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
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
a Retort and administer Fire till Mercury vive is gone over into the Receiver sublime again as before with the same new Matters then as before vivify by a Retort thus repeat the Magistery four times Then take this Mercury thus prepared and make it boyl with Philosophical Aqua Vitoe being dryed press it through a Goats Skin Then take this Mercury and put it in Vessels three Aludells which must be firmly and strongly joyned together and covered on all sides with strong lutum sapientioe then prepare a Furnace in which these Vessels may be fitly placed so as that they may all have equal heat but the Receiver must by no means feel the Fire so also the Beak of the first Vessel through which the Mercury is to pass must be out of the Furnace Then give Fire to the said Vessels so as to be red hot both within and without then put in the Mercury through the Pipe on the outside of the Furnace and presently stop the Mouth of the Pipe with Cotton and by the sharpness of the Fire part of the Mercury will in a short time distil into the Receiver but one part in the likeness of Water separate the Water from the Mercury and keep it but that which remains quick cast again into the said Vessel as before so oft till it be through the sharpness of the Fire all converted into Water empty the Receiver every time into another Vessel and keep it well stopp'd Then take of this Water four Ounces and of the Oyl or Salt of the first Experiment Salt of Tartar impregnated with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine one Ounce make it go over together with the said Salt distilling that Water in Ashes with a most gentle heat at first then in the end increasing the Fire till more will not distil Then take new Salt or Oyl of the same first Experiment and joyn it with that Water a little before distilled and make it go over again distilling by Ashes as before but this Magistery you must repeat five times mixing one Ounce of the said Salt or Oyl of the first Experiment every time with three Ounces of the said Water distilling as before in Ashes with the same degree of Fire and the same weight as before as well of the Water as of the Salt or Oyl And by this means will you by the help of God have a Mineral and Vegetable Water united together which hath the power of dissolving Mercury and all Metals especially the two Luminaries For the multiplication of this Water you must proceed thus Take one Ounce of Mercury purged and five Ounces of the said sharp Water now prepared joyn these two together in a small Cucurbit lute it well then will the Mercury be forthwith dissolved which dissolution put in a little Urinal with an Alembick and Receiver the Joynts well luted distilling in Ashes and it will all come over into a Water some Terrestreity of no moment being left in the bottom of the Vessel Then may you this way multiply the saâ—d Water as much as you will viz. by taking five parts oâ— it and one of Mercury purged dissolving first and distilling through an Alembick as before He revivisies Mercury sublimate to be purged after the common way by the Oyl of Tartar and quick Lime being now purged to digests it in Aqua Vitae that is Philosophical for common Spirit of Wine would be here of no effect wherein this digestion with Philosâ—phical Aqua Vitae much of the permanent unctuâ—sity sticks to the Aâ—gent vive altering it exceedingly then he puts it into divers Aludels joyned together and to the Receiver and made red hot in order to be converted into a Mercurial Water The way of distilling by Vessels red hot I find in many places to have been much in use among the Adepts but whether they contrived this way for the abbreviating or more exquisite way of operating or for what other cause I know not Basilius Lib. particularium in particul Solis distils not Mercury but Gold often extinguished in the Philosophical Aqua Vitae through a hot Vessel into a red Liquor Take of Aurum fulminans saith he one part of the Flowers of Sulphur three parts calcine with a gentle Fire till the Sulphur be consumed the red hot matter extinguish in the Spirit of Wine acuated with some drops of the Spirit of Tartar the Vegetable Menstruum made of the Salt of Tartar decant the Spirit and the powder dry at the Fire to which being dryed add again three parts of the Flowers of Sulphur calcine and quench as before This Work repeat six times that the powder of the Gold may be made like Butter soft and fat which must be carefully dryed because it melts with a little Fire this powder being a little heated put into a Retort with a Pipe and made red hot and the Pipe being presently stopp'd distil the red drops falling into good Spirit of Wine put before into the Receiver If the Gold being divers times extinguished in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine is made soft and fat why might not this be also done in common Mercury digested according to the Receipt in the same Spirit of Wine But suppose Lully propos'd it only to himself to reduce Argent vive into a common acid Liquor yet does he out of this with the addition of the Salt of Tartar of the first Experiment make a Vegetable Menstruum of the Fifth Kind with which he dissolves common Argent vive and reduceth it into a Mercurial Water then he dissolves common Mercury by this Mercurial Water and draws it off so as to remain in the Form of an Oyl which Oyl of Mercury being dissolved in the Vegetable Heaven he circulates and being circulated calls it the incalcinated Menstruum If instead of the Oyl of Mercury you take crude Mercury reduced into the true first matter of Mercury and acuate the Vegetable Heaven with this Mercurial Sal Armoniack you will make the same yea a much better incalcinated Menstruum The way of making the Sulphur of Nature of common Argent vive is this following The Mercurial Sal Armoniack or Mercury of the Mercury of Lully In Experim 18. TAke Mercury being twice sublimed with Vitriol and Salt put the sublimate upon an Iron Plate being first very well pulverized add to it two Ounces of Tin calcined then set it in a moist place and it will be dissolved sublime again and lay it upon an Iron Plate as before and it will be all dissolved and thus may you dissolve as much Mercury as you please then take this Water and rectify it seven times in Ashes or till it will yield no more Terrestreity then distil it in Balneo with an easie heat and distil one part of ten which is of no use being Phlegm which it contracted in the moist place then know the weight of the Water remaining in the bottom and to every four Ounces put one Ounce of the Vegetable Salt of the first
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
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
Green Lyon is purified by common Vitriol as thus When the Argent vive is put in a dry Vitriolated Vapour Spirit of Vitriol which is a sharp Water it is presently dissolved by the Incision and Penetration caused by the sharpness being manifestly strong and in dissolving is converted into the Nature of Terrestrial Vitriol not taking a Metalick nor a clear Coelestial Form as appears after the evaporation of the said Water and the congelation of it in the form of Yellow Cristals which Yellowness proceeds from the sharp Sulphurous Terrestreity which was beyond measure mixed in the said Water by Atoms with an Homogeneous Universality and simplicity which simplicity was taken and bound by the said Terrestreity with the alteration of the Light Clarity and Lucidity into Obscurity c. Cap. 89. Theor. Test 141. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. Son the thick Vitriolated Vapours from which Vitriol is produced is very sharp and pontick and therefore penetrates the parts of the Sulphur and Argent vive being depurated and penetrating tingeth that purify'd Matter congealing it into the Form of that Vitriolated and yellow Terrestrial Vapour which is mixed with them Wherefore what we have said is manifest that is This is the great Gate namely that the Terrestrial Virtues must not excel the Coelestial but on the contrary if you will have the thing desired Cap. 85. Theor. Test pag. 137. of the same Volume You may remember that you would put nothing with the Menstrual the Matter of the Menstruum but that which proceeded from it at the beginning of its mixtion for if you add an incongruous thing it will presently be corrupted by the incongruous Nature nor will you ever have that which you would have Gold and Silver and Mercury are dissolved in our Menstrual because it participates with them in proximity and vicinity of the first Nature and from hence will you extract a white Fume which is our Sulphur and the Green Lyon which is your Unguent and the stinking Water which is our Argent vive But it is requesite for the Green Lyon to be throughly dissolved in the Aqua Foetens or stinking VVater before you can have the said Fume which is our Sulphur which Sulphur is indeed the same way dissolved from the Body congealing the Spirit in the form of a dry Water which we call Stone and the highest Medium of all our Work which is the connexion and aggregation of both Natures that is of Body and Spirit Son This Water is called Aqua ignis or if you had rather Ignisaqua that undeclinable Word because it burns Gold and Silver better than Elementary Fire can do and because it contains in it heat of a Terrestrial Nature which dissolves without Violence which common Fire cannot do Wherfore we enjoyn you to make the Magistery of the hottest things you can get in Nature and you will have a hot Water which dissolveth all things Cap. 59. Theor. Test Pag. 98. Of the same Volume These Sayings Ripley comprehends in short thus These Words saith he may serve a Wise Man in order to know and acquire the Green Lyon But this Noble Infant is called Green Lyon because being dissolved it is Cloathed in a Green Garment Yet out of the Green Lyon of Fools Vitriol is extracted by a violent Fire that Water which we call Aqua fortis Spirit of Vitriol in which the said Lyon ought to be Elixirated For all Alchymical Gold is made of Corrosives c. Pag. 139. Medulla Phil. This Argent vive Green Lyon Philosophers Lead c. being purifyed with Vitriol must be further matured or calcined into a red Colour Minium Lead calcined Sericon c. E. that is Vitriolated Azoth Pag. 15. Theor. Test the fourth Medium or Principle is a substance produced from its Mine and in it more near to the Nature of Metals which is by some called Calcantis and Azoth Vitreus Mercury Vitriolated or Azoquean Vitriol which is the Earth and Mine of Metals and is by another Name called Vrisius of shining white and red within Black and Green openly having the Colour of a Venomous Lizard immediately generated out of Argent vive the Matter aforesaid impregnated with the said hot and dry sulphurous Vapour of common Vitriol in its resolution congealed into a Lizard in which Azoth Vitriolated is the form and species of the stinking Spirit in its mixtion the Mineral heat of which is multiplyed which is the Life of Metal and is signified by E. Cap. 3. Theor. Testam Pag. 12. Volume 4. Theat Chym. And a little after In the Work of Nature is Argent vive but not such as is found upon the Earth nor will be till it be first turned into an apostemated and venomous Blood In the same place You must know Son that by Art and Nature Argent vive is congealed by an acute Water understand therefore Philosophically because if it were not sharp and acute it could not penetrate which is the first action in dissolution after which dissolution it is returned into an apostemated Blood by the mutation of its own Nature into another Son there are two things which ought to stick together by the agreement of contrariety one pure the other impure the impure recedes Fire being an Enemy by reason of its Corruption the other remains in Fire because of its purity being transmuted into Blood and this is our Argent vive and our whole Secret cloathed with a tripartite Garment that is black white and red and that alone we want for the purpose of our Magistery Argent vive containing all that is necessary for a Quintessence There is in Mercury whatsoever Wise Men seek for under the shadow of it lies a fifth substance for the substance of it is pure and incombustible and all of it is nothing else but Gold and Silver not common Metals but airy being in Mercury or the Green Lyon melted and fused within and without by Virtue of the Fire against Nature and afterwards purify'd and separated from all its Original Blemish and Pollution for that Gold which is incombustible remains fused and liquid and imparts its Golden Nature in the said Mercury c. Cap. 62. Theor. Test Pag. 103. Volume 4. Th. Chym. Out of this Philosophical Minium calcined Lead or Sericon only the Adepts sometimes distilled their Menstruums for Example the first of this Kind in Numb 59. Sometimes they dissolved this Minium in distilled Vinegar which being drawn off they reduced it into Gum Adrop or Lully's Azoquean Vitriol out of which they then distilled the stinking Menstruum or Menstruum foetens in Numb 60. Sometimes they dissolved Gum Adrop per deliquium first and then distilled it The thirteenth way of practising saith Ripley as it here appears is very curious and that is in Saturn Philosophical rubified in a Glass Vessel stopp'd to prevent respiration with a strong and continual Fire till it becomes red Take therefore that rubified Saturn and pour a good quantity of distilled Vinegar
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
in Water upon the Receiver again and again oftentimes thus the Receiver may not be broken by the violence of the Spirits all which particulars mark well The Distillation being ended let the Vessels cool and keep the Receiver with the Water very close stopped Then take the same Mineral dried and prepared as before in the same order and measure which grind together and put into a Retort as before and pour the Water a little before Distilled upon it fit a Receiver to it the Joynts being very well Luted as before and having dried the Luting put Fire under the Distillation being compleated take again New Materials of the same Weight and put them again into a Retort with their own Water and Distil as before with the same Degrees of Fire which being done and the Vessel cold take away the Receiver and keep it carefully with its Distilled Water firmly stopped For you will have a Physical Mineral Water or Stinking Menstruum with its Form This Water hath the power of Calcining and at the same time dissolving all Metals with the preservation of their Vegetative Form Many Experiments we have herewith both seen and done Isaacus Hollandus to augment the strength of these Menstruums did rather add some tinging Minerals to the Vitriol than the Acidity of Niter and Alume Thus he prepared a Menstruum called 105. The Dissolving Water for the Red of the first Description of Isaacus Cap. 103. Oper. Min. TAke of Roman Vitriol six parts of Lapis Haematites Crocus Martis Cinabar Aes ustum Mineral Antimony of each one part being well dried mix and putting them into a Retort pour four Pounds of Rectify'd Aqua Vitae to them Distill and Cohobate three times upon the Caput Mortuum pulverized The following Menstruum being like this proves it to be of a sanguine colour 106. The Dissolving Water for the Red of the second Description of Isaacus Cap. 45.3 Oper. Miner TAke of Mineral Antimony Aes ustum Crocus Martis Cinabar of each two parts of Vitriol the weight of all being all dried and mix'd together pour to them of Aqua Vitae most purely rectified the height of two hands the Vessel being close luted digest in Balneo the space of ten days stirring the Matter three or four times every day that it may be the better incorporated with the Aqua Vitae these ten days being ended and an Alembick put on Distill with a gentle Fire but at last with a most strong Fire twelve hours together that all the tinged Spirits may ascend with the Aqua Vitae This process repeat always Distilling the Water with new Matters till it becomes Red as Blood To these two we will add also a third Menstruum of this sort 107. A Dissolving Water for the Red of the third Description of Isaacus Cap. 61.3 Oper. Min. TAke of Roman Vitriol Cinabar of each one part of Crocus Martis Lapis Haematites Aes ustum Verdegreece of each half a part calcine the Vitriol first If you have a mind you may extract the Tincture out of Mineral Antimony with Philosophical Vinegar and being separated from the Vinegar add it to the former Species as also as much Aqua Vitae twelve times rectify'd as sufficeth the Vessel being well luted digest in Balneo seven or eight times then having put on an Alembick and luted the Joynts well Distill with a gentle Fire two days then a stronger two days more then the space of three days that the Glass may be hot the Glasses being cold take out the Caput Mortuum which being well pulverized digest with the Distilled Water for the space of eight days then Distill the first day gently the second more strongly the third most strongly for the space of twenty four hours that the Glass may be red hot then let it cool the Distilled Water digest with new Matters and Distill as before and that to be three times repeated And as these Menstruums were for Red Tinctures so also he made some for White Tinctures thus 108. A Dissolving Water of Isaacus for the White Cap. 76.3 Oper. Min. TAke of Roch Alume Lapis Calaminaris of the Calx of Eggs an equal quantity pour to them as much Aqua vitae rectify'd from all Phlegme as sufficeth and distil as the Dissolving Water for the Red. 109 Another Dissolving Water of Isaacus for the White Cap. 48.3 Oper. Min. TAke of Roach Alume Lapis Calaminaris Calx of Eggs common Arsenick an equal quantity being all pulverized mix and to the Powder pour as much Aqua Vitae well rectify'd as to be the space of three hands above the Matter distil with a gentle Fire then a stronger lastly for twenty four hours so as to be red hot cohobate the distillation yet four times upon the Caput Mortuum reduced into Powder Many such Menstruums as these we meet with in several places of Isaacus in the Descriptions of which tho the Addition of Philosophical Aqua Vitae or Spirit of Wine be not always express'd yet that it is to be understood in all of them is evident by the former Receipts of Dissolving Waters The Menstruums following may be Examples in the first place that which is called 110. A Red Water Shining Day and Night of the First Description of Isaacus Cap. 153. Lib. 2. Oper. Min. Pag. 528. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. TAke the Crocus of Mars Antimony as it is dugge out of the Mines Red Arsenick of each one Pound of Auripigment one Pound of Roman Vitriol three Pounds of Sal Niter as much as the weight of all the rest Grind all together into an impalpable Powder mix one bound of Sal Armoniack with them and being well mix'd put the Matter in an Earthen Vessel not glazed within such as can well endure the Fire and having put on an Alembick with a Receiver strongly luted distil Aqua Fortis as it should be first with a small Fire then increasing the Fire by degrees and a White Water will distil which being distilled the Alembick will begin to be Red or Yellow then presently take away the Receiver and add another soundly luted and increase your â—ire till a White Spirit goes over it is the Sal Armoniack which goes over last of all and strengthen the Fire so long till the Alembick be altogether clear When now the Red Spirit goes over nothing of Sal Armoniack goes with it and so soon as it is gone over the White Water the Spirit and dry Water or Sal Armoniack go over together then the Alembick becomes White within as if it was full of Snow and then increase the Fire till the Spirit and Water are driven through the Beak by Exhalation as a Man casts forth his Breath by force so the Spirit and dry Water do breath through the Pipe of the Alembick into the Receiver and increase the Fire and the Spirit and dry Water being gone over the Alembick becomes clean clear white and transparent then let it cool and take it from the Fire put the Water into a
which all Fixed Stones may be resolved and the Stone made perfect This Water of Paradise the Ancients call'd their sharp clear Vinegar c. Metals sometimes are not reduced into graduated Vitriols but by repeated Cohobation made Menstruums of this Kind Thus 115. The Mercurial Vinegar of Trismosinus Libro Moratosan sive Octo Tincturarum in Secunda Tinctura Pag. 79. Aur. Vell. Germ. TAke Argent Vive purged the common way put it in an Alembick whereto pour very sharp Vinegar Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine described before in Numb 72. three Ounces of Vinegar to one Ounce of Mercury draw off six times in Balneo then force it to ascend into the Receiver being distilled rectifie it and it will be prepared Sometimes instead of Philosophical Vinegar he used the strongest Aqua Fortis described in Numb 73. 116. The Mercurial Water of Trismosinus Libr. Octo Tincturar in Tinct quarta Pag. 80. Aurei Vell. Germ. TAke of Roman Vitriol Sal Niter of each one Pound and a half of Vegetable Sal armoniack four Ounces of Tiles pulverized one Pound out of which distil Aqua fortis by the Rule of Art Take of Venetian Mercury sublimed you must have a care of its Venemous Fume four Ounces put it in a Cucurbit pour the said Aqua fortis to it draw off strongly that the Mercury may be well mixed with the Aqua fortis and it will be prepared Albertus Magnus prepared the same Mercurial Water thus 117. The Mercurial Water of Albertus Magnus Libro Compositum de Compositis Cap. 5. Pag. 937. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. TAke of Roman Vitriol two Pounds of Sal Niter two Pounds of Alume calcined one Pound being well ground and mix'd together put the Matter in a fit Glass Phial and having luted the Joynts very close that the Spirits may not evaporate distill Aqua fortis after the common way first with a weak Fire secondly a stronger thirdly with Wood that all the Spirits may go over and the Alembick turn white then put out the Fire let the Fornace cool and keep the Water carefully because it is the Dissolvitive of Luna keep it therefore for the finishing of the Work because that Water dissolves Luna separates Gold from Silver calcines Mercury and the Crocus of Mars c. This is the first Philosophical Water Common Aqua fortis and hath one Degree of Perfection in it Take of the first Water one pound dissolve in it two Ounces of Vegetable Sal armoniack pure and clear which being dissolved the Water is presently otherwise qualified and otherwise coloured because the first was of a Green Colour and the Dissolvitive of Luna and not of Sol and presently after the putting in of the Sal armoniack the Colour of it is turned to a Citrine and dissolveth Gold Mercury and Sulphur sublimed and tingeth a Mans Skin of a most Citrine Colour keep that Water Philosophical Aqua Regis apart Take of the second Water one Pound and of Mercury sublimed with Roman Vitriol and common Salt five Ounces and a half put it to the second Water by little and little gradually seal the Mouth of the Glass well that the Virtue of the Mercury put in may not suddenly exhale put the Glass in Ashes temperately hot and the Water will presently begin to work upon the Mercury dissolving it and incorporating and let the Glass stand thus in hot Ashes and in the dissolution of the Water till the Water appears no more but has wholly dissolved the Sublimed Mercury Now the Water acts always upon Mercury by the way of imbibition till it dissolves it totally But take notice if the Water cannot wholly dissolve the Mercury put in then lay aside the Mercury that is dissolved by that Water and that which is not dissolved at the bottom dry with a gentle Fire grind and dissolve it with new Water as before and thus repeat this Order till all the Sublimed Mercury is dissolved into Water And then joyn all the solutions of that third Water into one in a clean Glass and stop the Mouth of it well with Wax and keep it carefully This is the third Philosophical thick qualified Water in the third degree of Perfection and is the Mother of Aqua Vitae which dissolves all Bodies into their first Matter Take the third clarifi'd Mercurial Water qualifi'd in the third Degree of Perfection putrefie it in the Belly of a Horse to be well digested in a clear Glass with a long Neck well sealed the space of 14 days make it putrefie and the Feces settle at the bottom then will this Water be transmuted from a Citrine to a Yellow Colour which done take out the Glass put it in Ashes with a most gentle heat put on an Alembick with its Receiver and begin to distil by little and little a most clear clean ponderous Aqua Vitae Virgins Milk most sharp Vinegar drop by drop continuing constantly a slow Fire till you have distilled all the Aqua Vitae gently then put out the Fire let the Fornace cool and keep it diligently apart Behold this is Aqua Vitae the Philosophers Vinegar Virgins Milk by which Bodies are resolved into their first Matter which is called by infinite Names The Signs of this Water are these if a Drop be cast upon a Copper Plate red hot it will presently penetrate and leave a White Impression it smoaks upon Fire is coagulated in the Air after the manner of Ice and when this Water is distilled the Drops of it do not enter continually as other Drops but one is distilled one way another another way this Water acts not upon Metallick Bodies as another strong Corrosive Water which dissolves Bodies into Water but if Bodies be put into this Water it reduceth and resolves them all into Mercury as you shall hear hereafter Paracelsus made this Water by the following Method 118. The Mecurial Water of Paracelsus In Appendice Manualis de Lap. Phil. Pag. 139. TAke of Mercury seven times sublimed with Vitriol Sal Niter and Alume three pounds of Vegetable Sal armoniack sublimed three times with Salt clear and white one Pound and a half being ground together and alcolized sublime them in a Sublimatory nine hours in Sand Being cold draw off the Sublimate with a Feather and with the rest sublime as before This Operation repeat four times till no more sublimes and a Black Mass remains in the bottom flowing like Wax being cold take it out and being ground again imbibe it often in the Water of Sal armoniack prepared according to Art the Menstruum described in Numb 91. in a Glass Dish and being coagulated of it self imbibe it again and dry nine or ten times over till it will scarce any more be coagulated Being ground finely upon a Marble dissolve it in a moist place to a clear Oil which you must rectifie by Distillation in Ashes from all Feces and Sediment This Water keep diligently as the best of all Lully made his Mercurial Water
Life And I said that the most High created the Quintessence which is by the Art of man extracted from the Body of Nature created by God And I will name it by its three Names attributed to it by the Philosophers It is called Aqua ardens Anima or Spiritus Vini and Aqua Vitoe And when you have a mind to conceal it call it Quintessence because this is its Nature and this is its Name the greatest Philosophers have been willing to disclose to no man but caused the Truth to be buried with them And that it is not moist as the Element of Water is demonstrated because it burns which is a thing repugnant to Elementary Water That it is not hot and moist as Ayr is declared because dry Ayr may be corrupted with every thing as appears in the generation of Spiders but that remains always uncorrupt if it be kept from expiring That it is not dry and cold as Earth is expresly manifest because it is exceeding sharp and heats extreamly And that it is not hot and dry as Fire is apparent to the Eye because it infrigidates hot things and wastes and eradicates hot Diseases That it conduceth to incorruptibility and preserves from corruptibility I will demonstrate by an Experiment for if any Bird whatsoever or piece of Flesh or Fish be put into it it will not be corrupted so long as it shall continue therein how much more will it therefore keep the animated and living Flesh of our Body from all corruption This Quintessence is the humane Heaven which the most High created for the preservation of the four Qualities of mans Body as Heaven for the preservation of the whole Universe And know of a certain that the modern Philosophers and Physicians are altogether ignorant of this Quintessence and of the truth and virtue thereof But by the help of God I will hereafter declare to you the Magistery of it And hitherto I have taught you a Secret the Quintessence that is the humane Heaven Cap. 2. Lib. Essentioe 9. Lastly That many Receipts more obscure and otherwise intelligible by no man are by these illustrated The Second KIND Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and the hottest Vegetables Herbs Flowers Roots c. being Oyly 5. The. Anima Metallica or Lunaria Coelica of Lully Described in Composit Animae Transmut pag. 193. Vol. 3. Theat Chym. FIrst you must know that the Matter of our Stone or of all the Stones of the Philosophers together with Precious Stones which are generated or compounded by Art is this Metallick Soul and our Menstruum rectify'd and acuated or the Lunaria Coelica which among the Philosophers is called Vegetable Mercury produced from Wine red or white as is clearly manifest being revealed to us by God in our Figura Individuorum Distinct 3. Libri Quint. Essent c. But first it is expedient to draw our Menstruum by Art from Death that is the Impurities and Phlegm of Wine by the Office of an Alembick and to acuate it in distillation with pertinent Vegetables such as are Apium sylvestre Squilla Solatrum Carduus Oliandrum Piper nigrum Euphorbium Viticella or Flammula and Pyrethrum an equal quantity of all and pulverized Then the Menstruum must be circulated continually for the space of ten days in hot Dung or Balneo Marioe Annotations THE Vnctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine attracts none but the Vnctious natural Essences of Vegetables as we shall observe below in the Book of Medecines Essences being thus extracted as also all other Oyly things crude or expressed and all distilled of both Kingdoms Animal and Vegetable this Spirit of Wine doth by simple digestion divide into two distinct parts two Oyls or Fat 's whereof one is the Essence of the thing the other the Body The Essence so made we named the Second Spirit of Wine Both Essences this by Division and that by Extraction prepared are by longer digestion made one with the aforesaid Spirit of Wine For those things which are of one and the same purity and of a symbolical Nature are easily mix'd together and that inseparably and so an Essence made by an Essence is joyned to that Essence And if we protract Digestion further one of the Fat 's namely the Body less Oyly and therefore left hitherto is at length received also into a symbolical Nature by reason of which mixtion not only is the Spirit multiplied but also made fitter for the Dissolutions of dry things because the Particles of this Body less Oyly incline to dryness concerning which way we treat in this Receipt in the Prescription of which the Oyl drawn out of Oyly Vegetables is by distillation together with the Spirit of Philosophical VVine circulated into a Magistery or double Essence Natural and Artificial of which lower in its place by which the Spirit of Wine is multiplied and made more homogeneous to dry Bodies There is the same Menstruum but a little otherwise described in his Natural Magick pag. 358. thus Take Nigrum nigrius Nigro and distil ten or eight parts of the same in a Glass-Vessel and in the first distillation you must receive only one half this again distil and hereof take a fourth part and the third distillation you must take in a manner all and so distil that part eight or nine times and it will be perfect but not rectified under one and twenty Distillations Take of this VVater a quarter of a pound and acuate the same by distilling it with the Vegetables which are Apium Sylvestre and so of the rest of which was spoken above in Anima Transmutationis in the Chapter which begins First you must know c. And then put it into a Vessel of Circulation in hot dung or in the remains of a Wine-press with the preservation of the Species Which water is also one of the things without which nothing can be effected in the Magistery of this Art That Menstruum which ought to be drawn from the Death of Wine by the Office of an Alembick acuated with the said Vegetables and at length circulated is the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which is by these degrees so exalted as to be by Lully deservedly called the Matter of all the Stones of the Philosophers and vertuous Stones that is Precious Stones Anima Metallica and Lunaria Coelica which also is called Vegetable Mercury deduced from Wine red or white The Matter of which this Menstruum is made is called Wine in the former Receipt the Menstruum must be extracted from the Death of Wine But in the latter it is called Nigrum nigrius Nigro To these two Lully adds a third synonimous pag. 1. Test novissimi Take red Wine which we call the Liquor of Lunaria and Nigrum nigrius Nigro By which synonimous Terms none but a Fool can understand Common Wine for the common Spirit herefrom distilled is altogether insufficient to perform such and so great things yea all the Arcanums of the more secret Chymy which
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
matter in the luted Vessel now and then as is convenient that the saline parts may the better be dissolv'd then take away the blind Head and put on a common Alembick but have a care in this changing lest the sharpness of the Salts offend your Eyes then distil gently in Ashes and when you have by such a heat extracted all the Water increase the Fire that the Oyl or Soul of it may ascend also together with the distill'd Water whereof one part will be sublimed the other part will stick to the superficies of the Earth in the form of a white powder let the Vessel cool gather the sublimation being gather'd put it in its Water make the Vessel very close because it contains the animated Flower Spirit then take out the dry Earth remaining reduce it into powder upon a Porphyry Stone pour to it the Flower or Spirit the breadth of three Fingers putrefy three days distil in Ashes increasing the Fire with Wood as above repeat the Magistery till the Earth remains of an Ash Colour then calcine it in a Reverberatory as we taught you in the Mineral Work in Chap. 2. And so you will have the animal Earth prepared abounding with so great Virtue as not to be expressed O absolute power upon which all other powers depend into what thing hast thou infused such Virtue No Man will comprehend so great a secret none will believe unless he himself hath seen by Experience as we have seen Take the animated Flower rectify it three times in Ashes always casting away the Earths Terrestial Foeces then distil in Balneo three parts from four the remainder throw away this repeat yet once then distil the whole so will you have the animated Flower rectifyed Take now a large Vessel a Cucurbit and put in the rectifyed Flower stop the Mouth of the Vessel with Cotton put on an Alembick with a Receiver and with a gentle heat of Ashes all or the greatest part will be sublimed in the Form of a most precious Salt with which if you will you may acuate our C which then you must circulate according to the Chap. D. D. wherewith you may perfect all your operations which we taught in the precedent Chapters which you will sooner compleat by this Menstruum But if you desire the animal Sulphur of Nature it is necessary for you to sublime presently after you have rectify'd the desired Flower namely by imbibing the Earth according to the method and order which we declared in the Vegetable Work that is with an eighth seventh sixth fifth and fourth part sublime and use to do as in the Vegetable Work to wit by acuating the animated Flower with its animal Sulphur sublimed circulating and doing all things as in the Vegetable Work Now Son you see how I love you having repeated such things over and over and with such pains lest you should have occasion to complain of me and that you should be expert in every thing in which I perswaded my self you might err therefore have we in this Chapter repeated and described that which no Philosopher ever did in his great Volume and I may easily believe that no Philosopher has presumed to describe so long and ample a practice as this of ours all which proceeds from my paternal affection towards you by which I would oblige you under the pain of God's wrath not to reveal it to any one but rather burn it as soon as you have reduc'd it into use as you have more than often promised us My farther advice is That you would strenuously endeavour to live according to the triumphant Gospel of Grace and Peace reject and avoid Evil Societies and Actions as we have often admonished you but if you do otherwise you will not please him who is the Donor of this Famous Knowledge of every good Thing and Grace it self From the Receipts we Note 1. That those things which were noted in the fifth precedent Kind may hitherto also be referred the Menstruums of this Kind differing only in matter from the antecedent these were made of Philosophical Wine only those of the fixed Salts of divers things but as to the way of subliming or the way of making Vegetable Sal Armoniacks they both agree in all things 2. That these Sal Armoniacks are called Sulphurs of Nature In the preparation of Philosophical Wine there is an Earth found which is called Sulphur existent in the Vegetable Mercury coagulating its own Mercury for the sake of which Earth they called every other exanimated and fixed Earth Sulphur but the animated Spirit Essence Tincture c. they termed Mercury to be coagulated by this Sulphur but both of them being reduced into one Body and sublimed they call'd Sulphur of Nature not more fixed but sublimed 3. These Salts are call'd Sulphurs of Nature to distinguish them from Sulphur against Nature that is of every Acid. Fire saith Ripley differs many ways for one is a natural Fire another unnatural another elemental and another contra naturam Natural Fire is that which proceeds from the Influence of the Sun Moon and Stars from which are produced the Spirits of burning Waters the essential vapours of Minerals as also the Natural Virtues of living things the unnatural is an occasional Fire which is called a moist Fire made artificially by Philosophers it is also called a Fire of the first degree which is for the meer temperance of heat called Balneo Stove or Dunghill in this Fire is made the Putrefaction of our Stone elemental Fire is that which fixeth calcines and burneth and is nourished by things combustible Fire against or contrary to Nature dissolves violently breaks kills and destroys the governing power of the Form of the Stone for it dissolves the Stone into the Water of a Cloud with the destruction of the specifick Form but it is termed Fire contrary to Nature because the operation of it is contrary to all natural operations as Raymond asserts for all things that Nature hath made this Fire destroys and brings to Corruption unless the Fire of Nature be added to it c. Med. Phil. pag. 135. Wherefore also there are four Fires in our art namely the Natural which is the Menstruum Sericonis the unnatural that is Horse Dung or Vindemia and the like the elemental viz. maintained by Wood and other combustible things and the Fire contrary to Nature that is all corrosive Waters made of Vitriol Salt and such like things Viatic pag. 342. but of these in another place namely the fifth Book 4. That these Salts are to be used presently after the sublimation of them 5. That Philosophical Aqua Vitae though never better rectify'd yet contains in it some certain superfluous moisture which it expells either by being circulated by it self as in the preparation of Lully's Heaven or imbibed in things fixed as in the ways of making the said Salts 6. That a Menstruum made of Lully's Heaven with the Essence or Oyl of Philosophical Wine is no
having stood a little while in digestion stir the matter often every day the oftner the better with a clean stick filtre the Liquor three times throw away the Faeces to be taken away as superfluous being no Ingredient to the Magistery for it is the damned Earth Then evaporate the filtred Liquors in Balneo Marioe with a temperate heat and our Sericon will be coagulated into a Green Gum call'd our Green Lyon dry that Gum well yet with care lest you burn the Flowers or destroy the Greens of it Then take the said Gum put it in a strong Glass Retort well luted and with a moderate Fire distil a weak Water to be cast away But when first you perceive a white fume ascending put to it a Glass Receiver large and of sufficient capacity whose Mouth is exactly joyned to the Neck of the Retort which must be very well luted lest any of the fume be lost or evaporate out of the Receiver Then increase the Fire by degrees till a red fume ascends and continue a stronger Fire till bloody drops come or no more fume appears Then abate the Fire by degrees and all being cold take away the Receiver and forthwith stop it that the Spirits may not exhale because this Liquor is called our blessed Liquor to be kept in a Glass Vessel very close stopped Then examine the Neck of the Retort where you will find a white and hard Ice in the form of a congealed Vapour or Mercury sublimate which gather carefully and keep because it contains great Secrets of which lower Then take the Faeces out of the Retort being black as Soot which are called our Dragon whereof calcine one Pound or more if you please in a Potters Glass-makers or Philosophical Furnace into a white Snowy Calx which keep pure by it self it being called the Basis and Foundation of the Work Mars our white fixed Earth or Philosophers Iron Now take the residue of the Faeces or black Dragon and sift it on a Marble or any other Stone and at one of the ends light it with a live Coal and in the space of half an Hour the Fire will run over all the Faeces which it will calcine into a very Glorious citrine Colour these citrine Faeces dissolve with distilled Vinegar after the aforesaid manner filtre also three times as before then evaporate the dissolution into a Gum and distil the Menstruum which is now called Sanguis Draconis or Dragons Blood and repeat this Work in all things as before till you have reduced all or the greater part of the Faeces into our Natural or Blessed Liquor all which Liquors pour to the first Liquor or Menstruum called the Blood of the Green Lyon the Liquor being thus mix'd putrefie it in a Glass Vessel the space of fourteen Days Then proceed to the separation of the Elements because in this Blessed Liquor you have now all the Fire of the Stone hidden before in the Faeces which Secret has been hitherto kept wonderfully close by the Philosophers Now take all the Menstruum being putrifyed put it in a Venice Glass of a fit size put an Alembick to it and lute with Linnen Rags dipp'd in the white of Eggs the Receiver must be very spacious to keep in the respiring Spirit and with a temperate heat separate the Elements one from another and the Element of Air which is the Oyl ardent Spirit containing a little white Oyl at the top will first ascend The first Element being distilled rectifie it in another Vessel fit for it that is distil seven times till it burns a Linnen Cloath being dipp'd in it and kindled then is it called our rectify'd Aqua ardens which keep very well stopp'd for otherwise the most subtil Spirit of it will vanish away In the rectifications of the Aqua ardens the Air will ascend in the form of a white Oyl swimming upon the Aqua ardens and a citrine Oyl will remain which is distilled with a stronger Fire Mercury being sublimed and reduced into Powder dissolv'd per deliquium upon Iron Plates in a cold place pour a little of the Aqua ardens to the Liquor being filtred and it will extract the Mercury in the form of a Green Oyl swimming a-top which separate and distil by a Retort and there will ascend first a Water and then a thick Oyl which is the Oyl of Mercury Then distil the Flood or Water of the Stone into another Receiver the Liquor will be whitish which draw off in Balneo with a moderate heat till there remains in the bottom of the Cucurbit a thick Oyly substance like melted Pitch keep this Water by it self in a Glass well stopp'd Take notice when first the Liquor riseth white another Receiver must be put to because that Element is wholly distilled Two or three drops of that black liquid Oyl being given in the Spirit of Wine do Cure any Poyson Now to this black and liquid Matter pour our Aqua ardens mix them well together and let the mixture settle three Hours then decant and filtre the Liquor pour on new Aqua ardens and repeat the operation three times then distil again in Balneo with a gentle heat and this reiterate thrice and it will come under the denomination of the rectify'd Blood of Man which Operators search for in the Secrets of Nature Thus have you exalted the two Elements Water and Air to the Virtue of a Quintessence keep this Blood for occasion Now to the black and liquid Matter or Earth pour the Flood or Water of the Stone mix them well together and distil the whole till the Earth remains very dry and black which is the Earth of the Stone keep the Oyl with the Water for occasion Reduce the black Earth to a Powder to which pour the aforesaid Man's Blood digest three Hours then distil in Ashes with a Fire sufficiently strong repeat this Work three times and it will be call'd the rectify'd Water of Fire and so have you exalted the three Elements namely Water Air and Fire into the Virtue of a Quintessence Then calcine the Earth being black and dry in the bottom of the Reverberatory into a most white Calx with which mix the Fiery Water and distil with a strong Fire as before the remaining Earth calcine again and distil and that seven times or till the whole substance of the Calx be pass'd through the Alembick and then have you the rectify'd and truly Spiritual Water of Life and the four Elements exalted to the Virtue of a Quintessence this Water will dissolve all Bodies putrefie and purge them This is our Mercury our Lunary but whosoever thinks of any other Water besides this is ignorant and foolish never attaining to the desired effects This Menstruum is made of the same Matter as the precedent Menstruums For Green Lyon Adrop Philosophical Lead Mineral Antimony Airy Gold Mercury c. are Synonima's of one and the same Matter This Matter being dissolved in distill'd Vinegar and again
this Kind are made not only of Mineral Salts not tinging but also of Vegetable Alcalies thus 83. The fixative Water of Trithemius Pag. 37. Aurei Veller Germ. TAke Aqua fortis mix'd with the Spirit of Wine described above in Numb 74. whereto add of the Oyl of Tartar per deliquium half a Pound distil the Spirit throw away the Phlegm and dissolve the remaining Earth or Salt in the Spirit Keep the solution for the fixing of things but for volatilization the Salt of Tartar must be cohobated so oft till it ascends as the common Salt in the Eating Water Hereto is referred the Menstruum called 84. The Aqua Mirabilis of Isaacus Cap. 29. 2 Oper. Min. pag. 91. Manus Phil. TAke old Urine distil with a weak Fire then a stronger that whatsoever can may ascend rectifie the destillation taking away all the Fatness or Oyl till it leaves no Faeces behind it The Caput Mortuum left in the bottom calcine the space of two hours but without fusion of the Salt draw all the saltness from the calcined Matter with common Water evaporate the Liquor to a thin skin that the Salt may be Cristalized repeat sometimes that the Salt may be made most pure which dissolve in the distilled Urine Then take of this regenerated Urine six pounds of distilled Vinegar and Spirit of Philosophical Wine of each three measures of Common Salt two pounds of Sal Armoniack and calcined Tartar of each half a pound dissolve them all together into an Aqua Mirabilis The like Water almost hath Basilius but that he distils his through an Alembick the Description of which followeth 85. The Resuscitative Water of Basilius Pag. 81. Currus Triumphalis Antim TAke of the Salt of Mans Urine clarified and sublimed of Sal Armoniack and Salt of Tartar of each one part mix the Salts pour strong Philosophical Vinegar to them lute with lutum sapientioe digest the Salts for a Month in a continual heat then distil the Vinegar by Ashes till the Salts remain dry then mix them with three parts of Venetian Earth force them with a strong Fire through the Retort and you will have a wonderful Spirit for the making of Running Mercury out of Antimony The same Water we find also pag. 39. of his Manual Operations The Adepts have sometimes used some crude Oyley Matter instead of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in making these Menstruums thus Paracelsus volatilized four Salts into a Menstruum of this Kind with Wax dissolved in Aqua fortis 86. The Water of Sallabrum of Paracels Libro de reductione Metallorum in Argentum vivum sive Tractatu 4. Rosarii novi Olympici Bened Figuli pag. 24. TAke notice there is no shorter Method of reducing Metals into Mercury known to us than that which we used in our Book de putrefactione quatuor Salium which we there called Sallabrum as thus each of those Salts as lower must be converted into a pure Water or Oyl per deliquium which being mixed in equal weight are called Lac Veterum or Milk of the Ancients Which Philosophical Milk put into a strong Receiver and distil the Spirits of calcined Vitriol calcined Alume and the best Niter ana five times upon it and the mixture will be called Flying Eagle carrying Metals in its Talons aloft such a Metal being sublim'd grind to powder from which draw the Spirit of strong Wine being poured to it the height of a Finger three or four times gently in Balneo and you will have a quick or running Metal as common Mercury Now the Eagle is made volatile thus To the Philosophers Milk acuated with the said Spirits or Eagle pour Wax being very well liquefied and purged about the thickness of a Finger distil the Phlegms together with the Spirits by a Cucurbit in Balneo which Matter must be cohobated so often till they are all coagulated or well mixed and you will have the Philosophers Borax which we wrote of in our Book de virtute Vitrioli wherein the Volatile Eagle absconded it self with its Feathers namely Spirits Now take the Calx of what Metal you please made of Aqua fortis one part of the Flying Eagle half a part mix putrefie nine days the longer the better then sublime the Matter upon Sand in a Cucurbit well luted and all the Metal you took will ascend wherewith proceed as before Sallabrum described in the Book mentioned de putrefactione quatuor Salium Take Sal Niter Sal Gemmoe common Salt Pot-Ashes an equal quantity of each dissolve every one by it self and purge it from all Terrestreity out of all being mixed together make a clear and transparent Water which again coagulate in a clean Vessel and you will find the Salt of another colour namely yellow penetrating and sweetning dissolving and fixing Love and esteem this Salt because there are many Secrets in it for it fixeth the Volatile and vivifieth the Spirit being dead and mollifieth the hard and friable and freeth from any Leprosie and Poyson sixeth Arsenick and moreover is the promoter of many famous works to a happy and desired End In the first place let us admonish you to beware of this and such like Menstruums for a Mystery lies in these Receipts which to observe is necessary lest you begin to doubt the Truth of them after many most dangerous Experiments tried in vain for you Beginners let this suffice that it is impossible for Wax or any other oyley Matter to supply the place of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine There would be no need of this Spirit in the whole Art if crude oyley things could perform the same as this most pure and most unctuous Liquor No man but he that is expert in the Method of preparing the Spirit of Philosophical Wine can make these Menstruums whereas all the rest may be made by any Ideot if he hath but the Spirit of this Wine given him The Adepts do in these Receipts both prepare and acuate this Spirit of Wine no wonder therefore that they either wholly omitted the Mystery or not sufficiently express'd it in their Compositions for which reason also these Menstruums do appertain to the preparation of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine rather than as all the rest to the Vse of this Spirit or compositions of these Menstruums nor should I have remembred them here had they not been detrimental to many men and that to my own knowledge The Name Sallabrum is given quasi Salis labrum or Salt-Cellar not that Salt is to be contained in this Vessel as Candelabrum or Candlestick is so called because Candles are set in it but rather because the Essence or Fire of some Metals or some Chymcial Light is either to be reserved or made in this Sallabrum as Alume is by Isaacus in Man Philosophor pag. 28. called Lucerna signifying a Lanthorn Concerning this Sallabrum Thomas Aquinas in Lilio Benedicto pag. 1085. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. Thus Adde labrum Salis quanta sit sexta duorum Conjunge poneque
Glass and stop it close Take the Caput Mortuum grind it to a fine Powder put it in pure clear Water for two hours let it settle pour off the clear and pour it upon pure clear Water again as before and let it boyl an hour as before then let it settle again add it again to the former cast away the Feces and that which you poured out the Solution evaporate and a yellow Powder will remain weigh it add as much Sal Niter and mix them together put them into a Glass pour your Distilled Water or Menstruum upon it put on an Alembick strongly luted all over adding a Receiver and leave it three days upon thee Fornace to Digest before you put Fire under then kindle your Fire and Distill first with a small Fire then sometimes a greater till the White Spirit is gone over then cease and you have a Red Water shining Day and Night which dissolves fixed Luna as Luna is commonly dissolved and it will take a Tincture as the purest Sol that ever was seen yea it tingeth all White Metals of the colour of Sol. 111. A Red Water shewing Light by Night of the Second Description of Isaacus Cap. 44. Oper. Min. Pag. 458. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. TAke of Roman Vitriol three Pounds of Cinabar Verdegrese Cerusse of each half a Pound of Crocus Martis Lapis haematites of each four Ounces of Sal Niter as much as the whole Mass five Pounds pulverize and mix them well together divide the Mass into three parts and of one part make an Aqua fortis which pour upon the powder of another part distill Aqua fortis again and pour it upon the third powder and distill Aqua fortis again which being done pulverize all the three Caput Mortuums Take the Water of Sal armoniack which I shall teach you below to make but we have already declar'd it in Numb 81. wherewith grind the aforesaid powder so fine as that a Painter may paint with it then dry it in your Dry Stove in glass Dishes being dried grind it dry upon a Stone and put it into an earthen Pot and pour the Aqua fortis before distilled upon it distill first with a gentle fire the space of twenty four hours then increase the Fire as yet 24 hours more then increase till it begins to shine then keep it in the same fiery brightness six hours more then let it cool take it away from the Fire and stop the Receiver well Then grind and pulverize the Caput Mortuum upon a Stone with Vinegar distilled and extract the Salt or Element of Earth out of the Feces put the Salt into a Glass pour yout Aqua fortis upon it the Alembick and Receiver being very close put the Glass in Sand in a Kettle with Water in Balneo distill all that will distill when no more distilleth let the Balneo boil a day and a night whether it drops or no Then let it cool remove it from the Fire put it in Ashes use first a weak Fire for 12 hours then increase the Fire yet 12 hours more then let it be moderately hot and let it be so for six hours then let it cool take it from the Fire and cover it well and having taken away the Feces or Salt grind them very small with Distill'd Vinegar put it into a Stone Jugge and a good part of the Distillation being poured to it put it in Balneo doing as was taught before see if it hath yet any Feces and make the Salt clear put it again in a Glass pour on the Aqua fortis again do every way as before three or four times and all your Matter or Earth will distill with the Aqua fortis then take it from the Fire stop close and keep it well For you have a pretious Water above all the Waters that ever I heard of and believe me in good faith I have seen and done also my self wonderful things with this Water This Water I have reduced to a Red Christalline Stone which would give light by night so as that my Friends might see to eat and drink by it Keep it well for use and esteem it as the most secret Water of all you have The Method of making such Shining Menstruums is better perceived by the following Water 112. A Red and Shining Aqua fortis of the Third Description of Isaacus Cap. 72. 1. Oper. Min. Pag. 354. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. TAke of Vitriol clarified and purified from its Feces of Sal Niter an equal quantity distill an Aqua fortis out of them according to Art then take the Caput Mortuum out of the Glass and reduce it to a fine Powder then grind it upon a Stone then put it in common Distill'd Water and draw out all the Salt then filter it that you may have it clean from Feces congeal again and being congealed make it an impalpable Powder and put the Powder into a Glass and then pour that Aqua fortis again upon the Powder which you distill'd from thence and distill again all that will distill Then take out the Caput Mortuum again grind it to Powder as before and do in all things as before this Operation repeat till you have distilled all the Salt within the Aqua fortis Then have you an excellent Red Water shining by night like a clear Fire then rectifie that Water in Balneo oftentimes distilling and pouring on again so as at last to have all the Distillation in Balneo Then is your pretious Water prepared by which you may multiply and open your Philosophical Stone These Menstruums are little different yea almost the same with the former of Isaacus as to the Ingredients as well as Method of preparation but the addition of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which Isaacus prescribed in those Dissolving Waters must of necessity be understood in these his Aqua fortises for without this Spirit all these Waters would be common of no Vertue and Vse From the Receipts we observe 1. That all Tinging Bodies whatsoever being either naturally or artificially dissolved in an Acid and reduced into Salt or Vitriol by the help of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine do yield the present Menstruums by these two Methods either by repeated Cohobation or Simple Distillation but in this latter way it is necessary for the Salts or Vitriols of the said Bodies to be first graduated that is by various Dissolutions and Coagulations joyned with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and then distilled where Caution must be had lest in this gradation of the Vitriol the Acid be by Operations less necessary than convenient debilitated for so you will easily prepare Menstruums unexpectedly of the Eighth instead of this Kind 2. That these Menstruums differ from Menstruums of the Eighth Kind these being Acid but those Sweet Dissolve a Compounded Vegetable Menstruum of the Eighth Kind in Distilled Vinegar Spirit of Sulphur Common Aqua Fortis c. and you will immediately have a Menstruum of this Kind on
of Mercury and the Stinking Menstruum thus 119. The Stinking Mercvrial Menstruum of Lully Pag. 63. Testam Novissimi TAke of the Stinking Menstruum four Pounds and put in one pound of Mercury Vive put the Matter in Balneo or Horse Dung six days and it will be all converted into Water distil by Balneo and you will have a Mercurial Water truly Mineral Ripley followed his Master in the way of making the Mercurial Water as followeth 120. The Mercurial Green Lion of Ripley Pag. 310. Pupillae Alchymicae TAke Mercury sublimed with Vitriol and common Salt to the quantity of 20 or 40 Pounds in my opinion two or four ought to be read that you may have enough Grind it well into Powder and put it in a Glass Vessel very large and strong pour to it so many Pounds of the most strong Water the Stinking Menstruum is the strongest Water in the World Pag. 138. Medullae as there are Pounds of Mercury Shake them soundly together and the Vessel will become so hot that you can scarce touch it stop it well and let it stand nine days in a cold place shaking it strongly three or four times each day Which done put the Vessel in a Fornace of Ashes and with a most gentle heat distil away all the Aqua Vitae Menstruum which keep safe by it self then immediately add another Receiver well luted kindle a most strong Fire and continue it till all the Golden Liquor is wholly distilled The same ways as the Mercurial Waters are made may also be made Menstruums of this Kind out of the other Metals thus 121. The Stinking Lunar Menstruum of Lully In Experimento 29. TAke of the aforesaid Mineral Water described in Numb 104. as you have it in the former Experiment Numb 26. six or eight Ounces dissolve in it one Ounce of Luna which dissolution put into a small Retort to be distilled by Ashes which Distillation ceasing increase the Fire as much as possible and when no more moisture will with this degree of Fire distil cool the Vessel receive the Distilled Water wherein is the Soul of Luna and secure it from respiring Thus also Lully prepares the Water of Sol. 122. The Stinking Solar Menstruum of Lully In Experim 31. TAke the Aqua Fortis or Mineral Water described in Numb 104. as above and in every Pound thereof dissolve three Ounces of the Animal Salt prepared and fixed as you have it in its Sixth Experiment Which being dissolved dissolve therein two Ounces of Gold cemented as you know after that putrefie eight days then distill by Balneo Now that which remains at the bottom will be like melted Honey upon which Matter pour again some of its own Water distilled by Balneo so as to swim two fingers above it putrefie for a natural day then taking away the Antenotorium put on an Alembick with a Receiver so close as not to respire Distil by Ashes till no more will distil then increase the Fire a little that part of the Air may pass into the Water and lastly increase the Fire that also the Element of Fire may pass through the Alembick and when nothing will distil with this last degree of Fire cool the Vessel take away the Receiver with its Distilled Water and keep it well stopp'd Isaacus Hollandus made a Mercurial Water sometimes with the Mercury of Luna thus 123. Philosophers Vinegar made of the Mercury of Silver of Isaacus Cap. 99. 2. Oper. Min. Pag. 492. Vol. 3. Th. Cym. TAke of the Calx of Luna one Pound of Sal armoniack which must be clear and transparent as Cristal without moisture a fourth part being ground put them in a Stone Jugge then take Philosophical Vinegar distilled five or six times from its Phlegme so as to leave no Feces empty the Vinegar into another Stone Jugge and having put on an Alembick place it in Balneo The Jugge which the ground Calx is in lute well to the beak of the Alembick and let the Luting be throughly dried Then make Fire under the Balneo and distil the Vinegar leasurely upon the Calx of Luna and so many Pounds as you have of the Calx of Luna so many four Pounds of Vinegar distil upon it and when all the Vinegar is distilled let it cool gently the space of three days before you remove the Jugge for if you remove it sooner the Vinegar Luna and Sal armoniack will run over and you will retain nothing so vehement is that Matter for Cold and Hot do come together and when you would remove it have a Glass Stopple ready fitted to the mouth of the Jugge or Receiver which you must presently lute to it that the Virtue may not evaporate Then set the Jugge in Balneo let the Fire be no hotter than your hand can well endure in the Water up to the Knuckles or then may be drunk without burning and thus keep it the space of six weeks Then let it be cold break it and presently lute an Alembick to the Jugge very firmly and put a Receiver to the Beak distil in a temperate Balneo whatsoever will distil and when now no more distils take it out and put it in Ashes lute the Receiver again to the Beak and first apply a gentle heat then sometimes a stronger till your Mercury begins to sublime with the Sal armoniack as white as Snow and hanging to the White Matter with clear Fibers then keep it thus till you see it sublimes not in the same heat to extract the Mercury purely out of the Earth Then let it cool take away the Alembick take out the Mercury being sublimed with the Sal armoniack which are sublimed into a Mass together which weigh that you may know how much Mercury you sublimed out of the Calxes of Luna for you knew how much Sal armoniack you put into the Jugge Then put the Sublimate again into a Glass and again sublime that you may see whether any Feces remain for you must repeat the Sublimation till no Feces remain Keep this Mercury till I teach you what to do with it You must know that in that Vessel wherein you sublimed the Mercury with the Sal armoniack is the Body commonly called Caput Mortuum or Element of Earth with its Oyl or Fire this take out and weigh that so you may the better know how much Mercury you sublimed also out of it for you knew how much of the Calx of Luna you had in the Jugge so you may certainly know how much you have out of it Then put your Salt or Earth into a Glass and pour Distill'd Vinegar upon it and dissolve it into a pure Water if it yields any Feces pour off the top gradually and congeal again till it leaves no more Feces then congeal again Then have you your Salt prepared with your Earth clear as Cristal Now take your Sublimed Mercury and Sal armoniack and your clear Salt and grind them together upon a Marble dry being ground put all the
Matter into a Glass Plate set it on a Tripos or our Calcining Fornace and there let it stand six Weeks and apply such a heat as if you would keep Lead melted without congealing Those six Weeks being expired let it cool then put it in a cold Cellar and cover it with a Linnen Cloth that no dust may fall in and in the space of six or eight days it will be wholly dissolved into a clear Water Now you must know this is the Philosopers clear Vinegar for when they write our Vinegar they mean this Water and when they say Philosophers Mercury they mean this Water and it is their Vinegar which they write or so wonderfully speak of From the Receipts we observe 1. That Metals and Minerals volatilized with Simple Mineral Menstruums are Menstruums of this Kind 2. That these Menstruums are the same with the Menstruums of the Eighth Kind dissolved in Simple Mineral Menstruums but differ from the antecedent Kind in being made not with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but Philosophical Vinegar 3. That these Menstruums are the Essences or Magisteries of Things tinging dissolved in Simple Mineral Menstruums 4. That those Menstruums being Mineral or Acid are in Alchymical Processes better than the Vegetable Menstruums of the Eighth Kind because stronger 5. That the dissolutions of Metals performed by these Mercurial Menstruums have been by the Adepts sometimes called Amalgamations You must know saith Isaacus That this is the best Solution that ever was found in the World for herein is no error of Proportion and Weight For Nature errs not For when Mercury is dissolved it dissolves other Metals also as is rightly taught in other places Nor will it dissolve more than it is able nor will it receive more of a Body into it than its Nature can bear For whatsoever has no need of it it cannot dissolve And it is the best Amalgamation that can be found 2. Oper. Min. Cap. 103. Pag. 494. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. That Bernhard in Epistola ad Thomam treated not of a dry but of this moist Amalgamation I shall prove elsewhere 6. That the Menstruum of Venus Sol Luna c. is of the same Virtue as to the faculty of Dissolving with the Menstruum of common Argent Vive this Mercurial Menstruum has been indeed more in use than the other by some Adepts because of the more easie way of operating upon the Open Body of Mercury tho it be less powerful than the rest in Point of Tinging 7. That there are divers Kinds of Stinking Menstruums The Thirteenth Kind taught us how to distil the most Stinking Menstruum of all out of Atrop For there the Oyly Matter of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine being dissolved in Vitriol is in its Distillation purged from all its Putrid Feculencies but the Twentieth Kind treats of Menstruums less stinking being made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine now purified and sweet The present Kind produceth from the same Matter Menstruums of the same Name indeed but not of the same Stinking Savour Colour c. For Philosophical Vinegar is by reason of the perfect dissolution of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Diaphanous not of a Milky Colour but in the Distillation of a Menstruum it is made Milky because the Acidity of the said Vinegar being debilitated by the Aridity of a Body dissolved cannot retain the Vnctious Spirit of Philosophical Wine so well as before but in the precipitation of which the Distilled Liquor becomes Milky for this reason the Adepts sometimes added common Vitriol and Niter to the Azoquean Vitriol that the said Spirit might the better be dissolved In a word The greater quantity of Philosophical Vinegar or any other Mineral Menstruum stronger than this is made use of in the making of these Menstruums the less Milky and less Stinking will the Menstruums be because made not of the embrionated Stinking Matter of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but of the same purified by Circulation and Distillation 8. That these as all other Menstruums are by Digestion made sweet and transmuted into Dissolvents of the Eighth Kind The Two and Twentieth KIND Mineral Menstruums compounded of the Philsophers Vinegar and other Simple Mineral Menstruums and Things tinging being first fixed 124. The Menstruum of Venus of Isaacus Hollandus Cap. 82. 3. Oper. Miner I Will now Son teach you how to make the Stone which God gives us freely You must know it is made divers Ways but I will teach you the Way which I learnt from my Father Take of the Stone which God gives us freely the Vitriol of Venus as much as sufficeth which dissolve in Philosophical distill'd Vinegar let the Feces settle decant the Dissolution from the Feces warily and filter draw off the Vinegar with a gentle Fire that the Matter may remain dry being dried dissolve it again in Distill'd Vinegar decant filter and draw off and that to be four times repeated till no more Feces settle in the Solution Then distil away the Vinegar with a gentle Fire till the Matter becomes so dry as to flie away in the beating of it into Powder yet retains its Spirits Now it is prepared for Calcination You must know Son that this Matter is in its Nature Stiptick and Astringent partly volatile partly fixed and so dissolved in Distil'd Vinegar that it may retain the subtil Spirit of the Vinegar and be calcined together with the said Spirit made more subtil be better opened and dissolved for the Spirit of Vinegar dissolves well before all things The Vitriol being thus prepared Put it in a Glass Bottle or Egg lute hermetically but the Vessels must be fill'd that there may be no space for the Spirits to elevate themselves set it on a Tripos and there let it remain in a temperate heat to subtiliate it self Then take out the Matter and pulverize it put it in a Cucurbit put on an Alembick with a Receiver to it and so distil in Balneo whatsoever will distil it will be distilled in about 20 or 25 days Then lay aside the Distillation take out the Feces lying at the bottom of the Cucurbit grind them very fine upon a Stone put them in a Dissolving Vessel pour all the Distilled Water to them seal hermetically and it will be all dissolved in Balneo without Feces distil the Solution in a Cucurbit through an Alembick in Balneo with a moderate heat that all the Water may separate it self which keep very choicely continue the Distillation in Ashes that you may receive the Element of Air in the form of a very noble Citrine Oyl and this must be done with a strong Fire lay aside the Air by it self very well stopped near the Water The Feces being as red as Blood take out of the Cucurbit grind them to an Impalpable Powder upon a Stone put them in a Glass Bottle or Egge seal and set it 30 days and nights on a Tripos to be subtiliated with a temperate heat then take out the Matter grind
But here riseth some doubt in that the Red Colour of this Calcined Vitriol seems to be by Isaacus himself called Volatile not in the least fixed This Matter saith he will remain red for ever and not fixed for if it should be fixed it would be altogether corrupted for it must be Dissolved into Water and distilled through an Alembick Cap. 65. To disperse this Cloud you must know the meaning of Isaacus is that Vitriol calcined or by what way soever reduced into redness remains red but not also fixed â—â—ause it must be dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar and Distilled through an Alembick For we find the like if not the same Phrase concerning the redness and fixity of the Philosophers Stone which will easily remove the aforesaid doubt When the Stone is perfect saith he it ought to remain in that State now and for evermore After Perfection it cannot be changed for better nor for worse but will remain a King for ever Wherefore if any Man has prepared the true Philosophers Stone no Multiplication follows after wheresoever Multiplication follows after Perfection there is not the Philosophers Stone nor is there a true Stone It may be a Medicine or other Stone of which sort are many wherewith Projection is made but it is not the Philosophers Stone which we here Discourse of When the aforesaid Stone is perfect and prepared it ought to remain in that State for ever Cap. 127. 1. Oper. Miner Pag. 407. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. As to the Permanence of the red colour in the Philosophers Stone he declares the following Notions In Multiplication saith he no blackness intervenes nor do any Colours of the World shew themselves nor any Whiteness nor in Sublimation does any thing shew it self besides redness nor in fixation does any Colour shew its self except its own that is an egregious redness For the Stone hath no other Colour but redness for it is one only substance one single matter and as the Heaven invincible You must also know tho it were sublimed it would not be deprived of all its fixity for when the Stone is made and prepared in the utmost vertue of it then can it not be changed out of its own Essence into another for if the Stone could be changed or drawn out of its own Essence into another Essence or Nature it would not be the Philosophers Stone nor one single Matter nor a glorified Body no no understand my Discourse rightly c. Cap. 72. 1. Oper. Min. Pag. 355. of the same Volume Isaacus being perhaps perswaded of an unalterable constancy of redness observed in the Multiplication of the Stone of higher Degree or Kind concludes the Philosophers Stone to be altogether and absolutely immutable which Opinion to defend in every part he has sooner ventured to deny the volatilization it self of the Stone than give way to the a … ing of fixity in Multiplication You must know saith he if the Stone were sublimed yet would it not be deprived of its fixity Yea he has chosen rather to prevert his own Senses for he himself hath in the same place taught how to volatilize the Philosophers Stone with some shining Menstruum and the Sense of the Word Fix tho upon this Term depends one half of all the Operations in the more secret Chymy than relinquish this fallacy derived from a Paralogism The Stone saith he may be so often opened as aforesaid and after that sublimed and again condensed so as to unite its parts which we call Fixation we term it indeed Fixation but it is not Fixation but only Condensation so as that all the subtil parts of it are again forced into an Union joyntly together as they were at first and the Stone will again expect Fire and we may again make Projection with it as we did before Cap. 76. read 73 74 75. Chapters of the same Book What we have against this Opinion we will reserve for the Third Book in the mean time it will be requisite for you to observe this one thing That the Matter of Calcined Vitriol as also of the Philosophers Stone multiplied remains for everred but not fixed because either of them may be volatilized with Philosophical Menstruums But let them be how they will the Vitriol of Saturn fixed the same way by the same Author will prove that the graduated Vitriol of Venus calcined to redness in a close Vessel is fixed Take saith he a Glass Viol put in it one half of Purged Saturn Sugar of Saturn made not with common Distilled Vinegar but Philosophical reserve the other part by it self till you have occasion put a fit Glass to the mouth of the Viol and put the Glass in sifted Ashes in a Fornace of Tripos Arcanorum or on a Fornace wherein you calcine Spirits give it a Fire as hot as the Sun is at Mid-summer no more except by chance a little hotter or colder provided it be not so great as to melt the Lead for so your Matter would be liquid as Oyl and should it stand so the space of 12 days all the Sulphur would fly away and the Matter be corrupted for the Sulphur of it is not yet fixed and on the outside only and therefore the Matter is most easily melted and though it be pure yet is it not fixed wherefore the Fire must be so gentle as not to melt the Matter let it stand so the space of Six Weeks after which take a little project it upon a hot Iron if it presently melts and fumes it is not yet fixed but if it remains the Sulphur of it is fixed Then increase the Fire notably till your Matter becomes citrine and so continually till it grows red still increasing the Fire till it attains to the colour of Rubies increase till it is red hot and then is it fixed and prepared for Infusion with the Noble Water of Paradise the Menstruum described in Numb 114. Besides this there is indeed another way also of calcining Philosophical Vitriol which is done in an open Vessel thus graduated Verdigrese is calcined to redness before the Distillation of it in the preparation of the Spirit of Venus of Basilius as we have observed in the precedent Kind but this belongs not to this place for the Calx remains volatile not fixed which way of Calcining was invented meerly for the seperation of the Phlegme The third Branch consists in a new dissolution of this fixed Vitriol in Philosophical Vinegar for which Reason this Vitriol is volatilized again and made fit for Distillation in the former Receipt this Solution is wholly omitted but more exactly described in the latter Process The fourth Branch is the single and frequent Distillation in the several ways of making all these Stinking Menstruums yet this excepted that out of this graduated fixed and again volatilized Vitriol the Spirit ascends not White but of a Saffron Colour because more Mature before the Red Oyl and lastly the White Spirit appears also being extracted out of the Salt or
thus continue till the Matter be altogether red as a Ruby then increase the Fire yet ten days and the hidden part of the Vitriol is now manifest and prepared in its redness as a volatile Matter The redness thus remaining take the Glass out of the Ashes and the Matter out of the Glass and put it in a stronger Glass to which pour the best Vinegar well rectify'd stop it well set it in Balneo so let it stand four days yet stirring the Matter with a Spatula made of Haslewood three or four times a day let it cool decant the Vinegar into another Glass pour new upon the Matter digest in Balneo as before this repeat with new Vinegar three times the decanted Vinegar gently draw off till the Matter remains in the form of a Salt at the bottom to which pour new sharp Vinegar put it four days in Balneo as before to dissolve and let that be repeated till it be free from any sediment Then coagulate the Matter into a dry Powder and put it in a Glass Cucurbit with a wide mouth and a large Alembick day the Receiver in a Vessel full of Water lute the Joynts firm and distil with an open Fire but very gently the space of four hours after that strongly and the Spirits will ascend yellow which are called Air continue the Fire in the same degree till the Alembick begins to be red then slow the Fire that the Alembick may be of a blood colour then increase the Fire still that the Glass may be burning hot as a red hot Iron which keep in that heat till the Alembick be made of a Snow Colour then strengthen the Fire yet more that the Alembick may again be clear and transparent then let it cool remove the Receiver and pour the Oyl into a pure Glass which stop well and you will have the true Oyl of Vitriol shining night and day in dark places which keep well for your occasion But you must know there is a White and Beautiful Oyl found in the bottom which to its red Oyl c. This Receipt of Trismosinus agrees almost in all things with Isaacus his Description of the Menstruum made of Vitriol so that it seems to me to be borrowed of Isaacus especially because the same phrase of Isaacus of the volatile redness of Calcined Vitriol is retained Those things therefore which were observed before upon the Menstruum of Isaacus do also hereto relate but we added this because Trismosinus does more assure us that this Oyl shines in darkness concerning which quality of his Menstruum Isaacus was silent Ripley made Menstruums of this Kind this way 128. The Circulatum Majus of Ripley Pag. 395. Accurtationum THe time of true Putrefaction and Alteration is compleated in the space of Six Weeks but it may be done in a shorter time by half and that by the acuition of our Mercurial Waters that is the white and red Water the milk and blood of the Green-Lyon in Numb 59. with common Mercury sublimate which thus do Fix and Calcine the Mercury sublimate and dissolve it in our white or red Mercury of the said Menstruum so as to be all one true Water which Water being thus acuated hath the Power of putrifying and altering any Calx of Metals in the space of three Weeks and that because the two Fires namely of Nature and against Nature are then joyn'd together in that Water Common Mercury being dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar or any Mineral Menstruum and fixed either by Sublimation as the Circulatum majus of Paracelsus or Calcination as the Vitriol of Isaacus calcined to redness is then dissolved in a stinking Menstruum and distilled through an Alembick He reduced all other Metals and Minerals the same way as he did Mercury into the greater Circulatums thus 129. The Metallick Acetum acerrimum of Ripley Pag. 266. Clavis aureae Portae HAving therefore these two Mercuries the white and red of the Stinking Menstruum practice with them either upon their own Earth or Caput Mortuum of the said Menstruum or upon the Calx of Metals prepared for you need not trouble your self about the Earth provided the substance of it be fixed Take therefore any of them being white and ferment it thus For the White Work take the Calx of Luna and the altered Earth a Philosophical Calx made of the Mineral Menstruum of Luna in equal quantity grind them together and temper them with the White Mercury which we call Lac Virginis in the Description of the Green Lyon and sublime them very well keep and gather that which is not fixed that is so much as ascends white and sticking to the parts of the Glass as Mercury sublimate for this is that our Mercury made by sublimation out of the white altered Earth then grind it upon its own Calxes tempering distilling and subliming it with Lac Virginis till it be wholly fixed so as to be immovable by Fire This is the sublimed and fixed Mercury for which fools take that common Mercury sublimed with common Vitriol and Salt wherein they very much err put it into a Circulatory and pour Lac Virginis upon it till it be covered then let it be circulated and distilled through an Alembick An Example of making the altered Earth of Metals and the way of fixing the said Earth he hath given in Vitriol Take Vitriol calcined to Ashes common Colcothar grind it to a most fine Powder put it in an Vrinal pour Lac Virginis the White fume of the Stinking Menstruum to it till it be covered with it stop the Vrinal with a Linnen Cloth and let it stand eight days then add the same quantity of the former Milk repeating it from eight days to eight but when it will drink up no more let it stand in the cold well stopp'd till a Cristalline Earth appears in the superficies of it like Eyes of Fish Seperate this Earth from the thicker parts resided in the bottom and put it this graduated Vitriol made not indeed of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine nor Philosophical Vinegar but the Stinking Menstruum in a Philosophical Egg to digest calcine discreetly till it be perfectly fixed then increase the Fire till it be perfectly citrinated and still increase it that it may be Rubified in the form and colour of Sanguis Draconis Lastly For a conclusion we will add the Circulatum Majus of Isaacus made of Sulphurs which being most clear in the graduation fixation and volatilization of it will help to illustrate those things which have perhaps remained more obscure in the antecedent and make the Receipts in this Kind more clear 130. The Circulatum majus of Isaacus made of Sulphur Cap. 88.3 Oper. Min. TAke Hungarian or Spanish Sulphur ten or twelve pounds prepare it upon a Stone with Philosophical Vinegar distilled as Painters do their Colours pour a good quantity of the aforesaid Vinegar upon it put it in Balneo stir it well with a Woodden Spatula decoct it in a
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
which are of a muddy colour Circulation being continued many days together in a circulating Vessel or in the Vessel of Hermes the Hole which you stopp'd with the said Matter must be opened and if a wonderful Scent go out so as that no fragrancy of the world can be compared to it insomuch as putting the Vessel to a corner of the House it can by an invisible Miracle draw all that pass in to it or the Vessel being put upon a Tower draws all Birds within the reach of its Scent so as to cause them to stand about it Then will you have my Son our Quintessence which is otherwise call'd Vegetable Mercury at your will to apply in the Magistery of the transmutation of Metals But if you find not the influx of Attraction stop the Vessel again as before and put it in the place before appointed and there let it stand till you attain to the aforesaid Sign But this Quintessence thus glorified will not have that Scent except a Body be dissolved in it nor have that heat in your mouth as Aqua ardens This is indeed by the Philosophers call'd the Key of the whole Art of Philosophy and as well Heaven as our Quintessence which arrives to so great a sublimity that either with it by it self alone or with the earthly Stars Metals the Operator of this work may do miracles upon the Earth Annotations THE twenty four following Kinds of Menstruums will prove that amongst the Dissolvents of the Adepts no one is made without the Vegetable Mercury or Spirit of Philosophical Wine for it is the foundation beginning and end of them all Yea it is according to the various and distinct degrees of its strength sometimes the least sometimes the greatest of all the Menstruums It is the least and weakest when it doth by its simple Vnctuosity dissolve only the unctuous or oyly parts of Vegetables but either reject or leave untouched the Remainder being less oyly and heterogeneous to it self it becomes the strongest when we temper its Vnctuosity with Arids that is dry things not Oyly for so it is made homogeneous to things dry-oyly and to things meerly dry In respect of which Homogeneity the Menstruums of the Adepts differ from the common because they do by reason of the said Homogeneity remain with the things dissolved inseparably yea are augmented by them but not with the least saturation transmuted and melted into a third substance and so cannot part without the diminution or destruction of their former Virtues The permanent Homogeneity of Menstruums with things to be dissolved is the reason why Essences are made with simple Vegetable Menstruums but Magisteries with the same compounded and so these operate more strongly those more weakly This is it to comprehend all in a word which shews us the various kinds of Menstruums distinct one from another in so many several degrees now to be described and illustrated by our Annotations But that you may more easily understand the following Receipts and me also I thought it necessary to preadmonish some certain things concerning the Nature and Property of this Spirit of Wine lest you should judge amiss of a thing not sufficiently understood First You are not to take the Spirit of common Wine though never so much rectified for the Philosophical Spirit of Wine for so the following Receipts of all Menstruums would be erroneous and seducing Having occasion saith Zacharias for a most excellent Aqua-Vitoe for the dissolving of a mark or half a pound of Gold we bought a large Vessel of the best Wine out of which we did by a Pellican obtain great plenty of Aqua vitoe which was often rectified in many Glass-Vessels bought for that end then we put one Mark of our Gold being before calcin'd a whole month and four Marks of Aqua vitoe into two Glass-Vessels one Retort entring into the other being sealed and both placed in two great round Furnaces we bought also Coals to the value of thirty Crowns at one time to continue Fire under it for the space indeed of a whole Year We might have kept Fire for ever before any congelation would have been made in the bottom of the Vessels as the Receipt promised no solution preceding for we did not operate upon a due matter nor was that the true water of Solution which ought to dissolve our Gold as appeared by experience pag. 783. Vol. 1. Th. Chym. Ripley admonisheth us of the same thing who saith Some think that this Fire this Fiery Spirit of Philosophical Wine is drawn from Wine according to the common way and that it is rectified by distillations often repeated till its watry Phlegm which impedes the power of its Igneity be wholly taken from it But when such a sort of Water which Fools call Pure Spirit though a hundred times rectified be cast upon the Calxes of any Body be it never so well prepared we do nevertheless see that it is found weak and insufficient as to the act of dissolving a Body with the preservation of its Form and Species Cap. 2. suoe Medul Phil. Common Wine saith he a little lower is hot but there is another sort much hotter whose whole substance is by reason of its aerity most easily kindled by Fire and the Tartar of this unctuous Humor is thick for so saith Raymund That Tartar is blacker than the Tartar from the black Grapes of Catalonia whereupon it is called Nigrum nigrius Nigro that is Black blacker than Black and this humidity being unctuous doth therefore better agree with the Unctuosity of Metals than the Spirit extracted from common Wine because by its liquefactive virtue Metals are dissolved into Water which operation the Spirit of Common Wine cannot perform which how strong soever is nothing else but clear water mix'd with a kind of Phlegmatick Water where on the contrary in this our Unctuous Spirit distilled there is no Phlegmatick aquosity found at all But this thing being rare in our Parts as well as other Countries Guido Montanor therefore the Grecian Philosopher found out another unctuous humidity which swims upon other Liquors which humidity proceeds from Wine to the knowledge hereof attain'd Raymund Arnold and some other Philosophers but how it might be obtained said not O tortas adeo mentes assuetaque falli Artificum vario rerum per inania ductu Pectora cum duris quid mollia vina metallis Apta epulis atque apta bibi suavissima vina Hic tamen expressam proelis torquentibus uvam Accipit phialae postrema in parte reponit Cujus in extremo rostrum connectitur ore c. Thus facetiously sings the Poet and Adept Augurellus Lib. 2. Chrys pag. 206. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. 2. That you take not any Oyl though an hundred times rectified instead of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine for all oyly matters whether distilled or expressed natural or artificial alone but much more mixt with other things as Alkalies Acids c. do by distilling digesting c. in
we are solicitous to describe would be prostituted to all men were this one only Word literally understood by Wine therefore is meant a Philosophical Secret hidden from all the unexpert It is expedient to draw from the Death of Wine by the Office of an Alembick that is we must rectifie so often till it become most pure without the Foeces and Phlegm of Wine which is by Lully called the Death of the Spirit It is saith he purged from all its Superfluity and Phlegmatick corruptible matter which is its Death and which mortifies its Spirit which hath the power of vivifying its Earth let therefore the corruptible Phlegm be purged and separated from it by a subtil method which I will tell you For what reason because if it be not well purged its Earth will never become white nor will Matrimony be made between the Body and Spirit and so that Spirit is call'd the Spirit of the Stone in Apertorio The Method of Rectification omitted in the former Receipt is described in the latter as also in Epistola accurtatoria This Rectification of Philosophical Wine Sendivogius understood not as appears by the Sixth of his Epistles Brux 25. Martii 1646. Where thus The second Article my Companion of the Pagesian work endeavours to repeat the mysterious way of extracting and preparing Mercury more than needed the Authority of Lully being misunderstood and the Precepts of other Philosophers ill applied he commanding the tenth part of his Magnesia first ascending by distillation to be saved as the only useful and truly Mercurial substance but the other nine parts proceeding by continuance of distillation to be cast away as of no use to this end that the said tenth part reserved might at length be restored to the Earth remaining after compleat distillation which Earth is foolishly supposed to be the Salt and Sulphur of Mercury and by repeated cohobations inhumations digestions and sublimations described by him united but it is a grievous Error for that which Authors declare concerning the tenth part containing the Spirit and of inhumations in its own Earth is otherwise referred than to the extraction and preparation of Mercury as shall be elsewhere in time demonstrated nor for the said extraction and preparation of Mercury is there any Rule to be used besides the bare distilling of Magnesia whereby the Spirit and Oyl are together elevated to a Siccity even of the Foeces and separation of the Spirit from the Oyl and rectification of the same Spirit oftentimes repeated But these things we will in their proper place more amply treat of in the Method of operating Parisinus a Disciple of Lully will correct Sendivogius who learnt of Lully to rectifie his Spirit of Philosophical Wine after this manner Take A Chaos our Vegetable Mercury in which the four Elements are found confused pag. 271. Vol. sext Theat Chym. and put it in a Vessel to be distilled through Y Balneo pag. 276. and in this temperate distillation gather its B. Celestial ardent Spirit pag. 269. continue that distillation this way and method till you attain to the Signs declared in our Apertorial and till you know that the said B. is dissolved and separated from its Elemental Nature continuing this Magistery even to the fourth Revolution Then put this Celestial fiery Matter into a pure Vessel and distil slowly with ordinary fire and take only a tenth part in the second distillation take half and in the third two parts of three and in the fourth take four parts of five and more Then take that last Celestial Water and distil it three or four times by the Rule abovesaid taking the whole without any separation appointed This observe and admire the necessity of this Mystery and Foundation and you will understand the reason why dull and ignorant men make the worst Bread with the finest and purest Flower because they mix the course part with the fine The same thing happens to presumptuous Artists who perswade themselves that they are able to find out the beauty of our Quintessence with the exuberated Spirit negligently purified without an exact separation of the pure from the impure in Elucid pag. 230. Vol. 6. Theatri Chym. Which way notwithstanding of rectification so exactly to observe there seems to me to be no necessity rectification of the Spirit being good enough which way soever done either with fewer or more cohobations provided it be separated from the impurities of the Wine which you will know saith Lully when it burns a piece of Linnen by reason of its vehement heat that is as elsewhere more clearly till a Linnen Cloth moistned with this Spirit and kindled be wholly consumed This rectified Spirit is in distilling sharpned with the oyly Vegetables nominated in the Receipt the Oyls of which being nearest to it it easily carrieth with it and is impregnated with the same and acuated by the aridity contained in them Yet are we not obliged to use these Vegetables only and no other or is it necessary to mix all of them together as if one or two would not suffice The Oyl of any Vegetable or drawn out of a Vegetable with the help of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or already made and added to the Spirit of Philosophical Wine will here satisfie us I will give one form or other in confirmation of this kind of Menstruums of which sort is 6. The Aqua Vitae of Paracelsus Pag. 508. Tom. 1. TAke of the Alcool of Wine exsiccated three pounds of the Flowers of Rosemary Macis Lavender of each half an ounce of Cubebs Cloves Cinamon of each two ounces of Mastick half an ounce of both sorts of Storax half a dram of each of Doronicum three ounces and cohobate seven times The following Vse besides the Alcool of Wine exsiccated testifies that this Water is made with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Take of the Leaves of Gold Num. 20. of Pearls not perforated Granats Rubies of each half a drachm digest for a Month Then take of this Oyl three or four grains with Malago wine or the water of Majoram or Sage This Menstruum is Vinum Essatum or Essentificatum or Spiâ—it of Philosophical Wine impregnated with the Essences of the Oyly Ingredients with which Paracelsus dissolves Gold and Precious Stones into a most noble Oyl or Elixir which he says is a Secret against the superfluity of Womens Menstruums The Description of this Water being clear requires no other Light I will therefore propose another Receipt more obscure 7. Another Aqua Vitae of Paracelsus Pag. 115. Chyr Min. TAke of the waters of Melissa Roses Cheirus Sage Balsamus of each one pound of all the Peppers Cubebs Ginger Cinamon Mastick red Myrrh Mace Cloves of each two ounces of the Juyce of Honey half a pound of rectifi'd Aqua Vitae sive pound Let them be all digested together for the space of nine days and after that separated and distilled in a Pelican into a Spirit Then to this Liquor add an Apple roasted and
a Filter and remove the Water by Balneo and the Salt will remain coagulated and white dissolve again with the Phlegm and Distil it away by Balneo Then take such a quantity of Aqua Vitoe Spirit of Philosophical Wine as you have of Phlegm and pour them together upon the same Salt and the Vessel being covered with its Antenotorium Blind Alembick set it in Balneo twenty four Hours the Antenotorium being taken away and an Alembick put on Distill by Balneo with a most gentle Fire when the Salt is coagulated congeal it again repeat the same Magistery dissolving by turns after this manner and congealing three times and so have you reduced the said Salt into a Vegetable Virtue by the help of the Vegetative Spirit by which you dissolved and congealed it Lully in Exp. 16. Sal Almoniack is easily dissolved in the Phlegm of Philosophical Wine and so is by this means sooner joyned with the Vnctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine than if it were immediately cast into this Spirit That Trismosinus knew also this Method and sometimes made use of it appears by the following Menstruum 15. Another Water of Sal Armoniack of Trismosinus In Tinctura Gereton pag. 98. Aur. Vel. German TAke of Sal Armoniack Crude two Pounds let it be dissolved in Wine Philosophical Cristallize it let the Cristals be dissolved per deliquium the solution divide into two parts one of which distil into the other with a Fire sufficiently strong rectify the parts being joyn'd together into a strong Water of Sal Armoniack The Sal Armoniack therefore being dissolved either in the Phlegm of Philosophical Wine that is Aqua ardens not rectify'd or Philosophical Wine it self Cristallized and resolved per deliquium is either by it self or with the addition of new Spirit of Wine Distilled into a Water of Sal Armoniack This Kind of Menstruums is made not of Sal Armoniack only but also of the rest of the Volatile Salts thus 16. The Gelative Sulphur of Lully In Exp. 8. TAke of the aforesaid animated Spirit of Vrine one part and of Aqua Vitoe perfectly rectify'd four parts which pour upon the animated Spirit and forthwith stop the Vessel that it may not respire which Vessel must be a large Bottle which shake and move with your Hands so in the twinkling of an Eye or Moment you will see all the Water converted into Salt but if any part of Phlegm be in the Philosophical Aqua Vitoe it will be immediately separated from the Salt in the Form of Water the Aqua Vitoe therefore ought to be very well purged from all Phlegm that when the work is done no Matter may remain with the Salt but be wholly converted which will be better and more useful and by this means you will have the Animal and Vegetable Salt which we will call Coagulative and Gelative Sulphur because it hath the property and virtue of dissolving the two Luminaries and reducing them from power to act their Vegetative and Germinative Form being preserved Lully sometimes sublimed this Offa or Pap of Vrine in the Ninth Experiment following thus There is saith he besides another way of Copulating the aforesaid Animal Spirit with the Vegetable Spirit namely thus Take of the Animated Spirit rectifi'd as above what quantity you will and pour it upon three parts of our Philosophical Aqua Vitoe perfectly rectifi'd which Copulation ought to be made in a Body large and high to which an Alembick may be suddenly fitted the said Copulation therefore being made you must have presently ready some Cotton-Wooll dipped in Oyl and very well squeezed wherewith the Mouth of the Distilling Vessel must be forthwith stopped and it must be let in within the Neck downward a hands breath fastened with a strong Flanel thread that upon occasion you may draw out the said Cotton-Wooll â—hen put to it an Alembick with a Receiver very close stopped and set it in a Furnace of Ashes giving it at first a gentle heat but then by degrees increasing the Fire till it be sublimed which sublimation you must keep in a Vessel firmly stopped because with this Salt and other Means you will be able to do Wonders Parisinus in his Apertorium pag. 15. M. S. S. mei doth by this Salt of Vrine acuate his C. or Spirit of Philosophical Wine which being acuated he then Circulates by the way used and before described in the Circulation of his Coelum melleum Lully hath also sometimes used the Volatile Salt of Blood for the making of these Menstruums as in his twelfth experiment Take Blood ground Blood drawn from sound and cholerick Men dryed on a clean Table that the Phlegm may be separated from it and then pulverized Exp. 11. put it in a Glass Body with a long Neck and having fitted an Alembick to it with a Receiver Distil first with a gentle Fire till the moisture exhale then encrease the Fire till the Salt be sublimed which will be very white gather it warily and keep it for it is of very great Virtue and Efficacy You have my dearest Son all the Medicines Salts which have properties with the two Luminaries as also with the other imperfect Metals without which this Art of Transmutation cannot obtain its desired end The Things which I observe from the Receipts are 1. That by Wine Spirit of Wine and Aqua Vitae common is not meant Aqua Ardens with which it is impossible to reduce or distil common Sal Armoniack into a liquid substance and though it might yet that Menstruum would be Common not Philosophical being made without the Spirit of Philosophical Wine 2. That these Menstruums are made of all Volatile Salts 3. That the Menstruums of this Kind are the Magisteries of Volatile Salts Mix the Essence of Philosophical Wine with the Magistery of any Volatile Salt and you will in a moment make a Menstruum of this fourth Kind 4. That these Menstruums may be also made by Parisinus his way of Coelum melleum namely by Circulation and therefore called Circulatums common Sal Armoniack Circulated Salt of Vrine Blood Harts-horn c. Circulated or the Water of Sal Armoniack Circulated the Water of the Salt of Blood Circulated c. 5. That it is very uncertain what Philosophical Menstruum Trismosinus meant by Spirit of Wine For divers Menstruums have been by the Adepts signified by the same Name of Spirit of Wine for the most part they meant the simple Spirit of Philosophical Wine sometimes the same acuated after a different manner that is the simple Vegetable Menstruum So Basil in his Book of Conclusions prepares the Oyls of Metals with Spirit of Wine by which he declares himself to have meant not the simple Spirit but a simple Vegetable Menstruum in the preparation of the Oyl of Mercury he commanding this open Metal to be by the Spirit of Wine rectify'd first with Salt of Tartar which Menstruum we shall have in the following Kinds reduced into an Oyl with the rest of the
Kingdom the stronger are the Menstruums and on the contrary But in the Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms it is difficult if not altogether impossible to discern by the length of time alone the dissolutions of the Bodies as being more opened of which sort are Oyls Salts as also the open Metal Mercury especially sublimed being more amply opened by the acidity of Salts The Fifth KIND Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and the fixed Salts of Vegetables and Minerals not tinging 17. The Coelum Vegetabile of Lully made of the Salt of Tartar In the 34th Experment TAke the best Aqua Vitoe rectified so as to burn a Linnen Cloth as you have seen operating with me and therefore no need of amplifying to you the Magistery of this Water Take therefore of Aqua Vitoe four Pounds and put it in a Glass Urinal Cucurbit which is very sound then take of the Vegetable Salt sublimed of the second Experiment Volatile Salt of Tartar one Pound grind very well and put it in the Aqua Vitoe Iute the Vessel with its Antenotorium Blind Alembick firmly with Wax Gummed that nothing may respire then putrifie two Natural Days after that take away the Antenotorium and put on an Alembick with its Receiver the Joynts being very close and distill upon hot Ashes Take notice that the Receiver must be very large and sound that it may not be broken by the force of the Aqua Vitoe and thus continue your distillation with a slow Fire till all be distilled through the Alembick But if any part of the Salt remain in the bottom of the Vessel pour it again upon the Water now lately distilled and distill as before making the Joynts as close as may be the distillation repeat in this order till all the Salt be passed through the Alembick in the Form of clear Water Then put of the aforesaid Salt one other Pound into an Urinal and pour the same distilled Water to it cover the Vessel with its Antenotorium as before putrifie as before then distill as before and when all the Salt is passed over with the Water take again as before of new Vegetable Salt one Pound and pass it all through the Alembick again as before with the distilled Water and by this means you will have those four Pounds of Aqua Vitoe united with three Pounds of the Vegetable Salt which hath the power of dissolving the two Luminaries Gold and Silver and all the other Metals with preservation of the Vegetable Form But now we intend to reduce this simple Menstruum into a Celestial Form Take therefore this simple Menstruum and put it in a sound Glass Vessel a Circulatory four parts of which must be empty but the fifth full Stop the Vessel so as not to evaporate and Circulate in Dung or Balneo sixty Natural Days and by this Method will you have a clarify'd Menstruum in which you will see a Sediment wherefore empty the Celestial Water into another Vessel and have a care that no Sediment pass over with the Water which you must keep very close in Balneo Annotations AS to the facility of preparation the Coelum melleum of Parisinus is better than the rest of the Menstruums but this of Lully hath preference among simple Vegetable Menstruums for it is the Sapo Sapientium compounded of fix'd Alcalies and the Vnctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine Fix'd Alcalies are not easily joyned with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but when they are throughly mix'd together they are easily sublimed into Sal Armoniack Sulphurs of Nature or Philosophers Mercuries the chief Instruments of the more secret Chymy Lully having prescribed several Acuators of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine speaks at length of acuating this Spirit with these Salts Philosophically Volatilized Let saith he our Menstruum which is the Quintessence of Wine be depurated from all Phlegm and acuated with the Philosophers Armoniack because it cannot otherwise dissolve Gold nor Precious Stones But let the Philosophers Sal Armoniack be well purified that is sublimed and cleansed from all terrestreity and uncleanness according to the manner of the Philosophers of which Philosophical Sal Armoniack we have indeed treated largely in our Book De intentione Alchimistarum Dedicated to the most Illustrious King Robert in the Chapter De Salibus Armoniac c. and in Clausura Testamenti otherwise called Vade mecum in the Chapter which begins Partus Veroe Terroe There you may read from first to last the Magistery of making and purifying together with the Virtues and Energies of this Salt And know my Son that whatsoever we Write in that Chapter we mean that Salt and nothing else Read and Peruse that Chapter because nothing can be done in the Magistery without that Salt for that is the thing with which we acuate our Menstruum to dissolve as Gold and Precious Stones and Pearls as well for humane Medecines as for a Metallick and Lapidifick Magistery and to make Pearls and Precious Stones In which Receipt of Lully we have the Volatile Salt of Tartar given us freely hitherto sought in vain with very great pains and cost of which the Theoretical Philosophers have in their Theories exhibited nothing but what is most obscure I speak saith Sendivogius all things openly the Extraction only of our Sal Armoniack or Philosophical Mercury I have not so openly revealed Send in Epilogo 12. Tract pag. 337. Now out of his second Experiment alledged we have the following Description of Sal Armoniack or Volatile Salt of Tartar thus The Volatile Salt of Tartar of Lully Out of the Second Experiment TAke the best Tartar pulverize and put it in an Earthen Vessel not glazed to calcine the space of three Days or till it be White Which being done dissolve it in the Aqua Vitoe first distill'd in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine not yet rectify'd thus namely Put this individual being calcined and White into an Urinal and pour in the Aqua Vitoe so as to be seven Fingers above it and cover the Vessel with its Antenotorium Blind Alembick and set it on a Furnace of Ashes to simper two Hours then pour that which is dissolved into another Vessel carefully but that which remains undissolved dry then again pour in new Aqua Vitoe and again boyl it upon Ashes empty the dissolution again as before and keep it with the other former dissolution the matter remaining in the Vessel dry again and take it out of the Vessel because it must be again calcin'd to be the more easily dissolved which being calcin'd dissolve again with new Aqua Vitoe and boyl it upon Ashes this dissolution keep with the other as above and repeat this Magistery so oft till all this individual be calcined and dissolved then put all the dissolutions in an Urinal fitting an Alembick with a Receiver to it and closing the Joynts very fast distil by Balneo till the matter be congealed or till no more will distil by that degree of heat then remove
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
Salt of Tartar till it ascend by distillation in the Form of a Milky Liquor It is thus done 22. The Tartarised Spirit of Wine of Basilius In manal Operation THe first thing to be known is that the Philosophers Tartar wherewith the Lock is opened is not like common Tartar as most Men imagine but is another Salt though springing from the same Fountain This Salt is the only Key to open and dissolve Metals if prepared as followeth Take the Ashes of a fruitful Wine and draw a Lee or Lixivium as strong as may be out of them with hot Water which evaporate by boyling it to a driness that the matter may remain reddish which reverberate in a reverberating Furnace three days or thereabouts with an open Fire till it become white then dissolve it in spring-Spring-Water suffer it to settle decant the clear filter to separate the Faeces being filtred coagulate and you will have the white Salt of Tartar from which the true Spirit is distilled after this manner Take Spirit of Wine rectifi'd to the highest degree and altogether void of Phlegm described in Numb 19. and pour it to the Salt of Tartar in a Phial with a long Neck so as to be three Fingers above it lute an Alembick to the Phial fit a Receiver to it and digest with a gentle heat then draw off the Phlegm most softly and the Spirit of Tartar is opened by Virtue of the Spirit of Wine and by reason of reciprocal and admirable love they both ascend together the Faeces remaining if any be as also the Phlegm must be cast away thus will you have the true Spirit of Wine wherewith Aurum potabile is made This truly is a most Noble Menstruum so as for its excellency to deserve a higher Place than this among the Simple Vegetable Menstruums whereas it ought to have been more rightly transferred to the seventh Kind of Menstruums but it very much at present Illustrating the Menstruums of Basilius and so of greater utility here than there we will not remove it from hence yet will we add some examples more clear of such sort of Menstuums Thus it is done 23. The Vegetable Acetum acerrimum or Ignis Adepti of Ripley made of Tartar calcined Pag. 331. Concord Raym. Guid. TAke the Tartar of Wine and calcine it to whiteness Take of this calcined Tartar one Pound and being pulverized put it in a great Glass Cucurbit and pour to it half a Cup or a little more of the strongest Spirit of Philosophical Wine stop the Mouth very close and let them stand in cold Water twenty four Hours then put a Receiver to it and distil in Balneo with an easie Fire yet so as to be distilled which easie distillation must be continued till the Phlegm ascend which must be known by the taste then let it cool and again put new Spirit of Wine to the aforesaid Tartar the same quantity as before doing all things as before which work you must repeat fifteen times but when the Vessel is opened in every Imbibition above all things have a care of the suddain fume of this Ignis Adepti This work being in fifteen times compleat lay aside three ounces of this fiered Tartar for a part to multiply the Mercurial Oyl as lower will appear Take the other part of this fiered Tartar and distil it in Sand with a most strong Fire which Fire being so distilled hath a white Colour and is our Natura ignita our Mercury our Aqua Vitoe lastly the Key of our Science This Menstruum is the same as to the Ingredients and Virtue with the Vegetable Heaven of Lully but it must be Circulated like that Heaven in order to lose its milky and duskish Colour and acquire the diaphaneity and clearness of this This Receipt hath also Johannes de Rupescissa which it is convenient to compare with this especially he varying somewhat in Circumstances by dissolving per deliquium Tartar impregnated with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine before the distillation of it 24. The Aqua Fortissima and Vertuosa of Johannes de Rupescissa Cap. 43. Lib. Essentiae THe most Blessed God the Creator of Secrets hath made so many wonderful things in Nature that neither can our Understanding perceive some few excepted nor Tongue express the wonderful things of God without stammering and among the Secrets I will reveal to you a Water of Divine Action and the Magistery of it is to take the best white Tartar calcined and put it in an Earthen or Glass Vessel and pour to it the best Philosophical Aqua Ardens you can get put on an Alembick and distil the Aqua Ardens very weak then take it away being little or nothing worth except for washing of the Eyes or other parts Then take you Tartar and you will find it twice as strong and this you may prove each time by your Tongue put other Aqua Ardens to it again many times more because it will be every time strengthned above measure and you may bring it to so great a degree of strength that no created action can be compared to it But if you would make it a hundred times stronger grind it and put it upon a Porphyry or Marble to be converted into Water which then must be distilled through an Alembick There is yet another way of preparing this Vegetable Heaven not by sublimation of the Alcali nor cohobation but simple Circulation namely by digesting the Alcali of Tartar in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine till it swims upon the Spirit of Wine like an Ovl. It is thus done 25. Vegetable Mercury acuated with the Salt of Tartar of Lully In Prima Camera Individuorum dist 3. Lib. Essen IN the first Chamber is signified that our Mercury is in the power of H crude Tartar and in order to draw it out the Artist must put the said H into E that is in a Glass-Makers Furnace three Natural Days and there must be a great quantity of it because but little will be made from thence which H Tartar now calcined you must grind subtilly and put it into H of Arboris Philosophical into dissolution per deliquium upon a Marble in a very cold place and covered because of dust and H will be converted into T oleum per deliquium which T must the Artist distil through a Filtre in a Glass Vessel and the Artist having separated T from H will be able to extract our Mercury out of the said T two ways First by the Magistery of the Chapter beginning Non reputes me c. by Circulation like the Essence or Spirit of Wine of Lully Secondly by the Magistery of the Chapter Non proetermittam by the separation of the Elements of which not in this place Lully sometimes used the Salt of Tartar depurated instead of the Oyl of Tartar per deliquium as in the First Experiment You have saith be another sign more certain of the purification of this Individual the Salt of Tartar namely when this most precious Salt
will remain in the Vessel upon Fire in the Form of an Oyl but being removed from the Fire will suddenly be congealed But dearest Son Let not the Prolixity of time be irksome to you in dissolving and congealing this Matter so often to take away Corruption which remaining it can never be joyned with its Spirit extracted from the most precious and its nearest Individual which is the best Wine freed from all manner of Humidity and Corruption Then Circulate it in a Circulating Vessel and so reduce it into a Quintessence and it will forthwith embrace its Spirit this Circulation we perform'd at first in thirty days but afterwards compleated the same in forty days which Circulation was much better than the the first because the longer it is circulated the more is it purify'd and adepted for any of our Physical Operations which order when need requires you also must observe Menstruums of this kind may be divers ways made not only out of the Alcali of Tartar but other fix'd Alcalies may be also taken instead of that as proves the following Menstruum 26. The Simple Vegetable Menstruum produced from the three Individuals of Lully In Experim 25. TAke Aqua Vitoe so acute as to burn a Linnen Cloth which transmit again through an Alembick that it may be perfectly rectify'd Then take the Salt of Celandine Salt of Mans Blood Salt extracted from Honey as you have them above in their Experiments all which Salts put together in an Urinal Cucurbit and upon every Ounce of those Salts pour four Ounces of the aforesaid Aqua Vitoe cover it with its Antenotorium blind Head then having a little time digested put on an Alembick with a Receiver annexed lute the joynts well and distil in Ashes suffering the Salts to go over together with the Water If any thing remain pour to it again its distilled Water and when all is come over pour in new Salt again to wit one Ounce and pass it through the Alembick as before Thirdly add again another Ounce of Salt as above and distil repeating this Magistery three times every time adding new Salt These things being done Circulate this Water in a Vessel deep and narrow the space of fifty Natural Days but observe that the Vessel respire not Circulation being finished you will in the bottom of the Vessel see a Sediment like the Urine of a sound Man which will be white empty the Water warily into another clean Vessel and be careful that the Sediment pass not over with the Water but remain in the bottom of the Vessel stop the Vessel of the Circulated Water so as not to respire and keep it in Balneo The preparation of the Salt of Celandine is in the Fourth Experiment Then take the Ashes of Celandine gathered in the Month of May at full Moon with its Roots and Flowers and put them in a Glass Vessel and thereto pour the water of Celandine distill'd in Balneo that you may from thence extract a Salt and let the matter boyl two hours in a most soft Fire of Ashes empty the dissolution into another Vessel but dry the undissolved Earth and when the Vessel is cold grind it pouring again new water upon the Ashes as before make it boyl and decant the dissolution as before This Magistery repeat till you have extracted all the Salt which is the Mercurial part of that Individual then take all those dissolutions and filtre them that they may be purged from Terrestreity then distilling by Balneo congeal for the Liquor being gone over in the bottom of the Vessel will remain a Mercury or Salt of a white colour which Salt you must dissolve and by turns congeal three times and by this means you will have extracted the Mercury out of this matter which hath virtues almost innumerable in acuating the Vegetable Spirit drawn from Wine and hath the power of dissolving all Metals with the preservation of their Vegetative and Germenative Form The fixed Salt of Man's Blood is thus prepared in the Eleventh Experiment Take Blood drawn from found and cholerick men and put it on a clean Table and so let it dry that the Phlegm may be separated from it then take the Blood grind it very well and put it into a Glass Body and with a slow Fire distil the water which being distilled keep apart and having augmented the Fire a little but not too intensely lest the Salt perhaps should sublime let only the moisture and superfluous Oyl exhale till it will distil no more then the Vessel being cold take the burned Earth put it into a Vessel stopp'd close to keep it from respiring for in respiring it would vanish away into Smoak set the Vessel in a reverberating Furnace but the heat must be exceeding temperate that the Salt of the Matter which is volatile and not fix'd may not exhale and that the Vessel may not by the violence of the Fire be broken as hath hapned to us and let the matter stand in that degree of heat the space of two days and it will be calcin'd which done let the Vessel cool and being cold open it and upon the calcined matter pour its own Phlegm that is the water which you distill'd at first let it boyl upon ashes two hours that some part may be dissolved and that which is dissolved decant into another Vessel and again with new water do as before and thus repeat till you have extracted all the Salt then draw off the water by distillation in Balneo and in the Vessel will remain the Salt as white as Snow of a great many virtues and if you acuare the Vegetable Fire with it it will without doubt dissolve the two Luminaries with the conservation of their Vegetative Form And with it may be made a most excellent Aurum potabile to preserve the radical moisture in men and expel many diseases The Third Experiment teacheth the preparation of the Salt of Honey after this manner Take new white Honey together with the Comb put it in a Glass Vessel to putrifie the space of sixty days then distil c. Then take the Earth Caput mortuum which remained in the Urinal and being perfectly ground put it in an Earthen Vessel made of Valentinian Chalk or of that which Crucibles are made of or if you cannot have this Vessel put the same Earth between two Crucibles one joyned to the other and very well luted then set them in a reverberating or Glass-makers Furnace and there let them stay four or five days so will the Earth be white but if you do this work in a reverberating Furnace have a care that the Fire be not too violent for so would the Earth evaporate and if the Fire be too weak it will never be calcined a moderate heat therefore is requisite thus no such error can happen as we have met with for when we began this work we lost all the Earth by the violence of Fire but to the purpose this Earth being calcined as
aforesaid and the Vessel cold take it out and grind it then pour the water which you distilled by Balneo to it and let the matter boyl two hours upon ashes and empty the water into another Vessel from the Earth which Earth you must dry with a gentle Fire Upon the same ashes pour new Phlegm and let it boyl as before decant by emptying and keeping as before the dissolution of the Body and thus repeat the Magistery till you have evacuated all the most precious Salt out of it and converted it into water Then take all those dissolutions and filtre them through a clean Linnen-Cloth which water you must distil by Balneo at length in the bottom of the Vessel will you have a most Precious Salt or Vegetable Mercury Which done know the weight of the said Congelation or Salt and pour to it a third part of the Water which you kept before and which you rectify'd seven times in Ashes the acid Water of Honey and stop the Vessel with its Antenotorium and set it in Balneo five Days then having taken away the Antenotorium and put on an Alembick you must with a temperate Fire by distillation exhale all the moisture that will distil and that will be insipid for the Earth hath received and in it self retained the Virtue and Acetosity of the Water Then again imbibe the Earth with new Water as before and repeat the Magistery by imbibing digesting and distilling so oft as before till the Earth hath attracted and imbibed all its Water And so by the help of the living God will you truly have the Vegetable Salt drawn from this individual which Salt is most precious and hath the power of acuating the Vegetable Mercury and dissolving the two Luminaries and all the other imperfect Metals And with this may Metals be reduced into their first Matter To these Salts requisite for this Menstruum of Lully I will add the fifth Experiment which teacheth to prepare Alkalies from Portulaca Marina Apium Sylvestre Squilla Euphorbium Pyrethrum Rosmarinus Herb Mercury Solatrum Oliandrum c. with all which you may acuate the Vegetable Mercury drawn from Wine either joyntly or severally This sort of Menstruums is made not only out of the Alkalies of Vegetables but also out of Mineral Salts such as common Salt Sal Gemmae Alum c. Thus it is made 27. The Circulatum Minus or Water of Salt Circulated of Paracelsus Lib. 10. Archidox TAKE the true Element of Water or instead thereof another Salt which hath not been as yet boyl'd to plain Driness or also Sal Gemmoe putrified pour two parts of the water mix'd with a little Juice of Raphanus to it putrefie in acurate digestion the longer the better let it afterward congeal and putresie again for a Month then distil in a Retort the remainder urge with a strong Fire that it may melt reverberate in a Retort with a continual Fire dissolve upon a Marble the water slowing from hence pour to it and putrefie again distil again even to an Oleosity joyn it with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and that which is impure will fall down which separate but let the pure be cristalized in a cold place pour on again that which is distilled and cohobate so oft till a fixed Oyl remains in the bottom and nothing sweet goes over Digest moreover for a Month then distil till the Arcanum of Salt pass over through the Alembeck Nor let long labour grieve you for this is the third part of all the Arcanums which are hidden in Metals and Minerals and without which nothing can be made useful or perfect The same Circulatum hath Paracelsus described in his Treatise of reducing Metals into their first matter or running Mercury which is the fourth Treatise in Rosario novo Olimpico Benedicti Figuli which Description we thought good to compare with this that they may illustrate one another Take saith he Sal Gemmoe most finely pulverized put it in a strong Crucible and increasing the Fire by degrees melt the Salt being melted keep it so for the space of three Hours the Salt being cold pulverize it again and melt it in a new Crucible according to the aforesaid method and so proceed five or six times then to the pulverized Salt pour so much of the hot Juice of Raphanus that it may be dissolved mix the Salt and squeeze it with a little of the Juice with a wooden spoon in a wooden Vessel being dissolved strain it through a sleeve and set it apart add again a little of the Juice and repeat till all the Salt be dissolved coagulate or draw off the water by an Alembick reduce the Salt into Powder putrefie in Balneo six days then distil with an open Fire like Aqua Regis observing the degrees of Fire till nothing more ascends force it with a most strong Fire for an hour that it may be throughly calcined pulverize the Salt being yet hot very small on a Marble and let it be dissolved by it self in a moist place putrefie all that is dissolved in Balneo three days then distil gradually by the Rule of Art all the Liquor through an Alembick in Sand the remaining Body being well pulverized dissolve on a Marble putrefie and distil as before repeat this three times the remainder reduce into Powder and put in a Cucurbit to which pour these three distilled waters putrefie five days and again distil in Sand thus putrefying and distilling all the Salt will at length ascend through the Alembick except a little Caput mortuum to be cast away but the water distilled from the substance of the Salt putrefie for a Day and a Night and rectifie twice or thrice and you will have the water of Salt This Menstruum made of Sea-salt or Sal Gemmae Paracelsus made choice of before the rest of the simple Vegetable Menstruums as the best because according to his Doctrine it is the Matrix or Center of Metals and Minerals Because saith he being instructed by Experiments and having in other Books also made mention that the primum Ens or fifth Essence of the Element of Water is the Center of Metals and Minerals and having elsewhere also added that every product ought to dye in that in which it received life In a German Manuscript these Words are thus read Das ein iegelich frucht in seiner Mutter darinnen es das leben uberkommen sterben muss That is every Fruit ought to dye in the same Matrix in which it obtains its Life that afterwards it may receive a new Life better and so by the deposition of the old Body be reduced into the primum Ens or first Being The way therefore of extracting the Center of Water in which Metals ought to depose their Body will I here add This Menstruum we will explain by its Branches whereof the First is Oyl of Salt dissolved per deliquium In the first process he dissolves Sea-salt or Sal Gemmae in water mix'd with the Juice of
Raphanus putrefies and with a stronger Fire distils but the Caput mortuum the remaining Salt rather he dissolves on a Marble per deliquium In the second Receipt he dissolves Sal Gemmae being first five or six times melted in an equal quantity of the Juice of Raphanus made hot then coagulates putrefies and distils like common Aqua fortis the remaining Salt reduced into Powder being as yet hot he dissolves per deliquium in a moist place Sometimes he does without this stinking Juice of Raphanus more compendiously prepare that Oyl of Salt per deliquium and that is from Salt calcined with Nitre The Receipt is to take of common Salt and the Salt of Urine equal parts to be by the Rule of Alchymy calcined two hours then resolved in a Cellar after the usual manner c. From this calcined Salt is distilled a Spirit which resolveth Gold into Oyl but if it be again extracted and to the highest degree prepared a most excellent Aurum potabile will be had but without that extraction Distillation the Gold is only resolved then is it a most pure Art for Goldsmiths in guilding and for Iron-smiths a constant and precious Treasure to guild with yet they that prepare it ought to be skilful Alchymists Libro de rebus Nat. Cap. 4. de Sale pag. 190. That Paracelsus by the Salt of Vrine intended Nitre is easily proved by what follows In what place soever saith he the Urine of Man or Beast is poured forth at the same succeeding time is Sal Nitre produced for Urine gathered and prepared into another Salt is called Sal Niter ibidem But the same Receipt Tract de Sale pag. 171. Puts it out of all doubt being thus described Take Salt and Sal Nitre in equal proportion let them be calcined by themselves till they melt then resolve them into a Liquor The Second is The Oyl or Essence of Salt In the first process he takes the Oyl of Salt per deliquium and cohobates it so oft with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine till the Salt remains at the bottom in a form of an Oyl and no Phlegm ascends but if instead of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine any Vegetable Menstruum be taken as for example the Menstruum which we treat now of being already prepared or Salt circulated there is no necessity for the Salt to be dissolved per deliquium but is with less pains reduced into an Oyl or natural Essence Though saith he there are more ways to extract the Ens primum of Salt yet this is most commodious and most expeditious and after this there is that other way which we mention'd speaking of the Elixir of Salt namely that new Salt mix'd well with the dissolving water which is the distill'd Spirit of Salt the Circulatum minus made of Salt the water of Salt circulated the Arcanum of Salt the Menstruum which is now in hand must be putrify'd and distill'd so long till the substance of the Salt be dissolved and reduced into a perpetual Oleosity the Body in the Form of Phlegm being abstracted from it The place alleadged is in Lib. 8. Archid. de Elixeriis pag. 31. Take Salt well prepared most white and pure put it into a Pellican with six times the weight of the dissolving water by the dissolving water is our water of Salt circulated to be understood Lib. 10. Archid. pag. 38. Digest them a month together in Horse-dung then separate the dissolving water by Distillation and pour it on again and separate as before and that so oft till the Salt be converted into Oyl This way of making the Essence of Salt with the Circulatum minus is much better and more exquisite than that former preparation performed by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine though Paracelsus affirms the former method to be more useful and more expeditious than the latter which is to be understood of the use of both not the preparation For the Essence of Salt is both sooner and better prepared with some Circulatum minus than with the simple Spirit of Philosophical Wine from which Essence of Salt which way soever made is prepared the Arcanum of Salt which reason will have more commodious and more expeditious in extracting the Essences of things than the Oyl of Salt not yet so graduated In the second Process Paracelsus commands indeed the Oyl of Salt made per deliquium to be putrefy'd but as to the means of putrefaction whether with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or some simple Vegetable Menstruum makes no mention without which notwithstanding the Salt would not ascend in the Alembick and if it were distilled yet would it be of no use in extracting Essences He putrify'd therefore the Oyl of Salt per deliquium for some time with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine then being putrifyed distil 〈◊〉 with a stronger Fire the residue of the Salt he again dissolv'd on a Marble and being dissolved putrify'd and distill'd it with new Spirit of Philosophical Wine or some Simple Vegetable Menstruum so often till he had distill'd the whole into Spiritual Water of Salt The third Branch consists in the Reduction of the Essence of Salt into the Arcanum of the same for the Natural that is Saline Essence of Salt doth by being cohobated sometimes with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine ascend together with it becomes sweet and is transmuted into the Arcanum of Salt or Artificial Essence of which Arcanums more in the second Book of Medecines Common Salt therefore distilled with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine through an Alembick is the Circulatum minus of Paracelsus the Aqua salis circulati the Primum ens salis the Arcanum salis the Aqua solvens the Spiritus salis distillatus the Matrix and Center of Metals and Minerals c. It is called Circulatum by reason of the Circulation or Digestion of the Essence of Salt for a Month with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or which is more probable because of the common Circulation of all the Vegetable Menstruums for the space of 30 40 or 60 Days after the Menstruum was already made so that this Circulation though omitted in our Receipt must be understood in these Circulatums of Paracelsus It is not therefore called Circulatum minus as if common Salt had less Virtues in dissolving than the other Salts but because it hath those only and not the quality of tinging superadded as the greater Circulatums after the same manner as Salt is made a Circulatum may also Vitriol be made a Circulatum Alum a Circulatum Tartar a Circulatum c. This way also saith Paracelsus is the Arcanum or Magistery to be made of Vitriol as also of all other Salts Lib. 10. Arch. Cap. 3. Pag. 38. Lastly As the saline Essence of Salt loseth its saltness and becomes sweet by being digested and cohobated in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine so the Common Spirit of Salt well mixed and digested with the Spirit of Wine becomes a sweet Menstruum It is
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
be full but the third empty and distil in Balneo with a gentle Fire one part of three or till it produceth Veins in the Head which Veins being vanished and gone remove the Receiver and being very close stop'd keep it with the distilled Water which is the Mercury Spirit of it in a place as cold as you can then continue the distillation increasing the Fire and its Phlegm will be distilled which requires a stronger Fire to go over the Helm and thus continue distilling till the Body appears in the likeness of Honey or melted Pitch then let the Vessel cool and keep the Phlegm which shall distil Then take the first Mercury or first Spirit which you distill'd in the beginning and rectify it thus Put it into a large Cucurbit an Arm and a half high then put into the Mouth of the said Vessel Cotton enough to stop the Mouth of it which Cotton must be first moistened with Oyl and pressed out and tyed to a Hempen Thred that when you have a mind you may draw it out of the Neck of the Vessel and that the Cotton may not fall into the Cucurbit then put an Alembick to the Cucurbit with a Receiver the Joynts being very close besmeared with Wheat-Flower and Linnen Swaths that is impasted with the Pap of Flower bound fast to the Neck of the Cucurbit to keep the Vessels from respiring which past Chymical Lute being dryed put the Cucurbit to a Fire of Balneo boyling gently and the matter will be sublimed into a most precious Salt Yet Son take notice of this that the Beak of the Alembick must be large and wide lest the Salt rising and subliming out of the Cucurbit should stop the Mouth of the Beak of the Alembick when it flows over into the Receiver for if so the Vessels would be broken as it hath also happened to us when we brought this Experiment to practice when you see all the Salt gone over by distillation there will remain in the Cucurbit a certain Phlegmatick Water which throw away as nothing worth but the Salt empty with care and keep it in a Glass Vessel very close stop'd which Salt will be Volatile and we will use it either for the dissolving of Bodies or for the making of Medecines There is also another way of rectifying or purging the aforesaid animal Spirit or Mercury Take therefore that animal Spirit and distil by Balneo and half the Liquor being gone over remove the Receiver and throw away that which remains in the Vessel that which is distilled distil again taking two parts of it what remains in the Vessel throw away again as before and what is gone over distil again a third time and take little less than all of it and thus will you have the animal Spirit or Mercury perfectly rectify'd wherewith you may exanimate your Earth which you had before remaining in the likeness of liquid Pitch Take therefore that liquid Pitch or rather Earth dissolved and pour upon it so much of the aforesaid animal Spirit as to rise four Fingers above it the Vessel with its Antenotorium lute with Wax gummed that it exhale not then shake the Vessel or Urinal very well that the Spirit may be incorporated and the Earth being well joyned with the Spirit dissolved put it in putrefaction for two Natural Days then take away the Antenotorium and immediately put on an Alembick with a Receiver lute well to prevent respiring and distil by Ashes Have a care of the fumes when you open the Vessel for they are exceeding strong All the Spirit therefore being by distillation gone over increase the Fire that the Soul may be imprinted into the distilled Water and lastly again increase the Fire thus gradually till some other Salt or Sulphur be sublimed When no more will sublime cool the Vessel and gather the sublimation and lay it with the animated Spirit lately distilled then take out the hard and burned matter remaining in the Vessel and grind it and pour again to it of new Spirit as above cover the Vessel with its Antenotorium again as above and putrify then take away the Antenotorium and putting on an Alembick with a Receiver well stop'd distil the animated Spirit by Ashes which being distill'd again as before increase the Fire at last that some part of the Oyl may be forc'd over and the other part of the Sulphur sublimed but when you see nothing more will distil nor any thing sublime suffer the Vessel to cool and keep the animated Spirit last distilled with the other distilled before So also if any part of the Salt ascends by sublimation mix it together with the aforesaid Spirit as before and keep them all in a Vessel close stop'd then again pour new Spirit upon the Earth so as to rise three Fingers above it and joyning an Antenotorium to it putrify as before and then distil in Ashes as before but when nothing more will distil increase the Fire as much as possible by adding fuel that the Earth may be calcined and in this third Operation converted into a Beretine or ash Colour then the Vessel being cold and the Receiver with the animated Spirit taken away keep it with the rest of the animated Spirit but put the Earth into a Vessel of Earth or Chalk which must be sound and able to endure Fire covered with the like Vessel giving it as strong a heat as can be made with wood and so continue two days then by that time you will have calcined the Earth the Vessel being cold draw out the said Earth which will be almost white or of an ash Colour clear and bright pour so much of its Phlegm upon it as will swim four Fingers above it and let it boyl in Ashes four Hours and then decant the Liquor warily into another Vessel and keep it dry the remaining Earth and pour to it again of new Phlegm as before then make it boyl as before then decant as before and dry the Earth thus repeat the Magistery till all the Earth is dissolved or the most part of it imprinted into that Phlegm which probably will happen in the third or fourth dissolution if any thing remains undissolved throw it away for it is an empty Earth of no Virtue but the Earth which was dissolved in the Phlegm pass through a Filtre and then again through a most fine Linnen Cloth which done congeal the dissolution in a most gentle Fire of Ashes in a Glass Urinal to which must be put an Alembick with its Receiver which being congealed dissolve again in the same Water lately filtred then pass it through a Cloth again and lastly congeal it as before But this Magistery you must reiterate till it yields no more Terrestreity in the Filtre Then keep our Physical Sal Armoniack our Animal Sulphur our fixed Animal Mercury whereof lay a little upon a hot Plate and if it melt as Wax without smoak it is a sign you have the Argent vive fixed and perfectly depurated
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
saw some Experiments of it and so keep it well in a cold place Cap. tertium significatum per D. D. Having declared the method of rectifying and separating our ardent Spirit from its Death depraving its Virtue and Power you must now know that it is not able to dissolve the two Luminaries and reduce them into action except it be first acuated as I shall tell you Though this preparation is to be taught in general in Cap. F. yet to prevent the loss of time so soon as you have rectify'd your ardent Spirit otherwise called the first Flower I had rather have you forthwith put it into Practice which we have in this Chapter signified by these two Letters D. D. whereof one denotes the acuition of it the other its Royal Acuator that is Salt extracted out of Honey by the way which we have oftentimes shewed you that is with its most precious Water of Honey or the Menstruum described in the third Kind Numb 10. and though this Water be good enough yet this Water being acuated with its most precious Salt of which you will be more certain will recompence your Labour and abundantly sustain you till you attain to the end of your Labour the great Medicine Now to the purpose Take white Honey of young Bees put it in Putrefaction in large Cucurbits with their Alembicks in Balneo and make it boyl continually for an Hour the rest of the time let it remain in a temperate heat and this do for the space of fifteen Natural Days then pour to the matter so much of C as to swim the breadth of four Fingers above it covering the Vessels with the blind Heads and putting them in Putrefaction three Natural Days then put on the Alembicks with their Receivers and the Joynts being well luted distil in Balneo and when seven parts of eight are distilled or which is a more certain sign when you see round tears or drops ascend lay aside the Receivers close stopp'd that nothing may evaporate keep them in a cool place for the acuition of the matter then continue the distillations in the same degree of heat till nothing more ascends but if necessity requires a greater Fire have a care of making it too strong and when nothing will ascend by the said Rule take away also these Receivers and keep them because they contain the second Water or Phlegm for the extraction of the most precious Salt Now put your matter in Ashes and distil with a heat of the third degree the Oyl being distilled suffer the matter to cool which being pulverized reverberate in an Earthen Dish in a Reverberatory for eight Days or till it be calcin'd enough the sign will be when you find it of an Ash Colour then pour of the reserved Phlegm to it so much as to cover it the breadth of two Fingers the Vessel being covered with a blind Head keep it in Balneo two or three Days decant the Liquor and pouring on new Phlegm repeat so oft till you have extracted all the Salt which will exceed Snow in whiteness And this is that Salt wherewith we acuate our simple C the ardent Spirit for a Menstruum of the Fifth Kind this is that which gives the beginning of Vegetation to both the Luminaries reducing them into the Nature of a Quintessence And with the same may you also acuate and augment its own VVater of Honey or Menstruum of the Third Kind which hath the power of Vegetating all Minerals VVith this alone will you support your self in your necessity so as to be in duty bound my Son to give thanks to the absolute power Be careful not to disclose so great a secret to any Man for we have now declared it so plainly that 't is impossible to add any thing more Now take your decantations which you drew off in Balneo that the Salt may remain most white which you must dissolve filtre and congeal three times and it will be fit for all your operations Now let us descend to the practice of acuition Take of the Salt aforesaid one ounce to which being well pulverized pour four parts of C that is the first Spirit ardent but because a Menstruum of the fifth and not of this Kind would be made by this Spirit therefore is C being acuated with Honey or the mellifluous Heaven of Parisinus a Menstruum of the third Kind to be taken in a blind Head and the Joynts well luted putrify the space of two Natural Days then put on an Alembick with a Receiver and distil in Ashes distillation being ended take a pound of the Salt remaining in the Retort and add to it four times the quantity of C putrifying and distilling in Ashes as before and the Magistery so often repeat till all the Salt ascends together with its Celestial Spirit or C and by this way may you acuate and multiply as you please but remember that one part of Salt requires four parts of C in this place the Coelum mellifluum of Parisinus And you must know I tell you no fabulous Stories but very distinctly declare to you the order of true Practice yet with this Proviso That when first you have brought it into action you would altogether conceal it considering with how great obscurity the ancient Philosophers delivered theirs which notwithstanding they had not done but to restrain the ignorant from being too arrogant for the same reason also do we desire that as we have more than often admonished you you would keep secret and in convenient time and place work for your self and the poor of Jesus Christ Cap. quartum significatum per E. VVe ought to return infinite thanks to the goodness of the Eternal God in teaching us so bountifully the way of preparing our Heaven and making us partakers of so admirable and inestimable a favour Certain it is when I had compleated this most secret Science and seen real transmutation the first time I was in a manner astonished and often lifting up my Eyes to Heaven fell prostrate upon the Earth giving thanks to Almighty God Now to the purpose Take a large Glass of such a size as I shewed you one at Murarium into which put two or three pounds of that Menstruum stop it well and circulate in Balneo or Horse-Dung but have a care lest in changing the Dung you impede the circulation and so let it circulate the space of forty Natural Days and then you will find your matter clear as Cristal with a Sediment in the bottom like Silk which decant warily into another Glass keep it very close in Balneo and you will have a Simple Vegetable Menstruum if made of the ardent Spirit and Salt of Honey but a compound if prepared with the Coelum mellifluum of Parisinus and Salt of Honey our Heaven is in Virtue beyond expression herewith do we truly calcine and dissolve the Luminaries with the preservation of their radical moisture This is that which will reduce imperfect as
very great difficulty dissolved by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but being once counited with this Spirit they are as well as Mercury converted into a third substance never to be divided into their constitutives that is Metal and Spirit This open Metal they made more open sometimes by the acidity of Salts so Trismosinus did sometimes sublime common Mercury for his Hell Fire yet principal care must be taken that such Menstruums as these made of Mercury sublimate be by being dulcify'd with longer than ordinary circulation or repeated cohobations freed from all the acidity of the Salts but this operation being full of danger yea contrary to the Rule of Vegetable Menstruums which excludes every Acid whatsoever we have therefore thought good to advise young Beginners to use crude Mercury as safer than sublimate Instead of these we will therefore commend the Menstruums made of crude Argent vive 42. The Alchymical Mercury of Ripley In Concord Raym. Guidon TAke of crude Mercury well purged one Ounce of our Fiery Tartar or former Vegetable Salt reserved in the Fifth Kind in Numb 23. three Ounces grind both together very fine upon a Marble till they be incorporated then put the matter in a warm Balneo and let it be all dissolv'd into a kind of white Milk put it all upon a Pound of crude Mercury and let it be all dissolved into the like Milk and thus do in infinitum This Mercury being dissolved putrify in Balneo then distil in Ashes first with a gentle Fire and an insipid Water will ascend which must be thrown away then the Fire being more increased another Water will ascend more thick which Water indeed dissolves all Bodies putrifies cleanseth and fixeth them at the end with a more vehement Fire will an Oyl ascend of a Golden Colour which must be preserved for the dissolving of the red Ferment and for the multiplying of the red Elixir for it is our peculiar Gold not yet fixed by Nature Elsewhere instead of Tartar fired that is the Spirit of Philosophical Wine dryed in the Salt of Tartar or Vegetable Sal Armoniack made of the Salt of Tartar but not yet sublimed Ripley sometimes used some simple Vegetable Menstruum with which he made the exalted Water of Mercury as followeth 43. The exalted Water of Mercury of Ripley Cap. 12. Philorcii TAke Nigrum nigrius nigro and distil an Aqua ardens and fortify it with Pepper Squilla Pyrethrum Euphorbium Solatrum Anacardus grains of Paradise Staphis-agria and the like in acuity but this is a great secret Take the Water of the fifth fortification and distil pour it upon Mercury so as to swim two or three Fingers above it stop the Vessel to prevent exhaling put the Mercury in Balneo to dissolve for a Month that which is dissolved of it empty into another Vessel and keep pour new Water upon the Mercury not dissolved and proceed as before thus continuing till you have one Pound of Mercury dissolved Then put the dissolution together in Balneo the space of fifteen Days and after that distil and that which ascends keep apart in a Vessel not to respire and upon the remaining Faeces pour new Water and proceed by Balneo as above and this Work continue till all the Mercury is exalted But this is not the Work of idle and sloathful Men. Now this Water thus exalted is by the Philosophers call'd by many Names for it is Lac Virginis Aqua roris Maii and Aqua Mercurii Nigrum nigrius nigro and Philosophical Wine we have proved before by Lully to be Synonimous the fortification or acuition of that Water or Spirit with Pepper Squilla c. we taught in the second Kind Mercury though an open Metal is yet hard enough to be dissolv'd in the aforesaid Menstruum of the second Kind but the stronger the simple Vegetable Menstruums are the sooner also is it dissolved an Example you will have in the following Glorious Water of Lully where Mercury is in the space of six days dissolved in the Coelum Vinosum of Lully by a Menstruum of the sixth Kind 44. The Glorious Water of Argent vive of Lully In Testamento Novissimo TAke of common Argent vive one Pound put it in a Glass Vessel and pour upon it of the Vegetable Menstruum above described 〈◊〉 the Sixth Kind in Numb 30. so much as to swim four Fingers above it set it in Balneo or Dung six Days and it will be all dissolved into a Glorious Water elevate the Menstruum gently by Balneo and at the bottom of the Vessel will remain the Light of Pearls and Soul of Metals This we meant in the Chapter which begins Oportet nos cum eo incipere cum eo finire Then take of this Glorious Water of Argent vive one Pound and mix it with two Pounds of the Vegetable Menstruum coelificated of Coelum Vinosum in Numb 30. and it will all become one Water with which you will dissolve all Bodies as well perfect as imperfect for the Production of our Sulphur The same way almost he prepares that which he calls the incalcinated Menstruum 45. The incalcinated Menstruum of Lully In Experim 34. TAke common Mercury brought out of Spain in Skins seal'd with a Spanish Seal to prevent Sophistication force it through a fine Skin then take the Mercurial Water extracted from Mercury by the Magistery as we taught you in the Experiment of three Vessels as you know and so dissolve the Mercury being all dissolv'd draw the Water from it by Balneo and in the bottom of the Vessel will the Mercury remain in the Form of an Oyl This therefore we will use to be incerated circulated rather into our Heaven or our coelificated Menstruum Take therefore four Pounds of the coelificated Menstruum the Vegetable Heaven described in the Fifth Kind in Numb 17. and one Pound of the aforesaid Mercury reduced into Oyl and joyn them together then will you have at length the incalcinated Menstruum with which you will dissolve the two Luminaries preserving their Form and not only preserving it but also propagating it in infinitum The Receipt of this Menstruum is plain yet must we declare what he means by the Mercurial Water extracted by the Magistery of three Vessels the Description of which Menstruum we read thus 46. The Mercurial Water by â—â—â—ee Vessels of Lully In Experim 13. TAke Spanish Mercury which is brought in Bladders with the Seal of Spain that it may not be adulterated sublime it thus Take Vitriol dryed from all Phlegm and common Salt prepared and decrepitated or first burn'd in Fire joyn the Mercury with these two grinding very well then sublime in a Vessel at first with a gentle Fire then increase the Fire till it be perfectly sublimed the Vessel being cold gather the sublimation carefully and beware of the fumes being Venomous imbibe the sublimation very well with the Oyl of Tartar per deliquium and quick Lime then put the matter into
Menstruum of Guido for Precious Stones Pag. 92. Thesauri Chym. TAke of the Vegetable Menstruum acuated described in the Seventh Kind in Numb 38. or Numb 39. four parts of the Oyl of the Mercury of Sol or Luna one part mix He elsewhere pag. 84. describes the Oyl of the Mercury of Metals thus Take of the Mercury of Sol a Description of which we shall have lower in the third Book three Pounds of the red Lyon Gold sublimed of the preparation of which in its place in the second Book twelve Ounces or equal weight mix very well put it in a Cucurbit with its Alembick lute well and increasing the Fire by degrees sublime and the Mercury will ascend partly quick partly in the form of a wâ—â—â—e or Ash-Colour'd Sublimate and about the lower part of the Glass of a citrine Colour mix the quick Mercury again with the Sublimate and again sublime and that so oft till all the Mercury is sublimed which being so sublimed put into Phials of a large bottom and in every one eight Ounces to putrify in Balneo six weeks and then six weeks in Balneo rorido and the sublimed Mercury of Sol will be resolved into a black Oyl which rectify through an Alembick first with a weak Fire then a stronger lastly most strong so will you have the Oyl of the Mercury of Sol. But besides Mercury that open Metal Menstruums of this Kind may be also made of the other Metals though more compact an Example of which we have in the Lunar Menstruum of Lully 48. The Lunar Menstruum of Lully In Experimento 24. TAke common Mercury and wash it with Vinegar when the terrestreity of it is taken away let it run through a Goats Skin then put it into those your Vessels of which you had a Form before in Numb 46. put the Mercury in those Vessels and distil with repetition till it turns all into Water as I taught you above then take four Ounces of this Mercurial Water and therein dissolve one Ounce of the Vegetable Mercury of the second Experiment Salt of Tartar sublimed or Vegetable Sal Armoniack made of the Salt of Tartar pass it through an Alembick together with the aforesaid Mercurial Water then in every four Ounces of the Water dissolve one Ounce of Mercury as before prepared that is Vegetable putrify eight days then distil by Ashes increase the Fire at last that so it may pass into that which was distilled in which dissolve half an Ounce of Silver cupellated then putrify three Days then distil in Ashes and lastly increase the Fire a little that all the clearness or whiteness of the Luna may go over by an airy resolution in this distillation He extracts not the whole Silver but the more Volatile part of it called in the ways of making Sal Armoniack animated Spirit by the Menstruum of three Vessels already described in Numb 26. with the Description of it there declared you may explain those things which are more obscure in the present Receipt He sometimes joyns the animated Spirit of Luna and the animated Spirit of Sol together and by circulation reduceth them into an admirable Menstruum after this manner 49. The Circulatum majus or Acetum acerrimum of Lully In Experimento 25. TAke the simple Vegetable Menstruum of three individuals described before in Numb 26. then take Luna calcine it with Mercury then take principal care to remove all the Mercury from the calcined Luna and the same way calcine Sol with Mercury then let all the Mercury be taken wholly from it these two Bodies put into Glass Dishes each by it self apart and to them each by it self apart pour clarifyed Honey mixing the Calxes of the two Bodies very well with the Honey upon Ashes so as to boyl then take the Honey from the Calxes by washing them in hot distilled Water and the Calxes will remain in the bottom of the Vessel then mix the Calxes with the Honey again boyling as before and mixing with a Spoon as before and thus repeat your Work three times as well in the Calx of Luna as Sol Then take these two Bodies being calcined and washed and put them into a Vessel of solution severally and pour upon them of the former coelificated Menstruum of the three individuals so much as will swim three Fingers above it cover the Vessel with a blind Head luting the Joynts well with wax gummed that it may no way respire set it in Balneo for a Natural Day so as to boyl gently then for two other Days put it upon Ashes and let it boyl gently as before then empty that part of Sol which was dissolved into another Vessel by it self which solution will be of a yellow Colour So also take out the dissolution of Luna by it self apart and pour it into another Vessel each of which dissolutions keep in each Vessel as before in Balneo but the dissolution of Luna will be of a Sea or Green Colour the undissolved Earth as well of Sol as Luna dry upon Ashes Which done pour again to each of the new circulated Menstruums and the Vessel being covered with a blind Head as before set it in Balneo and make it boyl gently as before and continue the same boyling upon Ashes lastly decant the dissolution of each Body as before into its Vessel wherein the other dissolutions above were kept by themselves apart But this Magistery you must repeat till all the Sol and all the Luna are dissolved these dissolutions putrify by themselves apart the space of forty Days after putrefaction put the dissolutions severally into two Urinals with Alembicks and Receivers stopp'd and the Joynts being well luted distil first the whole Menstruum in Balneo but the Bodies will remain in the form of an Oyl then again pour upon them so much of their Water lately distill'd as to swim three Fingers above the Matter cover the Vessel with a blind Head and putrify twenty four Hours then take away the blind Head and put on an Alembick with a Receiver and luting the Joynts distil with a gentle Fire in Ashes lastly increase the Fire somewhat that the air the animated Spirit may pass over into the Water last of all likewise force it with a stronger degree of heat till the Fire the Soul being more viscous ascends over into the air the Vessels being cold pour again the new reserved Water to the remaining Matter the animated Spirit of each Body being first luted in its Receiver to prevent respiring cover the Urinal again with a Hâ—nd Head putrifying as before and lastly distil in Ashes as before last of all as before increase the Fire thus repeat the Magistery till both the Bodies of Sol and Luna are by an airy revolution transmitted severally through the Alembick But if these Bodies will not entirely come over by distillation a little indeed will remain which keep for the rest of the Experiments then take the animated Spirit of Sol rectify it
oftentimes by it self in Ashes but be sure not to take away any of the Terrestreities which will every rectification remain in the bottom of the Vessel but rather pour back the distilled Water always to the same Faeces till you have performed the Work seven times compleat And observe the same order in rectifying the Water of animated Luna reserved before This done joyn these two Waters together which Conjunction is called the Conjunction of Father and Mother Male and Female Man and Woman And thus will you have the Menstruum majus the Animal Vegetable and Mineral being joyned together and these three reduced into one substance you must circulate sixty Days in a Vessel so luted as not to respire Circulation being compleated you will have the Menstruum majus brought to action the power of which is so great as not to be related This therefore is that admirable Menstruum which dissolves all Bodies with the preservation of their vegetative and transmutative Form This I say is that Menstruum containing in it such odour and fragrancy that nothing can be compared to it This lastly is the resoluble Menstruum which is by the Wise call'd by almost innumerable Names the Acetum acerrimum which converts Gold into a Spirit This is the Aqua Sicca Aqua Solis and Aqua Vitoe Parisinus made this Menstruum which he otherwise calls the greater Mercury or compounded Menstruum by this method 50. The Circulatum majus of Parisinus In Apertorio Cap. G. TAke of the best calcined Luna three Ounces of Sol also calcined according to Chapter H in which the Calcinations of Metals are after the common way described two Ounces to each being put by its self in its Glass pour of Circulated or the simple Quintessence acuated with Honey or the Coelum mellisluum described in Numb 10. the height of four Fingers the Vessels with their blind Heads put in Balneo two Days and in Ashes two more when you see the Waters in some measure tinged decant them and the dissolutions keep by themselves in Balneo well stopp'd to the undissolved Calxes pour again of E digesting decanting and repeating so often till the Bodies of Sol and Luna be reduced into a liquid substance then distil the Composition Dissolution of Sol and the Composition of Luna in Balneo and the Bodies will remain in the bottom of the Glass like an Oyl but to the Waters drawn from the said Luminaries in Balneo put Vegetable Sulphur according to the weights of the Sol and Luna and it will in the space of two Days be dissolved in Balneo so soon as the said Sulphur is dissolved in every of its Vessels pour every one to its Metallick Oyl but to avoid Error you must know that your dissolved Sulphur is that which we taught the preparation of in Chapter L namely that which is extracted out of Philosophical Wine otherwise called Sal Armoniack put the Vessels in Putrefaction eight Days then draw off the Waters in Balneo every one by it self then pour of new Water the height of two Fingers cover the Vessels with blind Heads and digest for a Day in Balneo then put on common Alembicks and distil the Waters gently in Ashes then increase the Fire that the air may also ascend into the Waters the Vessels being cold pour new Water to each remainder cover them with blind Heads digest in Balneo for a Night then distil in Ashes and this repeat as before till you have extracted all the Liquor of the two Luminaries keep the Earths and if a little of it be cast upon a red hot Plate and burns not it is an infallible sign because the said Earth is deprived of its Soul keep these two Earths mix'd together in digestion of Ashes for the receiving of their Mercuries the distilled Airs or Essences as we shall teach in Chapter L. in the way of making the mineral Sal Armoniacks or Metallick of Gold and Silver Now take the Liquors of both the said Luminaries that is their Souls or Mercuries already pass'd through an Alembick and joyn them together distilling through an Alembick in Ashes if any slimy Earth remains add it to the former Earths reserved and this do six times always removing the slimy Earth Take a large Vessel or Cucurbit with an Alembick made all of a piece in which pour your compounded Menstruum stopping the Mouth with a Glass Stopple luted with the white of an Egg quick Lime and course Paper which being dryed lute then with our Bitumen made of an equal quantity of Pitch Wax and Mastick and Circulate in a Sophical Balneo as we shewed you at Mr. Angelo's House in the Famous City of Venice when we made the simple Circulated Menstruum and let it be Circulating forty Natural Days which being expired you will see our Menstruum or Mercury clearer than Cristal and more odoriferous than any Perfume This Menstruum my Son hath the power of dissolving the two Luminaries and reducing them from power to action and you must know that by this alone yet with the addition of its red or white ferment you will by Circulation make particulars of great projection This is that which our Captain Raymund Lully in his Epistola Accurtatoria spoke of saying Having dissolved Sol and drawn the Water from it in Balneo then know the Gold is made Spiritual and irreducible into its former Body to which if you add a hundred parts of common Mercury it will congeal it into true Gold Moreover my Son if the said Gold congealed into a Gum be dissolved in some Water and given to a Patient of what infirmity soever he will in a very few Days return to his good temperament it removes whiteness of hair and all other signs of Old Age restores former Youth and preserves health even to the time prefixed by the Eternal God Know also that should I describe all the Miracles and indeed they may well be called Miracles and all the effects performed by this Mercury which as I remember I sufficiently declared to you by Word of Mouth and explained the various Sayings of our Captain in the Book of Quintessence then c. From the Receipts we observe 1. That these Menstruums are stronger than all the antecedent as being acuated with better arids or dry things and therefore do not extract the Essences but dissolve the whole Body into a Magistery 2. That these Menstruums are the Magisteries of Metals and Minerals and therefore Medecines 3. That they are made many several ways now known to us 4. That the Sal Armoniacks of Metals are made the same ways as Vegetable Sal Armoniacks 5. That every one of them is properly called Philosophers Mercury or Mercury of the Mercury of Gold Silver Iron c. sublimed the Mercury of Antimony common Sulphur c. sublimed because like common Mercury sublimed it is most easily resuscitated by hot Water or Vinegar into the running Mercury of Gold Silver Iron Antimony c. as we shall
animate it with the Water of Vegetable Mercury otherwise it can dissolve nothing And this is the Water containing all those things which you want and by Virtue thereof are Pearls made And this Vegetable Water being compounded doth by Virtue of the Mercury Mineral presently dissolve all Bodies and by reason of its Vegetability Vegetable Menstruum revivify every Body and by its attractive Virtue Symbolical Nature produce an Oyl from every Body and Mercury draws to it self its like that is the Mercury of a Body Of this Water saith Raymund in Compendio Art Transm ad Regem Robertum You know most Serene Prince that our Stone is made of nothing but Argent vive alone that is compounded of Vegetable and Mineral And therefore said the ancient Philosophers the Stone is made of one thing only that is Argent vive Viatic pag. 345. Mercurial Waters are called Ignes Gehennae by reason of this Fiery Nature of Argent vive the corrosive Specifick was because of the Mercurial Water call'd by Paracelsus Ignis Gehennae Libro de Specif Pag. 29. The Circulatum majus prepared from Mercury he calls a living Fire most extream Fire and coelestial Fire If you would bring into action saith he the Life of Antimony hidden in its Regulus you must resuscitate that Life with its like living Fire or Metallick Vinegar with which Fire many of the Philosophers proceeded several ways but agreeing in the Foundation they all hit the intended Mark c. Yet that Fire or Corporal Life in common Mercury is found much more perfect and sublime which manifestly proves by its flowing that there is a most absolute Fire and coelestial Life hidden in it wherefore whoever desires to graduate his Metallick Heaven the Arcanum Lapidis or Antimonii to the highest and reduce it to action he must first extract the first liquid Being as the coelestial Fire Quintessence and Metallick Acetum acerrimum out of the Corporal Life common Mercury c. Libro 10. Archid. Cap. 6. Pag. 39. Amongst the Deniers who judge Mercury to be of a cold Nature is first Bernhard illustrious for Learning as well as Linage saying Whereas Mercury is compounded of the four Elements they therefore being heated by the common and general Causes the Natural heat is excited by its own motion by such motion as this are the Fire and Air in Mercury moved likewise and by little and little elevated these Elements being more worthy than the Water and Earth of Mercury nevertheless moistness and coldness are predominant c. Lib. Alchym Pag. 766. Volum 1. Theat Chym. Argent vive being most cold may in a short time be made most hot and may the same way be made temperate with things temperate by the Ingenuity of an Artist Epist ad Thomam Pag. 57. Art Aurif Arnoldus de Villa Nova in the Book call'd Rosarium is observed to have declared that crude Mercury that is Argent vive which is by its Nature cold and moist may by sublimation be made hot and dry then by revivification made hot and moist like the Complexion of Men c. The said Arnold though a Reverend Doctor and Ingeniâ—us in other Sciences yet perhaps handled Experiments in this Art without the Doctrine of Causes but he saith that in the first Purgation the crude Spirit Argent vive is sublimed with the less Minerals and Salts and that Mercury it self which is in its Nature cold and moist may be made a Powder by Nature hot and dry as he saith this is indeed of no benefit to our Philosophical Work but suppose a Man may make such a Powder as he speaks of out of Mercury namely dry and hot by sublimation with saline Things yet these Purgations are vain and impertinent yea hurtful as to the perfecting of our Work c. And if it be said by way of instance that as by Purging the impurities of Mercury the said Arnold dryed it by sublimation so also as you say Thomas moistened it by revivification and made the Mercury hot and moist suitable to his own humane Body in Nature this indeed impedes not my Reverend Doctor nor impugnes the Truth of the Philosophical Art yea rather the Error appears in this Natural Art For as it is clear Arnold teacheth if you regard the sound of Words that Mercury being thus dryed by hot Water into which it is cast is revivifyed and he saith made hot and moist whereas when first sublimed it was hot and dry But what Philosopher can truly say that Mercury or any other Metal is by simple Water though never so hot and boyling changed as to its internal quality in Nature acquires moistness Natural to it self and so is revivifyed In this revivification therefore Mercury requires nothing forasmuch as common Water decocts not nor alters it because it enters it not and that which enters not alters not because every thing to be alter'd must first be mixed Some superficial impurities of Mercury such Water may indeed wash away from it but cannot infuse a new quality into it For such a Nature as Mercury had when reduced into Powder and mortified by sublimations such a Nature exactly will it keep being revivifyed by Water This I am willing to say with Reverence and Honour to the said Arnold but I consider and defend the Truth of Nature and Experiment About the end of his Epistle to Thomas But be it what it will it consists not with our Prudence to adhere to any Opinions of what Authority soever but to Truth alone in which respect we say Argent vive is neither cold nor hot yet that being of easier dissolution than the rest of the Metals it is most fit for this kind of Menstruums and that the Mercurial Waters prepared from it may by Chymical Liberty be called hell-Hell-Fires though besides these Waters the Adepts call also other Menstruums Infernal Fire of which sort is the acetum acerrimum of Ripley in the Fifth Kind But the following Arguments taken out of the Text it self do prove that Arnold Lully 's Master was as to his reducing of Argent vive into the first Matter or Essence not sufficiently understood and misobserved by Bernhard taking Aqua servens for common boyling Water Arnold divided the Second Book of his Rosary into four Principal Works which are Solution Ablution Reduction and Fixion as appears by the first Chapter of the aforesaid Book Of the first Work namely the Dissolution of the Stone in the second Chapter thus You must dissolve the Stone Gold or Silver being dry and thick into Argent vive that it may be reduced into its first Matter and all this is done by Argent vive only it alone having the Power of converting Sol and Luna into their first Matter but Argent vive having a terrestrial and adustible seculency in it without inflammation and substance of aqueity you must of necessity take away that which is superfluous and supply what is wanting if you desire a compleat Medicine but
c. 2. That these Menstruums are called Circulatums because they were by the ancient Philosophers Circulated for the space of thirty or forty sometimes sixty Days 3. That these are called the greater Circulatums to be distinguished from the less Circulatums being less excellent the greater having greater strength and communicating tincture to things that are dissolved in them 4. That these Circulatums are the first Beings or graduated Essences of Metals and Minerals and amongst things Volatile nothing can be more excellent than they they being exalted from a fixed Essence or Astrum into a much more Noble Essence called an Arcanum 5. That these Circulatums are Medicines or Medicinal Arcanums 6. That these Circulatums ore most red Sublime the Stones saith Paracelsus till they come to redness He extracts the tincture of Lily out of Antimony reverberated to a Purple or Violet Colour but makes the Soul of Metals out of Sulphur reverberated of which thus What Hermes said that the Soul alone is the means of joyning the Spirit to the Body was not impertinently spoken For Sulphur being that Soul and maturing and excocting all things as Fire it will be also able to bind the Spirit with the Body and incorporate and unite them together so as from thence to produce a very Noble Body The vulgar combustible Sulphur is not to be reputed the Soul of Metals but the Soul is something more than a combustible and corruptible Body and therefore cannot be burned by any Fire being all Fire it self and indeed it is nothing else but the Quintessence of Sulphur which is extracted out of Sulphur reverberated by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and is of a red Colour and clear as a Ruby Which is indeed a great and notable Arcanum to transmute white Bodies and to coagulate running Mercury into fixed and tested Gold Accept this as commended to you to make you Rich and you have reason to be content with this only Secret for the transmutation of Metals Lib. 1. de gener rerum Nat. pag. 87. If Mercury Antimony and Sulphur fixed by reverberation and the Spirit of Philosophical Wine drawn off be red and diaphanous as a Ruby it follows that the same Bodies volatilized with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine do become more red From hence we observe that the Menstruums of Diana are of divers Colours sometimes white milky and opake sometimes most clear sometimes again most red and most transparent so that the Arguments of Bernhard denying the diaphaneity of Menstruums may be easily resolved Where Fools saith he do out of the less Minerals extract corrosive Waters into which they put any sort of Metals and corrode them for they think that therefore they are dissolved by a Natural solution which solution indeed requires permanence together that is of the dissolvent and the dissolved that from both as from the Masculine and Feminine Seed a new Species may result I tell you truly no Water dissolves a Metallick Species by Natural Reduction but that wh … remains with it in matter and form and which the dissolved Metals are able to recongeal which happens not in any sort of Aqua fortis but is rather a defiling of the Composition that is the Body that is to be dissolved Nor is that Water pertinent to Bodies in solution which remains not with them in congelations Mercury is of this sort and not Aqua fortis or that which Fools esteem Mercurial Water clear and diaphanous For if they divide and obstruct the Homogeneity of Mercury how will the first proportion of the Feminine Seed stand and be preserved Pag. 60. Epist ad Thomam The Elixir and Azoth he goes on that is the Vital Spirit Spirit of Life Philosophical Aqua vitae and fugitive Soul animated Spirit are not diaphanous nor transparent nor clear as the Tear of ones Eye nor any dissolving Spirit Pag. 94. Ejusd Epist Which cannot be done in a diaphanous clear and transparent Liquor because if the aforesaid Elixir and Azoth that is Spirit and Soul had or could shew any diaphaneity the Earth would now in proportion have dismissed the Water and separated it self from it whereas otherwise it would have inspissated and coagulated the parts of it caused an opacity in the Elixir and Azoth and made the Metallick Form to stand congelable For in restringing fixed Metallick Species the restringer must of necessity act upon the restringible and the congealer upon the congelable which cannot be done in the aforesaid diaphanous and clear Water otherwise it is in Vegetables in which a simple and diaphanous Water is by decoction inspissated in those Vegetables which notwithstanding vanisheth and evaporates at length by the Tryal of Fire because it is not permanent and fixed in the Composition not having an Earth Naturally Homogeneous to it in Composition with it as Argent vive has which Earth is indeed the cause of permanent fixion in things Homogeneous wherefore simple Water cannot by congelation be fixed with Vegetables as Mercury with Metals If therefore Mercury hath received diaphaneity in the Philosophers Work it will remain in the quality of an irrestringible substance and will not be congealed upon Laton as to a Metallick Form Species and Proportion which carries the congelation of it self neither with it nor in it as Water does Earth which Earth as aforesaid is indeed Mercurial and the first cause of inspissation coagulation and fixation If therefore that Water remains not in Metallick Proportion how can the like Species be produced from this Composition They therefore that think so to extract a clear transparent Water out of Mercury and work many wonders by it are in an Error for suppose they can make such a Water yet would it be of no advantage to the Work nor to the Nature and Proportion of it nor could it restore or erect a perfect Metallick Species for so soon as Mercury is altered from its first Nature so soon is it excluded from being an ingredient to our Philosophical Work because it hath lost its Spermatick and Metallick Nature By these things therefore it is known what Truth your Opinion contains and wherein it is contrary and absurd you asserting it to be necessary in order to perfect the great Elixir to have a Gum in which are all things necessary to it containing the four Elements and is a most clear Water as the Tear of an Eye made Spiritual which causeth Gold to be a meer Spirit For one Body penetrates not another but a pure Spiritual substance congealed is that which penetrates and tingeth a Body Be it as you say my Honoured Doctor that Natures are not joyn'd without a Gum or Oyly Matter c. Had Bernhard disputed only against every Mercurial Water not permanent made diaphanous with Aqua fortis or any other vulgar Menstruum and not also against the most clear Mercurial Water of Thomas de Bononia then the Arguments aforesaid had been of great strength but now the objections against the limpidity of
again as before putrifying in a close Vessel in Balneo then upon Ashes and emptying the several dissolutions of Gold and Silver into their several Vessels as before If any thing remains undissolved dry and dissolve as before till all the remainder be fully dissolved then putrifie both dissolutions twenty Natural Days being putrifyed take the dissolutions and put them severally into their Urinals with their Receivers and having luted the Joynts well distil the Waters of both Metals in Balneo in the bottom of the Vessels will remain the Bodies like melted Honey or Oyl pour upon those Oyls again of their own Waters The Menstruum now drawn from the Oyls distilled only by Balneo so as to swim three Fingers above the Matter cover both Vessels with their Antenotoriums and putrifie for a Natural Day then take away the Antenotoriums and put on Alembicks lute well and distil upon Ashes lastly increase the Fire that the Soul or Element of Air may pass over into both their distilled Waters and last of all increase the Fire to the highest degree that the Element of Fire may pass into the Air But to the Composition of Luna this Redness or Fire is not necessary Distillation being compleated let the Vessels cool take the Receivers from them and keep them very well stopp'd that they may not respire and put distinct Schedules or Inscriptions upon them that when you have occasion you may not take one for the other Then again to the Earths of Gold and Silver left in distillation pour their Waters distilled by Balneo as before and having put an Antenotorium to it putrifie as before then distil by Ashes each Vessel having its own Receiver wherein you kept the Souls of those Bodies and thus repeat the Magistery till the Earths are exanimated and destitute of radical moisture Then take those Earths grind well and joyn them together then put them in a Glass Egg and keep them in hot Ashes till I tell you what to do with them Then take the animated Spirit of Luna and rectifie it seven times in Ashes then take the animated Spirit of Sol and after the same manner rectifie it seven times in Ashes the limosities remaining Earth which the Spirit of Sol will in every rectification eject keep very close being the Element of Fire in the form of an Earth Having rectifyed take the animated Spirit of Sol and the animated Spirit of Luna and joyn them together then Circulate in a large Vessel as that wherein we Circulated the simple Menstruum continue this Circulation sixty Days in which time you will have a true Mineral Menstruum not acid but made of Minerals as Mercury Gold and Silver by which you may operate innumerable Experiments Hereto ought to be referred the Menstruum which is called by Basilius 55. The sweet Spirit of Mercury of Basilius Cap. 3. Libri de rebus nat supernat TAke of Natural Cinabar or Oar of Mercury and of the best Oar of Gold equal parts to which being pulverized and mixed pour the Oyl of Mercury made of Mercury sublimed and putrifyed that is Oyl of Mercury sublimed alone no other Ingredients being added except the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or some Vegetable Menstruum without which it cannot be made digest them for a Month and you will have a Celestial rather than Terrestrial extraction draw off the extraction in Balneo and the Phlegm being taken away in the bottom will remain a ponderous Oyl dissolving all Metals in a moment to which add of the Spirit of Wine Philosophical or Fiery Spirit of Wine of Basilius three parts Circulate in a Pellican to a Blood redness and incomparable sweetness being Circulated pour it upon Tartar calcined to whiteness and distil the Spirit of Mercury with a strong Fire the Spirit of Wine remaining with the Tartar We must distinguish between this Spirit and another of the same Name lest one be taken for the other For Basilius prepared also a Spirit of Mercury from the white Spirit of Vitriol of which you may read in several places in the Book de particularibus especially in the particular of Luna a Description of which Spirit is lower among the Mineral Menstruums because it is acid But the other namely this our Spirit of Mercury is most sweet and fragrant which you have also in the particular of Luna as also in the seventh Chapter of the Book de rebus nat supernat where he dissolves the Crocus of Luna in the white Spirit of Vitriol as also in the most fragrant Spirit of Mercury Parisinus for Alchymical Tinctures made a Mercurial compounded Menstruum of his Circulatum majus and the first or middle substance of common Argent vive thus 56. The incalcinated Menstruum of Parisinus Cap. G. Apertoris TAke of the Circulatum majus described before in Numb 50. one Pound of Mercury prepared as we shall teach in the tenth Chapter two Ounces mix and observe that true putrefaction be made with this Menstruum But when first it is incalcinated that is mix'd with such Mercury it is no more used for Men's Bodies but only as Medicines for Metals now the said tenth Chapter is this as followeth Of reducing common Mercury into the first Matter or Middle Substance Now my Son we will give you full instruction and demonstration of decocting and reducing common Argent vive into its first Matter or middle substance and as in the foregoing Chapters we declared the way of reincrudating the two Luminaries so now we will demonstrate the ways and means of decocting the said Mercury First we will teach the way of distinguishing good Mercury from bad sophisticated and corrupted which way is to take common Mercury brought out of Spain in Skins sealed or if you cannot have this take any other and put a little of it in a Silver Spoon heated so as to make the Mercury evaporate and if the remainder of it be of a white or citrine Colour 't is good but if of another Colour bad and not at all sit for our Work because sophisticated Then take of Roman Vitriol two Pounds melt it in a glazed Vessel being melted add one pound of Mercury and as much of common Salt prepared stir and shake till they be all mix'd evaporating the moisture with such a heat as that of the Sun then take out the Matter grind and put it in a Sublimatory and sublime the Mercury by the usual degrees of Fire The Vessels being cold take out the sublimation to which being put into a Retort pour of the Vegetable Water without Phlegm Philosophical Aqua Vitoe rectify'd about three or four Fingers let it boyl in Balneo two Hours then distil in Ashes that the Vegetable Water may ascend then cover the Retort with Ashes and increasing the Fire the Mercury vive will ascend into the Aqua ardens decant the Water from the Mercury which again sublime with new Matters and that six times always casting away the Faeces But take notice that
that Water Son you must dissolve one half Ounce of the purest Luna after the filtred dissolution separate the Water from the Faeces distil the Menstruum from the Silver through an Alembick in which the limosity of the Silver will ascend This Water Son resolves all other Bodies and Argent vive it self by Virtue of which Son Pearls are reformed by the way which I told you in our Testamentum and in the Compendium super Testamentum Codicillum missum Regi Roberto The second Water is thus made Take half an Ounce of Lead and of the aforesaid Water as much as sufficeth when you see the Lead dissolved separate the Water by filtred distillation filtre the dissolution of the Lead and throw out the Faeces as nothing worth then distil the Water by Balneo draw off the Menstruum in Balneo and keep the Faeces the dissolved Lead for occasion The third Water is thus made Take of Copper one Ounce and dissolve it in as much of the first Water as you please and let it rest in its Vessel in a cold place for a Natural Day then separate the Green Water through a Filtre and pour out the first Faeces that which remains in the Filtre must be cast away then distil the Water through an Alembick and keep the second Faeces The fourth Water is thus made Take one Ounce of the purest Tin of Cornwall which is purer than any other and dissolve it in a quantity of the first Water and distil through a Filtre that Water dissolution with its limosity and the Faeces which remain cast away then distil the Water through an Alembick and keep the residue or Tin dissolved the second Faeces The fifth Water is thus made Take of the purest Iron one Ounce and dissolve it in a sufficient quantity of the first Water then distil through a Filtre and cast away the Faeces distil the Water through an Alembick and keep the second Faeces The sixth Water is thus made Take of the purest Gold one Ounce and dissolve it as I told you in my Testamentum that is with pure Lunaria the simple Vegetable Menstruum without Argent vive and Silver mix'd with such a weight of the fifth Water now prepared from Iron and do as you did with the other You may also Son dissolve all those Metals in this order Having made the first Water in it dissolve the Metal which we commanded you to dissolve after the second way to wit Lead then do with it as we told you before In this second Water dissolve the third Metal Copper and in the Water of the third Metal dissolve the fourth Metal Tin and in the Water of the fourth Metal dissolve the fifth Metal Iron and in the Water of the fifth Metal dissolve the sixth Metal Gold Take which of those Waters you like best to dissolve a Metal Son these limosities of Metals are called Quintessences or Mineral Mercury which the Philosophers esteemed in the Alchymical work in Alchymical Tinctures and the lapidifick in the making of Pretious Stones and in the Medicinal Work in the preparing of Medicines But Son in the Alchymical Work those Quintessences ought to be more subtil and to be done by dividing the Elements as we in the third Book of this Volume shall declare but in making Pretious Stones the Quintessence aforesaid are not so in such a subtil Matter but in Medicine either of them this two-fold way of preparing may be used Having spoken of the Quintessences of Minerals of Metallick Waters how we are to make them it is now convenient to speak of the division of them in general And my Son do thus When your Metals are dissolved you must divide every Water being first filtred and distilled from its remainder and every divided Water now distilled into two parts and one part of every part you must put with its own Faeces the remaining Metal which the Water had left in distillation into a Glass Alembick and distil a Limus deserti which is Air made out of two Bodies or Metals in the Furnace which we design'd you first with a gentle Fire shining with great Mineral Lustre and with great limosity appropriated to receive Celestial Virtues And put every one of those Waters into a Glass Vessel with a long Neck and round and then stop the Mouth of it with common Wax and after that with Mastick and every of those Vessels put in the open Air so as that neither Stone nor any other hurtful thing may touch the Glass Son Take the material Faeces from which you resolved the Limus which are the second Faeces left in the distillation of the Waters which you put in the Air. Take the Caput mortuum from the distillation of every Limus desertus or the third Foeces for the first remaining in the Filtre were cast away from the second the Limus desertus was distilled now the Foeces of the Limus desertus are those which he here calls the second and put them in a Glass Vessel with a long Neck which may contain two hands breadth and put in part of its own Water which was reserved from that aforesaid limous substance and stop the Vessels with a Stopple of Wax and with Leather and Mastick as you did to the other and Bury them Waters of Metals in a Garden in an Earth half a Yard deep and put also something about the Neck of the Vessels which may appear above ground for the preservation of them and let them be there for one whole Year Son the Waters which are put into the Earth are of one Nature and those which are put in the Air of another for Son those which are put into the Earth have a hardning coagulating and fixing Virtue and Quality and those which are in the Air have the Virtue and Property of being hardened coagulated and fixed The Year being ended you will have all that is desired in the World for this Work c. Annotations YOu will perhaps wonder that we have assigned this so high a place to these Menstruums they being inferior to many Menstruums of the antecedent Kinds as to Ingredients as well as to the method of preparation but though it be so nevertheless these Menstruums are by being exposed to the Air for a Year or for so long a time committed to the Earth made better and more excellent than the aforesaid Menstruums as will appear hereafter by the use of them We will at present explain the methods of making these Waters The Waters of the first method he makes thus He dissolves Lead Copper Tin Iron and Gold in the Glorious Water of Argent vive acuated moreover with Luna filtres every dissolution casting away the Foeces draws off the filtred dissolutions in Balneo to dryness divides the distilled Waters into two parts in one of which he dissolves its own Metal left in the drawing off of the dissolution which he then distills into a Liquor which he calls Limus desertus Quintessence or
put it to the Earth in Balneo and digest six Days and in the said Balneo distil all the Menstruum for one Day and the Fire in Ashes separating then every one by it self as you did before and keep the Fire in Balneo And again put the Air with the Menstruum upon the Earth in which is the Fire and digest as before and this Magistery repeat till the Earth is well emptied of its Fire which is done in forty times or repetitions Then must you sublime the Earth after this manner Take that Earth which remained after the separation of the Air and Fire and put it in a Glass Vessel and pour upon it of the Vegetable Menstruum according to the quantity of the Earth and set it in Balneo for a Natural Day then another Day distil in Ashes and again put of the said Menstruum according to the weight of the Earth and digest in Balneo the space of one Day and distil in Ashes another Day and again repeat digesting in Balneo and distilling in Ashes till all the Earth is converted into an impalpable Powder Then take that and put of the Menstruum upon it according to its weight and digest in Balneo two Days then distil in Ashes one Day and put the distillation in Balneo Then take the Earth and put again of other Menstruum equal to its weight digest two Days and distil as before proceed in repeating the inhumations and distillations till the Earth has passed through the Alembick together with the Menstruum That Earth being thus mixed with the Menstruum is called Argent vive exuberated according to the intention of the Alcyhmists put therefore those distillations wherein is that Earth to be distilled by Balneo and draw off the Menstruum and the Earth will remain dry and prepared in the bottom of the Vessel which keep Thus Son have you the Elements of the Sulphur of Gold divided with the help of God Then must you have the Sulphur of Silver the Philosophers Mercury prepared from Silver or the Sal Armoniack of Luna and separate the Elements from it separating the Air with the Menstrual Water and the Fire with the Air and Water and the Earth subliming with the Menstruum and cause it to pass through the Alembick with the same Menstruum Thus have you my Son the Elements of the white Sulphur and the Elements of the red Sulphur separated and divided Now take the Menstruum or Water with which you separated the Elements of the Sulphurs of Gold and Silver and for every Pound of the Menstruum in which you dissolved the Gold dissolve one Ounce of Gold and in the Menstruum wherein you dissolv'd the Silver an Ounce of Silver and put either of them by it self in a Vessel of Circulation in Balneo or Dung the space of fifteen Days and there it will be strengthened into its Menstrual Nature This Water Son we call Elemented Menstruum or Water washed and drawn from the Faeces of the Earth Now take the two Elements namely the Air and Fire of the Sulphur of Gold put them together into a Glass distilling Vessel and distil in Ashes with a most temperate heat till you have three parts of five distilled in the Receiver then let it cool and that which is distilled receive by it self and distil it seven times and keep it apart then distil that which you left when you have distilled three parts of five continue distilling the two which remained till you see the Fire congealed at the sides of the Vessel let it cool till the Fire be congealed And that Fire which you drew off till the Fire was congealed he means that which ascends as yet moist before the sublimation of the Matter from these two parts left is called the second Air and Tincture and we call it our Secret and our Treasure and the Vapour of the Elements This my Son you must rectify by seven distillations or rectifications and the Earth which after the distillation of the first and second Air you drew out of the Vessels in which you distilled the first and second Air put in the Fire to be congealed and that Earth is called Fire Now Son prepare this Fire after this manner Put it in a distilling Vessel and upon it pour its own Water which is that wherewith you separated the Elements of the Sulphur of Gold when we commanded to reduce it to a fifth Spirit in the Vessel of Hermes and said Take the Water wash'd from the Faeces of the Earth otherwise the Elemented Menstruum of Sol five parts of its weight that is five Ounces of the said Water Elemented Menstruum of Gold to one Ounce of the said Fire and digest in Balneo eight Days then distil in Ashes most gently and again put new Water namely five parts digest and distil as before repeating this method seven times and so you have the Fire and Earth of the Sulphur of Gold calcined by Philosophical calcination and they are the two Elements of the red Sulphur prepared for the desert Limes And take notice that you must put the Earth of the white Sulphur which you calcined and prepared after the separation of the Elements of the red Sulphur with the Earth which you drew from the Air mix'd with the Fire and put both with the Fire congealed Now Son take the Earth of the Sulphur of Silver which remained after the separation of the Elements and prepare it as you did in calcining and preparing the Earth of Gold after the separation of the Elements sublimed together with the Menstruum and reduced into an impalpable Powder and carryed through the Alembick with the same Menstruum You may also prepare the Earth of the Sulphur of Silver with the Menstruum that you used in separating the Elements of the Sulphur of Silver Then have you the Earths of the Sulphur of Gold and Silver prepared by themselves which you will know by the sign given you that is putting a little of it upon a red hot Plate of Luna the greater part will fume away Then take those Earths in equal weight and ounces and put them in a preparing Vessel then take the Menstruum with which you prepared the Elements of Luna and in one Pound of it put one Ounce of the Vegetable Sulphur which we shewed you how to make from the Earth of Wine Vegetable Sal Armoniack made of the Earth of Philosophical Wine and distilling make the whole pass through the Alembick and then will you have the Menstruum with which you extracted the Elements of the Sulphur of Luna animated and acuated Then Son you must mix and prepare the Earths of the aforesaid Sulphurs that is of Gold and Silver together allowing of the said Menstruum now animated and acuated a fourth part of their weight digesting and drying as is done in the making of the Sulphur of Nature or Sal Armoniack till they have drank up four parts of the said Menstruum and are disposed to
that which is also called the Philosophers Oyntment made of the Earth united in one Kind but that which was call'd the Vapour of the Elements and put it by it self in another Glass Vessel well Sealed and put it in the Air near the other which you put for a whole Year Take the Menstruum with which you separated the Elements of the Sulphur of Luna and that Menstruum wherewith you separated the Elements of the Sulphur of Sol and put in every Vessel wherein is Menstruum of Luna and the Menstruum of Sol one Drachm of Sulphur or Vegetable Sal Harmoniack and set it in Balneo then in Ashes till you have made it all go over with every Menstruum by it self Then each Menstruum being thus rectify'd or animated put in a Glass Vessel Sealed by themselves in their Cages and hang them in the Air near the other for a Year Take the Oleagineity of Luna the first or first Air which is that which you drew from the Earth of Luna when you prepared it for the making of the Sulphur of Luna which we commanded you to keep and said it should be for the making of the Sulphur of Nature put it in a Glass Vessel Sealed in the Air and there it will be made a Fluxible and Virtuous Water of wonderful penetration And what we said of the white Oyl we say also of the red incerative Oyl of Sol. And now Son you have the Stone Menstruum divided into eight parts three in the Earth and five in the Air. Annotations THe Ten foregoing Kinds of Vegetable as well Simple as compounded Menstruums the Adepts made by tempering the unctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine with many sorts of dry Bodies and by such means produced Menstruums adapted equally for every use and permanent and inseparable they being of the same Nature with the things that were dissolved In the Kind immediately antecedent we shew'd you that all the aforesaid Menstruums whether simple or compound exalted with so great Labour to the highest degree by tempering them with dry things may be raised yet higher and augmented in their Virtues For what Art cannot do Nature can what the Earth cannot do Heaven can For Menstruums perfected by Art do by being exposed to the Influences of the Heavens attain to very great and incredible Virtues by Nature In the eleventh precedent Kind we had Menstruums for Pretious Stones made of the simple Elements of Metals In this twelfth he takes the Sulphur of Nature Sal Harmoniack or Mercury of the perfect Metals Sol and Luna instead of crude Gold and Silver and by exposing the Elements of them to the Heaven and Earth separates them much more Nobly for the best of all Alchymical Tinctures From the Receipts we observe 1. That Limes in their Compositions are indeed clear but Clouded with a wearisome multilocution and disguised by so great a variety of operations besides also in respect of time made most tedious on purpose to deter young and unadvised Practitioners 2. That these Limes differ from the former Etherial and Terrestrial Waters in fineness of preparation these Elements are of the Sal Harmoniack or Philosophical Mercury of Sol and Luna but those Elements of a crude Metal For said Lully Limes for Alchymical Tinctures ought to be of a purer Nature than those which are for Pretious Stones 3. That these Limes are Essences graduated exposed to the Influences of the Heaven and Earth and consequently are Medicines 4. That the Sulphurs Naturae of imperfect Metals do also by the same method yield Limes as strong in their kind as the Sulphurs Naturae of Gold and Silver in their kind Hitherto have we treated of Vegetable Menstruums now follow those which are called Mineral But before we proceed further we are to take notice that by Vegetable Menstruums are meant also Animal Menstruums For all the Vegetable Menstruums already alleadged are not called Vegetable in respect of Ingredients for besides Vegetables Animals also and minerals were made use of in their preparations but by reason of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine produced chiefly from a Vegetable unctuosity which Spirit if you knew how to extract out of some Oyly Matter of the animal Kingdom as the Adepts have more than often done You might with this Animal Spirit transmute the aforesaid Vegetable Menstruums into Animal Menstruums which nevertheless you cannot apply to Mineral Menstruums for though there are also in this Kingdom thin Oyls swimming upon watrish Liquors as Oyl of Petre Pit-Coals c. Yet these are extraordinary Oyls of this Kingdom produced either by exorbitancy or defect of Nature And therefore such Oyls as these the Adepts referred to both the Vegetable and Animal Kingdoms for they are of one and the same Nature whereas the Oyls of Minerals and Metals are more dry and masculine then to produce our feminine Seed or Menstruum Now to recite the parts of Animals and the way of extracting this Spirit of Philosophical Wine from them is not proper to this place but belongs to a peculiar Book namely our fifth treating more copiously of these things to be published in due time when God permits wherefore not mentioning Animal Menstruums we proceed to the Mineral or Acid Menstruums OF Mineral MENSTRUUMS The Thirteenth KIND Simple Mineral Menstruums made of the Matter of Philosophical Wine only 59. The Green Lyon of Ripley Libro Accurt Pag. 383. TAke the Green Lyon without dissolution in Vinegar as sometime the Custom is put it in a large Earthen Retort which can endure the Fire and distil it the same way as you distil Aqua fortis putting a Receiver under it and luting the Joynts well that it may not respire then distil first with a gentle Fire till you see white fumes appear then change the Receiver stopping it well and distil with a great Fire so as Aqua fortis is distilled thus continuing twenty four Hours and if you continue the Fire the space of eight Days you will see the Receiver always full of white fumes and so you will have the Blood of the Green Lyon which we call Secret Water and Acetum acerrimum by which all Bodies are reduced to their first Matter and the Body of Man preserved from all infirmities This is our Fire burning continually in one Form within the Glass Vessel and not without Our Dunghill our Aqua Vitoe our Balneo our Vindemia our Horse-Belly which effects wonderful things in the Works of Nature and is the Examen of all Bodies dissolved and not dissolved and is a sharp Water carrying Fire in its Belly as a Fiery Water for otherwise it would not have the power of dissolving Bodies into their first Matter Behold this is our Mercury our Sol and Luna which we use in our Work Then will you find in the bottom of the Vessel Faeces black as Coals which you must for the space of eight Days calcine with a gentle Fire c. Annotations HItherto we have mix'd or tempered the
common Gold The Philosophers Green Lyon therefore is green Gold Gold vive which is not as yet fixed but left imperfect by Nature and for this reason hath it the Virtue of reducing all Bodies into their first Matter and making those Bodies which are fixed Spiritual and Volatile Tract de Adrop Pag. 547. Thirdly It may also be called Lyon because as all other Animals give place to a Lyon so all Bodies yield to the power of Gold vive which is our Mercury Tract Adrop Pag. 548. Fourthly This Noble Infant is called Green Lyon because when it is dissolved it is cloathed with a Green Garment Yet out of the Green Lyon of Fools Vitriol is with a violent Fire extracted that which we call Aqua fortis in which the said Lyon ought to be elixirated Medulla Philos Pag. 139. These things spoken of the Green Lyon are also to be understood of Adrop being a Synonymous term of the same Matter Take saith Ripley Adrop that is the Green Lyon Now as to Adrop he declared as followeth Adrop saith he is Gold and Silver in power but not in sight as Rhasis saith and our Gold and Silver according to the Philosophers is not common Gold and Silver for our Gold and Silver are airy which in order to be well fermented ought to be joyned with the beloved common Gold Forasmuch as the Philosopher saith That Adrop in its prosundity is airy Gold and Adrop it self is called Leprous Gold And to these Sayings seems to assent Guido the Greek Philosopher speaking of the Mercurial or Menstrual Spirit the Spirit or Blood of the Green Lyon which is extracted out of the Natural Adrop by Art where he writes And that Spirit is Sol extracted out of the Philosophers Solary Water Arsenick and Luna And in the same place presently adds The Body is the ferment of the Spirit and the Spirit the ferment of the Body and the Earth wherein lies the Fire dries imbibes and fixeth the Water and the Air wherein lies the Water the Air which lies in the Water it ought to be read according to the Doctrine of separating the Elements washeth tingeth and perfecteth the Earth and Fire and so Guido's Saying that they tinge and perfect ought to be understood that the Stone the Menstruum drawn from Adrop or the Green Lyon is sufficient for the compleating of it self into an Elixir and that no Exotick or Heterogeneous Matter as he affirms is or ought to be introduced to it but all the parts of it are co-essential and concrete because the Philosophers meaning was to compleat that work in a short space above the Earth which Nature scarce perfecteth in a thousand Years under the Earth Unskilfully therefore according to the Opinion of the Philosophers as Guido saith do they proceed that seek to obtain a ferment from common Silver and Gold for our select Body For that Matter in which is Argent vive clean and pure not most is ill read throughly brought to perfection by Nature is as Guido affirms after compleat purification a thousand times better than the Bodies of Sol and Luna vulgarly decocted by the Natural heat of the Sun Concord Lully Guidon Pag. 323. A certain Philosopher saith He goes on Discoursing of the same Adrop A fume white is drawn from its own Mines which if rightly gathered and again sprinkled upon its own Mines will there make a fixation and so the true Elixir will in a short space of time be produced from it And certainly without those Liquors or Spirits that is the Water and Oyl of Mercury Menstruum this Alchymical Body which is Neutral or Adrop is not purged And that is the Alchymical Body which is called Leprous Body that is black at the beginning of the Work in which as saith Vincentius in his Speculum Naturale are Gold and Silver in power and not in aspect which in the Bowels of it is also airy Gold to which no Man can attain except the unclean Body be first cleansed which is without doubt after its compleat dealbation and then it is a thousand times better than are the Bodies of common Gold and Silver decocted by Natural heat The first Matter of this Leprous Body is a viscous Water inspissated in the Bowels of the Earth Of this Body according to the Judgment of Vincentius is made the great Elixir for the red and white the Name whereof is Adrop otherwise called the Philosophers black Lead out which Raymund commands us to extract an Oyl of a Golden Colour or such like Raymund adds But this Oyl is not necessary in the Vegetable Work namely for the inceration of the Vegetable Stone because solutions and coagulations are there soon made and if you can separate it from its Phlegm and after that ingeniously find out the Secrets of it you will in thirty Days be able to perfect the Philosophers Stone For this Oyl makes Medecines Tinctures penetrable sociable and amicable to all Bodies and in the World there is not a greater Secret Medul Phil. Chym. pag. 131. Ripley hath here recited various Synonima's of this Adrop We for a time will follow the Green Lyon by the way of Philosophical Lead as we are directed by Ripley in these very Words First understand when Avecenn saith that Gold and Silver are in Lead by Power and not by sight and they are left by Nature crude and half cocted and therefore that ought to be perfectly supplyed by Art which is left imperfect by Nature and by way of a ferment digesting and cocting that which is left crude For a ferment therefore take perfect Gold for a little paululum not paulatim of their fixed substance those fixed Bodies will draw and convert much of Bodies not fixed to the perfection of Gold and Silver And thus will Art help Nature that in a little space of time that may be done above the Earth which is not in a thousand Years done under the Earth And by this means you will understand how Lead contains in it the greatest Secrets of this Art For it hath in it Argent vive clean pure odoriferous not brought by Nature to perfection And this Argent vive is the Basis and Ground-Work of our pretious Medicine as well for Metallick as Humane Bodies so as to be the Elixir of Life curing all infirmities Which the Philosopher meant saying There is in Mercury whatsoever Wise Men seek From this are the Soul Body Spirit and Tincture drawn Moreover also in this Mercury is the Philosophers Fire always burning equally within the Vessel and not without It hath also a great attractive Virtue and Power in dissolving Sol and Luna and reducing the same into their first Matter With this Mercury are to be dissolved the Calxes of the perfect Bodies in congealing the aforesaid Mercurial Spirit c. Pupilla Pag. 295. But have a care that you operate not with common Saturn because commonly it is said Eat not of the Son whose Mother is corrupted and believe that
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
inspissated into a Gum in taste like Alum is by Ripley in the Description of the antecedent Menstruum in Numb 62. called Lully's Vitriol of Azoth or Vitriolum Azoqueum Lully in practica Testamenti Cap. 9. Pag. 159. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. makes a Menstruum of B. C. D. By B. he meant the said Green Lyon or common Argent vive which as he says elsewhere is more common to Men than vulgar Argent vive B. saith he Pag. 153. of the said practica signifies Argent vive which is a common substance consisting in every corruptible Body as appears by the property of it c. By C. he intended common Niter C. saith he signifies Salt Peter which hath a common acid Nature and like Argent vive by the property of its strong acid Nature Pag. 154.4 Volum aforesaid By D. he understood Gum Adrop made of the Green Lyon D. saith he signifies Azoquean Vitriol which corrupts and confounds all that is of the Nature and Being of common Argent vive In the same place Both C. and D. he calls the purer mediums Cap. 58. Theor. Test pag. 96. You must know Son saith he our Bath you may wash the Nature of Phil Argent vive so as Nature could never do that is to make Argent vive a compleat Elixir But Phil. Argent vive and Metals being both in Nature and in your Work extreams and extreams not being able to joyn themselves without the Virtue of a middle disposition which is between the softness of Argent vive and the hardness of Metal because there is by reason of that middle disposition a Natural complyance which is the cause of Conjunction between Body and Spirit as it is in every thing generated or in capacity of being generated In Nature are many mediums whereof two are more pure and more viscous the Green Azoquean Vitriols with the stony Nature which is the Salt and Nature of Stones By the help my Son of this contemptible Matter is our Stone which we have so much sought for procreated c. With the other of these mediums C the stony Nature Salt Peter Salt of Peter or Niter we have no business at present but being solicitous of D. Gum Adrop or the Azoquean Vitriol of Lully it will be worth while to consult Lully himself Of which the Philosopher Cap. 59. Theor. Testamenti thus Son saith he the Azoquean Lyon which is called Azoquean Vitriol is by Nature made of the peculiar substance of common Argent vive which is the Natural Root from whence Metal is procreated in its own Mine By common Argent vive he meant not the Vulgar but Philosophical Argent vive the natural Root as well of Metals as Minerals When we say common Mercury saith he we speak of that which the Philosophers understand and when we name the Vulgar we speak of that which is known to the Country-men and sold in Shops Cap. 1. Lib. Mercuriorum which the following Synonyma's of this Mercury namely Chaos Nature Origo Green Lyon Argent vive Unguent Oyl Pasture and Liquor of great Value do also testifie in Cap. 45. Theor. Test pag. 75. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. This common Argent vive or Green Lyon must be purged from its Superfluities before the Aroquean Vitriol of Lully or the Gum Adrop of Ripley can be made of it You must saith he my Son being a Student of this Science be stedfast and not search after this or that because this Art is not perfected with many things and therfore we tell you there is but one only Stone that is Sulphur and one only Medicine namely the composition of Sulphur to which nothing is to be added only the Terrestrial and Phlegmatick Superfluities taken away because they are and ought to be separated from our Argent vive which is more common to men than Vulgar Argent vive and is of greater Price Merit and stronger Union of Nature from which and the first forms of it it is necessary to separate by the known degrees of separation all that belongs not to the Sal Armoniack of Metals c. Cap. 18. Theor. Test pag. 33. Volum 4. Th. Chym. We say there is but one only Philosophical Stone volatile not yet fixed or matter of a Menstruum extracted from the things aforesaid by our Magistery And therefore when it comes newly into the World you must not add any other Powder or any other Water nor anything incongruous to it more than that which is born in it being radical to its own Nature and the Mother of it which feeds and carryed it that is Sulphur which formed the Stone in a Celestial Colour But before you extract distil it the Stone throughly purge and cleanse it from all its Phlegmamatick Terrestrial and corruptible Infirmities which are contrary to its Nature because they are the death of it with which it is surrounded which do mortifie its vivificative Spirit Cap. 7. Theor. Test pag. 20 of the said Volum It is to be diligently noted that one of the two aforesaid Natural Principles Sulphur and Argent vive is more truly Natural in the whole and through the whole substance of it as well within as without and that is the pure Sulphur hot and dry introducing its form that is according to which the form of a Metal pursues a pure effect But the other Argent vive is unnatural that is inwardly natural and outwardly against Nature but the internal natural part is made proper and also con-natural to it self because it comes by its own Nature but the external part is added to it by accident and is to be naturally separated from it after the corruption Putrifaction of it wherefore it is manifest that such Argent vive is not in the whole substance of it natural in the first reception of it nor is depurated to the full unless it be depurated by the Ingenuity of Art C. 5. p. 10. Codicilli As to this Purification of Argent vive or the Green Lyon Ripley thus Wherefore saith he this Mercury the corrosive Spirit of common Vitriol is by Raymond called Our Fire against Nature Nevertheless the same thing happens in some measure to this Mercury the acidity of Vitriol as also to the other Vegetable Mercury or Green Lyon which is our natural Fire For both of them are hidden in the middle or center of their Bodies that is between the Phlegmatick Water on one side and Terrestrial Crassitude on the other side nor are they obtained without the great Industry of Philosophy and so those parts can avail us nothing except only their middle substance For saith Raymond We take neither of the first Principles because they are too simple nor of the last because they are too gross and feculent but only of the middle wherein is the Tincture and true Oyl separated from unclean Terrestreity and Phlegmatick Water Therefore saith Raymond thus The unctious Moisture is the near Matter of our Physical Argent vive pag. 289. Pupilloe Alchym Argent vive or the
upon it and shake it very often every Day for a Month a Week then separate the Vinegar by a Filtre and take only that which is clear without Faeces and put it in Balneo to distil and after the separation of the Vinegar you will find at the bottom of the Vessel a white or sky-Coloured Water which take and being put in a Bladder five double to keep out the Water dissolve it in Balneo into a cristalline Water put that Water in a Distillatory and if you will separate the Elements from it or distil the dissolved Water which rectifie in a Circulatory and the Earth which remained in the bottom in the distillation calcine till it grows like a Sponge and then is it very sit to reassume its Mercury separated from it that a new Generation may be made and a Son brought forth which is called King of Fire and which is so great in the Love of all the Philosophers Cap. 17. Philos Pag. 220. Of this Work Ripley made mention Cap. 4. of the same Book Pag. 194. Saying There is moreover another Work in Gum produced by Vinegar from red Saturn out of which is the separation of the Elements made after it is dissolved in Bladders The Menstruums of Gum Adrop which way soever made were called stinking Menstruums because of the stinking smell This Water saith Ripley hath a most sharp taste and partly also a stinking smell and therefore is called stinking Menstruum Assa foetida also is so called from the smell which our Mercury hath when it is newly extracted out of its polluted Body because that smell is like Assa foetida according to the Philosopher who saith That stink is worst before the preparation of this Water which after the circulating of it into a Quintessence and good preparation it is pleasant and very delectable and becomes a Medicine against the Leprosie and all other Diseases without which Gold vive you can never make the true potable Gold which is the Elixir of Life and Metals Adrop Phil. Pag. 548. Volum 6. Theat Chym. These Menstruums they called White Fume because of their white and opake Colour It is also called White Fume saith Ripley nor without cause for in distillation a white fume goeth out first before the red Tincture which ascending into the Alembick makes the Glass white as Milk from whence it is also called Lac Virginis or Virgins Milk In the same place Out of the red Fume or red Tincture otherwise call'd the Blood of the Green Lyon the Adepts did by rectification alone prepare two Mercuries namely red and white Upon this occasion saith Ripley I will teach you a general Rule If you would make the white Elixir you must of necessity divide your Tincture the Blood of the Green Lyon into two parts whereof one must be kept for the red Work but the other distill'd with a gentle Fire and you will obtain a white Water which is our white Tincture our Eagle our Mercury and Virgins Milk When you have these two Tinctures or the white and red Mercury you will be able to practise upon their own Earth or upon the Calx of Metals for the Philosophers say we need not care what substance the Earth is of c. Adr. Phil. p. 554. Vol. 6. Theat Chy. Roger Bacon made a two-fold Mercury thus 64. The Green Lyon of Roger Bacon A Raymundo Ganfrido in verbo abbreviato de Leone Viridi Pag. 264. Thesauri Chymici Baconis THe abbreviated most true and approved Word of hidden things being manifested I have in a short Discourse abreviated to you in the Work of Luna and Sol in the first place earnestly requiring the Readers not to expose so Noble a Pearl to be trodden upon by Dogs or Swine for this is the Secret of all the Philosophers Secrets the Garden of Delights Spices and all Treasures into which he that hath once entred will want no more Now that Word not without cause desired by many Men was first declared by our eminent Doctor Roger Bacon afterwards J. Fryer Raymund Jeffery Minister General of the Order of the Fryers Minors took care to explain the Word with as much brevity as I could to the Sons of Philosophy In the Name of Christ then take a great quantity of the strongest Vinegar diligently distilled through an Alembick in which dissolve a good quantity of the Green Lyon being dissolved distil through a Filtre and keep it in Glass Cucurbits well stopp'd If any remarkable part of the Lyon remains undissolved dissolve it with the aforesaid Vinegar and distil through a Filtre and being dissolved joyn it with the other Waters before reserved in the Cucurbits then take the reserved Waters dissolutions and distil them all in Balneo Marioe applying Alembicks to them well luted that the Cucurbits may not respire put Fire under and receive all the Waters which will be distilled but have a care that the dissolved Lyon be not altogether congealed in the Cucurbits but that it may remain liquid or soft then take all the Cucurbits and put all that is in them into one Cucurbit which lute well with its Alembick and put it in a Furnace of Ashes as is fitting and put a gentle Fire under because of the temper of the Glass and because of the Heterogeneous moisture which is in the Lyon to be rooted out And take notice that must be always done with a gentle Fire but when the Heterogeneous moisture is gone over strengthen the Fire by little and little and have an Eye continually to the Beak of the Alembick if a red Liquor begins to go over but if it does not yet go over continue the aforesaid Fire till it doth but when you see the red Liquor distil change the Receiver forthwith and lute it well to the Beak of the Alembick and then strengthen the Fire and you will have the Blood of the Lyon exceeding red containing the four Elements very odoriferous and fragrant after due putrefaction keep it therefore in a good Phial well stopp'd Then take the Blood and put it in a Phial close stopp'd to putrefie and digest in hot Dung changing the Dung every five Days there to be digested for the space of fifteen or sixteen Days and this is done that the Elementary parts may be dissolved and be fitter to be divided into the four Elements and that by distillation being putrify'd fifteen or sixteen Days take it out and put it into a sit Cucurbit to be distilled with a gentle Fire in Balneo Marioe but it is enough for the Water to boyl with the Fire take the Water distilled and the Faeces which you find at the bottom of the Cucurbit keep carefully the Water which you distilled distil seven times always reserving the Faeces which it makes with the other Faeces reserved before and so you will have a splendid Water clear and white as Cristal and very ponderous which is said to be the Philosophers Mercury hidden by all the Philosophers and
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
the present Secret The Adepts have indeed in their Practicks described the use of Philosophical Wine without any veyl of Philosophy and amongst them Raymond and Arnold with some others have attained to the knowledge of the same but to use Ripley's expression in Medulla how it might be obtained they said not Wherefore they being silent Ripley the first and indeed the only man of all declares to us that the Key of all the more secret Chymy lyes in the Milk and Blood of the Green Lyon that is that the stinking Menstruum or the parts of it Mercury and Sulphur Virgins Milk and the Lyons Blood white and red Mercury being fourteen Days digested gently is the white and red Wine of Lully and other Adepts Nor was he satisfied in declaring this freely to us but adds Strength and Light to his Words in making a Vegetable Menstruum the Rectify'd Aqua vitae described by Lully in Potestate Divitiarum and by us in Numb 31. of the said stinking and corrosive Menstruum by which one only example he was pleased to teach us that all Vegetable Menstruums may be made of the said stinking Menstruum Lully's rectify'd Aqua vitae is made by divers Cohobations upon its own Caput Mortuum We may if we please proceed by another way or method Distil the Menstruum Foetens being fourteen Days digested and first will ascend the Aqua ardens then the Phlegm and in the bottom will remain a Matter thick as melted Pitch which are the Constitutive Principles of all Vegetable Menstruums Let us therefore desist from further pursuit of the said Green Lyon which we have pursued through the Meads and Forrest of Diana through the way of Philosophical Saturn even to the Vineyards of Philosophy This most pleasant place is allowed the Disciples of this Art to recreate themselves here after so much Pains and Sweat dangers of Fortune and Life excercising the work of Women and the sports of Children being content with the most red Blood of the Lyon and eating the white or red Grapes of Diana the VVine of which being purified is the most secret Secret of all the more secret Chymy as being the white or red Wine of Lully the Nectar of the Ancients and their only desire the peculiar refreshment of the Adopted Sons but the Heart-breaking and Stumbling-block of the Scornful and Ignorant But before we depart hence I will present you Paracelsians with another Dish and that not unsavory which is that the Virgins-milk or white Mercury otherwise the white Wine of Lully extracted out of the Green Lyon is by Paracelsus that Glue of the Eagle or Green Lyon so carefully sought for For Eagle and Green Lyon are to the Adepts Synonyma's of the same thing For thus Ripley before You will obtain the white Water which is our white Tincture our Eagle our Mercury and Virgins-milk Consequently therefore red Mercury or the red Wine of Lully is the Blood of the Red or Green Lyon For the same Lyon is called sometimes Green in his Youthful Estate sometimes red in his more grown Estate and therefore the Blood is sometimes said to be of the Green Lyon sometimes of the Red So Ripley in the Menstruum described in Numb 61. saith Take the Blood of the Red Lyon being 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 the purest Gold also elsewhere The Blood of the Lyon of a Rosey Colour But let us hear Paracelsus himself 65. The Green Lyon of Paracelsus Aurei Velleris Germ. p. 41. TAke distill'd Vinegar wherein dissolve the Green Lyon putrefie filtre the Solution draw off the Liquor in Balneo to an Oyliness this Oyl or Residue put in a Retort distil away the moisture in Sand with a gentle Fire Then increase the Fire and the Green Lyon being compelled by the strength of the Fire will yield his Glue or Air To the Caput mortuum pour its Phlegm the moisture drawn off putrefie in Dung or Balneo and distil as before and again will ascend the Spirits force it strongly and there will come a tenacious Oyl of a Citrine Colour Upon the Caput mortuum pour again the first distill'd VVater putrefie filtre and distil as before Lastly with a most strong open Fire and there will come over a Bloody Oyl which is otherwise called Fire The remaining Earth reverberate into whiteness c. Hitherto we have had the stinking Menstruums made of Azoquean Vitriol only yet sometimes the Adepts have added common Vitriol to it thus 66. The stinking Menstruum made of the Gum Adrop and Common Vitriol of Ripley Pag. 357. Viatici TAke and Grind the Gum made of Sericon with distill'd Vinegar and as much of Vitriol evaporated and first distil the VVater with a gentle Fire then with a strong receive the Oyl blood of the Lyon which separate from the VVater till you have the pure Oyl by it self Sometimes instead of common Vitriol they added common Nitre to the Azoquean Vitriol thus Lully in Practica Testamenti made his stinking Menstruum 67. The stinking Menstruum made of Azoquean Vitriol and Nitre of Lully Cap. 9. Pract. Testam p. 159. Vol. 4. The. Chym. TAke one part of D D signifies Azoquean Vitriol which destroys and confounds all that is of the Nature and Being of common Argent vive pag. 154. and half a part of C C signifies Salt Peter or Nitre pag. 154. of the same Volume which being very well ground fifted and mixed together put in a Glass Cucurbit in a Furnace and putting on an Alembick in which the Spirits are by resolution distilled and condensed lute the joynts of the Vessels with linnen Cloath impasted and steeped in luting made of VVheat-flower and the whites of Eggs that the united properties of the three Mercuries namely Saltish Vitriolick and VVatry being joyn'd and united together may be preserved And observe that the said Powders put into the Cucurbit exceed not the weight of eight Ounces and to abbreviate the time put of the like Powder into two other Cucurbits according to the weight of eight Ounces in every Cucurbit and place them upon little long Furnaces so as I shall declare in the Chapter of Furnaces put not above three Cucurbits upon one Furnace for the Fire cannot administer equal heat to more as the mixtion of Nature requires and let the said Cucurbits be placed the distance of five or six Fingers one from another and let the bottoms of the Cucurbits be luted with Potters Clay mix'd well with hair put fine Ashes well sifted and pressed the thickness of five Fingers under them and to the Beak of every Alembick put a Glass Phial with a long Neck at the end because the Receiver of those Phials must not feel the heat of the Furnace nor the Water of the Phials flow back nor the Spirits recede or fly away Then must you provide a good quantity of Saw-dust whereof take two
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
Stone of the Philosophers of the Sun of Metals the fugitive Servant the airy Stone the Thernian Stone Magnesia or the corporal Stone Marcasite the Stone of Sal Gemmoe the Stone of Children the golden Stone the Original of worldly things Xelis also by inversion Silex a Flint Xidar by the same inversion Radix Atrop by inversion Porta a Gate and it hath also as many other Names yet is but one only thing To Robertus Lully seems to incline who has been pleased to call every alteration of the Azoquean Vitriol or Matter of the Menstruums of this Kind the first Porta or Gate of the Work thus he call'd the dissolution of the Matter the first Gate In our whole Magistery saith he there are three principal Spirits necessary which cannot without the consummation of their resolution be manifested and they are otherwise called three Argent vives And because Resolution is so often used for the First Gate of our Magistery which we will declare the said Resolution is divided into three principal parts The first is Corporal and is called in the Latine Tongue Recfage that is Anagrammatically sacere G but by G he means Sulphur aqueum Cap. 5. The. Test pag. 115. Vol. 4. Theat Chym. or our Mercury Cap. 20. Pract. Test pag. 170. of the same Volume The second is spiritual and called Agazoph The third is spiritual and corporal and called Vbridrugat c. When the Matter in the Resolution of it appears black this Blackness for which some have call'd it Lead he would have to be a sign of the first Gate In the first Resolution saith he lies all the danger and therefore I give you notice that you must have the Sulphurs of simple Argent vives destroyed by heat in such manner and form as that their active property may not be expelled by extraneous heat and that it may not be separated from its moist Subject which appears wholly black full of a noble Spirit That Blackness demonstrates the sign of the first Gate leading into our Magistery and without it can nothing be done because it is the Fire of Nature which is to create the Stone and which cannot be manifested without the corruption of its Body Cap. 28. Theor. Test pag. 51. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. Lastly He calls the Destillation of this Matter the first Gate also The way of preparing the Stony and fermentable Spirit is to take the Juice of Lunary and extract the sweat of it with a small and gentle fire and you will have in your power one of our Argent vives in Liquor in the form of a white water which is the ablution and purgation of our Stone and its whole Nature And that is one of the most principal Secrets and is the first Gate as you may understand by the Reasons aforesaid c. Cap. 9. Theor. Test pag. 21. of the same Volume Being perswaded by these and the like Quotations I may affirm that Atrop is to be written rather than Adrop because besides the Blackness or Philosophical Lead Atrop signifies the beginning or first Gate of the Work 11. That in the Adeptical Chymy are many Green Lyons to be necessarily distinguished one from another By the first the Adepts meant the Coelestial Sun governing the whole World The second is Argent vive more common to us than common Argent vive The third is called Argent vive dissolved into a Green Colour The fourth is Adrop Azoquean Vitriol Philosophers Lead c. A fifth is the Stinking Menstruum otherwise called the Blood of the Green Lyon A sixth is the Green Lyon of Fools Roman Vitriol Verdigreece c. The seventh is extraordinary namely common Mercury sublimed 12. That there are also many Saturns The first is common Lead the impurest of Metals and consequently the most remote of all in our Art which to prove by the Sentiments of the Adepts is a thing superfluous finding almost every where amongst the Adepts a solemn caution for us to beware of this devourer of Metals and Minerals Saturn Have a care saith Ripley to bring one Witness for all of operating with Saturn because it is commonly said Eat not of the Son whose Mother is defiled and believe me many Men err in Saturn Hear what Avicenne saith Saturn will be always Saturn yea operate not with the Earth of Philosophical Saturn which the Spirit of it has despised and left for the worst Sulphur c. Cap. 2. Philorcii pag. 188. The second is Adrop or Azoquean Vitriol whereof before A third is the first Colour or blackness of the first Work of which lower The fourth is Copper the first of Metals of which Arnold in Speculo Alchym disp 8. Pag. 605. Volum 4. Theat Chym. thus There were saith he Philosophers that placed our Science in the seven Planets and our first Planet is called Venus the second Saturn the third Mercury the fourth Mars the fifth Jupiter the sixth Luna the seventh Sol The Generation of Copper hath the first place after the universal Mercury saith Basilius Libro de rebus nat supernat Cap. 4. Of all those things saith Paracelsus which proceed from Salts there is none more nearly allyed to the Mineral Virtue than Vitriol the reason is because Salts are Minerals and all Minerals lie in one Mass and Ares Now Vitriol in the separation of Minerals is the last thing to which is immediately subsequent the generation of Metals whereof Venus is the first Lib. 4. Philos de Element Aquoe pag. 279. And a little after he saith The Marcasites and Cachymys being thus separated from the first Matter of Metals then follows the first Generation which is of Venus c. Besides by the separation whereby the nature of the Marcasites and Cachymys are expelled the generations of Copper do immediately concur imprint themselves and are coagulated together because it is the first Metal after the separation of the Marcasites and Cachymys in the same Book pag. 281. The Vitriol of Venus being the first of all things added or joyned to the Vegetable Mercury in the making of Adrop is called by Lully the first Male. This Fire saith he is that Property of the Mercury which you must endeavour to preserve from burning being the Tincture of Vitriol with which the Vegetable Mercury ought to be sublimed because it is the first Male of it and is the augmentation of our Tincture which is a great addition in virtue and power when it is joyned with the Tincture of Sol for if you know how to extract the Property of Mercury from Vitriol and Salt and make them friendly by conjunction which is done by gentle sublimations you will know one of the greatest Secrets of Nature and the true principal perfection Codicil cap. 92. pag. 202. So in many places of his Theoriae Testamenti majoris he means Vitriol by his Male in these especially The Fire of our Male pag. 50. The Virtue of the Male pag. 94. The Virtue of the Sperm of the Male pag.
a tenuity per deliquium and distil them into a Water through a Filter This Water putrefy not by it self but as the Disciples of the Art ought to understand and know with the Water of Salt circulated for a Month and distil by Balneo and a sweet Water will ascend the Body of the Salt by the way of a Phlegm which cast away That which will not ascend digest again with new dissolving Water another Month and distil as before and that so oft till no more sweetness is perceived By this way you have now the Quintessence of Salt in the bottom like an Oyl scarce two Ounces out of a Pound of the burned or calcined Salt One Ounce of this Salt thus extracted if common seasoneth Meat more than half a Pound of another for the Quintessence of it remains only and the Body is drawn from it by liquid solution This way is the Quintessence of all Salts separated This Process being thus enlightned by the rayes of the antecedent reflects no small Light upon the said Receipts namely that scarce two Ounces are acquired from one Pound of the Salts In Clavi Archidoxorum Lib. 10. Pag. 37. Paracelsus has described the Essences of Salts in these Words The way of extracting the Quintessence of Salts as Vitriol Salt Nitre Tartar c. is this Cohobate with its own Liquor or Water very often putrify with the Phlegm and then draw off the Body in the form of Phlegm even to the fixed Spirit This Spirit dissolve in its own Water and by a strong heat separate the pure from the impure with the Spirit of Wine This Description is most obscure but made clearer by those aforesaid The meaning of Paracelsus is this He putrefies the Salts and cohobates them so often with their own Liquors or Waters that is with their own Circulatums common Salt with common Salt circulated Nitre with Nitre circulated Vitriol with the Water of Vitriol circulated Alume with the Water of Alume circulated the dissolving Water of Alume the Circulatum minus of Alume c. till they remain at the bottom in the form of an Oyl which Oyl being either acid or saline easily makes an effervescence with the unctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine or its own Circulatum and in this heat le ts fall some of its impurities and so becomes purer which thing is confirmed by the Description it self of the Water of Salt circulated where he putrefies Salt being melted and resolved per deliquium with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine cohobates and draws it to an Oleity Joyn it saith he with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and the impure will fall to the bottom which separate but let the pure be Cristallized in a cold place pour the distillation to it again and cohobate so oft till a fixed Oyl remains at the bottom and nothing sweet will more distill Moreover this Oyl of Salt as a Menstruum makes his Process in Chyrurgia intelligible which otherwise could not be understood 72. The Water of Salt by another Description of Paracelsus Cap. 2. Tract 3. part 2. Chyr major Pag. 66. TAke Salt without any addition of Art being most white by Nature it self Sal Gemmoe which must be divers times melted then being reduced into a most fine Powder mixt with the Juice of Raphanus stir them together after resolution distil distil the distillation with an equal quantity of the Juice of Sanguinea five times more In this Water are Plates of Sol being purged by Antimony easily resolved into Powder this Powder being thus prepared must be washed with sweet Water distilled till it hath no taste of Salt for the Salt not entring into the substance of it is easily washed away In this Process Sal Gemmae being fused by the method of the Water of Salt circulated is dissolved in the Juice of Raphanus evaporated and resolved per deliquium then six times distilled with an equal proportion of the Juice of Sanguinea In the antecedent Description of this Oyl of Salt this fusion of the Salt dissolution in the Juice of Raphanus and resolution per deliquium is not necessary because the Water of Salt Circulated is sufficient of it self to separate the Essence of Salt from its Phlegm But where we use the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in making the Water of Salt circulated without the said previous preparation of the Salt we should have the Work too tedious In the mean time both Processes agree in weight of Menstruum for it is all one whether the Salt be cohobated into an Oyl with six times as much of the dissolving Water or distilled six times with the Juice of Sanguinea in equal weight One thing that mades the latter Process inexplicable is the unknown Juice of Sanguinea but however it is evident by what hath been said that either the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or the Water of Salt circulated supplies its place Basilius indeed resolved common Salt with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine not into an Oyl but reduced into it a Green Stone thus Viride Salis of Basilius In supplemento Libri de conclusion TAke common Salt calcine it well yet without fusion reduce it to a Powder resolve per deliquium in a Cellar or in Raphanus made hollow then distil in Sand with a quick Fire and a Water will ascend the residue in the bottom pulverize and dissolve it in its distilled Water and distil again this repeat till all the Salt has ascended which will be in the fourth or fifth time Draw off the Phlegm from the distilled Water in Balneo the remainder put into a Cellar in cold Water and you will have Cristals which take out and dissolve in the Phlegm then draw off one half and you will find new Cristals repeat the Operation four times or more for the oftner the more fusible will be the Cristals which being dryed and pulverized on a Marble pour to them the rectify'd Spirit of Philosophical Wine which cohobate from the Salt so oft till you perceive the Oyl of Salt coagulated into a Green transparent Stone which reserve Paracelsus in his Receipts appointed the calcination of Salt to be done by the fusion of it but in this Process Basilius prohibits this liquefaction of Salt wherefore we conclude it to be little essential in the said depuration of Salt nor do we think it so necessary for the Salt being resolved per deliquium to be distilled thereby to be made a fusible Salt Paracelsus having taught how to make the same Oyl out of fused Salt which Oyl Paracelsus himself besides Basilius in many places affirms to be of a Green Colour Thus we read of the Green Oyl of Salt Libro de male curatis Pag. 170. Chyr Majoris Of the Greens of Salt Libro 4. de Gradibus Pag. 154. From the Receipts we observe 1. That these Menstruums are the Essences of Salts not tinging 2. That the Oyls or Essences of tinging Salts as Vitriol c. may also be made by the same method
and do appertain not to this but to another Kind 3. That these Menstruums are by further digestion or cohobation made sweet and transmuted into volatile Arcanums less Circulatums or Simple Vegetable Menstruums of the Fifth Kind 4. That these Menstruums do dissolve Metals into Powder for the extraction of the Crocus or Sulphur of Metals and Minerals The way we will borrow from Ripley in the Vse of Stinking Menstruums Let us saith he proceed Pag. 145. Medul Phil. Chym. to practise upon the Calx of a Metallick Body duly calcined The Body therefore being prepared pour upon it so much of this compounded water in Numb 70. as to cover it half an inch and it will presently boil upon the Calxes of the Body without any external heat dissolving the Body and elevating it in the form of Ice together with the exficcation of it self which must be taken away by the hand of the Operator And the remaining Calxes being well dried again by Fire put so much water to them as before and proceed in all things as before continuing the same way of operating till all the Calxes be well dissolved which substance being well dissolved neatly separated and pulverized must be put into a good quantity of the rectify'd water of the Fire of Nature Spirit of Philosophical Wine that in that Vessel well stopp'd it may by the administration of external heat together with the excitation of internal heat be dissolved into an Oyl which will soon be done c. When the Menstruum of Sericon in Numb 63. is poured upon the aforesaid Calxes of Metals it begins to boyl up and if the Vessel be well stopp'd it will not leave working though no external Fire be administred to it till it be dried into the Calx wherefore you must not put a greater quantity of it than just to cover the Calxes In the same place pag. 171. For in this Operation the less of the Spirit and the more of the Body is put the better and sooner will be the dissolution which is made by the congelation of the Water You must have a care therefore as it is said in the Rosary that the Belly be not too moist because then the Matter would not receive driness And this way must be observed till all the water be dried up The same Place pag. 161. 5. That all the sharpness of this Metallick Powder may be wash'd away with sweet water That the Menstruums of the Adepts are permanent is manifest by the ways of making them but more clearly by the Vse of them in the Receipts of the following Books However Paracelsus seeming to have appointed the contrary by the present ablution of the Menstruum lest therefore you should fall into the greatest and most dangerous Errour of all the Adeptical Chymy we thought good to communicate to you an Observation or two about the permanence of Menstruums First That Aqua ardens the Philosophical that is is by digestion or circulation divided into Phlegm and Oyl swimming upon it as you observed in making the Essence or Spirit of Philosophical Wine You have taken also notice that the same Aqua ardens or same Oyl made of it is further concentrated and rejects the remaining Phlegm but that it self as a meer Oleosum remains with the inanimated Earths so called in the Preparations as well of Vegetable as Mineral Sal-Harmoniacks For it is impossible for the said Phlegm being the vehicle of the unctuous Spirit to abide with things dissolved much less be fixed with them they being so contrary to it wherefore the permanence of Menstruums but rather of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine is easie to be understood namely as these Menstruums are unctuous mixed with dry things not in the least diluted in their aquosities which do all separate themselves as useless in fixation Examples you will have in Lib. 2. De Astris Arcanis and often in Lib. 3. of Philosophical Tinctures Secondly These Menstruums do not presently or at the first time abide with their dissolutions For sometimes nay more than often we are forced to pour on and cohabate before any part of it will continue with the dissolved Body whereas in the mean time the rest ascends unaltered Thirdly Nor do the Menstruums persist with all things promiscuously but are united only to things homogeneous to them which in reason they should remain with Thus the Simple Vegetable Menstruums do continue with Essences but not with their relinquished white Bodies whereas the Compounded Vegetable Menstruums being sutable to these Bodies do dissolve them wholly in the making of Magisteries Fourthly Yea though every Menstruum is either an Essence or a Magistery and one Essence prepares another easily entring and mixing themselves radically one with another yet so long as they are of different kinds or degrees are they both separable again nor do they continue till one being newly extracted is raised to the same degree as the other then do they flow together at length into a mixture not to be separated by Art or Nature Fifthly As to these Mineral Menstruums you have observed that the Acidity of them admits of the same reason with the Phlegm or Aquofity of the Vegetable Menstruums so far as it is moist and therefore to be separated in the fixations of things But as it consists of the dry Particles of Mineral Salts but Salts they are dry things dissolved in Acids it will fall under two several Considerations In the first the Acidity of the Menstruum being perhaps in greater plenty than is necessary or sticking about the superficies of the thing dissolved is easily washed away with common Water But in the second the same Acidity being more artificially mixt and absorbed by the Aridity of the thing dissolved is made the cause of venenosity and now cannot be altered but by Vegetable Menstruums transmuting it Paracelsus commands the washing not of the Oyl of Salt but the sharpness of the Salt which penetrates not into the substance of the Metal and is easily washed away but the Vnctuosity of the Salt being throughly mixed with the unctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine and now united to the Vnctuosity of the Metal common Water cannot touch nor separate But an Acid received into the bowels of an Arid he corrects again with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine that it may not become the cause of venenosity Yet there is a place in Paracelsus where he seems to have established a particular Decree against the permanence of Menstruums Many several ways saith he Lib. 4. Archid. de Essentia pag. 12. are found whereby the Quintessence may be extracted viz. by Sublimation Calcination by Aqua fortisses by Corrosives by Sweet by Sowr c. It may be done which way you please Where this is withal to be observed that every thing added by way of mixture to the Quintessence for the necessity of extraction must be again taken away and so the Quintessence remain alone not mix'd or polluted with any other Matters For
fortis into the aforesaid Aqua vitoe digest eight Days This quantity of Aqua fortis is insufficient to dissolve three Pounds of the Spirit of Wine Ounces perhaps are to be understood for so many Pounds No Art is here required provided the Acid and Oyly be mix'd together In former times the Adepts used distilled Vinegar instead of Aqua fortis for this Menstruum thus 75. Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Wine of Basilius Cap. de Wein Essig in Repet Lapidis DEr Wein Essig Vinegarwine a single undeclinable Word is not the Philosophers Vinegar which is another Liquor viz. the Matter it self of the Stone because the Philosophers Stone is made of the Philosophers Azot but Vinegarwine is made of common Azot distilled common Vinegar and Spirit of Wine that is Philosophical And elsewhere Libro de particularibus de particul Veneris I spoke even now saith he Parabolically of this preparation in Libro Clavium in Repetitione Capite de Wein Essig where I said that common Azot Vinegar is not the Matter of the Stone but our Azot or first Matter extracted out of common Azot and Wine which composition is called the expressed Juice of unripe Grapes with which the Body of Venus is to be dissolved and reduced into Vitriol then into our Azot the first Matter of the Stone Philosophers Mercury Spirit of Mercury made of Vitriol c. which you must very well observe that you may be free from many troubles and dangers The Philosophers Mercury saith he Libro de Conclusionibus Sect. 2. de Vitriolo Philosophorum or first Matter of the Stone must be made by Art for our Azot is not common Vinegar but extracted by Virtue of common Azot Though therefore a Philosophical Menstruum may be made of common Azot or distilled Vinegar and the Spirit of Philosophical Wine as also sufficient and qualified for the dissolutions of some Bodies yet being less sharp especially in the Alchymical use of Metals and Minerals instead therefore of Vinegar the Adepts took Aqua fortis the sooner to finish their Operations You must know saith Isaacus Hollandus that our Ancestors laboured in the Art divers ways and yet came to one and the same end but their Stone made not projection always alike one making a deep another a strong projection as the Works Menstruums were sharp or of a deep Colour some sweat a long time with pains before they produced the Stone others shortned the time by sharpness of Wit as it is now done every day with sweat and pains Some of our Ancestors wrought three Years some four before they acquired the Stone for in those days Aqua fortis was unknown and they used nothing but distill'd Vinegar but now their Successors have found out Aqua fortis which hath much abbreviated the Work Cap. 6. Lib. 2. Oper. min. pag. 423. Volum 3. Theat Chym. Even at that time Bodies were to be opened slowly namely by calcination reverberation solution in our sharp Vinegar Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which their posterity observing and considering quickned their Wits and found out Aqua fortis which did much abbreviate the way to them Cap. 77. Lib. 1. Oper. min. pag 358. of the same Volume To make the present Kind of Menstruums the Adepts dissolved this Spirit of Philosophical Wine not in Vinegar and Aqua fortis only but in any acid Spirit not tinging as of Salt Sulphur c. It is thus prepared 76. The Spirit of Salt of Basilius Lib. partic in particul Solis TAke of the Spirit of Salt accurately dephlegmed one part of the best Spirit of Philosophical Wine without any Phlegm or of the Sulphur of Wine half a part the Vessels being luted distil with a strong Fire so as that nothing remains If you add new Spirit of Wine to the distillation and digest for some time it becomes sweet It is therefore requisite to dissolve the Spirit of Wine in the Spirit of Salt without digestion lest the acidity or brackishness of this Spirit be lost Guido sometimes took his Circulatum either minus or majus instead of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine into which he distilled the Spirit of Salt 77. The Spirit of Salt of Guido Pag. 7. Thesauri Chym. TAke of the less Vegetable Menstruum in Numb 36. or the great in Numb 38. one Pound put it in a large Receiver Then take of common Salt or Sal Gemmoe of the Stone of Tripoly of each four Pounds distil in an Earthen Retort with an open Fire first gentle till all the Phlegm is drawn off then put the Receiver with the Circulatum to it and distil the Spirits till not a drop of the Oyl of Salt ascends and you will have an acuated Menstruum To make these Menstruums stronger they sometimes separated or drew off the Acid from the Oleosum that the Spirit of Philosophical Wine might remain in the form of Oyl or Ice thus 78. Aqua fortis mix'd with the Spirit of Wine of Lully In Elucidat Testam pag. 147. Artis aurifer TAke of Vitriol one part of Nitre one part of Alume a fourth part mix them all well together and distil with a gentle Fire till the Liquor is gone over then give a stronger and lastly most strong till the Alembick grows white for then is the Aqua fortis prepared Then take of the aforesaid Water one pound put it in a large Cucurbit and pour it upon four ounces of Aqua Vitoe Aqua ardens four times distilled and put an Alembick on with its Receiver then will it make great noises boyling exceeding violently without Fire and therefore the VVaters ought to be mixed by little and little Then put it into a less Cucurbit and put on an Alembick with its Receiver and distil the Water in Balneo that a Matter may remain alone at the bottom of the Vessel in the form of Ice pour back the water and distil again and this repeat nine times then will an Oyl or Matter like Ice remain in the bottom This Menstruum of Lully is clear and therefore requires not our Explanation But it is described by an Anonymous in Rhenanus thus 79. Aqua fortis mixed with the Spirit of Wine of an Anonymous Author Libro de Principiis Naturae Arte Alchym pag. 28. Syntagm Harm Joh. Rhenani TAke an equal Quantity of Niter and Alume distil the Phlegm till the strong and dissolving Spirits ascend and set before them new and clean distilled water and force the Spirits into it with a most strong Fire Then take the Spirits of Wine being well purged and artificially distilled in Balneo take four ounces of them to one pound of Aqua fortis put them into a large Cucurbit apply an Alembick to it stop and put it into cold water and let them boyl till they will boyl no more Then put it in Balneo and distil the water so that the Spirits may remain yet moist then pour the water first drawn off to them again and do as
simul In the same place he calls this Sallabrum the Medium of joyning Tinctures the middle between two Extreams between hard and soft between Luna and the Spirit between the Body and Spirit As the Menstrual Blood is the Medium between the Sperm of the Male and Female so this our Salt pag. 1085. Sallabrum he calls thundring Salt illuminating Stone and fatness of the Eagle pag. 1087. Sal Alembrot the Stone Bore Borax and fatness of the Eagle pag. 1097. Tincar Borax This Sallabrum or Saline Labrum is by Paracelsus made of these Salts Niter Sal gemme common Salt and Alcali Guido used these four following in his reduction of Metals into Mercury Common Salt Alcali Sal armoniac and Salt of Tartar pag. 23. Thes Chym. Thomas Aquinas took the same Salts as Guido for his Labrum Salis. The Affinity which I observe between the Salts of Paracelsus Gemme and Common I perceive also between the Salt of Tartar and Alcali of Guido but the foundation of the Receipt is not grounded upon these four Salts Paracelsus was sometimes satisfied with Niter and common Salt fused and resolved together per deliquium Nor does the Mystery of the Receipt lie in the Wax in the room of which if you chose any oyley thing else you will not err Instead of the same he sometimes used Linseed-Oyl in the Water of the sixth gradation but of this hereafter From the Receipts we observe 1. That these Menstruums are simple Vegetable Menstruums of the Fifth Kind dissolved in Acids Dissolve any of them in common Aqua fortis and you will have a Menstruum of this Kind but take away the Acid and it will be a Vegetable Menstruum again as it was before 2. That these Menstruums are by reason of the Acidity both sooner made and do more powerfully operate than the said Menstruums of the Fifth Kind 3. That they are not always made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but also with any common Oyley Matter provided it be undertaken by an Artist expert in the Method of making the Spirit of Philosophical Wine 4. That these Menstruums do by their own strength without any addition of Common Argent vive reduce Metals and Minerals into running Mercury 5. That Metals dissolved in these Menstruums and sublimed are properly enough called Philosophical Mercuryes because as Common Mercury sublimate so these are most easily resuscitated into running Argent vive The Eighteenth Kind Simple Mineral Menstruums made of Vegetable Sal Harmoniack and Acids not tinging 87. The Aqua fortis of Isaacus Hollandus Cap. 122. Oper. Min. pag. 397. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. MAke an Aqua fortis with an equal quantity of Sal Harmoniack and Sal Niter dry the Sal Niter to a dry Powder then mix the Sal Harmoniack discreetly among the Powder of the Sal Niter so as to be well mixed together and incorporated one with the other then distil not luting the Receiver close to the Beak before it begins to distil for if you lute the Receiver at first to the Beak of the Alembick there are windy wild Spirits in the Matter which would break the Receiver but having distilled a little while lute the Beak without fear and distil the Water according to Art Annotations BEsides the Philosophers Vinegar there is a Sal Harmoniack under the Name of which is comprehended the Spirit of Philosophical Wine the root of all Menstrums being concentrated dried in an Arid and sublimed into an admirable Salt This present Kind treats of this Salt not common Sal Armoniack dissolved in common Acids not tinging We have also made indeed Philosophical Menstruums before of common Sal Armoniack by the help of Philosophical Vinegar or an Acid mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but the Menstruums of this Kind are stronger than they the Spirit of Philosophical Wine being sublimed into a Vegetable Sulphur or Mercury is made better as being acuated either with an Alcali or some fixed Arid and for this reason being dissolved in an Acid it yields also a more noble Menstruum Isaac in our Receipt mixeth Vegetable Sal Harmoniack with so much of Sal Niter for the Vegetable Salt to be by subsequent distillation dissolved in the Mineral Acid of Sal Niter but because this way of dissolving is by reason of the sudden ebullition of the oyley and acid too dangerous he durst not therefore lute the Receiver close to the Beak but the like effervescence appearing in the distillation of common Sal Armoniack and Sal Niter we must prove that by Sal Harmoniack Isaacus meant not the Common but Philosophical which we prove first by the Vse of the Menstruum Of which saith Isaack thus Dissolve your Sol in the Water made and put it in Balneo with a glass Alembick upon it kindle the Balneo no more than that you may endure your hand in it and lute the Receiver very firmly to the Beak and a little hole being made above in the Alembick put a glass Funnel therein whereby other Aqua fortis may upon occasion be poured in and keep the Balneo in that heat aforesaid a day and a night and when you see your Aqua fortis brought to a small quantity by distilling as it was when you dissolved the Sol in it pour to it new Aqua fortis ' and let it gradually distil a day and a night in Balneo and ' when it is thick again pour Aqua fortis again to the Matter doing in all respects as before repeat it three times always pouring to it new Aqua fortis but the third time distil it dry to siccity then let the Body cool and take the Receiver from the Beak and stop it firmly with wax remove the Alembick from the Pot and then take a Drachm or Scruple of the Matter out of the Pot and put it in a glass Phial pour common distilled water to it and set it on a Fornace in Ashes and let the water boyl half an hour Then let it cool of its own accord and stand a day and a night and a Powder will settle in the bottom of the Vessel pour off the top of the water gently and the rest evaporate with a lukewarm heat to dry your Powder Being dry take it out and heating a silver Plate put a little of your Powder upon it and look earnestly whether the Powder fumes not if you perceive it fume have a care of your self for the fume may kill you c. pag. 397. of the same Volume Then he goes on Cap. 24. saying Then put your Matter or Powder in it the subliming Vessel with a large and clean Alembick upon it very well luted so as to be certain that no Spirits can pierce the luting for they are subtil beyond description and should they penetrate and you receive the fume you would die Lute also a large Receiver to the Beak of the Alembick and let the luting be in every place throughly dry Then put Fire under the Fornace first a
very small Fire and sometimes increase it by degrees till your Matter begins to sublime which it will do with a little heat and when you see the Matter ascend diligently observe to keep the Fire in the same degree that it may sublime very gently which will be easily done for the Matter is sublimed and ascends with a very little Fire pag. 402. of the same Volume Gold dissolved in this Aqua fortis of Isaack and once or twice cohobated then washed with common Water becomes so volatile as to ascend with a very small heat into a most poysonous Sublimate if any man does the same by as easie a Method with common Aqua Regis made of Sal Armoniack and Niter we declare he needs not Menstruums of this Kind but that common Sal Armoniack is insufficient for such a purpose even the Novices of vulgar Chymistry have long since experienced Besides the Vse of this Menstruum the Encomiums of Sal Harmoniack which agree not in the least with the Common of the same Name do prove the excellency of this Menstruum Now saith he we have a mind to teach you how and which way to joyn Soul Body and Spirit together so as to enter one into the other for a Congregation of Contraries cannot be so as to remain together without a Medium which before in cap. 146. he called Sal Harmoniack or dry Water Take an example from the Dyers that dye Cloaths c. Thus it is with our Stone Though we have rightly prepared the Body Soul and Spirit if they enter not into one another they will neither now nor at any time ever remain together without the Medium of our dry Water Now Beloved where now shall we find this Water For Geber saith Our water is not Rain-water Aristotle saith Our water is a dry water Hermes saith Our water is gathered out of a filthy and stinking Menstrual Matter Danthynus saith Our water is found in old Stables Houses of Office and stinking Sinks And Morienus Our water springs in Mountains and Valleys and Fools understand not these words but think it Mercury it is not Mercury it is a dry water which causeth all Mineral Spirits Soul and Body to enter and mix together and when it has joyned them together it departs from them and lets them remain fixed And this water is found in all things of the world For if this water was not in vain should we endeavour to make the Stone For how should we make one of our prepared Matter enter into another As the Apothecaries gather their Herbs together so ought we to do either in the Vegetable Animal or Mineral Kingdom to make a perfect work or Quintessence we ought to have a dry water out of every distinct thing A dry water therefore is in all things to make themselves perfect Therefore saith Galen All things have their own Medicine to make the Stone either in the Mineral Animal or Vegetable Kingdom without the addition of any exotick things Wherefore when we would make the Stone or any Fixation we ought to make that conjunction with our dry water as was said of the Dyer and Apothecary Therefore is it my Beloved that so many fall into Errors because they do not understand nor follow Nature Therefore did I mention the Dyer and Apothecary for you to understand Nature by that rude way that you may in your own mind perceive that no conjunction can be made without a Medium .. Wherefore all the works above cited are good but those two things are not there named the Spirit that is and Dry Water weights and way of joyning wherein consists our whole Art wherefore I conjure you never to reveal this Secret for all the Art that is in the world is comprehended in it to make the perfect work in a short time and little pains Cap. 147 148 149. 2. Oper. Min. pag. 524 525. Vol. 3. Theat Chym. Ripley hath described the same Water thus 88. The Aqua Regis of Ripley Pag. 349. Viatici MAke a corrosive Water of Salt Peter and Harmoniack and put not above four Ounces in the Destillatory and draw a water with a slow Fire wherein dissolve and make the Oyl of Sol c. This Water Basil Valentine calls the Kings Bath of which thus in the elucidation of the second Key Take notice Friend and seriously consider because here lies the principal Secret Make a Bath have a care that no strange thing enter into it lest the Noble Seed of Gold be radically destroyed after the dissolution of it Exactly therefore and with care examine the things which the second Key informs you of that is what Minerals are to be taken for the Kings Bath wherein the King ought to be dissolved and his external form subverted that his Soul may appear without blemish To this purpose will the Dragon and Eagle that is Niter and Sal-Armoniack serve out of which being united is made an Aqua fortis as you will be informed in my Manuals where I shall treat of the Particular of Sol. 89. The Kings Bath of Basilius Lib. Partic. in Particul Solis TAke of Salt Peter one part of Sal Harmoniack one part of Flints pulverized half a part mix and distil Take notice that this Water must be carefully and exactly distilled for it cannot be distilled by the common method He that is expert in the operations of the more secret Chymy will know what is to be done Observe you must have a strong earthen Retort well luted in the upper part of which must be a Pipe half a span long and two fingers broad put a great Receiver to it lute well and increase the Fire by degrees till the Retort grows red hot Then put in a spoonful of this Matter through the Pipe and suddenly stop the Pipe with a wet Cloath and the Spirits will pass impetuously into the Receiver the Spirits being asswaged put in another spoonful of the said Matter thus proceeding till no Matter remains and you will have Aqua Gehennea or Hell-water dissolving the Calx of Gold in an instant into a thick solution which we mentioned in the third Part as also in the second Key not only dissolving Gold but reducing the same into volatibility c. This Kings Bath is described also by Basilius in Revelatione Manualium Operationum thus 90. A Philosophical Water for the Solution of Gold of Basilius Labore primo Revelation Man Operat TAke of Salt Peter and Sal Armoniack of each two parts of Stones washed one part grind them together and by a Retort with a Pipe distil the Water into a large Receiver putting in two or three ounces through the Pipe the Receiver must be a big one and lie in a Vessel full of cold Water and covered with wet Linnen Cloaths that the Spirits may cool for it will be very hot stop the Joynts of the Retort very close kindle a Fire and the Retort being hot cast in three ounces of Matter the Pipe being suddenly
stopp'd the Spirits will pass through and the Receiver will grow white and drops fall When the Spirits are setled put in three ounces more stopping the Pipe immediately proceed as before changing very often with wet Linnen Continue this Operation till you have water enough which stop very well that it may not evaporate it is the true Water and Mineral Bath for the King That Basilius as well as Isaacus used the Sal Harmoniac not common Sal Armoniac for his Bath the Vse of the same doth also prove Take of this Water three parts of the Calx of Gold one part mix them in a Cucurbit put it with an Alembick upon hot Ashes to be dissolved if it be not wholly dissolved pour out the Water and pour on new and that till all the Calx is dissolved in the water being cold white Faeces settle in the bottom which separate put all the water together and digest for a day and a night in Balneo then removing the Faeces digest the space of nine Days continually distil the Water that the Water may remain in the bottom like Oyl c. distil so often till all the Gold has pass'd through the Alembick In the same place This unctious Bath reduceth Gold and all other Metals into Oyls because it is made of the Oyly Spirit of Philosophical Wine concentrated and dryed in some Vegetable Alcali and Spirit of Nitre whereas on the contrary Sal Armoniack or common Aqua Regis cannot transmute Metals beyond its saline Nature for that Oleity which it hath not it cannot give Isaacus for want of a Retort with a Pipe perhaps not being at that time known sustained no small loss of Spirits in distilling this Menstruum which Basilius did by help of the said Retort endeavour to repair though that also not without some difficulty The later Adepts Crinot Trismosinus and Paracelsus observing the difficulty of distilling and the loss of Spirits made it better who by a plain but better method dissolved the Vegetable Sal Harmoniack in Spirit of Nitre or Aqua fortis without any loss danger or delay 91. The most strong Aqua fortis of Paracelsus Lib. 3. Arch. de separ Elem. pag. 7. TAke Sal Nitre Vitriol and Alume in equal parts which distil into Aqua fortis this again pour to its Faeces and repeat distil in a Glass which Aqua fortis clarify with Silver and dissolve Sal Armoniack in it That Paracelsus neither by Sal Armoniack meant the common is also demonstrated by the use of the Menstruum which he thus describes These things being done take a Metal reduced into Plates and there resolve it into Water in the same Water then separate by Balneo and pour on again this repeating till you find an Oyl in the bottom of Sol or Gold a purple of Luna a lazurine of Mars red and very dark of Mercury white of Saturn livid and lead Coloured of Venus altogether green of Jupiter yellow in the same place Whoever dissolved Metals promiscuously with common Aqua regis both Silver and Gold into an Oyl either purple or lazurine Not to say any thing of the reduction of all Metals into two Fat 's red and white the Essence thereof and the Dead Body It is therefore clear from the effect that Paracelsus dissolved Sal Harmoniack in Aqua fortis for his most strong Aqua fortis In making this Menstruum Guido adds the weight of the Sal Harmoniack which Paracelsus omits 92. The Aqua Regis of Guido Pag. 22. Thesauri Chym. TAke Vitriol common Salt and Nitre distil into Aqua fortis take one Pound of this four Ounces of Philosophical Sal Harmoniack and distil yet once Solomon Trismosinus sometimes dissolved Metals in commâ—â— Aqua fortis and to the solution added Sal Harmoniack Thus he volatalized Silver being dissolved in Aqua fortis with the aforesaid Salt Lib. 8. Tinct quinta pag. 81. Aurei velleris German Take of pure Luna four Ounces dissolve it in common Aqua fortis draw off the Phlegm to the remainder add six Drachms of Sal Harmoniack and pour on new Aqua fortis draw off again in Ashes to an oleity this repeat four times with new Aqua fortis then urge it strongly and the Luna will ascend together with the Aqua fortis Sometimes he volatilized Gold and Silver together with this Menstruum In Tinctura Regis Julaton pag. 16. Aurei veller Take of the filings of Gold of Sal Harmoniack each two Ounces to which put four Ounces of the best Silver dissolved in eight Ounces of Aqua fortis draw off to an Oleity pour on new Aqua fortis and repeat three times with new Aqua fortis and the Gold will ascend with the Silver through the Alembick Lully made his Aqua Regis by dissolving Vegetable Sal Harmoniack in the acid Water of Mercury sublimate 93. The Aqua Regis of Lully In Exp. 17. TAke Mercury being twice sublimed with Vitriol and common Salt prepared each time with new materials grind and if there be one Pound of sublimate take the whites of nine new laid Eggs which whites beat so long that it seems to be Water then mix the white with that sublimate and put it in a Retort with a long Neck joyn a Receiver to it very close giving it a Fire of Ashes at the beginning most gentle till it distils by that degree The distillation ceasing increase the Fire and at last give a most violent Fire and by this means part of the Mercury will turn into Water and part into running Mercury which running Mercury being gone over sublime again then grind and joyn it with the distilled Water and distil again as before repeating the Magistery till all the sublimate is gone over and converted into Water Wherefore you may the same way multiply it as often as you please always putting new sublimate to the Water and distilling till it be converted into Water Now take this Water put it in a small Urinal Cucurbit joyning a Head to it with a Receiver then distil by Balneo till the white seems to be gone over mixt with it which you will thus know take an Iron or Copper Plate upon which let one drop of the distillation fall if it boyls and seems to dissolve take away the Receiver joyning another very well luted and distil by Ashes and again by Ashes repeat this Magistery seven times And thus you will have a Mercurial Water which will serve you in many operations Take now one Ounce of the Salt of the second Experiment Volatile Salt of Tartar declared in Numb 17. and four Ounces of this Water the acid Water now distilled from Mercury sublimate mix them together and the mixture will presently be dissolved being dissolved distil by Ashes with a gentle Fire luting the Joynts well in the last place increase the Fire that all the Salt may with the Water pass through the Alembick then again put one other Ounce of the Salt into the same Water and by distillation
sufficient information of all things from Artists of the more secret Chymy Alchymists and Operators so also to be more instructed by the same in the way of correcting the Spirit of Wine Basilius in his Elucidat 12. Clavium Where he made the following Menstruum spoke of such a graduated Vitriol not common 99. A Menstruum of Basilius made of Hungarian Vitriol In Elucid 12. Clavium IF you have obtained such a highly graduated and well prepared Mineral called Vitriol most humbly beseech God to give Understanding and Wisdom for the success of your Intention and when you have calcined it put it into a Retort well luted Distil it at first with a slow Fire then increase it and the White Spirit of Vitriol will appear in the form of a horrid Fume or Wind and passeth into the Receiver so long as any of the same Matter is in it And take Notice that in this Wind are hidden all the Three Principles proceeding from one and the same Habitation it is not necessary therefore to be always diving in pretious Things because by this Means a nearer way to the Mysteries of Nature lies open and is obvious to all Men apt to learn Art and Wisdom Now if you can well and purely separate and free this Expelled Spirit by the way of Distillation from its terrene Moisture then will you find in the bottom of the Glass Treasure and the Fundamentals of all the Philosophers hitherto known to few which is a Red Oyl ponderous as Lead or any Gold whatsoever as thick as Blood of a burning and fiery quality which is the true Fluid Gold of the Philosophers which Nature compacted of the Three Principles in which are found Spirit Soul and Body and it is Philosophical Gold that Spirit of Philosophical Wine excepted with which the Dissolution of it is performed c. Cinabar the Adepts sometimes added to the Vitriol thus 100. The Mineral Menstruum of Isaacus Pag. 59. Manus Philos TAke of the Roman Vitriol calcined to Redness and Cinaber an equal quantity mix and pulverize then pour Aqua Vitae to them distill and cohobate upon the Caput Mortuum three or four times The same Menstruum hath Lully in Magia Naturali but instead of the Caput mortuum he takes new Species in every Rectification 101. The Stinking Menstruum of Lully made of Vitriol and Cinabar Pag. 371. Magiae Naturalis AFter the Fourth Distillation of the Water aforesaid Aqua Vitae or Ardens made of Philosophical Wine Distill seven times with an equal weight of good Cinabar and Vitriol putting in new things every time constantly and drying the Matter of the Stone Vitriol and Cinabar well in every Distillation before you pour in the Aqua Vitae c. 102. The same Stinking Menstruum of Lully Epist Accurtatoria Pag. 327. THe Vegetable Stone being Distilled the Vegetable Menstruum or rather Aqua ardens or the Spirit of Philosophical Wine till the Water is free from Phlegme and that commonly is in the fifth time take an equal Weight of Vitriol very clear and of the best Cinabar mix and grind them well together dry the Matter in the Sun till all the moisture is exhaled then cast in your Water and Distil first with a gentle Fire and strong in the end as the custom is in preparing the Philosophers Acute Water and then the Spirits or Quintessence of Vitriol and Cinabar which do principally make the Mineral Stone Mineral Menstruum do mix and joyn together with the Spirit of the Quintessence of Aqua Ardens which Spirit is the Vegetable Stone and this continue ten Times beginning after the fifth five times after the fifth Rectification of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and so continue the Distillations five times with those Bodies Vitriol and Cinabar And you must remember to make the things thorough dry before you put them into the Water so that all the Water all the Phlegme must be dried up evaporated and the Spirits remain which must be joyned together because of the strength of the Aqua Ardens and every Distillation you must put in new things To Vitriol and Cinabar he sometimes added Niter thus he made this call'd 103. The Stinking Menstruum of Lully made of common Vitriol Cinabar and Niter In Clavicula Pag. 299. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. TAke of Roman Vitriol calcined to Redness three Pounds of Salt Peter one Pound of Cinabar three Ounces grind all together upon a Marble then put the Matter in a thick and strong Body Cucurbit and pour Aqua Vitae seven times Rectify'd upon it and put it in Horse Dung fifteen days the Vessel being well Sealed Then Distil with a soft Fire till you have all the Water in the Receiver then increase the Fire till the Head Alembick be red then strengthen the Fire till the Head Alembick be white then let the Vessel cool take away the Receiver Seal it very well with Wax and keep it for occasion Take Notice that the Menstruum ought to be seven times rectify'd by Distillation every time casting away the Feces before it be made use of Besides the Ingredients of Aqua Fortis and Cinabar he sometimes adds also Tartar calcined thus 104. The Stinking Menstruum of Lully made of Vitriol Niter Alume Tartar and Cinabar In Experimento 26. TAke Aqua Vitae so hot as to burn a Linnen Cloth then take Vitriol free from all Phlegme so as to Boyl upon Fire without Liquefaction Vitriol calcin'd the common way the best Sal Niter Roch Alume dephlegmed and dried one Pound of all the aforesaid of white Tartar calcined and Cinabar of each half a Pound grind and sift every one severally through a Sieve then mix and put the Matter into a Retort pouring the aforesaid Aqua Vitae upon it put a Receiver to it the Joynts being very close and the Luting first thoroughly dried The Receiver must be large as those wherein Aqua Fortises are commonly distilled Now the Luting being dried make a gentle Fire at first till the Retort grows warm then continue the Distillation in this degree that you may pronounce ten words between each drop of the Distilling Water and when it will Distill no more with that Degree of Fire increase the Fire so as to return the Distillation again to the same ten Words as at first and this degree continue till the Distillation increaseth again and lastly increase the Fire with Wood covering the Retort round about with Tiles above that it may have a Fire of Reverberation but this observe the Retort must first be strengthened on all sides with strong Luting before this Distillation is begun and when the Distillation is begun and when the Distillation is it ought to be placed in a convenient Fornace with an open Neck but it would be best and most commodious in this Work if the Receiver of this Distilling Water could be handsomly set in a Bason full of cold Water but if that cannot be you must at least lay Linnen Cloths dip'd
and that so oft till all the Gold is come over but this Distillation ought to be done in a low Cucurbit with a flat bottom put the Golden Water which came over in a cold place to cristallize separate the Water from them Guido made the Volatile Vitriol of Gold out of Gold sublimed The Gold he sublimed thus Take of Gold calcined twelve times with three parts of Cinabar or of Leaf Gold four Ounces of the Oyl of Salt the Menstruum described in Numb 76. twelve Ounces dissolve in ashes Draw off the Oyl of Salt from it several times putrifie for a Moneth then distill and all the Gold will be sublimed of a Red Colour in the tenth or twelfth Sublimation but if it will not be sublimed joyn all together and draw off the Phlegme in Balneo to the remainder add of the Oyl of Tartar per deliquium four Ounces gradually and force it with a stronger Fire and the Gold will ascend Red with the Menstruum and be precipitated in the bottom of it decant the Water from the Gold upon which kindle Rectified Spirit of Common Wine eight or nine times to take away all the Acidity of the Oyl of Salt Pag. 11. Thesaur Chym. With Gold thus sublimed he prepared the graduated Vitriol of Sol by the following Method Take of Gold sublimed four Ounces and a half pour to it Radical Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Wine the height of three Fingers digest three days in Balneo decant the Vinegar and pour on new till all be dissolved which draw off in Balneo but beware of too much put it in a cold Cellar and the Vitriol of Gold will be cristallized of a Ruby or Granat Colour more or less beautiful according to the Method of Operating from which decant the Liquor again to be drawn off to a thin Skin till you have five Ounces of the Vitriol Pag. 19. Thesaur Chym. The same way also he prepared the Graduated Vitriol of Luna Pag. 31. as also of Mars Pag. 36. But Jupiter Pag. 42. Venus Pag. 45. and Saturn Pag. 49. he calcin'd onely and reduc'd them with the aforesaid Vinegar into Graduated Vitriols out of all which Vitriols may Menstruums of this Kind be distilled as Basilius his Spirit of Venus Isaacus distilled the Spirit of Saturn out of the Graduated Vitriol of Lead thus 114. The Water of Paradise of Isaacus In Opere Saturni TAke of Saturn ten or fifteen Pounds which no other Metal is mix'd with beat it into thin Plates and have a Bottle half full of Vinegar lute put it in a warm Balneo and every three or four days scrape the Saturn that is calcined from the Plates gather about five or six Pounds of it grind this calcined Saturn Ceruse with distilled Philosophical Vinegar upon a Marble so as with a Pencil to serve for a Picture then take a Stone Jugg and therein pour Distilled Vinegar to the calcined Saturn leaving a third part of the Jugg empty mix very well stop it with a Glass or Stone Stopple set it in Balneo stir it five or six times a day with a Woodden Slice or Spoon stop it again nor heat the Balneo more than that you may endure your hand in it let it thus stand 14 days and nights then pour off the clear and pour new Vinegar to the Calx not yet dissolved mix proceed as before repeating till all the Calx of Saturn is dissolved put the Saturn being thus dissolved in Balneo evaporate the Vinegar with a slow Fire the Saturn will be reduced into a Mass which move to and fro till it be dry it will be of a Honey Colour rub it on a Marble with Distilled Vinegar like Soap put it again in the Stone Jugge being very well mixed in a warm Balneo the space of five or six days stir it every day with a Woodden Slice stop the Glass let it cool pour off what is dissolved into another large Stone Jugge pour other Vinegar to it mix very well put it again in Balneo pour off and thus proceed till nothing more will be dissolved which you may try by your tongue for if the Vinegar be sweet it is not enough dissolved or put a little in a Glass Cucurbit and let it evaporate if any thing remains all that will be Gold is not dissolved and that which remains in the Jugge or Feces if they be sweet upon the tongue and you find yet something in the Cucurbit that is not enough dissolved you may dissolve it by pouring new Vinegar to it These Solutions coagulate as before dissolve in Distilled Vinegar as before these Coagulations and Solutions continue till no more Feces remain in the bottom but are all things dissolved into a clear and limpid Water then is Saturn free from all its Leprosie Melancholy Feces Blackness and Superfluities and is pure as now being exempted from all filth fusible as Wax and sweet as Sugar c. Take half of the Purged Saturn put it in a Stone Jugge and pour to it four Pounds of Distilled Vinegar put on an Alembick and distill the Vinegar in Balneo but the Alembick must have a hole in the top through which pour new Vinegar distill as before pour on new and draw off and that till the Vinegar be drawn off as strong as it is poured on then is it enough because the Matter hath imbibed as much of the Spirits of the Vinegar as it needs and as much as it can retain Take the Jugge from the Fire and the Alembick being taken off put the Matter into a Glass that can endure the Fire put an Alembick to it put it in a Copel with Ashes in a Fornace make first a gentle Fire increase it by degrees till your Matter goes over of the Colour of Blood and thickness of Oyl sweetness of Sugar and of a heavenly smell if the heat diminisheth keep it while the Matter distills increase the Fire till the Glass begins to be Fire hot keep it in this heat till nothing more distills let it cool by it self take away the Receiver and stop it very well with Wax beat the Matter Caput mortuum in an Iron Mortar with a Steel Pestle and then grind it upon a Marble with Distill'd Vinegar Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine put it in a Stone Jugge two parts full distill by Balneo pour on new Vinegar distill as before repeat till the Vinegar distills with the same strength as it was poured on let them cool distill the Matter in a strong Glass upon Ashes as before first with a gentle Fire then alstronger as you did before a Red Oil will go over as before c. beat the Matter and proceed again till the Matter will retain no more of the Spirit of Vinegar in the Distillation in Balneo then take the Matter distil what will distil in a glass Cucurbit upon Ashes till you have distilled the Matter into a Red Oil which is the noble Water of Paradise by
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
of Sol with Philosophical Sulphur which is the second Principle in order and the Spirit of Mercury a little before call'd the White Spirit of Vitriol into pure and malleable Gold as it was before not in the least defective in colour and virtue Sometimes he acuates the Spirit of Vniversal Mercury with the Sulphur and Salt of other Metals Thus 134. The Spirit of Universal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur and Salt of Luna of Basilius Libr. partic in particul Lunae THe Sulphur of Luna being extracted and edulcorated dry the remainder of the Calx of Luna to which pour the same Corrosive Water of Honey that you used for the Salt of Sol digest gently the space of four or five days that the Salt of the Luna may be extracted which you will know by the Whiteness of the Menstruum All the Salt being extracted draw off the Water of Honey edulcorate the Salt distilling and clarifying it with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine The remainder left in extracting the Salt of the Luna edulcorate and dry then pour the Spirit of Tartar to it digest fifteen days and proceed as with the Gold and you will have the Mercury of Luna of which in the Second Book for here we use it not The said Salt of Luna hath excellent Virtues for the Body of Man of which I shall treat in a place more convenient In the mean time the efficacy of the Salt and Sulphur of Luna you will learn by the Process following Take the Lazurine Sulphur of Luna dissolved in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine rectified and coagulated put it in a Cucurbit pour to it double the quantity of the Spirit of Mercury made of the White Spirit of Vitriol In like manner take the Salt of Luna extracted and clarified which mix with three times the quantity of the Spirit of Mercury lute both the Glasses and digest gently in Balneo the space of eight days and nights have a care that none of the Sulphur and Salt be lost but let them be in the same quantity as they were separated from the Silver Putrifaction being ended mix both Dissolutions and distil c. He sometimes acuated this Spirit without Metallick Salt and Sulphurs only thus 135. The Spirit of Universal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur of Sol and Luna of Basilius Libro particul in particul Lunae TAke of the Sulphur of Luna one part of the Sulphur of Sol half a part of the Spirit of Mercury six parts joyn them together lute well digest in a gentle heat and a Liquor will come over of a Red Colour distil through an Alembick so as nothing to remain This Spirit of Mercury he fermented not onely with the Sulphurs of the perfect Bodies but sometimes added to them withal the Sulphur of some imperfect Metal as Mars thus 136. The Spirit of Universal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur of Sol and Mars of Basilius Libro partic in partic Solis TAke of the Sulphur of Sol and of the Sulphur of Mars equal parts of each of the Spirit of Mercury the heighth of two Fingers above them that the Matter may be well dissolved into a C … n Water of a Ruby Colour being mix'd distil through an Alembick that they may become one as they were 〈◊〉 first from one Stem keep it well that nothing may evaporate Besides the Sulphur of Mars he sometimes added also the Sulphur of Antimony thus 137. The Spirit of Universal Mercury acuated with the Sulphurs of Sol Mars and Antimony of Basilius Libro partic in particul Antimonii TAke of the Sulphur of Antimony two parts of the Sulphur of Sol one part mix Take of the Sulphur of Mars three parts of the Spirit of Mercury six parts being well luted di … that the Sulphur of Mars may be wholly dissolved therâ— cast in a fourth part of the Sulphur of Antimony and Sol â—ure again and digest till they be all dissolved then add another fourth part of Antimony and Sol repeating the Work as before till all be perfectly mix'd and the Matter made like a thick Red Oyl distil the whole through an Alembick Sometimes he fermented this Spirit after an unusual way namely without the Sulphur of any perfect Metal but meer imperfect onely thus 138. The Spirit of Universal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur of Mars Jupiter and Saturn of Basilius Libro partic in partic Mercurii Vivi TAke of the Soul of Mars two Ounces of the Soul of Saturn one Ounce of the Soul of Jupiter one Ounce dissolve them in six Ounces of the Spirit of Mercury being well dissolved distil them through an Alembick without any Sediment into a Golden Water like to the transparent Dissolution of Gold Tho these Menstruums of Basilius may well deserve the first place among the Dissolvents of the Adepts yet some of the Adepts made Menstruums not much inferiour to them Isaacus Hollandus not onely the better to dissolve Bodies but tinge them also deeper made his Menstruums of Tinging Menstruums and common Mercury but being satiated with the Tinctures Souls Sulphurs c. of Tinging Things Thus made he the Menstruum call'd 139. A Compounded Mercurial Water for the Red Work of Isaacus Cap. 43.3 Oper. Miner TAke Argent Vive purged with Salt and Vinegar which sublime with an equal quantity of Aes ustum Crocus of Mars Crocus of Venus and Lapis Haematites of Roman Vitriol the weight of all and a little Salt and repeat the Sublimation seven times every time with new Species and the Mercury will be sublimed for the Red. Take of Aes ustum Cinabar Crocus of Mars Venus Lapis Haematites Antimony equal parts of each of Roman Vitriol the weight of all mix and reduce to a fine Powder to which pour of Aqua Vitae compleatly rectifi'd Spirit of Philosophical Wine the height of two hands breadth digest in Balneo three days stirring the Matter daily then draw off the Aqua Vitae with a gentle Fire then increase the Fire gradually lastly force with a most strong Fire for the space of Twelve hours that all the Spirits may ascend This Work must be three times repeated with new Matters continually Take of this Water one Pound of Argent Vive sublimed for the red as much as sufficeth or you can dissolve distil and reserve Besides Mercury he sometimes added also Sulphur and Sal Armoniack sublimed for the red thus 140. The Philosophers Water made of Three Spirits of Isaacus Cap 10.3 Oper. Min. TAke of Roman Vitriol six parts of Lapis Haematites Crocus of Mars of Venus Cinabar Aes ustum Mineral Antimony of each one part dry well and mix put the Matter in a Retort and pour to it of Aqua Vitae rectifi'd Spirit of Philosophical Wine four Pounds distil and cohobate three times with the Caput Mortuum pulverized Divide the Water into two parts whereof save one in the other dissolve one Ounce of Salarmoniack sublimed to redness in Balneo which being dissolved dissolve one Ounce of Sulphur prepared
increase the fire extreamly and that which comes over keep very close for it is the animated Spirit or Soul of the Gold From the Receipts we observe 1. THat the Menstruums of this Kind are more noble than those of the 20th and 21th Kinds there the Essences or Magisteries of Metals were dissolved in Simple Mineral Menstruums but here in the same compounded 2. That these Menstruums differ not from the Menstruums of the Tenth Kind but in the addition of Acidity dissolve a Menstruum of the said Kind in what Acid you will and it will be forthwith transformed into a Menstruum of this Kind 3. That these Menstruums are by Digestion made sweet again and Vegetable as before 4. That these Menstruums are not satiated but by their Dissolutions augmented as well in quantity as quality in infinitum 5. That the Spirit of Universal Mercury or first Matter of Metals of Basilius is by him also called Mercury duplicated wherein the Kings Mantle is to be dissolved Sect. 1. Cap. de Sulphure Mercurii Sect. 2. de Vitriolo Phil. and Sect. 2. Cap. 4. de Vitriolo Veneris In another place the Sulphur of Mars and Venus duplicated Sect. 1. Cap. 3. de dulph Martis Veneris In another place the Soul of Mars and Venus as in Particul Veneris 6. That this duplicated Mercury is made much better by adding the Kings Mantle the Crocus of Sol Luna and other Metals That the Menstruums of almost all Kinds are promiscuously called Philosophers Mercuries but of these more copiously and more exactly in the Third Book 7. That the Spirit of Universal Mercury of Basilius is the same with the Magisteries of Mars and Venus made after the Mineral way dissolve the Magisteries of Mars and Venus in the common Spirit of Vitriol and by this simple Dissolution you will make the same Spirit of Universal Mercury 8. That as Mars and Venus so also Jupiter and Saturn and the rest of the Metals may be made into the said first Matters that is of the same Virtues with the first Matter of Mars and Venus as to the faculty of dissolving But Mars and Venus are preferred for the excellency and exuberance of their Tinctures The Four and Twentieth KIND Mineral Menstruums compounded of Vegetable and Mineral Menstruums mix'd together 143. The Vegetable Fire dissolved in the Calcinative Water of Lully Pag. 363. Magiae Naturalis TAke of the Vegetable Water acuated the Metallick Soul of Lully described in Numb 5. one Ounce put it in a Phial with a long Neck into which you poured three Ounces of the Calcinative Water the Mineral Menstruum described in Numb 68. and suddenly cover the Phial with its Cover luted close with Wax then place it well in a Balneo the space of two Natural days and in that time the whole Vegetable will be converted into Clear Water Animadversions THe Adepts acuated the Spirit of Philosophical Wine divers ways and reduced it into several as well Vegetable as Mineral Menstruums in the antecedent Kinds Now in this 24th and last Kind of Menstruums they mix not either common Oyly or Arid or Acid Matters with the Vnctious Spirit of Philosophical Wine as they did in the aforesaid Compositions of Menstruums but joyn Vegetable and Mineral Menstruums already perfected together in order to make Menstruums of this Kind The like Menstruum almost is made by Luly and call'd 144. The Vegetable Heaven dissolved in a Mineral Menstruum of Lully Pag. 59. Testam Novissimi TAke of the Stinking Menstruum described in Numb 99. one Pound add one Pound or half a Pound which will be enough of Aqua Vitae most perfectly rectified Philosophical described in Numb 30. and acuated with the sublimed Salt of Tartar in Numb 17. or Wine Hold the Vessel in your hands and do not put it on the ground or any other place till the fury of the ebullition is over and it is a mixture of a Vegetable with a Mineral seal it with Wax and let it stand a day then put it two days in Balneo and distil in Ashes and you will have a limpid clarify'd and ponderous Water then put it in a Circulating Vessel very well sealed the space of sixteen days in Balneo conveniently till you return and see the Water well united and at the bottom of the Vessel in the form of a Cristalline Salt keep it The same Menstruum but of different weight he made elsewhere he added half a part of the Vegetable Menstruum to one part of the Stinking Menstruum in the antecedent but in the following Menstruum he takes more of the Vegetable than Mineral Menstruum 145. Ice compounded of Vegetable and Mineral Menstruums of Lully Pag. 68. Testam Noviss TAke of the Mineral G or Stinking Menstruum three Ounces and of Aqua Vitae rectifi'd and acuated with the Salt of Tartar four Ounces put them together in a Glass and distil nine times in Balneo and in that time it will be all converted into one as Ice Ripley mix'd vegetable and mineral Menstruums thus 146. The Aqua Mirabilis of Ripley Pag. 212. Philorcii TAke the Tartar calcined white as Snow grind it upon a Marble and incerate it with Aqua Vitae fortified with its Species as is premised with the Menstruum described in Numb 8. till it be as thin paste then put it in a Circulating Vessel and circulate the Water till it is wholly dried up in the Tartar repeat the same Work and so continue till it hath drank off the Water double its part and quantity in weight which done grind the Tartar and lay it upon a Stone or hang it in a Linnen Bag and put a Glass under to receive the droppings of it and this must be done in a place under ground till all the Tartar is distilled into clear Water out of which after Distillation and Coagulation is made a wonderful Salt of Nature which the Philosophers call Salt-peter and incombustible Sulphur properly the volatile Salt of Tartar which fixeth any Argent Vive But to have perfect Aqua Vitae requisite for this Work put Philosophical Wine in a Circulatory for a hundred days to be circulated with its Species and then extract Aqua Vitae out of it the Menstruum in Numb 23. because if you put to it as much Salharmoniack sublimed as Tartar one drop of it after it is perfected suddenly kills a Cancer in the Flesh of Man and if it be dropped upon ones hand penetrates it and dissolves every Body Without this Water we profit little in this Art and he that has this Water will not in the least doubt of compleating the Art But this Water is made twice as strong if an equal quantity of the Mineral Spirit which is the Philosophers acute Water the Green Lyon of Ripley in Numb 59. be added to it and then circulated upon the Tartar and upon the Sal harmoniack to spissity and then dissolved into Water which if done this Water will be of greater value than any Gold and
consequently Dissolvents transmutable with the dissolved into a third substance different from both These Menstruums therefore are so far from being immutable that according to the Edict of the whole Crowd of Philosophers to wit The dissolution of the Body is the coagulation of the Spirit and so on the contrary nothing in the more Secret Chymy can be more infallible Now this permanence of Menstruums you have observed not only in the volatilizations of Menstruums but also in the fixations of some thus you had the fixation of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in the greater Circulatums of the Ninth and Two and Twentieth Kinds but you will find more in the Preparations of Medicines as well as Tinctures They were by an Analogy of the Ancients ill called Menstruums unless also they could be transformed into the substance of an Embryo and yield proper Nutriment and augmentation to the Infant The Spirit of our Wine is indeed an absolute Oleosum that is combustible but here being throughly mixed with Aridums it becomes incombustible and despiseth the violence of Fire It is also moist and so uncapable of fixation but the moister and thinner parts which it contains are separated in the work of fixation from the more Oyley Particles being now concentrated So you observed that in the Preparations of the Sal Harmoniacks or Sulphurs of Nature the Spirit of Philosophical Wine as also the Vegetable as well as Mineral Menstruums are partly reduced into insipid Water and partly sticking to the Matters left in the bottom and fixed But better Examples you will have both in the Second and Third Books IX That Menstruums are not satiated with dissolving but become rather more avidous and so are by Dissolutions augmented as well in quantity as quality THough the Spirit of our Wine is the Basis Root and Center of all Menstruums Medicines Alchymical Tinctures and Pretious Stones yet nevertheless doth it dissolve slowly yea only such Bodies as are homogeneous to it that is purely Oyley as it self is a pure Oleosum and associate the same to it transmuting into its own Nature and so multiplies its self by this means Now so soon as this Spirit is transmuted into an Arido-Oleosum it does under the name of a Simple Vegetable Menstruum dissolve Arido-Oleosums that is the Sulphurs or Tinctures of the Mineral Kingdom the pure Aridum being untouch'd and left in the form of a white Powder with which Essences the said Menstruums or Essences may indeed melt together but not in the least be satiated because there is an Addition and Multiplication of like Parts But the same Vegetable Menstruums being now compounded of the Simple do no more extract the Tinctures and Essences of Minerals but dissolve and transmute the whole Mass or Substance of these Bodies into an Oyl swimming above which is called a Magistery Now this being digested together with its Menstruum at length falls in is united and so multiplies the Compounded Vegetable Menstruum For an Example to young Beginners The Spirit of Philosophical Wine being a Menstruum of the first Kind and acuated with the Oyl of Nutmegs is hereby made a Menstruum of the second Kind or acuated with Honey if you would have a Menstruum of the third Kind distil either of those Menstruums with Common Sal Harmoniack and you will have a Menstruum of the fourth but if you desire one of the fifth Kind cohobate either of them with the Salt of Tartar and you will have the Acetum acerrimum of Ripley or with common Salt and you will make the Sal circulatum of Paracelsus Cohobate Mercury or any other Mercury or any other Metal through an Alembick with this Vinegar or Salt and you will transmute the Simple Vegetable Menstruums into the Compounded Vegetable Menstruums of the eighth Kind from which you will further prepare Menstruums of the tenth Kind by dissolving and volatilizing any other Metal in them The same Rule you have as to our Mineral Menstruums But the Common Menstruums cannot receive beyond their Capacity X. That these Menstruums are also Secrets of the Second Book YOu have in this Book observed that among the Vegetable Menstruums there is none but what is either an Essence or a Magistery and it will be more copiously demonstrated in the Book of the Preparations of Medicines You have also taken notice by the aforesaid Receipts of them especially being compared with the following Descriptions of Medicines that Mineral Menstruums are the same Medicines but mixed and dissolved with Acids XI That these Menstruums are likewise Secrets of the Third Book IT is now partly clear by the Receipts of them but will be more clear by the Secrets of the Third Book that the Simple Menstruums are the Philosophers Stones not yet fermented but the Compounded are Menstruums mixed with the Masculine Seed and therefore Volatile and Fermented Stones XII That these Menstruums are in like manner Secrets of the Fourth Book THat these Menstruums do gove Light by Night and consequently are perpetual Lights yield also Matters for Pearls Pretious Stones c. the Receipts themselves do shew which will be confirmed by the Fourth Book RIPLEY Cap. 13. Philorcii Without these Waters we do little Good in this Art but he that hath these Waters will without all doubt compleat the Art The End of the First Book ERRATA EPist Ded. pag. 5. l. 3. read these for that Ep. to the Reader p. 10. l. 10. r. have a mind to Preface p. 3. l. 20. for Vegetative r. Vegetable p. 8. l. 28. for Minerals r. 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Illustrated with 40 Copper Cuts in Quarto By John Holwell A Cabalistical Dialogue in Answer to the Opinion of a Learned Doctor in Philosophy and Theology That the World was made of nothing By F. M. Van-Helmont in Quarto Trigonometry made easie fitted to the meanest Capacity it being the Foundation of Astronomy Surveying Navigation c. in Octavo By John Holwell Mellificium Mensionis or the Marrow of Measuring wherein a new and ready way is shewed how to measure Glazing Painting Plaistering Masonry Joyners Carpenters and Brick-layers Work in six Books and Illustrated with Copper Cuts the like not heretofore Published The Second Edition Corrected in Octavo By Venterus Mandey The Royal Catholick English School Containing a Catalogue of all Words in the Bible beginning with one Syllable and proceeding by degrees to eight divided and not divided c. in Octavo By Tobias Ellis Dr. Everard's Works in Octavo The Paradoxal Discourses of F. M. 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