if they be not known nothing can be done as to the transmuting of Metals Elucid pag. 222. Vol. 6. Th. Chym. Wherefore I think it enough to declare to you in short that these Menstruums which hitherto you have with so much study to little purpose sought in the Theoretical Books of Adepts are now offered to you being found by me in Practical Books no longer shrowded with Obscurity but disrobed and exposed naked to the sight and understanding of all men But you have no cause to fear the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which you perceive in any Menstruum it being familiar and most gentle because Philosophical Nor have you need of many Conjurations to make it appear to you for in all Pages of the Theoretical Books of Adepts it offers it self willingly and expects you provided you pray to God that he would graciously vouchsafe to open your Eyes for without his permission or special appointment it dares not manifest it self to you By the Menstruums of the Adepts understand not therefore yours though they be most secret to you because I fear they are yet but vulgar which dissolving a dry Body are transmuted with it into a Salt or Vitriol not with a true but seeming coalition and mixture which a searching Fire easily discovereth presently separating these same heterogeneous substances again On the contrary the unctious Spirit of Philosophical Wine does by its Vnctuosity mollifie a dry Body and transmute it not into a Salt or Vitriol but into an Oyl It easily joyns things heterogeneous by its own equal temperament and is by its homogeneity easily joyned with things homogeneous to it by which also it is augmented according to that of Bernhard No Water dissolveth bodies but that which is of their species and which can be inspissated in bodies for a Dissolvent ought not to differ from that which is dissolved in matter but proportion and digestion Pag. 43. of his Epistles For Nature is not meliorated but by its own nature our matter therefore can be no otherwise meliorated than by its own matter Parmenides saith the same L. de Alchym pag. 768. Vol. 1. Th. Chym. This Spirit of Phylosophical Wine may be united to all things and is able to unite all things inseparably But they that suppose another water are ignorant and unwise and will never come to the effect saith Parisinus in Eluc p. 222. Vol. 6. Th. Chym. Of which Morienus pag. 52. thus As to this Magistery let Fools seek other things and seeking err for they will never attain to the effect of it till Sol and Luna be reduced into one body which cannot come to pass before the Will of God Which Arnold if I mistake not thus expresseth You will sooner joyn the Sun and Moon in the Heavens than Gold and Silver in the Earth without our Menstruums But you that have hitherto desired one only universal immortal indestructible Menstruum I mean the Liquor Alkahest or Ignisaqua that undeclinable word instead of one whereof you never yet knew the Name Matter Preparation and Vse behold I offer a great many kinds of universal Menstruums in their Descriptions more clear in Virtues equivalent if not better than this your Alkahest What others have either obscurely or impertinently said and written of this Liquor Alkahest we little regard as Opinions and Conjectures By the Menstruums of the Adepts we intend not all manner of Dissolvents prepared without the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and only corroding but not in the least altering the more minute Particles of Bodies Nor do we understand an immortal Liquor not permanent with things dissolved in it But by Menstruum we mean a volatile Liquor made several ways of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and divers things not only separating Bodies but also continuing with them and altering them with the addition of it self so as to be no more two nor again what they were before For out of this Dissolution the solemn Wedlock inseparable Vnion and Combination of Body and Menstruum emergeth a new Being containing the unblemished Properties of the thing dissolved and the thing dissolving not at all separable by Art or Nature These Menstruums I have distinguished into Vegetable and Minerals not as if the Vegetables were made of Vegetables only and the Mineral of Minerals but every Menstruum that hath not manifest acidity acting without ebullition and motion is called Vegetable though it be made of meer Animals or Minerals by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine On the contrary a Menstruum becomes Mineral so soon as manifest acidity is mixed either with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or a Vegetable Menstruum for by adding the acidity it now dissolves Bodies with violence and effervescence I have subdivided both kinds into Simple and Compound but not as if the Simple consisted of fewer Ingredients but because they are of more simple or less virtue Simple Menstruums tinge Bodies dissolved in them less but the Compounded more OF Vegetable MENSTRUUMS The First Kind Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of Philosophical Wine only I. The Heaven Essence or Spirit of Wine of Lully Described Can. 1. Dist 1. Lib. De Quinta Essentia TAke Wine Red or White the best that may be had or at least take Wine that is not any way eager neither too little nor too much thereof and distil an Aqua ardens as the custom is through Brass Pipes and then rectifie it four times for better purification But I tell you it is enough to rectifie it three times and stop it close that the burning Spirit may not exhale because herein have many men erred thinking it ought to be seven times rectified But my Son it is an infallible sign to you when you shall have seen that Sugar steeped in it and being put to the flame burneth away as Aqua ardens Now having the water thus prepared you have the matter out of which the Quintessence is to be made which is one principal thing we intend to treat of in this Book Take therefore that and put it in a circulating Vessel or in a Pelican which is called the Vessel of Hermes and stop the hole very close with Olibanum or Mastick being soft or quick Lime mixed with the White of Eggs and put it in Dung which is naturally most hot or the remainings of a Wine-Press in which no heat must be by accident diminished which you may do my Son if you put a great quantity of which you please of those things at a corner of the House which quantity must be about thirty Load This ought to be that the Vessel may not want heat because should heat be wanting the circulation of the water would be impaired and that which we seek for uneffected but if a continual heat be administred to it by continual circulations our Quintessence will be separated in the colour of Heaven which may be seen by a diametrical Line which divides the upper part that is the Quintessence from the lower namely from the Faeces
the Lord Jesus Christ forbids Now have I opened to you much of the Secret to the Glory of the immortal God Paracelsus extracts his Essence of Philosophical Wine not out of Aqua ardens but out of Philosophical Wine it self Thus 3. The Spirit of Wine of Paracelsus Described Chap. 9. of the Third Book of Long Life pag. 64. YOur Wine being powred into a Pelican digest in Horse-dung and that the space of two Months continually you will see it so thin and pure that a Fatness which is the Spirit of Wine will of it self appear in the superficies Whatsoever is under this is Phlegm without any nature of Wine but the Fatness alone being put into a Phial and digested by it self is of most excellent energy for long Life Guido used the following Method little differing from the Paracelsian 4. The Essence of Wine according to Guido Described Pag. 1. Thesaur Chym. TAke White or Red Wine which is better distil by Balneo till the Matter remain in the consistence of Honey which being divided into two parts in a duplicated Cucurbit mixt with the distilled Liquor and joyn together again and after the digestion of six weeks a green Oyl will swim upon the Matter which separate through a Funnel From the Receipts we think these Things following worthy of Observation 1. That the Wine Red or White is not Common but Philosophical and that is the only thing that is obscure in these four Books to be understood not according to the Letter but by Analogy but Aqua ardens Aqua vitae Spirit or Essence of a Philosophical Wine are the proper Names of it 2. That the Aqua ardens of Philosophical Wine doth in some things agree with the Properties of Common Spirit of Wine namely it goes before its Phlegm in distillation it is rectified as the Common from its Phlegm Lastly being rectified it is known by burning Linnen Sugar c. 3. That this Aqua ardens doth by Circulation dayly lose its moisture and sharpness and is at length converted into a swimming Oyl the Essence and Spirit of Philosophical Wine But who ever reduced Common Spirit of Wine or Aqua Vitis by bare Circulation into an Oyl Who I say hath by continual Circulation brought that Oyl to Driness so as to be sublimeable as a volatile Salt and that not but by a strong Fire as Isaacus affirms himself to have experienced in the Description of his Vegetable Stone Of which lower in the Third Book 4. That the Oyl or Essence of Wine may be divers ways made out of Philosophical Wine 5. That not only the Time but also the Scent Colour c. of the Essence are varied according to the variety of Method The Essence of Lully is like Heaven that is of a Sky-colour the Oyl of Guido is green 6. That it hath not a Scent so fragrant unless it hath a Body especially a Metallick or Mineral dissolved in it 7. That this Heaven the first of all Menstruums is also a Medecine and is called the Essence or Specifick to a long Life 8. That it is called Heaven for several Reasons by Lully First Because it works Contraries like Heaven Our Vegetable Menstruum saith Lully the Celestial Animal which is call'd Quintessence preserves Flesh from corruption comforts things elemented restores former Youth vivifies the Spirit digests the crude hardeneth the soft rarifies the hard fattens the lean wasteth the fat cools the hot heats the cold dries the moist moistens also the dry One and the same thing can do contrary operations The Act of one thing is diversified according to the nature of the Receiver as the heat of the Sun which hath contrary operations as in drying Clay and melting Wax yet the Act of the Sun is one in it self and not contrary to it self Secondly Because like Heaven it receives the Forms of all Things As the universal Form the Macrocosmical Heaven hath an appetite to every Form so the Quintessence of Philosophical Wine to every Complexion whereby it is evidently manifest that the Quintessence of things is said to be of that complexion to which it is adjoyned if joyned to hot hot if to cold cold c. This therefore the Philosophers called Heaven because as Heaven affords us sometimes heat sometimes moisture c. so the Quintessence in mens Bodies at the Artist's pleasure c. Distinct 1. Lib. Essentioe To this Heaven we apply its Stars which are Plants Stones and Metals to communicate to us Life and Health Ibid. Thirdly Because like Heaven it moveth all things from power to act Therefore Heaven or our Mercury is the Cause and Principle moving G C Metals from power to act And in this point knows the understanding of an Artist that D our Heaven hath action upon C and C ruling and governing and reducing it into action as Heaven brings that which is in Elemental things by its own motion into action c. For we call it Heaven by reason of its motion because as the upper Heaven moves the universal Form and first Master and Elements and Senses to compound Elemented Individuals so D moves C and C and the four Elements to M the Sulphur of Nature or Philosophers Mercury or to Q the Tincture Distinct 3. de quarto principio Libri Essentioe 4. Because like Heaven it is incorruptible Aqua vitoe is the Soul and Life of Bodies by which our Stone is vivified therefore we call it Heaven and Quintessence and incombustible Oyl and by its infinite other Names because it is incorruptible almost as Heaven in the continual circulation of its motion pag. 145. Elucid Testam 5. Because it is of the colour and clarity of Heaven Heaven or our Mercury is the fourth Principle in this Art and is signified by D of an azure colour and line and is signified by that colour because it is celestial and of a celestial Nature as we said before in the description of it Dist 3. Lib. Essentioe This Essence Johannes de Rupescissa calls Humane Heaven for the following Reasons We ought to seek that thing which is to the four Qualities of which our Body is compounded as is Heaven in respect of the four Elements Now the Philosophers called Heaven Quintessence in respect of the four Elements because Heaven is in it self incorruptible and immutable and not receiving strange impressions but by the command of God so also the thing which we seek is in respect of the four Qualities of our Body a Quintessence in it self incorruptible so made not hot dry with Fire nor moist cold with Water nor hot moist with Ayr nor cold dry with Earth but is it a Quintessence able to work Contraries as the incorruptible Heaven which when it is necessary infuseth a moist Quality sometimes a hot sometimes a cold sometimes a dry Such a Radix of Life is the Quintessence which the most High created in Nature with power to supply the necessity of the Body to the utmost term which God hath appointed to our
the Receiver and stop it to prevent respiring and then set the Urinal upon Ashes and if any corruptible part Phlegm and unprofitable Earth remain with the matter let it be burnt and the Vessel having remained two or three Hours in a Fire somewhat remiss and not any thing more distilling through the beak of the Alembick let the Vessel cool and then pour the same Water Aqua Vitoe or Spirit of Philosophical Wine which you kept before stopt in the Receiver upon the matter again This matter therefore being dissolved distil the Water again in Balneo as before which having taken away the Receiver you must keep well stopt from respiring then set the Urinal in Ashes and dry the matter being dryed dissolve it in again with the Water which you kept in the Receiver and if you see the dissolution is not clear and diaphanous you must transmit it so often through a Filter or Linnen Cloth and so oft dissolve and congeal it by turns as before till it be free from all Terrestreity and appear clear and splendid then may you be assured that the impure and corruptible part is separated and you will see the whole matter transmuted into an Oyl But now most dear Son you must proceed to the composition of our Mercury and Sal Armoniack the Powers and Virtues whereof are so many and so great as scarce to be comprehended within the expression of Man The way of which operation is thus You must know the weight of the Salt or Oyl which you beheld in the bottom of the Vessel depurated and pour to it so much of our Spirit that is Aqua Vitoe rectify'd so as to burn a Cloth steeped in it as will be four Fingers above it or let there be six parts more of the weight of the Aqua Vitoe than is the Salt or Oyl the whole being mix'd together put into an Urinal with a Cover or Antenotorium well luted that it respire not putrifie in Balneo the space of two Natural Days then take off the Antenotorium and put on an Alembick with a Receiver close the Joynts well and distil in a Furnace of Ashes with a slow Fire which distillation must be continued till the Beak or Head discover no Veins but suddenly after the Veins disappear lay aside the Receiver with the distilled Water Spirit of Philosophical Wine and stop it close for now comes the animated Spirit Spirit of Wine impregnated with the Essence of Tartar which hath the power of vivifying its Body or Caput Mortuum then continue the same distillation in the end augmenting the Fire that if any part of Phlegm remain it may exhale and be removed by that degree of heat Lastly the Vessel being cold take out the matter and grind it know the weight of the matter and pour to it four parts of Aqua Vitoe more than is the Earth Caput mortuum and covering the Vessel close with its Antenotorium putrifie as before then putting an Alembick to it with a Receiver well luted distill as before in a Furnace of Ashes the Soul being with its Spirit gone over with the same Signs of Veins as before appearing repeat the same Magistery three times For then will you have the Spirit perfectly animated and the Body exanimated and calcined This Spirit with the Soul of Tartar is indeed capable of disposing every Physical operation but in this place we will use it for the vivifying of the calcined Earth Take therefore the aforesaid Earth out of its Vessel and grind it then put a little of it upon a red hot plate which if it melt like Wax without fume is a sign of perfect exanimation if this sign appear not this Magistery must be reiterated till you have obtained that sign Then know the weight of the Earth upon which pour a fourth part of the animated Spirit and the Vessel being covered close with its Antenotorium set it in Balneo two or three days to be congealed or till it be congealed which done remove the Antenotorium putting on a Head and distill in a Furnace of Ashes without a Receiver that if there be any part of Phlegm it may be from thence removed for that which comes out from this distillation will be insipid of no savour or esteem in the Form of Rain Water Then again pour on a fourth part of the animated Spirit as before and congeal in Balneo as before then distil the Phlegmatick moisture by Ashes as before and thus repeat the aforesaid Magistery till the Earth hath drunk up and attracted to it all it s animated Spirit and attain'd to such a sign that if you put a small quantity of it upon a Fire-hot Plate the major part fume away which will be a sign that the matter is disposed for the subliming of our most precious Mercury which hath the power of dissolving any Metal whatsoever with the preservation of its Vegetive and Germinative form Take therefore the aforesaid pregnant Earth and put it into a Bolt-head Sublimatory with a long Neck which you must lute very well with Lutum Sapientioe and the luting being dryed set it with the matter into a distilling Furnace administring in the beginning a gentle Fire till the Bolt-head grow hot whose Mouth must be stopped with Cotton-wooll and continue that gentle heat the space of six Hours then augment the Fire somewhat six Hours more but if it begins not by that degree of Fire to sublime increase the Fire gradually to a more violent degree till it begin to sublime which Fire continue the space of twenty four Hours at the expiration of which time the Vessel being cold take from thence our Sulphur sublimed the Vegetable Sulphur of Nature our Mercury Vegetable our Heaven dry our Sal Armoniack Vegetable our Stone not yet fermented and call'd by many more other Names whose faculty is to acuate its Spirit of Philosophical Wine as shall be made appear by the Experiments hereafter following This Volatilization of the Salt of Tartar is sufficiently tedious yet easie and clear according to the tenour of the Receipt In the following kind of Menstruums we shall have divers examples of making such Sal Harmoniacks wherefore we will thither reserve those things which are to be admonished about this way of making the Volatile Salt of Tartar Lully mixeth three pounds of this Volatile Salt with four of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine successively by various distillations and reduceth the mixture by circulating sixty Days into the Vegetable Heaven But here we are to be advised that the Sal Armoniack of Tartar in its own dry Form is a Vegetable Menstruum and so according to the prescribed method of the Receipt it is not always necessary to reduce that into a liquid substance for that and the Menstruum made from thence are therein different because in the making of Heaven the Vnctuosity of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine being superadded and now prevalent hath absorbed and dissolved the aridity of the Sal Armoniack but this
thus done 28. The Sweet Spirit of Salt of Basilius Lib. Partic. sub Sulphure Solis Rep. 12. Clav. TAke of the Spirit of Salt wholly dephlegmed one part of the best Spirit of Wine free from all Phlegm or the Sulphur of Wine made as I shall tell you lower the Description of which we lately had in the precedent Pages one half part fit an Alembick well luted and distil strongly so as that nothing remains To the Distillation add one other half part of Spirit of Wine and distil and that repeat three times putrefie fifteen days or till it become sweet which must be done in a gentle Balneo thus will you have the Spirit of Salt and Wine without any corrosion for extractions But though this Menstruum may deserve its Praises yet it can scarce be reckoned amongst Menstruums of this Kind where we discourse not of acid Spirits but fixed Salts it must therefore be considered as an Appendix of the circulated Salt to the Illustratino of which it will not a little conduce From the Receipts we observe 1. That by Aqua Vitae or Spirit of Wine the Adepts did not in the least intend Common but Philosophical Aqua ardens for Common Aqua ardens will never perform that which is desired in these Receipts and it being granted that it seems to perform yet Menstruums so made cannot be Menstruums of the Adepts but Common of no efficacy or esteem in the more secret Chymy 2. That Basilius has indeed sometimes used common Aqua ardens for his Menstruums but never by it self but mixed with Vegetable Sal Armoniack or Philosophical Salt of Tartar that is with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine volatilized which Salt being brought into a liquid substance by virtue of this Spirit is his Menstruum for he separates again from thence the Spirit of Common Wine either by Flame or by quick Lime 3. That the greater quantity of Sal Armoniack is joyned with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine the stronger are these Menstruums made wherefore Basilius his Menstruums of this Kind from which all the common Aqua ardens is separated are to be reputed among the best 4. That these Menstruums are the Magistery of fixed Salts by Paracelsus call'd the less Circulatums or Arcanum of the Alkali of Tartar Beans Wormwood as also common Salt Alom Nitre c. 5. And therefore that these Menstruums are Medecines 6. That these Menstruums may be made several ways as these out of the Sal Armoniack of Lully by the method of Paracelsus his Circulatums and so on the contrary provided the Alkalies or fixed salts be volatilized and distilled together with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine through an Alembick 7. That the Spirit of Philosophical Wine is not easily mixed with these Salts but by certain degrees First He extracts the Tincture or Soul from them that is the more unctuous parts which being more volatile than the rest are then easily distilled into a volatile Tincture or to use Luly's phrase into the animated Spirit then the remaining Earth being now fixed by the same means is again volatilized by absorbing the said animated Spirit by degrees and sublimed into Sal Armoniack 8. That these Sal Armoniacks are sublimed with a very strong fire 9. That these Salts are called Harmoniack by reason of the Harmony ar Perfection of their mixtion So have you saith Lully the formal Harmoniack mixtion of all the Elements wherefore wonder not if we call it Sal Armoniack for so it is called because of its exalted and sublimed property the pure and first Matter of Nature Lib. Mercur. pag. 155. 10. That the volatile Salt of Tartar the volatile Salt of Wormwood Carduus Benedictus c. common volatile Salt by Paracelsus call'd Sal enixum are rightly term'd Sal Harmoniacks Philosophical Vegetable Mercuries and Sulphurs of Nature c. 11. That the Spirit of Salt Nitre Vitriol Aqua fortis c. are by being cohobated with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine made sweet The Sixth KIND Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of the Spirit and Tartar of Philosophical Wine 29. The Coelum Vinosum of Parisinus made of the Salt of Philosophical Wine In Appendice Eluc Pag. 271. Vol. 6. Theat Chym. TAke the Philosophers first Matter called Chaos Vegetable Mercury the Philosophers Wine distil its Spirit ardent and Watery Element Phlegm in its convenient Vessel as we shall teach in its proper place till its Body remain in the bottom like melted Pitch which by two distillations wash with its Watery Element then pour its Spirit to it four Fingers above it mixing the Matter well till it be well united and set the Vessel to distil in Balneo with an easie heat then put it into Putrefaction six Days in a convenient Vessel and distil in Ashes the animated Spirit then take other Spirit ardens and that being poured to it put it again into Putrefaction six Days and so repeat this Magistery till you see that the Spirit has imbibed and extracted the Soul out of the Body an infallible sign of which will be when you see its Earth hard and dry for then may you be assured that the Body is for its health-sake dead which you may vivify and make incorruptible and it will no more fear Death nor Corruption in this World Now take the aforesaid Body first weigh it then put it in a convenient Vessel and pour to it an eighth part of its Spirit animated Spirit which extracted its Soul then put your Vessel in a Fire of digestion which we shall speak of afterwards and continue the Fire till you see that the Earth hath imbibed its Liquor then open your Vessel put on an Alembick and gather that little sweat which will have the taste of hot Water Imbibe now your Matter for a second time with a seventh part of the aforesaid Spirit which contains the Soul and proceed in the methodizing of the aforesaid Magistery Now for a third time imbibe with a sixt part for a fourth time imbibe with a fifth part for a fifth time imbibe with a fourth part and do not multiply the weight of the aforesaid Spirit but continue it so observing the aforesaid Method till the Matter which hath drunk up its Spirit and is again united with its Soul be white Take now the aforesaid Earth and put it in convenient sublimation the lower part of the Vessel being luted below the Matter and make the pure part sublime from the impure and so will you have our Mercury which is clear and shining as a Diamond This is that which the Philosophers do by divers Metaphors call the first Vegetable Matter Sal Armoniack our Mercury our Sulphur of Nature whereas notwithstanding 't is one and the same thing Take the other Simple Spirit which you first extracted out of your Chaos that which hath not extracted its Soul and make it more pure and subtil by the way following Take of the Vegetable first Matter Sal Armoniack which you made before one Pound and put
three Ounces of the VVater Aqua ardens rectifyed to the highest revealed to you before and the Vessel being covered close put it in Balneo for one Natural Day then Distil in Ashes till all ascend that can then know the weight of the Salt remaining at the bottom of the Vessel and pour to it three times its weight of the aforesaid Aqua ardens and put it in our Balneo the space of one natural Day then Distil in Ashes and thus do three times Then is all the Vegetable Salt come over the Helm with its own VVater and mixture is made and the Water clear which we call Simple Menstruum My Son Take a Glass Vessel which must be white Glass and sound and it must be a large Vessel and put into it four Pounds or six at most of this Menstruum thus simply dissolved and the Vessel being well shut and sealed put it in Balneo or Dung the space of sixty Days and it will in that time be converted into a Quintessence exceeding Glorious and Odoriferous which you will know when you see in the bottom of the Vessel a Sediment like that in the Urine of a well Complexioned Youth and it will be clear and resplendent as a Star of Heaven Keep it in a hot and moist place as is a Balneo separating it first from its Sediment and sealing the Vessel well as may be Both Receipts agree in all things except that Lully calcines the dead Earth and by dissolving in common Water and calcining purifies it Parisinus not so this Earth notwithstanding seeming by this way of putrifying to be made fitter for the Reception of its Spirit The Receipts consist of these two parts the preparation of the Vegetable Sal Armoniack and the Reduction of the same Salt into a liquid Substance or Menstruum The preparation of the Sal Armoniack is effected by two Operations In the first the Soul is extracted out of the Body by Virtue of the Spirit to exanimate and fix the Earth and make it melt like Wax on a red hot Plate In the second the Soul is stored to this fixed Earth by times and this variously to make it Volatile In both Receipts as well of Lully as Parisinus the animated Spirit is restored to the Earth so exanimated in an eighth seventh sixth fifth and fourth part of its weight till it wholly evaporates upon a fiery hot Plate this method of impregnating or revivifying the Dead Body will be confirmed and illustrated by the Vegetable Sal Armoniack of Parisinus In Apertorio Cap. F. and L. and parte secunda Citharoe vel Violettoe and Cap. 5. Elucid pag. 235. Vol. 6. Theat Chym. OUr Vegetable Mercury is that Principle to be admired above all other things of this Art which consists in the preparation and ablution of its most precious Earth which is of so great Virtue as not to be comprehended by the wit of any Men those only excepted who have attained to the miraculous effects of it Our purpose is to take the matter remaining in the distillation of Philosophical Wine like melted pitch to which pour of its Death Phlegm the height of four fingers above it agitate that the tincture or unctuous superfluous part of it may be dissolved let the matter settle decant the tincture to the remaining matter pour new Phlegm agitating and decanting so oft till no more tincture ascends and the Earth remains white sparkling like a Diamond which dry in the Sun or some such heat being dryed and pulverized pour to it of C that is its ardent Spirit so much as will swim upon it the space of four Fingers digest in a blind Head three natural Days then distil with a slender heat of Ashes till the Veins disappear take away the Receiver stop it well put another to distil away all the Phlegm with a Fire somewhat stronger cool the Vessel take out the Matter being hardened pulverize and putting it in the same Vessel pour to it of C the breadth of three Fingers lute and putrefie three days take away the blind Head distil through an Alembick till the Veins ascend then change the Receiver as before repeat these Operations till the Earth remain white and fume not upon a hot Plate Now take a Phial put the aforesaid Earth into it lute well the Neck of the Phial and set it to digest or calcine rather in Ashes and you will have your most precious Earth now sit to receive its Spirit animated or Soul with the conservation of its radical moisture Take this Earth put it in a round Vessel a hands breadth deep broad about the Orifice and imbibe it with its Soul or animated Spirit as we shall declare cap. L. thus have you so full an Instruction of this Matter that 't is impossible for you to err if you be a faithful Christian I promised he goes on cap. L. to give you full direction for the making of all sorts of Sulphurs for our Magistery that is Mineral Vegetable and Animal Sulphur Wonder not that I did first sublime and vivify the Mineral Sulphur of Nature I doing this to give them in order and that you might the better attend your Practice and Theory though I know you are not ignorant that no dissolution can be made without either Vegetable or Animal Sulphur Now to our purpose Take the Vegetable Earth prepared as I taught you cap. F. imbibe it with it s animated Spirit giving an eighth part of it in respect of the Earth cover the Vessel with a Blind Head digest eight days in Balneo then lay aside this Head and draw of all the insipid moisture in a gentle heat of Ashes or of the Sun then imbibe with a seventh part digesting in Balneo and distilling in Ashes as before then imbibe with a sixth then a fifth lastly a fourth part and with this quantity repeat the rest of the imbibitions till the Earth hath drank up two parts and more of its weight Then take the Earth out of the Vessel pulverize and put a little of it upon a red hot Plate if the greatest part of it fume away put the powder into a Sublimatory and sublime the Philosophers Sal Armoniack giving the beginning of Vegetation to both the terrestrial Luminaries Gold and Silver without which neither the Vegetable nor Animal Work yea nothing at all can be done in this Magistery This Volatilization of the fixed Earth the Adepts performed other ways also not always observing the order of the aforesaid weights of the animated Spirit in the resuscitation or impregnation of the dead Body For sometimes they imbibed this exanimated Earth with an eighth part of its animated Spirit so oft till it became animated again and was made Volatile Thus Lully made his The Vegetable Sal Armoniack of Lully Libro de materia Vegetabili in practica quarta TAke excellent Wine either red or white distil by the Rule of Art an ardent Spirit burning Cotton evaporate the Phlegm till the Matter remain thick as
melted pitch to which pour of the ardent Spirit so much as to swim four Fingers above it digest for a week in Balneo then distil the animated Spirit by Ashes to the Earth pour new ardent Spirit repeating so oft till the Earth remain dry and in the Form of powder Moreover you must from the Earth distil an Oyl in Ashes with a Fire sufficiently strong so as that the Earth being laid on a red hot Plate casts forth no fume That Oyl as also the Phlegm are of no value in the present Work Calcine or Reverberate the said Earth in a close Vessel to which pour of the animated ardent Spirit an eigth part in an Alembick digest in Balneo three days then gently draw off the superfluous moisture being insipid as common Water imbibe as before and continue so oft till the Earth in a close Vessel to which pour of the animated ardent Spirit an eighth part in an Alembick digest in Balneo three days then gently draw off the superfluous moisture being insipid as common Water imbibe as before and continue so oft till the Earth be made Volatile which you will know if a little of it put on a red hot Plate be almost wholly evaporated This impregnated Earth sublime with a subliming Fire the space of twenty four Hours The Volatile and sublimed Salt sublime by it self yet twice which is to be with the ardent Spirit dissolved distilled and forty or fifty days Circulated into an Odoriferous Liquor Sometimes they impregnated the Earth from the beginning to the compleat saturity of it with a fourth part of the animated Spirit thus The Vegetable Sal Armoniack of Lully In Apertorio suo TAke of the best Juice of Lunaria that you can find one Pound or two and put it into a Vessel with an Alembick the seams being well joynted and luted set it in a little Furnace and underneath make a Fire of one wiek and with such a gentle heat let the aforesaid Spirits be distilled and so long till it begins to make Veins When therefore the Phlegm begins to shew Veins then is it a sign that the Spirit is distilled which contains in it all the perfection of Life and then take that distilled Spirit and keep it very choicely in a Glass well stopt with white Wax then put another Receiver under the Alembick and receive the second Water because it retains yet something of the aforesaid Spirit though not so strong as the first distil from that second Water so long till nothing else comes but Phlegm which is no otherwise then as common Water tasting a little if it has yet any Virtue than may you distil yet more but if it be as the other Water pure in taste then lay aside the Receiver with that second Water and put another Glass to receive all the Phlegm distilling so long till nothing more distils and then let all the Phlegm be poured away because it is that which brings Death to our Precious Stone and this the vulgar knows not but we know Now have you the Earth which remained in the bottom of the Vessel black like melted Pitch For that calcination of the Earth cannot be done with a strong Fire as Sophisters believe but it is done by its own Spirit which keeps it from burning because its Spirit draws the Soul from its Body and repels its superfluous Phlegm and mortifies the Earth and then vivisies it Now therefore calcine the aforesaid Earth in this manner Take the second distilled Water Aqua ardens mix'd with Phlegm and pour it upon the black Earth Pitch in its Vessel and mix well till it be dissolved because the Earth is presently dissolved Then put on an Alembick and lute well and distil the Spirit with one wick as I told you before till you see Veins then again separate the Receiver of the Alembick with the Spirits and set it apart and put another Receiver to and distil on looking if there be yet any Spirits there if not then the Water which is distill'd hath a taste like hot common Spring Water which put away again because such Water is Phlegmatick which causeth Death to our Stone And after the whole distillation take the Vessel with all the Matter which you will then find more hard than before and this is the reason because that Spirit hath attracted the Aereral Soul to it from its Body it being the place in which the Soul is contained that Operation repeat so oft till you see your Matter calcined in the bottom in the Form of a black Powder or even so long till you see no more Phlegm arise so as the last Water to be of as great virtue strength smell and taste as the first And you must not be ignorant that in the third distillation those two Spirits ill and well rectify'd are to be mixed together upon their Earth so long till the Earth and Spirits have those signs aforesaid namely the Earth be calcined and the Spirits yield no Phlegm Then take the Earth and with it a fourth part of its weight of the Spirit and put the Matter into your Vessel which we call Retentorium and place it in a Furnace continuing an easie heat so long till the Spirit be altogether coagulated in the Earth Know Son that the Body which was Dead puts on white Garments as if God please you shall see when you try the things aforesaid Son this must you repeat with new Spirit so long till you see the Earth altogether white as Snow and then is the Earth big and impregnated with Eternal clarity which will bring forth an Infant according to this way When the Earth is very white then Son take it out of its Vessel and grind it into a most fine powder and this do upon a Glass Plate then again put it into a Vessel luting the Joynts of it well and set it on a little Furnace and kindle a Fire continuing it for thirty Hours and in the corners and sides of the Vessel you will find our Infant born and resuscitated in the likeness of a powder most white most fair and in such clearness as the Body of Silver Keep it therefore in high esteem because it is your Terra foliata and it is called the Spirit of sublimed Bodies converted into Terra foliata so winto the same the Soul c. Sometimes they impregnated this Earth without observing any weight as thus Another Vegetable Sal Armoniack of Lully In Luce Mercuriorum TAke Wine red or white putrify it in Balneo twenty days at least that the parts of it may be disunited and the better separated then by distillation of Balneo with a most gentle Fire draw off the Aqua ardens which put in rectification so oft till nothing of the Phlegm remains then draw off the Phlegm by distillation with a Fire of Ashes till a certain matter remains in the bottom of the Vessel like liquid Pitch and the said Phlegm put apart then take the said matter and pour to
again as before putrifying in a close Vessel in Balneo then upon Ashes and emptying the several dissolutions of Gold and Silver into their several Vessels as before If any thing remains undissolved dry and dissolve as before till all the remainder be fully dissolved then putrifie both dissolutions twenty Natural Days being putrifyed take the dissolutions and put them severally into their Urinals with their Receivers and having luted the Joynts well distil the Waters of both Metals in Balneo in the bottom of the Vessels will remain the Bodies like melted Honey or Oyl pour upon those Oyls again of their own Waters The Menstruum now drawn from the Oyls distilled only by Balneo so as to swim three Fingers above the Matter cover both Vessels with their Antenotoriums and putrifie for a Natural Day then take away the Antenotoriums and put on Alembicks lute well and distil upon Ashes lastly increase the Fire that the Soul or Element of Air may pass over into both their distilled Waters and last of all increase the Fire to the highest degree that the Element of Fire may pass into the Air But to the Composition of Luna this Redness or Fire is not necessary Distillation being compleated let the Vessels cool take the Receivers from them and keep them very well stopp'd that they may not respire and put distinct Schedules or Inscriptions upon them that when you have occasion you may not take one for the other Then again to the Earths of Gold and Silver left in distillation pour their Waters distilled by Balneo as before and having put an Antenotorium to it putrifie as before then distil by Ashes each Vessel having its own Receiver wherein you kept the Souls of those Bodies and thus repeat the Magistery till the Earths are exanimated and destitute of radical moisture Then take those Earths grind well and joyn them together then put them in a Glass Egg and keep them in hot Ashes till I tell you what to do with them Then take the animated Spirit of Luna and rectifie it seven times in Ashes then take the animated Spirit of Sol and after the same manner rectifie it seven times in Ashes the limosities remaining Earth which the Spirit of Sol will in every rectification eject keep very close being the Element of Fire in the form of an Earth Having rectifyed take the animated Spirit of Sol and the animated Spirit of Luna and joyn them together then Circulate in a large Vessel as that wherein we Circulated the simple Menstruum continue this Circulation sixty Days in which time you will have a true Mineral Menstruum not acid but made of Minerals as Mercury Gold and Silver by which you may operate innumerable Experiments Hereto ought to be referred the Menstruum which is called by Basilius 55. The sweet Spirit of Mercury of Basilius Cap. 3. Libri de rebus nat supernat TAke of Natural Cinabar or Oar of Mercury and of the best Oar of Gold equal parts to which being pulverized and mixed pour the Oyl of Mercury made of Mercury sublimed and putrifyed that is Oyl of Mercury sublimed alone no other Ingredients being added except the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or some Vegetable Menstruum without which it cannot be made digest them for a Month and you will have a Celestial rather than Terrestrial extraction draw off the extraction in Balneo and the Phlegm being taken away in the bottom will remain a ponderous Oyl dissolving all Metals in a moment to which add of the Spirit of Wine Philosophical or Fiery Spirit of Wine of Basilius three parts Circulate in a Pellican to a Blood redness and incomparable sweetness being Circulated pour it upon Tartar calcined to whiteness and distil the Spirit of Mercury with a strong Fire the Spirit of Wine remaining with the Tartar We must distinguish between this Spirit and another of the same Name lest one be taken for the other For Basilius prepared also a Spirit of Mercury from the white Spirit of Vitriol of which you may read in several places in the Book de particularibus especially in the particular of Luna a Description of which Spirit is lower among the Mineral Menstruums because it is acid But the other namely this our Spirit of Mercury is most sweet and fragrant which you have also in the particular of Luna as also in the seventh Chapter of the Book de rebus nat supernat where he dissolves the Crocus of Luna in the white Spirit of Vitriol as also in the most fragrant Spirit of Mercury Parisinus for Alchymical Tinctures made a Mercurial compounded Menstruum of his Circulatum majus and the first or middle substance of common Argent vive thus 56. The incalcinated Menstruum of Parisinus Cap. G. Apertoris TAke of the Circulatum majus described before in Numb 50. one Pound of Mercury prepared as we shall teach in the tenth Chapter two Ounces mix and observe that true putrefaction be made with this Menstruum But when first it is incalcinated that is mix'd with such Mercury it is no more used for Men's Bodies but only as Medicines for Metals now the said tenth Chapter is this as followeth Of reducing common Mercury into the first Matter or Middle Substance Now my Son we will give you full instruction and demonstration of decocting and reducing common Argent vive into its first Matter or middle substance and as in the foregoing Chapters we declared the way of reincrudating the two Luminaries so now we will demonstrate the ways and means of decocting the said Mercury First we will teach the way of distinguishing good Mercury from bad sophisticated and corrupted which way is to take common Mercury brought out of Spain in Skins sealed or if you cannot have this take any other and put a little of it in a Silver Spoon heated so as to make the Mercury evaporate and if the remainder of it be of a white or citrine Colour 't is good but if of another Colour bad and not at all sit for our Work because sophisticated Then take of Roman Vitriol two Pounds melt it in a glazed Vessel being melted add one pound of Mercury and as much of common Salt prepared stir and shake till they be all mix'd evaporating the moisture with such a heat as that of the Sun then take out the Matter grind and put it in a Sublimatory and sublime the Mercury by the usual degrees of Fire The Vessels being cold take out the sublimation to which being put into a Retort pour of the Vegetable Water without Phlegm Philosophical Aqua Vitoe rectify'd about three or four Fingers let it boyl in Balneo two Hours then distil in Ashes that the Vegetable Water may ascend then cover the Retort with Ashes and increasing the Fire the Mercury vive will ascend into the Aqua ardens decant the Water from the Mercury which again sublime with new Matters and that six times always casting away the Faeces But take notice that
may be supplied with the Alkalies of Honey Celandine and the rest of the Individuals named by Lully with which the Adepts did also sometimes acuate their Spirit of Wine as shall be declared below in tht Fifth Kind of Menstruums But these things make also against the Literal sense of our Receipt and do prove that the Salts of the Vegetables not the crude Vegetables themselves were taken in the Receipt But though he made choice of Tartar because of the strongest Alkali to be from thence prepared yet did he not for the same reason intimate that Celandine the Flowers of Rosemary Herb Mercury red Lilly and mans Blood were better than the rest because with these he proceeds another way for he separates the Elements from them with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine from which he takes only the Fire or Oyl which he circulates with the Spirit and so acuates it as is clearly enough evident in secunda Tabula Individuorum But because Honey surpasseth not only its own collateral Individuals but also the Tartar it self for he saith that the Spirit of Wine in Tartar hath one but in Honey two free Operations and therefore attributes his peculiar process to Honey namely by distilling the whole Comb the Honey together with the Wax with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine through an Alembick Now between both processes of Honey and the rest of the Individuals our Receipt keeps a middle station If Honey be volatilized as to the whole substance it becomes thereby a Magistery which being joyn'd to the Spirit of Philosophical Wine yields us a Menstruum of the Third kind But the Fires or Oyls of Celandine of the Flowers of Rosemary common white and red Wine c. are by separation of the Elements made with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Essences which being added to the said Spirit of Wine do not alter but multiply it rather because an Essence is added to an Essence that is the second to the first Spirit of Philosophical Wine But if Celandine the Flowers of Rosemary as also the Vegetables of our Receipt be distilled with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine it does extract and elevate all their Vnctuosity with it self rejecting the aridity of them being more simple subtil volatile and less loaded with dry Particles than the Vnctuosity of crude Honey and so by being circulated with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine it is made indeed a Magistery yet more inclining to the nature of an Essence and therefore less dry and less altering the Spirit of Wine than that of Honey and so being now deservedly united with the aforesaid Spirit it makes a Menstruum different from the Menstruums of the Third Kind So the Literal Sense of our Receipt does hitherto stand unmoved But not to derogate from the Authority of the Author and his own Commentator Lully it is necessary to suppose that the Spirit of Philosophical Wine being distilled upon the aforesaid Vegetables he did sometimes out of the remainder prepare an Alkali by calcination and acuate his Spirit with it and so make a Menstruum of the Fifth Kind From these and the like Receipts we observe 1. That Wine Lunaria Nigrum nigrius Nigro the Matter of the Menstruum of Vegetable Mercury or Soul of Metals is not Common but Philosophical Wine nor that the Spirit of this Wine is the Common but Philosophical Aqua ardens 2. That a Menstruum of this kind is the unctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine acuated that is tempered with the common Vnctuosity of Vegetable Oyls Mix digest and distil any common distilled Oyl with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and you will obtain a Menstruum of the Second Kind much sooner yea you will make the same in a moment if you mix the Essence Spirit of Philosophical VVine with the Magistery of an oyly Vegetable 3. That one oyly Vegetable Saffron or Macis of so many is sufficient for the acuation of the Spirit of Philosophical VVine nor yet will you err if you take Triacle which Spirit of Triacle made with this Spirit of Wine will be a Menstruum of this kind 4. That these Menstruums are Medecines 5. That these Menstruums made out of meer Vegetables are properly called Vegetable Menstruums tho' some which we call Vegetable Menstruums compounded are by reason of the addition of Metals or Minerals sometimes by the Adepts called Mineral Menstruums so Lully in the 34th Experiment calls his Circulatum majus made of Gold and Silver the true Mineral Menstruum But we distinguish them from the Mineral Menstruums because they are corrosive being prepared with the acidity of Miâ—eral Salts But these are most sweet without any Corrosive and do kindly dissolve things that are to be dissolved 6. That a Menstruum is call'd the Soul of Metals Soul is diversly taken among the Adepts First For perfect Metal Gold or Silver So Arnold in Flore Florum Philosophers call the Soul a Ferment because as the Body of man can do nothing without its Ferment or Soul so is it in the thing propounded for Ferment is a Substance which converts other things into its own Nature And you must know there is no Ferment except Sol and Luna that is Gold and Silver appropriated to those Planets c. Ferment therefore must be introduced into the Body because it is the Soul thereof This is that which Morienus said except you cleanse the unclean Body and make it white and infuse a Soul into it you conduce nothing to this Magistery Secondly For Metals and other things volatilized with a Philosophical Menstruum So Lully calls Gold and Silver volatilized in the preparation of his Circulatum majus Menstruum or animated Spirit Take saith he the animated Spirit of Sol and the animated Spirit of Luna joyn them together c. So the Tinctures of Gold and Silver volatilized by a Menstruum as also of imperfect Metals are by him called Souls So in the 20th Experiment he hath the Animal Water of Saturn in the 21th Experiment the Soul of Mars Yea separating the Elements from all things he calls the tinged distilled Liquors Souls or animated Spirits because by them is the dead dry and fixed Earth again revivified volatilized and reduced into a Sal harmoniack See the Revivification of the Salt of Tartar by its own Water in the Volatization of it given in the Second Experiment Thirdly For Menstruums themselves For Menstruums are the Souls of Metals by which the Metals otherwise dead are animated and revivified so Lully of this our Menstruum the Soul of Metals pag. 195. Comp. Anim. Transm Otherwise saith he Metals cannot be dissolved unless they be animated with a Vegetable Menstruum by the power of which Resolution is made in things resoluble And in Elucid Testam pag. 145. Aqua vitoe is the Soul and Life of Bodies by which our Stone is vivified So also Ripley in Libro Mercurii pag. 108. saith The Sperm of Metals is also called Metallick Aqua Vitoe because it administreth life and health to
it in a convenient Vessel in Balneo till the Matter dissolve it self per deliquium then putting to an Alembick distil the superfluous Water then pour on three Pounds of the aforesaid Simple Spirit ardens and the Vessel being conveniently stop'd as will be manifested below put it into Putrefaction for one Natural Day after the manner following Get you a Brass Vessel about one span and a half broad and three spans and a half long which towards the Orifice must have a Copper Bottom pierced with many Holes the Cover whereof which is to go into the Vessel and stop it well must have one or two Holes but the Glass Vessels which you would put to that Copper Vessel ought to be conveniently covered in the lower part of those Copper Vessels of Putrefaction must be common Water those Copper Vessels put upon a Furnace making a moderate Fire under by the strength of which the fume or vapour of the Water will ascend and heat the Vessels in which your Matter is the whole work of our Supream Magistery will be matured and prepared by this Method then distil conveniently in Ashes with a heat scarce unlike to the heat of the Sun till you have drawn all the Juice from it then dissolve the Matter by pouring to it of the aforesaid Simple Spirit three parts in respect of the Matter which remained in the Vessel after the aforesaid Juice was abstracted from it Repeat the Magistery a fourth time proceeding and observing all things exactly as above So will you have the Spirit of your Chaos which is by the Philosophers called Fire depurated reduced from power into act with the Virtue of the Vegetable Matter Take therefore a Glass Vessel strong able to contain the measure of a common Urne pure and long whose Neck must be strong and two spans and a half long whose Cover must be another Glass called Antenotorium with a Neck turned downward containing the fourth part of a common Urne to be put into the aforesaid Vessel Into this Circulating Vessel put four Pounds and no more of the depurated Spirit which you brought from power to action by Virtue of the Vegetable Matter as I taught you before Circulate in Balneo or Dung the space of sixty Days and when Conversion is made of the Spirit deduced from power to action by the first Vegetable Matter then this you will thereby know that in the bottom of the Vessel will be a Sediment like the Urine of a sound Man Then will you see a Quintessence brighter and clearer then a Diamond which exceeds the Stars in splendour so as to be doubted whether it be contain'd in the Glass or not which you must dexterously separate from its Sediment and keep in a Vessel close stopped in a cold place This is that Virtue which the envious have hidden and obscured by innumerable Metaphors calling it Spiritus Vivus Aqua Argenti vivi Aqua Vitoe Aqua Celestis Aqua Dianoe Anima Menstrui Vegetabilis Fumus Ventus our Heaven Menstrual Blood Vrine sublimed Menstruum our Water of Sulphur our Blessed Stone giving it infinite other Names which we mention not here but have by Experience seen and known them to be one and the same thing Annotations MOst of the Adepts knew no other but this way of acuating the Spirit of Philosophical Wine for they believed there was one only thing and one only Method but this is not the last amongst the difficult Methods nor much different from the Coelum Vegetable of Lully made of the Alkali of Tartar The Tartar of this Wine is less Oyly than common Tartar and therefore adjoyned to this as a higher Kind but that we may the better understand the Receipt 't is convenient to compare it with its Original taken out of the last Testament of Lully 30. The Coelum Vinosum of Lully In Testam Noviss TAke Red Wine which we call the Liquor of Lunaria and Nigrum nigrius nigro and distil an Aqua ardens in Balneo and rectify it till it be without Phlegm which you will know when it burns a piece of Linnen Cloth by reason of its heat which you will make it do in five times sometimes in three and having such a sign divide it into two parts and keep one part for the making of the Menstruum and with the other part abstract the Soul from the Earth a pitchy mass by the way which I shall tell you The way my Son is to distil the Phlegm till it remain in the form of liquid Pitch then put to it of the Water ardens which you rectify'd so much as to swim three Fingers above the Matter and the Vessel being very close set it in Dung or Balneo six Days to digest after that distil all the Water in which is the Soul upon hot Ashes then increase the Fire a little and take out the Oyl which keep then pour in of the other Water ardens or Spirit of Philosophical Wine as before and put it in Putrefaction six Days as before and then distil in Ashes first the Water then the Oyl and thus continue the Magistery the same way till you have extracted all the Soul from the Earth keep it because it is the animated Water and keep the Oyl for the Tincture Then take the Earth being dry and hardened and calcine till it grows white being white give the Soul in the Water reserved to it My Son the way is this Take the Earth being white and depurated Salt and know the weight put it in a Vessel of Glass and pour upon it an eighth part of the animated Water the Vessel being very close and place it in Balneo three days till you see the ardent Spirit condensed in the Balneo and rectify it till it be without Phlegm then having put on an Alembick draw off the Liquor without taste because the Soul hath embraced the Spirit which is in that part and imbibe a second time with a seventh part of the animated Water and digest as before and distil away the moisture A third time imbibe with a sixth part digest and distil away the VVater A fourth time pour on a fifth part of the animated VVater as before The fifth time give a fourth part and digest as you know and continue with the fourth part always digesting and drawing of the Liquor till our Earth be pregnant and white Then take the Earth being pregnant and put it in a subliming Vessel luted and very close in a Fire of the third degree the space of twenty four Hours and sublime the pure from the impure And thus my Son will you have the Vegetable Mercury sublimed clear resplendent in the Form of a wonderful Salt Know you must my Son that the Philosophers and we do call it properly Vegetable Sulphur Sal Armoniack our Sulphur the Sulphur of Nature and many other Names we also give it Take my Son of this Vegetable Sulphur which you made one Ounce put it in a Glass Vessel and pour upon it
it of the Phlegm so much as to swim four Fingers above it and put it for two days in Balneo then one day in a Fire of Ashes that it may boyl leisurely and you will find the Phlegm much coloured which empty into another Vessel set it in Balneo again for two days with new Phlegm and for one day in Ashes then empty it into another Vessel and thus proceed till the Phlegm will be no more coloured and if Phlegm be wanting then take the coloured Phlegm and by distillation draw off one half or a third part of it by Balneo and operate with it as before but when that Phlegm is no more coloured then will there remain in the bottom of the Vessel an Earth almost white the Phlegm having attracted all the Oyl out of it if you would separate them asunder put them in distillation of Balneo then the Phlegm only riseth and the Oyl will remain in the bottom of the Vessel most red Take this Earth and pour to the same of Mercury Vegetable or Aqua ardens so as to swim two Fingers above it and put it in a Fire of Ashes for one natural Day so as to boyl gently then draw off distil the Earth by a Fire of Ashes as before and put it apart And of new Aqua ardens pour to the said Earth so much as to swim two Fingers above it and set it in Ashes for a Natural Day then draw it off by distilling in Ashes as before and thus proceed till there be no more Spirit elsewhere called Soul remaining in the Earth but all pass'd over with the Aqua ardens which you may know by the Earth remaining in a most impalpable powder and putting it on a Fire-hot Plate it will yield no smoak which will be a sign that it is without Spirit Soul which Earth put then into digestion in an Athanor and there let it stand ten days in a continued Fire Then take of the Aqua ardens in which the Spirit Soul is and pour it upon the said Earth swimming one Finger above it and put it in an Athanor for one Natural Day then set it in Balneo and by distillation draw off the Aqua ardens without the Spirit Soul the Spirit remaining in the Earth then pour on other Aqua ardens and thus reiterate till the Earth hath drank up all its Spirit which you will know by putting the Earth upon a red hot Plate because the greatest part of it will turn into Smoak which Earth digest for six Natural Days in an Athanor then put it in Ashes increasing the Fire till by the sublimation the Vegetable Mercury riseth at the sides of the Vessel and in the bottom remains the Terra damnata which is not an ingredient to our Work Which Mercury gather speedily and whilst it is new after its rising mix it with its Water for two days and it becomes a Water which hath wherewithal to dissolve all Metals with the preservation of their Form and this Water we call Vegetable Menstruum Animal Sal Armoniacks may also be made the same way as Vegetable Sal Armoniacks thus is made The animal Sal Armoniack of Lully In Testam Novissimo SOn there is another way of this animal Sulphur of Nature in which there is most accurate knowledge as in Vegetables which you must perform by the method which we shall teach you and Son the way is to take the Urine of Young Men of good Complexion and put it in a Glass Vessel forty days till it be putrified then take a Cucurbit and putting on an Alembick in Balneo for the space of forty hours distil a clear Water and the Spirit will remain in the Earth the Soul as Pitch dry it being well luted and rectify the Water seven times and the white Salt Volatile which it made in every distillation gather warily that it may not feel the Air and put it in its Water Spirit Then put the Earth and Water Pitch and Spirit together in Balneo or Dung for four days then distil in the same Balneo and put it again upon the Eaâ—â—â— digest and distil again as before four days then take the Water by it self and put it in Dung the space of two Natural Dâ—ys and distil in Balneo and again putrify in Dung and continue this order five times Then is the Water Spirit perfectly rectify'd and clear This work being ended restore the Water to the Earth Pitch and set it in Dung then distil in Balneo and dry up the Earth and the Alembick being taken off and another Cover put on sublime for the space of twenty four hours the animal Sulphur of Nature Then gather it together and upon the Earth which remained pour its animated Water and put it in Dung and distil in Balneo dry and sublime as before repeating till all the Sulphur be sublimed Son We have revealed to you every way of knowing our Vegetable Sulphurs and also the animal Sulphur with a Declaration of the whole Magistery Now with the help of God we shew you that there is one way and means in the animal and in the Vegetable without any variation This Receipt being less clear in making no mention of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and yet of no worth without it I will therefore add his sixth Experiment of the rational Animal where thus Very great certainly and incomprehensible Gifts hath the most high God vouchsafed to us in the acknowledgment of which our Duty is both Day and Night to love worship and revere him with our whole heart and everywhere extol his Name with all our might for besides his creating us out of nothing and redeeming us with his most precious Blood he hath also made Man partaker of all the Blessings contained in the greater World and for this reason is called Microcosm for it has by divine inspiration been revealed to us that all Virtues as well Animal and Vegetable as Mineral are in Man himself and this very thing I will prove to be true by this wonderful Experiment Take the Urine of Boys which must be from the eighth to the twelfth Year and no more which Urine gather from those Boys in the Morning rising out of Bed a great quantity of which 't is convenient for you to have which must be very well putrified in a Glass Vessel the Vessel being stop'd not to respire two parts of which Vessel must be full the other empty and thus ought it to be placed in Horse Dung to putrify till the Urine grows black which commonly happens within forty or fifty days but that the Urine may putrify and grow black in a shorter space of time this we have had for a secret and proved it by true Experiment thaâ—â—ixing and joyning a Cup of Aqua Vitoe Philosophical but first highly rectified with the aforesaid Urine will accelerate Putrefaction Putrefaction being done put the Urine in an Urinal Cucurbit with an Alembick and Receiver carefully stop'd two parts of which Vessel must
wherewith you will be able to accomplish many Experiments This is that Mercury which hath afforded us most seasonable succour as shall be manifested in the following Experiments To this exanimated Earth restore the animated Spirit by various imbibitions according to the ways described in the preparations of Vegetable Sal Armoniacks because saith Lully there is but one way and method in the animal as in the Vegetable nothing varying But the ways of making these Salts being very tedious we will for a conclusion add Lully's way of abbreviation The Vegetable Sal Armoniack made by the accurtation of Lully In Testam Noviss THis Sulphur of Nature may my Son with the help of God be wonderfully abbreviated and the way is this To take our liquid Pitch after the Phlegm is drawn off and put it into a Cucurbit in a Fire of the third degree and extract the Oyl till the Earth remains dry and burned My Son calcine as I have taught you and purify the Earth and to separate the Salt from it and upon it pour a forth part of the Spirit which is in the second Water distilled out of the Ritch and digest as above then drawing off the Liquor superfluous insipid and to be cast away pour again a fourth part digest and dry as before till the Earth be pregnant the sign will be that nothing more of the aforesaid Phlegm or Liquor will distil sublime and you will have the Vegetable Sulphur clean and pure and of the same Virtue with the first I charge you my Son with the fear of God not to reveal this most excellent way of abbreviation to any Man Parisinus in his way of making Vegetable Sal Armoniack declares the Oyl extracted out of the Pitch of Philosophical Wine to be superfluous and inconsonant Separate saith he all the superfluous unctuosities which do burn the perfect and precious Elements mix'd and latent in that Vegetable Matter and are repugnant to that composition and a little after After the separation of the superfluous unctuosity and aereal substance which blacks and burns the other precious Elements of this composition pour to it its ardent and celestial Spirit Yea Lully himself has in some Experiments before declared that Oyl as also the Phlegm of this Wine to be of no Virtue in the present Work nevertheless in this accurtation of Sal Armoniack he not only useth the said Oyl and indeed which you may wonder at for the abbreviation of a most tedious labour but also affirms that Sal Armoniack thus prepared is of the same Virtue with the rest Sometimes he used also the Water or animated Spirit together with the Oyl for present abbreviation thus Another Vegetable Sal Armoniack by the Accurtation of Lully Lib. de materia Vegetabili in practica septima TAke the best red Wine distil the ardent Spirit according to Art so as to burn Cotton after that the Phlegm upon the matter remaining in the bottom of the Alembick being thick as liquid Pitch pour the Phlegm half a foot above it let it boyl three Hours decant the tinged Phlegm pour on other repeating so oft till no more will be tinged if you have not Phlegm enough you must draw off the tinged Phlegms in Balneo which being evaporated a Vegetable Oyl will remain in the bottom of the Glass the tincture being drawn out of the Phlegm the matter will remain like a dry Earth upon this dry Earth pour of the ardent Spirit the height of four Fingers let it boyl two Hours that which is in the mean time distill'd pour again to the Earth let it settle two Hours then decant the animated Spirit from the Spirit or Soul of the Earth pour new Spirit upon the Earth doing as before three times The Earth being black and calcined put into a Glass with a long Neck and pour the Vegetable Oyl aforesaid to it digest in Ashes ten days then decant and put it into an Alembick to which add a fourth part of the ardent Spirit animated digest in a vaporous Balneo for twenty four Hours then continue the superaddition of the other three parts of the animated Spirit every twenty four Hours then distil away the superfluous insipid and useless Liquor gently by Ashes and augmenting the Fire by degrees sublime the Volatile Salt c. Hitherto of the various preparations of Vegetable Sal Armoniacks We will now proceed to the other part of the Coelum Vinosum namely the several ways of reducing these Salts into a liquid substance The Adepts did for the most part distil through an Alembick one part of Vegetable Sal Armoniack with three parts of the Aqua ardens to which Liquor they added again one part of the aforesaid Salt and distill'd and that they repeated three and sometimes four times to make the weight of the Salt and Water equal for the greater the quantity of the same Salt the stronger is the quality of the Menstruum then lastly they circulated the Menstruum thereby to make it more pure and excellent But though this Method was more in use among the Adepts yet either their curiosity or sedulity found out also other ways so instead of the Aqua ardens wherewith they prepared the Vegetable Sal Armoniack as well as the Menstruum they sometimes took Aqua ardens circulated or the Heaven or Essence of Philosophical Wine described in Numb 1. It is thus done 31. Coelum Vegetabile of Lully Circulated Lib. de materia Vegetabili in practica quinta TAke the best white Wine distil the ardent Spirit till it burns Cotton put this Spirit into a Circulatory two thirds empty strengthen the Mouth with Wax and Bury it in hot Dung with its Mouth downward for the Spirit to be circulated and digested the space of forty five Days or till it swims above more pure and clear in the Form of an Oyl see the Heaven or Essence of Philosophical Wine in Numb 1. having seen this sign take out the Glass warily and with a Needle perforate the Wax that the impure may flow out then suddenly turn up the Circulatory that the pure or more fine may remain which we call the ardent Spirit circulated which is of a most delicious Sent now take the residue from which the Spirit of Wine was drawn and distil the Phlegm and upon the matter remaining like melted Pitch pour the said Phlegm so as to swim four Fingers above it digest two days in Balneo decant the tinged Phlegm and pour on other and that repeat so often till the Phlegm will be no more tinged which is a thing useless in this operation Now the Earth calcine in a Reverberatory pulverize put it in an Alembick and imbibe with an eighth part of the ardent Spirit circulated digest in Balneo and distil some certain superfluous moisture by Ashes continue this imbibition digestion and distillation till the Earth be impregnated with the dry Spirit which was in the ardent Spirit circulated of which the sign will be if it doth almost all
evaporate being a little of it cast upon a red hot Plate This impregnated Earth being put into a Sublimatory sublime according to Art into a Volatile Salt which digest in Balneo two days and more with six parts of the ardent Spirit circulated decant the dissolution gently and if any thing remain undissolved proceed with it as before this dissolution circulate thirty days and it will be a Quintessence to be compared in Virtue with the Aurum potabile of the Ancients As these Menstruums are made either weaker or stronger according to the variety of weight so also are they more or less pure by longer or shorter or altogether neglected circulation for some Menstruums there are of this kind which the Adepts circulated not For an Example take the following 32. The less Vegetable Menstruum of Lully Lib. de materia Vegetabili in practica prima TAke the best Wine red is the best two pounds of it put into a Cucurbit with a blind Head and luting the joynts well put it in Balneo to putrify kindly the space of forty five days then fit an Alembick to it and augment the heat that the ardent Spirit may be distill'd which rectify thrice by it self or till it is free from all Phlegm and burns Cotton keep this ardent Spirit well stop'd in a cold place take the matter remaining in the first distillation and draw off the Phlegm till it remain thick like liquid Pitch upon which pour of the Spiritus ardens so much as to be the space of four Fingers above it digest three days in Balneo then distil gently by Ashes three days and by Virtue of a stronger Fire the ardent Spirit will carry over the Soul with it which it could not do in Balneo keep the distillation To the remaining Matter pour new Spirit doing so often till all the Soul be come over and that you will know if by being projected in a small quantity upon a red hot Plate it yields no smoak because the matter is now deprived of its Soul which we call dry Earth which imbibe with an eighth part of the animated ardent Spirit digest for three days in Balneo then distil gently in Ashes the superfluous Liquor being insipid as common Water make the second imbibition with a seventh part and so continue doing as before till the Earth be made heavier by a fourth part of its weight and it will be disposed to a reduction into a Volatile Salt by the way of sublimation This Earth therefore being well pulverized put into a Sublimatory administring Fire according to Art and that which you find sublimed white as Snow is the Volatile Salt which keep in a Vessel well stop'd Take of this Volatile Salt one part of the ardent Spirit six parts digest in Ashes and the dissolution is the Vegetable Quintessence apt to dissolve the perfect Bodies of Sol and Luna to make an Elixir and other Medicines precious and grateful Vegetable Sal Armoniack dissolv'd in Aqua ardens one part of the Salt to six of the Spirit makes the present Menstruum but the following is prepared from Sal Armoniack resolved per deliquium 33. The Vegetable Menstruum per deliquium of Lully Lib. de materia Vegetabili in Practica secunda TAke the best white-Wine putrify it in Balneo twenty days or longer then distil the Spiritus ardens according to Art till it burns Cotton then draw off the Phlegm till the matter remains in the bottom of the Vessel thick as liquid Pitch to which matter pour so much of the Phlegm as will swim four Fingers above it digest in Balneo two days and in Ashes one day decant the tinged Phlegm pour new Phlegm to the matter doing as before till no more will be tinged and the matter remains at the bottom of the Vessel like a white Earth upon this Earth pour the height of two Fingers of the ardent Spirit digest for a day in Ashes and the Soul which is in the Earth will enter into the ardent Spirit decant the ardent Spirit being animated pour off the ardent Spirit again upon the Earth doing it so oft as before till the Spirit draws out no more Soul and the Earth remains in the Form of a most fine powder being despoiled of all its Soul which you will know if it smoaks not upon a fiery Plate this Earth digest ten days in Ashes then put it in Balneo and pour of the tinged Phlegm so much as will swim two Fingers over it distil in Balneo cast away the distillation as a thing of no Virtue then again pour the tinged Phlegm upon the Earth repeating as before till no Phlegm remains and the Earth is impregnated with all the tincture that was in the Phlegm This done imbibe the Earth with the animated ardent Spirit digest with an easy heat in Balneo till the Earth is well dryed then again imbibe and so oft as before till the animated ardent Spirit is absorbed by the Earth and is made Volatile which you will know if a little of it cast upon a burning Plate fumes away for the most part then put this matter into a sublimatory and sublime with a subliming Fire and that which is sublimed is the Volatile Salt of the Vegetable matter put that Volatile Salt into a Phial digest in Balneo for a day and it will be reduced into a Water which we call Vegetable Menstruum which is a wonderful dissolvent for the radical dissolving of the two Luminaries These Menstruums the Adepts made sometimes not of Vegetables Sal Armoniack but by the way following 34. The Vegetable Mercury of Lully Lib. de Mat. Vegetabili in practica sexta TAke the best odoriferous Wine put it in a Circulatory large enough stop the said Vessel very well with Sulphur melted and putrify in Balneo twelve or fifteen Days then distil the Spirit and Phlegm according to Art till the Spirit burns Cotton upon the matter remaining like liquid Pitch pour six parts of the Phlegm digest two Days in Ashes shaking the Vessel now and then decant the Phlegm being tinged pour on other and doing as before till it hath extracted all the tincture and a black Earth remains at the bottom of the Alembick put the tinged Phlegm in an Alembick and distil in Balneo and that which remains at the bottom of the Vessel will be the Vegetable Oyl pour the ardent Spirit to the height of four Fingers upon the black Earth distil by Ashes and that which is distilled will be the ardent Spirit impregnated to the matter pour new ardent Spirit repeating as before three times and in the last increasing the Fire about the end Calcine the Earth with a Fire of Reverberation into whiteness out of which extract the fixed Salt with a little of the Phlegm the fixed Salt being pulverized put in an Alembick pour to it the animated ardent Spirit about two Fingers distil gently in Balneo the insipid and useless moisture repeat as before till the animated
or second Experiment being both of the same strength then distil in hot Ashes with an Alembick and Receiver well luted which being all distill'd add new Salt to it again observing the same weight as before of the Salt as well as Water then distil again as before and this same way distil four times to every distillation adding new Salt as before and distilling in Ashes and so will you have a Mercurial Water fit for all Physical Operations Then take common Mercury washed with Vinegar and Salt and strained through a Goats Skin put it in a Vessel and if there be one Ounce of Mercury add four Ounces of the aforesaid Mineral Water and having put on a blind Head in Ashes let it boyl gently and it will in a short time be all dissolved empty the dissolution into another Vessel warily that if any Terrestreity be left in the bottom it may be separated from the said dissolution as a thing of no effect you may this way dissolve as much Mercury as you will Then take the aforesaid Mercury dissolved and putrify thirty Days in Balneo or hot Dung which must be changed every ten Days that the heat may endure and not be extinguished having putrify'd remove the Vessel and putting on an Alembick to with an Urinal and Receiver well luted distil all the Water in Balneo and the Mercury will remain in the Vessel white as Snow then pour to it so much of this Water which you now distilled as to be four Fingers above it the rest of the Water keep in its Vessel well stopp'd in a cold place then putting a blind Head upon its Vessel and sealing the Joynts putrify a Natural Day then taking away the blind Head and putting on an Alembick with a Receiver close luted distil in Ashes and increase the Fire that the Soul may pass over into its distilled Water lastly distillation ceasing let the Vessel cool take away the Receiver and keep it well stopp'd for that which is distill'd therein is the animated Spirit but to the matter remaining in the Vessel that is the Urinal pour again of the distilled Water so much as will swim four Fingers above it and having put on a blind Head putrify as before and taking away the blind Head by turns and putting on an Alembick with its Receiver wherein you kept the other part of the animated Spirit the Joynts being well luted distil again by Ashes and lastly increase the Fire for the Soul to go over into the distilled Water as before then the Vessel being cold keep the animated Spirit in the Receiver as before well stopp'd and to the matter remaining in the bottom pour again new Water as before and putrify as before distilling in Ashes pour the Spirit into the same Receiver where you kept the other thus repeat the Magistery till the Body remains dead black and void of all moisture which you will prove by this sign take a little of this black Body or Earth and lay it upon a hot Plate and if it fumes not nor flyes away from Fire then take that Earth and put into a little Glass-Globe wel luted and the Mouth well stopp'd set in a reverberating Fire the space of twenty four hours then remove that calcined Earth and put it in hot ashes very well stopp'd to prevent the attracting of any moisture Then take the animated Water and rectify it seven times in Ashes which animated and vivifyed Water divide into two parts whereof one we will use for the vivisying of the Earth the other for the dissolving of Sol and Luna Then take one part of the said Water and know the weight of the Earth reserved before grind first put it in an Urinal then pour upon it of the aforesaid Water a fourth part of its weight and joyning a blind Head to it well luted set the Vessel in Balneo not to touch the Water of the Balneo but for the matter to be heated by the vapour only and so let it remain four days then having taken away the blind Head and put on an Alembick distil in Ashes with a gentle heat like that of the Sun and an insipid Liquor will flow over which cast away as nothing worth then again imbibe with a fourth part of the animated Spirit as above digesting as above and distilling the Liquor by Ashes as above This Magistery thus repeat till the whole Body hath re-assumed its Liquor or Soul and remains white as Snow which Body take out dry and grind being ground put it into a small Cucurbit strongly luted with lutum sapientioe and the Mouth of the Cucurbit stopp'd with Cotton and set the Vessel in a Furnace of Ashes but take notice if the Fire be too violent the matter will turn into Oyl and cannot be sublimed besides there will be danger of breaking the Vessel as has happened to us and therefore we are willing to advise you to continue an easy heat till the matter be sublimed This also observe that this way of subliming may also be done in the Fire of an Athanor but then the matter will not be sublimed in less than the space of three or four days which sublimation will indeed be most white as the Scales of Fish or as Talk Then warily take out the Magnesia the first matter of our common Mercury our Sal Armoniack our Sulphur which keep in a small Cucurbit well stopp'd in Ashes warm as the Sun but that which remains in the bottom and cannot be sublimed cast away because of no efficacy its precious Seed being vacuated Here he dissolves Mercury with calcined Jupiter upon an Iron Plate per deliquium with which he cohobates the Vegetable Salt of the first or second Experiment Salt of Tartar impregnated with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or sublimed into a Vegetable Sal Armoniack in equal weight yet by degrees through an Alembick instead of this Menstruum may be taken the Vegetable Heaven of Lully with this Menstruum he dissolves common Argent vive and reduceth it into a white Oyl out of which Oyl he draws the animated Spirit repeating the Work till the Earth of the Mercury remains black fixed and without fume on a hot Plate This exanimated and reverberated Earth he revivifies by imbibing it with a fourth part of the animated Spirit seven times rectify'd till it becomes white and volatile which then he sublimes into a Mercurial Sal Armoniack the making of which differs not from the antecedent Descriptions of the Sal Armoniacks but if it be mixed with four parts of Lully 's Vegetable Heaven that which is call'd the incalcinated Menstruum is made from thence and so much the stronger as that Sal Armoniack is stronger than the Oyl of Mercury but if this first matter of Mercury be circulated according to its time you will make a Menstruum deserving the Name of Mercurial Heaven Guido prepares the incalcinated Menstruum not from common Mercury but the Mercury of Metals Sol or Luna 47. The
oftentimes by it self in Ashes but be sure not to take away any of the Terrestreities which will every rectification remain in the bottom of the Vessel but rather pour back the distilled Water always to the same Faeces till you have performed the Work seven times compleat And observe the same order in rectifying the Water of animated Luna reserved before This done joyn these two Waters together which Conjunction is called the Conjunction of Father and Mother Male and Female Man and Woman And thus will you have the Menstruum majus the Animal Vegetable and Mineral being joyned together and these three reduced into one substance you must circulate sixty Days in a Vessel so luted as not to respire Circulation being compleated you will have the Menstruum majus brought to action the power of which is so great as not to be related This therefore is that admirable Menstruum which dissolves all Bodies with the preservation of their vegetative and transmutative Form This I say is that Menstruum containing in it such odour and fragrancy that nothing can be compared to it This lastly is the resoluble Menstruum which is by the Wise call'd by almost innumerable Names the Acetum acerrimum which converts Gold into a Spirit This is the Aqua Sicca Aqua Solis and Aqua Vitoe Parisinus made this Menstruum which he otherwise calls the greater Mercury or compounded Menstruum by this method 50. The Circulatum majus of Parisinus In Apertorio Cap. G. TAke of the best calcined Luna three Ounces of Sol also calcined according to Chapter H in which the Calcinations of Metals are after the common way described two Ounces to each being put by its self in its Glass pour of Circulated or the simple Quintessence acuated with Honey or the Coelum mellisluum described in Numb 10. the height of four Fingers the Vessels with their blind Heads put in Balneo two Days and in Ashes two more when you see the Waters in some measure tinged decant them and the dissolutions keep by themselves in Balneo well stopp'd to the undissolved Calxes pour again of E digesting decanting and repeating so often till the Bodies of Sol and Luna be reduced into a liquid substance then distil the Composition Dissolution of Sol and the Composition of Luna in Balneo and the Bodies will remain in the bottom of the Glass like an Oyl but to the Waters drawn from the said Luminaries in Balneo put Vegetable Sulphur according to the weights of the Sol and Luna and it will in the space of two Days be dissolved in Balneo so soon as the said Sulphur is dissolved in every of its Vessels pour every one to its Metallick Oyl but to avoid Error you must know that your dissolved Sulphur is that which we taught the preparation of in Chapter L namely that which is extracted out of Philosophical Wine otherwise called Sal Armoniack put the Vessels in Putrefaction eight Days then draw off the Waters in Balneo every one by it self then pour of new Water the height of two Fingers cover the Vessels with blind Heads and digest for a Day in Balneo then put on common Alembicks and distil the Waters gently in Ashes then increase the Fire that the air may also ascend into the Waters the Vessels being cold pour new Water to each remainder cover them with blind Heads digest in Balneo for a Night then distil in Ashes and this repeat as before till you have extracted all the Liquor of the two Luminaries keep the Earths and if a little of it be cast upon a red hot Plate and burns not it is an infallible sign because the said Earth is deprived of its Soul keep these two Earths mix'd together in digestion of Ashes for the receiving of their Mercuries the distilled Airs or Essences as we shall teach in Chapter L. in the way of making the mineral Sal Armoniacks or Metallick of Gold and Silver Now take the Liquors of both the said Luminaries that is their Souls or Mercuries already pass'd through an Alembick and joyn them together distilling through an Alembick in Ashes if any slimy Earth remains add it to the former Earths reserved and this do six times always removing the slimy Earth Take a large Vessel or Cucurbit with an Alembick made all of a piece in which pour your compounded Menstruum stopping the Mouth with a Glass Stopple luted with the white of an Egg quick Lime and course Paper which being dryed lute then with our Bitumen made of an equal quantity of Pitch Wax and Mastick and Circulate in a Sophical Balneo as we shewed you at Mr. Angelo's House in the Famous City of Venice when we made the simple Circulated Menstruum and let it be Circulating forty Natural Days which being expired you will see our Menstruum or Mercury clearer than Cristal and more odoriferous than any Perfume This Menstruum my Son hath the power of dissolving the two Luminaries and reducing them from power to action and you must know that by this alone yet with the addition of its red or white ferment you will by Circulation make particulars of great projection This is that which our Captain Raymund Lully in his Epistola Accurtatoria spoke of saying Having dissolved Sol and drawn the Water from it in Balneo then know the Gold is made Spiritual and irreducible into its former Body to which if you add a hundred parts of common Mercury it will congeal it into true Gold Moreover my Son if the said Gold congealed into a Gum be dissolved in some Water and given to a Patient of what infirmity soever he will in a very few Days return to his good temperament it removes whiteness of hair and all other signs of Old Age restores former Youth and preserves health even to the time prefixed by the Eternal God Know also that should I describe all the Miracles and indeed they may well be called Miracles and all the effects performed by this Mercury which as I remember I sufficiently declared to you by Word of Mouth and explained the various Sayings of our Captain in the Book of Quintessence then c. From the Receipts we observe 1. That these Menstruums are stronger than all the antecedent as being acuated with better arids or dry things and therefore do not extract the Essences but dissolve the whole Body into a Magistery 2. That these Menstruums are the Magisteries of Metals and Minerals and therefore Medecines 3. That they are made many several ways now known to us 4. That the Sal Armoniacks of Metals are made the same ways as Vegetable Sal Armoniacks 5. That every one of them is properly called Philosophers Mercury or Mercury of the Mercury of Gold Silver Iron c. sublimed the Mercury of Antimony common Sulphur c. sublimed because like common Mercury sublimed it is most easily resuscitated by hot Water or Vinegar into the running Mercury of Gold Silver Iron Antimony c. as we shall
Menstruums as well of this as other Adepts are of no validity The same Earth which being less than well dissolved is the cause of opacity in Bernhard's permanent Menstruum the very same exactly dissolved is the cause of limpidity with Thomas inspissating and coagulating the Water as well if not better than if it had been less dissolved The diaphaneity of Menstruums is defended by Lully Parisinus and most of the Adepts Lully proclaims his Coelum Vinosum to be clear bright and resplendent as the Stars of Heaven In Test novis pag. 8. Of which very Menstruum Parisinus thus in Appendice Elucidarii pag. 273. Vol. 6. Theat Chym. Then will you see a Quintessence brighter and clearer than a Diamond which exceeds the splendor of the Stars so as to be doubted whether it be contained in the Glass or no. The Tenth KIND Vegetable Menstruums compounded made of Vegetable Menstruums compounded and Metallick Bodies 52. The Neapolitan Menstruum of Lully In Exper. 13. TAke Luna and calcine with common Argent vive that is by amalgaming and then grinding the Amalgame with common Salt prepared then evaporate the Mercury with a most gentle Fire then take away the Salt with hot Water distilled and so you will have Luna calcined Take the calcined Luna and pour to it four parts of the Mercurial Water described by the three hot Vessels before in Numb 46. and the Vessel being covered with its Antenotorium set upon Ashes so as to boyl gently and you will perceive a Green or Sea Colour which Liquor pour warily into another Vessel so that the Faeces be not disturb'd the Matter remaining at the bottom dry with an easie Fire like the heat of the Sun Then know the weight of the said Calx and pour again four parts of the said Mercurial Water upon one part of the said Calx and the Vessel being covered with its Antenotorium as above let it boyl again gently the dissolution pour into another Vessel as before and joyn it with the first dissolution but remember to keep the said dissolved Matter continually in Balneo till the whole Work of dissolution is compleated repeating the Magistery so oft 〈◊〉 the whole Body of Luna be fully dissolved and decanted over which has indeed hapned to us at the second time and set it in putrefaction fourteen Days Then put it in an Urinal with its Receiver and Alembick very well luted and distil in a Furnace of Ashes then increase the Fire that the Soul of the Body may ascend into its Water The Vessel being cold examine the weight of the Earth of Luna remaining in the bottom for I believe of one whole Ounce there will not remain above two Eights Drachms of the Body not dissolved the rest will be perfectly dissolved that is distilled But if more of the undissolved Earth remains then pour to it so much of its Water lately distilled as to be three Fingers above it and the Vessel being covered with an Antenotorium put it in Balneo for a Natural Day then taking away the Antenotorium and putting on an Alembick with a Receiver very close distil by Ashes at the end of the distillation increase the Fire as before This repeat till the whole Body of Luna be pass'd through the Alembick by an airy revolution and thus will you by the Help of God have a Menstruum with which you may dissolve Sol. Annotations HItherto we have by Argent vive acuated either the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or Menstruums made with this Spirit which had so good a faculty of dissolving that most of the Adepts being content with these Mercurial Waters desisted from inquiring after stronger Menstruums The Mercurial Water which Lully terms Glorious he saith is sufficient yea a proper Menstruum to make the Philosophers Mercury or Metallick Sal Armoniack out of all Metals and Minerals You must know saith he my Son that in the Truth and Faith of God no Sulphur of Nature of any Metal can be sublimed without this Water of common Argent vive Test Noviss Pag. 12. But in this Tenth Kind of Menstruums the Adepts made yet other Menstruums adding moreover divers Bodies according to the intended several uses to the aforesaid Mercurial Waters Lully to make a more Noble Menstruum for the dissolution of Gold added Silver to the Mercurial Menstruum If perhaps he wanted a Menstruum for Pearls he joyned Pearls with the Mercurial Menstruum If he had a mind to make Aurum potabile he prepared a Menstruum out of Gold and Silver as more suitable to this purpose yet with some Mercurial Menstruum and so of others as you will observe in the following Examples 53. The precious Menstruum for Pearls of Lully In Comp. Animoe transmut Pag. Vol. 3. Theat Chym. TAke the Liquor of Lunaria of the third or second rectification Philosophical Aqua ardens rectifyed pour it upon Argent vive so as to swim three Fingers above it and putrefie three Natural Days and a great part of it will be dissolved with the Water of Lunaria which decant and pour fresh Liquor upon the Faeces putrefie in Dung or Balneo and repeat till all the Mercury is reduced into Water then joyn all the distillations together and draw off in Balneo and when you see it in a manner thick so as to be half a Pound of the Water of Mercury and Argent vive Vegetable and Mineral putrifie six Natural Days then put in Pearls and they will within ten Hours be dissolved then exuberate them by the way which I taught in the exuberation of Metals till they be converted into a Sal Harmoniack or Sulphur Naturoe of Pearls whereof dissolve one Ounce in a Pound of its Menstruum aforesaid and distil four times then put in Pearls and they will in half a quarter of an Hour be dissolved by reason of the greater subtilty of the Menstruum As Silver is joyned to the Mercurial Menstruum made by the three Fire-hot Vessels for the Neopolitan Menstruum which may be so call'd because it was reveal'd to Lully at Neapolis by Arnold de villa nova so this Menstruum for Pearls is made of the Sal Armoniack of Pearls and the Mercurial Menstruum or Glorious Water of Mercury which if they be Circulated together a convenient time you will make thereof a Coelum perlatum 54. The Mercurial compounded Menstruum of Lully In Experim 34. TAke three Ounces of Luna and three Ounces of Sol calcine them severally with Mercury as in the former Experiments in the Neopolitan Menstruum then evaporate it from the said Metals being calcined put them severally in distinct solutory Vessels and put upon them so much of the incalcinated Menstruum described before in Numb 45. as will swim four Fingers above it cover the Vessel with an Antenotorium putrifie in Balneo two Days and two Days more in Ashes with a heat like that of the Sun decant the dissolution and dry the remainder being dryed pour upon them of the incalcinated Menstruum
sublimation which you must sublime with a Fire of the fourth degree And observe that all those preparations and distillations of the Earths are to be done in Balneo And thus Son have you our Sulphur or Matter or Vegetable and Metallick Earth in one Kind united for the making of the Glorious High and Virtuous Stone which will transform common Argent vive into perfect Sol or Luna without the help of Fire but as the Eye of a Basilisk which kills Animals by sight alone But it is your interest Son to use great diligence and exquisite Ingenuity in making the Roots of this high and lofty Tree which Roots we call desert Limes in which the whole Virtue of Heaven and Earth relating to this Magistery will be infused And the way is this Take of the Vegetable and Mineral Earth or Sulphur which you united in one Kind by sublimation which is that which you call'd the Earth of Sulphur in one Kind united put it in a Glass Vessel and pour so much as it weighs of the Menstruum with which you separated the Elements of the Sulphur of Luna and prepared the said kind of Earth and put it in a Philosophical Balneo three Natural Days and in that time it will be all dissolved which being thus dissolved put in a common Balneo and distil the Menstruum and the Earth united to its kind will by sublimation remain as an Oyl which we call the Philosophers Oyntment and it is one of the Secrets which we take care to have concealed Then Take of that Oyl or Oyntment aforesaid ten Drachms and of the rectify'd Air of the Sulphur of Luna one Drachm not one Ounce And of the Air of the Sulphur of Sol one Drachm and distil in a Fire of Ashes and that which is distilled which is almost all is called the Terrestrial desert Limes keep it Take of the Element of the Fire Sulphur of Gold already prepared and congealed ten Drachms not twenty and of the Element of the Air Sulphur of Luna one Drachm and of the Element of the Air of the Sulphur of Gold another Drachm and put all in Ashes and distil that which is distilled from it which is almost all is called the Etherial desert Limes keep it for occasion Take of the Element of the Fire of the Sulphur of Gold one Drachm or two and rectifie it again thus pouring upon it fiVe parts of its own Menstruum which is that with which you separated the Elements of the same Sulphur of Gold and put it to digest in Balneo for one Natural Day then distil in Ashes what you can And again pour the said Menstruum upon it digest and distil by Ashes and repeat till it be all pass'd over by a Fire of Ashes Then take its weight of the said Vegetable Earth united and sublimed together prepared above and you must unite them together with the distilled Element of Fire and not distil but so lay it aside and it is called the Terrestrial desert Limes of Gold not vaporized Take of the said Earth in one kind united one Drachm and of the Oyl of the Air of the Sulphur of Luna one Drachm mix them together and you will make the same Magistery as you did with the precedent Gold and it is called the Terrestrial desert Limes lunificated not vaporized We do now think good to shew the way of celificating and preparing those Limes in order to receive the Virtues of Heaven and Earth and the way is this Take Brass or Iron Cages and let them be like those wherein Parrots whistle but the twiggs must be closer so that no Earth neither Celestial nor Terrestrial can enter but only the vapour of Heaven and Earth which you will have by Influence Take the Limes above mentioned Terrestrial desert made of ten drachms of the Earth or Sulphur united which is that which you united with the Earth of the Sulphur of Silver and reduced into an Oyl or Oyntment and of one Drachm of the Air of the Sulphur of Luna and one Drachm of the Air of Sol mix'd and that Limes put in a Glass Vessel with a long Neck exactly Sealed with the Seal of Hermes and put it in the Cage and set it one Arm or two deep and let it stand a Year and half or at least a Year covering it well with Earth and keeping it from all dangers and in that time will it be made a powerful Water with wonderful fixative Virtues of the Stone and it hath admirable Virtues acquired from Heaven which it attracted from the Vapours of the Earth Son depend upon this Take the Limes above declared Etherial desert which you made of ten Drachms of the Fire of the Sulphur of Gold and of one Drachm of the Air of the Sulphur of Luna and one Drachm of the Air of the Sulphur of Sol and put it in another Glass Vessel with a long Neck Hermetically Sealed and put it in another Cage and hang it in the Air on a Tree or any private place free from all Wind Dust and Danger leave it a Year and half or a whole Year at least as we said of the other and so will be made a clear Water endowed with the Virtue of hardning fixing congealing penetrating and making the Stone Volatile and is called the Mercury of Air of most acute penetration Take the Terrestrial desert Limes of Gold not vaporized nor celificated neither distilled through an Alembick nor circulated which is that that you made by meerly mixing of one Drachm of the Element of the Fire of the Sulphur of Sol and of one Drachm of the Earth united in its Kind and that take also the Terrestrial desert Limes lunificated not vaporized which you made out of one Drachm of the Earth of Sulphur united and one Drachm of the Air of the Sulphur of Luna and put those Limes every one by it self in a Glass Vessel Sealed as was said of the other and put it in the Earth the depth of one Arm for a whole Year in a Cage and in that time will be made a Water of wonderful Virtue in joyning Bodies and content your self with this Take the Limes which you made out of ten Drachms of the Fire or Air and one of the Earth and take that which remains of the Air of the Sulphur of Luna because you took but three Drachms of it when you made the Limes and let it hang in the Air in a Glass Vessel Sealed and in a Cage as you did with the other and there will it receive the Celestial Virtues which are the means of Conjunction between the Limes of the Earth and the Limes of the Fire and other Limes also Take the second Air the Menstruum Elemented in which were dissolved the Air and Fire of the Sulphur of Gold and gently drawn off that is three parts only from five of it which is that which you drew from the Fire congeled which we call'd Philosophical Oyl and Philosophical Treasure not
common Gold The Philosophers Green Lyon therefore is green Gold Gold vive which is not as yet fixed but left imperfect by Nature and for this reason hath it the Virtue of reducing all Bodies into their first Matter and making those Bodies which are fixed Spiritual and Volatile Tract de Adrop Pag. 547. Thirdly It may also be called Lyon because as all other Animals give place to a Lyon so all Bodies yield to the power of Gold vive which is our Mercury Tract Adrop Pag. 548. Fourthly This Noble Infant is called Green Lyon because when it is dissolved it is cloathed with a Green Garment Yet out of the Green Lyon of Fools Vitriol is with a violent Fire extracted that which we call Aqua fortis in which the said Lyon ought to be elixirated Medulla Philos Pag. 139. These things spoken of the Green Lyon are also to be understood of Adrop being a Synonymous term of the same Matter Take saith Ripley Adrop that is the Green Lyon Now as to Adrop he declared as followeth Adrop saith he is Gold and Silver in power but not in sight as Rhasis saith and our Gold and Silver according to the Philosophers is not common Gold and Silver for our Gold and Silver are airy which in order to be well fermented ought to be joyned with the beloved common Gold Forasmuch as the Philosopher saith That Adrop in its prosundity is airy Gold and Adrop it self is called Leprous Gold And to these Sayings seems to assent Guido the Greek Philosopher speaking of the Mercurial or Menstrual Spirit the Spirit or Blood of the Green Lyon which is extracted out of the Natural Adrop by Art where he writes And that Spirit is Sol extracted out of the Philosophers Solary Water Arsenick and Luna And in the same place presently adds The Body is the ferment of the Spirit and the Spirit the ferment of the Body and the Earth wherein lies the Fire dries imbibes and fixeth the Water and the Air wherein lies the Water the Air which lies in the Water it ought to be read according to the Doctrine of separating the Elements washeth tingeth and perfecteth the Earth and Fire and so Guido's Saying that they tinge and perfect ought to be understood that the Stone the Menstruum drawn from Adrop or the Green Lyon is sufficient for the compleating of it self into an Elixir and that no Exotick or Heterogeneous Matter as he affirms is or ought to be introduced to it but all the parts of it are co-essential and concrete because the Philosophers meaning was to compleat that work in a short space above the Earth which Nature scarce perfecteth in a thousand Years under the Earth Unskilfully therefore according to the Opinion of the Philosophers as Guido saith do they proceed that seek to obtain a ferment from common Silver and Gold for our select Body For that Matter in which is Argent vive clean and pure not most is ill read throughly brought to perfection by Nature is as Guido affirms after compleat purification a thousand times better than the Bodies of Sol and Luna vulgarly decocted by the Natural heat of the Sun Concord Lully Guidon Pag. 323. A certain Philosopher saith He goes on Discoursing of the same Adrop A fume white is drawn from its own Mines which if rightly gathered and again sprinkled upon its own Mines will there make a fixation and so the true Elixir will in a short space of time be produced from it And certainly without those Liquors or Spirits that is the Water and Oyl of Mercury Menstruum this Alchymical Body which is Neutral or Adrop is not purged And that is the Alchymical Body which is called Leprous Body that is black at the beginning of the Work in which as saith Vincentius in his Speculum Naturale are Gold and Silver in power and not in aspect which in the Bowels of it is also airy Gold to which no Man can attain except the unclean Body be first cleansed which is without doubt after its compleat dealbation and then it is a thousand times better than are the Bodies of common Gold and Silver decocted by Natural heat The first Matter of this Leprous Body is a viscous Water inspissated in the Bowels of the Earth Of this Body according to the Judgment of Vincentius is made the great Elixir for the red and white the Name whereof is Adrop otherwise called the Philosophers black Lead out which Raymund commands us to extract an Oyl of a Golden Colour or such like Raymund adds But this Oyl is not necessary in the Vegetable Work namely for the inceration of the Vegetable Stone because solutions and coagulations are there soon made and if you can separate it from its Phlegm and after that ingeniously find out the Secrets of it you will in thirty Days be able to perfect the Philosophers Stone For this Oyl makes Medecines Tinctures penetrable sociable and amicable to all Bodies and in the World there is not a greater Secret Medul Phil. Chym. pag. 131. Ripley hath here recited various Synonima's of this Adrop We for a time will follow the Green Lyon by the way of Philosophical Lead as we are directed by Ripley in these very Words First understand when Avecenn saith that Gold and Silver are in Lead by Power and not by sight and they are left by Nature crude and half cocted and therefore that ought to be perfectly supplyed by Art which is left imperfect by Nature and by way of a ferment digesting and cocting that which is left crude For a ferment therefore take perfect Gold for a little paululum not paulatim of their fixed substance those fixed Bodies will draw and convert much of Bodies not fixed to the perfection of Gold and Silver And thus will Art help Nature that in a little space of time that may be done above the Earth which is not in a thousand Years done under the Earth And by this means you will understand how Lead contains in it the greatest Secrets of this Art For it hath in it Argent vive clean pure odoriferous not brought by Nature to perfection And this Argent vive is the Basis and Ground-Work of our pretious Medicine as well for Metallick as Humane Bodies so as to be the Elixir of Life curing all infirmities Which the Philosopher meant saying There is in Mercury whatsoever Wise Men seek From this are the Soul Body Spirit and Tincture drawn Moreover also in this Mercury is the Philosophers Fire always burning equally within the Vessel and not without It hath also a great attractive Virtue and Power in dissolving Sol and Luna and reducing the same into their first Matter With this Mercury are to be dissolved the Calxes of the perfect Bodies in congealing the aforesaid Mercurial Spirit c. Pupilla Pag. 295. But have a care that you operate not with common Saturn because commonly it is said Eat not of the Son whose Mother is corrupted and believe that
many Men err in Saturn Hear what Avicenn saith Saturn will be always Saturn yea operate not with the Earth of Philosoph Saturn which the Spirit of it has despised and relinquished for the worst Sulphur Operate only with the fume of it to congeal Mercury yet not as Fools but as the Philosophers do and you will have a very good Work Phil. Cap. 2. Pag. 188. The whole composition we call our Lead the quality of the splendor proceeds from Sol and Luna and in short these are our Menstruums wherewith we calcine perfect Bodies naturally but no unclean Body is an Ingredient one excepted which is by the Philosophers commonly called Green Lyon which is the means of joyning the Tinctures between Sol and Luna with perfection as Geber himself attesteth Libro 42. portar Pag. 12. To manifest this thing to you you must know that it is one of those which are of the seven Days Planets and the meanest of the same out of whose Body is artificially extracted Blood and a vaporous Humor which is called the Blood of the Green Lyon from which is produced a Water called White of an Egg and Aqua Vitoe May-Dew and by many other Names which to avoid prolixity we now omit Phil. Cap. 3. Pag. 190. The method of extracting the Blood of the Green Lyon out of calcined Lead or Philosophical Minium is this that followeth 61. A Menstruum made of the red Lead of Ripley In pupilla Alchym pag. 303. TAke of Lead calcined or rubifyed or the best Minium that is Mineral Antimony prepared what quantity you please yet with this consideration that you must have so many quarts of distill'd Vinegar as you have pounds of the aforesaid calcined Lead To this Vinegar pour the aforesaid Lead in a large Earthen Vessel well glazed then for the space of three Days stir the Matter strongly with a Wooden Spatula six or seven times a Day cover it well from Dust and let it not be put to the Fire by any means during all this time after which separate all that is clear and cristalline by a Filtre into another Vessel then put it into a Brass Skillet to a gentle Fire that all the Phlegmatick Water may evaporate till a very thick Oyl is left in the bottom of the Vessel which suffer to cool which being done the Matter will become like Gum so as to be cut with a Knife hereof put four Pounds into a Glass Cucurbit with an Alembick the Joynt being well luted with a Paste made of the Scales of Iron Flower and the whites of Eggs well beaten together put the Vessel in a Furnace of Sand and not in Ashes and let the Vessel be buried in the Sand even to the middle of it and let the Sand be two Fingers thick under the bottom of the Vessel then put a Receiver to it but not luted till you have drawn out all the Phlegmatick Water with a most gentle Fire which Water throw away When you see a white fume appear then lute the Receiver which must be two foot long which being drawn out strengthen the Fire as much as you can and continue it till you have distilled all that can be extracted in twelve Hours and so will you have the Blood of the Red Lyon most red as Blood which is our Mercury and our Tincture now prepared to be poured upon its ferment that is upon the Calxes of most pure Gold c. But if you would use it for the white Work you must distil your Mercury three times with a slow Fire always reserving the Faeces apart in every distillation and then will you have your Mercury most white as Milk And this is our Virgins Milk whitened Menstruum and our Argent vive Philosophically exuberated with which by Circulation make an Oyl out of the Calxes of Luna and proceed in all things as you did with the red Mercury upon the Calxes of Gold and you will have a white Elixir which will convert any Metal into perfect Luna But the Golden Oyl ought to be perfected and tempered and well united with artifical Balsom by the way of Circulation till out of them is made a most clear and resplendent Golden Liquor which is the true Aurum potabile and Elixir of Life more pretious for Mens Bodies then any other Medicine of the World The like Menstruum Ripley hath in his Medulla Philosophiae Chymicae 62. The Simple stinking Menstruum of Ripley Medulla Phil. Chym. pag. 170. TAke the sharpest Juice of Grapes and being distilled dissolve into a clear Cristalline Water the Body being well Calcined to a Redness which is by the Philosophers called Sericon of which make a Gum which is like Allum in taste and is by Raymund called Azoquean Vitriol Out of this Gum with a slow Fire is drawn first a weak Water which hath its taste no sharpness no more than Spring-water And when a white Fume begins to appear then change the Receiver and Lute strongly that it may no way expire and so you will have your Aqua ardens Aqua vitoe and a resolvitive Menstruum which before was resolvible This is the Potential Vapour able to dissolve putrifie and also purifie Bodies divide the Elements and by its attractive Virtue exalt its own Earth into a wonderful Salt And they that think there is any other Water besides this which we speak of are mistaken in this Work this Water hath a most sharp taste and partly also a stinking smell and therefore is called stinking Menstruum and it being a very Airy Water it therefore ought to be put upon its Calxes in less then an Hour after it is distilled or rectified but when it is poured upon the aforesaid Calxes it begins to boyl up and then if the Vessel be well stopp'd it will not leave working though no Fire be administred to it from without till it be dryed up in the Calx wherefore you must apply no greater quantity of it than scarce to cover the Calxes then proceed to the full compleating of it as in the work of the compounded Water And when the Elixir is reduced to a purple Colour let it be dissolved in the same Menstruum being first rectified into a thin Oyl upon which fix the Spirit of our Water by Circulation and then hath it the Power of converting all Bodies into most pure Gold and to heal all Infirmities of man's Body more than all the Potions of Hippocrates and Galen for this is the true Aurum Potabile and no other which is made of Artificial Gold Elemented turned about by the Wheel of Philosophy c The same Menstruum is had in the Vade Mecum of Ripley 63. The Menstruum of Sericon of Ripley In Vade Mecum commonly called the Bosom-Book TAke of Sericon or Antimony thirty Pounds out of which you will have twenty Pounds or thereabout of Gum if the Vinegar be good dissolve each pound of that Sericon in two measures a Gallon of Vinegar twice distilled and
cleansed and purified from all its superfluities most choice and most pretious keep it therefore warily and wisely in a Phial well stopp'd Then take all the Faeces of the Mercury as I have said before reserved grind them well on a Marble with the Phlegm of distill'd Vinegar dry them in the Sun and grind again from time to time imbibing them with the Water of distill'd Vinegar upon the Marble and drying in the Sun and repeat the operations of grinding imbibing and drying till all the blackness and superfluity is driven out of the Faeces which you will know thus If the Faeces be red or reddish or citrine by the aforesaid imbibitions and ablutions then it is well done but if they be yet black repeat the contritions imbibitions and desiccations till you have the sign aforesaid and then keep them Then take a Glass Cucurbit wherein put the aforesaid Faeces above prepared with a good quantity of distill'd Vinegar and set it in a Furnace that is in Balneo Marioe put Fire under and continue it in course till the Faeces aforesaid be throughly dissolved by Virtue of the Vinegar and Fire and being well dissolved take the Cucurbit from the Fire and distil them through a Filtre as is fitting all that Water dissolution of the Foeces being thus distilled filtred put it in a new Cucurbit well stopp'd but if any considerable part remains in the Filtre to be dissolved take that part and set it again upon the Fire as you did the first Faeces in Balneo Marioe till it be dissolved that you may dissolve those Faeces which remained with the Vinegar as you dissolved the first Faeces in Balneo with Vinegar in a Cucurbit then distil through a Filtre as before and put it with the other Water distill'd before which you reserved then take that new Cucurbit in which you put the aforesaid Faeces dissolved and distilled before and lute it well with its Alembick set it on a Furnace in Balneo give Fire and distil as is fitting but have a care that the Faeces be not throughly dryed but let them be moist or liquid Then take down the Cucurbit from the Furnace put it upon Ashes sifted and well press'd and give it a gentle Fire for the tempering of the Glass and extracting the Heterogeneous moisture which it hath from the Vinegar and see often to the Beak of the Alembick if a Golden or Ruddy Liquor distills if not continue the Fire till it does being distilled presently change the Glass being very clean and lute it very well to the Beak of the Alembick then strengthen the Fire receive the Ruddy Oyl and thus continue the Fire till all the Liquor be distill'd and save the Faeces because they are the Fire but the Oyl aforesaid the Philosophers us'd to call their occult Sulphur which you must rectifie thus put it again in a Cucurbit put on an Alembick well luted then set it on a Furnace in Ashes administer a gentle Fire till it distils receive the Liquor which distills in a Bottle well stopp'd with the Beak of the Alembick and the remaining Faeces save because they are the Fire joyn that Fire with the other Fire reserv'd and so putrefie by distilling it seven times and reserving the Faeces it makes as I said before and so you will have your Air or Sulphur well depurated clear bright and perfectly purified and of a Gold Colour c. The Blood of the Green Lyon being Fifteen Days putrify'd Bacon cohobated Seven times by Balneo into a clear and ponderous Water which he call'd the Philosophers Mercury out of the Foeces left in the rectifications of this Mercury dissolved in distilled Vinegar he made a new Gum out of which he then distilled a Golden Liquor or ruddy Oyl which after the Seventh rectification he would have be the Philosophers Air or Sulphur well depurated clear and bright But Ripley used two ways in rectifying the stinking Menstruum or Green Lyon for either he divided the fresh Blood of the Green Lyon into two parts distilling only one half the distilled part he called white Mercury white Tincture Virgins-milk c. The other remaining part he calls the red Mercury red Tincture c. as it may be seen in his Book called Adrop Phil. in the place before alleadged or putrify'd the whole Menstruum the Blood together with the white Fume the space of Fourteen Days which after that he divided into three Substances a burning Water a Water thick and white and an Oyl of which at length he made a Vegetable Menstruum which is described by Lully in Potestate Divitiarum and by Ripley above in Numb 35. in his Vade Mecum Concerning these three Substances of the stinking Menstruum Ripley hath these following Sayings in his Book named Terra Terrae Philosoph pag. 319. where thus When therefore you have extracted all the Mercury out of the Gum know that in this Mercury are contained three Liquors whereof the first is a burning Aqua vitae which is extracted by a most temperate Balneo This Water being kindled flames immediatly as common Aqua vitae and is called our attractive Mercury with which is made a Cristalline Earth with all Metallick Calxes also of which I will say no more because in this Operation we want it not After that there follows another Water thick and white as Milk in a small quantity which is the Sperm of our Stone sought by many men for the Sperm is the Original of men and all living Creatures whereupon we do not undeservedly call it our Mercury because it is found in all things and all places for without it no man whatsoever lives and therefore it is said to be in every thing This Liquor which now you ought to esteem most dear is that Mercury which we call Vegetable Mineral and Animal our Argent vivo and Virgins-milk and our permanent Water VVith this Mercurial Water we wash away the Original Sin and pollution of our Earth till it becomes white as Gum soon slowing but after the distillation of this aforesaid VVater will appear an Oyl by a strong Fire with this Oyl we take a red Gum which is our Tincture and our Sulphur vive which is otherwise called the Soul of Saturn and Living Gold our pretious Tincture and our most beloved Gold of which never man spoke so plainly God forgive me therefore if I have any way offended him being constrained to gratifie your will Some great Mystery of Art is here discovered by Ripley for the revealing of which he fears the displeasure of not only the Adepts but of God himself Lully and others have indeed plainly enough declared to their Disciples though perhaps it may not appear to us being less instructed in the matter what our Green Lyon is what common Mercury more common to us than common Argent vive what the Azoquean Vitriol is and the Menstruum made thereof but Ripley affirms that no man ever spoke so plainly of
parts and half a part of the husks of Grapes or the powder of dry Fire and mix it with the said Saw-dust and with this Composition fill your Furnace then light your Fire at both ends and let it burn for you must make no other Fire till you see six or ten or fifteen or twenty drops of Water distil and when twenty have distill'd make your Fire with small Wood dry and so by little and little make the Fire flame directly to the Matter and see when it distils that the Water be clear and when it is at fifteen Points and the Water clear and the fumes subtil continue that Fire equally And if you see it returned from fifteen to twelve Points or less strengthen the Fire and continue it according to the Point of its distillation and then thirdly strengthen your Fire one Point further and continue it till nothing more distills and then let the Fire go out stop your Furnace and let the Matter cool and if the Water be clear without any disturbed Colour or without muddiness take and keep it and stop the Phial with warm Wax that nothing may respire nor the Air enter because the Spirits which are subtil would presently be corrupted by the Air. Remember when you begin to make the Fire of dry Wood that your Vessels must be covered with the aforesaid Paste and wrapped about with Linnen Cloaths and the Phials well luted to the Beaks of the Alembicks with the same luting putting a Quill between the Beak of the Alembick and the Phial for whilst the Fire operates the Air will for the most part go out and respire when it hath not a Receiver to retain it for it is hot and the subject which retains it is not able to endure an exceeding heat and therefore it requires some place wherein it may respire when therefore you hear it blow open the Quill-hole for it O Father how have you made the practice thus tedious Son That you may be acquainted with all things both small and great and that you may have both a general and particular knowledge of Fires and other operations as also of all sorts of luting because it is not our intention to speak any more of them there being nothing difficult to the wise circumspect and intelligent and that you may hereafter say that the stinking Menstruum is at your command which is a mean thing by which all Bodies are in a short time converted into their first Nature and it is the pure and proper Original of a wonderful and most commodious thing but you must know how to apprehend it with a clear understanding c. The like Menstruum hath Lully in his Magia Naturalis which is called 68. The Water calcining all Bodies of Lully Magioe Naturalis Pag. 359. TAke of the Earth that is D. of Azoquean Vitriol five Ounces and a half and of the Water that is C. of Salt Peter and Niter two Ounces and a half the Sum of which is the weight of eight Ounces and being all mix'd grind the Matter fine upon a Marble then put it in a glass Vessel with an Alembick upon it and distil the whole substance first making a gentle Fire of Saw-Dust taking two parts of it and one part and a half of Coals small or ground and a little dry Bran and light the Fire and let it kindle of it self till it begins to distil from one Point to twelve twenty Points and then you must begin to strengthen the Fire with small Wood making the Fire of the Flame right under the Matter and so continue the Fire till it be returned to twelve or fifteen Points or also to fewer and then continue the whole Fire according to the Points of its distillation and after that strengthen the Fire one Point further and continue it till the Alembick loseth its Colour or no more distils then cease and let it cool gather the Water keep it in a hot and moist place and have a care that it respires not And remember to have a Quill in the luting of the Beak of the Alembick and the Neck of the Receiver that you may sometimes draw it out that the Receiver may have vent for the heat is there so quick that the Vessel containing the Matter cannot endure it wherefore it is requisite sometimes to be opened and sometimes shut Take notice that this Water though made of a contemptible thing hath the power of converting Bodies into their first Matter which being joyn'd to the Vegetable Virtue is of much perfection and must be put into practice presently after it is distill'd that the Spirit which is subtil and of a strange Nature may not be lost by the Air. The same Menstruum is described in Lully's Clavicula under this Title 69. The Stinking Menstruum for the dissolution of the Calx of Gold and Silver in order to the reducing them into Argent vive Cap. 15. Clav. Pag. 299. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. TAke of Vitriol two Pounds of Salt Peter one Pound of Cinabar three Ounces I do not understand by what Error Cinabar has crept in among the other Ingredients of this Menstruum for it is a constitutive not of this but of the following Menstruum for the dissolving of the Philosophers Stone especially Lully himself in Cap. 20. Claviculae speaking of the extracting of Mercury from a perfect Body having made no mention of Cinabar whereas notwithstanding in the same place he gave a Description of this Menstruum in these few Words saying Put of our stinking Menstrual made of two parts of red Vitriol and one of Salt Peter and let the aforesaid Menstruum be first distilled seven times and well rectify'd let the Vitriol be rubified and pulverized then put in the Salt Peter and Cinabar and grind all together then put the Matter in fit Vessels well luted to be distill'd let it be distill'd first with a gentle Fire as the Work requires and as they know how that have done it Let this Water be distill'd very often casting away the Faeces which remain at the bottom of the Cucurbit and so it will be your best distilled Menstruum Sometimes they added common Vitriol to the Azoquean Vitriol and Nitre It is thus done 70. The Stinking Menstruum made of Azoquean Vitriol common Vitriol and Niter of Ripley Cap. 1. Pag. 143. Medul Phil. Chym. TAke Vitriol made of the sowrest Juice of Grapes with the Fire of Nature and Sericon Azoquean Vitriol joyn'd together in one mass with Natural common Vitriol a little dryed together with the Sol Niter and out of these distil a Water which will first be weak and phlegmatick not colouring the Vessel which throw away Then will ascend a white Fume which will make the Vessel look like Milk which must be gathered till it ceaseth and the Vessel is returned to its former colour For that Water is the Stinking Menstruum wherein is our Quintessence that is the white Fume which is called the Fire
against Nature without which our Natural Fire could not subsist whereof we will say more in its proper place And these namely the Mineral and Vegetable Water being mix'd together and made one Water do operate contraries which is a thing to be admired for this one dissolves and congeals moisteneth and dryeth putrefies and purifies dissipates and joyns separates and compounds mortifies and vivifies destroyeth and restoreth attenuates and inspissates makes black and white burneth and cooleth begins and ends These are the two Dragons fighting in the Gulf of Sathalia this is the white and red Fume whereof one will devour the other And here the dissolving Vessels are not to be luted but onely stopp'd slightly with a Linnen Cloth and Mastick or common Wax For this Water is a Fire and a Bath within the Vessel and not without which if it feels any other strong Fire will be presently elevated to the top of the Vessel and if it finds no rest there the Vessel will be broken and so the composition will be left frustrated So much as this compounded Water dissolves so much it congeals and elevates is congealed and elevated into a glorious Earth And so it is the secret dissolution of our Stone which is alwayes done with the congelation of its own Water And because this Fire of Nature is added to the Water against Nature so much therefore as it lost of its Form by the Fire against Nature so much it recovers by the Water of Nature that our work by the Fire against Nature may not be destroyed or annihilated From the Receipts we observe 1. That the Menstruums of this kind being made of the very matter of Philosophical Wine or Philosophical Grapes are the first of all other Menstruums either Mineral or Vegetable 2. That the milky Liquor or Spirit Virgins Milk white Mercury the White Wine of Lully and the Glew of the Green Lyon called by Paracelsus the Glew of the Eagle are terms synonymous and that the Red Liquor Blood of the Green Lyon Red Mercury the Philosophers Sulphur and the Red Wine of Lully otherwise by Paracelsus the Blood of the Red Lyon are likewise Synonyma's 3. That the acid Mineral Menstruums are by digestion or further elaboration transmuted either into a simple Vegetable Menstruum or into the Heaven or Spirit of Philosophical Wine 4. That these acid Menstruums are to be distilled with very great caution by reason of the excessive effervescence of the Azoquean Vitriol or rather Spirit of Philosophical Wine which is in this Vitriol caused by the Acids 5. That Mineral Menstruums are the Heaven or Essence of Philosophical Wine dissolved in an Acid so that having acquired this Spirit you may make them ex tempore by simple dissolution 6. That the Menstruums even now prepared are presently to be used lest they perish 7. That Menstruums are by dissolving Bodies coagulated 8. That Metallick Bodies are by these Menstruums reduced into running Mercury 9. That these are called Stinking Menstruums because of their stinking smell By the smell alone we easily distinguish these from those fragrant Menstruums called Vegetable Thus the unsavoury smell of the Menstruum it self proves that Morienus used the Stinking Menstruum What is the smell of it saith King Calid by way of Question before and after the making of it Morienus answereth Before it is made the sent of it is strong and unsavoury but after the preparation of it it has a good sent according to that which the wise man saith This Water resembles the unpleasant smell of a Body dead and void of life for the smell of it is ill and not unlike to the smell of Graves He that can whiten the Soul and cause it to ascend again and keep the Body well and take away all obscurity from it and extract the ill savour out of it will be able to infuse it into the Body and in the hour of conjunction exceeding Miracles will appear Morien de Trans Metal p. 33. Geber also acknowledgeth himself to have operated with a mineral Menstruum Cap. 25. Summoe perfect The first natural Principles saith he out of which Metals are procreated are the Stinking Spirit that is Sulphur and Water Vive which also we allow to be called dry Water And in another Place at the end of his Book de Investigat he goes on We do by plain and open proof conclude our Stone to be nothing else but a Stinking Spirit and living Water which we also call dry Water being cleansed by natural decoction and true proportion with such an Union that nothing can be added or taken from it to which a third thing ought to be added for the abbreviation of the Work that is a perfect Body attenuated 10. That Adrop the Name of the Matter of these Menstruums signifies the Philosophers Saturn or Lead The first Matter of this leprous Body saith Ripley is a viscous Water inspissated in the Bowels of the Earth The great Elixir for the Red and for the White saith Vincentius is made of this Body whose Name is Adrop otherwise called Philosophical Lead pag. 132. Medul Phil. Chym. Our Stone saith Arnold in Speculo Alchym is called Adrop which is in Latine Saturnus in English Lead and according to the Trojans Dragon or Topum that is Poyson Septima Dispos Speculi pag. 596. Vol. 4. Theatr. Chym. I have shewed that the Philosophers gave it divers Names because of the diversity of Colours but as to their Intention they had one peculiar Name that is Roman Gold or Adrop or Stone above all the Stones of this world Quarta dispositio Speculi pag. 594. of the same Volume Laton and Azoth are together and never asunder but remain always joyned together but because of the diversity of Colours the Philosophers call'd them by many Names and as the Colours are varied and changed they imposed so many Names because Azoth among the Indians is Gold among the Hermians Silver among the Alexandrians and Macedonians Iron with the Greeks Mercury with the Hebrews Tin with the Tartars Brass with the Arabians Saturn and among the Latines and especially among the Romans Ognividon by an Anagram Dono G vini G signifying Philosophical Mercury or Sulphur aqueum But that none may err I say it hath one proper Name and is commonly called by men and every one knows the Stone Tertia dispos Specul p. 593. of the same Volume Some of the Adepts write not Adrop but Atrop by which Name they have been pleas'd to signifie the Matter of these Menstruums to be as it were the Gate of all the most secret Chymy for Atrop by the inversion of the Letters is read Porta a Gate Thus Robertus Valensis in Gloria Mundi pag. 305. That you may attain saith he to the true foundation I will once again repeat it to you and call it the first Hyle that is the beginning of all things it is also called the only Holy apprehend what Elements are in it by those which are repugnant the
before and that seven times continually distilling with a gentle Fire till nothing more will distil but the Matter remains like an Oyl in the bottom From the Receipts we observe these remarkable Things 1. That the Spirit of Philosophical Wine dissolved in an acid Spirit is a mineral Menstruum Our Aqua fortis our Vinegar distilled Vinegar Vinegar mixed with the Spirit of Wine our Spirit of Salt Sulphur c. 2. That the Spirit of the same Wine is with very great ebullition dissolved in an Acid and therefore you ought to be exceeding careful lest you pour too much of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine upon the Aqua fortis and vice versa For it would be more safe to distil the Aqua fortis upon the Spirit of Philosophical Wine as Paracelsus adviseth 3. That Aqua fortis mix'd with the Spirit of Wine may be taken instead of Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Wine or Spirit of Salt mix'd with the Spirit of Wine c. in Chymical Works especially 4. That the more these Menstruums are abstracted from the Acid debilitated in dissolution the stronger they are made 5. That the Adepts used also corrosive Menstruums or Aqua fortis There are some not only common ignorant Operators but Adepts also who not knowing the Preparation and Vse of these Menstruums have written against these corrosive Menstruums Fools saith Bernhard do out of the less Minerals make and extract corrosive waters into which they cast the Species of Metals and corrode them for they think them to be dissolved by a natural solution which solution doth indeed require permanence together that is of the dissolvent and the dissolved that from both as the Masculine and Feminine Seed a new Species may result Verily I tell you no water dissolves a Metallick Species by a natural reduction but that which continues in matter and form and which the Metals themselves being dissolved are able to re-congeal Which Quality is not in Aqua fortisses but is rather injurious to the Composition that is of the Body dissolved c. Yet thus they think they dissolve mistaking Nature but they dissolve not because the Aqua fortisses being abstracted the Body melts as before nor will that water be permanent to it nor is it to that Body as radical Moisture The Bodies are indeed corroded but not dissolved and so much the more alienated from a Metallick Species Wherefore such solutions as these are not the foundation of the transmutative Art but rather Impostures of Sophistical Alchymists who think this sacred Art lies in these things c. Epist ad Thom. de Bononia pag. 60. Artis Aurifer So in the Regeneration of Metals saith Sendivogius Vulgar Chymists proceed amiss they dissolve Metallick Bodies either Mercury or Gold or Saturn or Luna and corrode them with Aqua fortisses and other heterogeneous things not requisite to true Art then they joyn and force them together not knowing that man is not generated from the Body of a man dissected c. Tract 6. pag. 488. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. Some do by Art corroding Waters make In which Metalline Species they calcine But then the Liquor doth the Earth forsake Nor by mans Skill together they will combine This way to Fools we leave for nothing fit But for to wast ones Thrist beware of it Page 41. of the second Part of the Marrow of Alchymy These and the like Expressions they reflect against our Mineral or Acid Menstruums whereas they were written by the Philosophers against Common not Philosophical Aqua fortisses In that Point saith Lully they ignorantly err imagining the Bodies of Metals to be dissolved and as I said before reduced to their first Matter or Nature with Common Aqua fortisses but if they had read our Books they would certainly know that these Liquors are repugnant to the intention of the Philosophers c. Comp. Anim. Transm pag. 19â— Vol. 4. Th. Chym. Parisinus a faithful Disciple of Lully explains his Meaning thus Those things that are objected by us against Aqua fortisses namely that they are of no efficacy in the Art and nevertheless are taught by Lully are to be otherwise understood For he this way puts a difference between the Vulgar and Philosophical Aqua fortisses c. And therefore Raymund rejecting sharp Waters means the Aqua fortisses of separation but not those of the Philosophers Cap. 6. Lib. â— Elucid pag. 206. Vol. 6. Th. Chym. But it would be meerly superfluous for us either by Authorities or Arguments to illustrate that which the Menstruums themselves will demonstrate The Sixteenth KIND Simple Mineral Menstruums made of Philosophical Vinegar and Volatile Salts as Common Sal Armoniack Urine c. 80. The Oyl of Sal Armoniack of Guido Pag. 11. Thesaur Chymiatr TAke of the Oyl of Salt the Menstruum described in Numb 71. half a pound of Common Sal Armoniack four ounces Dissolve the Salt in the Oyl cohobate the Dissolution three times through an Alembick Annotations IN the attecedent Kind the Spirit of Philosophical Wine was dissolved in Acids Now to make these Oyley-acid Menstruums stronger the Adepts added to them Salts that is Arids dissolved in Acids and Cristallized In this present Kind they took Volatile Salts as being of easier preparation in the following fixed Salts because of stronger virtue In the Receipt of Guido there is nothing either difficult or dark unless you will object against the Ingredients which cannot be both common because Guido sublimes Gold Philosophically with this Menstruum Whatsoever also you read in the Books of Practical Chymy understand always according to the Letter we need not admonish you to except the Terms of Art if so that which is promised in the Preparation and use may be performed if not seek an Analogical sense not in the method and use of preparation but in the ingredients according to which Rule either the Oyl of Salt or Sal Armoniack or both ought to be Philosophical because Gold cannot be Philosophically sublimed with Common Menstruums The Oyl of Salt of Paracelsus as also the Spirit or Oyl of Salt of Basilius wherewith he extracts the Sulphur of Sol do prove the Oyl of Salt to be a Philosophical Menstruum Cap. 6. de Rebus nat supernat Probable it is that Guido meant the same Oyl for otherwise the Name of Oyl had been improperly attributed by a Philosopher to the thin and common Spirit of Salt But if you think rather that Guido meant the common Spirit of Salt by the Oyl of Salt you must by Sal Armoniack understand not the common but Vegetable Sal Harmoniack the Spirit of Philosophical Wine dryed with some Salt and then sublimed for so you might also make a Menstruum of the same if not of stronger Virtue a species of the following Eighteenth Kind But if both the Oyl of Salt and Sal Armoniack be Philosophical a Menstruum will be from thence produced yet stronger than both the precedent Here you may deviate from the true and genuine
of Mercury and the Stinking Menstruum thus 119. The Stinking Mercvrial Menstruum of Lully Pag. 63. Testam Novissimi TAke of the Stinking Menstruum four Pounds and put in one pound of Mercury Vive put the Matter in Balneo or Horse Dung six days and it will be all converted into Water distil by Balneo and you will have a Mercurial Water truly Mineral Ripley followed his Master in the way of making the Mercurial Water as followeth 120. The Mercurial Green Lion of Ripley Pag. 310. Pupillae Alchymicae TAke Mercury sublimed with Vitriol and common Salt to the quantity of 20 or 40 Pounds in my opinion two or four ought to be read that you may have enough Grind it well into Powder and put it in a Glass Vessel very large and strong pour to it so many Pounds of the most strong Water the Stinking Menstruum is the strongest Water in the World Pag. 138. Medullae as there are Pounds of Mercury Shake them soundly together and the Vessel will become so hot that you can scarce touch it stop it well and let it stand nine days in a cold place shaking it strongly three or four times each day Which done put the Vessel in a Fornace of Ashes and with a most gentle heat distil away all the Aqua Vitae Menstruum which keep safe by it self then immediately add another Receiver well luted kindle a most strong Fire and continue it till all the Golden Liquor is wholly distilled The same ways as the Mercurial Waters are made may also be made Menstruums of this Kind out of the other Metals thus 121. The Stinking Lunar Menstruum of Lully In Experimento 29. TAke of the aforesaid Mineral Water described in Numb 104. as you have it in the former Experiment Numb 26. six or eight Ounces dissolve in it one Ounce of Luna which dissolution put into a small Retort to be distilled by Ashes which Distillation ceasing increase the Fire as much as possible and when no more moisture will with this degree of Fire distil cool the Vessel receive the Distilled Water wherein is the Soul of Luna and secure it from respiring Thus also Lully prepares the Water of Sol. 122. The Stinking Solar Menstruum of Lully In Experim 31. TAke the Aqua Fortis or Mineral Water described in Numb 104. as above and in every Pound thereof dissolve three Ounces of the Animal Salt prepared and fixed as you have it in its Sixth Experiment Which being dissolved dissolve therein two Ounces of Gold cemented as you know after that putrefie eight days then distill by Balneo Now that which remains at the bottom will be like melted Honey upon which Matter pour again some of its own Water distilled by Balneo so as to swim two fingers above it putrefie for a natural day then taking away the Antenotorium put on an Alembick with a Receiver so close as not to respire Distil by Ashes till no more will distil then increase the Fire a little that part of the Air may pass into the Water and lastly increase the Fire that also the Element of Fire may pass through the Alembick and when nothing will distil with this last degree of Fire cool the Vessel take away the Receiver with its Distilled Water and keep it well stopp'd Isaacus Hollandus made a Mercurial Water sometimes with the Mercury of Luna thus 123. Philosophers Vinegar made of the Mercury of Silver of Isaacus Cap. 99. 2. Oper. Min. Pag. 492. Vol. 3. Th. Cym. TAke of the Calx of Luna one Pound of Sal armoniack which must be clear and transparent as Cristal without moisture a fourth part being ground put them in a Stone Jugge then take Philosophical Vinegar distilled five or six times from its Phlegme so as to leave no Feces empty the Vinegar into another Stone Jugge and having put on an Alembick place it in Balneo The Jugge which the ground Calx is in lute well to the beak of the Alembick and let the Luting be throughly dried Then make Fire under the Balneo and distil the Vinegar leasurely upon the Calx of Luna and so many Pounds as you have of the Calx of Luna so many four Pounds of Vinegar distil upon it and when all the Vinegar is distilled let it cool gently the space of three days before you remove the Jugge for if you remove it sooner the Vinegar Luna and Sal armoniack will run over and you will retain nothing so vehement is that Matter for Cold and Hot do come together and when you would remove it have a Glass Stopple ready fitted to the mouth of the Jugge or Receiver which you must presently lute to it that the Virtue may not evaporate Then set the Jugge in Balneo let the Fire be no hotter than your hand can well endure in the Water up to the Knuckles or then may be drunk without burning and thus keep it the space of six weeks Then let it be cold break it and presently lute an Alembick to the Jugge very firmly and put a Receiver to the Beak distil in a temperate Balneo whatsoever will distil and when now no more distils take it out and put it in Ashes lute the Receiver again to the Beak and first apply a gentle heat then sometimes a stronger till your Mercury begins to sublime with the Sal armoniack as white as Snow and hanging to the White Matter with clear Fibers then keep it thus till you see it sublimes not in the same heat to extract the Mercury purely out of the Earth Then let it cool take away the Alembick take out the Mercury being sublimed with the Sal armoniack which are sublimed into a Mass together which weigh that you may know how much Mercury you sublimed out of the Calxes of Luna for you knew how much Sal armoniack you put into the Jugge Then put the Sublimate again into a Glass and again sublime that you may see whether any Feces remain for you must repeat the Sublimation till no Feces remain Keep this Mercury till I teach you what to do with it You must know that in that Vessel wherein you sublimed the Mercury with the Sal armoniack is the Body commonly called Caput Mortuum or Element of Earth with its Oyl or Fire this take out and weigh that so you may the better know how much Mercury you sublimed also out of it for you knew how much of the Calx of Luna you had in the Jugge so you may certainly know how much you have out of it Then put your Salt or Earth into a Glass and pour Distill'd Vinegar upon it and dissolve it into a pure Water if it yields any Feces pour off the top gradually and congeal again till it leaves no more Feces then congeal again Then have you your Salt prepared with your Earth clear as Cristal Now take your Sublimed Mercury and Sal armoniack and your clear Salt and grind them together upon a Marble dry being ground put all the
White Body Lastly These words following do prove that the same Menstruums may be also made of any other Metals But if you would extract an Oyl out of Metals as has been taught of Vitriol you must dissolve your Metal in Aqua fortis and make it precipitate and wash away the Saltness of it with common Water and being dryed put into a Glass with a long Neck and congealed and put upon a Fornace with Sifted Ashes make a Fire under it as for Vitriol till the Metal be alogether red and till the inside of it is turn'd outward Then dissolve it in Distil'd Vinegar as the Vitriol and Congeal till no more Feces remain Then distil and the Metal will wholly distil into a Red Oyl and it is the perfect Oyl of the Philosophers but the Projection of it is not so high as of the Oyl which was first Salt And the Oyl of every Metal you must Multiply with the Oyl of Vitriol as aforesaid And the Oyl is very easily made after the same manner out of Saturn and the Projection of it is very high Give thanks to God Work and remember the Poor dispense the gifts of God to your own Salvation Cap. 80. 2. Oper. Min. Pag. 478. of the same Volume All Metals saith he Cap. 67. of the same Work even Jupiter and Luna will become red as blood for the inside of all Metals is red one more red than another When therefore they are brought to redness they must then be dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar and again congealed till they be free from any Feces and yet contain their Elements together perfectly for when they are brought to that pitch nothing remains save only Feces for the Earth the Caput Mortuum being made subtil and liquid is likewise dissolved when you have made it subtil by Dissolving and Coagulating so as that no more Feces remain Thus you may Distil it through an Alembick into a Red Oyl As you was here taught concerning Vitriol so must you also do with all Metals as also Mercury when it is dissolved in Aqua Fortis and precipitated the Saltness wash'd away and dried put it in a Glass as was said of Vitriol and done moreover so as was taught before concerning Vitriol And that which is here declar'd of Metal you may also do with Antimony and all other Minerals Open your Ears and hearken and open your Mind it was never heard that such a Work should be done with so little Pains Here I would advise you to take Notice of the difference between the Oyls of Vitriol and other bodies the like Oyl is produced from all Metals as from Vitriol yet with this difference that Vitriol in the Distillation of its Oyl leaves an Earth or Salt behind it wherewith the Spirit and Oyl of it are fixed into the Philosophers Stone but Metals and the rest of the Minerals not so they totally ascending into Spirit and Oyl no Earth Salt or Caput mortuum remaining whereby to be fixed into the Stone Vitriol therefore is that alone which hath all things in it relating to the Perfection of it self whereas the Oyls and Spirits of the rest are forced to borrow fixed bodies elsewhere for their fixations You must know saith he when you would reduce the Salt of Metals to an Oyl the same as hath been said of Vitriol the Elementary Earth of Metals will distil together with the Oyl red as blood but that the Earth of Vitriol does not the Oyl seperates it self from the Earth God hath vouchsafed such a blessing that the Philosophers Stone may be made of it alone without Addition translating all Metals into true Sol but the Oyl of it must be fixed with the Earth its own Earth or Salt but that is not so with Metals the Earth distils together through the Alembick and the whole Body is converted into Oyl translating all Metals into true Sol Herein do all the Philosophers agree An Oyl he goes on is also made of Mercury and of Antimony but their Earth goes over together and their whole Body turns into Oyl and remains an Oyl for ever and with this Oyl you may do wonderful things which here to recite would be too long You know also what is written of Antimony and the Oyl of it Yet must my Son know That the Oyl of Mercury is much better in all works wherein the Oyl of Antimony is used This is a Secret Cap. 69. and 70. of the same Work An Example That Metals wholly ascend into Oyl he brings in the following Chapter namely the 70th which we will name 126. The Circulatum Majus of Isaacus Cap. 70. 2. Oper. Min. Pag. 474. Vol. 3. Th. Chym TAke this Mercury the Metals sublimed in the Philosophical Menstruums aforegoing Dissolve it in Aqua Fortis with an equal quantity of Vitriol and Niter being Dissolved put the Solution in a Glass Vessel put on an Alembick set it in Sifted Ashes give first a gentle Fire Distil the Aqua Fortis from it then the Mercury will sublime upwards into the Alembick when it will sublime no more take it away take the Mercury out of the Alembick put it in a Glass with a long neck as you did with the Vitriol put it in a Vessel with Sifted Ashes light your Lamp under it so leave it till it be perfectly red as hath been taught of Vitriol Dissolve Congeal being clean Distil it into a red Oyl as hath been said of Vitriol but all the Mercury distils into Oyl so as to leave no Earth The Menstruum immediately antecedent in Numb 125 is in all things clear except the first Branch of it wherein is omitted the necessary Dissolution of Vitriol in Philosophical Vinegar before the Calcination of it into redness or fixation The first Menstruum of this Kind is imperfect not indeed in this but in another Branch insomuch as it is not therein declared that Vitriol must after the Calcination of it be again Dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar In this present third Tho it be said that it ought to be made according to the rule of the precedent Menstruums there is no mention at all made of Philosophical Vinegar yet without it Vitriol can neither be fixed into redness nor when fixed be again Volatalized or Distilled The Receipts therefore must be compared as often as the Adepts have either through too much fear or envy left us them imperfect It is enough if by comparing them together we can pick out their meaning or intention being not fully enough expressed in every circumstance the terms being either too obscure or altogether omitted Bodies in this Kind are to be fixed and then volatilized by Mineral Menstruums as Mercury and Antimony in the Ninth Kind are first fixed and then distilled in the greater Circulatums by vegetable Menstruums This light borrow'd from the said Ninth Kind will dispel all the Obscurities and Doubts of this Kind Vitriol therefore purged with common Water by Solutions and Coagulations must first be graduated that is
close Vessel in Balneo the space of six or eight days stirring it three or four times a day then let it cool and settle filter the tinged Vinegar pour on new repeat this Work till no more Vinegar will be tinged Draw off all the tinged Vinegar in Balneo that a Powder of a golden Colour may remain at the bottom This Powder prepare and extract with Vinegar as before filter the solution and draw it off till at length it leaves no Feces behind it then draw off the Vinegar that the rest of the Matter may remain in the form of a Powder Take of this Powder one part of Salt prepared one part of Roman Vitriol dried six parts mix them all well and sublime by degrees first with a weak Fire secondly stronger lastly most strong for the space of two days sublime the sublimation mix'd with its Feces three times then casting away the Feces sublime with new Species and repeat the Work three times then dissolve the Sublimation in the Dissolving Water for the red of what Description soever in the Twentieth Kind the Water being drawn off sublime pour on New Water and sublime and that do three times Then take seven parts of this Sublimation one part of the Calx of Sol and sublime This Sublimation being put into a Philosophical Egg made of Gold for one of glasswould be of little use for this purpose because it would become soft as wax stop it well and set it upon a Tripos the space of eighteen Weeks to be fixed but the first six Weeks with a gentle Fire the next six a stronger the last most strong These Eighteen Weeks being ended take out the Matter being fixed reduce it to Powder to which being put in a dissolving Vessel pour an equal quantity of our red burning Water of the aforesaid Dissolving Water for the red seal or stop the Vessel very well let it dissolve and settle then take it out and distil it through an Alembick in Balneo with a very small Fire It is necessary for the Receiver to be well luted and the Alembick must have a pipe in the upper part for it must be six times distilled always with new Red Water and your Matter will at length become thick as Honey which distil in Sifted Ashes by degrees and an Air will ascend like Water then changing the Reciver an Oyl of a Golden Colour will distil gilding the Alembick as also the Receiver let it continue in the same heat till the Alembick be of a Blood Colour then take away the Receiver stop it suddenly put another to and increase the Fire for the space of twenty four hours till the Vessel grows red hot in which heat let it continue twelve hours and the Matter will ascend red as blood and at last also a red fume These Spirits no more appearing let the Vessels cool keep the Distillation but the Feces reverberate c. Out of the Receipts these things we observe 1. THat these Menstruums made of the graduated Vitriols of Metals fixed in a close Vessel have the like place amongst Mineral Menstruums as the greater Circulatums of Paracelsus have amongst the vegetable Menstruums Dissolve the aforesaid Circulatums in any Acid Spirit and you will presently make Menstruums of this Kind 2. That these Menstruums are Medicines call'd Volatile Arcanums dissolved in an Acid. 3. That the graduated Vitriol of Venus has some certain peculiar Priviledges above the rest 1. Because in the Distillations of these Menstruums it hath a Fixed Body besides a Soul and Spirit whereby the two aforesaid must be fixed into the Stone but all the other Metals and Minerals being reduced into graduated Vitriols have no Fixed Bodies and are divided into two parts only Spirit and Soul but because the Adepts found it necessary to borrow some Fixed Body elsewhere for the fixing of these they therefore more than often affirmed the possibility of making the Stone out of Vitriol alone without any Addition thus have we heard Isaacus in the antecedent Receipts saying God hath vouchsafed such a blessing to Vitriol that the Philosophers Stone may be made of it alone without Addition it translating all Metals into true Sol but the Oyl of it must be fixed with its Earth or Body but that is not so with Metals for their Earth distils together through the Alembick But who observes not here these Words Without any Addition to be meant of any Foreign Matter and are so to be understood with some certain restriction For this most red Oyl of Vitriol shining by night and which must be fixed with its Salt into the Philosophers Stone cannot in the least be produced from Vitriol alone and that crude being not graduated with Philosophical Menstruums Moreover as the like Oyl being distilled from Gold and fixin the purified but not volatalized part of it is called by Isaacus the Stone of Sol alone whereas notwithstanding he used his Philosophical Vinegar to the making of it so the Stone may be said to be made out of Vitriol alone without Addition though the same Vinegar was used in the preparation of it Lastly It is manifest by the Kinds of almost all Menstruums that no Acid that is dry and incombustible Matter can be reduced into Oyl without an Oyly Menstruum because it must receive this unctiosity from the Vnctions Spirit of Philosophical Wine 2. Because it is of mean value and so by the Adepts call'd the Stone which God hath given us freely This Work saith Isaacus you cannot enter upon with a little Matter you must have at least four or five Pounds of Matter Gold or Silver if otherwise the Work will be insufficient For it is not the Work of poor men except the Stone given us by God freely might happily be obtained then other Charge is not necessary more than Vessels Coals and Food till we have prepared the Stone And the two Stones which God hath given us freely for the White and Red Work require but half the time as the Matter which is to be taken for preparation sake for before we come to Sublimation the Stone given us freely is already almost brought to fixation Cap. 17.1 Oper. Mineral Pag. 313. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. The same thing is affirmed by Basilius saying There is no moisture in Gold unless it be reduced into graduated Vitriol which would be a Work indeed of no Profit but much Charge because of the great quantity of Vitriol required to the making of the Philosophers Stone and though there is in Vitriol the desired Spirit of Gold of a white quality and a Soul and Salt of a glorious Essence but how many Countreys Estates and Riches have been thus consumed I will not reckon but this Admonition I give my Disciples to follow the shorter way of Nature that they may not also fall into extream and inextricable Poverty If you intend therefore he goes on to make the Philosophers Stone out of the Vitriol of Sol as many men indeed endeavour consult