The drye is a Sandy earth or ashes 〈◊〉 of all salt by reason of the washing of Waters and is called by the Chymists Terra damnata or Damned earth Because it hath no other force but that which is drying The mâ—yste which is called vnsauorie Phleame is pestered with all Sulphur and Mercurie hauing no odour or taste or other vital vertue which can onely moysten without any other force at all And as these are of no force so doe they onely possesse passiue qualities and vnprofitable But Ayer the thyrd Element cannot be separated by it selfe but doth eyther vanish into ayre or else remayneth mixed Sulphur and Mercury and doth more chiefely cleaue vnto Mercury which is so spiritual that the most experte woorkeman cannot separate the same from it selfe alone but doth alwayes passe away into aire with the aire or vapour of that thing whereof the separation is made to which aier Mercury is straitely combyned that it can neuer be separated from the same without it be done by the great industry of a skilful workeman who knoweth that Mercury or salte Armoniack volatile is so conioyned with aier or with the aiery parts that it doth also breathe away with the aiery parte and with the same is reduced into spiritual Water which is knowen to be the mercurial water by the sharpe sower and vehement which springeth from the Mercury or salt armoniack of nature spirituall The which the workeman séeking to separate conioyneth this spiritual liquor with a Christalline salt naturally fixed from the which he separateth that aiery liquor by Distillation which by that separation is vtterly spoyled of all force and remaineth an vnsauory aiery liquor for because that Mercuriall spirite possessing the nature of volatil Salt remaineth fixed with his proper Salt with the which hée hath the most chiefe analogie and proportion And thus the Philosophers testify that nature is delighted with nature Thus we sée how the Elementary aier is to be separated from that Mercuriall spirite namely by bringing the Eâ—â—ment of aier into water deuoyde of taste and by cutting the Mercuriall spirit into the salt of his proper preheminence Furthermore hereby it appeareth that Mercury is a certaine aiery thing or aier it selfe and yet somewhat more then the elementarie aier which wanting the spirit of Mercurie is a simple aiery liquor of no vertue or power but simplie to moysten and penetrate And so the actiue qualities doe belong to the beginnings Salt sulphur and Mercurie and the passiue to the Elements This thing wée haue made plaine before by the example of Wine and Water of life These things are therefore spoken that all men may sée by the Anatomie and resolution of things that the element of aier cannot be separated by it selfe alone neyther is it so to be séene of any but of the true Philosophers and by such as are most conuersant in this art Thus certaine demonstration is made of the visible bodies of things procreated both out of the séedes and beginnings and also out of the elements albeit in the resolution of the bodies thou doest not discerne the visible bodies of the séedes put a parte by themselues But it is an easie matter to discerne the seuered partes of those thrée beginnings and also of the Elements in the which partes of the thrée beginnings the vertues and powers of actions wherwith the séedes are indued are included and mixed together Whereby it commeth to passe that their bodies are filled together with the vitall forces and faculties of the Astrall and spirituall séedes as the receptacle of thâ—se vertues But the Elementall bodies haue only passiue qualities the which elementall bodies a wâ—rkeman cannot onely separate by themselues but can also bring them to nothing in such sorte that the passiue and materiall Elements being separated there shall onely remaine those thrée Hypostaticall Formall and Actiue beginnings salt sulphur and mercury which being drawen into one body do make a mixed body which the Philosophers call a fifth or a fourth Essence which is frée from all corruption abounding with quickening spirits whereas contrariwise the sole elements separated from those thrée beginnings doe bring nothing but impurities corruptions and mortification In this Chymestry is to be extolled that imitating nature it rateth Elements and their beginnings by which all the partes of a compund body are anatomized and made manifest And yet those naturall substances are not said to be begotten by such separations as if they were not before neyther yet as bring before are they corrupted by the arte of separation but they were in compounde and after separation they ceased not to bee and to subsist And as the thrée beginnings are coupled together by the benefite of an oylelie liquor ioyning them in one so the thrée Elements Ayer Water and Earth are combyned together by the comming in of Water as a meane For water by her analogie and conuenience partaketh both of the naâ—ure of aier and of earth whereby it commeth to passe that one while it is easily turned into aier another while into earth and so it combyneth both the extreames In things that haue likenesse an alteration is easily made For by reason of likenesse and consent aier made thicke with colde passeth into water and water made thinne becommeth aier and water also made grosse and thick becommeth earth euen as earth also made thinne passeth into water and is chaunged Wherefore forsomuch as aier and earth two extreames are fitlie ioyned together by a thyrd which is water a meane betwéene them both Aristotle did more than was néedefull to appoynt a quaternarie number of Elements out of the quaternary number of the fower qualities Hote Colde Drie Moyst Howbeit it cannot be denied but that he had great probability hereof as is to be séene in his second booke of the generation of liuing creatures where he goeth about by many reasons to prooue that it is most necessary for the production of things to appoynt a fourth element namely Fyer hote and drie But forsomuch as Moses in the first Chapt. of his Genesis wherein he sheweth the creation of all things maketh no mention of Fier it is more conuenient that we leaue it rather to the opinion of the diuine Prophet then to the reasons of an Ethnick Philosopher And therfore wée acknowledge no other Fier then Heauen the fiery Region which is so called of burning Therefore it ought to be called the fourth formall Heauen and essential element or rather the fourth essence extracted out of the other elements bicause it is indueâ— with far more noble vertues then the most simple elements For the Hermeticall Philosophers deny that there is a quintessence because there are not fower elements from whence there may be drawen a fifth essence but thrée onely and no more out of which a fourth may be extracted So great is the power of this fourth essence that it mooueth sharpeneth and mightily animateth the bodies of the thrée principles and of the
THE PRACTISE OF Chymicall and Hermeticall Physicke for the preseruation of health WRITTEN IN LATIN By Iosephus Quersitanus Doctor of Physicke And Translated into English by Thomas Timme Minister LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede 1605. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR Charles Blunt Earle of Deuonshire L. Mountiâ—y Lieutenant general of Ireland M. of the Ordinance Gouernour and Captaine General of the Towne and Garison of Portsmouth and the I le of Portsey Knight of the noble Order of the Garter and one of his Maiesties most honourable priuie Councell I I may seeme Right Honorable an admirable and new Paradox that Halchymie should haue concurrence and antiquitie with Theologie the one seeming meere Humane and the other Diuine And yet Moses that auncient Theologue describing expressing the most wonderfull Architecture of this great world tels vs that the Spirit of God moued vpon the water which was an indigested Chaos or masse created before by God with confused Earth in mixture yet by his Halchymicall Extraction Seperation Sublimation and Coniunction so ordered and conioyned againe as they are manifestly seene a part and sundered in Earth Fyer included which is a third Element and Ayre a fourth in Water howbeit inuisibly Of which foure Elements two are fixed as earth and fire and two volatil as water ayre That spiritual Motion of the first mouer God hath inspired al the creatures of this vniuersal world with that spirit of Life which may truely be called the spirit of the world which naturally moueth and secretly acteth in all creatures giuing them existence in three to wit salt sulphure and Mercury in one Huposiasis Mercurie congealing Sulphur sulphur Mercurie neither of them being without their Salt the chiefest meane by whose helpe Nature bringeth forth al vegeâ—â—â—ls Minerals Animals So that of these 3. whatsoeuer is in Nature hath his original is compacted of them and so mingled with the 4. Elements that they make one body Therefore this Diuine Halchymie through the operatioÌ„ of the spirit without the which the elemental material Character letter and forme profiteth not was the beginning of Time of Terrestrial existence by which all things liue moue and haue their being consisting of body soule spirit whether they be vegetals minerals or animals reseruing only this difference that the soules of men angels are reasonable immortal according to the Image of God himself the sensuals as beasts and such like not so Moreouer as the omnipoteÌ„t God hath in the beginning by his diuine wisedom created the things of the heueÌ„s earth in weight muÌ„ber measure depeÌ„ding vpoÌ„ most wonderfull proportion harmony to serue the time which he hath appointed so in the fulnesse last period of time which approacheth fast on the 4. Elements whereof al creatures consist hauing in euery of theÌ„ 2. other Elements the one putrifying and combustible the other eternal incombustible as the heauen shall by Gods Halchymie be metamorphosed and changed For the combustible hauing in them a corrupt stinking feces or drossie matter which maketh theÌ„ subiect to corruption shal in that great generall refining day be purged through fire And then God wil make new Heauens and a new Earth and bring all things to a christalline cleernes wil also make the 4. Elements perfect simple fixed in themselues that al things may be reduced to a Quintessence of Eternitie Thus right Honourable you see a Paradox no Paradox a Hieroglyphick plainly disciphered For Halchymie tradeth not alone with transmutation of metals as ignorant vulgars thinke which error hath made them distaste that noble Science but shee hath also a chyrurgical hand in the anatomizing of euery mesenteriall veine of whole nature Gods created handmaid to conceiue and bring forth his Creatures For it is proper to God alone to create something of nothing but it is natures taske to forme that which he hath created VVherefore if the foole which hath in his hart said There is no God will put away the mist of ignorance and infidelitie and behold the power and wisedome of God in his creatures manifested more particularly and inwardly by the Art of Halchymie imitating nature in seperating from one substance be it Vegetall Mimeral or Animal these three Salt Sulphur and Mercurie shal by that mistery as in glasse discerne the holy and most glorious Trinitie in the Vnitie of one Hupostasis Diuine For the inuisible things of God saith the Apostle that is his eternal power and God-head are seene by the creation of the world being considered in his workes This Phylosophy therefore my good lord is not of that kind which tendeth to vanity and deceit but rather to profit and to edification inducing first the knowledge of God secondly the way to find out true medicine in his creatures Plato saith that Phylosophy is the imitating of God so farforth as man is able that we may knowe God more and more vntill we behold him face to face in the kingdome of heauen So that the scope of Phylosophy is to seeke to glorifie God in his wonderfull workes to teach a man how to liue wel and to be charitably affected in helping our neighbour This Philosophy natural both speculatiue actiue is not only to be found in the volume of nature but also in the sacred Scripture as in Genesis in the booke of Iob in the Psalmes in Syrach and in other places In the knowledge of this Philosophy God made Salomon to excel all the kings Phylosophers that were in the world whereby the Queene of Sheba was allured to take a long Iourney to make an experiment of that wisedome whereof she had heard so great fame and found it by effect farre greater Anaxagoras a noble gentleman but more noble in wisdome and vertue Crates Antisthenes with many others contemned the pleasures of the world and gaue theÌ„selues to the studie of naturall Philosophie Philosophers haue brought more profit to the world then did Ceres who inuented the increase of corne grain then did Bacchus that found out the vse of wines then did Hercules which ridde the world of monsters For these things belong to the maintenance of bodily life and pleasure but Philosophy instructeth and nourish the soule it selfe This phylosophy together with the most rare excellent healthful Physicke linked to true grounds and vpholden by daily experience the very marow of true medicine the quintessence of marow it selfe I most humbly present vnto your honours hands as a Iewel of prise to procure and preserue health which Ptolomeus the sonne of Antiochus valued at so high a rate that he gaue to Erasistratus a noble Physitian on hundred talents for the curing of Antiochus My labour herein be it but as the apple which Acontius gaue to beautiful Cydippe to make knowne his amorous affection yet being tendred with no lesse good wil in al humilitie
subiect which cannot be seen And as the effects are diuers so are there diuers kindes of Saltes which according to their diuersitie haue diuers tastes and sundery properties of euacuations and clensings and diuers other faculties But among Salts that which is more bitter and néerest to the taste of Aloes or Gaule sheweth his proper working in purging the belly by siege Such Salts Chymists call Salt Niter or Niterous salts Saladine an ancient great Physition speaking of Salts saith thus There are foure famous kinds of Salt to wit the salt of bread that is to say Common-salt salt-gem salt-naptie and salt-Indiâ— And afterward he saith that this last is of all other the most bâ—tter sharpe and most violent and therefore of greatest force to purge And he saith that al Salt is as it were a spurre to other medicines with the which it is mingled for that it maketh them to worke more spéedily Lastly hée saith that all Salt bringeth foorth grosse Phlegmaticke humors Among Salts some are earthie some watery and some aierie or such as haue in them predominant eyther the Element of that earth of water or of ayre insomuch some of them are fixed are of the nature of earth other some are betwéene fixed flying and doe retaine a certaine middle watery propertie But Sal Armoniac is of nature spiritual as is also the common Armoniac of all other most flying ayrie And al Salt whether it be flying or fixed is no otherwise dissolued and commixed in waters than with the water of Water and if one be a dry water the other is moyst These thrée kindes of Saltes which lye hydden in the secret parts of things whether they be metalline vegitable or animal and which are principally seated in that element which produceth his generations out of the earth they do participat of the nature of the thrée beginnings For the common salte and that which is of the sea passing through the philter of the earth and boyled and digested with the heates of the bowels of the same earth doth participate of the nature of fixed and firme salt the father and original of all others But Niter being partly fixed and in part volatile doth participate of the sulphurus beginning of things euen as Sal Amoniac doth participate of the Mercuriall beginning spirituall and ayrie whose extreames to wit fixed and volatile of the sulphurus salt or the Niterus partaker of the volatile nature in part and partly fixed are coupled together by intercession By this straight and wonderfull bond of the thrée beginnings thrée diuers substances of Salts of sundry properties doe manifestly appeare like in essence but not in natures of qualities For beyond all expectation a good wittie Salt-maker wil extract out of a fat and fertile earth by washings these three kindes of Saltes namely the marine and fixed which is dissolued in lye made of ashes the Niterus by it selfe which is there coagulated or congealed and the Armoniac volatile ayrie flying in part out of the Lye and partly contained in both the Saltes and therefore hydden from the sences This may bée done by a skilfull Salt-maker albeit he were vtterly ignorant of all the mysterâ—es which here are hidden Which thrée distinct differences of Saltes as they are to be found in euery fat kind of earth so out of both the saltes namely the marine and fixed and the Niterus volatile they may be thenceforth separated For those Saltes being put into a retort together or apart by themselues with a receiuer first by the force of fire stilleth forth a Volatile Salt sower sharpe and Mercurial then with a greater heate commeth forth a Salt Sulphurus and Niterus and swéete the third Salt which is Salt vpon Salt fixed will not moue with any force of fier but remaineth constantly in the bottome of the glasse All tastes are brought forth out of these thrée sundry Saltes common to that triple beginning of things so as we shall not néede to haue recourse to hot and cold moist and dry For they are procreated out of those beginnings alone Fixed Salt consider as it is simple and without commixtion maketh simply a salt tast A Sulphurus Salt also simply vnderstoode yéeldeth out of it a swéete oylely taste But Mercurial Salt in like sort conceiued by it selfe and apart representeth a sower taste All which tastes mixed together in equall proportions yéelde a pleasant and delightful taste without any sense or taste of any of the particulars These thrée beginnings cannot be found simple in a mixt body in such wise but that they haue some composition and do in mixture communicate their qualities together as may bée séene in sea-salt and salt-péeter out of the which may be separated not onely a salt and sharpe taste but also a swéete taste And it is certaine that in things sulphurus and oylely and also in Mercurial liquors there is to be found a coniunction of such tastes For this cause we affirme that all fixed Salt of a mixt body is very brinish and excéeding bitter the sulphurus of a fat and sweete taste and the Mercurial sower sharpe and fiery So that vpon these simple qualities salt swéete and sower which are to be found in all bodies minerall vegitable and animal all others tastes do depend And as touching the elementary qualities passiue which are as organical and instrumentall causes they little appertaine to this matter whether it be the terrestrial and drie passiue quality passiue coldnesse or whether it be the aiery moist vapor the which tastes of this sort or potent qualities procéedeth from these thrée beginnings do either further to this or that nature or else doe impaire and weaken them To make this plaine by manifest reasons and to lay it open before our eyes we will begin to intreat of mixed bodies the which notwithstanding according to the Elements are most simple CHAP. VI. IT is already said that tastes by a certaine priuate right are ascribed to Salts or to their spirits which euidently appeareth hereby that the differences of tastes are not produced but from the differences of Saltes or contrariwise the differences of Saltes are produced from the differences of tastes In the bosome of nature there are found almost so many kinde of Saltes as there are variety of tastes Digged or minerall and marine Salt is endued with a salt qualitie Niter with a bitter quality Allum with a sharpe Vitriol with a sower Armoniac with a sharpe and sower quality But swéete Saltes do manifestly appeare not onely in Manna and in Sugar but also in marine salt and in salt of Vitriol out of which they are to be seperated And as we haue said in euery of these salts these thrée first beginnings Salt Sulphur and Merucry are contained ioyntly together one aiery mercurial or spiritual the which is sharpe and sower the other earthly which is sower and bitter and the third oylely sweet which is a meane betwéene them
and comfort the same So the Salt of Guaiacine is by a speciall propertie solutiue as the mercurie thereof by his tartnesse doth testifie and the oyle or Sulphur thereof hath a purging force Out of the which thrée beginnings if the first two spirituall and more simple that is to say Mercury and Sulphur be extracted and according to arte and the fixed which is salt be also extracted and seperated and be after that brought into one bodie which the Arabians call Elixir it will be ioyntly together a medicine prouoking sweate altering concocting and purging Which tryple motion and operation commeth from one and the same essence of thrée vnited in one giuing most assured helpe in stéed of quicke-siluer against the veneril sicknesse or French disease The salt of Tartar is of the same kinde that they be which sharply do vite the tongue being also oily and sulphurus yea it is more sharpe than any other neuertheles if it be mingled with the spirit or sharpe oile of vitriole it can so moderate and correct his sharpenesse and byting spirit that of them both there may be made Ielly and thereof a swéete most pleasing delicate sirup which auayleth much against the gnawing and heate of the stomach and to ease al paines of the collicke All such Mercuries Sulphur and Saltes of Vegetables doe grow and arise from the mercurial and sulphurus spirits of the earth and from metallick substances but they are farre better swéeter and of more noble condition than their parents from whence they take their original There wil be no ende of writing if particularly should bée prosecuted the difference of all beginnings and their properties and faculties which the sea and the earth doth procreate That which is already declared may suffice to stirre vp the moâ—e noble wits to search out the Mysteries of nature and to follow the study of such excellent Philosophy Thus it is made manifest that these thrée biginnings are in Heauen in the Elements as in Ayre Water and in Earth and in bodies elementated as wel of Minerals as of Vegetables And now it resteth that it be shewed how the same be in Animals CHAP. XIIII Wherein is shewed that those three first beginnings are to be found in all liuing Creatures FIrst we wil beginne with Fowles whose first beginning is at the Egge For in Egges there are more plaine testimonies of the nature of Birdes than in any other thing The white declareth the ethereal Mercurie wherein is the séed and the etherial spirit the author of generation hauing in the prolifying power whereof chiefly the Bird is begotten For this cause it is marueilous that so many and so great dissoluing and attenuating vertues and faculties doe lye hid in the white of an Egge as in the ethereal Mercurie The yeolke of the Egge the nourishment of the Bird is the true Sulphur But the thinne skinne and the shell doe not onely conteyne a certaine portion of Salt but also their whole substance is salt and the same the most fixed and constant of al other salts of nature so as the same being brought vnto blacknesse and freed from his combustible sulphur but calcination it will indure and abide all force of fyer which is a propertie belonging to the most fixed salts and a token of their assured and most constant fixion This salt daily prepared is very fit to dissolue and breake the Stone and to auoyd it As these thrée principles are in the Egge so they passe into the bird For Mercury is in the blood and flesh Sulphur in the fat and salt is in the ligaments sinewes bones more in solid parts And the same beginnings are more subtil and aierie in birds than in fishes and terrestrials As for example the Sulphur or oily substance of birds is alwayes of more thinne parts thâ—â— that of fishes or of beastes The same may be sayd of Fishes which albeit they be procreated and nourished in the cold water yet doe they not want their hote and burning fatnesse apt to burne And that they haue in them Mercury and Salt no man well aduised will denie All terrestriall liuing creatures doe consist in like sort of these thrée beginnings but in a more noble degrée of perfection than in vegetable things they doe appeare in them For the vegetable things which the beastes doe féede vpon being more crude are conâ—â—cted in them and are turned into their substance wherby they are made more perfect and of greater efficacie In Vegetables there were onely those Vegetatiues which in beastes beside the vegetation which they retaine they become also sensatiue and therefore of more noble and better nature The Sulphur appeareth in them by their grease tallow and by their vnctuous oily marrow and fatnesse apt to burne Their Salts are represented by their bones and more solid and hard parts euen as their Mercuries doe appeare in their blood and in their other humors and vaporous substances All which those singular partes are not therefore called Mercurie Sulphurs and Salts because they consist of animal Mercurie of animal Sulphur and of Animal Salt without the coniunction of the beginnings But in Mercurals Mercurie in Sulphurus Sulphur in the Saltish salt doth rule and dominéere Out of the which thrée beginnings of beasts oyles diuers liquours and salts apt for mans vse both to nourish and also to heale and cure may by Chymicall art be extracted CHAP. XV. Concerning Man and the liuely Anathomie of all his parts and humours with the vertues and properties of his three beginnings NOw it remaineth that we séeke out and search in man those things in whom they shall be found to be so much the more subtill and perfect by how much he excelleth all other creatures in subtiltie and excellency For in him as in a little world are contained these thrée beginnings as diuers and manifold as in the great world but more spirituous and farre better For Pholâ—sophers cal man the compendiment or abridgement of the greater world And Gregory Nazianzene in the beginning of his booke concerning the making of man saith that God therfore made man after all other things that he might expresse in man as in a small table all that he had made before at large For as the vniuersal frame of this world is diuided into these thrée parts namely intellectual and elementarie the meane betwéene which is the celestial which doth couple the other two not onely most diuers but also cleane contrary that is to say that supreme intellectual wholy formal and spiritual and the elementary material and corporeat so in man the like triple world is to be considered as it is distributed into thrée parts notwithstanding most straightly knit together and vnited that is to say the Head the Brest and the Belly beneath The which lower belly compreheÌ„deth those parts which are appointed for generations and nourishment which is correspondent to the lower elementarie world The middle part which is the brest where the heart
moysture And as all Phylosopers doe write with one consent it is an vniuersal medicinable body whereunto all the particularities of medicines are reduced and infused For this cause it is as it were a fineth nature or essence a most thinne soule most purgatiue much resisting for a very long time putrifaction or corruption freed from al mortal concretion a celestial and simple substance of the Elements brought to to this spiritual nature by Chymical sublimation And yet for al this we affirme not that this medicine is altogether incorruptible for as much as it is made and consisteth of natural things Neuerthelesse it is brought to that subtiltie thinnesse and simplicitie spiritual that it séemeth to containe nothing in it that is Heterogenial or vnkindely whereby it may be corrupted whereby also it commeth to passe that being giuen to the sicke it preserueth them a long time in health And for this cause the Philosophers haue had this in so great estéeme and haue wholy addicted themselues to seeke and search out the same not to make themselues rich by turning imperfect metals into gold and siluer when as many of them willingly embraced pouertie but rather to heale the diseases and sicknesses of men and to defende and preserue their liues in long health without griefe vnto the time which God hath appointed But leauing this great mysterie which very fewe attaine vnto I wil in charitie and good wil deliuer here vnto thee an easie prescription how to make certaine waters of great vertue which I found written in the Latine tongue in an auncient coppy seruing to kéepe the body in health and to deliuer it from many infirmities which I thought good here to insert as very pertinent so this Treatise which concerneth as you haue heard the vertue of Minerals Take of Aqua vitae distilled with red Wine lib. 4. Of burnt Salt lib. 2. Of dead Sulphur lib. 2. Of white Tartar z. 2. Of the coales of Flaxe which groweth in Abella a Towne of Campania in Italie z. 3. Of Salt Peter z. 4. Beate al these into fine pouder seare them and being mingled together powre on them the aforesaid Aqua vitae and so put the whole masse to distillation The Vertues of the Distillation THe first Distilation hath vertue of a Balsam to conserue both flesh and Fish from putrifaction It clenseth the face from all freckles and spots clearing the skinne and making if fairer It cleanseth the body from Itch and Scabbes and dryeth vp the teares and watrinesse of the eyes The second distillation expelleth impostumations and superfluities of the body fasteneth the téeth which are loose and taketh away the windinesse of the Liuer The third taketh away a stinking breath and purgeth tough flegme out of the Stomach and whatsoeuer is not wel digested The fourth expelleth blood which is congealed in the body The fifth healeth and taketh away from man the faling sicknesse The sixt distillation helpeth al paines about the throate The seuenth cureth the paine of the Goute The eight is an excellent Balsam which sée thou kéepe well The ninth distillation comforteth and preserueth the Liuer if a little gold be dissolued therein After euery of the former distillations the feces must be beaten and searced as in the beginning Another Water by which a Phisitian may worke wonders TAke the fylings of Siluer of Brasse of Iron of Leade of Steele of Gold the summe or froth of Golde and of Siluer and of Storax so much of all these as the abilitie of the man can wel affoorde put these the first day in the vrine of seuen yeares of age the second day in white Wine made hote the third day into the Iuice of Fennel the fourth day into the white of an Egge the fifth day into womans milke which giueth a boy sucke the sixth day into red wine the seuenth day in seuen whites of Egges Then put all this into a cupel and distil it with a soft and gentle fyer That which is distilled kéepe in a Siluer or golden vessel There cannot bée spoken enough in the praise of this water It cureth all sortes of Leprosie and wonderfully clenseth the body It maketh youth to continue long Vse it to thy comfort and to the good of thy neighbour CHAP. XVIII Shewing by what remedies sicknesses are to be cured IT is alleaged out of the authoritie of Hypocrates and Galen that contraries are cured by contraries But hée which affirmeth that contraries are cured by contraries hée shall neuer easily finde out a remedie for sicknesse neither was this Hypocrates meaning as shall bée shewed anon It is out of question that sicknesses doe arise from the disagrement of the beginnings and so often as those beginnings doe decline from their temper which is then called a distemperature and the one being seperated from the consort of the other taking vp his standing by himselfe procureth sicknesse For when it is not in mixture with the other which being ioyned together do maintaine concord they then make warre vpon the body without any stoppe or let I speake not here of simple and bare qualities but of the very essences wherein are those powers and faculties whereof Hypocrates speaketh which preserue the health of their Balsam or to restore it when it is lost Seing therefore the séedes and properties both of health and of sicknesses lye hid in the essences it followeth that they are to be cherished with essences and not with qualities The which essences forsomuch as they are méere acting spirits they are to be repelled with spirits not with bodyes which are not like them or which are contrary to them But it is obiected that al things consist of Elements therefore our bodies also If then the Element of ayer do suffer and be out of course in vs shal the same be holpen with the Element of earth Why then haue Phisitians so fewe remedies against the pestilence Is it because there are none at al I confesse when God wil punish hée taketh away the vertue from remedies and medicines That is not the cause I meane the want of remedies but because ignorant Phisitians know not the causes of the pestilence and therefore dâ—e not rightly prouide to preuent the same For séeing they oppose against the pestilence comming of the corruption of the Ayer a medicine taken from earth water or ayer or from the earth hauing a watery original what maruayle is it if there follow no effect thereof when as they doe not driue away those things which are to bée mixed together but those things which doe easily agrée and are gathered together For how can the heauen and the earth bée mingled together to helpe the distemperature of the Heauen betwéene the which there is so great distance as there is betwéen diuisible and indiuisible as Plato spake Therefore celestiall things are to be mingled with celestial things waterie with waterie and earthie with earthie and not contrariwise otherwise there can be no agréement Consider wel
like We might yet make these things more plaine lay the same more open by many reasons and examples but why should we ease you of that labour which we haue vndergon our selues by diliâ—eÌ„t reading searching and experimenting the things of nature with great expences before we attained our desire Accept my good wil in this which I fréely offer for some ease of thy paines and for thy profit And if it fit not thy humour taste for al men haue not one relish leaue it for those which shall better allow it FINIS THE SECOND part of this Treatise wherein is contained in some measure the practise of the Hermeticall Physicke CHAP. I. SAlt whereof hath bene spoken before at large is a thing of such qualitie and so excellent in it selfe that all creatures by a certaine natural instinct doe desire the same as a Balsam by which they are preserued conserued doe grow and increase They loue it and like it so wel I say that they long after it and doe drawe it vnto them by their breath and doe licke it with their tongue out of walles and old rubbish Byrdes as Doues and such like doe search after it with their beakes and wil if they can attaine it though out of â—eculent places which are made â—at by mens excrements and vertues What huge multitudes of fishes are bread and nourished in the Salt Sea The which being so apparant I wonder that men are of so peruerse iudgement that they knowe not or at least will not acknowledge the admirable effects of this radical balsam of nature And who wil not admire the vertual properties and qualities of Salt yea euen of that which is extracted out of liuing creatures which qualities are to be séene in making liquide in clensing in binding 〈…〉 preseruing from 〈◊〉 corruption and 〈…〉 Are not all these faculties and many others sufficient to proue that Salt is a thing animal And so much the rather because there haue bene some chiefe Phylosophers who haue affirmed the Magâ—es or Loadstone to be animate or indued with life onely because it hath power to draw â—ron to it How many faculties far greater then these yea and the same magnetical also do we find in Salt if we looke diligently and throughly into them What is greater and more admirable then the Salt of mans â—riâ—e which after conuenient preparation is made fit to dissolue gold and siluer which by this their simpathy and concordance â—o sufficiently declare and manifestly giue attraction and magnetical vertue occasioned or caused by their coniunction and copulation Who seeth not those admirable things which are to be discerned and which fal out in the preparation thereof and in the exaltation whether you respect so great variety of colours or the coagulations and dissolutions when the spirit returneth into the body and the body passeth againe into spirit Christophorus Parisiensis that great Phylosopher did not in vaine take the subiect herehence and begin the foundation of his worke Thus I hope I haue sufficiently declared that our Salt may be saide to be animate But that it may appeare also to be as vegetaâ— as it is animal that is to say that it is not depriued of the growing facultie it may hereby be demonstrated because it is the first mouing thing in nature which maketh to grow and to multiply and therefore serueth for the generation of all things so as with the Poets and auncient Phylosophers it may be said that Venus the mother and first beginner of al generation is begotten of the Salt spume or froath of the male the which also Athenaeus confirmeth For this cause Venus was called by the Greekes Aligene as affâ—anced to the Salt sea And also the generation of most precious pearles in the shels of fishes and of coral springing out of the bowels of hard stones and rockes in the sea spreading forth branches like a 〈◊〉 doe yet more and more confirme this sentence Theâ—â— are the â—â—fects which that fier of nature Salt bringeth forth yea euen in the middest of most cold water But let vs see also what it worketh in the earth The effects which it hath in the earth are these namely it heateth and maketh the earth fat it animaâ—â—th fortifieth and giueth power vnto it It increaseth and giueth a vegetating and growing vertue with séede into euery thing in the same For what other thing is it which 〈◊〉 the earth 〈◊〉 and bringeth to passe that one graine multiplyeth into a hundred but a certaine â—â—ercoration and spreading of 〈…〉 which commeth from cattle What other thing openeth the earth and maketh it to sproute â—n the beginning of the spring time after that the Sunne is exalted into the signe of Ariâ—â— which signe is the full of Saturn and the house of Mars signes altogether fâ—ery but the eleuations and sublâ—â—ations of the spirits of the said Salt and of the balsam of nature This is 〈…〉 and quickeneth which maketh to grow and which 〈◊〉 and ioyeth the medowes and the fieldes and which produceth that most ample and vniuersal vigor and vertue Who seeth not this in the very aâ—er also by the sublimations of the spirits of the 〈◊〉 nature of Salt which spirits being sublenated into aier in the said spring time doe fal againe in forme of a deawe vpon corne and all things that spring out of the earth And who seeth not that these deawes arysing from the earth and falling againe from the aier is a cause of vegetation and growing But that the dewe is the spirit of the foresaid Salt and indued with Salt they which thinke themselues great Philosophers against their wils and not without shame do confesse when they sée that the true Phylosophers doe extract out of the deawe a Salt which dissolueth corall and pearles no lesse then doth the Salt which is extracted out of common Salt out of Salt-Péeter out of Niter or out of other Salts which are prepared for the same end Furthermore the same Salt may rightly also be said to bee vegetall because it is manifestly found in all vegetables and because those things in the which it doth most abound haue the longer life and continuance and doe more manifestly shew forth the vegetable effects either in their owne proper nature â—or at such times as they are to serue for vse Salt also is well known to be metallick or minerall And all men knowe it the better so to be for that such sundry and diuers kinds of Salts are found in the bowels of the earth such are Salt Gem Allum Vitriol Salt niter and such others moe all which are of metallick nature or else doe participate much with the same But a Phylosopher knoweth how to 〈◊〉 this thing further and to find out the innermost 〈…〉 by the helpe of diuers strong waters which hee knoweth how to prepare which are nothing else but the spirits of the foresaide Salts which haue power to
albeit this is true yet God hath appointed Nature as a meanes to fulfill his will the which Nature hee hauing 〈◊〉 with the vertues of working he by the same beginneth furthereth and perfiteth all things Therefore the second cause is called Nature because by the same as by a vital instrument God who is the first cause worketh all things For thus God féedeth men with bread the which he hath indued with a natural faculty of nourishing that the nature of bread may be said to féede and nourish whereto he hath predestinated the same by the forme of natural bread Thus therefore these things are to be reconciled that we acknowledge God to bee the first cause of working in all other causes because hée hath made the causes and hath giuen power of working and doth himselfe worke together with them and that we belieue that hée stirreth vppe prouoketh directeth and moderateth Nature by the power force and vnitie which hée hath giuen to her to doe all things by her proper motions So that we must séeke the cause and forme of all natural actions in Nature which God hath made potent with spiritual vertues by which it acteth and worketh in the matter for that nothing can procéede from the matter it selfe being dead which is Vital or indued with the faculties of working CHAP. IIII THis word Beginning extendeth very farre For as Artes and Sciences so also all other things haue their proper and set beginnings Plato intreating of Beginnings one while appointeth three namely God Patterne and Matter another while he appointeth two onely that is to say that which is infinite and that which is terminable and to be limited By the word Infinite he meaneth Matter and by the word Terminable he meaneth Forme as bringing a thing within a certaine compasse and restraining a matter excurrent within bondes and limits Aristotle varyed not much from the opinion and sentence of his Maister albeit he declared the same in other wordes calling that Forme which Plato named Terminable And that which Plato called Infinite Aristotle nameth Matter appointing Priuation by it selfe for a third beginning Let it not therefore séeme absurde to any that we appoint thrée beginnings of all things Salt Sulphur and Mercurie as if it were thereby intended to ouerthrowe by our constitution the beginnings of the ancient Phylosophers whereas we ioyne and agrée with them For if wée grant to Aristotle his beginnings what difference will there be betwéene him and vs. Wée admit if you please the distinction by which he diuideth his beginnings namely into the first matter into the simple matter and into that which is remote enduring all alterations of formes or wherein there is power to bée made subiect to all formes and in two contraryes to wit Forme and Priuation the which habilitie of taking forme is in the subiect Wée graunt that these beginnings of all other are the more parciptible in vnderstanding than in sense As therefore our beginnings which we appoint out of which al mixt things are compounded and be cannot by the Aristotelian Philosophers be ouerthrowen so in like Aristotelian beginnings cannot by ours be destroyed For all this whole world is diuided into two Globes to wit into the inferior Heauen which is Aetheriall and Airie and into the inferior Globe which comprehendeth Water and Earth The superior which is Aetheriall hath in it Fire lightning and brightnesse and this firery Heauen is a formall and essentiall Element What things soeuer are comprehended in these foure bodyes which are the Elements and receptacles of all things are eyther simple things or bodyes mixed and compounded of them They are simple which are without mixture existing apart and seuerall by themselues of the which all things are made and into the which all things are resolued They are compound or corporeat which both are made of simples and into simples And simples may be distinguished into those things which are simple formes and into those which are simple matters or into those things which are simply formals and into those which are simply materials So bodyes are diuided into materiall bodyes and into bodyes formall Those things which are simply formall are astrall and spirituall the Elements are formall Seedes are formall and the three beginnings are formall that is to say so spirituall that they come not within the compasse of our 〈◊〉 But the formal Elements whereof we speakâ— are they in wâ—ose closet the astral séedes oâ— things and the formal beginnings are defused and layd vp as in their proper recâ—â—â—â—cles in the which simple and spiritual Elements of seedes and spiritual beginnings the 〈◊〉 and quickening Sciences properties and rootes of propagating 〈◊〉 increase of al things lye hid wherein also all habites 〈◊〉 and figures qualities quantities and dimentions sauours â—dours and coolours are included which doe budde 〈◊〉 and florish out of their bosome in their due time by opertune maturitie And these simple Elements or beginnings doe imbrace the spiritual seedes with so great simphathy and friendship and doe render to the Elements and beginnings mutual reciprocation of loue that being brought by the parents into some particular kinde or forme they neuer make an ende by the recordation of their vnion with the simple Elements but that at the last againe the predestination and 〈◊〉 of the natural bodies being consummated they returne backe againe to their graundfathers and great graundfathers and doe rest there euen as the floods passing and issuing out of their Element of the sea running in their course hither and thither leauing at the length euery where behinde them their generation or their wombe eâ—oâ—erated they returne to their beginning againe wherupon by mutuall copulation they receiue new force and strength to increase their issue And this is the perpetuall circulation by which the heauen is marryed to the Earth and the inferior Elements doe conioyne with the superior For the continuall vapours arising from the center of the earth being expulsed into waters and being caryed from waters into ayre by the attraction of the Coelestiall Starres and also by the force and appetite of the inferior Elements to bring forth issue and to conceiue from heauen the séedes passing too and againe at the last the Elements returne to their parents full and impregnated with Celestiall formes and doe there nourish their séedes vntill at the length they bring foorth in due season and doe exclude their generation The which impregnation commeth from no other than from those astrall séedes and those thrée seuerall beginnings Mercurie Sulphur and Salt furnished and fulfilled with all science properties vertues and tinctures and doe borrowe and fitte to themselues out of their spirituall body a materiall and doe animate and adorne it with their properties For it belongeth vnto Mercurie to giue life vnto the partes to Sulphur to giue increase of body and to Salt to compact those two together and to conioyne them into one firme body GOD the Creator of all things
of that composition the which pouldred he prescribeth to be taken in a reare egge to the quantitie of halfe a spoonefull fasting in the morning The effect whereof he sheweth in these words No man can sufficiently commende the worthines of this medicine for the helping vertue which it hath in colde distemperatures correcting raw humors for the which cause it helpeth the collicke and doth gently loosen the belly Hée describeth also other saltes which loosen the bellie which drawe fleame from the head with other helpes besides And into one composition hee appointeth to be put of cléere dryed salt 144. dragmes In the which composition hee added of the flowers of Câ—amamil of Coniza of mountaine Calamynt of the roote of the mountaine Eringium of Origan of Sylphium of Pepper of each a thirde parte The which Ingredients put to the quantitie of the salt aforesaid come nothing neere to the quantity therof He appointeth another composition of Salte where to thirtie ounces of parched salt hee appointeth a farre lesse dose of Hysope of wilde Tyme of Cummine the continuall vse wherof hée appointeth in stéede of common salte not onely for to make the meate sauory but also for medicine For saith he who so vseth the same continually shall at no time be troubled with any disease It helpeth headache it quickeneth the sight it cleanseth the brest from fleame it maketh good concoction in the stomacke and purgeth the kidneys Hereby it appeareth that the auncient Physitians did not only vse Salt but also that they made choyse of the best and most cleare sort the which also they dryed and parched with heate of the fire to make it the more forcible to helpe in all obstructions For Salts are of that power that they take away all manner putrifaction and corruption of wormes and doe put away the originall of other vices and diseases and do amend them The which being so what other thing can be found out for the conseruation of life and health or for the expulsion of all diseases more profitable Actuarius also describing certaine purgatiue Salts doth giue vnto them great efficacie in helping and easing sundry diseases and 〈◊〉 preuenting many sicknesses â—yrepsius describeth moe then twenty sundry Salts And among their compositions hée calleth one the Apostles Salt the which preserueth the sight to a very great age clenseth the lunges from tough fleame preuenting coughes and inlarging the breath Another composition hée attributeth to Saint Luke the Euangelist which is almost of the like vertue the which the Priestes of Aegipt as he saith vsed for fulnesse that they might be the more fitte to apply themselues to their studies being also of force to remedie sundry diseases Marcellus Empiricus discribed two maner of purging Salts Many other authors might be alleaged as Gregorius Theologus Plinius Secundus and others which haue giuen great commendation to the vertue of Salts whose wordes for breuities sake I omit CHAP. IX Concerning the extractions of Salts out of all things and Chymicall calcinations and incinerations knowne to the ancient Physitians and vsed in Medicine THere are some which contemne and deride our Artifice coÌ„cerning the extractions of Salts But no wise man will speake against the thing which he knoweth not For the auncient Physitians haue vsed calcinations like vnto ours as may appeare by the wordes of Oribasius when he maketh mention of the Calcination of Tartar and of the feces of vineger put into an earthen potte close pasted or lated For he saith that the matter which is to be calcined being fast luted in a potte and set ouer the fire to be baked so long vntill it waxe white Alchimically Plinius Secundus vsed the ashes of beastes and foules as most singular and familar remedies All the auncient writers speake of a little bird like a Wrenne which is called Regulus Troglodites and haue taught that the same being brought into ashes is singular remedie for the Stone Also they say that glasse calcined and burnt into ashes hath the same effect And many of our later Physitians doe vse the ashes of a spoonge drunke in white wine for the cure of the Broncoceles which is a disease arysing from the throates kernells of some called the Hermis of the throate This they prescribe to be drunke for the space of one whole Moone which is a most certaine experience Aelius propoundeth many and sundry remedies which they of olde time vsed which being calcined and dissolued into ashes according to the coÌ„mon fashion of Chymists he most highly estéemed as secrets of excéeding price His words are these It is said that it harts horne be burnt and washed it cureth the disentery Fluxe and the spitting of blood and is giuen with great profit to them that haue the Iaundise being giuen in the quantitie of two spoonefulls And in another place he saith Some burne the clawes of Swine and giue the ashes to those that are tormented with the collicke in drinke Other some say that Asses hooues burnt drunke daily doe cure the falling sicknes Againe he saith All burnt bones haue power to driue away to dry vp but more especially mens bones Much more might be brought out of Aetius concerning these things to proue that they of olde did vse calcinations and ashes in diuers and sundry maladies Albeit all ashes in generall so farre forth as they containe in them their proper Salt haue power in them to dry vp to clense yet neuerthelesse they retaine in them some property of that matter out of the which they are extracted And this agreeth with that which Aegineta teacheth saying Ashes haue not exactly one temperature but do differ according to the difference of the matter which is brent And therfore the ashes of sharp things as of Oakes or Holme do binde very much and do stoppe the eruption of bloud without any other thing But the ashes of more sharp things as of the figge and Tythimal or spurge are more sharpe and cleansing Oribasius wryteth in like manner sauing that he procéedeth further For he plainely teacheth the Chymicall extraction of salt out of such ashes speaking thus Ashes saith hee haue in them partly that which is Earthie and partly that which is fumie and these partes are thinne and the ashes steeped or infused in water and strayned do passe through together that which remaineth being earthie and weake and without byting is made hotte hauing put of his force in the watering or infusion And thus Oribasius calleth the separation of the actiue from the passiue earthie which he calleth infirme or weake but the Chymists the deade and damned earth Seperation All whatsoeuer our more skilfull Chymists of this age could adde vnto the Calcinations and Iâ—cinerations of the more ancient is this one thing that out of such kinde of Ashes whereof Oribasius maketh mention they drawe out the whole water and drye it vp and that which remaineth in the bottome being impure
foorth the Sulphur that to say the more grosse Waters from the drye parte which out of the separation standeth like salte and as yet standeth by it selfe apart And yet for all this those vniuersall partes of the whole Chaos are not to be separated but that stil euery one of them do retaine in themselues those thrée beginnings without the which they cannot bée nor yet fulfill their generations This was the worke of God that hée might separate the Pure from the Impure that is to say that he might reduce the more pure and Ethereal Mercury the more pure and inextinguible Sulphur the more pure and more fixed salte into shyning and inextinguible Starres and Lights into a Christalline and Dyamantine substance or most simple Bodie which is called Heauen the highest and fourth formall Element and that from the same the Formes as it were séedes might be powred forth into the most grosse elements to the generation of all things The which are called the moâ—â— grosse elements because frâ—m them in the diuision of the Chaos the most pure part is abstracted and conuerted and brought to a heauen and to the fruites thereof All which elements whether it be that most simple fourth or whether they be those which are said to be more grosse forsomuch as they consist of those thrée Hypostaticall beginning they could neuer be so separated one from the other at the first nor can now bée so seperated by any Chymist but that alwayes still that which remaineth is compounded of them thrée The difference is this that some are most pure simple and most spirituall substances of the secret parts and other some are more grosse and lesse simple also a third sort most grosse and material in the highest degrée Therefore it must be confessed that the Heauen albeit it bee most simple doth consist of those thrée beginnings but of the most pure and most spirituous and altogether formall Whereby it commeth to passe that the vertues and powers of Heauen being wholy spirituall doe easily without impediment pearcing into the other Elements powre forth the inferiour Elements the spiritual formes from whence all mortall bodies doe obtaine the increase both of their vertues and also of their faculties If we will behold the puritie of the Heauen aboue other Elements and the perpetuall constancie thereof looke then vpon those bright and shining fyers continually glittering and light to whom the heauen hath giuen the most pure and extinguible substance of Sulphur whereof they consist For such as the heauen is in essence such and the like fruites hath it brought foorth in substance out of whose vitall impressions and influences they procreat bring forth some likenes of theÌ„selues in the more grosse ElemeÌ„ts but yet according as the matter is more grosse or more thinne more durable or more constant or more transitorie And the influences of such fyers are mercuriall spirits but the light and shyning brightnes is Sulphur their fixed Heauens or Vitriall and Chrystallyne circles is a salt body which circles are â—â—pure shining and fixed that a Diamond which partaketh oâ— the nature of fixed salt is not of more puritie continuance and perpetuitie than they are As touching the Elements of Ayer the beginnings thereof are more grosse lesse pure and lesse spirituall and simple than the beginnings celestiall and yet much more perfect thinne and penetrating then are the waterie and terrestriall Mercuries and Sulphurs and is such that next to heauen it hath the preheminence of actiuitie and power whose forces are to be séene in diuers and sundry windes which are mercuriall fruites and the spirits of the ayerie Element whose sulphurs also are discerned to be pure and bright in burning Comets which are no perpetuall fires or sulphurs which cannot bée put out for degenerating from the nature of Celestiall starres and Sulphurs as from puritie simplicitie into a more grosse and impure forme Now as concernining Earth which is ayerie it is so subtill and thinne that it is very hard to be séene being diffused throughout the whole Region of the Ayer which doth not sent it selfe to the eye but in Mannas in Dewes and in Frostes as in aierie salts The verie same beginnings of ayer may also be séene in Meteors which in it and out of it are ingendered that is to say in lightnings in corruscations and in thunderings in such like For in that flerie flame which breaketh forth is Sulphur In the windy spirit moystnesse is Mercury and in the thunderbolt or stone of the lightning is salt fixed The fruites also of this nature are Manna celestiall and hony which Bées do gather from flowers wherein there is no other thing but Salt Sulphur and Mercurie of the ayer which by a skilfull workeman are not separated from those without great admiration yea the rustick Coridon findeth this by experience to be true when as he can seperate the matter of the Bées worke into waxe which is a matter sulphurus into hony which is a Mercurial essence into drosse representing the terrestriall salfe And thus that superior globe seuered into an ethereall and ayery heauen hath his thrée beginnings yet neuerthelesse very different in simplicitis and puritie CHAP. XIII Whence is shewed that in this inferior Globe of the Worlde namely in the Elements of Water and Earth these three beginnings are plainely to be seene THose thrée Beginnings doe as yet more plainely shewe foorth themselues in this inferior Globe by reason of their more grosse matter which is to our eyes more sensible For out of the Element of Water the iuyces and metallick substances do daily break foorth in sight the vapours of whose moysture or iuyce more spirituous do set foorth Mercury the more drye exhalations Sulphur and their coagulated or congealed matter Salt Of the which saltes Nature doth offer vnto vs dyuers kindes of Allume of Vitriole sundry differences Saltegemme and salt Armoniac and many others There are also manie kindes of Sulphurs of Pitche and of Bitumen and of Mercuries or Iuyces Moreouer the Sea doth witnes that it is not without such Mercuriall Aiery and Sulphurous spirites whose meteors in Castor and Pollux and in other 〈◊〉 kindled by reason of their sundry sulphurs and exhalations do confirme the same and that the sea is not without his saltes the saltnesse thereof doth make manifest The Earth also doth prooue the same which being like vnto a spunge doth continually draw and sucke vnto it the salte body thereof Wherby it cometh to passe that there are so many kindes of metalls and Mineralls therin From this Marine sale as from the Father and first original all other sates are deryued And these beginnings are so separated in all other Elementes by themselues aparte that no one of them is depryued of the company of another For in the Marine salte albeit the nature of salte doth excéede and ouer matche the nature of the other beginnings yet it is not destitute of a sulphurous and
gold to it selfe with the which it is mingled and vnited into one body in such wise that it swalloweth vp gold whereas all other metalls except siluer do floate aloft and wil not sinke into the same Consider therefore saith Arnold that thing onely which cleaueth to Mercury and to the perfect bodies and thou hast the full knowledge And when he hath thus discribed the deuouring Lyon he addeth these words Because our stone is like to the accidentall quicksiluer which carrieth gold before it and ouercommeth it and is the very same which can kill and make aliue And know further that our coagulated quicksiluer is the father of all the minerals of that our magistery is both body spirit c. The same thrée chiefe beginnings doe offer themselues vnto vs in other semi mineralls as in Arsenick orpinent and such other like which albeit in their whole substance they bee contrary to our nature and spirits yet by nature they haue that spiritual promptnes and flying swiftnesse that by their subtiltie they easily conuey and mingle and mingle themselues with our spirits whether they be inwardly taken or outwardly applyed and doe worke venemous and mortal effects and that by reason of the Arsenical Mercury poinson ful or arsenical Sulphur and arsenicall Salt Gems also and precious stones haue in them the vertues and qualities of those thrée beginnings by reason of whose fier and brightnesse the pure Mercury in them doth shine cleauing firmly to his fixed Salt and also to the Sulphur of the same nature whereby the whole substance of a contrary kind being seperated there ariseth and is made a most pure stone of contrinance like vnto gold Of this sort is the most firme and constant Diamond to whom that good old Saturne hath giuen the leaden colour of his more pure Mercury together with the fixed and constant spirits of his more pure Sulphur and hath so confirmed coniealed and compacted it in all stability with his christalline salt that of all other stones it is the most solyd and hardest by reason of the most firme vnion of the thrée principal beginnings and their coherence which by no art of seperation can be disioyned and sundered into the solution of his spiritual beginnings And this is the cause that the ancient Physitians had no vse thereof in medicine because it could not be dissolued into his first matter And it is not to be thought that those auncient Physitians refrained the vse thereof for that they déemed it to be venemous by nature as some falsely imagin which being homogenial and of a 〈◊〉 simple nature it is wholely celestial and therefore most pure and for that cause nothing venemous but the poyson and daunger commeth here hence that being onely broken and beaten and in no sort apt to preperation taken so into the stomack and remaining there by reason of his soliditie and hardnesse inconcocted by coutinuance of time and by little and little it doth fret and teare the laps of the stomack and so the intralls being â—â—oriated death by a lingering consumption ensueth It belongeth to golde with his Sulphur to giue a red tineture to Carbuncles and Rubines neither doth the difference of their colours come of any other cause then this that their Mercuries and Chrystallyne salts are not defeked and clensed alike the which clensing the more perfect or imperfect it is the colour appeareth accordingly either better or worse And albeit Siluer be outwardly white yet within it hath the colour of Azure and blewe by which shée giueth her tincture to Saphyrs Copper hauing outwardly a shew of rednes hath a gréene colour within as the Viridgreese that is made thereof doth testifie by which it giueth greennesse vnto the Emerand Iron red within as his Saffron yeallow colour doth plainly shew and yet nothing like the colour which gold hath within it giueth colour to the Iacint Tinne albeit it is earthie yet being partaker of the celestial nature it giueth vnto Agates diuers and sundry colours From gold and from other mettals as also from precious stones their colours may be taken away by Cementation and Reuerberation by their proper menstrues which things are well knowen to Chymists and fire workmen The which colours and sulphurs so extracted are very fit for the affects of the braine The colour of gold serueth for the affects of the heart The colour of tinne for the lunges The colour of Mercury The colour of lead for the splene The colour of Iron for the rednesse The colour of Copper for the priuie parts The heauenly menstruéese to dispoyle mettalls of their colours and sulphures naturall is this namely the deaw which falleth in the moneth of May and his sugar Manna out of the which two mixed together digested and distilled according to Arte there wil come forth a general dissoluer most fit to dispoyle stones and mettals of their colours Yea of onely Sugar or of hony by it selfe may be made a dissoluer of mettals Now if these thrée beginnings Salt Sulphur and Mercurie are to be found in the Heauen in the Ayer and in the Waters as is al ready shewed who wil make any doubt but that by a farre greater reason they are to be found in the earth and to be made no lesse apparant séeing the earth of al other elements is the most fruitfull and plentiful The Mercurial spirits shâ—we themselues in the leâ—ues and fruites The Sulphurus in the flowers séedes and kirnels The salts in the wood barke and rootes and yet so that eache one of those thrée partes of the trée or plant seuerally by themselues albeit to one is giuen the mercurial spirit to another that of Sulphur and to the third that of Salt yet euery one apart may as yet be resolued into those thrée beginnings without the which they cannot consist how simple so euer they be For whatsoeuer it bée that hath being within the whole compasse and course of nature doe consist and are profited by these thrée beginnings And whereas some are said to be mercurial some Sulphurus and some Salt it is therefore because the Mercurials doe conteine more Mercurie the Sulphurus more Sulphur and the Saltish more Salt in them than the others For some whole trées are to be séene more sulphurus and roseny than other some as the Pine and Firre-trées which are alwayes gréene in the coldest mountaines because they abound with their Sulphurus beginning being the principal vital instrumeÌ„t of their growing For there are some other plants as the Lawrel and the Trées of Oranges Citrons and Lemons which continue long gréene and yet are subiect to colde because their Sulphure is not so easily dispersed as is the Sulphur of the firre trées which are roseny and are therefore thrice of a more fixed and constant life furnished against the iniuries of times Furthermore al Spice-trées and al fragrant and odoriferous hearts are Sulphurus And as there are sundry sortes of trées of this kinde so are
that Heauen Aier Water and Earth are in vs but yet a certaine thing also farre more excellent namely a certaine supernatual body which conserueth all other things in their temperature whose strength retaineth all other things in their office whereas imbecilitie and defect suffereth them to be out of course What then is to bée done in this conflict but to cherish and vphold in his vigor and strength that supernatural bodie that is to say the Balsam of nature that al other things subiect thereunto and to whom it giueth life may by the meane thereof be continued in their estate firme and sound But with what things shall the imbecilitie and defect thereof be restored but with things of the same likenesse Doth Oyle increase by putting water therein Doth not one enemie put another to flight euen as one friend helpeth another Al sicknesses come hereof in our bodie in what soeuer they be seated because the Balsam of nature and life doe there decay and decrease What else then is to be done but to helpe our weake friend Hypocrates sayth that hunger is a sicknesse For whatsoeuer doth put a man to paine deserueth the name of sicknesse whatsoeuer then asswageth hunger is a remedie for this sicknesse such is al maner of food wherewith that sicknesse is cured Therefore according to the opinion of Hypocrates foode is a remedie But wherefore are meates and drinkes saâ—de to bee medicinal remedies but because they haue natural properties agréeing with the Balsam of nature not contrarie wherby the weakened forces and strength are corroborated and the defect thereof restored After the same manner drinke alayeth thirst Why and how commeth this to passe but onely hereof because as nourishment is all one with that which is nourished so thirst is al one with the humour wanting or with drinke Hereby wée sée how wrong their iudgement is which apply contraries to contraries to strengthen nature that it may frée it selfe from sicknesse Which nature if shée should séeke helpe for an enemie she must néedes fall into a greater perrill than if she were to try the combate onely with sicknesse And yet for all this wée reiect not the saying of Hypocrates that contraryes must haue contrarie remedies that is to say by the taking away of the diseasefull impurities and by the repairing of the strength and natural Balsam not by calefaction or refrigeation by humestation or exsiccation not by abstersion incision attenuation by such other like too common familiar so Galen But we are of Hypocrates minde that hunger is cured by meate thirst with drinke repletion with euacuation emptines with refection labour with rest and rest with labour The which of some are not vnderstood as they are expounded of Galen who applyeth those contrarieties to those bare qualities whereof Hypocrates speaketh séeing a medicine is nothing else then an apposition of those things which are desired an ablation of those things which doe too much abound according to the sound opinion of Galen here But Hypocrates aymeth at a further matter in that he would haue the disease qualified driuen away by giuing strength to nature against the enemy which nature being the onely Physitian and curer of diseases is to be holpen with such things as are like to the diseases that so sicknesses and the passions oâ— sicknesses may be mittigated euen as hunger and thyrst are recreated asswaged by those remedies which they gréedily desire But hostile things that are enemy contrary are not desired but such things as are a friend and familiar For who wil giue to his hungery son when he asketh bread a Scorpion Therefore like and fitting liquors and nourishments are to be giuen which may procure to nature desired rest For remedies which come out of the same fountaine and out of the same familie which are agréeing and fitting in likenesse are to be ministred For the thyrsting spirits of feuers are to be recreated with syrups with sugars with pertisan alone or with wine because they are not of the same family and affinitie with them therefore neither familiar friends nor kinsmen but with those tart liquors which are begotten of the same linage which are spiritual not corporal as are those former of the which it certaine drops be offered to him which is a thirst they wil by and by slake his thirst and presently bring such thirsty spirits to their rest After the same maner watchings paines burning heares and such like are cured For when the spirits are thirsty that is to say when they desire any thing like to themselues which is wanting they wil neuer be appeased nor at rest vntill they haue obtained that which they desire and haue supplyed their want Wherefore they are rightly called by Hypocrates contraries and by Hermeticall Physitians remedies of like sort For they are Similies which are drawen from the â—ame anatomie of nature contayning like properties tinctures and rootes And on the other side they are contraries because they supply the defects and doe satisfie the desires with friendly fulnesse appeasing the spirits and their fitting impurities séeking to consume them or to take them away Therefore these phrases of spéech in natures anatomie albeit they séeme different and repugnant one to the other yet in good consent and agréement they are receiued and admitted That is to say that contraries haue contrary remedies like to their like But to returne to our beginning that is to say to the elements or to those thrée hypostatical formal principles of bodies namely Salt Sulphur and Mercurie which is a liquor for so much as vpon them all grieuous diseases for the most part doe depend inso much that a coÌ„mon pestilence flying in the outward aire cannot inuade a man but it must make a breach and assaile one of these Therefore thou shalt not doe more foolishly if to helpe him which is grieued with a mercurial sicknesse thou vse a remedie taken out of Sulphur then if thou shouldest mingle oyle with water which two wil neuer be mixed or vnited And in like sort thou shalt labour in vaine if thou goe about to helpe Sulphurus sicknesses with a Mercurial medicine or to put away salt sicknesses with the help of others For these wil neuer agrée together and being so vnlike one to the other they wil neuer be ioyned in one to heale and cure the bodie except they be knit in a friendly peace and vnion by that supernatural ethereal body that is to say by the Balsam which is common to al things Hée therefore which is sick of Mercurie must be holpen with mercurial remedies as the Epilepsie and the Apolexi are to be holpen with vitriolated remedies taken from water And hée which wil help sulphurus sicknesse must vse sulphurus remedies and sicknesses proceeding of Salt with medecines taken from Salt So thou shalt be taught by reason and experience that things of like sort wil agrée be cured with their
dissolue and to bring metallick bodies into waters as is knowne to euery one I say that by this dissolution we may beâ—â—ld the 〈◊〉 simpathy of these Salts with the metallick nature For because they are like they wil be wel mingled together conioyned and vnited dissoluing his like and associating himselfe to his like For strong waters doe neuer worke vpon wood or vpon any oâ—her matter which is not of metallick nature As it was most truly said of a certaine great Phylosopher Nature loueth her like and delighteth in her owne nature And by another wittily thus spoken Easie is the passage of things one into the other which are one in likenesse Sulphur and other things which are of an oyle like nature are sooner and better dissolued with oyles as with the oyles of Terebinth and of Flaxe or Linsede which is most swâ—â—te then with that great force and most violent sharpnesse of strong waters which are nothing else but the spirits of Salts and by consequent doe disagrée with Sulphur which is a beginning contrary to the said spirits Here iâ— offered large occasion of 〈…〉 iâ— time and place would serue but I omit it Let vs returne to our Salt the which if I shal shew that it may be moulten and dissolued no lesse then gold and siluer with the force of fire and being cold againe may be congealed into a masse as metalls be then no doubt it wil euidently appeare that Salt is of a meâ—allick nature And this I say is to be doâ—e not onely in Salt which is sound in mines and in caues of the earth but also in the very Salt of the Sea But for so much as the same is better knowne to them that haue but meane skil in metalls then that I shal néede at this time to spend much labour about it I cease to speake any word more thereof Hereby it doth appeare very euidently that this opioâ—e of Aristotle is false where he saith that cold dissolueth the things which are congealed with heate and that those things which are coagulated by cold are dissolued by heate The which notwithstanding we grant to be true on the one part for that wée knowe well that Salt which is coagulated or congealed by the heate of the Sunne is dissolued in cold water But it must bée confessed also to be true that Salt by the vehemencie of the heat of fier is to be dissolued moulten and made fluxible and to be cast into a moulten lumpe as easily as metalls be Moreouer Salts may be extracted out of all calcined metals which are to be dissolued filtred and coagulated after the same manner as are other salts whether they be common and not moulten or whether they be moulten by the force of heate For it is known to a Chymist of smal practise that out of one pound of calcined lead tenne or twelue ounces of Salt may be extracted All which things doe sufficiently demonstrate and proue that the nature of Salt is metallick and that therefore metall is nothing else but a certaine â—uâ—il Salt By that which hath bene spoken it may easily appeare how Salt is animal vegetal and mineral and that it agreeth with that which all the Phylosophers haue decréed with one consent concerning the matter and subiect of the vniuersal Medicine And hereunto tend all other signes whereby they describe their foresaid matter albeit most abscurely All which things to agrée with the nature of Saltâ— as that 〈◊〉 is of smal estimation that it is to be found in euery thing 〈…〉 our selues the which is most plaine for so much as there is nothing compounded in vniuersal world out of the which and at all times Salt cannot be extracted CHAP. II. The three principles of all things are contained in Salt extracted out of the earth BVt to shewe now more particularly those things whereof we haue spoken generally namely that Salt doe participate with the animal vegetal and mineral nature wée wil vse a common example the which notwithstanding being exactly and diligently waighed and considered by a true Phylosopher is a notable mistery The which albeit it bee taken from out of the earth yet it may lift vp our eyes to heauen I meane to speake of Niter which men commonly cal Salt-Peeter I let passe the detestable and pernicious vse thereof inuented for the destruction of men And yet I must confesse that it deserueth great admiration in that it sheweth forth so great and incredible effects when as we being in these lower parts it representeth thundrings and lightenings as if they were in the aire aloft But it we should consider what it is and of what quality in his owne nature and composition what diuers faculties and qualities and effects there are in a thing so vile and so common it would no doubt make vs to wonder out of measure Niter is made and compounded of earth his mother which bringeth forth the same or it is taken out of old rubbish grâ—unds or out of places where stables for beasts haue bene or out of such kind of groundes which haue bene replenished with salt liquor or with the vrine of beastes rather then out of a leane hungry land washed with raine or by some such like occasion depriued of that radical humour It is most plentifully extracted from the ground where doue-houses are seated and out of Pigeons dung and this is the best Niter of all others the which is worthy the noting Whereby it appeareth that Niter doth participate with the excrements and vrines of liuing creatures For vrines are nothing else but a superfluous seperation of the Salt of vegetables by which liuing creatures are nourished and doe liue Whereby it euidently appeare how the foresaid Salt doth in kind participate with the nature animal and vegetable For as touching that which pertaineth to the mineral it is not much pertinent to our purpose to speake thereof sauing that wée thinke good to adde thus much that it is extracted out of the earth which is the reason why it is called Salt-Péeter when as more properly it should be called the salt of the earth But let vs goe forward Nature ministereth matter to Art whereof Salt-Péeter is compounded Art cannot make by it selfe no more then nature can make Salt-Péeter-pure and seperated from all terrestrilie and heterogeneal or vnkindly substance For that it may produce the same effects which the other produceth it must be prepared by the industry of workemen For these make choyse of conuenient earth and out of fit places to them well knowne and being filtered or strained with hote common water againe and againe through the same earth as lyes are vsually made with ashes it commeth to passe that a saltnesse or brinish taste is mingled therewith which is proper to all salts Of the which like or water so distreined if two thirds or theraboutes be vapored away by séething at the fire and then let coole the salt will be thickened into an
Philosophers which with one consent say Ignis azoc tibi sufficient Let Fire and the Matter suffice thée This onely Balsam is the vniuersal medicine to defend and conserue health if it be giuen with some conuenient liquor to the quantitie of one or two graines Great and admirable is the vertue thereof to restore our radical Balsam the which wée affirme to be the Medicine of diseases euen by the common consent of al Physitians But our Lullie and other Phylosophers are not content with this but procéeding further do dissolue the forsaid Phylosophical Sulphur in a conuenient portion of the spirit of wine rectified to perfection as afore and suffer them to be vnited and very well coupled together by way of Circulation in a Pellican Hermetically stopt or closed and within fewe dayes the water is made azure like or Celestial which béeing distilled is of force to dissolue gold and doth reduce it into the true Calxe of the Phylosophers into a precious liquor which itterated circulations and distillations can also passe by the necke of the Allembic or by Retort In the which working if thou procéede as thou shouldst thou shalt be able to separate from gold already phylosophically dissolued and animated thy phylosophical dissoluing which wil continually serue for newe dissolutions For very little is lost in euery dissolution And so thou hast the true potable golde the vniuersal Medicine which neuer can bée valued béeing inestimable nor yet sufficiently commended After the same manner thou shalt make the dissolutions of Pearles and of pretious stones most general remedies and deseruing to be placed among the chiefe if they bée dissolued after the order and manner aforesaid with a natural dissoluing Remedies I say which can much better confirme and strengthen our nature than if according to the common manner they bée onely powdred and searced as is wont to bée done in those our common preparations and cordial powders But some paraduenture wil say that these kinde of preparations are too hard or such as they vnderstand not or at least care not to vnderstand But this is a vaine obiection to preuent for excuse of their ignorance the difficultie of these preparations and the protract al time when as the thing is neither difficile nor long to them which know how to take it in hand These things are not to bée estéemed nor labour is to bée spared to attaine so excellent precious medicine which in so little smal a dose as in the quantitie of one or two graines can worke so great and wonderful effects which bringeth great commendation and honour to the Physitian and to the sicke perfect health and vnspeakable sollace and ioy But to conclude I wil say with Cicero in his Tusculans There is no measure of seeking after the truth and to be wearie of seeking is disgrace wheÌ„ that which is sought for is most excellent CHAP. VI. The way to prepare and make the Balsamick Medicine out of all things BY the foresaid preparation of sulphur Balsamick vegetable which wée haue before taught faithfully plainly and manifestly it is easie to vnderstand after what manner the same Sulphur may bée extracted out of euery mixed body In the wich bodie that I may summarily gather al things together there is first found a liquor without al odour or rellishing taste which is called Phlegme or passiue water Then commeth a liquor which hath taste colour odour and other impressions of vertual qualities which is called the Hercurial liquor And after that commeth foorth an oylie liquor which floteth aloft and conceiuing flame which is called Sulphur After the extraction of these thrée seueral moystures there remaineth nothing but ashes or dry part out oâ— the which ashes béeing wel calcined Salt is extracted with his proper Phlegme messhing oftentimes and powring water warmed vpon the foresaid ashes put into Hypocrates bagge and repeating this so often times til you perceiue a Salt water to come which hath a brinish taste after the same manner as women are woont to make their lye-wash This béeing done let the moyst be distilled and the salt wil remaine in the bottome The which salt notwithstanding in this first preparation is not made cleane enough nor sufficiently purified Wherefore the same distilled water is to be powred vp againe that the Salt may againe bée dissolued in the same the which so dissolued filter it or straine it through a bag oftentimes as afore til it be most cleare then coagulate it at a gentle heate And after this maner thou mayst extract a Salt cleare pure out of al vegetable ashes Vppon this Salt being put into an Allembic powre al his mercurial sharpe water let them be digested by the space of one or two dayes in the gentle heate of the Balme and then let them be distilled by ashes and so the water wil distil forth without taste or rellish Because whatsoeuer it contained of the volatile Salt wil reside in the bottome with his per fixed salt Goe forward therefore in thy working as before I taught thée concerning the wine Or if thou wilt not worke so exactly meshe vp againe al the mercurial liquor and make it passe through the foresaid Salt which wil take into it al that vitriol impression which that water shal haue and the water or liquor shal haue neither rellish nor taste but shal be altogether like to common water But if thou adde so much that the volatile part doe excéed the fixed that is to say that there be more of the volatile than of the fixed the which thou shalt easily know by waight because it wil be increased thréefold or by trial vpon a red hote copper or Iron plate when this matter béeing cast vppon the same vapoureth and passeth away in smoke then thou must sublime it and it wil become the Sal Aâ—moniack of the Philosophers so it pleaseth them to cal this matter which wil bée cleare and transparant like pearles Vppon this powdred matter thou shalt powre by little and litle the oylie liquor purified and thou shalt boyle this matter that of volatil it may be fixed againe Neuerthelesse that which shal be fixed shal be of nature more fusible than waxe and consequences wil more easily communicate with spirits and with our natural Balsam when it is seperated from his passiue water and passiue earth which are vnprofitable Both which matters the Phylosophers cal the passiue Element because they containe no propertie in them neither doe they shew forth any action And thus a body or nature is made wholely homogenical simple albeit there are to bée séene thrée distinct natures the which notwithstanding are of one or the same essence and nature And so a body shal bée compounded exactly pure out of those three hypostatical beginnings namely salt Mercurie and Sulphur The which Sulphur in some part is answerable to truely simple and Elementarie fire Mercurie to Ayre and to Water in like manner most
simply and truely Elementarie and Salt to pure Earth simple and Elementarie The which Earth is not colde and dead but hote earth liuing earth and full of actiue and vegetable qualities Beholde then how a perfect and vniuersall Medicine is prepared out of all the things of Nature The which if thou wilt vse for purgation choose for thy subiect some purging simple if thou wilt especially corroborate and strengthen make choise of such things as doe yéelde most comfort If thou wilt either specially or generally lenifie and mittigate paine then choose such things as are most lenifying and asswagers of paine And yet know thou this that in one and the same Remedie onely prepared in this manner as for example in the nature of Balsamick Salt thou hast a clenser and a purger and an vniuersal emptier a corrector of all impurities and corruptions Thou hast also in the particular nature of Sulphur a general and spiritual anodine or asswager In the Mercurial nature there is an vniuersal comfortatiue and the same nourishing Al which natures ioyned together as afore by the Art and industrie of a true Physition and Phylosopher are able to performe and effect al these functions without any griefe and perturbation and in the meane time it doth corroborate by his Balsamical vertue or radical Balsam supplying vnto it al meanes not onely for defence but also for expulsion and suppression of al diseases And this is the true Medicine this is the reason of his vniuersalitie this is his puritie and perfection Neither is there any thing more easie then the preparation thereof if it be rightly vnderstood Moreouer so exceeding great is the vtillitie and excellencie thereof that no labour no paines no industrie ought to bée omitted or to bée reputed hard whatsoeuer difficultie or doubts may arise or bée obiected But if there bée any man which wil not take vpon him this labour albeit most profitable and ordained for health and the prolonging of mans life and for the same hée may exactly prepare these Balsamick medicines yet at the least hée wil by the meanes thereof as it were by a certaine Director seeke out in general the euacuating mundifying and clensing faculties which are in most vse and which chiefly consist in Salts and in like manner the asswagers mittigators ayd healers in Sulphur and Oile and finally the nourishers restorers and comforters in the liquor or Mercurie And by the same way and reason it shal bée taught that the true correctors of all remedies are purifying and coctions only and that these alone are the true hony and Sugar to swéeten al things For those things also which are most tart sharpe and sowre yea and bitter are by this meanes made swéete and al manner of euil qualitie corrected and contempered euen as fruites before their perfect concoction and maturitie are tart sharpe and sowre euery one according to their kinde and qualitie So wée sée that wines in whose maturation or rypening the heate of the Sunne failed are made more crude and sharpe which is the reason why some yéeres wines are made more ripe acceptable and better agréeing with nature albeit they came as wel afore as then from one vine Albeit much héerein is to be attributed to the region also and to the place whereinto the beames of the Sunne may make a more strong impression And this may bee the cause that some are sweete and ful of wine some meane others very crude and scarce wine So the Tigurine wines and others in mountaine places which are colde are for the most part crude and must haue a for her rypening in their caskes before they can bee drunke with pleasure and profite Also the same wines wanting a kindely rypening and concoction remaining still crude are so full of léese and tartarous matter that the inhabitants which dwell in those places where these wines doe growe are more subiect to the disease of the Stone than others Now if this defect bée to bée seene in wine so greatly nutritiue and agréeing with our nature what shall wee say of Hellebor and of many other poisonfull Mâ—â—â—nes which spring out of most colde Mountaines and wilde without Tillage much lesse are they concocted by the Moone Therefore no maruaile that our Hellebor answereth not those effects which Hypocrates attributeth vnto it For that which he commendeth in Greece commeth out of a conuenient Region where no doubt there are Plants and Vines of greater efficacie Wherefore I haue vsed for a first preparation of Helleborâ— to transplant them into gardens scituate in a more temperate 〈◊〉 and place The which how much they differ from those which grow vpon wild and cold mountaines as do also garden Succorie and endiue from the wylde the difference and vse doe sufficiently declare But those preparations which procéede and are done by Art and the concoctions which Art imitating nature finisheth are much better and more contracted and swéetned as by the preparation following farre more exact than that those common in which there appeareth nothing but that which is crude and impure shal manifestly appeare and the thing it selfe plainely proue CHAP. VII The vertue and preheminence of the Medicine Balsamick SOme Phylosophers séeke the matter of Medicine in our selues othersome in the hony of the animal and Celestial nature othersome in a certain animal nature not in act or effect but in power which representeth the similitude of the world and which conteineth in his belly Gold and siluer white and red Sulphur and Mercury which Nature the most ancient disposes vnder God hath mixed together by due proportion Out of the which matters by sundry fayre and long preparations they prepared their vniuersal Medicine which by reason of perfect â—â—temperance adequation and puritie can contemperate conserue and also increase the radical humour and that quickening Nectar of ours because in puritie of his spiritual nature hée doth communicate with our spirits Furthermore let vs sée how much the said Medicine performeth in the driuing away diseases and what infinite multitude of remedies it hath And first forsomuch as it may be applyed and fitted to al intentions requisitie as may be gathered by that which hath béene said afore and forsomuch as it may bée giuen in so small a dose which wil bring no violent action nor loathsomnesse to our body nor any kind of perturbation and yet neuertherlesse worketh excéeding wel according to the disposition of our nature I sée no reason why this vniuersal and most noble Medicine should not be preferred before these rapsodies of Medicines Who so vseth rightly this Medicine and in fit time shal bée refreshed and corroborate and so armed with strength that from thenceforth hée shal more easily and readily shake off his sicknesse whereof nature otherwise being destitute would easily be ouercome Let vs vse a familiar example that those things which we haue hitherto spoken may more plainly appeare to all men We sée in our
differences are to be made in Antimonials Arsenicals and Mineral humours or vapours and that out of their effect either seplic putrifying or caustic burning the which effects are in the said fumes by the meanes of salt Such pearcing fumes are too wel knowne and felt of our eyes oftentimes to which they bring by their sharpenesse paines inflamations and flowing of teares Héereupon out of this diuersitie of fumes there arise diuers passions in continuance in maladie and in vemencie more or lesse inuading and troubling according to the nature mineral and condition of the qualitie or quantitie of the exhalations and of their substances which are lifted vp with them as it were in a certaine chariot Moreouer we sée in the bowels of the earth of the little world man no lesse then in the great worlds belly in the bellies I say of both almost the same effects are to bée seene of Meteors as wel waterie as fierie For example the Tympanie the swelling of the Coddes windinesse of the stomach and bellie al which doe represent the windes raynes and Earth-quakes of the earth and the waters within the body and betwéene the skin and the flesh doe represent the Sea the Riuers and Springs of the earth Also there are in man diuers fierie Meteors by reason of the exhalations of the Niterous and Sulphurus spirits which being set on fire stirre vp such diuersities of Feauers and inflamations There are bred also in man diuers metallic substances as landes and stones which are commonly ingendered in diuers parts of his bodie as in his bowels stomach gaule spléene lyuer yea in the lunges and braine but more often in the reynes and bladder which are the most fertile mines of al the rest There are also procreated in mans bodie certaine concreate congealed Iuices as many kindes of Sulphurs but of Saltes more differences vitriolated alluminous niterous and Gemmeus Salt-gemme or common salt is plentifull in Salt spittle sower Salt-Armoniac in sower flegme or spittle and also in a certaine kinde of sower melancholy salt vitriolated and of the colour of rustie metal in choller that is of the same complexion Salt aluminous pricking and stiptickâ— in glassy fleame of the same qualitie Salt niterous and bitter in bitter choller Moreouer Vrines which are wholy niterous doe represent a matter most like to Niter There are also in this little worlde as also in the greater world found many differences of Salts as a sugered salt in swéete flegme as also an Arsenical and corroding Salt in malignant and pestilent humours From the resolutions of the which Saltes but most especially of the stiplick or corroding salts come certaine kindes of Chollickes which afterwards degenerate into contractions of the bowels From the corrosiue Salts spring diuers kindes of disenterie fluxes from the brinish salts come the burnings of Vlrines from the tart Salts commeth the appetite of the Stomach from the Arsenicall Salts comes Carbuncles cankerous Vlcers running pockes such like And of the congelations of these salts comes Goutes Stones Scirrhus hardnesse and diuers kindes of obstructions according to the diuersitie of tartars and of Salts which are ingendred and procreate to nature in our body From these things are the causes of diseases in mans body to be truely and exactly learned and discerned without the which wée shal in vaine séeke for remedies But to make al which hath béene hitherto spoken more plaine wée wil adde certayne manifest demonstrations and playne to sense but yet in as briefe manner as I can séeing wée haue reserued a more ample and special Treatise of these things to our worke concerning the hidden nature of things It is known and confessed of al by the Edict of Hyppocrates the chiefest Authour of Phisitians that our body consisteth of things containing of things contained and of things enforcing The things containing are the solide and more firme partes as the bones gristles ligaments flesh which doe containe and as it were restraine the more soft and delicate parts The contents are in a two-fold difference some are violent breathing out and enforcing as Physitians speake othersome moystening and flowing out The first sort are the spirits of our radical Balsam which they call naturall spirits whether they bée firmely fixed in any one part or whether they haue scope and recourse throughout the whole body generated of the most pure substance spiritual of the Sulphurus liquor and of the 〈◊〉 of the nourishments of our life Furthermore they diuide the spirits into natural vital and animal All these are either natural and pure or else impure and seculent The one are of a most pure nature ethereal and conseruers of life the other grosse and impure in comparison of them subiect to alterations for that they participate much of the seculent impuritie of Mercurie and of the liquors of Salt and also of the aliments of Sulphur of the which beginnings wée doe consist as wée said before The moystening parts are mercucurial liquors or that which they commonly call humours as well the natural profiting and nourishing which retaine somewhat of the spirit of life as the vnprofitable and excremental The out-flowing and breathing foorth are the breathes vnder which name also wée comprehend the vapours of the which we made mention before which vapours are a distillation and that moyst euaporation taken from the more watery part of humoral or mercurial things or else a dry exhalation of Sulphurus and tartarous things and of Salts of our body And such exhalations also are no other thing but fumes and spiritual smoakes but yet excremental and therefore superfluous For beside those first seperations which nature maketh out of the more grosse part of nourishments by the excretion and separation of the ordinarie impure feces there are yet also in the Chylus or good Iuice and in the very blood which of all other humours are most noble certaine superfluous impurities which for the same cause Nature seperateth Therefore the more mâ—yst superfluities are separated by euaporations and those onely which are seperated in the third concoction which could not be made semblable or like to the nourishing parts For the which cause nature expelleth them by insensible passages eueÌ„ through the pores of the skin that our natural heate may the more fréely be winded by the ayre and the burning of the heart comforted The breathing superfluities also doe paticipate as much of the drie as of the moyst that is to say of those which are exhaled and euaporated out of the sulphurus salt matters and mercurial liquors Whereof the more thinne and breathie part passe by insensible transpirations the more waterie by sweates but the more foule and that which is feculent cleaueth to the outside of the skinne But now if such vapouring exhalations be retained stil in our body the which sometime commeth to passe through the coldnesse of the ayre coÌ„passing vs about by the shrinking of the skin by occasion of place or of age
conserue health Then againe put to thy Receyuer and increase thy fire by degrées as thou didst before so long vntil at the first there distill foorth a yealow oyle after that a red oyle the matters in the Matrat remaining drie and yet not throughly drie least the liquor which shall distil foorth doe smel of burning These things done take that most cléere water which came forth first of all in good plentie powre it vpon the feces remayning and make them to digest together by the space of 6. or 7. dayes at the heate of Baln-marie vntil the water be coloured and waxe yellow that is to say vntill it hath attracted the more fierie and oylie portion of the matter and the feces which shall remaine when they haue yéelded their whole tincture to the foresaid water reserue and kéepe apart to such vse as herafter shal be declared But if you think good you may reserue a portion of euery of the said liquors to such medicinable vses as is before shewed and vse the rest in the progresse of the foresaid worke and in the subsequent After you haue drawne the foresaid liquors that also which tooke last tincture from the feces thou shalt mixe them together that from thence thou mayest extract a farre more Elixir of life than the former and most precious procéeding in manner following When thou haste mixed the foresaid thrée liquors together thou shalt distil them by a Corrnute or by a glasse Allembic pretermitting al digestion vsing in other than the sayd mixture vse and follow the same way order which thou diddest before seperating the Elements and beginnings of liquors For thou shalt draw out of the first most cleare water which thou shalt reserue by it selfe namely at such time as thou shalt perceiue the receiuer to be darkened with a cloudie fume then chaunging the Receiuer and putting too fire as thou didst before thou shalt continue it so long vntil thou sée the liquor to issue foorth of yealow colour the which also thou shalt kéepe apart as thou diddest the former In the meane time while the foresaide distillations or seperations of Elements that is to say of the two beginnings Mercurie and Sulphur are in hand thou shalt calcine at a Reuerberatorie fire the Feces which thou reseruedst before out of the which being brought to ashes thou shalt extract salt according to Arte with thy first most cleare water the water seasoned with his Salt shal be mingled with the other two liquors which were reserued that so at the least out of a Tryangle thou mayest make a Circle O as Philosophers speake that is to say that out of those thrée seueral waters by circulation in a Pellican made according to Arte there may come foorth one essence and so by that meanes that great Elixir of life and admirable secret shal be made And not onely made but also by so short a way so easie and so well knowen to true Philosophers that they know thereby how and in what order to make Elixirs out of all things The vertues of this Elixir are vnspeakable both to the curing also to the preuenting of giddinesses in the head the Falling sickenesse Apoplexies Palsies madnes Melancholy the Asthma and diseases of the Lungs faintings and soundings traunces weakenesse of the stomach and of other parts consumptions procéeding of an euil disposition of the bodies passions procéeding from the gaule and such like heauie and lamentable griefes Certaine droppes onely of this being giuen in some conuenient breath and fitting for the sicknesse As for example against the Epilepsie with water of Peonie of Lillyes Connally or of flowers of the Linden trée Against the palsie with the water Mary goldes against the pestilence with the water of Goates beard or of water of Cardus Benedictus against the Asthma or Tissick with the water of Scabiose or of Fole-foote or such like Moreouer this Elixir is of force to restore and conserue our radial Balsam if fower or fiue droppes thereof be giuen in broath wine or other conuenient liquor But peraduenture thou wilt say that the preparation of this Elixir requireth too much labour is too tedious But it is much better and more necessarie to spend the time in things so admirable and of so great importance than about Medicines that are altogether vnprofitable And yet to serue euery mans turne I wil set downe the preparation of an other Eilxir more easie and peraduenture more pleasing to conserue health and to prolong life Another Elixir of life most easie to be made TAke the Rootes of Gentian slit in pieces and dryed with a gentle heate also the roote of the lesser Centaurie of each thrée ounces Galanga Cinimon Mace Cloues of each one ounce Flowers of Sage of S. Iohns woort of each two grypes with two fingers and a thumbe Of the best white wine 6. pound Infuse these in a glasse Matrate wel stopped by the space of eight dayes at a gentle fire of Balne-Marie Then let them be wel streined so distilled by a glasse Allembic in ashes til nothing remaine but drynesse Then powre the water distilled vppon the feces that from them thou mayest drawe away the whole tincture in a milke warme Balne-Mary Bring the Feces after the drawing away of the tincture into ashes which thou shalt put into Hyppocrates bag powring the said coloured water oftentimes vpon the ashes that it may draw vnto it the proper salt Giue of this Elixir the fourth part of a spoonefull in some conuenient liquor Vse it a long time It is a special remedie for all consumptions for the weaknesse of the stomache which it purgeth from tough and slimy humours which cleane to the same It stayeth the breeding of wormes and kéepeth the body in health Take of this twise in one wéeke and continue with it A Treacle-water for the head helping all paines of the same proper for the Apoplexie Epilepsie Palseyâ— and such like TAke of the rootes of Peony of Misselto of common Acorns or Cane of each thrée ounces Of ripe Iuniparberryes and of the séeds of Peony of each one ounce Of Cloues and Maces of each 6. drachmes Of Castoreum halfe an ounce Of the flowers of Stechados Mary-gold Rosemary Sage Lillyes coâ—â—ally of the Linden trée of each two grypes with two fingers and the thumbe Cut that which is to bee cut and beate that which is to bée beaten and infuse them by the space of 3. dayes by the heat of a hote Balne in white wine of the best 2. pound and with the waters of Peony Sage and of Mary-goldes of each one pound Then straning them hard To this liquor adde of Treacle of Alexandria ounces 4. of Anacardine confectionem Meâ—u one ounce and a halfe of Diamosch and Aromatici Gabriel of each halfe an ounce Stéepe or infuse these againe by the space of two or thrée dayes at the fire gentle of Blan M. Then straine them againe
tittle of Apothecaries professing that and yet follow the Trade of Marchandise and not of honest and good men which are dilligent in their Arte to whom this our labour pertaineth and to whom these our studies and admonions are dedicated for the health of many and for their praise and profite The auncient Physitians and men of the best sort delt more warily and prouided better for themselues had this arte in great honor and therefore in their owne houses they prepared medicines with their owne hands And wée also for our owne partes would bee loath that some of our secrets should bee cast before these Hogges and therefore wée commonly prouide that they bée prepared in our Laboratorie at home by a kilfull workeman whome wée direct and appoint for that purpose Not that wee might make thereby the greater gaine to our selues but for the honour and praise of the Arte and to our friends good the which all those know that know vs and haue receyued the benefite from vs. But for this time these shall suffice For the Patterne of Furnaces and glasses apt and méete for Distillation buy Maister George Bakers Booke our Countryman And if thou be desirous to procure glasses of all sortes for this Arte thou mayst haue them at the Marchants hand which sell such in their houses néere the Poultery in London THe winde Furnace must haue a hole beneath one foote déepe inwarde and one foote and a halfe vpward and at that height a grate shall be layed wherein the coales of fire must lie Also at that height make another mouth where at thou shalt put in the saide coales of fire and aboute the same raise vp the walles round about ten Inches in height and there also lay two barres of Iron to set the Panne vppon either for Balneum Mariae or for a dry fire To make thy nourishing Balnâ— TAke chopt Hay and water and put it into an earthen Pan then set ouer it a Trencher with a hole in the middest to answere the bottome of the glasse which must come within two Inches of the water Concerning Hermes Seale and the making of diuers closiers of glasses FIrst thou shalt know that of all fastnings or closing vp of Glasses that no vâ—pours nor spirits goe foorth the Seale of Hermes is most noble which is done in the manner following First make a little Furnace with the Instruments belonging It must haue a grate in the bottome to make fire vppon In the middst of the Furnace shall be a hole to put in the ende of a narrowe necked Glasse so that the third part of the glasse be emptie And if the hole of the Furnace be greater then the glasses necke close vp the hole with claye on euery side round about so as the mouth of the glasse haue some libertie Let thy fire be as farre from thy glasse as thou canst and when thy coale fire is readie put the Glasse néerer and néerer by little and litle till the mouth of thy glasse waxe red as it were ready to melt Then take the red hote tonges and therewith wring or nippe the toppe close together whereby it shall be so closed as if it had no vent 〈◊〉 or came so closed out of the Glasse-makers shoppe But take héed when you haue so done that you pull it not too suddenly out of the fire least the sâ—dden colde cracke the glasse and marre all Therefore abate it by little and little and not at once And when thou wilt open the glasse take a thridde dipt in brimstone or waxe and wind it 6. or 7. times about the necke of the glasse where thou wouldest haue it to breake and set it on fire with a small waxe candle and when it is burnt powre a drop or two of cold water vpon it and it will crack in the saâ—â— place that thou maist take it off Concerning the maner of making Lutes wherewith to close glasses THe ordinary Lutes wherewith to stop vessels of glasse against faint vapours are these Take quick lyme beaten to â—oulder as fine as may be and searsed temper it with the white of egs Or else mix wheat flower with the white of egges spred them vpon linnen cloath and wrap it diuers times about the mouth or ioynts of the glasse Other Lutes called Lutum Sapientiae made for the defence of stronger vapours either to parget and lute the body of the glasses or to stop their mouthes or loose their ioynts which are to be wrought cleare smooth and without knots or bladders in maner following Take potters earth with a forth part of shorne floxe added to the same an eigth part of white ashes with a forth part of dry horse-dung All these wel beaten together with an yron rod. This is the right composition of Lutum Sapientiae There be that doe adde to this composition the poulder of brick and of the scales beaten from yron finely searsed And for the more conuenient drying of vessels so luted and fenced you shal bore certaine holes in a wodden forme into the which put the neckes of thy glasses that their bottomes and bodies may be dryed the better Another most excellent Lute for the like incloser is made of glasse and Vermilion of each like quantitie pouldred and searsed then incorporated with vernish and a little oyle of Linséede and making the whole like a soft poultesse which is to be spread on a fine linnen cloath wrap it about the mouth ioynts of the glasses and so suffer them to dry in the Sunne Which albeit it is a long worke yet it is most sure For this will serue against the strongest vapours that are Also to compound a Lute wherewith to make your Fornace that it may not riue or chap take chalke and potters clay and a quantity of sand wrought together with wollen 〈◊〉 and horse-dung incorporated as afore Thus courteous Reader I haue shewed thée such secrets in this Art as neither Quersitanus Isacus Hollandus nor any other Phylosopher haue before published in print to my knowledge but haue come to my hands in paper and parchment copies If thou be industruous doest tread the right Hermetical path thou shalt by the meanes of these helps so plainly set before thine eyes without Hieroglyphicks and Riddels to do thy selfe and thy countrey good Thus wishing to thée as to my selfe good successe in all thy godly indeuours I commend them and thée to the Lord. FINIS Genesis 1. 2. Eccle. 3. 19. Acts 17. 28. 1. Thess 5 23 Heb. 4. 12. Gen. 1. 16. Wisd 11. 17 2. Pet. 3. 10. 13. Apoc. 21. 5. Psal 14. 1. Rom. 1. 20. Col. 2. 8. Gen 30. 37. Iob. 9. 26. 28 37. 38. 39. 2. Cron. 9. 2 Mat 12 4. Eccle. 38. Luke 14. verse 5. Num. 11. 29. Lact. lib. de Ira Dei cap. 10. Plin. lib. 2. cap. 7. Sen. lib. 4 de benet cap. 7. Thomas lib 9 super 2. lib. de coelo Plato in Timaeo Gen. 1. Metaph. 5. Cap. 1. 1. Thes 5. 23. Heb. 4. 12. Lib. de remed 7. cap. 3 Lib. colleâ— 15. Lib. 2. de virtute simp medi. ad Eutrapi Tetr 1. serm 2. cap. 43. 4. 6. Ter. â— serm 1. cap 24. In lib. de metho meâ—â— cap. 9. Li. de medidica cap. 30. Ter. 1. Ser. 2. Cap. 156. Cap. 157. Cap. 161. Lib. 7. de re medica Coll lib. 15. The Heauen of Philosophers Venus and Mars are Copper and Iron The greene Lyon Sol and Lana Gold Siluer Lib de Aurora Lib. de sâ—â—â—â—bus Hip. lib. de Antiq maedicina All things naturally loue Salt Salt the Balsam of nature Salt hath life in it is animal Salt is also vegetal Salt the original matter of pearles and corall Salt the fier of nature The effects of Salt in the earth The effects of Salt in the aier Salts minerall Salts of diuers kinds Stirring waters Nature accordâ—â—h with nature Salt is fusible Salts may be extracted out of metalls A Figure of the Trinitie Phree distinct natures in Salt Two salts appeare in the 〈◊〉 of salt-peter Two flying parts of salt-peter Sulphur of Nature The Mercurial part of salt-peter The cause of ferment is sowernesse Vitriolis of the nature of Copper The spirit of Vitriol fixeth Mercurie Body soule and spirit A practise A good purgation of bad humours Gold tryumpheth in earth in aier and in fire The incorruptibilitie of gold maketh it the best Medicine to helpe a corruptible body The wonderful effects of potable gold Bathes and waters artificial The Chymical ministries Balsam is in euery thing The spirit of wine The Christal of Tartar The good effects of the spirit of wine B. M. signifieth Balneum â—arie A Balsam Radicaâ— Potable gold 1. Phlegme 2. Mercury 3. Sulphur 4. Salt Elements passiue Actiue Elâ—ments A Medicine particular and general 〈…〉 Crude wines breede the stone Helleborâ— poisonfull Transplanting of herbs helpeth their nature Obiection Answerâ— Galen Lib. 13. Method Syrach 38. 4 A Dissoluing water Copper is red without and greens within Narcotical is Stupefactiue Taste odour and colours Salt of 2. sorts Salt defined Salt and earth Sulphur and Fire Mercurie Ayre and Water Mercurie a moyst actiue Sulphur the meane to ioyne salt and Mercurie Three natures in one Salt causeth Vicers in the body Saltes of diuers sortes Mercurie is properly extracted from leaues Sulphur out of Seedes Salt out of wood and rootes A mixture of the 3. beginnings Salt the root of the other beginnings Bitter things doe purge Salt extracted out of bitter things Salt in vrinâ— Purgers Dissoluing liquors Dissoluing liquor Dissoluing spirits Obiection Answere The spirit of vitriol and his vertue A remedy against feauers Obiection A remedy to stoppe fluxes The fixing of quick-siluer Mercurie of the Phylosophers The right spirit of Vitriol good against the falling euil A remedy for Gangrena eating vlâ—ers Water for the Ophthalmie Water to ease the gout A remedy against obseruations and to breake the Stone Gangrena â—ured Causes of the Stonâ— Sal-Armoniac a coagulator and a dissotuer The cause of dogge-like appetite Choller rustie yeallow and greene The Philosophical cause of Meteors c. The cause of madnesse Phrensie and such like Salts of diuers kinds in mands body The stopping of the pores procureth sicknesse Spirit of wine The water of 2. degree Mercurie An Oyle Sulphur Fyer The Feces Salt Earth A most precious Elixir Hippocrates bagge is like the bagge where through Hypocras runneth