley 317 121. The stinking Lunar Menstruum of Lully 317 122. The stinking Solar Menstruum of Lully Ibid 123. Philosophers Vinegar made of the Mercury of Silver of Isaacus 318 XXII Mineral Menstruums compounded of the Philosophers Vinegar and other Simple Mineral Menstruums and things tinging being first fixed 124. The Menstruum of Venus of Isaacus Hollandus 322 125. A Menstruum of Vitriol of Isaacus Hollandus 324 126. The Circulatum majus of Isaacus 332 127. The Oyl of Vitriol shining by Night of Trismosinus 335 128. The Circulatum majus of Ripley 337 129. The Metallick Acetum Acerrimum of Ripley 338 130. The Circulatum majus of Isaacus made of Sulphur 339 XXIII Mineral Menstruums compounded made of Mineral Menstruums compounded and Metallick Bodies and other tinging Things 131. The Oyl of Mars and Venus of Basilius 346 132. The S irit of Vniversal Mercury made of Vitriol of Basilius 347 133. The Oyl of Mars and Venus acuated with the Sulphur and Salt of Sol of Basilius 351 134. The Spirit of Vniversal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur and Salt of Luna of Basilius 353 135. The Spirit of Vniversal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur of Sol and Luna of Basilius 354 136. The S irit of Vniversal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur of Sol and Mars of Basilius Ibid. 137. The Spirit of Vniversal Mercury acuated with the Sulphurs of Sol Mars and Antimony of Basilius 355 138. The Spirit of Vniversal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur of Mars Jupiter and Saturn of Basilius Ibid. 139. A compounded Mercurial Water for the red Work of Isaacus 356 140. The Philosophers Water made of three Spirits of Isaacus 357 141. The compounded Water of Silver of Lully 358 142. The stinking Lunar Menstruum acuated with the Essence of Sol of Lully 360 XXIV Mineral Menstruums compounded of vegetable and mineral Menstruums mixed together 143. The Vegetable â—ire dissolved in the calcinaâ—ive Water of Lully 363 144. The
which are of a muddy colour Circulation being continued many days together in a circulating Vessel or in the Vessel of Hermes the Hole which you stopp'd with the said Matter must be opened and if a wonderful Scent go out so as that no fragrancy of the world can be compared to it insomuch as putting the Vessel to a corner of the House it can by an invisible Miracle draw all that pass in to it or the Vessel being put upon a Tower draws all Birds within the reach of its Scent so as to cause them to stand about it Then will you have my Son our Quintessence which is otherwise call'd Vegetable Mercury at your will to apply in the Magistery of the transmutation of Metals But if you find not the influx of Attraction stop the Vessel again as before and put it in the place before appointed and there let it stand till you attain to the aforesaid Sign But this Quintessence thus glorified will not have that Scent except a Body be dissolved in it nor have that heat in your mouth as Aqua ardens This is indeed by the Philosophers call'd the Key of the whole Art of Philosophy and as well Heaven as our Quintessence which arrives to so great a sublimity that either with it by it self alone or with the earthly Stars Metals the Operator of this work may do miracles upon the Earth Annotations THE twenty four following Kinds of Menstruums will prove that amongst the Dissolvents of the Adepts no one is made without the Vegetable Mercury or Spirit of Philosophical Wine for it is the foundation beginning and end of them all Yea it is according to the various and distinct degrees of its strength sometimes the least sometimes the greatest of all the Menstruums It is the least and weakest when it doth by its simple Vnctuosity dissolve only the unctuous or oyly parts of Vegetables but either reject or leave untouched the Remainder being less oyly and heterogeneous to it self it becomes the strongest when we temper its Vnctuosity with Arids that is dry things not Oyly for so it is made homogeneous to things dry-oyly and to things meerly dry In respect of which Homogeneity the Menstruums of the Adepts differ from the common because they do by reason of the said Homogeneity remain with the things dissolved inseparably yea are augmented by them but not with the least saturation transmuted and melted into a third substance and so cannot part without the diminution or destruction of their former Virtues The permanent Homogeneity of Menstruums with things to be dissolved is the reason why Essences are made with simple Vegetable Menstruums but Magisteries with the same compounded and so these operate more strongly those more weakly This is it to comprehend all in a word which shews us the various kinds of Menstruums distinct one from another in so many several degrees now to be described and illustrated by our Annotations But that you may more easily understand the following Receipts and me also I thought it necessary to preadmonish some certain things concerning the Nature and Property of this Spirit of Wine lest you should judge amiss of a thing not sufficiently understood First You are not to take the Spirit of common Wine though never so much rectified for the Philosophical Spirit of Wine for so the following Receipts of all Menstruums would be erroneous and seducing Having occasion saith Zacharias for a most excellent Aqua-Vitoe for the dissolving of a mark or half a pound of Gold we bought a large Vessel of the best Wine out of which we did by a Pellican obtain great plenty of Aqua vitoe which was often rectified in many Glass-Vessels bought for that end then we put one Mark of our Gold being before calcin'd a whole month and four Marks of Aqua vitoe into two Glass-Vessels one Retort entring into the other being sealed and both placed in two great round Furnaces we bought also Coals to the value of thirty Crowns at one time to continue Fire under it for the space indeed of a whole Year We might have kept Fire for ever before any congelation would have been made in the bottom of the Vessels as the Receipt promised no solution preceding for we did not operate upon a due matter nor was that the true water of Solution which ought to dissolve our Gold as appeared by experience pag. 783. Vol. 1. Th. Chym. Ripley admonisheth us of the same thing who saith Some think that this Fire this Fiery Spirit of Philosophical Wine is drawn from Wine according to the common way and that it is rectified by distillations often repeated till its watry Phlegm which impedes the power of its Igneity be wholly taken from it But when such a sort of Water which Fools call Pure Spirit though a hundred times rectified be cast upon the Calxes of any Body be it never so well prepared we do nevertheless see that it is found weak and insufficient as to the act of dissolving a Body with the preservation of its Form and Species Cap. 2. suoe Medul Phil. Common Wine saith he a little lower is hot but there is another sort much hotter whose whole substance is by reason of its aerity most easily kindled by Fire and the Tartar of this unctuous Humor is thick for so saith Raymund That Tartar is blacker than the Tartar from the black Grapes of Catalonia whereupon it is called Nigrum nigrius Nigro that is Black blacker than Black and this humidity being unctuous doth therefore better agree with the Unctuosity of Metals than the Spirit extracted from common Wine because by its liquefactive virtue Metals are dissolved into Water which operation the Spirit of Common Wine cannot perform which how strong soever is nothing else but clear water mix'd with a kind of Phlegmatick Water where on the contrary in this our Unctuous Spirit distilled there is no Phlegmatick aquosity found at all But this thing being rare in our Parts as well as other Countries Guido Montanor therefore the Grecian Philosopher found out another unctuous humidity which swims upon other Liquors which humidity proceeds from Wine to the knowledge hereof attain'd Raymund Arnold and some other Philosophers but how it might be obtained said not O tortas adeo mentes assuetaque falli Artificum vario rerum per inania ductu Pectora cum duris quid mollia vina metallis Apta epulis atque apta bibi suavissima vina Hic tamen expressam proelis torquentibus uvam Accipit phialae postrema in parte reponit Cujus in extremo rostrum connectitur ore c. Thus facetiously sings the Poet and Adept Augurellus Lib. 2. Chrys pag. 206. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. 2. That you take not any Oyl though an hundred times rectified instead of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine for all oyly matters whether distilled or expressed natural or artificial alone but much more mixt with other things as Alkalies Acids c. do by distilling digesting c. in
we are solicitous to describe would be prostituted to all men were this one only Word literally understood by Wine therefore is meant a Philosophical Secret hidden from all the unexpert It is expedient to draw from the Death of Wine by the Office of an Alembick that is we must rectifie so often till it become most pure without the Foeces and Phlegm of Wine which is by Lully called the Death of the Spirit It is saith he purged from all its Superfluity and Phlegmatick corruptible matter which is its Death and which mortifies its Spirit which hath the power of vivifying its Earth let therefore the corruptible Phlegm be purged and separated from it by a subtil method which I will tell you For what reason because if it be not well purged its Earth will never become white nor will Matrimony be made between the Body and Spirit and so that Spirit is call'd the Spirit of the Stone in Apertorio The Method of Rectification omitted in the former Receipt is described in the latter as also in Epistola accurtatoria This Rectification of Philosophical Wine Sendivogius understood not as appears by the Sixth of his Epistles Brux 25. Martii 1646. Where thus The second Article my Companion of the Pagesian work endeavours to repeat the mysterious way of extracting and preparing Mercury more than needed the Authority of Lully being misunderstood and the Precepts of other Philosophers ill applied he commanding the tenth part of his Magnesia first ascending by distillation to be saved as the only useful and truly Mercurial substance but the other nine parts proceeding by continuance of distillation to be cast away as of no use to this end that the said tenth part reserved might at length be restored to the Earth remaining after compleat distillation which Earth is foolishly supposed to be the Salt and Sulphur of Mercury and by repeated cohobations inhumations digestions and sublimations described by him united but it is a grievous Error for that which Authors declare concerning the tenth part containing the Spirit and of inhumations in its own Earth is otherwise referred than to the extraction and preparation of Mercury as shall be elsewhere in time demonstrated nor for the said extraction and preparation of Mercury is there any Rule to be used besides the bare distilling of Magnesia whereby the Spirit and Oyl are together elevated to a Siccity even of the Foeces and separation of the Spirit from the Oyl and rectification of the same Spirit oftentimes repeated But these things we will in their proper place more amply treat of in the Method of operating Parisinus a Disciple of Lully will correct Sendivogius who learnt of Lully to rectifie his Spirit of Philosophical Wine after this manner Take A Chaos our Vegetable Mercury in which the four Elements are found confused pag. 271. Vol. sext Theat Chym. and put it in a Vessel to be distilled through Y Balneo pag. 276. and in this temperate distillation gather its B. Celestial ardent Spirit pag. 269. continue that distillation this way and method till you attain to the Signs declared in our Apertorial and till you know that the said B. is dissolved and separated from its Elemental Nature continuing this Magistery even to the fourth Revolution Then put this Celestial fiery Matter into a pure Vessel and distil slowly with ordinary fire and take only a tenth part in the second distillation take half and in the third two parts of three and in the fourth take four parts of five and more Then take that last Celestial Water and distil it three or four times by the Rule abovesaid taking the whole without any separation appointed This observe and admire the necessity of this Mystery and Foundation and you will understand the reason why dull and ignorant men make the worst Bread with the finest and purest Flower because they mix the course part with the fine The same thing happens to presumptuous Artists who perswade themselves that they are able to find out the beauty of our Quintessence with the exuberated Spirit negligently purified without an exact separation of the pure from the impure in Elucid pag. 230. Vol. 6. Theatri Chym. Which way notwithstanding of rectification so exactly to observe there seems to me to be no necessity rectification of the Spirit being good enough which way soever done either with fewer or more cohobations provided it be separated from the impurities of the Wine which you will know saith Lully when it burns a piece of Linnen by reason of its vehement heat that is as elsewhere more clearly till a Linnen Cloth moistned with this Spirit and kindled be wholly consumed This rectified Spirit is in distilling sharpned with the oyly Vegetables nominated in the Receipt the Oyls of which being nearest to it it easily carrieth with it and is impregnated with the same and acuated by the aridity contained in them Yet are we not obliged to use these Vegetables only and no other or is it necessary to mix all of them together as if one or two would not suffice The Oyl of any Vegetable or drawn out of a Vegetable with the help of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or already made and added to the Spirit of Philosophical Wine will here satisfie us I will give one form or other in confirmation of this kind of Menstruums of which sort is 6. The Aqua Vitae of Paracelsus Pag. 508. Tom. 1. TAke of the Alcool of Wine exsiccated three pounds of the Flowers of Rosemary Macis Lavender of each half an ounce of Cubebs Cloves Cinamon of each two ounces of Mastick half an ounce of both sorts of Storax half a dram of each of Doronicum three ounces and cohobate seven times The following Vse besides the Alcool of Wine exsiccated testifies that this Water is made with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Take of the Leaves of Gold Num. 20. of Pearls not perforated Granats Rubies of each half a drachm digest for a Month Then take of this Oyl three or four grains with Malago wine or the water of Majoram or Sage This Menstruum is Vinum Essatum or Essentificatum or Spiâ—it of Philosophical Wine impregnated with the Essences of the Oyly Ingredients with which Paracelsus dissolves Gold and Precious Stones into a most noble Oyl or Elixir which he says is a Secret against the superfluity of Womens Menstruums The Description of this Water being clear requires no other Light I will therefore propose another Receipt more obscure 7. Another Aqua Vitae of Paracelsus Pag. 115. Chyr Min. TAke of the waters of Melissa Roses Cheirus Sage Balsamus of each one pound of all the Peppers Cubebs Ginger Cinamon Mastick red Myrrh Mace Cloves of each two ounces of the Juyce of Honey half a pound of rectifi'd Aqua Vitae sive pound Let them be all digested together for the space of nine days and after that separated and distilled in a Pelican into a Spirit Then to this Liquor add an Apple roasted and
thus done 28. The Sweet Spirit of Salt of Basilius Lib. Partic. sub Sulphure Solis Rep. 12. Clav. TAke of the Spirit of Salt wholly dephlegmed one part of the best Spirit of Wine free from all Phlegm or the Sulphur of Wine made as I shall tell you lower the Description of which we lately had in the precedent Pages one half part fit an Alembick well luted and distil strongly so as that nothing remains To the Distillation add one other half part of Spirit of Wine and distil and that repeat three times putrefie fifteen days or till it become sweet which must be done in a gentle Balneo thus will you have the Spirit of Salt and Wine without any corrosion for extractions But though this Menstruum may deserve its Praises yet it can scarce be reckoned amongst Menstruums of this Kind where we discourse not of acid Spirits but fixed Salts it must therefore be considered as an Appendix of the circulated Salt to the Illustratino of which it will not a little conduce From the Receipts we observe 1. That by Aqua Vitae or Spirit of Wine the Adepts did not in the least intend Common but Philosophical Aqua ardens for Common Aqua ardens will never perform that which is desired in these Receipts and it being granted that it seems to perform yet Menstruums so made cannot be Menstruums of the Adepts but Common of no efficacy or esteem in the more secret Chymy 2. That Basilius has indeed sometimes used common Aqua ardens for his Menstruums but never by it self but mixed with Vegetable Sal Armoniack or Philosophical Salt of Tartar that is with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine volatilized which Salt being brought into a liquid substance by virtue of this Spirit is his Menstruum for he separates again from thence the Spirit of Common Wine either by Flame or by quick Lime 3. That the greater quantity of Sal Armoniack is joyned with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine the stronger are these Menstruums made wherefore Basilius his Menstruums of this Kind from which all the common Aqua ardens is separated are to be reputed among the best 4. That these Menstruums are the Magistery of fixed Salts by Paracelsus call'd the less Circulatums or Arcanum of the Alkali of Tartar Beans Wormwood as also common Salt Alom Nitre c. 5. And therefore that these Menstruums are Medecines 6. That these Menstruums may be made several ways as these out of the Sal Armoniack of Lully by the method of Paracelsus his Circulatums and so on the contrary provided the Alkalies or fixed salts be volatilized and distilled together with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine through an Alembick 7. That the Spirit of Philosophical Wine is not easily mixed with these Salts but by certain degrees First He extracts the Tincture or Soul from them that is the more unctuous parts which being more volatile than the rest are then easily distilled into a volatile Tincture or to use Luly's phrase into the animated Spirit then the remaining Earth being now fixed by the same means is again volatilized by absorbing the said animated Spirit by degrees and sublimed into Sal Armoniack 8. That these Sal Armoniacks are sublimed with a very strong fire 9. That these Salts are called Harmoniack by reason of the Harmony ar Perfection of their mixtion So have you saith Lully the formal Harmoniack mixtion of all the Elements wherefore wonder not if we call it Sal Armoniack for so it is called because of its exalted and sublimed property the pure and first Matter of Nature Lib. Mercur. pag. 155. 10. That the volatile Salt of Tartar the volatile Salt of Wormwood Carduus Benedictus c. common volatile Salt by Paracelsus call'd Sal enixum are rightly term'd Sal Harmoniacks Philosophical Vegetable Mercuries and Sulphurs of Nature c. 11. That the Spirit of Salt Nitre Vitriol Aqua fortis c. are by being cohobated with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine made sweet The Sixth KIND Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of the Spirit and Tartar of Philosophical Wine 29. The Coelum Vinosum of Parisinus made of the Salt of Philosophical Wine In Appendice Eluc Pag. 271. Vol. 6. Theat Chym. TAke the Philosophers first Matter called Chaos Vegetable Mercury the Philosophers Wine distil its Spirit ardent and Watery Element Phlegm in its convenient Vessel as we shall teach in its proper place till its Body remain in the bottom like melted Pitch which by two distillations wash with its Watery Element then pour its Spirit to it four Fingers above it mixing the Matter well till it be well united and set the Vessel to distil in Balneo with an easie heat then put it into Putrefaction six Days in a convenient Vessel and distil in Ashes the animated Spirit then take other Spirit ardens and that being poured to it put it again into Putrefaction six Days and so repeat this Magistery till you see that the Spirit has imbibed and extracted the Soul out of the Body an infallible sign of which will be when you see its Earth hard and dry for then may you be assured that the Body is for its health-sake dead which you may vivify and make incorruptible and it will no more fear Death nor Corruption in this World Now take the aforesaid Body first weigh it then put it in a convenient Vessel and pour to it an eighth part of its Spirit animated Spirit which extracted its Soul then put your Vessel in a Fire of digestion which we shall speak of afterwards and continue the Fire till you see that the Earth hath imbibed its Liquor then open your Vessel put on an Alembick and gather that little sweat which will have the taste of hot Water Imbibe now your Matter for a second time with a seventh part of the aforesaid Spirit which contains the Soul and proceed in the methodizing of the aforesaid Magistery Now for a third time imbibe with a sixt part for a fourth time imbibe with a fifth part for a fifth time imbibe with a fourth part and do not multiply the weight of the aforesaid Spirit but continue it so observing the aforesaid Method till the Matter which hath drunk up its Spirit and is again united with its Soul be white Take now the aforesaid Earth and put it in convenient sublimation the lower part of the Vessel being luted below the Matter and make the pure part sublime from the impure and so will you have our Mercury which is clear and shining as a Diamond This is that which the Philosophers do by divers Metaphors call the first Vegetable Matter Sal Armoniack our Mercury our Sulphur of Nature whereas notwithstanding 't is one and the same thing Take the other Simple Spirit which you first extracted out of your Chaos that which hath not extracted its Soul and make it more pure and subtil by the way following Take of the Vegetable first Matter Sal Armoniack which you made before one Pound and put
it in a convenient Vessel in Balneo till the Matter dissolve it self per deliquium then putting to an Alembick distil the superfluous Water then pour on three Pounds of the aforesaid Simple Spirit ardens and the Vessel being conveniently stop'd as will be manifested below put it into Putrefaction for one Natural Day after the manner following Get you a Brass Vessel about one span and a half broad and three spans and a half long which towards the Orifice must have a Copper Bottom pierced with many Holes the Cover whereof which is to go into the Vessel and stop it well must have one or two Holes but the Glass Vessels which you would put to that Copper Vessel ought to be conveniently covered in the lower part of those Copper Vessels of Putrefaction must be common Water those Copper Vessels put upon a Furnace making a moderate Fire under by the strength of which the fume or vapour of the Water will ascend and heat the Vessels in which your Matter is the whole work of our Supream Magistery will be matured and prepared by this Method then distil conveniently in Ashes with a heat scarce unlike to the heat of the Sun till you have drawn all the Juice from it then dissolve the Matter by pouring to it of the aforesaid Simple Spirit three parts in respect of the Matter which remained in the Vessel after the aforesaid Juice was abstracted from it Repeat the Magistery a fourth time proceeding and observing all things exactly as above So will you have the Spirit of your Chaos which is by the Philosophers called Fire depurated reduced from power into act with the Virtue of the Vegetable Matter Take therefore a Glass Vessel strong able to contain the measure of a common Urne pure and long whose Neck must be strong and two spans and a half long whose Cover must be another Glass called Antenotorium with a Neck turned downward containing the fourth part of a common Urne to be put into the aforesaid Vessel Into this Circulating Vessel put four Pounds and no more of the depurated Spirit which you brought from power to action by Virtue of the Vegetable Matter as I taught you before Circulate in Balneo or Dung the space of sixty Days and when Conversion is made of the Spirit deduced from power to action by the first Vegetable Matter then this you will thereby know that in the bottom of the Vessel will be a Sediment like the Urine of a sound Man Then will you see a Quintessence brighter and clearer then a Diamond which exceeds the Stars in splendour so as to be doubted whether it be contain'd in the Glass or not which you must dexterously separate from its Sediment and keep in a Vessel close stopped in a cold place This is that Virtue which the envious have hidden and obscured by innumerable Metaphors calling it Spiritus Vivus Aqua Argenti vivi Aqua Vitoe Aqua Celestis Aqua Dianoe Anima Menstrui Vegetabilis Fumus Ventus our Heaven Menstrual Blood Vrine sublimed Menstruum our Water of Sulphur our Blessed Stone giving it infinite other Names which we mention not here but have by Experience seen and known them to be one and the same thing Annotations MOst of the Adepts knew no other but this way of acuating the Spirit of Philosophical Wine for they believed there was one only thing and one only Method but this is not the last amongst the difficult Methods nor much different from the Coelum Vegetable of Lully made of the Alkali of Tartar The Tartar of this Wine is less Oyly than common Tartar and therefore adjoyned to this as a higher Kind but that we may the better understand the Receipt 't is convenient to compare it with its Original taken out of the last Testament of Lully 30. The Coelum Vinosum of Lully In Testam Noviss TAke Red Wine which we call the Liquor of Lunaria and Nigrum nigrius nigro and distil an Aqua ardens in Balneo and rectify it till it be without Phlegm which you will know when it burns a piece of Linnen Cloth by reason of its heat which you will make it do in five times sometimes in three and having such a sign divide it into two parts and keep one part for the making of the Menstruum and with the other part abstract the Soul from the Earth a pitchy mass by the way which I shall tell you The way my Son is to distil the Phlegm till it remain in the form of liquid Pitch then put to it of the Water ardens which you rectify'd so much as to swim three Fingers above the Matter and the Vessel being very close set it in Dung or Balneo six Days to digest after that distil all the Water in which is the Soul upon hot Ashes then increase the Fire a little and take out the Oyl which keep then pour in of the other Water ardens or Spirit of Philosophical Wine as before and put it in Putrefaction six Days as before and then distil in Ashes first the Water then the Oyl and thus continue the Magistery the same way till you have extracted all the Soul from the Earth keep it because it is the animated Water and keep the Oyl for the Tincture Then take the Earth being dry and hardened and calcine till it grows white being white give the Soul in the Water reserved to it My Son the way is this Take the Earth being white and depurated Salt and know the weight put it in a Vessel of Glass and pour upon it an eighth part of the animated Water the Vessel being very close and place it in Balneo three days till you see the ardent Spirit condensed in the Balneo and rectify it till it be without Phlegm then having put on an Alembick draw off the Liquor without taste because the Soul hath embraced the Spirit which is in that part and imbibe a second time with a seventh part of the animated Water and digest as before and distil away the moisture A third time imbibe with a sixth part digest and distil away the VVater A fourth time pour on a fifth part of the animated VVater as before The fifth time give a fourth part and digest as you know and continue with the fourth part always digesting and drawing of the Liquor till our Earth be pregnant and white Then take the Earth being pregnant and put it in a subliming Vessel luted and very close in a Fire of the third degree the space of twenty four Hours and sublime the pure from the impure And thus my Son will you have the Vegetable Mercury sublimed clear resplendent in the Form of a wonderful Salt Know you must my Son that the Philosophers and we do call it properly Vegetable Sulphur Sal Armoniack our Sulphur the Sulphur of Nature and many other Names we also give it Take my Son of this Vegetable Sulphur which you made one Ounce put it in a Glass Vessel and pour upon it
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
Spirit ascends without diminution of its Virtue and then will you have the fixed Salt acuated which put in an Alembick and pour to it the Vegetable Oyl three Fingers high digest in Ashes for a day increase the Fire and distil whatsoever can ascend the distillation keep warily because it is the Vegetable Mercury But if any of the Salt remains in the Alembick you must repeat the same operations till at length all the Vegetable Mercury passeth through the Alembick which will extract the Tincture of Gold being calcined with common Mercury and Salt and lastly with Sulphur which is an excellent Aurum potabile Sometimes they prepared these Menstruums by cohobation alone without any imbibition For Example 35. The rectified Aqua Vitae of Lully In potestate Divitiarum TAke Wine separate the Spirit warily as soon and as purely as you can because you will never separate it so warily but that it will contain in it some of the purest part of this Phlegmatick Substance or Water this Spirit being once separated is called Mercury that is Aqua ardens the sign of which is that if you dip a Linnen Cloth in it it will turn into a flame if first kindled and not be burned but if you separate often times rectify it is called Lunaria rectify'd that is Aqua ardens rectify'd whereof the sign is that a Linnen Cloth dipp'd in it burns all away Separate now all the superfluous Phlegm till none at all remains and at the bottom will reside a Pitch then mix the Lunaria that is the Aqua ardens rectify'd with that substance made like soft Pitch shaking it well till it be incorporated and set it to distil and that which goes over is called Man's Blood rectify'd which Alchymists seek for That Blood is also called Air or Wind and of this thing spake the Philosopher when he said Wind carryed him in its Belly from the remainder separate the superfluous Oyl called above Vegetable by distilling it through a Glass Alembick till nothing remains which Oyl keep a part till I shall tell you but the residue will be a substance black and dry which reduce to a fine powder and mix by little and little with the rectify'd Man's Blood and let them stand together for the space of three Hours and then distil and then this Water is called Aqua ignea rectificata or Fiery Water rectify'd then calcine the Caput mortuum in a Furnace of Reverberation till it be made like Lime and this Calx or Lime mix with the Fiery Water rectify'd and distil seven times and then is it called Aqua Vitoe rectify'd The same Menstruum hath Paracelsus in his Book de Elixire Vitae and the Author of the Appendix of the third Volume of Theatrum Chymicum These Menstruums differ not from the aforesaid made of Sal Armoniack but only in preparation in those the whole Earth of the Philosophical Wine is by its own Spirit reduced into a liquid substance with which is performed the same Work but after another manner Hitherto ought to be referred the Menstruum of Guido made thus 36. The Circulatum minus of Guido In Thesauro Chymiatrico TAke of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine one pound of the Salt of the same Wine four ounces mix the Joynts being well luted distil through an Alembick in Balneo pour back the distillation and cohobate four times and it will be prepared Lully reduceth his Sal Armoniacks with some difficulty into a liquid substance but Guido distils the Salt of Philosophical Wine by four cohobations into the same Menstruum the cause of abbreviation is to be sought in the preparation of that Salt which is two-fold common or secret of the common saith Guido thus The ardent Spirit of Wine being distill'd draw off the Phlegm till the matter remains in the substance of the thinner sort of Honey which will in a cold Cellar yield Cristals like Nitre which are called the Salt of Wine which take out and keep the remainder evaporate a little while and take more c. Of the secret way of making this Salt saith Guido also pag. 8. Thes Take of the Salt of Wine and Spirit of Wine of each four ounces digest the space of eight or ten days draw off gently in Balneo and the Phlegm only will ascend and you will have six ounces of the Salt of Wine to which Salt add again an equal quantity of its Spirit and digest again ten days and draw off the Phlegm pour new Spirit to the remaining Salt and proceed as above and thus may you increase the Salt of Wine as you please This latter way of making the Salt of Wine is not only the multiplication and addition as well of the quantity as quality of it but moreover is also the volatilization of it It is no wonder therefore that the Salt whose half part was Spirit of Philosophical Wine should so easily ascend with the same Spirit yet is it to be well observ'd lest we temper the aridity of the Salt of Wine too much with too great an addition of Vnctuosity and instead of a Menstruum of this Kind make a weaker of the second Kind What has been declared of Vegetable Menstruums is also to be understood of animal Menstruums for an Example we will instance 37. The animal Heaven of Parisinus In Apertorio TAke the Urine of Children between eight and twelve Years of Age of good disposition and health get that which is good and a good quantity and put it in many Glass Vessels which you must not fill above two thirds that it may the better circulate To every ten measures of Urine mix of our C. Philosophical Aqua ardens half a measure which must be without any Phlegm the Vessels being very well sealed with Wax let them putrefy fifteen days and then you will find the matter black and separated from its Terrestreity And you must know the longer it remains in putrefaction the more perfect will be the work every five days the Dung must be changed then pour it out into the Vessel which we described in the Vegetable Work and the Joynts being well luted distil till you see the sign which we spoke of in Chap. B. but for a more certain sign distil only two parts then take away the Receiver and put another to continuing the distillation till it remains like Syrup or melted Pitch then take these two parts reserved and distil by the same Balneo receiving three parts of four the remaining fourth cast away but distil half of these three and again distil three parts of four parts of this half which distil twice by themselves and thus will you have your Flower rectify'd with which we extract Acetum acerrimum out of its own Earth Take therefore this Earth being in the form of Syrup to which pour the Flower Spirit the height of three Fingers cover the Vessel with a blind Head and lute the Joynts with gumm'd Wax put it in putrefaction three natural Days and shake the
well as perfect Metals from power into action And though I may seem not to have delineated to you the Form of the Glass yet I know and do remember that I left some of them at your House and many other of our Cucurbits which are every one good Govern your self according to your discretion we having sufficiently manifested to you the way of Truth in this Chapter From the Receipts we observe 1. That the Menstruums of this seventh Kind differ from the former simple Menstruums not in matters nor in ways of making but in the weights and use of the Ingredients 2. That these Menstruums tinge not their dissolution which is the property of compound Menstruums Every Vegetable Mercury contains indeed its own tinging Sulphur in its Bowels sufficient both for it self and others as will be demonstrated in the third Book but especially in the fifth nevertheless we affirm that every Spirit of Philosophical Wine wants Tincture as being not acuated with things more tinging The Eighth KIND Vegetable Menstruums compounded of Simple Vegetable Menstruums and common Argent Vive or other Metals 41. The Ignis Gehennoe of Trismosinus made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and Mercury Sublimed Pag. 7. Aurei Velleris Germ. TAke of Alum calcined Nitre of each two parts of Salt decrepitated one part mix take of this mixture and Mercury sublimed of each one pound sublime by the Law of Art mix the sublimation with new mixture of Salts and sublime and that repeat three times To this Mercury thus sublimed and pulverized pour the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and draw it off in Balneo to an oleity cohobate sometimes and the fourth time will ascend the Mercury together with the Spirit of VVine rectify the distillation till it leaves no Faeces and it will be a VVater burning like Hell-Fire This VVater rectify again in Ashes till it ascends without leaving any Sediment lastly distil through a Paper seven times double in Balneo and you will have a VVater truly Spiritual which keep in a Vessel close stoped by reason it is very Volatile Annotations THe Kind immediately antecedent is indeed computed in the number of the greater Circulatums or Vegetable Menstruums compounded because the Menstruums of that Kind do in the power of dissolving excell the other Simple Menstruums but not in Tincture which that as well as those do want but we will now offer those which shall be better they will not only dissolve but in dissolving moreover tinge the things dissolved in them and so make them better they will not only extract the Essences of things but transmute whole Bodies into Magisteries Amongst these the Vegetable Mercurial Waters made of common Argent vive and simple Vegetable Menstruums have priority for many of the Adepts being so taught by Experience have called common Argent vive the open Metal for it is sooner dissolved than the other Metals and does by its aridity more temper the unctuosity of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine than the individuals hitherto used in the antecedent Kinds of Menstruums As concerning this matter hear the Philosophers and above the rest the great Paracelsus Prince without question of all the Adepts who saith If you intend to convert Metals into a Magistery and tinge the whole Body altogether into an Essence you must take the chief and open Metal to which all the rest have affinity in Nature and putrify it in its own Matrix which is situated in VVater and is call'd the Mother of all Metals Paracelsus his Circulatum minus made of common Salt purge it from superfluities and reduce it into its liquid first being that is the Metallick Acetum acerrimum the primum Ens of Mercury Lib. 10. Arch. Cap. 3. pag. 37. As a temperate Essence he goes on is drawn out of Herbs as out of a Vine for example by which very Essence the like Essence may be extracted out of all sorts of Herbs and Roots so as that the Mercury of VVine shews not its own Nature but the Nature of that with which it is essentiated for the like reason out of Metals and Minerals the like Mercury or Spirit is extracted out of the open and middle Metal Mercury Lib. 10. Arch. pag. 39. Mercury vive is the Mother of all the seven Metals and ought deservedly to be called the Mother of Metals for it is an open Metal Libro de rebus naturalibus pag. 87. VVherefore call to mind those things which have been said before of half perfect Natural Things among which Mercury vive is one which is not brought into compaction but left in liquidity Besides you must know that every generated thing which is open as Argent vive is like an open House into which every Man that will may enter for so lies Mercury open that every Physitian may take what he will from it but it is not so with Gold Silver Tin c. for that Gate is shut by coagulation till opened dissolved and reduced into the first matter by Art which Metals have indeed many impediments such as are not in Mercury for it is open and wants nothing but the direction of preparation Tract 2. lib. 2. de morbis metallicis 723. Basilius agrees with Paracelsus saying In the beginning of Generation the first of all is Argent vive being open and loosely coagulated because it hath little Salt communicated to it and therefore is more Spiritual than Corporeal the rest of the Metals being derived from its Essence have more Salt and therefore are made more Corporeal Lib. de rebus natural supernat Cap. 2. Chortalassaeus affirms the same saying Argent vive is of divers Colours white skyish ash blackish one slow another swift yet in it self an open Metal and hath a Body easily transmutable Cap. pag. 359. Volum sexti Theat Chym. In searching for Sulphur despair not saith Sendivogius I tell you by all that 's sacred it is in Gold and Silver most perfect but in Argent vive most easy Pag. 213. lib. de Sulphure Of the antient Philosophers I will add Arnold who in Lib. 1. Cap. 7. Rosarii saith The Medicine is as well in Metallick Bodies as also in Argent vive as to Nature because they are found to be of one Nature but indeed in these Bodies harder in the Argent vive nearer but not more perfectly In Argent vive alone it is found more easily and more nearly not more perfectly it being the Father of both those Luminaries and all things fusible for they are all derived from it and therefore are they all resolv'd into it because Nature embraceth its own Nature more amicably and rejoyceth with it more than with that which is Heterogeneous For in it is the facility of extracting that subtil substance Among the Metals there is none that sooner mixeth with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and is more easily altered than Argent vive wherefore the Adepts esteemed it as an open Metal all other Metals and Mineral Bodies are with
or second Experiment being both of the same strength then distil in hot Ashes with an Alembick and Receiver well luted which being all distill'd add new Salt to it again observing the same weight as before of the Salt as well as Water then distil again as before and this same way distil four times to every distillation adding new Salt as before and distilling in Ashes and so will you have a Mercurial Water fit for all Physical Operations Then take common Mercury washed with Vinegar and Salt and strained through a Goats Skin put it in a Vessel and if there be one Ounce of Mercury add four Ounces of the aforesaid Mineral Water and having put on a blind Head in Ashes let it boyl gently and it will in a short time be all dissolved empty the dissolution into another Vessel warily that if any Terrestreity be left in the bottom it may be separated from the said dissolution as a thing of no effect you may this way dissolve as much Mercury as you will Then take the aforesaid Mercury dissolved and putrify thirty Days in Balneo or hot Dung which must be changed every ten Days that the heat may endure and not be extinguished having putrify'd remove the Vessel and putting on an Alembick to with an Urinal and Receiver well luted distil all the Water in Balneo and the Mercury will remain in the Vessel white as Snow then pour to it so much of this Water which you now distilled as to be four Fingers above it the rest of the Water keep in its Vessel well stopp'd in a cold place then putting a blind Head upon its Vessel and sealing the Joynts putrify a Natural Day then taking away the blind Head and putting on an Alembick with a Receiver close luted distil in Ashes and increase the Fire that the Soul may pass over into its distilled Water lastly distillation ceasing let the Vessel cool take away the Receiver and keep it well stopp'd for that which is distill'd therein is the animated Spirit but to the matter remaining in the Vessel that is the Urinal pour again of the distilled Water so much as will swim four Fingers above it and having put on a blind Head putrify as before and taking away the blind Head by turns and putting on an Alembick with its Receiver wherein you kept the other part of the animated Spirit the Joynts being well luted distil again by Ashes and lastly increase the Fire for the Soul to go over into the distilled Water as before then the Vessel being cold keep the animated Spirit in the Receiver as before well stopp'd and to the matter remaining in the bottom pour again new Water as before and putrify as before distilling in Ashes pour the Spirit into the same Receiver where you kept the other thus repeat the Magistery till the Body remains dead black and void of all moisture which you will prove by this sign take a little of this black Body or Earth and lay it upon a hot Plate and if it fumes not nor flyes away from Fire then take that Earth and put into a little Glass-Globe wel luted and the Mouth well stopp'd set in a reverberating Fire the space of twenty four hours then remove that calcined Earth and put it in hot ashes very well stopp'd to prevent the attracting of any moisture Then take the animated Water and rectify it seven times in Ashes which animated and vivifyed Water divide into two parts whereof one we will use for the vivisying of the Earth the other for the dissolving of Sol and Luna Then take one part of the said Water and know the weight of the Earth reserved before grind first put it in an Urinal then pour upon it of the aforesaid Water a fourth part of its weight and joyning a blind Head to it well luted set the Vessel in Balneo not to touch the Water of the Balneo but for the matter to be heated by the vapour only and so let it remain four days then having taken away the blind Head and put on an Alembick distil in Ashes with a gentle heat like that of the Sun and an insipid Liquor will flow over which cast away as nothing worth then again imbibe with a fourth part of the animated Spirit as above digesting as above and distilling the Liquor by Ashes as above This Magistery thus repeat till the whole Body hath re-assumed its Liquor or Soul and remains white as Snow which Body take out dry and grind being ground put it into a small Cucurbit strongly luted with lutum sapientioe and the Mouth of the Cucurbit stopp'd with Cotton and set the Vessel in a Furnace of Ashes but take notice if the Fire be too violent the matter will turn into Oyl and cannot be sublimed besides there will be danger of breaking the Vessel as has happened to us and therefore we are willing to advise you to continue an easy heat till the matter be sublimed This also observe that this way of subliming may also be done in the Fire of an Athanor but then the matter will not be sublimed in less than the space of three or four days which sublimation will indeed be most white as the Scales of Fish or as Talk Then warily take out the Magnesia the first matter of our common Mercury our Sal Armoniack our Sulphur which keep in a small Cucurbit well stopp'd in Ashes warm as the Sun but that which remains in the bottom and cannot be sublimed cast away because of no efficacy its precious Seed being vacuated Here he dissolves Mercury with calcined Jupiter upon an Iron Plate per deliquium with which he cohobates the Vegetable Salt of the first or second Experiment Salt of Tartar impregnated with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or sublimed into a Vegetable Sal Armoniack in equal weight yet by degrees through an Alembick instead of this Menstruum may be taken the Vegetable Heaven of Lully with this Menstruum he dissolves common Argent vive and reduceth it into a white Oyl out of which Oyl he draws the animated Spirit repeating the Work till the Earth of the Mercury remains black fixed and without fume on a hot Plate This exanimated and reverberated Earth he revivifies by imbibing it with a fourth part of the animated Spirit seven times rectify'd till it becomes white and volatile which then he sublimes into a Mercurial Sal Armoniack the making of which differs not from the antecedent Descriptions of the Sal Armoniacks but if it be mixed with four parts of Lully 's Vegetable Heaven that which is call'd the incalcinated Menstruum is made from thence and so much the stronger as that Sal Armoniack is stronger than the Oyl of Mercury but if this first matter of Mercury be circulated according to its time you will make a Menstruum deserving the Name of Mercurial Heaven Guido prepares the incalcinated Menstruum not from common Mercury but the Mercury of Metals Sol or Luna 47. The
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
new Arcanum of Salt Circulatum minus that the impure may be precipitated to the bottom but the pure turn'd into Cristals sublime the same in a close Reverberatory being sublimed turn it up continually till it comes to a redness this sublimation extract with the Spirit of Wine rectifyed to the highest Philosophical Wine seperate the Spirit of Wine by distillation the remainder the dry Tincture or Crocus of Mercury dissolve upon a Marble per deliquium and digest for a Month pour new Spirit of Wine to it digest for a time and distil Then will the Arcanum of the primum Ens or first being of Mercury rise over in a liquid substance which is by the Philosophers called Metallick Acetum acerrimum and in our Archidoxyes Circulatum majus And the same is to be understood of Antimony Gemms and all other Metals Annotations THere is a great difference between this and the precedent Kind though they both treat of Mercurial Waters The antecedent were made of crude Mercury This Circulatum of Paracelsus is indeed made of Mercury but first fixed The precedent were most clear these greater Circulatums are indeed most clear but also most red and so much better in their Tinctures than the precedent The Receipt we will consider as divided into its parts in the first of which Paracelsus sublimes Argent vive so often till it be made like fixed Cristal that is like mineral or common Cristal clear and transparent As this part is common so it less needs explaining In his Book De Renovat Restaur he takes only Mineral Gold or Antimony for the same Work which Bodies notwithstanding are more bound up than the open Metal Mercury and for this reason it may seem to be fit enough for dissolution in Circulated Salt without sublimation For the illustration of the Receipt we will add the Description of the said Book Take of mineral Gold or Antimony most finely ground one Pound of Salt Circulated four Pounds being mixed digest them together in Horse-Dung for a Month from thence will spring a Water wherefore the pure must be separated from the impure coagulate it into a Stone which calcine with Wine cenificated lenificated and separate again and dissolve upon a Marble Let this Water be putrified for a Month from it will be produced a Liquor wherein are all such Signs as in the primum Ens of Gold or Antimony wherefore we deservedly call it the primum Ens of those things It is no otherwise to be understood of Mercury and other things also In the second part he dissolves Mercury being so sublimed in Salt Circulated the primum Ens of Salt the Arcanum of Salt the Water of Salt Circulated Synonima's of Paracelsus his Circulatum minus putrifies or digests precipitates with new Circulated Salt filters and lastly reduceth it into Cristals or Philosophical Vitriol In the Receipt of Lib. de Renov he adds the weights of things Take saith he of mineral Gold or Antimony one Pound of Salt Circulated four Pounds and then digests and separates the impure from the pure and coagulates into Cristals Sometimes he dissolves Bodies by some mineral Menstruum which he draws off two or three times from them and sweetens them again by taking away all the acidity so far as he is able with common Water Thus he dissolves common Sulphur in the strongest Aqua fortis Paracelsus his Aqua regis to be described in the eighteenth Kind cohobates three times into a black Matter which he sweetens with distilled Water Libro de morte rerum For it is much at one whether Gold or Antimony be dissolved by the Circulatum minus only and reduced into a Philosophical Vitriol or whether Argent vive for the abbreviation of time be in the sublimation of it first impregnated with the acidity of Salts and so made more open for the Work and then mixed with the Circulatum minus purified by digestion and precipitation and lastly reduced into a Philosophical Vitriol or whether to make the time yet shorter Sulphur be mixed with a mineral Menstruum that is an acid and the Circulatum minus mixed together and then freed from the acid so as with the Circulatum minus to be made the same Philosophical Vitriol for which way soever Philosophical Vitriol is made it comes to one and the same effect but of these Vitriols hereafter in the Receipts of mineral Menstruums In the third part he sublimes the Stones or Cristals of the Mercury in a close Reverberatory that is a Philosophical Egg always turning it up till the Vitriol of the Mercury is at length fixed into a most red Precipitate This part the Sublimations of Sulphur and Antimony in a close Reverberatory will illustrate The strongest Aqua fortis being often drawn off from the Sulphur the remaining matter being made thereby black and then sweetned he reverberates that is sublimes in a close Reverberatory and being sublimed turns up the close Reverberatory or Philosophical Egg so oft and continually till it comes to a redness as Antimony saith he which will become first white sublimate then yellow thirdly red precipitate as Cinnabar which being obtained you ought to rejoyce for it is the beginning of your Riches This reverberated Sulphur gives a most deep tincture to any Luna reducing it into most excellent Gold and preserves a Man's Body in most perfect Health This reverberated fixed Sulphur observe is of so great Virtue as is not fitting to declare Libro de morte rerum pag. 95. The Reverberation of Antimony is in pag. 67. Chyr majoris hus Take of Antimony reduced into a most fine Alcool into Philosophical Vitriol with the Circulatum minus by the way of Mercury in the Circulatum majus or again into a black and sweetned matter by the way of Sulphur what quantity you will let it be reverberated in a close Reverberatory for the space of one Month continually turning up the Reverberatory till the matter will be no more sublimed and it will be Volatile and Light first White then Yellow then Red lastly of a Purple or Violet Colour The Antimony being thus fixed by sublimation he extracts the tincture by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which tincture he calls the most Noble most Precious and only not Divine Essence of Lily In the fourth part he dissolves Mercury being precipitated and extracted by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine per deliquium and digests with new Spirit of Philosophical Wine and cohobates till it ascends through the Alembick into the primum Ens or Essence of Mercury Mercury Circulated the Circulatum majus prepared from Mercury c. In the Receipt we observe 1. That Argent vive Antimony Sulphur yea Gold Silver and all the other Metals being dissolved in some simple Vegetable Menstruum then reverberated or by sublimation fixed dissolved per deliquium and distill'd into a liquid substance are Argent vive Antimony Sulphur Gold Silver c. Circulated or the Circulatum majus made of Mercury Antimony Sulphur
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
these seven sublimations must always be transacted in Aludels because you will no other way separate the adustible powder ascending in the Aludels And to instruct you that you may not err I will more distinctly repeat the method of the said seven Sublimations The way is this to take a Glass Vessel like one of the narrower sort of Cucurbits with its blind Head perforated in the upper part of it into this put two parts of Vitriol very well pulverized of Mercury one part and of Salt prepared one part mixing all well the Matter being now gently dryed put on a blind Head or rather an Aludel yet observing not to cover the Cucurbit with Ashes above one third the moisture being evaporated by an easie heat stop the Hole of the Aludel with a little Cotton and increasing sublime all being cold take out that which is sublimed as well out of the Aludel as the Cucurbit in which if not yet cold dissolve the Faeces with hot Water and so you will easily cleanse the said Vessel for its use Now mix new Matters with your sublimation and sublime as before and this repeat seven times then grind the sublimation into a most fine Powder put it in the aforesaid Cucurbit with its blind Head or Aludel and also with its common Alembick because of the operation differing from the former the sublimation being put into a Cucurbit pour to it of the simple Animal or Vegetable Menstruum the Animal Menstruum described in Numb 37. or Vegetable in Numb 29. but here above he order'd him to take Vegetable Water rectify'd that is Aqua ardens so much as to be three Fingers above it cover it with a blind Head and digest in Ashes twelve Hours then taking off the blind Head put on a common Alembick and draw off the Menstruum in Balneo lay aside the Alembick again and put on an Aludel set the Vessel in Ashes so deep as to cover the Matter in the Glass give Fire by degrees till all the moisture is exhaled the Hole in the upper part of the Aludel stop with Cotton increase the Fire that the Mercury may be sublimed Sublimation being ended and the Vessels cold take away the Aludel and what you find sublimed in it is not for our purpose for it is that adust part which is no Ingredient to our Magistery Then gather the sublimation from the sides of the Cucurbit which will be clear as Cristal and have a care that it be not mix'd with its Faeces grind sift and put it into the same Vessel being cleansed from the Faeces and pour the Menstruum drawn off in Balneo to it cover the Vessel with an Aludel digest twelve Hours as before lay aside the Aludel put on a common Alembick distil in Balneo lay aside this Alembick put on an Aludel and sublime in Ashes the Faeces as also the adustive part being cast out of the Aludel gather the middle substance out of the Cucurbit dexterously with this method you must sublime seven times or till it leaves no Faeces in the Cucurbit Having obtained this sign take the said substance grind and put it in a Glass Vessel pour to it the simple either Animal or Vegetable Menstruum the height of three Fingers cover the Vessel with a blind Head digest gently two Days in Ashes then decant the dissolution into another Vessel and that which remains in the Vessel dry with a temperate heat like that of the Sun to which pour new Menstruum covering the Vessel with a blind Head as before and repeat the same method till all the dissolvible part is dissolved and in the bottom of the Glass will remain an indissolvible Earth to be cast away as nothing worth Now take away dissolution that is your decantations and distil in Balneo and the Menstruum being distilled put on an Aludel and in Ashes sublime the Cristalline substance which may truly be called the first Matter of Mercury this is that middle substance with which we incalcinate our Menstruum Circulatum majus described in Numb 50. and make infinite particulars as we have taught you before This also is called the Mineral Stone Now my Son will you be able to proceed by infinite ways yet following these which I have shewed you and remember that Mercury thus reduced is that which our Captain Raymond speaks of making mention of the Mineral Stone as also in the last Chapter of his Book nam'd Vade mecum and in many other places of his Volumes This is that Mercury which Arnold de Villa nova treats of in his Rosarium and we declare to you except Mercury be reduced into the first Matter with the said Vegetable or Animal Water it is altogether impossible to do any good with it by reason of its great Corruption occasioned by the crudity of it From the Receipts of this Kind we observe 1. That Menstruums may and ought to be made according to the designed uses for they are desired not only to dissolve Bodies promiscuously but rightly also that the tinctures of things dissolved may not by any Heterogeneous tinctures of the Menstruums be inquinated but rather illustrated 2. That these Menstruums being once compounded the oftner the Composition is repeated by adding new Matter are endowed with so much a greater Virtue whereas on the contrary it is manifest that common Menstruums are this way debilitated 3. That these Menstruums are most fragrant and of exceeding sweetness and redness yet nevertheless called Acetum acerrimum which dissolves Gold into a Spirit 4. That these Menstruums are the Essences or Magisteries of Metals made by Magisteries or Essences and mix'd together into compounded Circulatums 5. That these compounded Circulatums may be made not only of Gold and Silver but also of imperfect Metals and Minerals 6. That Sal Armoniack may be made of Corals and other arids as well as Pearls 7. That Parisinus his first Matter of Mercury is an Essence rather than a Magistery it is indeed sooner prepared than the Mercurial Sal Armoniack of Lully but is not of the same but less Virtue 8. That Parisinus defends Arnold de villa nova in his way of subliming Mercury described in the Rosarium against his Consort Bernhard 9. That this first Matter of Mercury is a Poyson wherefore Parisinus the Author gives caution that it is not to he used for humane Medicines but Metals only yet if this incalcinated Menstruum be Circulated as the rest it becomes harmless and an excellent Medicine The Eleventh KIND Vegetable compounded Menstruums graduated made of the compounded Vegetable Menstruums impregnated with the influences of Heaven and Earth 57. The Etherial and Terrestrial Waters of Metals of Lully for the making of Pretious Stones Canon 43. distinct 1. Lib. Quint. Essen TAke the Water of Mercury made by the way which we declared in our Novissimum Testamentum and in Libro Mercuriorum the Mercurial Menstruum or Glorious Water of common Argent vive described before in Numb 44. and in
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
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
upon it and shake it very often every Day for a Month a Week then separate the Vinegar by a Filtre and take only that which is clear without Faeces and put it in Balneo to distil and after the separation of the Vinegar you will find at the bottom of the Vessel a white or sky-Coloured Water which take and being put in a Bladder five double to keep out the Water dissolve it in Balneo into a cristalline Water put that Water in a Distillatory and if you will separate the Elements from it or distil the dissolved Water which rectifie in a Circulatory and the Earth which remained in the bottom in the distillation calcine till it grows like a Sponge and then is it very sit to reassume its Mercury separated from it that a new Generation may be made and a Son brought forth which is called King of Fire and which is so great in the Love of all the Philosophers Cap. 17. Philos Pag. 220. Of this Work Ripley made mention Cap. 4. of the same Book Pag. 194. Saying There is moreover another Work in Gum produced by Vinegar from red Saturn out of which is the separation of the Elements made after it is dissolved in Bladders The Menstruums of Gum Adrop which way soever made were called stinking Menstruums because of the stinking smell This Water saith Ripley hath a most sharp taste and partly also a stinking smell and therefore is called stinking Menstruum Assa foetida also is so called from the smell which our Mercury hath when it is newly extracted out of its polluted Body because that smell is like Assa foetida according to the Philosopher who saith That stink is worst before the preparation of this Water which after the circulating of it into a Quintessence and good preparation it is pleasant and very delectable and becomes a Medicine against the Leprosie and all other Diseases without which Gold vive you can never make the true potable Gold which is the Elixir of Life and Metals Adrop Phil. Pag. 548. Volum 6. Theat Chym. These Menstruums they called White Fume because of their white and opake Colour It is also called White Fume saith Ripley nor without cause for in distillation a white fume goeth out first before the red Tincture which ascending into the Alembick makes the Glass white as Milk from whence it is also called Lac Virginis or Virgins Milk In the same place Out of the red Fume or red Tincture otherwise call'd the Blood of the Green Lyon the Adepts did by rectification alone prepare two Mercuries namely red and white Upon this occasion saith Ripley I will teach you a general Rule If you would make the white Elixir you must of necessity divide your Tincture the Blood of the Green Lyon into two parts whereof one must be kept for the red Work but the other distill'd with a gentle Fire and you will obtain a white Water which is our white Tincture our Eagle our Mercury and Virgins Milk When you have these two Tinctures or the white and red Mercury you will be able to practise upon their own Earth or upon the Calx of Metals for the Philosophers say we need not care what substance the Earth is of c. Adr. Phil. p. 554. Vol. 6. Theat Chy. Roger Bacon made a two-fold Mercury thus 64. The Green Lyon of Roger Bacon A Raymundo Ganfrido in verbo abbreviato de Leone Viridi Pag. 264. Thesauri Chymici Baconis THe abbreviated most true and approved Word of hidden things being manifested I have in a short Discourse abreviated to you in the Work of Luna and Sol in the first place earnestly requiring the Readers not to expose so Noble a Pearl to be trodden upon by Dogs or Swine for this is the Secret of all the Philosophers Secrets the Garden of Delights Spices and all Treasures into which he that hath once entred will want no more Now that Word not without cause desired by many Men was first declared by our eminent Doctor Roger Bacon afterwards J. Fryer Raymund Jeffery Minister General of the Order of the Fryers Minors took care to explain the Word with as much brevity as I could to the Sons of Philosophy In the Name of Christ then take a great quantity of the strongest Vinegar diligently distilled through an Alembick in which dissolve a good quantity of the Green Lyon being dissolved distil through a Filtre and keep it in Glass Cucurbits well stopp'd If any remarkable part of the Lyon remains undissolved dissolve it with the aforesaid Vinegar and distil through a Filtre and being dissolved joyn it with the other Waters before reserved in the Cucurbits then take the reserved Waters dissolutions and distil them all in Balneo Marioe applying Alembicks to them well luted that the Cucurbits may not respire put Fire under and receive all the Waters which will be distilled but have a care that the dissolved Lyon be not altogether congealed in the Cucurbits but that it may remain liquid or soft then take all the Cucurbits and put all that is in them into one Cucurbit which lute well with its Alembick and put it in a Furnace of Ashes as is fitting and put a gentle Fire under because of the temper of the Glass and because of the Heterogeneous moisture which is in the Lyon to be rooted out And take notice that must be always done with a gentle Fire but when the Heterogeneous moisture is gone over strengthen the Fire by little and little and have an Eye continually to the Beak of the Alembick if a red Liquor begins to go over but if it does not yet go over continue the aforesaid Fire till it doth but when you see the red Liquor distil change the Receiver forthwith and lute it well to the Beak of the Alembick and then strengthen the Fire and you will have the Blood of the Lyon exceeding red containing the four Elements very odoriferous and fragrant after due putrefaction keep it therefore in a good Phial well stopp'd Then take the Blood and put it in a Phial close stopp'd to putrefie and digest in hot Dung changing the Dung every five Days there to be digested for the space of fifteen or sixteen Days and this is done that the Elementary parts may be dissolved and be fitter to be divided into the four Elements and that by distillation being putrify'd fifteen or sixteen Days take it out and put it into a sit Cucurbit to be distilled with a gentle Fire in Balneo Marioe but it is enough for the Water to boyl with the Fire take the Water distilled and the Faeces which you find at the bottom of the Cucurbit keep carefully the Water which you distilled distil seven times always reserving the Faeces which it makes with the other Faeces reserved before and so you will have a splendid Water clear and white as Cristal and very ponderous which is said to be the Philosophers Mercury hidden by all the Philosophers and
108. The Heat of the Male pag. 72. The Female Venus is in this case the Male and is not so hot as the true second Male Gold Pag. 73. Vol. 4. Theat Chym. This Male also Espanietus mentioneth in the making of his Menstruum Take saith he the winged Virgin compleatly washed and cleansed impregnated with the spiritual Seed of the first Male c. Sect. 58. Arcani Hermet Phil. Paracelsus the better to express the Masculine Nature of Venus calls it Metallus a Noun of the Masculine Gender as Metallus primus Take saith he the Coralline Liquor I mean that which is very diaphanous to which add a fifth part of the Vitriol of Venus digest them in Balneo for a month for by this means the Wine of the first Metal separates it self aloft but the feculent part of this Wine the Vitriol of Venus retains he means the residue left in the extraction of Vitriol and so that first Metal Metallus primus is made a perspicuous diaphanous and truly red Wine c. Cap. 12. Lib. 3. De Vita longa Pag. 65. As the Adepts call'd Venus the first Metal Metallus primus in the Masculine Gender so also they changed Saturnus Saturn a Noun of the Masculine Gender into Saturna a Noun of the Feminine Gender to signifie not common Lead but Venus being a Feminine Noun of Copper I have saith Ripley a dear and beloved Daughter named Saturna from which Daughter are both the white and red Elixirs assuredly procreated if therefore you desire this Science you must extract a clear water from her c. Sometimes to describe by Saturn not only Venus but also the Philosophical preparation of Copper that is to be performed by a Vegetable Menstruum they made it a Vegetable or Herb that so they might distinguish that which was from that which was not prepared Thus Flamel in his Summary Some unskilful men and unlearnest Chymists take common Gold Silver and Mercury and handle them so ill till they vanish away by fume and thereby endeavour to make the Philosophers Mercury but they do not attain to that which is the first Matter and true Myne of the Stone But if they would attain to that and reap any good they must betake themselves to the seventh Mountain where there is no Plain and from the top downward behold the other six which they will see at great distance At the top of this Mountain you will find a triumphant Royal Herb which some Philosophers call a Mineral some a Vegetable and if pure and clean Broth be made thereof the better part of the work will be hereby accomplished and this right and subtil Philosophical Mercury must you take This Place is thus read in Chortalassaeus pag. 313. Vol. 6. Theat Chym. Ascend therefore the Mountain that you may see the Vegetable Saturnine Plumbeous and Royal likewise also Mineral Root or Herb take only the Juice of it and throw away the Husks The Fourteenth KIND Simple Mineral Menstruums made of the acid or saline Essences of Salts 71. The Water or Oyl of Salt of Paracelsus Cap. 3. Lib. 10. Arch. Pag. 38. THough there be many ways of extracting the primum Ens of Salt yet this method of making Salt circulated the Circulatum minus of Salt the dissolving Water the Water or Spirit of Salt circulated described above in Numb 27. is most commodious and expeditious and after this is that other way which we mentioned speaking of the Elixir of Salt namely that new Salt being mix'd well with the dissolving Water which is the distilled Spirit of Salt circulated must be putrefied and so long distilled till the whole substance of the Salt is dissolved and reduced into a perpetual oleosity the Body of Phlegm being drawn neatly from it This way is also taught the preparation of the Arcanum or Magistery of Vitriol and Tartar as of all other Salts Annotations WE take notice that the Menstruums of the antecedent Kind are made of the unctuous Matter of Philosophical Wine purged dissolved and volatilized with an acid in the present we shall observe the contrary namely that the acid or saline Essences of Salts made with the unctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine are Menstruums of this fourteenth Kind Paracelsus in the prescribed Receipt reduced Salts by cohobation alone with the Water of Salt circulated into a liquid substance or Oyl but the Oyl made of common Salt by the method aforesaid he commends before the rest to his Disciples for the extractions of Metallick Bodies Certainly saith he there cannot be a more Noble and better way than by the Water or Oyl of Salt prepared as we have clearly described in Alchymia and in Libris Chyrurgicis For this Water fundamentally and radically extracts out of all Metallick Bodies their Natural Liquor or Sulphur and a most excellent Crocus as well for Medicinal as Chymical Operations It resolves and breaks any Metal whatsoever converting it out of its own Metallick Nature into another according to the various intention and industry of the Operator Manuale de Lap. Phil. pag. 139. It will therefore be worth while to explain the way of making this Oyl of Salt more clearly to you First for the illustration of the Receipt we will propose the Description of the Oyl of Salt alleadged by the Author himself in the eighth Book of his Archidoxes which in the Elixir of Salt Pag. 31. we read thus Take Salt accurately prepared most white and most pure put it into a Pellican with such a quantity of the dissolving Water as to exceed the weight of it six times Digest them in Horse-Dung together the space of a Month then separate the dissolving Water by distillation pour it again to it and separate as before and that so oft till the Salt is converted into Oyl By comparing the Receipts it appears that Sea-Salt newly made is not to be understood by new Salt but the same exquisitely purifyed Then it is clear that the weight of the Water of the circulated Salt omitted in the Receipt of the tenth Book ought to be so determined as to be six times more than the weight of the Salt Moreover the time and place of putrefaction omitted in the former process are described in the other that is to be digested a Month in Horse-Dung Besides it is from the Receipts observed that all the Salt is not converted into Oyl the Body of the Salt being drawn as a Phlegm from the Essence Lastly that the Oyls of Vitriol and Tartar may be also made by the same method The Receipts being thus compared are not only without all obscurity but do by the exuberance of their Light give Light also to other Processes being otherwise less intelligible So this Oyl of Salt as the Essence or primum Ens of Salt explains that more obscure Description of the Essence of Salts given in Libro 4. Archid. Pag. 14. Take Salts and calcine them throughly if they be Volatile burn sublime them after that resolve them into
a tenuity per deliquium and distil them into a Water through a Filter This Water putrefy not by it self but as the Disciples of the Art ought to understand and know with the Water of Salt circulated for a Month and distil by Balneo and a sweet Water will ascend the Body of the Salt by the way of a Phlegm which cast away That which will not ascend digest again with new dissolving Water another Month and distil as before and that so oft till no more sweetness is perceived By this way you have now the Quintessence of Salt in the bottom like an Oyl scarce two Ounces out of a Pound of the burned or calcined Salt One Ounce of this Salt thus extracted if common seasoneth Meat more than half a Pound of another for the Quintessence of it remains only and the Body is drawn from it by liquid solution This way is the Quintessence of all Salts separated This Process being thus enlightned by the rayes of the antecedent reflects no small Light upon the said Receipts namely that scarce two Ounces are acquired from one Pound of the Salts In Clavi Archidoxorum Lib. 10. Pag. 37. Paracelsus has described the Essences of Salts in these Words The way of extracting the Quintessence of Salts as Vitriol Salt Nitre Tartar c. is this Cohobate with its own Liquor or Water very often putrify with the Phlegm and then draw off the Body in the form of Phlegm even to the fixed Spirit This Spirit dissolve in its own Water and by a strong heat separate the pure from the impure with the Spirit of Wine This Description is most obscure but made clearer by those aforesaid The meaning of Paracelsus is this He putrefies the Salts and cohobates them so often with their own Liquors or Waters that is with their own Circulatums common Salt with common Salt circulated Nitre with Nitre circulated Vitriol with the Water of Vitriol circulated Alume with the Water of Alume circulated the dissolving Water of Alume the Circulatum minus of Alume c. till they remain at the bottom in the form of an Oyl which Oyl being either acid or saline easily makes an effervescence with the unctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine or its own Circulatum and in this heat le ts fall some of its impurities and so becomes purer which thing is confirmed by the Description it self of the Water of Salt circulated where he putrefies Salt being melted and resolved per deliquium with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine cohobates and draws it to an Oleity Joyn it saith he with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and the impure will fall to the bottom which separate but let the pure be Cristallized in a cold place pour the distillation to it again and cohobate so oft till a fixed Oyl remains at the bottom and nothing sweet will more distill Moreover this Oyl of Salt as a Menstruum makes his Process in Chyrurgia intelligible which otherwise could not be understood 72. The Water of Salt by another Description of Paracelsus Cap. 2. Tract 3. part 2. Chyr major Pag. 66. TAke Salt without any addition of Art being most white by Nature it self Sal Gemmoe which must be divers times melted then being reduced into a most fine Powder mixt with the Juice of Raphanus stir them together after resolution distil distil the distillation with an equal quantity of the Juice of Sanguinea five times more In this Water are Plates of Sol being purged by Antimony easily resolved into Powder this Powder being thus prepared must be washed with sweet Water distilled till it hath no taste of Salt for the Salt not entring into the substance of it is easily washed away In this Process Sal Gemmae being fused by the method of the Water of Salt circulated is dissolved in the Juice of Raphanus evaporated and resolved per deliquium then six times distilled with an equal proportion of the Juice of Sanguinea In the antecedent Description of this Oyl of Salt this fusion of the Salt dissolution in the Juice of Raphanus and resolution per deliquium is not necessary because the Water of Salt Circulated is sufficient of it self to separate the Essence of Salt from its Phlegm But where we use the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in making the Water of Salt circulated without the said previous preparation of the Salt we should have the Work too tedious In the mean time both Processes agree in weight of Menstruum for it is all one whether the Salt be cohobated into an Oyl with six times as much of the dissolving Water or distilled six times with the Juice of Sanguinea in equal weight One thing that mades the latter Process inexplicable is the unknown Juice of Sanguinea but however it is evident by what hath been said that either the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or the Water of Salt circulated supplies its place Basilius indeed resolved common Salt with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine not into an Oyl but reduced into it a Green Stone thus Viride Salis of Basilius In supplemento Libri de conclusion TAke common Salt calcine it well yet without fusion reduce it to a Powder resolve per deliquium in a Cellar or in Raphanus made hollow then distil in Sand with a quick Fire and a Water will ascend the residue in the bottom pulverize and dissolve it in its distilled Water and distil again this repeat till all the Salt has ascended which will be in the fourth or fifth time Draw off the Phlegm from the distilled Water in Balneo the remainder put into a Cellar in cold Water and you will have Cristals which take out and dissolve in the Phlegm then draw off one half and you will find new Cristals repeat the Operation four times or more for the oftner the more fusible will be the Cristals which being dryed and pulverized on a Marble pour to them the rectify'd Spirit of Philosophical Wine which cohobate from the Salt so oft till you perceive the Oyl of Salt coagulated into a Green transparent Stone which reserve Paracelsus in his Receipts appointed the calcination of Salt to be done by the fusion of it but in this Process Basilius prohibits this liquefaction of Salt wherefore we conclude it to be little essential in the said depuration of Salt nor do we think it so necessary for the Salt being resolved per deliquium to be distilled thereby to be made a fusible Salt Paracelsus having taught how to make the same Oyl out of fused Salt which Oyl Paracelsus himself besides Basilius in many places affirms to be of a Green Colour Thus we read of the Green Oyl of Salt Libro de male curatis Pag. 170. Chyr Majoris Of the Greens of Salt Libro 4. de Gradibus Pag. 154. From the Receipts we observe 1. That these Menstruums are the Essences of Salts not tinging 2. That the Oyls or Essences of tinging Salts as Vitriol c. may also be made by the same method
this Kind are made not only of Mineral Salts not tinging but also of Vegetable Alcalies thus 83. The fixative Water of Trithemius Pag. 37. Aurei Veller Germ. TAke Aqua fortis mix'd with the Spirit of Wine described above in Numb 74. whereto add of the Oyl of Tartar per deliquium half a Pound distil the Spirit throw away the Phlegm and dissolve the remaining Earth or Salt in the Spirit Keep the solution for the fixing of things but for volatilization the Salt of Tartar must be cohobated so oft till it ascends as the common Salt in the Eating Water Hereto is referred the Menstruum called 84. The Aqua Mirabilis of Isaacus Cap. 29. 2 Oper. Min. pag. 91. Manus Phil. TAke old Urine distil with a weak Fire then a stronger that whatsoever can may ascend rectifie the destillation taking away all the Fatness or Oyl till it leaves no Faeces behind it The Caput Mortuum left in the bottom calcine the space of two hours but without fusion of the Salt draw all the saltness from the calcined Matter with common Water evaporate the Liquor to a thin skin that the Salt may be Cristalized repeat sometimes that the Salt may be made most pure which dissolve in the distilled Urine Then take of this regenerated Urine six pounds of distilled Vinegar and Spirit of Philosophical Wine of each three measures of Common Salt two pounds of Sal Armoniack and calcined Tartar of each half a pound dissolve them all together into an Aqua Mirabilis The like Water almost hath Basilius but that he distils his through an Alembick the Description of which followeth 85. The Resuscitative Water of Basilius Pag. 81. Currus Triumphalis Antim TAke of the Salt of Mans Urine clarified and sublimed of Sal Armoniack and Salt of Tartar of each one part mix the Salts pour strong Philosophical Vinegar to them lute with lutum sapientioe digest the Salts for a Month in a continual heat then distil the Vinegar by Ashes till the Salts remain dry then mix them with three parts of Venetian Earth force them with a strong Fire through the Retort and you will have a wonderful Spirit for the making of Running Mercury out of Antimony The same Water we find also pag. 39. of his Manual Operations The Adepts have sometimes used some crude Oyley Matter instead of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in making these Menstruums thus Paracelsus volatilized four Salts into a Menstruum of this Kind with Wax dissolved in Aqua fortis 86. The Water of Sallabrum of Paracels Libro de reductione Metallorum in Argentum vivum sive Tractatu 4. Rosarii novi Olympici Bened Figuli pag. 24. TAke notice there is no shorter Method of reducing Metals into Mercury known to us than that which we used in our Book de putrefactione quatuor Salium which we there called Sallabrum as thus each of those Salts as lower must be converted into a pure Water or Oyl per deliquium which being mixed in equal weight are called Lac Veterum or Milk of the Ancients Which Philosophical Milk put into a strong Receiver and distil the Spirits of calcined Vitriol calcined Alume and the best Niter ana five times upon it and the mixture will be called Flying Eagle carrying Metals in its Talons aloft such a Metal being sublim'd grind to powder from which draw the Spirit of strong Wine being poured to it the height of a Finger three or four times gently in Balneo and you will have a quick or running Metal as common Mercury Now the Eagle is made volatile thus To the Philosophers Milk acuated with the said Spirits or Eagle pour Wax being very well liquefied and purged about the thickness of a Finger distil the Phlegms together with the Spirits by a Cucurbit in Balneo which Matter must be cohobated so often till they are all coagulated or well mixed and you will have the Philosophers Borax which we wrote of in our Book de virtute Vitrioli wherein the Volatile Eagle absconded it self with its Feathers namely Spirits Now take the Calx of what Metal you please made of Aqua fortis one part of the Flying Eagle half a part mix putrefie nine days the longer the better then sublime the Matter upon Sand in a Cucurbit well luted and all the Metal you took will ascend wherewith proceed as before Sallabrum described in the Book mentioned de putrefactione quatuor Salium Take Sal Niter Sal Gemmoe common Salt Pot-Ashes an equal quantity of each dissolve every one by it self and purge it from all Terrestreity out of all being mixed together make a clear and transparent Water which again coagulate in a clean Vessel and you will find the Salt of another colour namely yellow penetrating and sweetning dissolving and fixing Love and esteem this Salt because there are many Secrets in it for it fixeth the Volatile and vivifieth the Spirit being dead and mollifieth the hard and friable and freeth from any Leprosie and Poyson sixeth Arsenick and moreover is the promoter of many famous works to a happy and desired End In the first place let us admonish you to beware of this and such like Menstruums for a Mystery lies in these Receipts which to observe is necessary lest you begin to doubt the Truth of them after many most dangerous Experiments tried in vain for you Beginners let this suffice that it is impossible for Wax or any other oyley Matter to supply the place of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine There would be no need of this Spirit in the whole Art if crude oyley things could perform the same as this most pure and most unctuous Liquor No man but he that is expert in the Method of preparing the Spirit of Philosophical Wine can make these Menstruums whereas all the rest may be made by any Ideot if he hath but the Spirit of this Wine given him The Adepts do in these Receipts both prepare and acuate this Spirit of Wine no wonder therefore that they either wholly omitted the Mystery or not sufficiently express'd it in their Compositions for which reason also these Menstruums do appertain to the preparation of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine rather than as all the rest to the Vse of this Spirit or compositions of these Menstruums nor should I have remembred them here had they not been detrimental to many men and that to my own knowledge The Name Sallabrum is given quasi Salis labrum or Salt-Cellar not that Salt is to be contained in this Vessel as Candelabrum or Candlestick is so called because Candles are set in it but rather because the Essence or Fire of some Metals or some Chymcial Light is either to be reserved or made in this Sallabrum as Alume is by Isaacus in Man Philosophor pag. 28. called Lucerna signifying a Lanthorn Concerning this Sallabrum Thomas Aquinas in Lilio Benedicto pag. 1085. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. Thus Adde labrum Salis quanta sit sexta duorum Conjunge poneque
simul In the same place he calls this Sallabrum the Medium of joyning Tinctures the middle between two Extreams between hard and soft between Luna and the Spirit between the Body and Spirit As the Menstrual Blood is the Medium between the Sperm of the Male and Female so this our Salt pag. 1085. Sallabrum he calls thundring Salt illuminating Stone and fatness of the Eagle pag. 1087. Sal Alembrot the Stone Bore Borax and fatness of the Eagle pag. 1097. Tincar Borax This Sallabrum or Saline Labrum is by Paracelsus made of these Salts Niter Sal gemme common Salt and Alcali Guido used these four following in his reduction of Metals into Mercury Common Salt Alcali Sal armoniac and Salt of Tartar pag. 23. Thes Chym. Thomas Aquinas took the same Salts as Guido for his Labrum Salis. The Affinity which I observe between the Salts of Paracelsus Gemme and Common I perceive also between the Salt of Tartar and Alcali of Guido but the foundation of the Receipt is not grounded upon these four Salts Paracelsus was sometimes satisfied with Niter and common Salt fused and resolved together per deliquium Nor does the Mystery of the Receipt lie in the Wax in the room of which if you chose any oyley thing else you will not err Instead of the same he sometimes used Linseed-Oyl in the Water of the sixth gradation but of this hereafter From the Receipts we observe 1. That these Menstruums are simple Vegetable Menstruums of the Fifth Kind dissolved in Acids Dissolve any of them in common Aqua fortis and you will have a Menstruum of this Kind but take away the Acid and it will be a Vegetable Menstruum again as it was before 2. That these Menstruums are by reason of the Acidity both sooner made and do more powerfully operate than the said Menstruums of the Fifth Kind 3. That they are not always made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but also with any common Oyley Matter provided it be undertaken by an Artist expert in the Method of making the Spirit of Philosophical Wine 4. That these Menstruums do by their own strength without any addition of Common Argent vive reduce Metals and Minerals into running Mercury 5. That Metals dissolved in these Menstruums and sublimed are properly enough called Philosophical Mercuryes because as Common Mercury sublimate so these are most easily resuscitated into running Argent vive The Eighteenth Kind Simple Mineral Menstruums made of Vegetable Sal Harmoniack and Acids not tinging 87. The Aqua fortis of Isaacus Hollandus Cap. 122. Oper. Min. pag. 397. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. MAke an Aqua fortis with an equal quantity of Sal Harmoniack and Sal Niter dry the Sal Niter to a dry Powder then mix the Sal Harmoniack discreetly among the Powder of the Sal Niter so as to be well mixed together and incorporated one with the other then distil not luting the Receiver close to the Beak before it begins to distil for if you lute the Receiver at first to the Beak of the Alembick there are windy wild Spirits in the Matter which would break the Receiver but having distilled a little while lute the Beak without fear and distil the Water according to Art Annotations BEsides the Philosophers Vinegar there is a Sal Harmoniack under the Name of which is comprehended the Spirit of Philosophical Wine the root of all Menstrums being concentrated dried in an Arid and sublimed into an admirable Salt This present Kind treats of this Salt not common Sal Armoniack dissolved in common Acids not tinging We have also made indeed Philosophical Menstruums before of common Sal Armoniack by the help of Philosophical Vinegar or an Acid mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but the Menstruums of this Kind are stronger than they the Spirit of Philosophical Wine being sublimed into a Vegetable Sulphur or Mercury is made better as being acuated either with an Alcali or some fixed Arid and for this reason being dissolved in an Acid it yields also a more noble Menstruum Isaac in our Receipt mixeth Vegetable Sal Harmoniack with so much of Sal Niter for the Vegetable Salt to be by subsequent distillation dissolved in the Mineral Acid of Sal Niter but because this way of dissolving is by reason of the sudden ebullition of the oyley and acid too dangerous he durst not therefore lute the Receiver close to the Beak but the like effervescence appearing in the distillation of common Sal Armoniack and Sal Niter we must prove that by Sal Harmoniack Isaacus meant not the Common but Philosophical which we prove first by the Vse of the Menstruum Of which saith Isaack thus Dissolve your Sol in the Water made and put it in Balneo with a glass Alembick upon it kindle the Balneo no more than that you may endure your hand in it and lute the Receiver very firmly to the Beak and a little hole being made above in the Alembick put a glass Funnel therein whereby other Aqua fortis may upon occasion be poured in and keep the Balneo in that heat aforesaid a day and a night and when you see your Aqua fortis brought to a small quantity by distilling as it was when you dissolved the Sol in it pour to it new Aqua fortis ' and let it gradually distil a day and a night in Balneo and ' when it is thick again pour Aqua fortis again to the Matter doing in all respects as before repeat it three times always pouring to it new Aqua fortis but the third time distil it dry to siccity then let the Body cool and take the Receiver from the Beak and stop it firmly with wax remove the Alembick from the Pot and then take a Drachm or Scruple of the Matter out of the Pot and put it in a glass Phial pour common distilled water to it and set it on a Fornace in Ashes and let the water boyl half an hour Then let it cool of its own accord and stand a day and a night and a Powder will settle in the bottom of the Vessel pour off the top of the water gently and the rest evaporate with a lukewarm heat to dry your Powder Being dry take it out and heating a silver Plate put a little of your Powder upon it and look earnestly whether the Powder fumes not if you perceive it fume have a care of your self for the fume may kill you c. pag. 397. of the same Volume Then he goes on Cap. 24. saying Then put your Matter or Powder in it the subliming Vessel with a large and clean Alembick upon it very well luted so as to be certain that no Spirits can pierce the luting for they are subtil beyond description and should they penetrate and you receive the fume you would die Lute also a large Receiver to the Beak of the Alembick and let the luting be in every place throughly dry Then put Fire under the Fornace first a
very small Fire and sometimes increase it by degrees till your Matter begins to sublime which it will do with a little heat and when you see the Matter ascend diligently observe to keep the Fire in the same degree that it may sublime very gently which will be easily done for the Matter is sublimed and ascends with a very little Fire pag. 402. of the same Volume Gold dissolved in this Aqua fortis of Isaack and once or twice cohobated then washed with common Water becomes so volatile as to ascend with a very small heat into a most poysonous Sublimate if any man does the same by as easie a Method with common Aqua Regis made of Sal Armoniack and Niter we declare he needs not Menstruums of this Kind but that common Sal Armoniack is insufficient for such a purpose even the Novices of vulgar Chymistry have long since experienced Besides the Vse of this Menstruum the Encomiums of Sal Harmoniack which agree not in the least with the Common of the same Name do prove the excellency of this Menstruum Now saith he we have a mind to teach you how and which way to joyn Soul Body and Spirit together so as to enter one into the other for a Congregation of Contraries cannot be so as to remain together without a Medium which before in cap. 146. he called Sal Harmoniack or dry Water Take an example from the Dyers that dye Cloaths c. Thus it is with our Stone Though we have rightly prepared the Body Soul and Spirit if they enter not into one another they will neither now nor at any time ever remain together without the Medium of our dry Water Now Beloved where now shall we find this Water For Geber saith Our water is not Rain-water Aristotle saith Our water is a dry water Hermes saith Our water is gathered out of a filthy and stinking Menstrual Matter Danthynus saith Our water is found in old Stables Houses of Office and stinking Sinks And Morienus Our water springs in Mountains and Valleys and Fools understand not these words but think it Mercury it is not Mercury it is a dry water which causeth all Mineral Spirits Soul and Body to enter and mix together and when it has joyned them together it departs from them and lets them remain fixed And this water is found in all things of the world For if this water was not in vain should we endeavour to make the Stone For how should we make one of our prepared Matter enter into another As the Apothecaries gather their Herbs together so ought we to do either in the Vegetable Animal or Mineral Kingdom to make a perfect work or Quintessence we ought to have a dry water out of every distinct thing A dry water therefore is in all things to make themselves perfect Therefore saith Galen All things have their own Medicine to make the Stone either in the Mineral Animal or Vegetable Kingdom without the addition of any exotick things Wherefore when we would make the Stone or any Fixation we ought to make that conjunction with our dry water as was said of the Dyer and Apothecary Therefore is it my Beloved that so many fall into Errors because they do not understand nor follow Nature Therefore did I mention the Dyer and Apothecary for you to understand Nature by that rude way that you may in your own mind perceive that no conjunction can be made without a Medium .. Wherefore all the works above cited are good but those two things are not there named the Spirit that is and Dry Water weights and way of joyning wherein consists our whole Art wherefore I conjure you never to reveal this Secret for all the Art that is in the world is comprehended in it to make the perfect work in a short time and little pains Cap. 147 148 149. 2. Oper. Min. pag. 524 525. Vol. 3. Theat Chym. Ripley hath described the same Water thus 88. The Aqua Regis of Ripley Pag. 349. Viatici MAke a corrosive Water of Salt Peter and Harmoniack and put not above four Ounces in the Destillatory and draw a water with a slow Fire wherein dissolve and make the Oyl of Sol c. This Water Basil Valentine calls the Kings Bath of which thus in the elucidation of the second Key Take notice Friend and seriously consider because here lies the principal Secret Make a Bath have a care that no strange thing enter into it lest the Noble Seed of Gold be radically destroyed after the dissolution of it Exactly therefore and with care examine the things which the second Key informs you of that is what Minerals are to be taken for the Kings Bath wherein the King ought to be dissolved and his external form subverted that his Soul may appear without blemish To this purpose will the Dragon and Eagle that is Niter and Sal-Armoniack serve out of which being united is made an Aqua fortis as you will be informed in my Manuals where I shall treat of the Particular of Sol. 89. The Kings Bath of Basilius Lib. Partic. in Particul Solis TAke of Salt Peter one part of Sal Harmoniack one part of Flints pulverized half a part mix and distil Take notice that this Water must be carefully and exactly distilled for it cannot be distilled by the common method He that is expert in the operations of the more secret Chymy will know what is to be done Observe you must have a strong earthen Retort well luted in the upper part of which must be a Pipe half a span long and two fingers broad put a great Receiver to it lute well and increase the Fire by degrees till the Retort grows red hot Then put in a spoonful of this Matter through the Pipe and suddenly stop the Pipe with a wet Cloath and the Spirits will pass impetuously into the Receiver the Spirits being asswaged put in another spoonful of the said Matter thus proceeding till no Matter remains and you will have Aqua Gehennea or Hell-water dissolving the Calx of Gold in an instant into a thick solution which we mentioned in the third Part as also in the second Key not only dissolving Gold but reducing the same into volatibility c. This Kings Bath is described also by Basilius in Revelatione Manualium Operationum thus 90. A Philosophical Water for the Solution of Gold of Basilius Labore primo Revelation Man Operat TAke of Salt Peter and Sal Armoniack of each two parts of Stones washed one part grind them together and by a Retort with a Pipe distil the Water into a large Receiver putting in two or three ounces through the Pipe the Receiver must be a big one and lie in a Vessel full of cold Water and covered with wet Linnen Cloaths that the Spirits may cool for it will be very hot stop the Joynts of the Retort very close kindle a Fire and the Retort being hot cast in three ounces of Matter the Pipe being suddenly
pass it all over as before and thus repeat this Work of distillation four times in every distillation adding an Ounce of the said Salt to that Water Then will you have at length a Mineral Water vegetated and acuated with the augmentation of Virtue and Power proceeding from the said most precious Vegetable Salt without which is nothing done Our Annotations upon the Receipts are 1. That the Menstruums of this Kind are simple Vegetable Menstruums of the sixth Kind dissolved in Acids Take away the Acidity and it will be a Menstruum again of the sixth Kind 2. That these Menstruums are better made of Aqua fortis it being an Acid stronger than the rest yet that they may be also made of any other Acid less strong as distill'd Vinegar Spirit of Salt Sulphur c. 3. That these are the best of all the simple Mineral Menstruums both in the facility of making and excellency of Virtue 4. That it is much at one whether the Metal be first dissolved in common Aqua fortis and then the Vegetable Sal Harmoniack added or the said Salt first and then the Metal 5. That these Aqua regisses differ from the common in that they dissolve all Metals promiscuously Silver as well as Gold and reduce the same not into a Calx but Oyl which cannot be said of common Aqua regis 6. That Metals dissolved in these Menstruums and sublimed become the greatest Poysons belonging to this Art The Nineteenth KIND Mineral Menstruums compounded of the Philosophers Spirit of Wine and Acid Spirits tinging Spirit of Vitriol Butter of Antimony c. 94. Spirit of Vitriol mixt with the Spirit of Wine of Lully Epist accurtatoria pag. 327. THE Spirit of Vitriol is more dry and thick than the Spirit of the Quintessence of Aqua ardens and great affinity there is between the Spirit of Vitriol and the Nature of Gold because they are both derived from the same Principles with Minerals The Spirit therefore of Vitriol being joyned with the Spirit of Aqua ardens inspissates it and makes it suddenly adhere to Gold so as to be fixed with it and believe me this is a very excellent way of Abbreviation Annotations THis Difference you may observe between the Simple and Compounded Mineral Menstruums The Simple dissolve only but the Compounded do both dissolve and tinge things dissolved for they are in a wonderful manner exalted by things tinging and made many degrees better so as to have enough to serve themselves and others also and therefore may deservedly be called graduated as well as graduatory Waters Hitherto we have treated of the Simple In 〈…〉 Nineteenth Kind we are to consider them as Compounded of two Spirits Oyley and Acid tinging as in the prescribed Receipt of the Spirits of Philosophical Wine and Vitriol mix'd together and intimately joyned by two or three distillations The Preparation is most easie in which notwithstanding it will not be impertinent to take notice of this one thing that both Spirits must be without Phlegm and exquisitely rectified according to the Advice of the following Anonymus A burning Oleity is made out of Wine therefore it participates with Sulphur and herein is indeed the greatest virtue of the Metallick Nature which it drew and conceived from the Earth and as this Oleity the Spirits that is are much more agil than the Spirits of other things therefore their Virtues are much more agil than the Virtues of other things but yet you must know that those Spirits as saith the Text of Alchymy and as indeed the truth is which come out of Vegetables and Animals conduce not to Alchymy as they are in a Vegetable Nature but it is requisite for them to attain to a Metallick Nature by many depurations and distillations and then they are serviceable to it Therefore is there one only stone and one foundation necessary to the Art namely the Metallick virtue though sometimes Vegetable and Animal things are taken yet they do not remain in a Vegetable or Animal Nature but are transmuted into a Metallick and Sulphureous Nature which contains a Metallick Virtue Whereupon said Ferrariensis cap. 20. suarum Quoestionum It is impossible to coagulate Argent vive without Sulphur or something that hath a sulphureous Nature because Sulphur is the coagulum of Argent vive and if there be sulphureities in Wine having a burning faculty it argues there is a Metallick Nature in it wherefore some do operate in Wine and Gold or Silver to extract out of the Wine it s most subtil Spirit strengthning the virtue of Gold with it that so the Spirits may be fixed with it by which consequently the Tincture of the Gold is dilated and multiplied and of a certain there is a very great coherence or participation between the Spirits of Wine and the Spirits of Gold they being both of a hot Nature and therefore the Spirits of Wine are inseparably fixed with Gold yet it is to be noted that the Spirits of middle Metals as Vitriol c. are of larger fixation and more nearly allied to Gold both springing as it were out of one Fountain namely out of the Mines of Metals than the Spirits of Wine which proceed from a Vegetable Nature though the Spirits of Wine are more agil and subtil Some therefore do compound the Spirits of them so as to joyn the Spirits of Vitriol with the Spirits of Wine to inspissate one with the other and to make them more easily united to Gold But he that intends to operate with these things must take the strongest Spirits and the purest Matters so that the Spirits must be exactly purified before they are fixed with Gold or Silver Anonym de Principiis Natur. Arte Alchym pag. 30. Syntagm Hermon Rhenani Not only the rectified Spirit of Vitriol but every Acid Spirit is here effectual provided it be tinging and mixed with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine thereby to be made a Menstruum of the same Kind 'T is thus made 95. The Butter of Antimony mix'd with the Spirit of Wine of Basilius Pag. 88. Currus Triumphalis Antim TAke of Common Mercury most purely sublimed of Antimony equal parts grind mix and distil by a Retort which retains the Spirits three times rectifie this Oyl with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and it is prepared and of a Blood-colour in the beginning it was white and thickens as Ice or melted Butter This Oyl hath done many wonderful things yet the Virtue Faculty and Operation of it hath always appeared making an ill thing good This Composition though given by Basilius as a Medicine not as a Menstruum yet is by Paracelsus in Libro de Gradationibus described as such 96. The Water of the fourth Gradation of Paracelsus Libro de Gradationibus pag. 131. TAke of Antimony one pound of Mercury Sublimate half pound distil both together with a violent Fire through an Alembick and a redness willl ascend like Blood thick which tingeth and graduates any Luna into Sol and
the Three Natures Three Kingdoms namely the Vegetable Animal and Mineral and they so much learned from it that the separation of Natures is nothing else but a defect of coction in Nature Then they considered them somewhat further how for instance those Essences which were most weakly cocted by Nature might be succoured in a Natural way with common Fire that the Essences which are now combustible may by their Liquors which the Ancients through envy called Mercury and are black separated from the Essence be made perfect by Art so as that the Essences may remain with the Liquor safe and secure from burning and the Liquor not be able to separate it self from the Essence This the Ancients called our Sulphur for according to this preparation the Essence is no more Vegetable nor Animal but now by coction made a Mineral Essence and therefore called Sulphur And afterwards pag. 264. he thus proceeds One Nature is more cocted by its moisture with its Elementary Fire than another whereof the Vegetable Nature is in coction the least because the Essence of it is easily burned and the Liquor also is most easily separated from the Elementary Fire by the help of common Fire The Animal Nature is in coction not much unlike the former Vegetable Nature the Essence of it being likewise easily burned and therefore the Mineral Nature is in coction the highest because the Metalick Liquor will be more and better united by coction with the Elementary Fire than the other two aforesaid Natures Wherefore also Metals do resist common Fire better than the other things comprehended under a Vegetable and Animal Nature as you may see by Metals put into Fire which do not Flame as Wood for the Essence of it is not so cocted with Liquor as the Metalick moisture with its Essence and the conjunction of the Liquor with the Essence is not Metalick but simply Vegetable which is consumed in a black Fume But when the Essence hath attained to coction by Nature then it remains not a Vegetable but is now made a Metalick and is now consumed in a white Fume by common Fire no otherwise than as you see in perfect Metals when they are melted in Fire disperse a white Fume from them Now consider saith Chortalasseus or the Author of Arca arcani Artificiosissimi in his Cabula Chymica pag. 369. Vol. 6. Th. Chym. by way of advice how the aforesaid Speeches of Vegetables and Animals are to be taken neither of them must be rejected for they differ one from the other no otherwise than that the Vapour is purer and of greater quantity in one than the other but you may make the more impure like to the pure Vapour for they may by subtil management be so reduced that those two that is the Animal and Vegetable in a Watry Body may be taken together with the Mineral Spirit or Vapour and then the Mineral Spirit separated from the rest with great discretion which though it shews it self in a small quantity is notwithstanding of the greatest Virtue and clearer than the Light at Noon In this state will that Spirit if you please bring the Animal and Vegetable Spirit so as to be like it self This is the Foundation of the whole Art that is for the Vegetable or Animal Spirit to leave its combustibility and become Incorruptible and Immortal This is the Key to open all Gates here you have the true first matter of Gems and Metals Yet if I consider this thing rightly it is not the first Matter but a threefold extraction out of the first matter of Gems and therefore you ought to praise God Eternally and give him thanks in making you worthy of this matter and vouchsafing you so much understanding whereby to obtain to your use that which is the deepest in the Earth I proceed in this first matter which if you make Liquid and open by the incombustible Vegetable Spirit not common you will be able to dissolve Gold Silver all Minerals and Gems in it and make it melt like Ice in warm Water destroy mortifie and renew it again by this means I say visibly obtain see touch and perceive an Astral Spirit as a Lanthorn wherein the Eternal Fire and Virtue of the highest Star of Eternal Wisdom dwelleth you will I say with your Eyes behold an inconsumptible Fire shining Night and Day Sun Moon Stars Carbuncles and a Splendor exceeding all manner of Fire and observe the perfection of the whole Firmament in it O man my Creature how great a Divine Gift as that which is above all the Heavens most excellently clear and is most deep in the Earth may you in a few Hours time obtain whereas she hath been a vast time employed in it and in subtilty is far inferior to you c. The same Author of this first matter in his Rusticus pag. 308. of the said Volume thus This Doctrine certainly is very worthy of Observation for many Notable Men do herein err thinking they have the first matter when they have obtained the Philosophers Mercury or Salt of Metals For the first matter is made when the Man and Woman are joyned together witness Count Bernhard saying Then is the Conjunction called the first Matter and not before that is of the Stone and all Metals concerning which see Turba For before this is done we do according to the foundation of Nature and with good reasons deservedly reject Animals and Vegetables as things extraneous and contrary and ineffectual to our Work and our Stone we place rightly among Minerals 8. That both Spirits ought to be warily mixed because of the danger of overmuch effervescence 9. That these Menstruums are by digestion made sweet and called the sweet Spirit of Vitriol sweet Butter of Antimony 10. That the Spirit of Philosophical Wine is sometimes not expressed in the Receipts of Menstruums but it appears by collateral places and necessity requires it to be understood The Twentieth KIND Mineral Menstruums Compounded of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and other tinging things Vitriol Cinabar Antimony Lapis Haematites c. 98. Oyl of Vitriol of Basilius Cap. 6. Sect. 2. Libri de Conclusionibus TAke Hungarian Vitriol dissolve it in distilled Water coagulate cristallize repeat five times and so purge it from the Salts Alume and Niter This Vitriol thus purged distil with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine to a red Oyl which ferment with Spiritual Gold add to it its part of the Mercury of Stibium and you have a Tincture for Man and reducing Luna into Sol. Visitando Inferiora Terroe Rectificandoque Invenies Occultum Lapidem Veram Medicinam Annotations THE Antecedent Kind contained Mineral Menstruums compounded of Acid Spirits containing a Metalick Tincture in them in thus present we use the Bodies of these Spirits to make the Menstruums a degree better For a Tincture for Example extracted out of the dry part or body of Vitriol distilled with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine is an Essence which being in the same
sufficient information of all things from Artists of the more secret Chymy Alchymists and Operators so also to be more instructed by the same in the way of correcting the Spirit of Wine Basilius in his Elucidat 12. Clavium Where he made the following Menstruum spoke of such a graduated Vitriol not common 99. A Menstruum of Basilius made of Hungarian Vitriol In Elucid 12. Clavium IF you have obtained such a highly graduated and well prepared Mineral called Vitriol most humbly beseech God to give Understanding and Wisdom for the success of your Intention and when you have calcined it put it into a Retort well luted Distil it at first with a slow Fire then increase it and the White Spirit of Vitriol will appear in the form of a horrid Fume or Wind and passeth into the Receiver so long as any of the same Matter is in it And take Notice that in this Wind are hidden all the Three Principles proceeding from one and the same Habitation it is not necessary therefore to be always diving in pretious Things because by this Means a nearer way to the Mysteries of Nature lies open and is obvious to all Men apt to learn Art and Wisdom Now if you can well and purely separate and free this Expelled Spirit by the way of Distillation from its terrene Moisture then will you find in the bottom of the Glass Treasure and the Fundamentals of all the Philosophers hitherto known to few which is a Red Oyl ponderous as Lead or any Gold whatsoever as thick as Blood of a burning and fiery quality which is the true Fluid Gold of the Philosophers which Nature compacted of the Three Principles in which are found Spirit Soul and Body and it is Philosophical Gold that Spirit of Philosophical Wine excepted with which the Dissolution of it is performed c. Cinabar the Adepts sometimes added to the Vitriol thus 100. The Mineral Menstruum of Isaacus Pag. 59. Manus Philos TAke of the Roman Vitriol calcined to Redness and Cinaber an equal quantity mix and pulverize then pour Aqua Vitae to them distill and cohobate upon the Caput Mortuum three or four times The same Menstruum hath Lully in Magia Naturali but instead of the Caput mortuum he takes new Species in every Rectification 101. The Stinking Menstruum of Lully made of Vitriol and Cinabar Pag. 371. Magiae Naturalis AFter the Fourth Distillation of the Water aforesaid Aqua Vitae or Ardens made of Philosophical Wine Distill seven times with an equal weight of good Cinabar and Vitriol putting in new things every time constantly and drying the Matter of the Stone Vitriol and Cinabar well in every Distillation before you pour in the Aqua Vitae c. 102. The same Stinking Menstruum of Lully Epist Accurtatoria Pag. 327. THe Vegetable Stone being Distilled the Vegetable Menstruum or rather Aqua ardens or the Spirit of Philosophical Wine till the Water is free from Phlegme and that commonly is in the fifth time take an equal Weight of Vitriol very clear and of the best Cinabar mix and grind them well together dry the Matter in the Sun till all the moisture is exhaled then cast in your Water and Distil first with a gentle Fire and strong in the end as the custom is in preparing the Philosophers Acute Water and then the Spirits or Quintessence of Vitriol and Cinabar which do principally make the Mineral Stone Mineral Menstruum do mix and joyn together with the Spirit of the Quintessence of Aqua Ardens which Spirit is the Vegetable Stone and this continue ten Times beginning after the fifth five times after the fifth Rectification of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and so continue the Distillations five times with those Bodies Vitriol and Cinabar And you must remember to make the things thorough dry before you put them into the Water so that all the Water all the Phlegme must be dried up evaporated and the Spirits remain which must be joyned together because of the strength of the Aqua Ardens and every Distillation you must put in new things To Vitriol and Cinabar he sometimes added Niter thus he made this call'd 103. The Stinking Menstruum of Lully made of common Vitriol Cinabar and Niter In Clavicula Pag. 299. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. TAke of Roman Vitriol calcined to Redness three Pounds of Salt Peter one Pound of Cinabar three Ounces grind all together upon a Marble then put the Matter in a thick and strong Body Cucurbit and pour Aqua Vitae seven times Rectify'd upon it and put it in Horse Dung fifteen days the Vessel being well Sealed Then Distil with a soft Fire till you have all the Water in the Receiver then increase the Fire till the Head Alembick be red then strengthen the Fire till the Head Alembick be white then let the Vessel cool take away the Receiver Seal it very well with Wax and keep it for occasion Take Notice that the Menstruum ought to be seven times rectify'd by Distillation every time casting away the Feces before it be made use of Besides the Ingredients of Aqua Fortis and Cinabar he sometimes adds also Tartar calcined thus 104. The Stinking Menstruum of Lully made of Vitriol Niter Alume Tartar and Cinabar In Experimento 26. TAke Aqua Vitae so hot as to burn a Linnen Cloth then take Vitriol free from all Phlegme so as to Boyl upon Fire without Liquefaction Vitriol calcin'd the common way the best Sal Niter Roch Alume dephlegmed and dried one Pound of all the aforesaid of white Tartar calcined and Cinabar of each half a Pound grind and sift every one severally through a Sieve then mix and put the Matter into a Retort pouring the aforesaid Aqua Vitae upon it put a Receiver to it the Joynts being very close and the Luting first thoroughly dried The Receiver must be large as those wherein Aqua Fortises are commonly distilled Now the Luting being dried make a gentle Fire at first till the Retort grows warm then continue the Distillation in this degree that you may pronounce ten words between each drop of the Distilling Water and when it will Distill no more with that Degree of Fire increase the Fire so as to return the Distillation again to the same ten Words as at first and this degree continue till the Distillation increaseth again and lastly increase the Fire with Wood covering the Retort round about with Tiles above that it may have a Fire of Reverberation but this observe the Retort must first be strengthened on all sides with strong Luting before this Distillation is begun and when the Distillation is begun and when the Distillation is it ought to be placed in a convenient Fornace with an open Neck but it would be best and most commodious in this Work if the Receiver of this Distilling Water could be handsomly set in a Bason full of cold Water but if that cannot be you must at least lay Linnen Cloths dip'd
in Water upon the Receiver again and again oftentimes thus the Receiver may not be broken by the violence of the Spirits all which particulars mark well The Distillation being ended let the Vessels cool and keep the Receiver with the Water very close stopped Then take the same Mineral dried and prepared as before in the same order and measure which grind together and put into a Retort as before and pour the Water a little before Distilled upon it fit a Receiver to it the Joynts being very well Luted as before and having dried the Luting put Fire under the Distillation being compleated take again New Materials of the same Weight and put them again into a Retort with their own Water and Distil as before with the same Degrees of Fire which being done and the Vessel cold take away the Receiver and keep it carefully with its Distilled Water firmly stopped For you will have a Physical Mineral Water or Stinking Menstruum with its Form This Water hath the power of Calcining and at the same time dissolving all Metals with the preservation of their Vegetative Form Many Experiments we have herewith both seen and done Isaacus Hollandus to augment the strength of these Menstruums did rather add some tinging Minerals to the Vitriol than the Acidity of Niter and Alume Thus he prepared a Menstruum called 105. The Dissolving Water for the Red of the first Description of Isaacus Cap. 103. Oper. Min. TAke of Roman Vitriol six parts of Lapis Haematites Crocus Martis Cinabar Aes ustum Mineral Antimony of each one part being well dried mix and putting them into a Retort pour four Pounds of Rectify'd Aqua Vitae to them Distill and Cohobate three times upon the Caput Mortuum pulverized The following Menstruum being like this proves it to be of a sanguine colour 106. The Dissolving Water for the Red of the second Description of Isaacus Cap. 45.3 Oper. Miner TAke of Mineral Antimony Aes ustum Crocus Martis Cinabar of each two parts of Vitriol the weight of all being all dried and mix'd together pour to them of Aqua Vitae most purely rectified the height of two hands the Vessel being close luted digest in Balneo the space of ten days stirring the Matter three or four times every day that it may be the better incorporated with the Aqua Vitae these ten days being ended and an Alembick put on Distill with a gentle Fire but at last with a most strong Fire twelve hours together that all the tinged Spirits may ascend with the Aqua Vitae This process repeat always Distilling the Water with new Matters till it becomes Red as Blood To these two we will add also a third Menstruum of this sort 107. A Dissolving Water for the Red of the third Description of Isaacus Cap. 61.3 Oper. Min. TAke of Roman Vitriol Cinabar of each one part of Crocus Martis Lapis Haematites Aes ustum Verdegreece of each half a part calcine the Vitriol first If you have a mind you may extract the Tincture out of Mineral Antimony with Philosophical Vinegar and being separated from the Vinegar add it to the former Species as also as much Aqua Vitae twelve times rectify'd as sufficeth the Vessel being well luted digest in Balneo seven or eight times then having put on an Alembick and luted the Joynts well Distill with a gentle Fire two days then a stronger two days more then the space of three days that the Glass may be hot the Glasses being cold take out the Caput Mortuum which being well pulverized digest with the Distilled Water for the space of eight days then Distill the first day gently the second more strongly the third most strongly for the space of twenty four hours that the Glass may be red hot then let it cool the Distilled Water digest with new Matters and Distill as before and that to be three times repeated And as these Menstruums were for Red Tinctures so also he made some for White Tinctures thus 108. A Dissolving Water of Isaacus for the White Cap. 76.3 Oper. Min. TAke of Roch Alume Lapis Calaminaris of the Calx of Eggs an equal quantity pour to them as much Aqua vitae rectify'd from all Phlegme as sufficeth and distil as the Dissolving Water for the Red. 109 Another Dissolving Water of Isaacus for the White Cap. 48.3 Oper. Min. TAke of Roach Alume Lapis Calaminaris Calx of Eggs common Arsenick an equal quantity being all pulverized mix and to the Powder pour as much Aqua Vitae well rectify'd as to be the space of three hands above the Matter distil with a gentle Fire then a stronger lastly for twenty four hours so as to be red hot cohobate the distillation yet four times upon the Caput Mortuum reduced into Powder Many such Menstruums as these we meet with in several places of Isaacus in the Descriptions of which tho the Addition of Philosophical Aqua Vitae or Spirit of Wine be not always express'd yet that it is to be understood in all of them is evident by the former Receipts of Dissolving Waters The Menstruums following may be Examples in the first place that which is called 110. A Red Water Shining Day and Night of the First Description of Isaacus Cap. 153. Lib. 2. Oper. Min. Pag. 528. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. TAke the Crocus of Mars Antimony as it is dugge out of the Mines Red Arsenick of each one Pound of Auripigment one Pound of Roman Vitriol three Pounds of Sal Niter as much as the weight of all the rest Grind all together into an impalpable Powder mix one bound of Sal Armoniack with them and being well mix'd put the Matter in an Earthen Vessel not glazed within such as can well endure the Fire and having put on an Alembick with a Receiver strongly luted distil Aqua Fortis as it should be first with a small Fire then increasing the Fire by degrees and a White Water will distil which being distilled the Alembick will begin to be Red or Yellow then presently take away the Receiver and add another soundly luted and increase your â—ire till a White Spirit goes over it is the Sal Armoniack which goes over last of all and strengthen the Fire so long till the Alembick be altogether clear When now the Red Spirit goes over nothing of Sal Armoniack goes with it and so soon as it is gone over the White Water the Spirit and dry Water or Sal Armoniack go over together then the Alembick becomes White within as if it was full of Snow and then increase the Fire till the Spirit and Water are driven through the Beak by Exhalation as a Man casts forth his Breath by force so the Spirit and dry Water do breath through the Pipe of the Alembick into the Receiver and increase the Fire and the Spirit and dry Water being gone over the Alembick becomes clean clear white and transparent then let it cool and take it from the Fire put the Water into a
Glass and stop it close Take the Caput Mortuum grind it to a fine Powder put it in pure clear Water for two hours let it settle pour off the clear and pour it upon pure clear Water again as before and let it boyl an hour as before then let it settle again add it again to the former cast away the Feces and that which you poured out the Solution evaporate and a yellow Powder will remain weigh it add as much Sal Niter and mix them together put them into a Glass pour your Distilled Water or Menstruum upon it put on an Alembick strongly luted all over adding a Receiver and leave it three days upon thee Fornace to Digest before you put Fire under then kindle your Fire and Distill first with a small Fire then sometimes a greater till the White Spirit is gone over then cease and you have a Red Water shining Day and Night which dissolves fixed Luna as Luna is commonly dissolved and it will take a Tincture as the purest Sol that ever was seen yea it tingeth all White Metals of the colour of Sol. 111. A Red Water shewing Light by Night of the Second Description of Isaacus Cap. 44. Oper. Min. Pag. 458. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. TAke of Roman Vitriol three Pounds of Cinabar Verdegrese Cerusse of each half a Pound of Crocus Martis Lapis haematites of each four Ounces of Sal Niter as much as the whole Mass five Pounds pulverize and mix them well together divide the Mass into three parts and of one part make an Aqua fortis which pour upon the powder of another part distill Aqua fortis again and pour it upon the third powder and distill Aqua fortis again which being done pulverize all the three Caput Mortuums Take the Water of Sal armoniack which I shall teach you below to make but we have already declar'd it in Numb 81. wherewith grind the aforesaid powder so fine as that a Painter may paint with it then dry it in your Dry Stove in glass Dishes being dried grind it dry upon a Stone and put it into an earthen Pot and pour the Aqua fortis before distilled upon it distill first with a gentle fire the space of twenty four hours then increase the Fire as yet 24 hours more then increase till it begins to shine then keep it in the same fiery brightness six hours more then let it cool take it away from the Fire and stop the Receiver well Then grind and pulverize the Caput Mortuum upon a Stone with Vinegar distilled and extract the Salt or Element of Earth out of the Feces put the Salt into a Glass pour yout Aqua fortis upon it the Alembick and Receiver being very close put the Glass in Sand in a Kettle with Water in Balneo distill all that will distill when no more distilleth let the Balneo boil a day and a night whether it drops or no Then let it cool remove it from the Fire put it in Ashes use first a weak Fire for 12 hours then increase the Fire yet 12 hours more then let it be moderately hot and let it be so for six hours then let it cool take it from the Fire and cover it well and having taken away the Feces or Salt grind them very small with Distill'd Vinegar put it into a Stone Jugge and a good part of the Distillation being poured to it put it in Balneo doing as was taught before see if it hath yet any Feces and make the Salt clear put it again in a Glass pour on the Aqua fortis again do every way as before three or four times and all your Matter or Earth will distill with the Aqua fortis then take it from the Fire stop close and keep it well For you have a pretious Water above all the Waters that ever I heard of and believe me in good faith I have seen and done also my self wonderful things with this Water This Water I have reduced to a Red Christalline Stone which would give light by night so as that my Friends might see to eat and drink by it Keep it well for use and esteem it as the most secret Water of all you have The Method of making such Shining Menstruums is better perceived by the following Water 112. A Red and Shining Aqua fortis of the Third Description of Isaacus Cap. 72. 1. Oper. Min. Pag. 354. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. TAke of Vitriol clarified and purified from its Feces of Sal Niter an equal quantity distill an Aqua fortis out of them according to Art then take the Caput Mortuum out of the Glass and reduce it to a fine Powder then grind it upon a Stone then put it in common Distill'd Water and draw out all the Salt then filter it that you may have it clean from Feces congeal again and being congealed make it an impalpable Powder and put the Powder into a Glass and then pour that Aqua fortis again upon the Powder which you distill'd from thence and distill again all that will distill Then take out the Caput Mortuum again grind it to Powder as before and do in all things as before this Operation repeat till you have distilled all the Salt within the Aqua fortis Then have you an excellent Red Water shining by night like a clear Fire then rectifie that Water in Balneo oftentimes distilling and pouring on again so as at last to have all the Distillation in Balneo Then is your pretious Water prepared by which you may multiply and open your Philosophical Stone These Menstruums are little different yea almost the same with the former of Isaacus as to the Ingredients as well as Method of preparation but the addition of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which Isaacus prescribed in those Dissolving Waters must of necessity be understood in these his Aqua fortises for without this Spirit all these Waters would be common of no Vertue and Vse From the Receipts we observe 1. That all Tinging Bodies whatsoever being either naturally or artificially dissolved in an Acid and reduced into Salt or Vitriol by the help of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine do yield the present Menstruums by these two Methods either by repeated Cohobation or Simple Distillation but in this latter way it is necessary for the Salts or Vitriols of the said Bodies to be first graduated that is by various Dissolutions and Coagulations joyned with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and then distilled where Caution must be had lest in this gradation of the Vitriol the Acid be by Operations less necessary than convenient debilitated for so you will easily prepare Menstruums unexpectedly of the Eighth instead of this Kind 2. That these Menstruums differ from Menstruums of the Eighth Kind these being Acid but those Sweet Dissolve a Compounded Vegetable Menstruum of the Eighth Kind in Distilled Vinegar Spirit of Sulphur Common Aqua Fortis c. and you will immediately have a Menstruum of this Kind on
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
it to Powder put it in a Dissolving Vessel pour to it the Element of Water above distilled seal and put it in Balneo to be dissolved as before distil the Solution through an Alembick in Ashes the Receiver must be put into cold Water increase the Fire by degrees till at length it be hot so let it continue five or six days and in the mean time will ascend the Element of Fire in the form of a Red Oyl suffer it to be cooling three or four days then take away the Receiver keep it very well stopp'd c. Annotations WE have had divers graduated Vitriols in the former Receipts which have yielded us divers Menstruums The Vitriol in this Kind is made better than all of them for it is made of Vitriol graduated in a close Vessel fixed according to Art and again dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar that by Distillation it may be made a better Menstruum than those before In the Ninth Kind of Vegetable Menstruums the graduated Vitriol of Mercury made of Mercury sublimed and Salt circulated is in a close Vessel reverberated into a Fixed Powder which Crocus of Mercury then volatilized with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine makes a Vegetable Menstruum If the same graduated Vitriol of Mercury be in a close Vessel reverberated into a Fix'd Precipitate and then dissolved not in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but Philosophical Vinegar or some other Mineral Menstruum it will be thereby made a Menstruum of this Kind That which is spoken of the Vitriol of Mercury must be also understood of the present Vitriol of Venus in our Receipt where Isaacus dissolves the said Vitriol in Phiosophical Vinegar depurates and graduates which then he calcines that is fixeth upon a Triposâ— being fixed it must be dissolved in new Philosophical Vinegar and volatilized before the Distillation of it as appears by the Description of the same Menstruum elsewhere given 125. A Menstruum of Vitriol of Isaacus Hollandus Cap. 62. 2. Oper. Min. TAke a great quantity of Roman Vitriol 10 or 12 Pounds rather more than less as much as you will and dissolve the Vitriol in common Water let the Feces settle put the clear Dissolution in a Stone Vessel to be congealed till a thin skin comes over it then let it cool and stand three days a nd you will have notable Stones of a green colour clear as Cristal take out those Stones and put them in small Glass Vessels in a clean Balneo to dry the Balneo must have such a heat as is of the Sun in the middle of Summer and your Stones will be turned into a white Powder which Powder dissolve in common Distill'd Water and let the Feces settle decant the clear into a clean Vessel as before and let it be congealed as before this repeat till you can see no Feces left when you have thus washed and made your Powder white you may be assur'd your Vitriol is rightly prepared Now take the white powder of Vitriol put it in a Glass Vessel with a Neck pretty long and seal the Neck with the Seal of Hermes so that no Air can either pass out or in and then put it in a Plate with sifted Ashes upon a Fornace put fire under and put a Burning Lamp under the Fornace adding such a heat as the Sun yields in the middle of March and thus keep it till you see your Matter grow yellow and continue it in the same heat till it be perfectly ruddy then increase the Fire a little that is put under one Lamp more and thus continue it eight or ten days and then see whether your Matter begins not to be red if it begins to be red increase your Fire and so continue it eight or ten days But if you gain nothing in redness increase your Fire with yet one Lamp and so proceed gradually always one Lamp being kindled till your Matter be as deep a red as a Rose or Ruby it being now so deeply red suffer it even thus the space of eight or ten days in the same heat when you see your Matter remains in the same state take it out of the Plate with Ashes and empty it into another strong Glass pour a good quantity of Philosophical distill'd Vinegar upon it and put it in Balneo let it boil and stir it with a Woodden Spatula three or four times every day and thus continue it four days and nights then let it cool and pour off the clear and again pour on Distill'd Vinegar and that repeat three times then throw away the Feces and draw off the Vinegar through an Alembick in Balneo till your Matter become altogether dry pour on new Vinegar and do as before and that so long till no more Feces remain in the Dissolution Then congeal it into a dry Powder which put into a good thick Glass and putting on an Alembick with a large Head distil in order to obtain first Saffron Colour'd Spirits then a Red Oyl lastly white Spirits then let it cool take away the Receiver and keep that truly blessed Oyl which is in it Take away the Alembick and in the Pot you will find a Matter white as Snow and clear as Cristal c. The way of making of this Menstruum we will consider in its several Branches The first is concerning the choice of Vitriol which Reason requires as well as the antecedent Receipt to be graduated that is dissolved either in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or Philosophical Vinegar and Cristallized for the Calcination of common Vitriol dissolved in common Water and purified in a close Vessel to a most red colour is altogether Impossible and of no Efficacy neither for nothing but the common Acid or common Spirit of Vitriol is extracted out of common Vitriol be it never so well purified and calcined Vitriol therefore well Purged in common Water is to be chosen according to the present Receipt but after that according to the antecedent well dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar that it may be thereby made graduated Vitriol and the fit Matter of this Menstruum The second Branch treats of the calcination or fixation of this graduated Vitriol into redness Corncerning which the former process was too obscure but the present or later clear enough This Calcination is the true and Philosophical way of fixing this Vitriol and that chiefly because citrinity and redness follow blackness and whiteness the true signs of volatilization as well as fixation of which Tho. Isaacus said nothing in both the Receipts yet other Adepts have mentioned these Colours in the fixing of Vitriol Take that Stone saith Ripley Cap. 7. Phil. Cupri Stillicidium the Green Lyon of Fools or common Vitriol graduated and put it being ground into a Philosophers Egg and proceed upon it by the way of Putrefaction as was declared in the Process of Rebis and continue the Stone upon the Fire till after blackness and whiteness it is turned into a red Powder which many call Vitriol Rubificated
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
part of the Kings Crown obtained a part dissolved with a part of Sol and Luna together and putrified in this Oyl eight days and nights is changed into good Gold Praised be God Annotations THo every Mineral Menstruum is able enough to dissolve any Body whatsoever yet the Adepts thought good to acuate them yet more by the addition of Metallick Bodies that they might the better dissolve and tinge their Dissolutions In the present Receipt Basilius dissolves Mars in the Spirit of Venus described before in Numb 113. reduceth it into Vitriol and at last distils it into a Compounded Oyl Sect. 2. Cap. 4. This Menstruum he calls Oyl of the Salt of Mars Now saith he I have taught you how to extract a clear Vitriol out of Venus and to distil its Red Oyl this Oyl dissolves Mars into Vitriol and being yet once distilled strongly by a Retort you will have a Noble Tinging Oyl or Salt of Mars which is a Subject that pays Tribute to the King and enricheth him This Oyl dissolves the Purple Spiritual Gold and brings it over the Helm c. The Process of this Oyl of the Salt of Mars c. being by its brevity too obscure will be not a little illustrated by the following Spirit of Mercury 132. The Spirit of Universal Mercury made of Vitriol of Basilius Labore 2. Libri Revelat. TAke Common Copper make Verdegrese of it after the common way grind it pour to it a good quantity of Distilled Vinegar Philosophical or Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine stir it well and the Verdegrease will be dissolved let the Feces settle and the Solution will be very pure clear and green Draw off the Vinegar in a Cucurbit to thickness and in a cold place a weighty Vitriol graduated to the highest degree will be cristallized which again dissolve in hot Water evaporate the Water till it be thick put it again in a cold place and the Vitriol will be again coagulated which solution and coagulation must be three times repeated and the purification of the Vitriol will be perfect Let the Phlegm evaporate from this Vitriol in a Calcining Pot and calcine it till it begins to be red that is enough Then take pure Flints calcine and being red hot quench them in Distilled Vinegar repeat some certain times till they be well calcined Then again calcine and when they are a little cool pour to them Philosophical Vinegar made hot and let them be gradually dried Of these little Stones thus prepared take one part of the Vitriol now calcined two parts grind and mix put the Matter in an Earthen Retort that will not suck up the Spirits or in a Glass Retort well luted put a large Receiver to it and the Vessel being well luted kindle a Fire by degrees the space of 24 hours then give a stronger Fire 24 hours more and the Green Spirits will come over White and the Fire being thus continued Red Drops at last Keep this violent Fire till all the Spirits and Drops are gone over then put the Distillation in a Cucurbit and the Vessel being very close rectifie it in Balneo with a most gentle Fire and the Phlegme will ascend but in the bottom of the Cucurbit will remain the Oyl of Vitriol red and ponderous This Work being finished Take pure Filings of Iron put them in a Cucurbit pour to them the said Oyl of Vitriol so as to swim above them add so much distilled Rain Water till you see that the Oyl dissolves the Iron then draw of the Phlegme by Disâ—illation and let the remainder cristallize in a cold place into pure Vitriol and thus are Mars and Venus joyned together This Vitriol calcine it under a Tyle and stir it with an Iron Hook into a fine reddish Powder This Powder put into a Glass Retort well luted and the Vessels being very close distil by degrees of Fire as you distilled the Oyl aforesaid and first you will have a White Spirit which is the Philosophers Mercury then a Red Spirit which is the Philosophers Sulphur an incombustible Oyl compounded of both the Tinctures of Venus and Mars never to be separated and this is the Blood of the Green and Red Lyon with which the King their Father ought to be nourished draw of the Plegms from this Oyl in Balneo and it is prepared for Gold to be tinged with it Take the Caput Mortuum which is of a Beautiful Crimson Colour grind it to a most fine Powder put it in a Glass pour Philosophical Vinegar distilled to it digest three days in a gentle heat to extract the Salt wherein lye the Treasures of the whole World without which Salt all labour would be in vain draw off the Vinegar in Ashes and the Salt will remain in the Glass to which pour the aforesaid Oyl of Venus and Mars in a Glass Retort and the Salt will be presently dissolved and then distil with the same violence as before and the Oyl will carry its own Spirit of Salt over with it which rectify once in Balneo and it will be ten times stronger than before and you have the incombustible Oyl of Mercury Sulphur and Salt issuing out of one root prepared this Oyl is the true first Matter of Metals and the true root from which Gold is generated This Spirit of Mercury ye searchers of Nature has been to my knowledge detrimental to many unwary men seeking after it either too inconsiderately or arrogantly which to prevent for the future I will somewhat more clearly manifest the Nature Qualities and Original of it Common Verdegrese reduced into Vitriol by Vinegar then three times dissolved in common Water and coagulated must be calcined to redness in an open Vessel that the superfluous Phlegm may be drawn away and made fitter for the ensuing Distillation But whoever calcined Verdegrese purified in Apothecaries Shops call'd the flowers of Verdegrese to redness without the diminution of its Virtues Who I say has distil'd a most Red Oyl out of this calcined Powder Verdegrese therefore must be dissolved not in common but Philosophical Vinegar in order to be not only purified but reduced also into Vitriol graduated to the highest In the 20th Kind Basilius distils the same Red Oyl of Venus ponderous as Lead or Gold thick as Blood and of a fiery quality that is of extream acidity out of Roman Vitriol being highly graduated that is either macerated or throughly dissolved in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine In the 21th Kind We took Notice that the same Vitriol of Copper or Verdegrese being purified with common Vinegar was reduced into a graduated Vitriol not indeed by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine alone but with the juice of Sowre Grapes that is mix'd with common Vinegar or some other stronger Acid and then distilled into the Oyl of Venus If Metals Minerals and all other Acids dissolved in acids and reduced into Vitriols be so graduated with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or Philosophical Vinegar that the
desired Oyls may be drawn from them the reason why Vitriols alone made of Copper should be deprived of the said Priviledge cannot easily be apprehended It matters not whether Vitriol be graduated according to the method given in Numb 113. or according to the prescription of the present Receipt for the same Spirit and Oyl is produced either way Now this Oyl of Venus being made and diluted in common Water Iron is reduced into graduated Vitriol which must like the Vitriol of Venus be also calcined into a Red Colour and then distilled tnto a White Spirit and Red Oyl The Method of this Process is in Libro particul in particulari Martis thus Take off the Red Oyl of Vitriol one part of Spring-water two parts mix wherein dissolve the Filings of Steel filter the Solution warm then evaporate it gently to the comsumption of a third part and in a cold place you shall find Cristals sweet as Sugar the true that is graduated Vitriol of Mars from which decant the Solution then draw it off a little and in a cold place you will have New Cristals which gently calcine under a Tyle stirring them continually with an Iron Spatula into a Powder of a Purple Colour to which pour Philosophical distil'd Vinegar extract the Soul Tincture or Essence of Mars draw off the Vinegar and edulcorate the Soul This is that Soul of Mars which being dissolved in the Spirit of Mercury and united with the Soul of Sol tingeth Luna into Sol. But of these below The Vitriol of Mars being graduated and calcined into a Purple Powder in our Receipt is without the extraction of its Soul distilled into the Philosophers Mercury and Philosophical Sulphur the true Oyl of Mars and Venus the Menstruum next fore-going in Numb 131. Out of which to make the present Spirit of Mercury the Salt must be extracted out of the Caput mortuum with Philosophical Vinegar which Salt being mix'd with the Oyl of Mars and Venus and distil'd together through an Alembick is call'd the first Matter of Metals Basilius sometimes used the Salt and Sulphur of Sol instead of the said Salt extracted out of the Caput mortuum Thus 133 The Oyl of Mars and Venus acuated with the Sulphur and Salt of Sol of Basilius In Supplemento TAke of the Purple Coloured Gold the Crocus of Sol des Konings Purpur Mantel half an ounce of the Philosophers Oyl of Mercury the Oyl of Mars and Venus one ounce and half dissolve to which add of the Salt of Sol two drachms all being resolved into an Oyl rectifie it by a Retort that it may be clear and pellucid For the Spirit of Universal Mercury Basilius took Copper dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar and cristallized into graduated Vitriol and with gentle calcination reduced it into the true Crocus or Red Powder of Venus But the Iron he dissolved in the Oyl of Venus distilled out of the said Crocus of Venus cristallized and calcined into the Crocus of Mars For the present Menstruum he requireth Gold dissolved in Balneo Regis described in Numb 89. and reduced into a volatile graduated Vitriol which then being dissolved in Distil'd Water he precipitates with three times as much of Argent Vive out of the Menstruum but the amalgame from thence produced he gently calcines under a Tyle into a Purple Powder or Crocus as to the making of which here only by the by but in the following second and third Books we shall treat more fully of it The way of making the Salt of Sol he has thus in Libro particul in particulari Solis described Take the White Body of Sol left in the extracting of its Soul the Essence extracted out of the Crocus of Sol with the sweet Spirit of Salt described in Numb 28. reverberate it gently for half an hour that it may be made corporal then pour to it the Corrosive Water of Honey well rectified which in a gentle heat will extract the Salt in the space of ten days All the Salt being extracted draw off the Menstruum from it in Balneo edulcorate the Salt by repeating Cohobations in common Distilled Water and lastly Clarify it with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and you will have the Salt of Gold Concerning this Water of Honey Basilius in Curra triumphali Antimonii Pag. 77. thus Out of sweet Honey may be made the strongest Corrosive and Poyson which is to most men a thing incredible The same affirms Paracelsus saying The like is to be understood in Honey which by its elevations is made much sharper than any Aqua Fortis and Corrosive and more penetrative than any Sublimate such a property of sharpness it hath not Naturally but by elevation which changeth this Honey into a Corrosive Libro 5. Archid. Pag. 18. and elsewhere Cap. 14. de Morbis Tartar Pag. 319. Honey of it self is innocent but in the third elevation becomes mortal The way of making this Water is not indeed in the Writings which we have either of Basilius or Paracelsus yet easily will a diligent Disciple learn the same by the Principles of his Art for either the Coelum Mellifluum of Parisinus must be dissolved in distilled Vinegar or some stronger acid or crude Honey cohobated in Philosophical Vinegar that is common mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and the Process will be shorter and better But this Salt of Gold may be also made without the said Water of Honey provided the Menstruum be so corrosive as to dissolve the remaining Body of the Gold thus in Labore tertio Revelat. he reverberates the Caput mortuum of Gold the space of three days then calcines it with an equal weight of the Salt of Tartar which he washeth off with Distilled Water and extracts the Salt out of the dried Powder with Vinegar which drawing off the Vinegar he clarifies with the Spirit of Wine that is he dissolves filters draws off and cristallizeth it into the true Salt of Sol. In another place he extracts the Salt of Gold by the Spirit of Vniversal Mercury as in Elucidatione 12. Clavium where he affirms that the Philosophers Stone cannot be coagulated or fixed without this Salt and that he hath taught the way of making it in the fourth Key By the Philosophers Oyl of Mercury he means the Oyl of Mars and Venus not yet reduced into the Spirit of Vniversal Mercury or acuated with its own Salt and the more fixed part indeed of this Menstruum which he calls the Philosophers Sulphur not the more volatile part which is call'd the Philosophers Mercury With this Sulphur he dissolves the Soul or Crocus of Sol and converts it into potable Gold Libro de supernaturali Medicina Yet sometimes he would have us take the same Oyl of Mercury for the Oyl of Roman Vitriol the Menstruum described in Numb 98. So in Libro de particular in particulari Solis he reduceth the white Body of the King Gold left in the extraction of the Soul or Crocus
increase the fire extreamly and that which comes over keep very close for it is the animated Spirit or Soul of the Gold From the Receipts we observe 1. THat the Menstruums of this Kind are more noble than those of the 20th and 21th Kinds there the Essences or Magisteries of Metals were dissolved in Simple Mineral Menstruums but here in the same compounded 2. That these Menstruums differ not from the Menstruums of the Tenth Kind but in the addition of Acidity dissolve a Menstruum of the said Kind in what Acid you will and it will be forthwith transformed into a Menstruum of this Kind 3. That these Menstruums are by Digestion made sweet again and Vegetable as before 4. That these Menstruums are not satiated but by their Dissolutions augmented as well in quantity as quality in infinitum 5. That the Spirit of Universal Mercury or first Matter of Metals of Basilius is by him also called Mercury duplicated wherein the Kings Mantle is to be dissolved Sect. 1. Cap. de Sulphure Mercurii Sect. 2. de Vitriolo Phil. and Sect. 2. Cap. 4. de Vitriolo Veneris In another place the Sulphur of Mars and Venus duplicated Sect. 1. Cap. 3. de dulph Martis Veneris In another place the Soul of Mars and Venus as in Particul Veneris 6. That this duplicated Mercury is made much better by adding the Kings Mantle the Crocus of Sol Luna and other Metals That the Menstruums of almost all Kinds are promiscuously called Philosophers Mercuries but of these more copiously and more exactly in the Third Book 7. That the Spirit of Universal Mercury of Basilius is the same with the Magisteries of Mars and Venus made after the Mineral way dissolve the Magisteries of Mars and Venus in the common Spirit of Vitriol and by this simple Dissolution you will make the same Spirit of Universal Mercury 8. That as Mars and Venus so also Jupiter and Saturn and the rest of the Metals may be made into the said first Matters that is of the same Virtues with the first Matter of Mars and Venus as to the faculty of dissolving But Mars and Venus are preferred for the excellency and exuberance of their Tinctures The Four and Twentieth KIND Mineral Menstruums compounded of Vegetable and Mineral Menstruums mix'd together 143. The Vegetable Fire dissolved in the Calcinative Water of Lully Pag. 363. Magiae Naturalis TAke of the Vegetable Water acuated the Metallick Soul of Lully described in Numb 5. one Ounce put it in a Phial with a long Neck into which you poured three Ounces of the Calcinative Water the Mineral Menstruum described in Numb 68. and suddenly cover the Phial with its Cover luted close with Wax then place it well in a Balneo the space of two Natural days and in that time the whole Vegetable will be converted into Clear Water Animadversions THe Adepts acuated the Spirit of Philosophical Wine divers ways and reduced it into several as well Vegetable as Mineral Menstruums in the antecedent Kinds Now in this 24th and last Kind of Menstruums they mix not either common Oyly or Arid or Acid Matters with the Vnctious Spirit of Philosophical Wine as they did in the aforesaid Compositions of Menstruums but joyn Vegetable and Mineral Menstruums already perfected together in order to make Menstruums of this Kind The like Menstruum almost is made by Luly and call'd 144. The Vegetable Heaven dissolved in a Mineral Menstruum of Lully Pag. 59. Testam Novissimi TAke of the Stinking Menstruum described in Numb 99. one Pound add one Pound or half a Pound which will be enough of Aqua Vitae most perfectly rectified Philosophical described in Numb 30. and acuated with the sublimed Salt of Tartar in Numb 17. or Wine Hold the Vessel in your hands and do not put it on the ground or any other place till the fury of the ebullition is over and it is a mixture of a Vegetable with a Mineral seal it with Wax and let it stand a day then put it two days in Balneo and distil in Ashes and you will have a limpid clarify'd and ponderous Water then put it in a Circulating Vessel very well sealed the space of sixteen days in Balneo conveniently till you return and see the Water well united and at the bottom of the Vessel in the form of a Cristalline Salt keep it The same Menstruum but of different weight he made elsewhere he added half a part of the Vegetable Menstruum to one part of the Stinking Menstruum in the antecedent but in the following Menstruum he takes more of the Vegetable than Mineral Menstruum 145. Ice compounded of Vegetable and Mineral Menstruums of Lully Pag. 68. Testam Noviss TAke of the Mineral G or Stinking Menstruum three Ounces and of Aqua Vitae rectifi'd and acuated with the Salt of Tartar four Ounces put them together in a Glass and distil nine times in Balneo and in that time it will be all converted into one as Ice Ripley mix'd vegetable and mineral Menstruums thus 146. The Aqua Mirabilis of Ripley Pag. 212. Philorcii TAke the Tartar calcined white as Snow grind it upon a Marble and incerate it with Aqua Vitae fortified with its Species as is premised with the Menstruum described in Numb 8. till it be as thin paste then put it in a Circulating Vessel and circulate the Water till it is wholly dried up in the Tartar repeat the same Work and so continue till it hath drank off the Water double its part and quantity in weight which done grind the Tartar and lay it upon a Stone or hang it in a Linnen Bag and put a Glass under to receive the droppings of it and this must be done in a place under ground till all the Tartar is distilled into clear Water out of which after Distillation and Coagulation is made a wonderful Salt of Nature which the Philosophers call Salt-peter and incombustible Sulphur properly the volatile Salt of Tartar which fixeth any Argent Vive But to have perfect Aqua Vitae requisite for this Work put Philosophical Wine in a Circulatory for a hundred days to be circulated with its Species and then extract Aqua Vitae out of it the Menstruum in Numb 23. because if you put to it as much Salharmoniack sublimed as Tartar one drop of it after it is perfected suddenly kills a Cancer in the Flesh of Man and if it be dropped upon ones hand penetrates it and dissolves every Body Without this Water we profit little in this Art and he that has this Water will not in the least doubt of compleating the Art But this Water is made twice as strong if an equal quantity of the Mineral Spirit which is the Philosophers acute Water the Green Lyon of Ripley in Numb 59. be added to it and then circulated upon the Tartar and upon the Sal harmoniack to spissity and then dissolved into Water which if done this Water will be of greater value than any Gold and
consequently Dissolvents transmutable with the dissolved into a third substance different from both These Menstruums therefore are so far from being immutable that according to the Edict of the whole Crowd of Philosophers to wit The dissolution of the Body is the coagulation of the Spirit and so on the contrary nothing in the more Secret Chymy can be more infallible Now this permanence of Menstruums you have observed not only in the volatilizations of Menstruums but also in the fixations of some thus you had the fixation of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in the greater Circulatums of the Ninth and Two and Twentieth Kinds but you will find more in the Preparations of Medicines as well as Tinctures They were by an Analogy of the Ancients ill called Menstruums unless also they could be transformed into the substance of an Embryo and yield proper Nutriment and augmentation to the Infant The Spirit of our Wine is indeed an absolute Oleosum that is combustible but here being throughly mixed with Aridums it becomes incombustible and despiseth the violence of Fire It is also moist and so uncapable of fixation but the moister and thinner parts which it contains are separated in the work of fixation from the more Oyley Particles being now concentrated So you observed that in the Preparations of the Sal Harmoniacks or Sulphurs of Nature the Spirit of Philosophical Wine as also the Vegetable as well as Mineral Menstruums are partly reduced into insipid Water and partly sticking to the Matters left in the bottom and fixed But better Examples you will have both in the Second and Third Books IX That Menstruums are not satiated with dissolving but become rather more avidous and so are by Dissolutions augmented as well in quantity as quality THough the Spirit of our Wine is the Basis Root and Center of all Menstruums Medicines Alchymical Tinctures and Pretious Stones yet nevertheless doth it dissolve slowly yea only such Bodies as are homogeneous to it that is purely Oyley as it self is a pure Oleosum and associate the same to it transmuting into its own Nature and so multiplies its self by this means Now so soon as this Spirit is transmuted into an Arido-Oleosum it does under the name of a Simple Vegetable Menstruum dissolve Arido-Oleosums that is the Sulphurs or Tinctures of the Mineral Kingdom the pure Aridum being untouch'd and left in the form of a white Powder with which Essences the said Menstruums or Essences may indeed melt together but not in the least be satiated because there is an Addition and Multiplication of like Parts But the same Vegetable Menstruums being now compounded of the Simple do no more extract the Tinctures and Essences of Minerals but dissolve and transmute the whole Mass or Substance of these Bodies into an Oyl swimming above which is called a Magistery Now this being digested together with its Menstruum at length falls in is united and so multiplies the Compounded Vegetable Menstruum For an Example to young Beginners The Spirit of Philosophical Wine being a Menstruum of the first Kind and acuated with the Oyl of Nutmegs is hereby made a Menstruum of the second Kind or acuated with Honey if you would have a Menstruum of the third Kind distil either of those Menstruums with Common Sal Harmoniack and you will have a Menstruum of the fourth but if you desire one of the fifth Kind cohobate either of them with the Salt of Tartar and you will have the Acetum acerrimum of Ripley or with common Salt and you will make the Sal circulatum of Paracelsus Cohobate Mercury or any other Mercury or any other Metal through an Alembick with this Vinegar or Salt and you will transmute the Simple Vegetable Menstruums into the Compounded Vegetable Menstruums of the eighth Kind from which you will further prepare Menstruums of the tenth Kind by dissolving and volatilizing any other Metal in them The same Rule you have as to our Mineral Menstruums But the Common Menstruums cannot receive beyond their Capacity X. That these Menstruums are also Secrets of the Second Book YOu have in this Book observed that among the Vegetable Menstruums there is none but what is either an Essence or a Magistery and it will be more copiously demonstrated in the Book of the Preparations of Medicines You have also taken notice by the aforesaid Receipts of them especially being compared with the following Descriptions of Medicines that Mineral Menstruums are the same Medicines but mixed and dissolved with Acids XI That these Menstruums are likewise Secrets of the Third Book IT is now partly clear by the Receipts of them but will be more clear by the Secrets of the Third Book that the Simple Menstruums are the Philosophers Stones not yet fermented but the Compounded are Menstruums mixed with the Masculine Seed and therefore Volatile and Fermented Stones XII That these Menstruums are in like manner Secrets of the Fourth Book THat these Menstruums do gove Light by Night and consequently are perpetual Lights yield also Matters for Pearls Pretious Stones c. the Receipts themselves do shew which will be confirmed by the Fourth Book RIPLEY Cap. 13. Philorcii Without these Waters we do little Good in this Art but he that hath these Waters will without all doubt compleat the Art The End of the First Book ERRATA EPist Ded. pag. 5. l. 3. read these for that Ep. to the Reader p. 10. l. 10. r. have a mind to Preface p. 3. l. 20. for Vegetative r. Vegetable p. 8. l. 28. for Minerals r. Mineral p. ibid. r. fixt Vegetable p. ib. l. 8. after that r. it scarce deserveth p. 12. l. 6. for mixt r. mix p. 14. l. 26. for is it r. it is p. 24. l. 12. dele of p. 31. l. 3. after oyl r. or middle salts for salts or p. 39. l. 5. for their r. the. p. 42. l. 33. for with r. which p. 45. l. 4. for the r. a. l. 16. for that only are they able to do r. that only is able to do this p. 48. l. 16. for as r. us p. 54. l. 11. for fly r. flow p. 56. l. 14. for drive r. dive p. 69. l. 24. for distil r. distil'd p. 78. l. 19. for stored r. restored p. 81. l. 1. omit the first four lines wholly p. 95. l. 1. for the latter is r. it p. 119. l. ult dele to p. 127. l. 12. for Metallick of r. Metals p. 128. l. 31. for extract r. extracting p. 130. l. 32. for prefers r. preserves p. 138. l. 21. for wherefore r. whereof p. 146. l. ult r. for an Aurum potabile he prepares a Menstruum out of Gold and Silver thus p. 152. for away r. all the. p. 177. l. pen. for out r. out of p. 181. l. 8. for its r. in p. 182. l. 14. for greens r. greeness p. 199. l. 33. for fire r. Firr p. 215. l. 5. for into it r. it into l. ult for greens r. greenness p. 246. l. 22. for Water r. Matter p. 261. l. 3. after Wine r. and Salts p. 296. l. 27. dele and when the Destillation is p. 301. l. 14. for shewing r. shining p. 306. l. 2. after Menstruums r. made p. 326. l. 27. for Tho r. tho p. 349. l. 30. for Acids r. Arids d 351. l. 33. for repeating r. repeated Books Printed for and Sold by Tho Howkins in George-Yard near Lombard-Street CLavis Horologiae or The Art of Dyalling with an Explication of the Pyramidical Dyal set up in His Majesties Garden at Whitehal Anno 1669. Illustrated with 40 Copper Cuts in Quarto By John Holwell A Cabalistical Dialogue in Answer to the Opinion of a Learned Doctor in Philosophy and Theology That the World was made of nothing By F. M. Van-Helmont in Quarto Trigonometry made easie fitted to the meanest Capacity it being the Foundation of Astronomy Surveying Navigation c. in Octavo By John Holwell Mellificium Mensionis or the Marrow of Measuring wherein a new and ready way is shewed how to measure Glazing Painting Plaistering Masonry Joyners Carpenters and Brick-layers Work in six Books and Illustrated with Copper Cuts the like not heretofore Published The Second Edition Corrected in Octavo By Venterus Mandey The Royal Catholick English School Containing a Catalogue of all Words in the Bible beginning with one Syllable and proceeding by degrees to eight divided and not divided c. in Octavo By Tobias Ellis Dr. Everard's Works in Octavo The Paradoxal Discourses of F. M. 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Raphanus putrefies and with a stronger Fire distils but the Caput mortuum the remaining Salt rather he dissolves on a Marble per deliquium In the second Receipt he dissolves Sal Gemmae being first five or six times melted in an equal quantity of the Juice of Raphanus made hot then coagulates putrefies and distils like common Aqua fortis the remaining Salt reduced into Powder being as yet hot he dissolves per deliquium in a moist place Sometimes he does without this stinking Juice of Raphanus more compendiously prepare that Oyl of Salt per deliquium and that is from Salt calcined with Nitre The Receipt is to take of common Salt and the Salt of Urine equal parts to be by the Rule of Alchymy calcined two hours then resolved in a Cellar after the usual manner c. From this calcined Salt is distilled a Spirit which resolveth Gold into Oyl but if it be again extracted and to the highest degree prepared a most excellent Aurum potabile will be had but without that extraction Distillation the Gold is only resolved then is it a most pure Art for Goldsmiths in guilding and for Iron-smiths a constant and precious Treasure to guild with yet they that prepare it ought to be skilful Alchymists Libro de rebus Nat. Cap. 4. de Sale pag. 190. That Paracelsus by the Salt of Vrine intended Nitre is easily proved by what follows In what place soever saith he the Urine of Man or Beast is poured forth at the same succeeding time is Sal Nitre produced for Urine gathered and prepared into another Salt is called Sal Niter ibidem But the same Receipt Tract de Sale pag. 171. Puts it out of all doubt being thus described Take Salt and Sal Nitre in equal proportion let them be calcined by themselves till they melt then resolve them into a Liquor The Second is The Oyl or Essence of Salt In the first process he takes the Oyl of Salt per deliquium and cohobates it so oft with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine till the Salt remains at the bottom in a form of an Oyl and no Phlegm ascends but if instead of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine any Vegetable Menstruum be taken as for example the Menstruum which we treat now of being already prepared or Salt circulated there is no necessity for the Salt to be dissolved per deliquium but is with less pains reduced into an Oyl or natural Essence Though saith he there are more ways to extract the Ens primum of Salt yet this is most commodious and most expeditious and after this there is that other way which we mention'd speaking of the Elixir of Salt namely that new Salt mix'd well with the dissolving water which is the distill'd Spirit of Salt the Circulatum minus made of Salt the water of Salt circulated the Arcanum of Salt the Menstruum which is now in hand must be putrify'd and distill'd so long till the substance of the Salt be dissolved and reduced into a perpetual Oleosity the Body in the Form of Phlegm being abstracted from it The place alleadged is in Lib. 8. Archid. de Elixeriis pag. 31. Take Salt well prepared most white and pure put it into a Pellican with six times the weight of the dissolving water by the dissolving water is our water of Salt circulated to be understood Lib. 10. Archid. pag. 38. Digest them a month together in Horse-dung then separate the dissolving water by Distillation and pour it on again and separate as before and that so oft till the Salt be converted into Oyl This way of making the Essence of Salt with the Circulatum minus is much better and more exquisite than that former preparation performed by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine though Paracelsus affirms the former method to be more useful and more expeditious than the latter which is to be understood of the use of both not the preparation For the Essence of Salt is both sooner and better prepared with some Circulatum minus than with the simple Spirit of Philosophical Wine from which Essence of Salt which way soever made is prepared the Arcanum of Salt which reason will have more commodious and more expeditious in extracting the Essences of things than the Oyl of Salt not yet so graduated In the second Process Paracelsus commands indeed the Oyl of Salt made per deliquium to be putrefy'd but as to the means of putrefaction whether with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or some simple Vegetable Menstruum makes no mention without which notwithstanding the Salt would not ascend in the Alembick and if it were distilled yet would it be of no use in extracting Essences He putrify'd therefore the Oyl of Salt per deliquium for some time with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine then being putrifyed distil 〈◊〉 with a stronger Fire the residue of the Salt he again dissolv'd on a Marble and being dissolved putrify'd and distill'd it with new Spirit of Philosophical Wine or some Simple Vegetable Menstruum so often till he had distill'd the whole into Spiritual Water of Salt The third Branch consists in the Reduction of the Essence of Salt into the Arcanum of the same for the Natural that is Saline Essence of Salt doth by being cohobated sometimes with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine ascend together with it becomes sweet and is transmuted into the Arcanum of Salt or Artificial Essence of which Arcanums more in the second Book of Medecines Common Salt therefore distilled with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine through an Alembick is the Circulatum minus of Paracelsus the Aqua salis circulati the Primum ens salis the Arcanum salis the Aqua solvens the Spiritus salis distillatus the Matrix and Center of Metals and Minerals c. It is called Circulatum by reason of the Circulation or Digestion of the Essence of Salt for a Month with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or which is more probable because of the common Circulation of all the Vegetable Menstruums for the space of 30 40 or 60 Days after the Menstruum was already made so that this Circulation though omitted in our Receipt must be understood in these Circulatums of Paracelsus It is not therefore called Circulatum minus as if common Salt had less Virtues in dissolving than the other Salts but because it hath those only and not the quality of tinging superadded as the greater Circulatums after the same manner as Salt is made a Circulatum may also Vitriol be made a Circulatum Alum a Circulatum Tartar a Circulatum c. This way also saith Paracelsus is the Arcanum or Magistery to be made of Vitriol as also of all other Salts Lib. 10. Arch. Cap. 3. Pag. 38. Lastly As the saline Essence of Salt loseth its saltness and becomes sweet by being digested and cohobated in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine so the Common Spirit of Salt well mixed and digested with the Spirit of Wine becomes a sweet Menstruum It is
before and that seven times continually distilling with a gentle Fire till nothing more will distil but the Matter remains like an Oyl in the bottom From the Receipts we observe these remarkable Things 1. That the Spirit of Philosophical Wine dissolved in an acid Spirit is a mineral Menstruum Our Aqua fortis our Vinegar distilled Vinegar Vinegar mixed with the Spirit of Wine our Spirit of Salt Sulphur c. 2. That the Spirit of the same Wine is with very great ebullition dissolved in an Acid and therefore you ought to be exceeding careful lest you pour too much of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine upon the Aqua fortis and vice versa For it would be more safe to distil the Aqua fortis upon the Spirit of Philosophical Wine as Paracelsus adviseth 3. That Aqua fortis mix'd with the Spirit of Wine may be taken instead of Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Wine or Spirit of Salt mix'd with the Spirit of Wine c. in Chymical Works especially 4. That the more these Menstruums are abstracted from the Acid debilitated in dissolution the stronger they are made 5. That the Adepts used also corrosive Menstruums or Aqua fortis There are some not only common ignorant Operators but Adepts also who not knowing the Preparation and Vse of these Menstruums have written against these corrosive Menstruums Fools saith Bernhard do out of the less Minerals make and extract corrosive waters into which they cast the Species of Metals and corrode them for they think them to be dissolved by a natural solution which solution doth indeed require permanence together that is of the dissolvent and the dissolved that from both as the Masculine and Feminine Seed a new Species may result Verily I tell you no water dissolves a Metallick Species by a natural reduction but that which continues in matter and form and which the Metals themselves being dissolved are able to re-congeal Which Quality is not in Aqua fortisses but is rather injurious to the Composition that is of the Body dissolved c. Yet thus they think they dissolve mistaking Nature but they dissolve not because the Aqua fortisses being abstracted the Body melts as before nor will that water be permanent to it nor is it to that Body as radical Moisture The Bodies are indeed corroded but not dissolved and so much the more alienated from a Metallick Species Wherefore such solutions as these are not the foundation of the transmutative Art but rather Impostures of Sophistical Alchymists who think this sacred Art lies in these things c. Epist ad Thom. de Bononia pag. 60. Artis Aurifer So in the Regeneration of Metals saith Sendivogius Vulgar Chymists proceed amiss they dissolve Metallick Bodies either Mercury or Gold or Saturn or Luna and corrode them with Aqua fortisses and other heterogeneous things not requisite to true Art then they joyn and force them together not knowing that man is not generated from the Body of a man dissected c. Tract 6. pag. 488. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. Some do by Art corroding Waters make In which Metalline Species they calcine But then the Liquor doth the Earth forsake Nor by mans Skill together they will combine This way to Fools we leave for nothing fit But for to wast ones Thrist beware of it Page 41. of the second Part of the Marrow of Alchymy These and the like Expressions they reflect against our Mineral or Acid Menstruums whereas they were written by the Philosophers against Common not Philosophical Aqua fortisses In that Point saith Lully they ignorantly err imagining the Bodies of Metals to be dissolved and as I said before reduced to their first Matter or Nature with Common Aqua fortisses but if they had read our Books they would certainly know that these Liquors are repugnant to the intention of the Philosophers c. Comp. Anim. Transm pag. 19â— Vol. 4. Th. Chym. Parisinus a faithful Disciple of Lully explains his Meaning thus Those things that are objected by us against Aqua fortisses namely that they are of no efficacy in the Art and nevertheless are taught by Lully are to be otherwise understood For he this way puts a difference between the Vulgar and Philosophical Aqua fortisses c. And therefore Raymund rejecting sharp Waters means the Aqua fortisses of separation but not those of the Philosophers Cap. 6. Lib. â— Elucid pag. 206. Vol. 6. Th. Chym. But it would be meerly superfluous for us either by Authorities or Arguments to illustrate that which the Menstruums themselves will demonstrate The Sixteenth KIND Simple Mineral Menstruums made of Philosophical Vinegar and Volatile Salts as Common Sal Armoniack Urine c. 80. The Oyl of Sal Armoniack of Guido Pag. 11. Thesaur Chymiatr TAke of the Oyl of Salt the Menstruum described in Numb 71. half a pound of Common Sal Armoniack four ounces Dissolve the Salt in the Oyl cohobate the Dissolution three times through an Alembick Annotations IN the attecedent Kind the Spirit of Philosophical Wine was dissolved in Acids Now to make these Oyley-acid Menstruums stronger the Adepts added to them Salts that is Arids dissolved in Acids and Cristallized In this present Kind they took Volatile Salts as being of easier preparation in the following fixed Salts because of stronger virtue In the Receipt of Guido there is nothing either difficult or dark unless you will object against the Ingredients which cannot be both common because Guido sublimes Gold Philosophically with this Menstruum Whatsoever also you read in the Books of Practical Chymy understand always according to the Letter we need not admonish you to except the Terms of Art if so that which is promised in the Preparation and use may be performed if not seek an Analogical sense not in the method and use of preparation but in the ingredients according to which Rule either the Oyl of Salt or Sal Armoniack or both ought to be Philosophical because Gold cannot be Philosophically sublimed with Common Menstruums The Oyl of Salt of Paracelsus as also the Spirit or Oyl of Salt of Basilius wherewith he extracts the Sulphur of Sol do prove the Oyl of Salt to be a Philosophical Menstruum Cap. 6. de Rebus nat supernat Probable it is that Guido meant the same Oyl for otherwise the Name of Oyl had been improperly attributed by a Philosopher to the thin and common Spirit of Salt But if you think rather that Guido meant the common Spirit of Salt by the Oyl of Salt you must by Sal Armoniack understand not the common but Vegetable Sal Harmoniack the Spirit of Philosophical Wine dryed with some Salt and then sublimed for so you might also make a Menstruum of the same if not of stronger Virtue a species of the following Eighteenth Kind But if both the Oyl of Salt and Sal Armoniack be Philosophical a Menstruum will be from thence produced yet stronger than both the precedent Here you may deviate from the true and genuine
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
White Body Lastly These words following do prove that the same Menstruums may be also made of any other Metals But if you would extract an Oyl out of Metals as has been taught of Vitriol you must dissolve your Metal in Aqua fortis and make it precipitate and wash away the Saltness of it with common Water and being dryed put into a Glass with a long Neck and congealed and put upon a Fornace with Sifted Ashes make a Fire under it as for Vitriol till the Metal be alogether red and till the inside of it is turn'd outward Then dissolve it in Distil'd Vinegar as the Vitriol and Congeal till no more Feces remain Then distil and the Metal will wholly distil into a Red Oyl and it is the perfect Oyl of the Philosophers but the Projection of it is not so high as of the Oyl which was first Salt And the Oyl of every Metal you must Multiply with the Oyl of Vitriol as aforesaid And the Oyl is very easily made after the same manner out of Saturn and the Projection of it is very high Give thanks to God Work and remember the Poor dispense the gifts of God to your own Salvation Cap. 80. 2. Oper. Min. Pag. 478. of the same Volume All Metals saith he Cap. 67. of the same Work even Jupiter and Luna will become red as blood for the inside of all Metals is red one more red than another When therefore they are brought to redness they must then be dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar and again congealed till they be free from any Feces and yet contain their Elements together perfectly for when they are brought to that pitch nothing remains save only Feces for the Earth the Caput Mortuum being made subtil and liquid is likewise dissolved when you have made it subtil by Dissolving and Coagulating so as that no more Feces remain Thus you may Distil it through an Alembick into a Red Oyl As you was here taught concerning Vitriol so must you also do with all Metals as also Mercury when it is dissolved in Aqua Fortis and precipitated the Saltness wash'd away and dried put it in a Glass as was said of Vitriol and done moreover so as was taught before concerning Vitriol And that which is here declar'd of Metal you may also do with Antimony and all other Minerals Open your Ears and hearken and open your Mind it was never heard that such a Work should be done with so little Pains Here I would advise you to take Notice of the difference between the Oyls of Vitriol and other bodies the like Oyl is produced from all Metals as from Vitriol yet with this difference that Vitriol in the Distillation of its Oyl leaves an Earth or Salt behind it wherewith the Spirit and Oyl of it are fixed into the Philosophers Stone but Metals and the rest of the Minerals not so they totally ascending into Spirit and Oyl no Earth Salt or Caput mortuum remaining whereby to be fixed into the Stone Vitriol therefore is that alone which hath all things in it relating to the Perfection of it self whereas the Oyls and Spirits of the rest are forced to borrow fixed bodies elsewhere for their fixations You must know saith he when you would reduce the Salt of Metals to an Oyl the same as hath been said of Vitriol the Elementary Earth of Metals will distil together with the Oyl red as blood but that the Earth of Vitriol does not the Oyl seperates it self from the Earth God hath vouchsafed such a blessing that the Philosophers Stone may be made of it alone without Addition translating all Metals into true Sol but the Oyl of it must be fixed with the Earth its own Earth or Salt but that is not so with Metals the Earth distils together through the Alembick and the whole Body is converted into Oyl translating all Metals into true Sol Herein do all the Philosophers agree An Oyl he goes on is also made of Mercury and of Antimony but their Earth goes over together and their whole Body turns into Oyl and remains an Oyl for ever and with this Oyl you may do wonderful things which here to recite would be too long You know also what is written of Antimony and the Oyl of it Yet must my Son know That the Oyl of Mercury is much better in all works wherein the Oyl of Antimony is used This is a Secret Cap. 69. and 70. of the same Work An Example That Metals wholly ascend into Oyl he brings in the following Chapter namely the 70th which we will name 126. The Circulatum Majus of Isaacus Cap. 70. 2. Oper. Min. Pag. 474. Vol. 3. Th. Chym TAke this Mercury the Metals sublimed in the Philosophical Menstruums aforegoing Dissolve it in Aqua Fortis with an equal quantity of Vitriol and Niter being Dissolved put the Solution in a Glass Vessel put on an Alembick set it in Sifted Ashes give first a gentle Fire Distil the Aqua Fortis from it then the Mercury will sublime upwards into the Alembick when it will sublime no more take it away take the Mercury out of the Alembick put it in a Glass with a long neck as you did with the Vitriol put it in a Vessel with Sifted Ashes light your Lamp under it so leave it till it be perfectly red as hath been taught of Vitriol Dissolve Congeal being clean Distil it into a red Oyl as hath been said of Vitriol but all the Mercury distils into Oyl so as to leave no Earth The Menstruum immediately antecedent in Numb 125 is in all things clear except the first Branch of it wherein is omitted the necessary Dissolution of Vitriol in Philosophical Vinegar before the Calcination of it into redness or fixation The first Menstruum of this Kind is imperfect not indeed in this but in another Branch insomuch as it is not therein declared that Vitriol must after the Calcination of it be again Dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar In this present third Tho it be said that it ought to be made according to the rule of the precedent Menstruums there is no mention at all made of Philosophical Vinegar yet without it Vitriol can neither be fixed into redness nor when fixed be again Volatalized or Distilled The Receipts therefore must be compared as often as the Adepts have either through too much fear or envy left us them imperfect It is enough if by comparing them together we can pick out their meaning or intention being not fully enough expressed in every circumstance the terms being either too obscure or altogether omitted Bodies in this Kind are to be fixed and then volatilized by Mineral Menstruums as Mercury and Antimony in the Ninth Kind are first fixed and then distilled in the greater Circulatums by vegetable Menstruums This light borrow'd from the said Ninth Kind will dispel all the Obscurities and Doubts of this Kind Vitriol therefore purged with common Water by Solutions and Coagulations must first be graduated that is