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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	mouth_n	speak_v	word_n	6,196	5	4.5092	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76069	Basilius Valentinus, monk, of the Order of St. Bennet: his last will and testament Which being alone, he hid under a table of marble, behinde the high-altar of the Cathedral Church, in the Imperial City of Erford: leaving it there to be found by him, whom Gods providence should make worthy of it. Wherein, he sufficiently, declares the wayes he wrought to obtain the philosophers stone: which he taught unto his fellow collegians, so that they all attained the said philosophers stone, whereby not onely the leprous bodies of the impure, and inferior metals are reduced unto the pure and perfect body of gold and silver, but also all manner of diseases whatsoever are cured in the bodies of unhealthfull men, and kept thereby in perfect health unto the prolonging of their lives. A work long expected.	Basilius Valentinus.	1658 (1658)	Wing B1016; ESTC R231639	202,436	343

Philosophers stone For God the Father is a spirit and yet maketh himself known under the notion of a man as he speaketh Genes 1. Chapter let us make man an image ●ike unto us Item this expression in his word speak of his mouth eyes hands and feet so Philosophers Mercury is held a spiritual body as Philosophers call him God the Father begetteth his onely Son JESUS CHRIST which is God and Man and is without sin neither needed he to die but he laid down his life freely and rose again for his brethren and sist●rs sake that they mi●ht live with him eternally without sin So is Sol or Gold without defect and is fix holds out gloriously all fiery examins but by reason of its imperfect and sick brethren and sisters it dieth and riseth gloriously redeemeth and tingeth them unto eternal life making them p●rfect unto good Gold The third person in the Trinity is God the Holy Ghost a comforter sent by our Lord Christ Jesus unto his believing Christians who strengthneth and comforteth them in Faith unto eternal life even so is the spirit of ma●erial Sol or of the body of Mercury when they come together ●hen is he called the double Mercurie these are two spirits God the Father and God the Holy Ghost but God the Son a glorified Man is even as our glorified and fix'd Sol or Philosphers stone since this La●is is called Trinus namely out of two waters or sp●●i●s of Mineral and of Vegetable and of the Animal of Sulphur of Sol These are the Two and Three and yet but one if you understand it not then you are not like to hit any Thus by way of a similitude I delineated unto thee sufficiently the Universal Pray to God for a blessing for without him you are not like to prosper at all The second TREATISE Of vulgar Sulphur Vitriol and Magnet The first Section Of Sulphurs Chap. I. Of Sulphur of Saturn 1. THere is extracted from calcined Saturn with distill'd Vinegar a Crystalline Salt which is distill'd with spirit of wine unto a red Oyl This Oyl cureth Melancholy fiery Pox old Ulcers and many other infirmities besides 2. This Oyl coagulateth and fixeth Mercury being first precipitated with Oyl of Vitriol for all powders and Medicaments which are to make Sol and Lune must be made fix holding in all fiery tryals 3. Out of this Oyl is made a glorious Tinctur if you take three parts of Mercury of Mars and one part of this red Oyl of Saturn joyning coagulating and fixing them this work may be accomplished in a moneths time or somewhat longer This Tincture may be augmented with Mercury of Mars usque in infinitum projecting one part of it upon three parts of Sol to make thereby an ingresse for the Tincture one part of this Tincture transmuteth thirty parts if so be it be well prepared of Mercurie and of Lune into good Sol. Remember thy Crea or and be mindfull of the poor then the Lord will be mindfu●l of thee also Chap. II. Of Sulphur of Jupiter 1. THere is made of Jupiter a minium the like is made of Saturn from thence is extracted and distill'd a red sweet Oyl this Oyl tingeth Saturn being first calcined with Salmiac into Sol. 2. The Limature of Jupiter being calcined with Calx vive for a day and the Calx being w●sh'd from it then you have a fix'd powder if you can reduce it again into a fluidnesse and drive it wi●h Sa●urn then you may get a reasonable part of good Lune and Sol whereby a needy Laborator may get sufficient livelyhood 3. There is a calcination made of Tin and L●ad with common S●l● but better is it if made with Salt of ●he c●put mort of Vitriol and Peter the Oyl of Vitriol being added unto Calx of Jupiter and Saturn and made one masse of it lu●e it well ●et it stand for eight dayes and nights in warm Sand and then to drive it one Centner of Lead affords in this manner six Mark and a half of fi●e Lune one Ma●k of such Lune yields one Ounce of Sol. This hath been my first piece to make Lune and Sol withall Note these six Mark and a half of Lune afford six Ounces and a half of Sol this Sol and Lune amounts to 208. Gildors or 20. pound and 16. shillings Chap. III. Of Sulphurs of Mars and Venus 1. TAke some pounds of Verdigreece extract its Tincture with distill'd Vinegar let it shoot then you have a glorious Vitriol out of which you may distil per retort a red Oyl This Oyl dissolveth Mars turning into a Vitriol which is reduced in a long time in a great fire unto a red Oyl then you have together Sulphur of Mars and Venus add somewhat of Sulphur of Sol coagulate and fix it then you have a Medicine which meliorateth Men and Metals 2. Lune is graduated with the Oyl and a good part of the Kings Crown is gotten 3. Two equal parts of laminated Sol and Lune melted together putrified in this Oyl for a day and a night turneth them into good Gold In this Oyl you will finde many strange affects and vertues Laus Deo Chap. IV. Of Sulphur of Sol. 1. I have formerly told how Gold is made spiritual unto the purple mantle Now if you are about to make aurum potabile then you may dissolve with the Oyl of Vitriol that spiritual Gold extract and draw it over with spirit of wine this is a Medicine which cureth many difficult diseases and is wonderfull in its efficacie 2. This Solar Sulphur tingeth prepared Calx of Lune into good Gold but you heard in my former expressions that the King hath onely an honourable Garment and must raise his Rents and subsidies from his subjects must be bathed in his buddying bloud and swear must be destroyed and gloriously renew'd then is he able to make his poor brethren and sisters to be Kings also and legitimate the●r bastards Antimony is a bastard of Saturn as much of Mercury and of Regulus it ha●h so much is it turned into Sol its due Dose of Tincture being first added thereunto Wismuth ●●r Marcasite is a bastard of Jupiter is turn'd to Sol also ●y means of a Tincture Oyl of Vitriol is a bastard of Ve●us it hath a Metalline Mercury as much it hath of it so much is it ting'd into Sol. 3. If you add the Solar Sulphur unto Sulphur of Vitriol Venus and Mars and you have fixed artificially then you have a Tincture for Men and Metals expelling all manner of diseases and this fix'd powder tingeth Particulariter Lune into Sol. Laus Deo Chap. V. Of Sulphur of Mercurie MErcury is a Mother of all Metals and is a spiritual body and a fugitive servant when he cometh into ●he fire then he flyeth into his Chaos But he that can ●●tch him he gets then the Sulphur of Mercury or wa●●r of Sulphur or aqua benedicta the Key of the Art which ●peneth

Saturn is not to be thus slighted by reason of i● external despicable form if he be wrought in a due processe after the Philosophers way he is able to requite a●● the pains the Art-seeking Laborers bestow on him and wil● acknowledge him rather to be the Lord and not the servant a Lords honour is due unto him not onely in respect of mans health but in respect also of meliorating o● Metals the preparation of it is thus Take ●ed Minium or Ceruse these are of several worths the one is better before the other according to their several examinations those that are sold in shops are seldo● pure without their due additionals my advise is that every Artist undertake himself the destruction of Saturn th●● processe of it is several of the best I give this hint Take pure Lead which yields to the hammer as much as you please laminate it thinly the thinner the better ●ng these lamins or a large glasse filled with strong Vine●● in which is dissolved a like quantity of the best Salmonie sublimed thrice with common Salt stop the glas●● mouth very closely that nothing evaporate set the glasse 〈◊〉 ashes of a gentle heat otherwise the spirits of the Vine●r and Salarmonick ascend and touch the Saturnal lamins 〈◊〉 the tenth or twelfth day you will spie a subtile Ceruse ●●iging on these lamins brush them off with a Hares foot 〈◊〉 on get enough of this Ceruse provided you buy good ●ates if sophisticated you labour in vain Take a quan●●y of it if you please put it in a body pour strong Vine●●r on it which several times hath been rectified and was ●●tified at the last rectification with a sixtienth part of ●●irit of vulgar Salt dephlegmed and drawn over stop ●●e body well or which is better lute a blende head to 〈◊〉 set the body in ashes to be digested swing it often ●●out in few dayes the Vinegar begins to look yellow ●●d sweet as the first iterate it a third time it is sufficient ●he remnant of the Ceruse stayeth in the bodies bottom 〈◊〉 shapely filter the ting'd Vinegar clearly that is of a ●ansparent yellownesse put all the ting'd Vinegar toge●●er abstract two parts of it in Balneo Mariae let the third ●●rt stay behinde this third part is of a reasonable Rubedo 〈◊〉 the glasse in a very cold water then the Chrystalls will ●oot the sooner being shot take them out with a woodden ●oon lay them on a paper for to dry these are as sweet as ●●gar and are of great energy against inflamed symptomes ●●stract the Vinegar further in Balneo in which the Chry●●als did shoot set that distillation aside for the shoo●ing 〈◊〉 more Chrystals and proceed with these as you did for●erly Now take all these Chrystals together they in their ap●earance are like unto clarified Sugar or Salpeter beat ●●em in a Morter of glasse or iron or grinde them on a 〈◊〉 Marble unto an u●palpablenesse reverberate it in a ●entle heat to a bloud-like rednesse Provided they do not turn to a blacknesse Having them in a Scarlet colour Put them in a glasse pour on a good spirit of Juniper abstracted from its Oyl and rectified several times into 〈◊〉 fair white bright manner lute the glasse above set it in 〈◊〉 gentle heat let the spirit of Juniper be ring'd with a transparent rednesse like bloud then cant it off neatly fro● the feces into a pure glasse with that proviso that no impu●● thing run along on the feces pour other spirit of Juniper extract still as long as any spirit taketh the tincture kee●● these feces they contain the Salt Take all these ting'd spirits together filter them abstrac● them gently in Balneo there remaineth in the bottom 〈◊〉 near Carnation powder which is the animae of Saturn po●● on it Rain water often distill'd distil it strongly severa● times to get off that which staid with the spirit of Juniper and so this subtile powder will be edulcorated delicately keep it in a strong boyling cant it off then let i● go off neatly let it dry gently for safeties sake reverberate it again gently for its better exiccation let all impurity evaporate let it grow cold put it in a Viol put twic● as much of spirit of Mercury to it which I told you of i● the third part of the Universal entrusted you upon you● conscience with it seal it Hermeticè set it in a vapor o●● Bath which I prescribed at the preparation of the spiri● of Mercury called the Philosophers fimus equinus let i● stand in the Mystical Furnace for a moneth then the anima● of Saturn closeth dayly with the spirit of Mercury an● both become inseparable making up a fair transparen● deeply ting'd red Oyl look to the government of the fire be not too high with it else you put the spirit of Mercur● as a volatile spirit to betake himself to his wings forein● him to the breaking of the glasse but if these be well united then no such fear look for for one nature embraceth and upholdeth the other Then take this Oyl or dissolved anima of Saturn out o● the Viol it is of a gallant fragrancie put it into a body apply a Helmet to it lute it well drive it over then sou● ●d spirit is united together and fit to transmute Mercury ●rcipitated into Sol. The precipitation of Mercury is done thus take one 〈◊〉 of the spirit of Salt of Niter and three parts of Oyl of ●●riol put these together cast into it half a part of quick ●rcury being very well purged set it in Sand put a rea●●able strong fire to it so that the spirits may not fly ●ay let it stand a whole day and night then abstract all ●e spirits then you finde in the bottom a precipitated ●●tency some what red pour the spirits on it again let it ●nd day and night abstract it again then your precipi●●e will be more red than at the first pour it a third time ●●n it then abstract strongly then your precipitate is at 〈◊〉 highest rubedo dulcifie it with distill'd water let it ●●ongly be exiccated Then take two parts of this preci●tated Mercury one part of the dissolved Saturnal Oyl 〈◊〉 th●e together set it in the ashes let all be fixed not ●e drop must stick any where to the glasse Then it ●ust be melted with due additionals of lead they close ●●gether afford Gold which afterward at the casting ●ough Antimony can be exalted I have informed you hereof where I treated of Mercury ●ut But note that Mercury must not be precipitated ●lesse with pure Oyl of Vitriol or Oyl of Venus with 〈◊〉 addition of the spirit of Salt of Niter Albeit such ●ercurie cannot be brought to its highest fixation by way ●f precipitating but its fix'd coagulation is found in Sa●●n as you heard Be it the abovesaid Mercury small grinde it on a stone put 〈◊〉 in a Viol pour on it the dissolved Saturnal Oyl it entreth ●●nstantly if so

●eans of Mars is turn'd into quick Mercury This Anti●●onial Mercury hath been sought of many but few have ●●otten it which is the reason why its praise is not divulg'd ●uch lesse is it's operative quantity known if you know ●●w to precipitate it well then your Arrow will hit the ●ark to perform strange matters it's qualities ought not 〈◊〉 be made common It is needlesse to describe it's combustible Sulphur how that is made of Antimony it is easie and known but that which is fix'd is a secret and hidden from many If an Oyl be made of it in which it 's own Sulphur is dissolv'd and these be fix'd together then you have a Medicine of rare qualities in vertue operation and ability far beyond Vegetables Quick silver being imbibed with quick Sulphur melted with Antimony for some hours in a Wind-oven the Salt of the remainder being extracted with distill'd Vinegar then you have the Philosophers Salt which cureth all manner of Agues There is an acetum made of Antimony of an acidity as other acetums are if it 's own Salt be dissolv'd in this acetum and distill'd over then this acetum is sharpned which is an excellent cooler in hot swellings and other inflamed Symptoms about wounds especially if there be made an Unguent of it together with anima of Saturn The Quintessence of Antimony is the highest Medicin● the noblest and subtilest found in it and is the fourth p●● of an Universal Medicine Let the preparation of it 〈◊〉 still a mystery its quantity or Dose is three Grains the 〈◊〉 belong four instruments to the making of it the Furnace the fifth in which Vulcan dwelleth the Manuals and th● government of fire afford the ordering of it You Physicians if you be wise seek out this Medicine i● that subject where it lieth in and may be found best an● most effectual I forbear to speak further of Antimony l● Justinian judge of the rest Of Copper-water IF I could prevail with Apollo to be mercifull and to giv● liberty to his Muse to be my assistance in the describing of Art and wisdom then would I bring in an offering unto Minerva whereby the Gods of wisdom might take notice of a gratefull minde for their gifts they had bestowed and I would write of a mineral whose Salt is set forth in the highest manner whose great and good qualities are of that transcendency that reason is not able to comprehend or to conceive of them It went generally by the name of Copper-water to make the meaning and sense of it plain let men know and be thus informed of it that Vitriol containeth two spirits a white and a red one the white spirit is the white Sulphur upon white the red spirit is the red Sulphur upon red He that hath ears let him hear Observe it diligently and remember every word for they are of a large extent every word is as ponderous as a Centner stone The white spirit is sowr causeth an appetite and a good digestion in a mans stomach The red spirit is yet sowrer and is more ponderous than the white in its distilling a longer fire must be continued because it is fixer in its degree Of the white by distilling of Sulphur of Lune is made argentum potabile In the like manner the ●ld being destroyed in the spirit of common Salt and ●de spiritual by distilling and its Sulphur taken from it ●●d joyned with a red spirit in a due Dose that it may be ●●ssolved and then for a time putrified in spirit of wine to 〈◊〉 further digested and often abstracted that nothing ●main in the bottom then you have made an aurum po●bile of which great volumes have been written but very ●w of their processes were right Note that the red spirit ●ust be rectified from its acidity and be brought into a ●eetnesse subtilly penetrating of a pleasant taste and sweet ●agrancy I have told you now great matters which slipp'd from ●e against my intention the sweet spirit is made of Sul●hur of Vitriol which is combustible like other Sulphur ●efore it is destroyed for the Sulphur of Philosophers ●●ote it well is not combustible its preparation needs ●ot to be set down being easie requireth no great pains or great expences to get a combustible Sulphur out of ●itriol This sweet Oyl is the essence of Vitriol and is suc● a ●edicine which is worthy the name of the third pillar of ●he universal Medicine The Salt is drawn from Colchotar ●nd is dissolved in the red or white Oyl or in both and is ●istill'd again if it be fermented with Venus it perform●● its office very well for it affords such a Medicine ●hich at the melting tingeth pure Iron into pure Copper Colchotar of Sulphur affords true fundamentals unto ●ealing of perish'd wounds which otherwise are hardly ●●ought to any healing and such sores which by reason of 〈◊〉 long continued white rednesse will admit of no healing ●olchotar affords an ingresse thereunto setting a new foun●ation that quality and vertue is not in the Colchotar but ●he spirit together with the Salt are the Masters which ●well therein There is made of Copper and V●rdigreece a Vitriol of a ●igh degree and is far spread in its tincture There is a Vitriol made of Iron also which is of a strange quality Iron and Copper are very nigh kind one to another bel● together as man and wife this mystery should have b● concealed but being it is of great concernment I could forbear but to speak of it Vitriol corroded with Salmiac in it's sublimation th● ariseth a combustible Sulphur together with it's Mercu●● of which there is but little because it hath most of S●phur If the same Sulphur be set at liberty again by 〈◊〉 Eagle with spirit of wine there can be made a Medicine it as I told you formerly of it Though there be a nea● way to make a combustible Sulphur out of Vitriol as of precipitation upon a precedent dissolution by the Salt liquor of Tartar as also by a common lixivium made Beech-ashes yet this is the best reason because the b●● of Vitriol is better more opened with the Key of the Eag●● There are other mysteries hidden in Vitriol which in y● operative quality are excellent and are known apparent as Venus and Mars bear real record in their spirits the sa●d●th knowledge Sol and Lune but I do not intend at t● time to write a perfect book of Chirurgerie and to ma●● rela●●o●● of particulars in commendation of Vitriol I ha● already written too much of it you are to learn and sear● also you will finde that Vitriol needs no Proctor to spe● for it and it will sufficiently inform you of an absolu● Chirurgick book contained in its nature as a third part 〈◊〉 the universal against all manner of diseases In the closing hereof I tell you thus much that there not found in its nature neither cold nor moist quality b● is of a hot and dry substantial

for neither water nor earth ca●● do it any hurt because it received its first birth and beginning from a heavenly water which in due time is pou●● down upon the earth In these together driven goldish waters lieth hid that tr●● bird and Eagle the King with his heavenly Splendor together with its clarified Salt which three you finde shut up i● this one thing and golden property and from thence yo● will get all that which you have need of for your inte●●tion Therefore set that golden body you have obtained whic● in dignity and vertue is exalted beyond all other Gold in●● its due and lawfull dissolution its due time then the A●gel of the highest will appear unto thee and tell thee th●● it is the Resolver of all the mysteries in the World receiv●● it with joy and keep it safe for its quality is more heavenly than earthly therefore doth it heartily incline to striv● after that which is above from whence it had its Original If you have separated this Prophet from his matter whic● remained then you need not to undertake any further processe you were taught parabolically in my XII Keyes Fo● even in his remaining formal substance you may finde an● expect from thence a pure immortal Soul together vi●● the glory of the Salt both which are obtained by means 〈◊〉 the spirit and must be had from thence and no impure o● contrary thing must be added thereunto And it is do● in the same manner as I told you in my Keyes with the S●● and Salt of the Gold by the saturnal water in whose pla●● this spiritual Mercurial spirit might be used with better a●vantage Observe onely this difference that the Salt must be drawn forth from the Mercurial body as it hapned unto the Soul with the spirit of Mercury whereas on the other side the Salt of Gold must not be drawn forth with the saturnal water because it is too weak for the body of Gold but with a water which hath been expressed in the description of particulars This distinction must be exactly observ'd being of great concernment because the Salt of Vitriol is not so strongly guarded and is not in so fix'd a body as the Gold is but is still an open body which saw no coagulation as yet nor passed it through any melting fire therefore that body never came as yet to any compactnesse there is room left for its own spirit to enter into can embrace and unite with its like and a snow white extraction of Salt may be had whereas on the other side a sharper matter must penetrate Gold as you shall hear when I shall speak more of it in its due place Behold now my friend whatsoever thou art what minde I bare towards thee and how I am affected unto thee in my heart the like I never durst look for from thee Consider it well how sincerely and faithfully I disclose unto thee all the locks and bonds whereby the whole Philosophick wisdom is shut up which hitherto never entred any more ●houghts much lesse that ever it was practised or discovered and nothing caused me to do it but onely Gods infinite mercy my good will and love toward my Neighbour which my Predecessors have not done so compleatly and was put off unto me to do it Having thus separated your three Mineral bodies and ordered them into certain divisions and put away the dregs wherein they lye hid then look to it that you neglect none of it by the diminishing of the quantity which would prove a great fault to your work and keep each in its own and due quantity otherwise in your work you cannot come to a happy end This is the thrift which so many have missed and have written great volumes about it for all what cometh from our Philosophick Gold and hath divided it self into three parts the same must be brought into one without any losse and diminution which is to enter into a new form again and become a meliorated substance nothing of it must be done away but onely the feces terrae in which the glorious Salt had its dwelling Therefore do that I told you of joyn the spirit with the body bring the body also into a spirit dissolve exalt it into the highest spiritual power i● that dissolutiō the body turns to a spirit the spirit with the body uniteth and joyneth into one substance that after the exchanging of all manner of colours there cometh a white body like snow transcending all whitenesses This is the greatest mystery of this world about which among the learned and supposed wits such disputings in the world have been that a palpable thing and a visible one could be reduced into its prima materia and out of that may be made again a new clarified and better substance by the bountifull nature leading the way thereunto Thus you have made and brought into the world the Queen of Honour and the first born daughter of Philosophers which after her due perfection is called the white Elixir of which great volumes are extant Having brought your work thus far then you have deserved to be received into the Turba of Philosophers and you get more Art wisdom and understanding than all Sophisters which prate much of these mystical things and yet know not the least thing of it Therefore it is just that you should be preferred before them and let them sit below thee in shame and disgrace and in their darknesse of mis-understanding so long till nature doth enlighten them also That you may bring and lead that new Philosophi●● Creature by the means nature afforded unto the highest perfection after which your heart with all her endeavours doth strive then remember that neither man nor beas● without a living Soul can neither stir nor move and as ma● here in this life through temporal death loseth his Soul offering the same again unto the Almighty God from whom 〈◊〉 had it first into his mercy and merits of Jesus Christ ●here after the departure of the Soul the dwelling as the ●●dy of it is left quite dead which is buried in the ground ●here it rotteth and must return unto dust and ashes being 〈◊〉 duly stipend which the fall of our first parents in Paradise ●we deserved and from them as by an inheritance is fall'n ●pon us after which putrefaction there are raised again on ●●e great day new and clarified bodies and the departed ●●ul taketh her dwelling up again in that new body after ●at there is no more parting of body nor spirit nor soul ●●t because the Soul finding a clarified body then with the ●●me she maketh an everlasting Union which neither De●●l nor death can destroy and disjoyn any more nor bring it ●to any corruption but from henceforth into all eternity ●e are and shall be like unto the best Creatures of God ●hich before our mortality and departure of the spirit of ●●e soul and the body could never be God help and grant

●nto us all a blessed resurrection Amen This high and mighty example having its foundation ●ot in humane thoughts wit or pride or in an ungrounded ●ating but in the great Creatour's true word which he ●ath revealed unto us through his servant and holy Prophet Moses doth inform you what you ought to do further with our new begotten Creature that you may get a perfect ●●rth without any defect to the praise of the Highest the ●ather of lights and mercy from whom we receive all per●ect gifts which he graciously bestoweth on his Children ●or which we are not able to return sufficient thanks unto ●im Now if you will proceed well in your work then joyn ●he new body with his Soul which you formerly drew ●●om that the compound in its vertue be compleat and ●here be apparent in the end a plusquam perfection of it ●hen is begotten the Red King of all glorie in a fiery sub●tance and highly clarified body exalted above all powers ●pon earth from thence ariseth the golden fountain he that thinketh of it is renewed in all his Members and there is rised wholly a new life for the which God be praised for ever more The augmentation of this huge treasure together with the fermentation thereof for the transmutation of Metalls doubtlesse you have taken notice of exactly afore where I wrote of Gold how it must be handled and what direction I have given you thereunto the same you must observe for here is all one processe from the middle to the end the beginning onely asketh alteration by reason of the two distinct matters for the which God be praised whom we beseech to give us his grace and blessing that we may make good use of this treasure and after this life we may enter into the heavenly Kingdom The love to my Neighbour hath moved me to write of these things which in my long experience I found to be true following the steps of bountifull nature which made me a Sooth-sayer in natural things and I am assured that if these my writings are made publick after my death and my other books sharing in the same fortune that they must undergo many censures For some will extreamly condem● me delivering me unto Satan because I have written so plainly Others there will be which will quite overthrow my writings crying out to be Lies Superstition and Diabolical works the like censure other illuminated men before me have undergone which they feel to this day for men are so incredulous in these points that so mighty an operation should be found against all manner of infirmities besides the transmutation of Metals in so despicable a mat●er over which the Iron Man with his espoused Wife Venus ●ogether with the deep glittering Sol is and must have the ●redominancie and with incredible profit it should by ●rt ●e brought to such perfection The Art being great and ●he matter so contemptible it procureth the more doubt ●nd unbelief these unbelieving men I let understand one●y this notable example whereby the eyes of those that ●re going unto Emaus shall be opened and thereby shall ●●owledge that I have written no untruth but disclosed 〈◊〉 a truth very plainly And note that the ancient Phi●●phers endeavoured to describe the preparation of the ●●e under a notion of distilling of wine and the spirit ●●eof which in their work are almost like one to an●er For I they taught out of the best wine to make a ●it without any strange phlegme which to this day ●●ng vulgar Artists must be and is called the right and ●e mystical spirit of wine whereas it may soon be proved ●r this supposed spirit of wine containeth much invisible ●midity or phlegme in an insensible manner which is ●hing else but its vegetable Mercury for the fiery spirit wine is the true fire and soul of the wine Every Sulphur ●●taineth secretly its original and principal Mercury Ve●ables in their kinde the Animals in their kinde and 〈◊〉 Minerals also after their kinde 2. They taught how ●s spirit of wine must be separated in two distinct parts ●mely this spirit of wine be poured upon white calcined ●●ar and be drawn over in a gentle distillation In this ●●illation is separated the secret and true spirit of wine ●m his Vegetable Mercury as I faithfully informed you 〈◊〉 my Manuals From the remainng earth they taught a ●t be drawn to be added to the rectified spirit whereby 〈◊〉 is fortified and strengthned in his substance and at last ●e Philosopher stone should be generated It is mightily ●ainst Gods ordinance that a Vegetable should produce 〈◊〉 Animal or an Animal produce a Mineral By way of ●parable the practice part is held forth under the notion 〈◊〉 this preparation Now as they taught of the wine so in ●●e manner also through a short way our Gold can be pre●red not the usual and common Gold and may be dis●lved divided separated and brought into its first prin●ple But you must note that this dissolution and separation ●as never described plainly by any of the ancient Philoso●hers which lived before me and knew the Magisterium ●hy I do it the love to my Neighbour hath moved me thereunto which I bear from the Center of my heart to those which overcome this mystery without falshood 〈◊〉 mingling vices with a faithfull heart in a sincere kn●●ledge and real piety In the first place be inform'd 〈◊〉 our Gold so much spoken of hitherto must never be ●●ken for such Gold by any of our Disciples which hath b● melted and fully digested by nature for herein such ●rour is committed that men dilapidate all what they h●● and loose both the beginning and end of all their wo●●● Although not onely from Gold but from other Metals 〈◊〉 this Clenodium and Jewel may be had in the prepara●●●● of it particulariter much profit and advantage may be ●●ten in that which concerneth mans health as hath be formerly told however without the spirit of Mercury 〈◊〉 Universal of the World to be gotten meerly from the b●● of Sol is impossible and will be impossible unlesse Creatour of all things produce another ordinance to cha●● and alter his Creature after his own will But as that impossible so it is impossible also to deal against G●● Creature in that kinde as to finde out that wholesom p●●fit which to your longing desire you expect You m●● believe it for a truth as Christ himself is that the Philo●●pher's stone would not be so strange rare and unkno●● a thing it would be common to Kings and Potentates 〈◊〉 God would permit to be made of Gold alone and the th●● Jewels of infinite fixed vertues hid therein could be 〈◊〉 out of it My intent is not in this present Treatise to use any p●●lixity in writing those that are not quite blinde and ha●● their eyes open have enough already to attain unto 〈◊〉 knowledge and command both his minde and hands ●o to passe by the weightiest and esteem high