THE PRACTISE OF Chymicall and Hermeticall Physicke for the preseruation of health WRITTEN IN LATIN By Iosephus Quersitanus Doctor of Physicke And Translated into English by Thomas Timme Minister LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede 1605. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR Charles Blunt Earle of Deuonshire L. Mountiâ—y Lieutenant general of Ireland M. of the Ordinance Gouernour and Captaine General of the Towne and Garison of Portsmouth and the I le of Portsey Knight of the noble Order of the Garter and one of his Maiesties most honourable priuie Councell I I may seeme Right Honorable an admirable and new Paradox that Halchymie should haue concurrence and antiquitie with Theologie the one seeming meere Humane and the other Diuine And yet Moses that auncient Theologue describing expressing the most wonderfull Architecture of this great world tels vs that the Spirit of God moued vpon the water which was an indigested Chaos or masse created before by God with confused Earth in mixture yet by his Halchymicall Extraction Seperation Sublimation and Coniunction so ordered and conioyned againe as they are manifestly seene a part and sundered in Earth Fyer included which is a third Element and Ayre a fourth in Water howbeit inuisibly Of which foure Elements two are fixed as earth and fire and two volatil as water ayre That spiritual Motion of the first mouer God hath inspired al the creatures of this vniuersal world with that spirit of Life which may truely be called the spirit of the world which naturally moueth and secretly acteth in all creatures giuing them existence in three to wit salt sulphure and Mercury in one Huposiasis Mercurie congealing Sulphur sulphur Mercurie neither of them being without their Salt the chiefest meane by whose helpe Nature bringeth forth al vegeâ—â—â—ls Minerals Animals So that of these 3. whatsoeuer is in Nature hath his original is compacted of them and so mingled with the 4. Elements that they make one body Therefore this Diuine Halchymie through the operatioÌ„ of the spirit without the which the elemental material Character letter and forme profiteth not was the beginning of Time of Terrestrial existence by which all things liue moue and haue their being consisting of body soule spirit whether they be vegetals minerals or animals reseruing only this difference that the soules of men angels are reasonable immortal according to the Image of God himself the sensuals as beasts and such like not so Moreouer as the omnipoteÌ„t God hath in the beginning by his diuine wisedom created the things of the heueÌ„s earth in weight muÌ„ber measure depeÌ„ding vpoÌ„ most wonderfull proportion harmony to serue the time which he hath appointed so in the fulnesse last period of time which approacheth fast on the 4. Elements whereof al creatures consist hauing in euery of theÌ„ 2. other Elements the one putrifying and combustible the other eternal incombustible as the heauen shall by Gods Halchymie be metamorphosed and changed For the combustible hauing in them a corrupt stinking feces or drossie matter which maketh theÌ„ subiect to corruption shal in that great generall refining day be purged through fire And then God wil make new Heauens and a new Earth and bring all things to a christalline cleernes wil also make the 4. Elements perfect simple fixed in themselues that al things may be reduced to a Quintessence of Eternitie Thus right Honourable you see a Paradox no Paradox a Hieroglyphick plainly disciphered For Halchymie tradeth not alone with transmutation of metals as ignorant vulgars thinke which error hath made them distaste that noble Science but shee hath also a chyrurgical hand in the anatomizing of euery mesenteriall veine of whole nature Gods created handmaid to conceiue and bring forth his Creatures For it is proper to God alone to create something of nothing but it is natures taske to forme that which he hath created VVherefore if the foole which hath in his hart said There is no God will put away the mist of ignorance and infidelitie and behold the power and wisedome of God in his creatures manifested more particularly and inwardly by the Art of Halchymie imitating nature in seperating from one substance be it Vegetall Mimeral or Animal these three Salt Sulphur and Mercurie shal by that mistery as in glasse discerne the holy and most glorious Trinitie in the Vnitie of one Hupostasis Diuine For the inuisible things of God saith the Apostle that is his eternal power and God-head are seene by the creation of the world being considered in his workes This Phylosophy therefore my good lord is not of that kind which tendeth to vanity and deceit but rather to profit and to edification inducing first the knowledge of God secondly the way to find out true medicine in his creatures Plato saith that Phylosophy is the imitating of God so farforth as man is able that we may knowe God more and more vntill we behold him face to face in the kingdome of heauen So that the scope of Phylosophy is to seeke to glorifie God in his wonderfull workes to teach a man how to liue wel and to be charitably affected in helping our neighbour This Philosophy natural both speculatiue actiue is not only to be found in the volume of nature but also in the sacred Scripture as in Genesis in the booke of Iob in the Psalmes in Syrach and in other places In the knowledge of this Philosophy God made Salomon to excel all the kings Phylosophers that were in the world whereby the Queene of Sheba was allured to take a long Iourney to make an experiment of that wisedome whereof she had heard so great fame and found it by effect farre greater Anaxagoras a noble gentleman but more noble in wisdome and vertue Crates Antisthenes with many others contemned the pleasures of the world and gaue theÌ„selues to the studie of naturall Philosophie Philosophers haue brought more profit to the world then did Ceres who inuented the increase of corne grain then did Bacchus that found out the vse of wines then did Hercules which ridde the world of monsters For these things belong to the maintenance of bodily life and pleasure but Philosophy instructeth and nourish the soule it selfe This phylosophy together with the most rare excellent healthful Physicke linked to true grounds and vpholden by daily experience the very marow of true medicine the quintessence of marow it selfe I most humbly present vnto your honours hands as a Iewel of prise to procure and preserue health which Ptolomeus the sonne of Antiochus valued at so high a rate that he gaue to Erasistratus a noble Physitian on hundred talents for the curing of Antiochus My labour herein be it but as the apple which Acontius gaue to beautiful Cydippe to make knowne his amorous affection yet being tendred with no lesse good wil in al humilitie
The drye is a Sandy earth or ashes 〈◊〉 of all salt by reason of the washing of Waters and is called by the Chymists Terra damnata or Damned earth Because it hath no other force but that which is drying The mâ—yste which is called vnsauorie Phleame is pestered with all Sulphur and Mercurie hauing no odour or taste or other vital vertue which can onely moysten without any other force at all And as these are of no force so doe they onely possesse passiue qualities and vnprofitable But Ayer the thyrd Element cannot be separated by it selfe but doth eyther vanish into ayre or else remayneth mixed Sulphur and Mercury and doth more chiefely cleaue vnto Mercury which is so spiritual that the most experte woorkeman cannot separate the same from it selfe alone but doth alwayes passe away into aire with the aire or vapour of that thing whereof the separation is made to which aier Mercury is straitely combyned that it can neuer be separated from the same without it be done by the great industry of a skilful workeman who knoweth that Mercury or salte Armoniack volatile is so conioyned with aier or with the aiery parts that it doth also breathe away with the aiery parte and with the same is reduced into spiritual Water which is knowen to be the mercurial water by the sharpe sower and vehement which springeth from the Mercury or salt armoniack of nature spirituall The which the workeman séeking to separate conioyneth this spiritual liquor with a Christalline salt naturally fixed from the which he separateth that aiery liquor by Distillation which by that separation is vtterly spoyled of all force and remaineth an vnsauory aiery liquor for because that Mercuriall spirite possessing the nature of volatil Salt remaineth fixed with his proper Salt with the which hée hath the most chiefe analogie and proportion And thus the Philosophers testify that nature is delighted with nature Thus we sée how the Elementary aier is to be separated from that Mercuriall spirite namely by bringing the Eâ—â—ment of aier into water deuoyde of taste and by cutting the Mercuriall spirit into the salt of his proper preheminence Furthermore hereby it appeareth that Mercury is a certaine aiery thing or aier it selfe and yet somewhat more then the elementarie aier which wanting the spirit of Mercurie is a simple aiery liquor of no vertue or power but simplie to moysten and penetrate And so the actiue qualities doe belong to the beginnings Salt sulphur and Mercurie and the passiue to the Elements This thing wée haue made plaine before by the example of Wine and Water of life These things are therefore spoken that all men may sée by the Anatomie and resolution of things that the element of aier cannot be separated by it selfe alone neyther is it so to be séene of any but of the true Philosophers and by such as are most conuersant in this art Thus certaine demonstration is made of the visible bodies of things procreated both out of the séedes and beginnings and also out of the elements albeit in the resolution of the bodies thou doest not discerne the visible bodies of the séedes put a parte by themselues But it is an easie matter to discerne the seuered partes of those thrée beginnings and also of the Elements in the which partes of the thrée beginnings the vertues and powers of actions wherwith the séedes are indued are included and mixed together Whereby it commeth to passe that their bodies are filled together with the vitall forces and faculties of the Astrall and spirituall séedes as the receptacle of thâ—se vertues But the Elementall bodies haue only passiue qualities the which elementall bodies a wâ—rkeman cannot onely separate by themselues but can also bring them to nothing in such sorte that the passiue and materiall Elements being separated there shall onely remaine those thrée Hypostaticall Formall and Actiue beginnings salt sulphur and mercury which being drawen into one body do make a mixed body which the Philosophers call a fifth or a fourth Essence which is frée from all corruption abounding with quickening spirits whereas contrariwise the sole elements separated from those thrée beginnings doe bring nothing but impurities corruptions and mortification In this Chymestry is to be extolled that imitating nature it rateth Elements and their beginnings by which all the partes of a compund body are anatomized and made manifest And yet those naturall substances are not said to be begotten by such separations as if they were not before neyther yet as bring before are they corrupted by the arte of separation but they were in compounde and after separation they ceased not to bee and to subsist And as the thrée beginnings are coupled together by the benefite of an oylelie liquor ioyning them in one so the thrée Elements Ayer Water and Earth are combyned together by the comming in of Water as a meane For water by her analogie and conuenience partaketh both of the naâ—ure of aier and of earth whereby it commeth to passe that one while it is easily turned into aier another while into earth and so it combyneth both the extreames In things that haue likenesse an alteration is easily made For by reason of likenesse and consent aier made thicke with colde passeth into water and water made thinne becommeth aier and water also made grosse and thick becommeth earth euen as earth also made thinne passeth into water and is chaunged Wherefore forsomuch as aier and earth two extreames are fitlie ioyned together by a thyrd which is water a meane betwéene them both Aristotle did more than was néedefull to appoynt a quaternarie number of Elements out of the quaternary number of the fower qualities Hote Colde Drie Moyst Howbeit it cannot be denied but that he had great probability hereof as is to be séene in his second booke of the generation of liuing creatures where he goeth about by many reasons to prooue that it is most necessary for the production of things to appoynt a fourth element namely Fyer hote and drie But forsomuch as Moses in the first Chapt. of his Genesis wherein he sheweth the creation of all things maketh no mention of Fier it is more conuenient that we leaue it rather to the opinion of the diuine Prophet then to the reasons of an Ethnick Philosopher And therfore wée acknowledge no other Fier then Heauen the fiery Region which is so called of burning Therefore it ought to be called the fourth formall Heauen and essential element or rather the fourth essence extracted out of the other elements bicause it is indueâ— with far more noble vertues then the most simple elements For the Hermeticall Philosophers deny that there is a quintessence because there are not fower elements from whence there may be drawen a fifth essence but thrée onely and no more out of which a fourth may be extracted So great is the power of this fourth essence that it mooueth sharpeneth and mightily animateth the bodies of the thrée principles and of the
either because they had so learned from others peraduenture by tradition or else by experience obseruing the impressions formes and figures of their simples But they of more late time haue bene so rash of iudgement that they wil take vpon them to iudge of the faculties of simples by their taste and relish and thereby discerne and determine their first second and third qualities to the which afterward all the vertue of the saide simples was attributed But because they found not this an vniuersal rule alwaies and in all things and that it did deceiue therefore some fled to the secret and hidden properties arysing from the forme and the whole substance These and such like starting holes and subtilties haue brought vpon vs great incertainty and doubtfulnesse which way to discerne and find out those things which serue for our best good Tell me I pray you if you can how many bitter things there are in taste which neuerthelesse according to the edict of that rule are not hote at all Of this sort among others many moe is Opium and Cichory Againe how many sowre things are there which by their rule should be most cold which notwithstanding are most hote as the spirits of Vineger of Niter and of Sulphur How many swéet things are there in outward taste which in their internal substance are nothing at all contempered How many things are outwardly and at the first beginning of taste altogether vnsauory and without relish which inwardly and in faculty are most sharpe and byting Honey Cassia and Sugar are in their internal substance so hote and violent that out of them also may be prepared such dissoluers as are woont to be made out of Aqua Fortis or Aqua Regalis which can dissolue gold and siluer as spéedily as the other Lead yéeldeth out no taste to the tongue and yet his internall substance is a certaine sugared delightfull swéetenesse So outwardly Copper hath no relish and is of a ruddie colour but that gréene where into it is changed is most sharpe We might shewe of such examples almost an infinit number whereunto we must not rashly giue credit nor stand vpon taste nor leane to much vpon the exteriour qualities and temperament of things For if they be more inwardly and exactly examined then by that superficiary and slight maner of tasting and experimenting and that their inward bowels be diligently anatomized they shal be found farre otherwise and oftentimes different not onely in taste but also in odour in colour and in their whole substance But if so be a seperation be made of the thrée hypostaticall or substantial essential beginnings as of Salt Sulphur and Mercury then there will appeare a true and lawfull difference of tastes Because one and the same substance may containe in it seuerall tastes How then canst thou giue a safe iudgement of his properties and vertues As for example consider well of Guaiacum whose diuers vertues and properties therein contained thou canst not easily discerne by simple taste Neither canst thou alleage any certaine cause why it should be Diaphoretical that is to say apt to prouoke sweates which by the separation of the aforesaid beginnings thou canst attaine vnto For thou shalt find in his mercurial tartnesse in his oylie sulphurus and thinner substance that facultie to enforce sweate which is also in Iuniper in Boxe in Oake in Ashe and almost in al woodes and barkes as also in many other things but hereafter wée wil shewe the cause why those sharpe and sulphurus substances doe prouoke sweates But you may also extract out of the same bitterish Guaiacum a Salt apt for purgation and euacuation of humours The like is to bée said of Cinamom and almost of all other things For Cinamom hath facultie both to bind and to loose The opening force consisteth in his sulphurus oilie and thinne substance which being separated from his feces thou shalt find a substance of the nature of Allum wonderfully binding Also whereas Opium is bitter that commeth by reason of his Salt from the which being separated by his oile or narcotical Sulphur it becommeth purging no lesse than out of any other bitter thing as if out of Gentian Centorie such like the same Salt should bée separated and rightly prepared To these bitter Salts is giuen the name of Salt-gemme as a difference of other Saltes whereof there is great diuersitie of kindes as more at large shall be shewed in another place But nowe in fewe wordes I say that some Saltes are bitter some sweete some tart sowre sharpe austere pricking and brinish whose particular facultie is rightly attributes to the proper substance of the same Salt rather than to any other qualitie whatsoeuer the same be THE THIRD PART OF THIS Worke wherein is contained a small Treatise concerning the Seales and Impressions of things by Hermeticall Philosophers with much care and singular diligence gathered and brought to light ALl men follow not one way to attaine to a generall knowledge of all things The way of the Empericks is vncertaine for that it is traced in the darkenesse of ignorance These haue respect to the external impressions and to some inset qualitites especially to those which may be séen tasted and smelt Furthermore they haue great regard to the first qualities hote cold moyst and drie which they haue made the beginnings and first foundations of these faculties or vertues But the Hermeticall Phylosophers and Chymists leauing those bare qualities of the bodyes sought the foundations of their actions tastes odours and colours else where At the last by wittie inquisition they knew that there were thrée distinct substances in euery natural elemented body that is to say Salt Sulphur and Mercurie And these internal beginnings of things they called hypostatical vertual and ordinatiue beginnings For in these thrée hypostaâ—tical beginnings thâ—se foresaid vertual and sensible qualities are to be found not by imagination analogie or coniecture but in very déede and in effect That is to say tastes in Salt most chiefly odours in Sulphur colours out of both but most chiefely out of Mercurie because Mercurie hath the volatile Salt of al things ioyned vnto it For there are two kindes of salts the one fixed other volatile as shal be shewed anon Therefore salt is firme fixed and substantifying beginning of al things and therefore it is compared with the pure Element of Earth Because falt is not cold dry by his owne nature as it is holden of some that the Earth is the which qualities are the death of things but it is rather hote and endued with an actiue qualitie for that it is appointed to serue for the generation of all things Sulphur is compared to fire for as fire so sulphur doth quickly take flame and burne euen as also do al other things which partake of the nature thereof such as are Rosinie fat and oylie Mercurie by Analogie answereth the Ayre and Water For not only that dry minerall water which is also called Hydrargire and Quick-siluer is called Mercurie but also euery water or actiue liquor endued with any vertue is also for the excellencie thereof called Mercurie The which Mercurie as we haue said may bée likened to either Element that is to say to Ayre and to Water to Ayre because when it is put to the fire it
albeit this is true yet God hath appointed Nature as a meanes to fulfill his will the which Nature hee hauing 〈◊〉 with the vertues of working he by the same beginneth furthereth and perfiteth all things Therefore the second cause is called Nature because by the same as by a vital instrument God who is the first cause worketh all things For thus God féedeth men with bread the which he hath indued with a natural faculty of nourishing that the nature of bread may be said to féede and nourish whereto he hath predestinated the same by the forme of natural bread Thus therefore these things are to be reconciled that we acknowledge God to bee the first cause of working in all other causes because hée hath made the causes and hath giuen power of working and doth himselfe worke together with them and that we belieue that hée stirreth vppe prouoketh directeth and moderateth Nature by the power force and vnitie which hée hath giuen to her to doe all things by her proper motions So that we must séeke the cause and forme of all natural actions in Nature which God hath made potent with spiritual vertues by which it acteth and worketh in the matter for that nothing can procéede from the matter it selfe being dead which is Vital or indued with the faculties of working CHAP. IIII THis word Beginning extendeth very farre For as Artes and Sciences so also all other things haue their proper and set beginnings Plato intreating of Beginnings one while appointeth three namely God Patterne and Matter another while he appointeth two onely that is to say that which is infinite and that which is terminable and to be limited By the word Infinite he meaneth Matter and by the word Terminable he meaneth Forme as bringing a thing within a certaine compasse and restraining a matter excurrent within bondes and limits Aristotle varyed not much from the opinion and sentence of his Maister albeit he declared the same in other wordes calling that Forme which Plato named Terminable And that which Plato called Infinite Aristotle nameth Matter appointing Priuation by it selfe for a third beginning Let it not therefore séeme absurde to any that we appoint thrée beginnings of all things Salt Sulphur and Mercurie as if it were thereby intended to ouerthrowe by our constitution the beginnings of the ancient Phylosophers whereas we ioyne and agrée with them For if wée grant to Aristotle his beginnings what difference will there be betwéene him and vs. Wée admit if you please the distinction by which he diuideth his beginnings namely into the first matter into the simple matter and into that which is remote enduring all alterations of formes or wherein there is power to bée made subiect to all formes and in two contraryes to wit Forme and Priuation the which habilitie of taking forme is in the subiect Wée graunt that these beginnings of all other are the more parciptible in vnderstanding than in sense As therefore our beginnings which we appoint out of which al mixt things are compounded and be cannot by the Aristotelian Philosophers be ouerthrowen so in like Aristotelian beginnings cannot by ours be destroyed For all this whole world is diuided into two Globes to wit into the inferior Heauen which is Aetheriall and Airie and into the inferior Globe which comprehendeth Water and Earth The superior which is Aetheriall hath in it Fire lightning and brightnesse and this firery Heauen is a formall and essentiall Element What things soeuer are comprehended in these foure bodyes which are the Elements and receptacles of all things are eyther simple things or bodyes mixed and compounded of them They are simple which are without mixture existing apart and seuerall by themselues of the which all things are made and into the which all things are resolued They are compound or corporeat which both are made of simples and into simples And simples may be distinguished into those things which are simple formes and into those which are simple matters or into those things which are simply formals and into those which are simply materials So bodyes are diuided into materiall bodyes and into bodyes formall Those things which are simply formall are astrall and spirituall the Elements are formall Seedes are formall and the three beginnings are formall that is to say so spirituall that they come not within the compasse of our 〈◊〉 But the formal Elements whereof we speakâ— are they in wâ—ose closet the astral séedes oâ— things and the formal beginnings are defused and layd vp as in their proper recâ—â—â—â—cles in the which simple and spiritual Elements of seedes and spiritual beginnings the 〈◊〉 and quickening Sciences properties and rootes of propagating 〈◊〉 increase of al things lye hid wherein also all habites 〈◊〉 and figures qualities quantities and dimentions sauours â—dours and coolours are included which doe budde 〈◊〉 and florish out of their bosome in their due time by opertune maturitie And these simple Elements or beginnings doe imbrace the spiritual seedes with so great simphathy and friendship and doe render to the Elements and beginnings mutual reciprocation of loue that being brought by the parents into some particular kinde or forme they neuer make an ende by the recordation of their vnion with the simple Elements but that at the last againe the predestination and 〈◊〉 of the natural bodies being consummated they returne backe againe to their graundfathers and great graundfathers and doe rest there euen as the floods passing and issuing out of their Element of the sea running in their course hither and thither leauing at the length euery where behinde them their generation or their wombe eâ—oâ—erated they returne to their beginning againe wherupon by mutuall copulation they receiue new force and strength to increase their issue And this is the perpetuall circulation by which the heauen is marryed to the Earth and the inferior Elements doe conioyne with the superior For the continuall vapours arising from the center of the earth being expulsed into waters and being caryed from waters into ayre by the attraction of the Coelestiall Starres and also by the force and appetite of the inferior Elements to bring forth issue and to conceiue from heauen the séedes passing too and againe at the last the Elements returne to their parents full and impregnated with Celestiall formes and doe there nourish their séedes vntill at the length they bring foorth in due season and doe exclude their generation The which impregnation commeth from no other than from those astrall séedes and those thrée seuerall beginnings Mercurie Sulphur and Salt furnished and fulfilled with all science properties vertues and tinctures and doe borrowe and fitte to themselues out of their spirituall body a materiall and doe animate and adorne it with their properties For it belongeth vnto Mercurie to giue life vnto the partes to Sulphur to giue increase of body and to Salt to compact those two together and to conioyne them into one firme body GOD the Creator of all things
and comfort the same So the Salt of Guaiacine is by a speciall propertie solutiue as the mercurie thereof by his tartnesse doth testifie and the oyle or Sulphur thereof hath a purging force Out of the which thrée beginnings if the first two spirituall and more simple that is to say Mercury and Sulphur be extracted and according to arte and the fixed which is salt be also extracted and seperated and be after that brought into one bodie which the Arabians call Elixir it will be ioyntly together a medicine prouoking sweate altering concocting and purging Which tryple motion and operation commeth from one and the same essence of thrée vnited in one giuing most assured helpe in stéed of quicke-siluer against the veneril sicknesse or French disease The salt of Tartar is of the same kinde that they be which sharply do vite the tongue being also oily and sulphurus yea it is more sharpe than any other neuertheles if it be mingled with the spirit or sharpe oile of vitriole it can so moderate and correct his sharpenesse and byting spirit that of them both there may be made Ielly and thereof a swéete most pleasing delicate sirup which auayleth much against the gnawing and heate of the stomach and to ease al paines of the collicke All such Mercuries Sulphur and Saltes of Vegetables doe grow and arise from the mercurial and sulphurus spirits of the earth and from metallick substances but they are farre better swéeter and of more noble condition than their parents from whence they take their original There wil be no ende of writing if particularly should bée prosecuted the difference of all beginnings and their properties and faculties which the sea and the earth doth procreate That which is already declared may suffice to stirre vp the moâ—e noble wits to search out the Mysteries of nature and to follow the study of such excellent Philosophy Thus it is made manifest that these thrée biginnings are in Heauen in the Elements as in Ayre Water and in Earth and in bodies elementated as wel of Minerals as of Vegetables And now it resteth that it be shewed how the same be in Animals CHAP. XIIII Wherein is shewed that those three first beginnings are to be found in all liuing Creatures FIrst we wil beginne with Fowles whose first beginning is at the Egge For in Egges there are more plaine testimonies of the nature of Birdes than in any other thing The white declareth the ethereal Mercurie wherein is the séed and the etherial spirit the author of generation hauing in the prolifying power whereof chiefly the Bird is begotten For this cause it is marueilous that so many and so great dissoluing and attenuating vertues and faculties doe lye hid in the white of an Egge as in the ethereal Mercurie The yeolke of the Egge the nourishment of the Bird is the true Sulphur But the thinne skinne and the shell doe not onely conteyne a certaine portion of Salt but also their whole substance is salt and the same the most fixed and constant of al other salts of nature so as the same being brought vnto blacknesse and freed from his combustible sulphur but calcination it will indure and abide all force of fyer which is a propertie belonging to the most fixed salts and a token of their assured and most constant fixion This salt daily prepared is very fit to dissolue and breake the Stone and to auoyd it As these thrée principles are in the Egge so they passe into the bird For Mercury is in the blood and flesh Sulphur in the fat and salt is in the ligaments sinewes bones more in solid parts And the same beginnings are more subtil and aierie in birds than in fishes and terrestrials As for example the Sulphur or oily substance of birds is alwayes of more thinne parts thâ—â— that of fishes or of beastes The same may be sayd of Fishes which albeit they be procreated and nourished in the cold water yet doe they not want their hote and burning fatnesse apt to burne And that they haue in them Mercury and Salt no man well aduised will denie All terrestriall liuing creatures doe consist in like sort of these thrée beginnings but in a more noble degrée of perfection than in vegetable things they doe appeare in them For the vegetable things which the beastes doe féede vpon being more crude are conâ—â—cted in them and are turned into their substance wherby they are made more perfect and of greater efficacie In Vegetables there were onely those Vegetatiues which in beastes beside the vegetation which they retaine they become also sensatiue and therefore of more noble and better nature The Sulphur appeareth in them by their grease tallow and by their vnctuous oily marrow and fatnesse apt to burne Their Salts are represented by their bones and more solid and hard parts euen as their Mercuries doe appeare in their blood and in their other humors and vaporous substances All which those singular partes are not therefore called Mercurie Sulphurs and Salts because they consist of animal Mercurie of animal Sulphur and of Animal Salt without the coniunction of the beginnings But in Mercurals Mercurie in Sulphurus Sulphur in the Saltish salt doth rule and dominéere Out of the which thrée beginnings of beasts oyles diuers liquours and salts apt for mans vse both to nourish and also to heale and cure may by Chymicall art be extracted CHAP. XV. Concerning Man and the liuely Anathomie of all his parts and humours with the vertues and properties of his three beginnings NOw it remaineth that we séeke out and search in man those things in whom they shall be found to be so much the more subtill and perfect by how much he excelleth all other creatures in subtiltie and excellency For in him as in a little world are contained these thrée beginnings as diuers and manifold as in the great world but more spirituous and farre better For Pholâ—sophers cal man the compendiment or abridgement of the greater world And Gregory Nazianzene in the beginning of his booke concerning the making of man saith that God therfore made man after all other things that he might expresse in man as in a small table all that he had made before at large For as the vniuersal frame of this world is diuided into these thrée parts namely intellectual and elementarie the meane betwéene which is the celestial which doth couple the other two not onely most diuers but also cleane contrary that is to say that supreme intellectual wholy formal and spiritual and the elementary material and corporeat so in man the like triple world is to be considered as it is distributed into thrée parts notwithstanding most straightly knit together and vnited that is to say the Head the Brest and the Belly beneath The which lower belly compreheÌ„deth those parts which are appointed for generations and nourishment which is correspondent to the lower elementarie world The middle part which is the brest where the heart
tittle of Apothecaries professing that and yet follow the Trade of Marchandise and not of honest and good men which are dilligent in their Arte to whom this our labour pertaineth and to whom these our studies and admonions are dedicated for the health of many and for their praise and profite The auncient Physitians and men of the best sort delt more warily and prouided better for themselues had this arte in great honor and therefore in their owne houses they prepared medicines with their owne hands And wée also for our owne partes would bee loath that some of our secrets should bee cast before these Hogges and therefore wée commonly prouide that they bée prepared in our Laboratorie at home by a kilfull workeman whome wée direct and appoint for that purpose Not that wee might make thereby the greater gaine to our selues but for the honour and praise of the Arte and to our friends good the which all those know that know vs and haue receyued the benefite from vs. But for this time these shall suffice For the Patterne of Furnaces and glasses apt and méete for Distillation buy Maister George Bakers Booke our Countryman And if thou be desirous to procure glasses of all sortes for this Arte thou mayst haue them at the Marchants hand which sell such in their houses néere the Poultery in London THe winde Furnace must haue a hole beneath one foote déepe inwarde and one foote and a halfe vpward and at that height a grate shall be layed wherein the coales of fire must lie Also at that height make another mouth where at thou shalt put in the saide coales of fire and aboute the same raise vp the walles round about ten Inches in height and there also lay two barres of Iron to set the Panne vppon either for Balneum Mariae or for a dry fire To make thy nourishing Balnâ— TAke chopt Hay and water and put it into an earthen Pan then set ouer it a Trencher with a hole in the middest to answere the bottome of the glasse which must come within two Inches of the water Concerning Hermes Seale and the making of diuers closiers of glasses FIrst thou shalt know that of all fastnings or closing vp of Glasses that no vâ—pours nor spirits goe foorth the Seale of Hermes is most noble which is done in the manner following First make a little Furnace with the Instruments belonging It must haue a grate in the bottome to make fire vppon In the middst of the Furnace shall be a hole to put in the ende of a narrowe necked Glasse so that the third part of the glasse be emptie And if the hole of the Furnace be greater then the glasses necke close vp the hole with claye on euery side round about so as the mouth of the glasse haue some libertie Let thy fire be as farre from thy glasse as thou canst and when thy coale fire is readie put the Glasse néerer and néerer by little and litle till the mouth of thy glasse waxe red as it were ready to melt Then take the red hote tonges and therewith wring or nippe the toppe close together whereby it shall be so closed as if it had no vent 〈◊〉 or came so closed out of the Glasse-makers shoppe But take héed when you haue so done that you pull it not too suddenly out of the fire least the sâ—dden colde cracke the glasse and marre all Therefore abate it by little and little and not at once And when thou wilt open the glasse take a thridde dipt in brimstone or waxe and wind it 6. or 7. times about the necke of the glasse where thou wouldest haue it to breake and set it on fire with a small waxe candle and when it is burnt powre a drop or two of cold water vpon it and it will crack in the saâ—â— place that thou maist take it off Concerning the maner of making Lutes wherewith to close glasses THe ordinary Lutes wherewith to stop vessels of glasse against faint vapours are these Take quick lyme beaten to â—oulder as fine as may be and searsed temper it with the white of egs Or else mix wheat flower with the white of egges spred them vpon linnen cloath and wrap it diuers times about the mouth or ioynts of the glasse Other Lutes called Lutum Sapientiae made for the defence of stronger vapours either to parget and lute the body of the glasses or to stop their mouthes or loose their ioynts which are to be wrought cleare smooth and without knots or bladders in maner following Take potters earth with a forth part of shorne floxe added to the same an eigth part of white ashes with a forth part of dry horse-dung All these wel beaten together with an yron rod. This is the right composition of Lutum Sapientiae There be that doe adde to this composition the poulder of brick and of the scales beaten from yron finely searsed And for the more conuenient drying of vessels so luted and fenced you shal bore certaine holes in a wodden forme into the which put the neckes of thy glasses that their bottomes and bodies may be dryed the better Another most excellent Lute for the like incloser is made of glasse and Vermilion of each like quantitie pouldred and searsed then incorporated with vernish and a little oyle of Linséede and making the whole like a soft poultesse which is to be spread on a fine linnen cloath wrap it about the mouth ioynts of the glasses and so suffer them to dry in the Sunne Which albeit it is a long worke yet it is most sure For this will serue against the strongest vapours that are Also to compound a Lute wherewith to make your Fornace that it may not riue or chap take chalke and potters clay and a quantity of sand wrought together with wollen 〈◊〉 and horse-dung incorporated as afore Thus courteous Reader I haue shewed thée such secrets in this Art as neither Quersitanus Isacus Hollandus nor any other Phylosopher haue before published in print to my knowledge but haue come to my hands in paper and parchment copies If thou be industruous doest tread the right Hermetical path thou shalt by the meanes of these helps so plainly set before thine eyes without Hieroglyphicks and Riddels to do thy selfe and thy countrey good Thus wishing to thée as to my selfe good successe in all thy godly indeuours I commend them and thée to the Lord. FINIS Genesis 1. 2. Eccle. 3. 19. Acts 17. 28. 1. Thess 5 23 Heb. 4. 12. Gen. 1. 16. Wisd 11. 17 2. Pet. 3. 10. 13. Apoc. 21. 5. Psal 14. 1. Rom. 1. 20. Col. 2. 8. Gen 30. 37. Iob. 9. 26. 28 37. 38. 39. 2. Cron. 9. 2 Mat 12 4. Eccle. 38. Luke 14. verse 5. Num. 11. 29. Lact. lib. de Ira Dei cap. 10. Plin. lib. 2. cap. 7. Sen. lib. 4 de benet cap. 7. Thomas lib 9 super 2. lib. de coelo Plato in Timaeo Gen. 1. Metaph. 5. Cap. 1. 1. Thes 5. 23. Heb. 4. 12. Lib. de remed 7. cap. 3 Lib. colleâ— 15. Lib. 2. de virtute simp medi. ad Eutrapi Tetr 1. serm 2. cap. 43. 4. 6. Ter. â— serm 1. cap 24. In lib. de metho meâ—â— cap. 9. Li. de medidica cap. 30. Ter. 1. Ser. 2. Cap. 156. Cap. 157. Cap. 161. Lib. 7. de re medica Coll lib. 15. The Heauen of Philosophers Venus and Mars are Copper and Iron The greene Lyon Sol and Lana Gold Siluer Lib de Aurora Lib. de sâ—â—â—â—bus Hip. lib. de Antiq maedicina All things naturally loue Salt Salt the Balsam of nature Salt hath life in it is animal Salt is also vegetal Salt the original matter of pearles and corall Salt the fier of nature The effects of Salt in the earth The effects of Salt in the aier Salts minerall Salts of diuers kinds Stirring waters Nature accordâ—â—h with nature Salt is fusible Salts may be extracted out of metalls A Figure of the Trinitie Phree distinct natures in Salt Two salts appeare in the 〈◊〉 of salt-peter Two flying parts of salt-peter Sulphur of Nature The Mercurial part of salt-peter The cause of ferment is sowernesse Vitriolis of the nature of Copper The spirit of Vitriol fixeth Mercurie Body soule and spirit A practise A good purgation of bad humours Gold tryumpheth in earth in aier and in fire The incorruptibilitie of gold maketh it the best Medicine to helpe a corruptible body The wonderful effects of potable gold Bathes and waters artificial The Chymical ministries Balsam is in euery thing The spirit of wine The Christal of Tartar The good effects of the spirit of wine B. M. signifieth Balneum â—arie A Balsam Radicaâ— Potable gold 1. Phlegme 2. Mercury 3. Sulphur 4. Salt Elements passiue Actiue Elâ—ments A Medicine particular and general 〈…〉 Crude wines breede the stone Helleborâ— poisonfull Transplanting of herbs helpeth their nature Obiection Answerâ— Galen Lib. 13. Method Syrach 38. 4 A Dissoluing water Copper is red without and greens within Narcotical is Stupefactiue Taste odour and colours Salt of 2. sorts Salt defined Salt and earth Sulphur and Fire Mercurie Ayre and Water Mercurie a moyst actiue Sulphur the meane to ioyne salt and Mercurie Three natures in one Salt causeth Vicers in the body Saltes of diuers sortes Mercurie is properly extracted from leaues Sulphur out of Seedes Salt out of wood and rootes A mixture of the 3. beginnings Salt the root of the other beginnings Bitter things doe purge Salt extracted out of bitter things Salt in vrinâ— Purgers Dissoluing liquors Dissoluing liquor Dissoluing spirits Obiection Answere The spirit of vitriol and his vertue A remedy against feauers Obiection A remedy to stoppe fluxes The fixing of quick-siluer Mercurie of the Phylosophers The right spirit of Vitriol good against the falling euil A remedy for Gangrena eating vlâ—ers Water for the Ophthalmie Water to ease the gout A remedy against obseruations and to breake the Stone Gangrena â—ured Causes of the Stonâ— Sal-Armoniac a coagulator and a dissotuer The cause of dogge-like appetite Choller rustie yeallow and greene The Philosophical cause of Meteors c. The cause of madnesse Phrensie and such like Salts of diuers kinds in mands body The stopping of the pores procureth sicknesse Spirit of wine The water of 2. degree Mercurie An Oyle Sulphur Fyer The Feces Salt Earth A most precious Elixir Hippocrates bagge is like the bagge where through Hypocras runneth
both In Vitriol alone is manifestly to be séene egar sharpe sower and astringent for that of all other Salts it is most corporal But those tastes or qualities which are mixed with passiue and Elementarie qualities haue not the full force of euery of these but are made more weake by mixtion for the sharpe which is not extracted and seperated but by the force of the fier with the aiery part is mixed with a mercurial liquor the sower is mixed with a flegmetique or watery humour and the eger with a terrestrial drinesse the which the more they haue of the Elementary qualities and the same passiue so much the more weake they are and impaired But if the actiue qualities be separated from the passiue as by arte it is to be done then the tarte and sower do obtaine their full force and doe manifestly and fully burne the tongue with their fiers for the sharpe hath a more fiery and burning qualitie and the sower a more watery propertie For the sharpe partaking of the nature of fire hath ouermuch vertue to attenuate dissipate and to fret the sower as aiery watery of thinne parts hath vertue to cutte to open to refrigerate and also to put away putrifactions The eger and more tarte which remaineth in the Colchotar after the extraction of the sharpe oylely and sower water with the aiery parts of the elemental qualities do possesse a nature and force to thicken and binde by reason of the earthy and grosse propertie But if from that terrestrial parte the pure which is Salt be extracted it wil haue a salt taste by the vertue whereof it wil bée made both deiectiue and vomitiue And in the swéete Sulphur of Vitriol there is a manifest swéetnesse which is plainely stupefactiue Finally in all Salts almost disseuered by Chymicall seperation these thrée are to be discerned Sower Swéete and Bitter which haue force of actiue qualities and yet not destitute of the moist passiue terrestrial and grosse but with them in sundry wise so seasoned and tempered that they bring to the Salts varety of tastes And let this serue for demonstration by which it may plainely appeare that those sundry differences of tastes are manifestly contained in Salts both ioyntly and seuerally especially in their spirits And according to the opinion of Hermes schollers we deny that those inset and naturall qualities vertues and properties are to be arrogated to hotte moist and drie but rather to the essences of a nature which is salt bitter eger sharpe sower tarte swéete and oylely For there are sixe hundred frigidities or coldes sixe hundred heates humidities â—â—gities or drinesses then the which nothing doth more heate coole moysten and dry But they haue neuer brought any sauour or taste to pure or simple water or to other Iuices or liquors which haue béene destitute of Salt Whatsoeuer is without Salt or destitute of a brinish spirit can neuer be discerned by taste but is vtterly vnsauory Yet notwithstanding it simple water be powred vpon ashes with a little heate that water wil drawe vnto it saltnesse bitternesse or sharpnesse more or lesse according to the nature of the salt more or lesse salt or bitter which is contained in the ashes And if any man obiect that Hony and Sugar by boyling or by the force of fier may be made sharpe or bitter we answer that it commeth so to passe when the aiery sulphurus and watery partes which bring and preserue the swéetnesse do perish and are separated by decoction But terrestrial Salt whose faculties are inward haue this property that of their owne nature they possesse this or that sharpe or bitter taste how extreame soeuer it be So if thou shalt drawe out of onions and garlicke a Volatile and aiery sharpe Mercurial Salt which ariseth in the superficies vppermost of their bodies thou shalt make them more swéet and pleasing and to put off their sharpnesse by which they bite the tongue but yet they will retaine and represent their hot qualitie with the which they abound by reason of their fixed Saltes As out of Saltes so out of odours also we may drawe certaine faculties without the helpe of hotte qualities For séeing they are referred to the diuers properties of Sulphur sundry odours doe arise therfrom and not from the qualities Which if they be swéete and pleasing the braine receiueth them with pleasure and delight whereas vnpleasant sauours or odours are offensiue both to the nose and to the braine and are reiected Such is the marcotical and stefactiue odour of Poppie and Hemlock and such like which do stinke and astonish the braine by reason as Physitions affirme of their colde qualitie Wherein they breake the Lawe of their axiomes for that they holde that their odours are of a hotte qualitie as most true it is For that which is stupefactiue in the Poppeis and in Opium is no other thing but a certaine oylely and sulphurus parte conceiuing flame much like to that kinde of oyle which is extracted out of the séedes of Poppey the which albeit it do readily burne yet as it is commonly thought it sheweth most colde effects The common Physitians to correct such coldnesse attributed to Opium vse helpes as is to bee séene in their opiat and antidotarie medicines wherein Opium is an Ingredient Of these kind of coÌ„positions Myrepsus describeth aboue foure score where Euphorbium which is of a fiery and burning facultie is no more forborne then either of the Peppers or such other like causticke and burning simples of extreame hotte qualitie when as the true and proper corrector of Opium that I may so speake wel knowne to Hermeticall Physitians is Vineger which putteth away stupefactiue vapours and fumes that they ascende not to the braine so suppressing them by the sharpnesse thereof that it retaineth them whereas their hot correctors do more stirre them vp and multiple them Hereof come sinister and deadly passions and paines by reason whereof men are constrained to vse the imperfect Laudanum of Empiricks against the deadly daunger of such medicines CHAP. VII NOw somewhat shall be saide concerning colours The dogmatical Physitians that they might not diminish any whit of the qualities of colours are woont to referre to those qualities a certaine variety of colours and haue obserued and noted certaine friuolous and light obseruations as when they say that in a white onion or in white wine a man may iudge by the colour a great coldnesse than in a read onion or in red wine Whereas white sublimate and Arsnic albeit they are most white like vnto Christall yet neuerthelesse vnder this whitenesse they foster and hide a most burning and deadly fire Yea Sugar it selfe which is so swéet white and pleasant doth hide in the innermost parts thereof a wonderfull blacknesse and sharpnesse from whence may bée extracted most sharpe liquors and waters which will dissolue and breake the most hard metalls Therefore it is absurd to sharpe and forme colours from hotte and
salt they dissolue againe with common water or with the proper water thereof which is better distilled from it before the Incineration of the matter that they may make the same cleane and pure and as cleere as Christall For they dissolue manie times they fylter and coagulate not to the vttermost poynt of drynesse but drawing out onely of that water twoo thirde partes and more by the pipe of the Alembick they afterward remooue the same from the fire that â—he salt therein contained and set in a colde place may growe into a christalline Iâ—e which is the most pure salt of the matter without all doubt This salt must be gathered together and separated with a woodden spoone And if there remaine any parte of the water let it bee vapoured againe and then putte into a vessell to stand in the colde ayre where will bée coniealed a christalline residence anew which must be seperated againe ouer and ouer so many times vntill more it can growe into a Iellie or Ise These kinde of Isâ—e recidences are the true beginning of Salts vital and qualified with admirable vertues And this salt hath in it still the other twoo substantiall beginnings Sulphur and Mercury For from the same the mercurial and sulphurous beginning the one swéete and vnctuous the other sharpe and Etheriall may yet bée drawen by a skilfull workeman the more fixed parte namely that of Salt remaining still in the bottome Saltes haue their corporall Impurities but the spirituall Balsam which lyeth hidde in them is the Chymicall salte knowen to a fewe Some of these Salts are bytter as wormeâ—ood some swéete as sugar some sharpe as vitriolls sower as Quinces or grapes by whose balsame they are nourished â—ostered and conserued These salts haue diuers spirites some resoluing some coniealing And as they haue diuers spyrits so do they worke sundrie and admirable effects CHAP. X. Wherein is prooued that the naturall and originall moysture in Saltes is not consumed by calcination but that the very formes do lye hidde in that constant and vitall beginning THe Naturall and originall moysture with the which Saltes are replenished as is aforesaid is not consumed with the force of fire and by Calcination For it shall be here shewed that all the more forcible tinctures and impressions and the property of things together with their most potent qualities and powers as tastes odours colours with the very formes themselues such like are concluded and do lie hid in that firme constant vitall beginning For the truth whereof I will deliuer vnto you certaine demonstrations oftentimes prooued and confirmed by my owne experience One I learned of a friend which lodged at my house who was the first Inuentor therof Another I receiued froÌ„ a most learned famous Polonian a skilfull Physitian aboue 26. yeers since This man was so excellently and phylosophically skilfull in the preparing of the ashes out of al the parts of any maner of plant with all the Tinctures and Impressions of all the parts of the plant and would in such wise conserue all their Spirites and the Authours of all their faculties that hée had aboue thirtie such plants prepared out of their ashes of diuers sorts conteyned in their seuerall glasses sealed vp with Hermes seale with the tytle of each particular plant and the propertie thereof written vpon the same So as that if a man desired to sée a Rose or Mary-gold or any other flower as a red or white Poppey or such like then would hée take the glasse wherein the ashes of such a flower was inclosed whether it were of a Rose a Marie-golde a Poppey a Gilly-flower or such like according as the writing of the glasse did demonstrate And putting the flame of a Candell to the bottome of the glasse by which it was made hote you might sée that most thinne and impalpable ashes or salt send foorth from the bottome of the glasse the manifest forme of a Rose vegetating and growing by little and little and putting on so fully the forme of stalkes leaues and flowers in such perfect and naturall wise in apparant shew that a man would haue beléeued verily the same to be naturally corporeat whereas in truth it was the spirituall Idea indued with a spirituall essence which serued for no other purpose but to be matched with his fitting earth that so it might take vnto it a more soly body This shadowed Figure so soone as the vessell was taken from the fire turned to his ashes againe and vanishing away became a Chaos and confused matter When I had séene this secret endeuouring with al my might to attaine to the same I spent much time about it but yet lost my labour But as touching the demonstration following I affirme vpon my faith and credite to be most certaine and haue often proued and experimented it by my selfe may easily be done by any man The Lord de Luynes Formentieres a man of great account both for his learning and office being noble and of all men singularly beloued long since departed this life with whom in his life time I conuersed with great familiaritie This noble man 〈◊〉 very great paines to search and finde out the most excellent secrets of nature but specially those which appertained either for the preseruatioÌ„ or for the restoring of health And séeking long to find such remedies for that he had languished in a crazed body a great while without any helpe and was iudged by Physitians to be past cure he was at the last holpen and wonderfully restored to health by one only Lossenge of a certaine Chymical electuary of great vertue which the Lady de la Hone a most noble and wise matrone gaue vnto him This Lossenge prouoked him to easie vomit by which he cast vp from his stomacke all impurity tough and discous like the whites of egs diuersly coloured in great quantitie by which hee was restored to health againe to his great ioy and comfort Hereupon he greatly desireth to know this secret the which he not onely obtained at the hands of that noble Lady but some others also no lesse vertuous by his own endeuour afterwards the which he vsed both for his owne health also for the good of others as need required in the way of Christian charity This man coÌ„ming out of France in the time of the ciuil wars conuersing with me applyed his mind to extract Salt out of mettals that thereby he might prepare a remedy against the stone dissoluing it with christall This Salt being mixed with the lye made with ashes of 〈◊〉 mettals by often powring warme water vpon the same drawing it through too and againe as women are wont to make their coÌ„mon lye shewed a proofe of his essence included in the lye after this maner The lye being strained through a Filter oftentimes very well clensed was put into a vessell of earth hauing a narrow bottom and a wide mouth which is called a Terime And
gold to it selfe with the which it is mingled and vnited into one body in such wise that it swalloweth vp gold whereas all other metalls except siluer do floate aloft and wil not sinke into the same Consider therefore saith Arnold that thing onely which cleaueth to Mercury and to the perfect bodies and thou hast the full knowledge And when he hath thus discribed the deuouring Lyon he addeth these words Because our stone is like to the accidentall quicksiluer which carrieth gold before it and ouercommeth it and is the very same which can kill and make aliue And know further that our coagulated quicksiluer is the father of all the minerals of that our magistery is both body spirit c. The same thrée chiefe beginnings doe offer themselues vnto vs in other semi mineralls as in Arsenick orpinent and such other like which albeit in their whole substance they bee contrary to our nature and spirits yet by nature they haue that spiritual promptnes and flying swiftnesse that by their subtiltie they easily conuey and mingle and mingle themselues with our spirits whether they be inwardly taken or outwardly applyed and doe worke venemous and mortal effects and that by reason of the Arsenical Mercury poinson ful or arsenical Sulphur and arsenicall Salt Gems also and precious stones haue in them the vertues and qualities of those thrée beginnings by reason of whose fier and brightnesse the pure Mercury in them doth shine cleauing firmly to his fixed Salt and also to the Sulphur of the same nature whereby the whole substance of a contrary kind being seperated there ariseth and is made a most pure stone of contrinance like vnto gold Of this sort is the most firme and constant Diamond to whom that good old Saturne hath giuen the leaden colour of his more pure Mercury together with the fixed and constant spirits of his more pure Sulphur and hath so confirmed coniealed and compacted it in all stability with his christalline salt that of all other stones it is the most solyd and hardest by reason of the most firme vnion of the thrée principal beginnings and their coherence which by no art of seperation can be disioyned and sundered into the solution of his spiritual beginnings And this is the cause that the ancient Physitians had no vse thereof in medicine because it could not be dissolued into his first matter And it is not to be thought that those auncient Physitians refrained the vse thereof for that they déemed it to be venemous by nature as some falsely imagin which being homogenial and of a 〈◊〉 simple nature it is wholely celestial and therefore most pure and for that cause nothing venemous but the poyson and daunger commeth here hence that being onely broken and beaten and in no sort apt to preperation taken so into the stomack and remaining there by reason of his soliditie and hardnesse inconcocted by coutinuance of time and by little and little it doth fret and teare the laps of the stomack and so the intralls being â—â—oriated death by a lingering consumption ensueth It belongeth to golde with his Sulphur to giue a red tineture to Carbuncles and Rubines neither doth the difference of their colours come of any other cause then this that their Mercuries and Chrystallyne salts are not defeked and clensed alike the which clensing the more perfect or imperfect it is the colour appeareth accordingly either better or worse And albeit Siluer be outwardly white yet within it hath the colour of Azure and blewe by which shée giueth her tincture to Saphyrs Copper hauing outwardly a shew of rednes hath a gréene colour within as the Viridgreese that is made thereof doth testifie by which it giueth greennesse vnto the Emerand Iron red within as his Saffron yeallow colour doth plainly shew and yet nothing like the colour which gold hath within it giueth colour to the Iacint Tinne albeit it is earthie yet being partaker of the celestial nature it giueth vnto Agates diuers and sundry colours From gold and from other mettals as also from precious stones their colours may be taken away by Cementation and Reuerberation by their proper menstrues which things are well knowen to Chymists and fire workmen The which colours and sulphurs so extracted are very fit for the affects of the braine The colour of gold serueth for the affects of the heart The colour of tinne for the lunges The colour of Mercury The colour of lead for the splene The colour of Iron for the rednesse The colour of Copper for the priuie parts The heauenly menstruéese to dispoyle mettalls of their colours and sulphures naturall is this namely the deaw which falleth in the moneth of May and his sugar Manna out of the which two mixed together digested and distilled according to Arte there wil come forth a general dissoluer most fit to dispoyle stones and mettals of their colours Yea of onely Sugar or of hony by it selfe may be made a dissoluer of mettals Now if these thrée beginnings Salt Sulphur and Mercurie are to be found in the Heauen in the Ayer and in the Waters as is al ready shewed who wil make any doubt but that by a farre greater reason they are to be found in the earth and to be made no lesse apparant séeing the earth of al other elements is the most fruitfull and plentiful The Mercurial spirits shâ—we themselues in the leâ—ues and fruites The Sulphurus in the flowers séedes and kirnels The salts in the wood barke and rootes and yet so that eache one of those thrée partes of the trée or plant seuerally by themselues albeit to one is giuen the mercurial spirit to another that of Sulphur and to the third that of Salt yet euery one apart may as yet be resolued into those thrée beginnings without the which they cannot consist how simple so euer they be For whatsoeuer it bée that hath being within the whole compasse and course of nature doe consist and are profited by these thrée beginnings And whereas some are said to be mercurial some Sulphurus and some Salt it is therefore because the Mercurials doe conteine more Mercurie the Sulphurus more Sulphur and the Saltish more Salt in them than the others For some whole trées are to be séene more sulphurus and roseny than other some as the Pine and Firre-trées which are alwayes gréene in the coldest mountaines because they abound with their Sulphurus beginning being the principal vital instrumeÌ„t of their growing For there are some other plants as the Lawrel and the Trées of Oranges Citrons and Lemons which continue long gréene and yet are subiect to colde because their Sulphure is not so easily dispersed as is the Sulphur of the firre trées which are roseny and are therefore thrice of a more fixed and constant life furnished against the iniuries of times Furthermore al Spice-trées and al fragrant and odoriferous hearts are Sulphurus And as there are sundry sortes of trées of this kinde so are
moysture And as all Phylosopers doe write with one consent it is an vniuersal medicinable body whereunto all the particularities of medicines are reduced and infused For this cause it is as it were a fineth nature or essence a most thinne soule most purgatiue much resisting for a very long time putrifaction or corruption freed from al mortal concretion a celestial and simple substance of the Elements brought to to this spiritual nature by Chymical sublimation And yet for al this we affirme not that this medicine is altogether incorruptible for as much as it is made and consisteth of natural things Neuerthelesse it is brought to that subtiltie thinnesse and simplicitie spiritual that it séemeth to containe nothing in it that is Heterogenial or vnkindely whereby it may be corrupted whereby also it commeth to passe that being giuen to the sicke it preserueth them a long time in health And for this cause the Philosophers haue had this in so great estéeme and haue wholy addicted themselues to seeke and search out the same not to make themselues rich by turning imperfect metals into gold and siluer when as many of them willingly embraced pouertie but rather to heale the diseases and sicknesses of men and to defende and preserue their liues in long health without griefe vnto the time which God hath appointed But leauing this great mysterie which very fewe attaine vnto I wil in charitie and good wil deliuer here vnto thee an easie prescription how to make certaine waters of great vertue which I found written in the Latine tongue in an auncient coppy seruing to kéepe the body in health and to deliuer it from many infirmities which I thought good here to insert as very pertinent so this Treatise which concerneth as you haue heard the vertue of Minerals Take of Aqua vitae distilled with red Wine lib. 4. Of burnt Salt lib. 2. Of dead Sulphur lib. 2. Of white Tartar z. 2. Of the coales of Flaxe which groweth in Abella a Towne of Campania in Italie z. 3. Of Salt Peter z. 4. Beate al these into fine pouder seare them and being mingled together powre on them the aforesaid Aqua vitae and so put the whole masse to distillation The Vertues of the Distillation THe first Distilation hath vertue of a Balsam to conserue both flesh and Fish from putrifaction It clenseth the face from all freckles and spots clearing the skinne and making if fairer It cleanseth the body from Itch and Scabbes and dryeth vp the teares and watrinesse of the eyes The second distillation expelleth impostumations and superfluities of the body fasteneth the téeth which are loose and taketh away the windinesse of the Liuer The third taketh away a stinking breath and purgeth tough flegme out of the Stomach and whatsoeuer is not wel digested The fourth expelleth blood which is congealed in the body The fifth healeth and taketh away from man the faling sicknesse The sixt distillation helpeth al paines about the throate The seuenth cureth the paine of the Goute The eight is an excellent Balsam which sée thou kéepe well The ninth distillation comforteth and preserueth the Liuer if a little gold be dissolued therein After euery of the former distillations the feces must be beaten and searced as in the beginning Another Water by which a Phisitian may worke wonders TAke the fylings of Siluer of Brasse of Iron of Leade of Steele of Gold the summe or froth of Golde and of Siluer and of Storax so much of all these as the abilitie of the man can wel affoorde put these the first day in the vrine of seuen yeares of age the second day in white Wine made hote the third day into the Iuice of Fennel the fourth day into the white of an Egge the fifth day into womans milke which giueth a boy sucke the sixth day into red wine the seuenth day in seuen whites of Egges Then put all this into a cupel and distil it with a soft and gentle fyer That which is distilled kéepe in a Siluer or golden vessel There cannot bée spoken enough in the praise of this water It cureth all sortes of Leprosie and wonderfully clenseth the body It maketh youth to continue long Vse it to thy comfort and to the good of thy neighbour CHAP. XVIII Shewing by what remedies sicknesses are to be cured IT is alleaged out of the authoritie of Hypocrates and Galen that contraries are cured by contraries But hée which affirmeth that contraries are cured by contraries hée shall neuer easily finde out a remedie for sicknesse neither was this Hypocrates meaning as shall bée shewed anon It is out of question that sicknesses doe arise from the disagrement of the beginnings and so often as those beginnings doe decline from their temper which is then called a distemperature and the one being seperated from the consort of the other taking vp his standing by himselfe procureth sicknesse For when it is not in mixture with the other which being ioyned together do maintaine concord they then make warre vpon the body without any stoppe or let I speake not here of simple and bare qualities but of the very essences wherein are those powers and faculties whereof Hypocrates speaketh which preserue the health of their Balsam or to restore it when it is lost Seing therefore the séedes and properties both of health and of sicknesses lye hid in the essences it followeth that they are to be cherished with essences and not with qualities The which essences forsomuch as they are méere acting spirits they are to be repelled with spirits not with bodyes which are not like them or which are contrary to them But it is obiected that al things consist of Elements therefore our bodies also If then the Element of ayer do suffer and be out of course in vs shal the same be holpen with the Element of earth Why then haue Phisitians so fewe remedies against the pestilence Is it because there are none at al I confesse when God wil punish hée taketh away the vertue from remedies and medicines That is not the cause I meane the want of remedies but because ignorant Phisitians know not the causes of the pestilence and therefore dâ—e not rightly prouide to preuent the same For séeing they oppose against the pestilence comming of the corruption of the Ayer a medicine taken from earth water or ayer or from the earth hauing a watery original what maruayle is it if there follow no effect thereof when as they doe not driue away those things which are to bée mixed together but those things which doe easily agrée and are gathered together For how can the heauen and the earth bée mingled together to helpe the distemperature of the Heauen betwéene the which there is so great distance as there is betwéen diuisible and indiuisible as Plato spake Therefore celestiall things are to be mingled with celestial things waterie with waterie and earthie with earthie and not contrariwise otherwise there can be no agréement Consider wel
that Heauen Aier Water and Earth are in vs but yet a certaine thing also farre more excellent namely a certaine supernatual body which conserueth all other things in their temperature whose strength retaineth all other things in their office whereas imbecilitie and defect suffereth them to be out of course What then is to bée done in this conflict but to cherish and vphold in his vigor and strength that supernatural bodie that is to say the Balsam of nature that al other things subiect thereunto and to whom it giueth life may by the meane thereof be continued in their estate firme and sound But with what things shall the imbecilitie and defect thereof be restored but with things of the same likenesse Doth Oyle increase by putting water therein Doth not one enemie put another to flight euen as one friend helpeth another Al sicknesses come hereof in our bodie in what soeuer they be seated because the Balsam of nature and life doe there decay and decrease What else then is to be done but to helpe our weake friend Hypocrates sayth that hunger is a sicknesse For whatsoeuer doth put a man to paine deserueth the name of sicknesse whatsoeuer then asswageth hunger is a remedie for this sicknesse such is al maner of food wherewith that sicknesse is cured Therefore according to the opinion of Hypocrates foode is a remedie But wherefore are meates and drinkes saâ—de to bee medicinal remedies but because they haue natural properties agréeing with the Balsam of nature not contrarie wherby the weakened forces and strength are corroborated and the defect thereof restored After the same manner drinke alayeth thirst Why and how commeth this to passe but onely hereof because as nourishment is all one with that which is nourished so thirst is al one with the humour wanting or with drinke Hereby wée sée how wrong their iudgement is which apply contraries to contraries to strengthen nature that it may frée it selfe from sicknesse Which nature if shée should séeke helpe for an enemie she must néedes fall into a greater perrill than if she were to try the combate onely with sicknesse And yet for all this wée reiect not the saying of Hypocrates that contraryes must haue contrarie remedies that is to say by the taking away of the diseasefull impurities and by the repairing of the strength and natural Balsam not by calefaction or refrigeation by humestation or exsiccation not by abstersion incision attenuation by such other like too common familiar so Galen But we are of Hypocrates minde that hunger is cured by meate thirst with drinke repletion with euacuation emptines with refection labour with rest and rest with labour The which of some are not vnderstood as they are expounded of Galen who applyeth those contrarieties to those bare qualities whereof Hypocrates speaketh séeing a medicine is nothing else then an apposition of those things which are desired an ablation of those things which doe too much abound according to the sound opinion of Galen here But Hypocrates aymeth at a further matter in that he would haue the disease qualified driuen away by giuing strength to nature against the enemy which nature being the onely Physitian and curer of diseases is to be holpen with such things as are like to the diseases that so sicknesses and the passions oâ— sicknesses may be mittigated euen as hunger and thyrst are recreated asswaged by those remedies which they gréedily desire But hostile things that are enemy contrary are not desired but such things as are a friend and familiar For who wil giue to his hungery son when he asketh bread a Scorpion Therefore like and fitting liquors and nourishments are to be giuen which may procure to nature desired rest For remedies which come out of the same fountaine and out of the same familie which are agréeing and fitting in likenesse are to be ministred For the thyrsting spirits of feuers are to be recreated with syrups with sugars with pertisan alone or with wine because they are not of the same family and affinitie with them therefore neither familiar friends nor kinsmen but with those tart liquors which are begotten of the same linage which are spiritual not corporal as are those former of the which it certaine drops be offered to him which is a thirst they wil by and by slake his thirst and presently bring such thirsty spirits to their rest After the same maner watchings paines burning heares and such like are cured For when the spirits are thirsty that is to say when they desire any thing like to themselues which is wanting they wil neuer be appeased nor at rest vntill they haue obtained that which they desire and haue supplyed their want Wherefore they are rightly called by Hypocrates contraries and by Hermeticall Physitians remedies of like sort For they are Similies which are drawen from the â—ame anatomie of nature contayning like properties tinctures and rootes And on the other side they are contraries because they supply the defects and doe satisfie the desires with friendly fulnesse appeasing the spirits and their fitting impurities séeking to consume them or to take them away Therefore these phrases of spéech in natures anatomie albeit they séeme different and repugnant one to the other yet in good consent and agréement they are receiued and admitted That is to say that contraries haue contrary remedies like to their like But to returne to our beginning that is to say to the elements or to those thrée hypostatical formal principles of bodies namely Salt Sulphur and Mercurie which is a liquor for so much as vpon them all grieuous diseases for the most part doe depend inso much that a coÌ„mon pestilence flying in the outward aire cannot inuade a man but it must make a breach and assaile one of these Therefore thou shalt not doe more foolishly if to helpe him which is grieued with a mercurial sicknesse thou vse a remedie taken out of Sulphur then if thou shouldest mingle oyle with water which two wil neuer be mixed or vnited And in like sort thou shalt labour in vaine if thou goe about to helpe Sulphurus sicknesses with a Mercurial medicine or to put away salt sicknesses with the help of others For these wil neuer agrée together and being so vnlike one to the other they wil neuer be ioyned in one to heale and cure the bodie except they be knit in a friendly peace and vnion by that supernatural ethereal body that is to say by the Balsam which is common to al things Hée therefore which is sick of Mercurie must be holpen with mercurial remedies as the Epilepsie and the Apolexi are to be holpen with vitriolated remedies taken from water And hée which wil help sulphurus sicknesse must vse sulphurus remedies and sicknesses proceeding of Salt with medecines taken from Salt So thou shalt be taught by reason and experience that things of like sort wil agrée be cured with their
dissolue and to bring metallick bodies into waters as is knowne to euery one I say that by this dissolution we may beâ—â—ld the 〈◊〉 simpathy of these Salts with the metallick nature For because they are like they wil be wel mingled together conioyned and vnited dissoluing his like and associating himselfe to his like For strong waters doe neuer worke vpon wood or vpon any oâ—her matter which is not of metallick nature As it was most truly said of a certaine great Phylosopher Nature loueth her like and delighteth in her owne nature And by another wittily thus spoken Easie is the passage of things one into the other which are one in likenesse Sulphur and other things which are of an oyle like nature are sooner and better dissolued with oyles as with the oyles of Terebinth and of Flaxe or Linsede which is most swâ—â—te then with that great force and most violent sharpnesse of strong waters which are nothing else but the spirits of Salts and by consequent doe disagrée with Sulphur which is a beginning contrary to the said spirits Here iâ— offered large occasion of 〈…〉 iâ— time and place would serue but I omit it Let vs returne to our Salt the which if I shal shew that it may be moulten and dissolued no lesse then gold and siluer with the force of fire and being cold againe may be congealed into a masse as metalls be then no doubt it wil euidently appeare that Salt is of a meâ—allick nature And this I say is to be doâ—e not onely in Salt which is sound in mines and in caues of the earth but also in the very Salt of the Sea But for so much as the same is better knowne to them that haue but meane skil in metalls then that I shal néede at this time to spend much labour about it I cease to speake any word more thereof Hereby it doth appeare very euidently that this opioâ—e of Aristotle is false where he saith that cold dissolueth the things which are congealed with heate and that those things which are coagulated by cold are dissolued by heate The which notwithstanding we grant to be true on the one part for that wée knowe well that Salt which is coagulated or congealed by the heate of the Sunne is dissolued in cold water But it must bée confessed also to be true that Salt by the vehemencie of the heat of fier is to be dissolued moulten and made fluxible and to be cast into a moulten lumpe as easily as metalls be Moreouer Salts may be extracted out of all calcined metals which are to be dissolued filtred and coagulated after the same manner as are other salts whether they be common and not moulten or whether they be moulten by the force of heate For it is known to a Chymist of smal practise that out of one pound of calcined lead tenne or twelue ounces of Salt may be extracted All which things doe sufficiently demonstrate and proue that the nature of Salt is metallick and that therefore metall is nothing else but a certaine â—uâ—il Salt By that which hath bene spoken it may easily appeare how Salt is animal vegetal and mineral and that it agreeth with that which all the Phylosophers haue decréed with one consent concerning the matter and subiect of the vniuersal Medicine And hereunto tend all other signes whereby they describe their foresaid matter albeit most abscurely All which things to agrée with the nature of Saltâ— as that 〈◊〉 is of smal estimation that it is to be found in euery thing 〈…〉 our selues the which is most plaine for so much as there is nothing compounded in vniuersal world out of the which and at all times Salt cannot be extracted CHAP. II. The three principles of all things are contained in Salt extracted out of the earth BVt to shewe now more particularly those things whereof we haue spoken generally namely that Salt doe participate with the animal vegetal and mineral nature wée wil vse a common example the which notwithstanding being exactly and diligently waighed and considered by a true Phylosopher is a notable mistery The which albeit it bee taken from out of the earth yet it may lift vp our eyes to heauen I meane to speake of Niter which men commonly cal Salt-Peeter I let passe the detestable and pernicious vse thereof inuented for the destruction of men And yet I must confesse that it deserueth great admiration in that it sheweth forth so great and incredible effects when as we being in these lower parts it representeth thundrings and lightenings as if they were in the aire aloft But it we should consider what it is and of what quality in his owne nature and composition what diuers faculties and qualities and effects there are in a thing so vile and so common it would no doubt make vs to wonder out of measure Niter is made and compounded of earth his mother which bringeth forth the same or it is taken out of old rubbish grâ—unds or out of places where stables for beasts haue bene or out of such kind of groundes which haue bene replenished with salt liquor or with the vrine of beastes rather then out of a leane hungry land washed with raine or by some such like occasion depriued of that radical humour It is most plentifully extracted from the ground where doue-houses are seated and out of Pigeons dung and this is the best Niter of all others the which is worthy the noting Whereby it appeareth that Niter doth participate with the excrements and vrines of liuing creatures For vrines are nothing else but a superfluous seperation of the Salt of vegetables by which liuing creatures are nourished and doe liue Whereby it euidently appeare how the foresaid Salt doth in kind participate with the nature animal and vegetable For as touching that which pertaineth to the mineral it is not much pertinent to our purpose to speake thereof sauing that wée thinke good to adde thus much that it is extracted out of the earth which is the reason why it is called Salt-Péeter when as more properly it should be called the salt of the earth But let vs goe forward Nature ministereth matter to Art whereof Salt-Péeter is compounded Art cannot make by it selfe no more then nature can make Salt-Péeter-pure and seperated from all terrestrilie and heterogeneal or vnkindly substance For that it may produce the same effects which the other produceth it must be prepared by the industry of workemen For these make choyse of conuenient earth and out of fit places to them well knowne and being filtered or strained with hote common water againe and againe through the same earth as lyes are vsually made with ashes it commeth to passe that a saltnesse or brinish taste is mingled therewith which is proper to all salts Of the which like or water so distreined if two thirds or theraboutes be vapored away by séething at the fire and then let coole the salt will be thickened into an
Philosophers which with one consent say Ignis azoc tibi sufficient Let Fire and the Matter suffice thée This onely Balsam is the vniuersal medicine to defend and conserue health if it be giuen with some conuenient liquor to the quantitie of one or two graines Great and admirable is the vertue thereof to restore our radical Balsam the which wée affirme to be the Medicine of diseases euen by the common consent of al Physitians But our Lullie and other Phylosophers are not content with this but procéeding further do dissolue the forsaid Phylosophical Sulphur in a conuenient portion of the spirit of wine rectified to perfection as afore and suffer them to be vnited and very well coupled together by way of Circulation in a Pellican Hermetically stopt or closed and within fewe dayes the water is made azure like or Celestial which béeing distilled is of force to dissolue gold and doth reduce it into the true Calxe of the Phylosophers into a precious liquor which itterated circulations and distillations can also passe by the necke of the Allembic or by Retort In the which working if thou procéede as thou shouldst thou shalt be able to separate from gold already phylosophically dissolued and animated thy phylosophical dissoluing which wil continually serue for newe dissolutions For very little is lost in euery dissolution And so thou hast the true potable golde the vniuersal Medicine which neuer can bée valued béeing inestimable nor yet sufficiently commended After the same manner thou shalt make the dissolutions of Pearles and of pretious stones most general remedies and deseruing to be placed among the chiefe if they bée dissolued after the order and manner aforesaid with a natural dissoluing Remedies I say which can much better confirme and strengthen our nature than if according to the common manner they bée onely powdred and searced as is wont to bée done in those our common preparations and cordial powders But some paraduenture wil say that these kinde of preparations are too hard or such as they vnderstand not or at least care not to vnderstand But this is a vaine obiection to preuent for excuse of their ignorance the difficultie of these preparations and the protract al time when as the thing is neither difficile nor long to them which know how to take it in hand These things are not to bée estéemed nor labour is to bée spared to attaine so excellent precious medicine which in so little smal a dose as in the quantitie of one or two graines can worke so great and wonderful effects which bringeth great commendation and honour to the Physitian and to the sicke perfect health and vnspeakable sollace and ioy But to conclude I wil say with Cicero in his Tusculans There is no measure of seeking after the truth and to be wearie of seeking is disgrace wheÌ„ that which is sought for is most excellent CHAP. VI. The way to prepare and make the Balsamick Medicine out of all things BY the foresaid preparation of sulphur Balsamick vegetable which wée haue before taught faithfully plainly and manifestly it is easie to vnderstand after what manner the same Sulphur may bée extracted out of euery mixed body In the wich bodie that I may summarily gather al things together there is first found a liquor without al odour or rellishing taste which is called Phlegme or passiue water Then commeth a liquor which hath taste colour odour and other impressions of vertual qualities which is called the Hercurial liquor And after that commeth foorth an oylie liquor which floteth aloft and conceiuing flame which is called Sulphur After the extraction of these thrée seueral moystures there remaineth nothing but ashes or dry part out oâ— the which ashes béeing wel calcined Salt is extracted with his proper Phlegme messhing oftentimes and powring water warmed vpon the foresaid ashes put into Hypocrates bagge and repeating this so often times til you perceiue a Salt water to come which hath a brinish taste after the same manner as women are woont to make their lye-wash This béeing done let the moyst be distilled and the salt wil remaine in the bottome The which salt notwithstanding in this first preparation is not made cleane enough nor sufficiently purified Wherefore the same distilled water is to be powred vp againe that the Salt may againe bée dissolued in the same the which so dissolued filter it or straine it through a bag oftentimes as afore til it be most cleare then coagulate it at a gentle heate And after this maner thou mayst extract a Salt cleare pure out of al vegetable ashes Vppon this Salt being put into an Allembic powre al his mercurial sharpe water let them be digested by the space of one or two dayes in the gentle heate of the Balme and then let them be distilled by ashes and so the water wil distil forth without taste or rellish Because whatsoeuer it contained of the volatile Salt wil reside in the bottome with his per fixed salt Goe forward therefore in thy working as before I taught thée concerning the wine Or if thou wilt not worke so exactly meshe vp againe al the mercurial liquor and make it passe through the foresaid Salt which wil take into it al that vitriol impression which that water shal haue and the water or liquor shal haue neither rellish nor taste but shal be altogether like to common water But if thou adde so much that the volatile part doe excéed the fixed that is to say that there be more of the volatile than of the fixed the which thou shalt easily know by waight because it wil be increased thréefold or by trial vpon a red hote copper or Iron plate when this matter béeing cast vppon the same vapoureth and passeth away in smoke then thou must sublime it and it wil become the Sal Aâ—moniack of the Philosophers so it pleaseth them to cal this matter which wil bée cleare and transparant like pearles Vppon this powdred matter thou shalt powre by little and litle the oylie liquor purified and thou shalt boyle this matter that of volatil it may be fixed againe Neuerthelesse that which shal be fixed shal be of nature more fusible than waxe and consequences wil more easily communicate with spirits and with our natural Balsam when it is seperated from his passiue water and passiue earth which are vnprofitable Both which matters the Phylosophers cal the passiue Element because they containe no propertie in them neither doe they shew forth any action And thus a body or nature is made wholely homogenical simple albeit there are to bée séene thrée distinct natures the which notwithstanding are of one or the same essence and nature And so a body shal bée compounded exactly pure out of those three hypostatical beginnings namely salt Mercurie and Sulphur The which Sulphur in some part is answerable to truely simple and Elementarie fire Mercurie to Ayre and to Water in like manner most
is found almost nothing but Ayre or a vapour which vanisheth away This if you please you may call a moyst actiue And it may bée compared to water also because it is running and so long as it continueth in his owne nature it is not contained in his owne listes but in the limmits of another which according to Arictotle is the definition of moyst These thrée beginnings I say are found in all bodyes as internal and necessarie substances for the composition of a mixt body For seeing the foresaid Mercurial volatile and spirituall humiditie cannot easily be conioyned with the earthie corporeat and fixed part by reason of that great difference and contrariety of either of them it is necessarily required that there should bée a meane and indifferent partaking of either that is as wel of the spirituall as of the fixed to conioyne both in one And this indifferent meane is Sulphur or oile which holdeth a meane betwéene that which is fixed and that which is flying For oyles are neuer so quickly so easily and so wel distilled as are waters because the substance of Sulphur or of an oylie bodie is tenax and retentiue and therefore most apt to combinde the other two to effect a good perfect and equal mixture To make the matter more plaine by example For as a man can neuer make good closing morter of water and sand onely without the mixture of lime which bindeth the other two together like oile and glue so Sulphur or the oily substance is the mediator of Salt and Mercurie and coupleth them both together neither doth it onely couple them to death but it doth also represse and contemperate the acrimonie of Salt and the sharpnesse of Mercurie which is found to bée very much therein Much like to the coniunction which the Spirite and quickening moyst radical maketh betwéene the soule and incorporeat substance and the body which very much differeth from the same Thus then it appeareth after what manner these thrée natures may consist in one together and so to be made a mixed and perfect bodie For as salt by it selfe a lone cannot bring this thing to passe euen so neither these two fluxible and mouing humors cannot without Salt by their nature compose a firme fixed and solyd body Moreouer Sulphur most néedes bée had as a Glue without the which the Mercurial liquor wil be swallowed vp by the drinesse of the terrestrial Salt and through the violence of the heate of the fire which by the Sulphur is contained But the Mercurial humour is as it were the chariot of the other two seruing to penetrate and to make the mixture easie and spéedy If there bée any man which through obstinacie or blockishnesse of wit doth not well conceiue and vnderstand this let him beholde and consider of the blood which is in mans body how in the same the whaye is as a chariot or mediator and combiner of the other two beginnings together as may appeare by the preparation and separation thereof Very fitly wée may vse this example in this place And hereafter by infallable and euident demonstration we wil shew after what manner the other two beginnings beside the whaye which supplyeth the place of Mercuries are in blood When Salt is predominate and beareth the swaye it produceth so many kinds of diuers Vicers and many other diseases beside that portion of salt which passeth through the reines and bladder by Vrines In like maner we haue already shewed how Sulphur or the oilie part is in the same blood This sulphur being exalted it causeth sulphurus exhalation as inflamatiōs from whence come so many kindes of Feauers So Mercurial sublimations raise Rheumes and Catarres with other diseases Mercurial Chymistes determine that there are sundry kindes of salt which as they are found apart in nature s◠also in all mixt bodyes That is to say common salt which the Sea by his secret 〈◊〉 pypes doth conuey through the earth Salt gemme also Allum whereof there are diuers kindes Vitriol Salt-Armoniac and Salt-Niter which men commonly call Salt peter Among these salts two are flying and are mixed with liquors after an insensible manner that is to say Niter Salt-Armoniac of nature Niter doth participate of sulphur and of the oylie liquor of things Armoniac partaketh of Mercurie or of the Mercurial humour of things And these foresaid salts which are found both in earthie and metallick substances are deriued through the benefite of rootes into hearbs plants and trées which because they are alwayes in the earth they retaine the nature most chiefly of fixed salt And after the same manner the nature of fixed salt is to bée sought for in rootes In flowers also and in leaues there is great store of the other two flying Salts which béeing such they easily vanish away and come to nothing when the flowers and leaues doe wyther and waxe dry But those plants and hearbes which take their nourishment from fixed salt are alwayes kept flowrishing and gréene and therefore they doe the more strongly resist the fainting heate of Sommer and the morifying cold of Winter Moreouer their Rootes standing déepe in the ground they doe the more easily withstand all external iniuries And when the Spring commeth and the Sunne sendeth foorth his heate entring into the signe of Aries piercing the earth with his quickning beames hée stirreth the same and causeth her to open her bosome out of the which at the last shée powreth foorth abundantly those two liquid beginnings whereof wée haue spoken before The liquor or Mercurial vapour which is lifted vp through the Rootes with Salt Armoniac of a volatile nature by a certaine wonderfull manner of nature◠distilling and ascending into the trunke vnder the barke at which time trées may easily bée disbarked raiseth vp quickeneth and adorneth with gréene leaues trees and plants now hanging downe their heads and halfe dead And the other kinde of volatile salt Nitre-sulphurus mixed with the more volatile sulphur and oyle of nature doth cloath and decke the whole earth euery wherewith sundry sorts of most beautiful flowers And yet wée must not thinke héereupon that one vaporous liquor which procéedeth out of the earth is not partaker of the other séeing the Mercurial liquor is not without his sulphurus nor the sulphurus without his Mercurial And this is the cause why in the vegetable nature wée doe sée that some doe put out their leaues and flowers sooner than other some Nature therefore hath most wisely distributed those beginnings into all things And experience doth teach that somethings doe partake of this
remedy is made to stop the fluxes hepatic Lienterie and Dyssenterie where the liuer hath néed of spéedy corroboration But they must necessarily be prepared according to Art But now time and reason perswadeth vs that we say somewhat concerning the contrarie faculty of this sharpnesse which is contrary to the other coagulating effect To doe this little wit and lesse labour wil serue For they which are but meanely séene in the Spargerick Art and haue bene Chymists a very short time or if they be but common Apothecaries they know this and haue séene it in the preparation of quicksiluer whose liquor and running nature no exterior coldnesse no Elementall frost how great soeuer the same be congeale or fixe But if it be sublimed with Vitriol onely meanely calcined it will come to passe that Mercury or quick-siluer which desireth his coagulation as his perfection by a certaine magnetical vertue draweth into it selfe that Sulphur or that Salt Armoniac sharpe of nature by the benefit whereof of running it is made solid and firme so as thou maiest easily handle it Being brought into this forme it is commonly called Sublimate But to make it yet more perfect those which are careful and skilfull workmen reiterate their sublimations adding to this new Vitriol that by his Salt Armoniac of nature it may be impregnated And thus at the last it becommeth solid and cleare as any Christal Venis-glasse Spargeric Phylosophers can so dispoyle againe this Mercurie so prepared of his coagulation or of his sharpe Salt Armoniac of nature that he shal returne to his former state and of fixed shal become moueable and running But he is now perfectly clenâ—ed and is now no more commoÌ„ Mercury or Hydrargyre but the Phylosophers Mercury And now if the foresaid water be exhaled or vapored that there may remaine nothing but a sharpe liquor like vnto the spirit of Vitriol thou shalt haue a liquor more excellent then any Vitriolated spirit and truly spiritual And so in stéede of a great poyson which was mixed with Mercurie which was then nothing but a certaine terrestrial corrosiue fire thou shalt now haue the true spirit of Vitriol whose greater and better part vaporeth away is consumed and lost if it bee extracted according to the common manner with that great and violent fire by Retort This spirit prepared after the saide manner excéeding good and a special commaunder of the Epilepste if it be administred by a skilful Physitian not by an Emperick with proper and conuenient liquor And this is one tryal of the vertue of coagulating Mercury The same coagulating force of his doth manifestly appeare in those preparations which are called precipitations which are made with the sharpe spirits of Vitriol and of Sulphur by the meanes whereof it may be brought into a poulder which cannot be easily done by fire But that it may appeare that this coagulating power of Armoniac of nature is not oâ—ely vppon Mercurie ouer whome it can exercise this power but nothing at all vpon the spirits Niter Sulphurus of our bodies with the which quick-siluer hath no simpathy or conuenience we wil shew it by a certaine other manifest demonstration and the same most true as shall appeare to them which will try it And in the same experiment I wil also teach a very excellent remedy against Gangrena and all sorts of cankerous Vlcers if any bee loth to take it inwardly into the body because of the vrine ingredient Take the vrine of a boy betwéene the age of ten and sixtéene which drinketh wine in good quantity let it be depured according to Art Adde hereunto of Romane or Hungarian Vitriol for by these the operation wil be the better I say of the Vitriol twise so much Put it to digestion in Balneo Mar which is moyst by the space of fixe or eight dayes in one or in seueral glasse Allembicks For there is required much matter This digestion being ended thou shalt increase the fire of Balne til the water 〈◊〉 Presently set on a head with a receiuer and distill the water And the same which first commeth forth is an excellent Ophthalmick water for the eyes The second something more sharp then the former is excellent good to asswage the paines of the Gout Thus goe forward brging the heate of the Balne or else by hote ashes vntill the matter in the bottom of the Alembic remaine like vnto hony The which afterward thou shalt put into an yron vessel and putting fire vnder it stirre it continually with an yron spattle that it cleane not too this thou shalt continue so long vntil all the liquor is vapored away and that there remaineth onely the Salt of Vitriol and of the vrine dry in the bottome and in a certaine masse This being pouldred put it into a cornute wel luted hauing a wide receiuer wel closed that the spirits issue not forth Then put to a vehement fire such as is néedful for the making of strong water or the spirit of Vitrioll But the fire must bee moderated by degrées vntill it come to the highest degrée as Art requireth And then at the last you shall sée the receiuer filled euery where with white spirits which in that great heate will be congealed as it were into Isâ—-â—ickels hauing all bout the body of the receiuer much like vnto the hayse or white thréedes which in time of frost are congealed out of foggy mistes and doe hang vpon the trées These are the spirits of the Salt which through the vehement heate of the fire are thus formed This Ise may be kept after the maner of Salt Niter Wherof if thou giue one scruple or halfe a scruple in broath wine or other conuenient liquor it will shewe it selfe an excellent remedy against all obstructions of the Liuer and of the spleene it prouoketh vrines and is also a special remedy against the Stone The same Ise being brought into water for it will easily be dissolued is a principal remedy for Inflamations and Gangrenas which very sodainly it extinguisheth Out of this so faire and noble experient euery true Phylosopher and Physitian will take occasion of séeking and searching further then the common sort are woont and so he may more certainly finde out the causes of stones congealed which are ingendred of the same salts or tartarous matter in diuers parts of our body He will also haue more quick insight into many other diseases which come by the coagulation of the foresaid sharp and Vitciolated spirits or else of the euaporations of other most sharpe spirits from whence Inflamations and gouty paines with swellings doe spring by the inward vertue of the thickened spirits aforesaid These things being thus knowne a remedy wil easily be found to mittigate and to dissolue such calculous and stony matter if we marke and consider diligently where that sharpe vertue lyeth hidden and wherein also the coagulatiue propertie of the said spirits are Also
the same contemplation will giue occasion to prie into the diuers and sundry meteors which shewe themselues in man the little world out of those continual vapours and exhalations which are lifted vp from the lower belly which we fitly coÌ„pare with the earth into the aire that is to say into the vppermost region of the body the braine So it shal appeare that from the Mercurial vapours thickened into cloudes through the coldnesse of the braine and by the same not able to be dispressed doe fall sometimes moderate showers and simple in shewe and sometime out of thicke clouds abundance of waters Wherof come either gentle Rheumes oâ— violent catarres which are called suffocatiue because the matter rusheth after a certaine violent maner vpon the vital partes Furthermore out of the same contemplations thou shalt finde the true original of windes of haile of snowe whereof commeth the tingling in the eares the Palsey the Apoplexe and such like deseases stirred vp from the Mercurial thickened vapours The which diseases come not as some doth thinke because of coldnesse onely but the cause also thereof is the sharpenesse of Salt vitriolated which being mixed with those Mercurial vapours doth suddenly coagulate and congeale them and this is the cause of Apoplexes and such like For to take an example from our owne body to manifest this thing the vrine which we make is so replenished with these mercurial humours mixed with sharpe salt that it hath force and power to coagulate Wherefore this which wee haue saide must simply be granted vnto vs that Salt-Armoniac of natural sharpe hath force to dissolue bodies and to coagulate spirits as wee haue plainely declared in the foresaid experiments But paraduenture some yong scoffing Scholler which neuer knew what Phylosophie ment with great confidence and no shame as of late one which shewed him selfe an Asse and Calfe and yet of a ripe wit did dare rise vp against vs and saâ— that in our body no vitriolated nature can bée found nor anâ— thing like vnto it But this fellowe and such like wée wâ— teach sufficiently and moderately if they wil not refuse to learneâ— in our booke concerning the hidden nature of things and the perfection of art where wée wil declare this thing and many other profitable questions necessary for a true Phisitian But yet not to let the matter vtterly passe without some thing spoken concerning this point I wil vtter my selfe in fewe words First of al I wish that exact consideration bée had which is that fire of nature and which is the authour of the concoction of meate in our stomach which dissolueth chaungeth the same and that in so short a time as neither séething water nor elementarie fire can doe no not in long time Let them also I pray you consider what is the cause of that dog-like appetite which some men haue by which they are woont so readily to consume all the meat in their stomach that nature hath scarce lawful space to nourish her selfe and from whence this insatiable hunger commeth According to the common opinion it befalleth some man to haue this appetite by reason of a certaine sharpe and melancholick humour which being thrust downe into his sides doth sometimes boyle vp like most strong vinegar or rather in déed like oile of vitriol or like some such dissoluing and deuouring thing For truly if that sharpnesse were diligently considered and throughly looked into by Phylosophical anatomie it would easily be iudged by good and indifferent men that it should not more vnfitly to bée sayde vitriolated than melancholicke nay more aptly and better because melancholie neither can nor hath béen woont to worke such effects except by the sowrenesse aforesaid For by this manner of speaking the dissoluing vertue and al other properties are in farre better sort expressed which shal easily appeare in him which wil throughly sâ—annâ— and weigh al things And what doth let vs now to call such faculties and humours vitriolated when as al their properties and forces doe come so néere to the nature of vitriol Shal it bée frée and permitted to common Physitians to cal choler Aeruginus Vitelline Proracious for the likenesse affinitie of those things from whence the name is borrowed and why then shal it not bée lawful for vs to doe the like and to say that humors are vitriolated because they partake of the nature of vitriole But let vs returne is our Meteors which are in our bodie hauing already spoken of them which are raised vp by the vapours of mercurial liquors which haue a similitude with the watery and also with those which procéed out of the méere vapours of the earth of the great world Now it remaineth that wée say something also of the others Therefore euen as as the vapours and exhalations sulphurus Nitrous or Antimonial carryed vp out of the eath into the Ayre and cloudes doe cause fiery Meteors Corrâ—scations Lightnings Thundrings Comets and such like euen so also in our bodyes from the fumes and smoakie euaporations procéeding from burnt and scorched blood and from so manifold and diuers tartarous sulphurus and niterous fumes with the which our bowels doe abound the like Meteors are produced For such fuming matter lying burning in the sides néere to the Liuer and the Spléenâ— hindered by windinesse being thereof caused or else stirred vp by an immoderate and 〈◊〉 heate being at the the last lifted vp and carried into the braine and therin set an fire stirre vp Meteors long madnesses burning phrenzies setled melanchollies dotings paines of the head falling sicknesses and many such like Some of these continue long by reason of the clammie hardinesse or aboundance of the matter as madnesse other some are sooner gone as Phrenzies some doe more fearsely exercise a man some more gently according as the saide fuming matters bée more or lesse sharpe abundant cleauing Salt sulphurus or of qualitie more or lesse inflameable or by any manner of other meanes hurtfull For there is great diuersitie of these fumie matters no lesse than wée sée differences of fires and smoakes in combustible woods whereof some are more clammie some more salt some sulphurus and such like diuersities The same diuersitie also is to bée séene in the separation of the spirits of Léese of Ale of Cider of Wine of Hydromel and of such like drinkes the diuersititie whereof doth manifestly appeare by the odours which doe abundantly ascend into the nose Also in Saltes Sulphurs and oyles which are distilled the diuersitie of vapoures which are nothing but the spirits produced out of many tartarous matters doe manifestly declare the same For of these some are sharpe some sowre some biting some stinking some odoriferous some so pearcing that the very odour doth strike the brayne and doe cause extraordinary néesing or else by some other meanes doe hurt the braine dazeling dulling or troubling the spirits or else by fumes which are sulphurus and stupefactiue The same
differences are to be made in Antimonials Arsenicals and Mineral humours or vapours and that out of their effect either seplic putrifying or caustic burning the which effects are in the said fumes by the meanes of salt Such pearcing fumes are too wel knowne and felt of our eyes oftentimes to which they bring by their sharpenesse paines inflamations and flowing of teares Héereupon out of this diuersitie of fumes there arise diuers passions in continuance in maladie and in vemencie more or lesse inuading and troubling according to the nature mineral and condition of the qualitie or quantitie of the exhalations and of their substances which are lifted vp with them as it were in a certaine chariot Moreouer we sée in the bowels of the earth of the little world man no lesse then in the great worlds belly in the bellies I say of both almost the same effects are to bée seene of Meteors as wel waterie as fierie For example the Tympanie the swelling of the Coddes windinesse of the stomach and bellie al which doe represent the windes raynes and Earth-quakes of the earth and the waters within the body and betwéene the skin and the flesh doe represent the Sea the Riuers and Springs of the earth Also there are in man diuers fierie Meteors by reason of the exhalations of the Niterous and Sulphurus spirits which being set on fire stirre vp such diuersities of Feauers and inflamations There are bred also in man diuers metallic substances as landes and stones which are commonly ingendered in diuers parts of his bodie as in his bowels stomach gaule spléene lyuer yea in the lunges and braine but more often in the reynes and bladder which are the most fertile mines of al the rest There are also procreated in mans bodie certaine concreate congealed Iuices as many kindes of Sulphurs but of Saltes more differences vitriolated alluminous niterous and Gemmeus Salt-gemme or common salt is plentifull in Salt spittle sower Salt-Armoniac in sower flegme or spittle and also in a certaine kinde of sower melancholy salt vitriolated and of the colour of rustie metal in choller that is of the same complexion Salt aluminous pricking and stiptickâ— in glassy fleame of the same qualitie Salt niterous and bitter in bitter choller Moreouer Vrines which are wholy niterous doe represent a matter most like to Niter There are also in this little worlde as also in the greater world found many differences of Salts as a sugered salt in swéete flegme as also an Arsenical and corroding Salt in malignant and pestilent humours From the resolutions of the which Saltes but most especially of the stiplick or corroding salts come certaine kindes of Chollickes which afterwards degenerate into contractions of the bowels From the corrosiue Salts spring diuers kindes of disenterie fluxes from the brinish salts come the burnings of Vlrines from the tart Salts commeth the appetite of the Stomach from the Arsenicall Salts comes Carbuncles cankerous Vlcers running pockes such like And of the congelations of these salts comes Goutes Stones Scirrhus hardnesse and diuers kindes of obstructions according to the diuersitie of tartars and of Salts which are ingendred and procreate to nature in our body From these things are the causes of diseases in mans body to be truely and exactly learned and discerned without the which wée shal in vaine séeke for remedies But to make al which hath béene hitherto spoken more plaine wée wil adde certayne manifest demonstrations and playne to sense but yet in as briefe manner as I can séeing wée haue reserued a more ample and special Treatise of these things to our worke concerning the hidden nature of things It is known and confessed of al by the Edict of Hyppocrates the chiefest Authour of Phisitians that our body consisteth of things containing of things contained and of things enforcing The things containing are the solide and more firme partes as the bones gristles ligaments flesh which doe containe and as it were restraine the more soft and delicate parts The contents are in a two-fold difference some are violent breathing out and enforcing as Physitians speake othersome moystening and flowing out The first sort are the spirits of our radical Balsam which they call naturall spirits whether they bée firmely fixed in any one part or whether they haue scope and recourse throughout the whole body generated of the most pure substance spiritual of the Sulphurus liquor and of the 〈◊〉 of the nourishments of our life Furthermore they diuide the spirits into natural vital and animal All these are either natural and pure or else impure and seculent The one are of a most pure nature ethereal and conseruers of life the other grosse and impure in comparison of them subiect to alterations for that they participate much of the seculent impuritie of Mercurie and of the liquors of Salt and also of the aliments of Sulphur of the which beginnings wée doe consist as wée said before The moystening parts are mercucurial liquors or that which they commonly call humours as well the natural profiting and nourishing which retaine somewhat of the spirit of life as the vnprofitable and excremental The out-flowing and breathing foorth are the breathes vnder which name also wée comprehend the vapours of the which we made mention before which vapours are a distillation and that moyst euaporation taken from the more watery part of humoral or mercurial things or else a dry exhalation of Sulphurus and tartarous things and of Salts of our body And such exhalations also are no other thing but fumes and spiritual smoakes but yet excremental and therefore superfluous For beside those first seperations which nature maketh out of the more grosse part of nourishments by the excretion and separation of the ordinarie impure feces there are yet also in the Chylus or good Iuice and in the very blood which of all other humours are most noble certaine superfluous impurities which for the same cause Nature seperateth Therefore the more mâ—yst superfluities are separated by euaporations and those onely which are seperated in the third concoction which could not be made semblable or like to the nourishing parts For the which cause nature expelleth them by insensible passages eueÌ„ through the pores of the skin that our natural heate may the more fréely be winded by the ayre and the burning of the heart comforted The breathing superfluities also doe paticipate as much of the drie as of the moyst that is to say of those which are exhaled and euaporated out of the sulphurus salt matters and mercurial liquors Whereof the more thinne and breathie part passe by insensible transpirations the more waterie by sweates but the more foule and that which is feculent cleaueth to the outside of the skinne But now if such vapouring exhalations be retained stil in our body the which sometime commeth to passe through the coldnesse of the ayre coÌ„passing vs about by the shrinking of the skin by occasion of place or of age
by intemperate life by a naturall disposition by the thicknesse of the skinne or by such like occasions then it cannot be but that such bodies shal be subiect to many other diseases than those whereof we haue spoken before It is also to bée remembred in this place that in all these euaporations ordinarie exhalations somewhat of our substancetying nectar of life or of our radical Balsam doth also breathe away The which breathing if it be gently and sparingly and without all manner violence and force but by a certaine voluntarie continuance and naturall then our age is prolonged in the meane time declining to extreame old age by little and little vntill al our water of life or radical oyle which continueth the lampe of our life be consumed But if the sayd exhalation or breathing bée violently and suddenly enforced as it commeth to passe in burning feauours and in many other sicknesses faintings passions and most vehement motions of the spirits of our body then our life shall be preuented before age Haereupon commeth the vntimely and in some sort the violant death of many and yet the cause of such violence comming from an internal occasion And because it is very pertinent and necessarie that wée rightly vnderstand those things which wée haue now spoken concerning the natures of the contents in vs that is to say of the enforcings moystenings and out-flowings and so much the rather because by them wée come to the knowledge of our â—pirits and of our radicial moysture or nectar of life and also to the causes of the conseruation prolongation destruction and abreuiation of our life I wil therefore now declare them all by an example whereby euery one which wil giue eare may come to the perfect knowledge of those things And yet wée doe not much estéeme presumptions probable reasons or authorities but wée wil ground our demonstration vppon the very senses themselues that those things which wée speake may bée both séene and felt And if so bée any bée so farre deuoyd of shame that hée will yet obstinately contradict vs we will say to him as sometime Aâ—errho said One experience is more of value than many reasons Experience cannot bée without sense he which denieth sense is worthy to haue no vse of sense And forasmuch as Aristotle sayd that the foundation of all demonstration is in sense Who is hee that dare gainesay it Therefore wée wil take Wine againe for an example forsomuch as wée vsed the same before In which wine how apparantly and manifestly doe such separations and excrements appeare to bée made And this it doth by his owne proper nature that the more easily the nature of either of them and of both may manifestly bée knowen by this Analogie and resemblance which it hath with our blood For by the clensing of wine wée know the vitall Anatomie of our blood and by the same it will appeare which are our natural spirits ethereal as also which is our natiue heate and radicall moysture which two doe vphold our body and defend our life and of whose helpe either of them haue néede forasmuch as that radicall moysture is the foode and nourisher of heate and this same heate subsisteth by the benefite of that moysture Thus these two replenished with spirit and as it were knit together are spred and diffused through the whole body By this same example the difference betwéene nourishing vital humiditie and that which is vnprofitable and excremental wil plainly appeare Furthermore it wil appeare which be moyst and which be dry in that kind of moystures which are outflowing and which of them are hurtful to our nature and which profitable By which anatomie of blood the reader willing to learne shal profit more as I thinke because we referre those foure humors whereof they make blood one to the very same and doe by a certaine analogie and resemblance compare it therewith But to come to the 〈◊〉 Therefore when the wine is prepared the clusters of grapes are crushed in the wine-presse first and the skinnes and kernels with the stalkes are throwne away Then the vnprofitable clensings and excrements being partly by mans industrie and partly by the nature of the wine it selfe being reiected the wine is powred into caskes and vessels In these digestion being made by his owne force it seperateth and purgeth forth together those seculent and more grosse superfluities This done the wine is all most perfect and fit for drinke and nourishment That first artificiall preperation of wine which is made by the expression and separation of the Vintners doth after a certaine manner represent vnto vs the preparation of wheate in the which separation the chaffe and the branne being taken away the rest is grouÌ„d into meale that it may be more fit for nourishment Euen so in like maner in our mouthes first preparation of the flesh is made from the bones or such like And the expression or grinding is made with the mouth and téeth then after due chewing the meate is sent down into the stomach This is the first resembled preparation of our nourishment with that first preparation of wine and wheate and that which is put into our stomach answereth that wine which at the first is put into vessels the meale which is ground Therefore after this there is another working in the stomach by nature For whatsoeuer the stomach receiueth it concocteth and digesteth yea all kind of meates mixed together like wine in his caskâ— or any other kind of drinke made of hony fruites barley or of water wherein diuers things are sodden The stomach therefore is that vessell of nature wherein not only the matter put into it is concocted and digested but also it is the same which seperateth the tartarous feces and whatsoeuer is excremental therein by such passages and vents as nature hath prouided to that end At the length after much purifying the blood is clensed being the red fountaine and the original of the spirits of our life euen like as wine which throughly fined is preferred before all others which serue for the nourishing and restoring of our life But let vs now procéede 〈…〉 Out of this artificial wine with the hâ—â—pe of gentle fire by circulatorie vessels as they terme them is extracted a fire of nature which attendeth the radical moysture namely a water of life wholy fiery and ethereal a quintessence altogether spiritual and almost of an incorruptible nature After the very same manner through the benefite of nature and by Circulation which is made by the heate of the Heart and of the Liuer there is generated and extracted in vs that quickening fire accompanied and nourished with his proper vnctuous humour and radical which is the water of life and true and quickening Nectar the quintessence and almost the ethereal spirit the incorruptible vpholder and conseruer of our life This also here by the way commeth to be noted in the operatioÌ„ of the foresaid wine which is also
worthy the marking and admiration namely that two or thrée fiery coales and no moe put vnder a large vessel or chaldrone which may containe sixe gallons will heate the same wine and will procure the spirit of wine to distill when as by that small heate a much lesse portion of water cannot bée made blood warme But which is more to bée maruailed at and obserued when the same spirit of wine doth passe through the Colunrina as they terme it namely by very long cunduites and pipes of brasse reforsed fit for this distillation it doth so heate them as also a whole pipeful of cold water-besidâ— and farâ— enough from fire in the which the saide pipes are moystened that a man may scarce handle them The which is to bee attributed to the great heate which the spirit of wine giueth to the colde water passing through the foresaide pipes For when all the spirit of wine is distilled forth although thou put vnder the saide vessell a much more vehement fire yet thou shalt féele the heate of that water in the vessel contained to bée extinguished and cooled The which should put vs in minde what is the next cause and original of natural or connatural heate in vs for this heate is stirres vp in vs by the continual circulation of the quickening spirit of our blood When all this water of life is at last distilled forth by a certaine internal external and violent heate or else vtterly wasted by progresse of time then doth appeare the extinction of that quickening heate and cold death insueth But to returne to the matter After the extraction of the true Aqua-Vitae or spirit of wine which is the whole purity of those thrée substantial beginnings whole liquor representeth Mercury whose flame which it readily conceiueth sheweth the Sulphurus nature and the excéeding strong taste declareth the spirit of Salt Armoniac there remaineth great plenty of â—â—eame or of Mercurial water which as yet containeth some quantity of spirit of wine But the last remainder is no better then vnprofitable water which soone corrupteth in like manner after the extraction of the water of life which is truly spiritual from out of our blood there remaineth in our body that moyst and moystening liquor which is partly nourishing and partly excrementall as is saide afore Lastly there remaine ouer and aboue the former the Feces Tartarous residences and Niterus Sulphurus matter which containe many stinking Impurities as also greate plentie of Salt The impurities doe sufficiently shewe the impurities in the eyes and filthy stinkes out of the nosthrils where as diuers oyles are distilled out of the said feces by vehement fire And out of the very feces there is extracted Salt if they be calcined and the same is also fixed with his proper fleame as we haue shewed afore in the working of the same vegetable This Salt is made Volatil with Salt Armoniac flying contained in his own spirit or water of life procéeding as we haue already shewed In like sort in blood beside that spirit of life and Mercurial liquor which two may in very déede be seperated from blood it selfe and shewed to the eye after conuenient digestions in the heate of Balne Mary which resembleth the heate of nature that it may the better and more easily appeare how the same heate and the same nature in vs maketh the same seperations and operations I say beside those two a certaine soft consistence like liquor wil reside in the bottome wherein thou shalt finde many impurities to be séene and smelt if the same matter be dryed vpon a fire of ashes proportionable to the heate of a feauer and no greater This Niter-Sulphurus stinke is that which manifestly causeth in vs fiery meteors as wel in the vpper as in the inferiour part of the body and which bringeth forth innumerable passions and paines beside as is already shewed afore So also by the force of the fire Sulphurs and oyles thick and gluing like pitch may be seperated out of the feces and tartar of blood no lesse then out of wine so offensiue with stinke as thou art not able to abide the odour thereof whereof how many diseases may arise in our bodies euery man may easily coniecture This done there wil remaine ashes out of which a Salt is extracted the which by the vertue of the Salt Armoniac of nature may be made Volatil and the very same which Lullie calleth the greater Lunarie for the imitation of the vegetable work This worke is very admirable by which the true Numie the vniuersal Medicine and the true Balsam conseruing and restoring nature is made And this is the true and vital anatomie of blood which by manifest demonstration we haue shewed that it hath a great analogie proportion and resemblance with wine when as a true Phylosopher as wel out of the one as out of the other sauing that the one requireth greater artifice knoweth how to seperate waters of life méerely spirituall which are saide to be very forcible and strong and beside these Mercuriall liquors which are as wel profitable as hurtful which are also moystening and finally which knoweth how to extract vapors and exhalations fuming which are called out-flowings Now therefore if so be in wine which we easily vse to nourish our bodies and the same pure and cleare after the seperation of the spirit thereof we sée and behold so many vnkindly things and so impure how many more grosse impurities I pray you shall we finde in the Lées of wines cleaning to the caskes and in the grosse residence of the same They which knowe and vnderstand that great and excéeding blacknesse of wine lées which is manifestly to be séene in the calcination thereof and the sepreation of his spirit and of his oyle red blacke and stinking which is done by destillation they I say can giue cleare testimony and credibly informe what a great stinke there is in the Sulphur thereof and how great the acrimony and byting sharpnesse is in the same tartar or lées by reason of the Salt which is extracted out of the same and the oyle which is made by the resolution of the same Salt of tartar And trust mée in the feces of the same wine there are found beside the things already spoken those matters which are more grosse impure and stinking as they wel knowe who to calcine them into ashes which they call clanelated are compelled to goe out of the Cities into the fieldes and places further off by reason of their excéeding infection and stinke with the which they are wont to infect the places néere adioyning What maruaile is it then as is shewed afore if in our blood after the seperation of the true spirit there are found so many vnkindly tartarous stinking and Sulphurus impurities But what maruaile I say if more and greater impurities and stinkes are to bee found in diuers of the Heterogeneal parts of the Chylus or best matter digested in the stomach for nourishment from whence
conserue health Then againe put to thy Receyuer and increase thy fire by degrées as thou didst before so long vntil at the first there distill foorth a yealow oyle after that a red oyle the matters in the Matrat remaining drie and yet not throughly drie least the liquor which shall distil foorth doe smel of burning These things done take that most cléere water which came forth first of all in good plentie powre it vpon the feces remayning and make them to digest together by the space of 6. or 7. dayes at the heate of Baln-marie vntil the water be coloured and waxe yellow that is to say vntill it hath attracted the more fierie and oylie portion of the matter and the feces which shall remaine when they haue yéelded their whole tincture to the foresaid water reserue and kéepe apart to such vse as herafter shal be declared But if you think good you may reserue a portion of euery of the said liquors to such medicinable vses as is before shewed and vse the rest in the progresse of the foresaid worke and in the subsequent After you haue drawne the foresaid liquors that also which tooke last tincture from the feces thou shalt mixe them together that from thence thou mayest extract a farre more Elixir of life than the former and most precious procéeding in manner following When thou haste mixed the foresaid thrée liquors together thou shalt distil them by a Corrnute or by a glasse Allembic pretermitting al digestion vsing in other than the sayd mixture vse and follow the same way order which thou diddest before seperating the Elements and beginnings of liquors For thou shalt draw out of the first most cleare water which thou shalt reserue by it selfe namely at such time as thou shalt perceiue the receiuer to be darkened with a cloudie fume then chaunging the Receiuer and putting too fire as thou didst before thou shalt continue it so long vntil thou sée the liquor to issue foorth of yealow colour the which also thou shalt kéepe apart as thou diddest the former In the meane time while the foresaide distillations or seperations of Elements that is to say of the two beginnings Mercurie and Sulphur are in hand thou shalt calcine at a Reuerberatorie fire the Feces which thou reseruedst before out of the which being brought to ashes thou shalt extract salt according to Arte with thy first most cleare water the water seasoned with his Salt shal be mingled with the other two liquors which were reserued that so at the least out of a Tryangle thou mayest make a Circle O as Philosophers speake that is to say that out of those thrée seueral waters by circulation in a Pellican made according to Arte there may come foorth one essence and so by that meanes that great Elixir of life and admirable secret shal be made And not onely made but also by so short a way so easie and so well knowen to true Philosophers that they know thereby how and in what order to make Elixirs out of all things The vertues of this Elixir are vnspeakable both to the curing also to the preuenting of giddinesses in the head the Falling sickenesse Apoplexies Palsies madnes Melancholy the Asthma and diseases of the Lungs faintings and soundings traunces weakenesse of the stomach and of other parts consumptions procéeding of an euil disposition of the bodies passions procéeding from the gaule and such like heauie and lamentable griefes Certaine droppes onely of this being giuen in some conuenient breath and fitting for the sicknesse As for example against the Epilepsie with water of Peonie of Lillyes Connally or of flowers of the Linden trée Against the palsie with the water Mary goldes against the pestilence with the water of Goates beard or of water of Cardus Benedictus against the Asthma or Tissick with the water of Scabiose or of Fole-foote or such like Moreouer this Elixir is of force to restore and conserue our radial Balsam if fower or fiue droppes thereof be giuen in broath wine or other conuenient liquor But peraduenture thou wilt say that the preparation of this Elixir requireth too much labour is too tedious But it is much better and more necessarie to spend the time in things so admirable and of so great importance than about Medicines that are altogether vnprofitable And yet to serue euery mans turne I wil set downe the preparation of an other Eilxir more easie and peraduenture more pleasing to conserue health and to prolong life Another Elixir of life most easie to be made TAke the Rootes of Gentian slit in pieces and dryed with a gentle heate also the roote of the lesser Centaurie of each thrée ounces Galanga Cinimon Mace Cloues of each one ounce Flowers of Sage of S. Iohns woort of each two grypes with two fingers and a thumbe Of the best white wine 6. pound Infuse these in a glasse Matrate wel stopped by the space of eight dayes at a gentle fire of Balne-Marie Then let them be wel streined so distilled by a glasse Allembic in ashes til nothing remaine but drynesse Then powre the water distilled vppon the feces that from them thou mayest drawe away the whole tincture in a milke warme Balne-Mary Bring the Feces after the drawing away of the tincture into ashes which thou shalt put into Hyppocrates bag powring the said coloured water oftentimes vpon the ashes that it may draw vnto it the proper salt Giue of this Elixir the fourth part of a spoonefull in some conuenient liquor Vse it a long time It is a special remedie for all consumptions for the weaknesse of the stomache which it purgeth from tough and slimy humours which cleane to the same It stayeth the breeding of wormes and kéepeth the body in health Take of this twise in one wéeke and continue with it A Treacle-water for the head helping all paines of the same proper for the Apoplexie Epilepsie Palseyâ— and such like TAke of the rootes of Peony of Misselto of common Acorns or Cane of each thrée ounces Of ripe Iuniparberryes and of the séeds of Peony of each one ounce Of Cloues and Maces of each 6. drachmes Of Castoreum halfe an ounce Of the flowers of Stechados Mary-gold Rosemary Sage Lillyes coâ—â—ally of the Linden trée of each two grypes with two fingers and the thumbe Cut that which is to bee cut and beate that which is to bée beaten and infuse them by the space of 3. dayes by the heat of a hote Balne in white wine of the best 2. pound and with the waters of Peony Sage and of Mary-goldes of each one pound Then straning them hard To this liquor adde of Treacle of Alexandria ounces 4. of Anacardine confectionem Meâ—u one ounce and a halfe of Diamosch and Aromatici Gabriel of each halfe an ounce Stéepe or infuse these againe by the space of two or thrée dayes at the fire gentle of Blan M. Then straine them againe
and distil them vpon ashes to drinesse and thereof a Treacle-water will bée made A very smal spoonefull of this is sufficient to be giuen at once against the diseases before expressed Another Treacle-water cordiall and comfortable for the heart very good against al pestiferous effects therof vsed with great profite TAke of the rootes of Angelica of Cloues of Goates beard of Tormentil or Set-foyle of Bifolium or two-blades of Enula campans of each two ounces Of yealow Sanders and of the barke of the same of each one ounce and a halfe Of white Diptani of Scabiose of Rus of Goates beard otherwise called Méedwoort of each one handfull Of the Flowers of the lesse Centaure of S. Iohns-woort of Broome of Violets of Borage of Buglosse of Water-Lyllie of Red Roses of each a thrée finger gripe Put these into 3. pound of Malmesie infused by the space of 4. dayes set vpon the fire of Baln M. and the Iuice of Lemons the water Melissa Aeetouse and of Roses mingled with the sayd Wine of each one pound Then strayne them In the liqnor distrained put of Treacle ounces thrée of the confection of Hiacinth one ounce Of the confection Alchermes 6. drachmes Of Diamargarit friged Diatria Santali of each 3. drachmes of Diambre and Diacoral of each two drachmes of Saffron and Myrrhe of each halfe a drachme Infuse them againe by the space of two or thrée dayes at the same fire of Baln M. Then distil them to drinesse by fire of ashes and it will be a Treacle water But to make it the more effectuall the Salt must be extracted out of the feces which remaine according to arte and then mingeled with the foresaid water A water against Poysons and against all pestilentiall effects TAke of the Rootes of Angelica of the Carline-thistle of Set-foyle of the Barke of the Olibian Trée of each two ounces of Cardus Benedictus of Méede-woort called Goates beard of all the Sanders of each halfe an ounce the Treacles of Mythridate and the confection of Hiacinth of each 2 ounces the speces of Diamarg Frigid Camphor of each 2. Drachmes Let these be grossely beaten or brused put into a glasse Allembic powring thereon 3. pound of rectified Aqua vitae Then let them be digested in a vessel wel closed so distilled by ashes or a vaporous Baln This water is wonderfull effectuall against poysonful and pestilential effects The quantitie which must be giuen is halfe a spoonfull An excellent water to be giuen against Feuers burning and pestilentiall TAke of the rootes of Angelica Buglosse of Scorzonerae Acâ—â—y one ounce of the Treacle Alexandrine 2 ounces of the Iuice of Lemons clensed of the waters Fumetarie Gotes beard and Cardui Benedictus and of the lesser centaure of each ounces 4. Diamarâ—â— Frigid halfe an ounce Let these lye infused by the space of thrée or 4. dayes then let them be distrained and distilled Of the which let the sicke drinke 4. ounces and then being well couered in his bed he shal sweate more than ordinary Principall Remedies to ease the torments and extreame paines of the Goute TAke of the leaues of Missel which groweth on the Apple-trée cut or shred very smal halfe a pound the flowers of white Mulline of Chamomil of Lyllies of Wallwoort or Danewoort all the kindes of Poppey with their cases which containe the séed new gathered and before they be full ripe of each one gripe of the 2. fingers and the thumbe of gréene Frogs or in stéed of them the Ielly or sperme of Frogges which is to be found in standing waters in the Moneth of March one pound the séed of white Poppey brused 4. ounces of Crabbes of Crafishes shelles and all beaten or crushed together 20. in number of red Snailes and Earth-wormes both wel washed in good white wine of each 4. ounces of Badgers grease â—xe ounces of Sperma Ceti 4. ounces of the oyle of violets or water Lilly newly made 6 pound or if you wil in steede of these oyles take so much of oyle Oliue Put these into a glasse vessel for that purpose conuenient and close stopt set it in horse dung by the space of 7. or 8. dayes But if néed require more haste let them boyle in a Copper vessel ouer the fire by the space of two houres and then straine them strongly The which also you shalt doe if they stand in Horse dung to be digested Thou then shalt seperate the oyle from the watery part thereof according to arte to the which oyle thou shalt adde of Saffron 2. ounces of Camphyre hale an ounce Put all these into a glasse vessel and set them againe in Horse dung or in Balneo or in the Sunne by the space of 5. dayes and thou shalt haue a most excellent Balsam to asswage and qualifie all paines of the Goute and in the ioynts I wish that all Apothecaries would prepare this to be reary at al times for present vse for that they cannot appoint themselues of any thing better than this which my selfe haue found true by experience A plaister to helpe and easie all paines of the Goute TAke the marrow or pulpe of Cassia foure ounces of new Treacle the newer the better halfe an ounce The meale of Barley and Oates of each three ounces The crumbes of white breadâ— foure ounces of Cowe-milke two or thrée pound Let al these be sodden in the forme of a Cataplasme which thou shalt apply warme to the grieued parts It thou shalt adde one ounce of vitriol calcined and beaten into the pouder thou shalâ— make it much better Another Cataplasme TAke the distilled water of whyte Mulleyn and of Ferne of each halfe a pound of calcined vitriol as before one ounce and a halfe of Oate meale 4. ounces Of Saffron two 〈◊〉 make a Cataplasme A water against the paine of the Coute THis water following prepared in due time wil much auaile against the greatest paines of the Gout where there appeareth rednesse and much heatâ— Take of the distilled water of the sperme of Frogges of Hightaper of Ferne of each one pound and a halfe In these infuse Tuttie and Lytharge of each two ounces Vitriol calcined and Allum of each one ounce Let the grieued parts be moystened with linnen cloâ—â—es wet in the same applyed warme renuing the same diuers times Another excellent water against the Goute TAke of the Sope of Genua that which is white and good one ounce Of liquid Salt made to runne at a strong fire one ounce and a halfe of Vitriol one ounce of Acatia halfe an ounce Let them all boyle together in a pinte of Rose vinegar or of common vinegar With this liquor wash both the greiued partes An excellent playster which being layed vpon the knots and puffes of the Gout dissolueth them TAke of the oyle of Apple Missel of our description one or two pound warme it in a vessel at the fire béeing made warme put into it of shaued or scrapings of Sope 4.
ounces let them be well stirred together with a spattle vntil the oyle and Sope bée wel incorporated together After this put thereto Venis Ceruse and Lytharge of each 2. ounces euer mingling and stirring them with a spattell of Vitriol calcined til it be red and pouldred one ounce Of 〈◊〉 halfe an ounce When any of the aforesaid things are put in stirre it wel til it come to a conuenient thicknesse for a playster which thou shalt apply to the knots it helpeth not onely these but also of callous and hollow vlcers and pockes An excellent water to the same effect TAke Vnsâ—ickt-Lime let it lye in Spring water fiue 〈◊〉 sixe dayes that thou mayest draw out the Salt Let the water be foure or fiue fingers aboue the Lyme Of this water take 3. pound in the which thou shalt quench a red hote plate of Stéele twelue times and oftener After this thou shalt put therein of burnt copper brought into pouder 3. ounces of Cinabar halfe and ounce Let them stand by the space of foure or fiue dayes in which time the water will be of a gréene colour by meanes of the inward vitriol of the burnt copper This water is an excellent remedy to qualifie and alay suddenly all manner aches and paines A remedy to dissolue the Stone AFter some conuenient gentle purgation let the patient grieued with the Stone take one little spoonefull of this poulder following which not onely openeth the conduits prouoking vrine but also diminisheth and hindereth the growing of the Stone Take of the kernels which are in Medlars Gromel called Milium Solis the séedes of the great Burre Saxifrage Hollyhock Auis séedes Fennel-séedes of each thrée drammes of Christall stones and of Tartar fix drammes of the stones which are called commonly Crabbes eyes halfe an Ounce of the Salt of ground Furze one drachme of Cinamon one Ounce and a halfe of Violated Suger two Ounces and a halfe mingle these and make a poulder This poulder being taken let the partie drinke vpon it a little wine Iuniperated or of this water following Take of the rootes of Eryngium of ground Furze and of the fiue rootes apertiue of each one Ounce of the barke of Lemons one Ounce and a halfe of the foure greater cold séedes of the séedes of Mallowes and Hollihock of each thrée Ounces of the séedes of Saxifrage of Gromel of the greater Radish of the Burdock and of ripe Iunipar Berries of each Drachmes six of Askakeng Berries twenty in number of Iuiâ—bes six couple of Dictam of the flowers of Broome of Saint Iohns woort of Betonie of the greatest Mallow of each two gripes with the thomb and two fingers of liquirice two ounces and a halfe of the wood of Caffia one Ounce beate and poulder that which is to be pouldered and let them be stéeped or infused in water of siluer wéed called wilde Tansey and of Parietory of the wall of each one pound and a halfe of the best white wine two pound and that by the space of foure daies in Bal. M. hote and then let it be strongly strained Into the liquor put of the Species of Diatragaganthum Frigidum and of the Trochiscks of Alkakenge without Opium of each one Ounce Let them be digested againe at the fire of Baln Mar by the space of one or two dayes and let them be distilled by a glasse Allembic according to Art This water also taken by it selfe alone câ—â—teth and thinneth grosse matters and clenseth the raynes and sucking-vaines and the bladder from the stopping of sand and grauel and frâ—eth them from grosse humours Of this water by it selfe alone the dose to be giuen at one time is two Ounces with some conuenient syrrup An other excellent water against the Stone TAke the Iuice of Radish of Lâ—â—tâ—ns of each one pound and a halfe of the waters of Betonie of wild Tansey of Saxifrage of Veruaine of each one pound of Hydromel and of Malmesey two pound In these liquors mixed together infuse by the space of foure or fiue dayes at a gentle fire of Baln Mar Iunipar Berries ripe and newe gathered being bruised thrée Ounces of Gromel of the séede of the Burdock of the greater Radish of Saxifrage of Nettels of Onions of Anis of Fenel of each one Ounce and a halfe the foure cold séedes the séedes of great mallowes of each six drachâ—â—es the species of Lithontri the Electuarie Duis Iustini Nicolai of each halfe one Ounce the Calxe of Egge-shels Cinamon of each thrée Drachmes of Camphore two Drachmes Let all againe be well distrained and then distilled by ashes Two ounces of this water taken doth wonderfully clense the Counduits prouoke vrine and wil breake and expell the Stone To this if you adde his proper Salt or one scruple of the extract of Betonie it will be a more effectual remedy The conclusion of this Treatise ALchymie or Spagyrick which some account among the foure pillers of medicine and which openeth and demonstrateth the compositions and dissolutions of all bodies together with their preparations alterations and exaltations the same I say is she which is the inuenter and Schoole-mistresse of distillation For Alchymie vseth seuen workes which are as it were certaine degrées by which as it were by certaine necessary instruments she ordereth and finisheth the transmutations of things By transmutation I meane when any thing so forgoeth his outward forme and is so changed that it is vtterly vnlike to his former substance and woonted forme but hath put on another forme and hath assumed an other essence another colour another vertue and another nature and properly As for example when linnen rags are turned into paper metall into glasse skins or leather into glue an hearbe into ashes ashes into Salt Salt into water and Mercury so moueable into a fixed body as into Sinabar and poulder The seauen degrees of working are these mentioned before in the Practise 1 Calcination Which is the bringing of any thing to ashes 2 Digestion Is a dissoluing of that which is thick into thinne to be purified 3 Fermentation Is a mixing of kindly matter for multiplication or the kindly seasoning or leauining of a thing 4 Distiliation Is an extraction of a liquor from a body by heate 5 Circulation Is to rectifie any thing to a higher perfection 6 Sublimation Is the lifting vp of moyst matter to make it more pure and dry 7 Fixation Is to make that which is flying to abide with his body Beside these there are diuers other workings as DissolutioÌ„ is to dissolue yâ— which is grosse Putrifaction is the meane to generation Exaltation is euaporation of the impure humour Rectification is a reiterated Distillation to perfection CoagulatioÌ„ is the congealing of moisture CohobatioÌ„ is a repetition of Distillation by which the liquor distilled is powred vpon the feces and distilled againe Distillations are diuers according to the diuersities of reasons maners and of subiects whereupon arise sundry differences of distillation The first difference is taken
from things out of which a moisture or liquor may be drawne For after one maner Hony after another Sulphur after another Wine after an other Waxe after another Turpentines and Gimmes as Mastic Euphorbum Styrar and such like after another Salts after another Hearbs after another Rootes after another many seedes are to be distilled The second difference is taken from the diuersitie of the liquor distilled For waters are otherwise extracted then are oyles As for example out of Hearbes Rootes Flowers and seedes which are not dry but growing waters are extracted by simple distillation without the admixture of any other liquor But out of Rootes Hearbes Flowers and séedes which are dry and odoriferus the floating oyles are not extracted without the meanes of some water or other liquor as a helpe The third difference dependeth vpon the matter and fashion of the vessels Vpon the matter for one vessel is of earth another of brasse another of lead another of glasse Vpon the fashion also for there is one maner of distillation by an Allembic another by a Cornut another by a Matrat and another by a Pellican and so of others The fourth difference is by the site and placing of the vessell For if it be by a right Cucurbit which hath a head with a pipe or beake or whether it be inclining or crooked we call such distillations by ascent or when the neck of one Matrate or cucurbit is put into the neck of another that is to say whē the vessels by concourse are so ioyned together that one taketh in the mouth of the other and the same by a diuers position and by these most commonly are distilled those things which doe hardly ascend and haue small store of iuice Many things also are distilled by discent that vessell which containeth the matter turned the wrong way and put into the other the which manner of working is called by Discent and is contrary to that which is by Ascent By Discent are distilled Ceates and sundry kinds of fat wood as Giraiacum Iunipar and those of rosen sort The fifth difference is by the degrees of fire which are foure the first second third and fourth The first is soft and gentle such is the fire of Balne M. or of vapour the second is of ashes the third is of sand or of the dust of yron that falleth from the Smithes hammer in his worke at the Stythée The fourth is of bare fire By the first and second degrée of fire we distill by Ascent by the third and fourth we distil by concourse and Discent Thus oyles are distilled out of Salts as out of common Salt out of Vitriol and out of such like But before you begin to distil be sure that you dissolue putrifie But because mention is made before of Digestion and Fermentation I will shew you plainly how by these two meanes you may extract out of Roses a most Fragrant water of life and so excellent that one droppe thereof shall giue a swéete sent and odour to a great quantity of common water and wil also make the the same most profitable and swéete Therefore take Roses gathered it 〈…〉 when there is neither raine nor 〈◊〉 vppon them but tarry till the Sunne with his beames hath 〈◊〉 and taken away that humiditie Gather then of them a good quantity and then bruise or beate them in a stone 〈◊〉 or else thou shalt put them into a small bonlet of oake and shalt with diligence presse them in with thy hands in such sort that the vessell may bee stuffed ful almost to the toppe Then stoppe and close it vp that Digestion may more easily bee made and set in a wine seller by the space of one moneth or longer if néede require vntill thou shalt perceiue that the foresaide matter haue the odour of tart wine whereby thou shalt knowe that the Fermentation is perfected and so long it must at any hand bee delayed vntill the foresaide signe doe appeare These things thus finished take to thée the fourth or fifth part of the Roses Fermented according to the greatnesse of thy vessel which necessarily must be such as the Chymicall Distillars doe vse wherewith they extract their oyles and Aqna-Vitae the which indéede are large and of Brasse rather then of Lead furnished with their refrigeatories as they terme them which being full of water the spirits made thick through cold are more easily and commodiously drawen forth Taking I say that portion of Fermented Roses distill them according to the wonted maner That done seperate the feces remayning which subsist in the bottome of the Allembic and put so much of the Fermented Roses aforesaid into the same vessell and power vpon them the water extracted before distilling altogether againe vntill there appeare diuers thy vessell as well closed as may be as is said afore Gather againe the dryed feces the which it thou wilt thou maiest reserue with the former feces and put the same quantity of the foresaide Roses into the Allembic which thou diddest before vpon which againe thou shalt power all the distilled water And this thou shalt doe so often vntill thou hast distilled all the said fermented Roses These things orderly done thou shalt take all the distilled water and shalt distill onely the twelth part thereof with a gentle fire in a vessell with a long neck or Matrate or in such a one as Aqua-Vitae is distilled which is the quantity of all the spiritualls almost As for example if thou haue twelue pound of water thou shalt onely extract one pound which wil be very odoriserus most swéete and spiritual as ready to take flame as is that which is extracted out of wine This water if thou wilt yet make of greater vertue thou maiest rectified againe But the rest of the water which shal remaine in the bottome of the Allembic will be more fragrant and better then that which is distilled after the cōmon maner whereinto also thou maist conuey his Salt and insert it by bringing the foresaid feces to calcination meshing the same oftentimes through Hypocrates sléene or bagge with water whereby it shal more easily draw vnto it and retaine that Salt After the same maner also thou maiest draw waters of life out of violets and other flowers and especially out of them which are hote and odoriferus as Rosemary Sage Betonie and such other like which are better and more effectuall against sicknesses then if they be made according to the common order The least quantity hereof will worke wonderful effects If our Apothecaries would acquaint themselues with these Concoctions Fermentations and Digestions and vnderstand them aright in their workings immitating nature after a certaine maner they should be able to effect diuers commendable and profitable preparations Yea it is not fitting the Apothecary alone to know these things but for the Physitian also the commander and director of the Apothecarie if he respect his humour and the health of his patient But these things
blood draweth his first beginning of his composition That tartar or lées is of the blood which cleaueth to the vessels of the bowels Now the feces of the Chylus are nothing else but that huge heape of excrements of diuers sorts which are in that nourishment existing in diuers parts of the body And when those Niter-Sulphurus and tartarous impurities cannot by nature be digested ouercome and expelled they stuffe the bowels they are made the seminarie and store-house of most grieuous sicknesses so that if we will confesse the truth we must of necessity say with great Hipocrates that sicknesses haue both their séedes and also their rootes in our bodies the which most euidently appeareth by the foresaide comparison of wine and blood The which standeth vpon apparant and sensible foundations and not vpon doubtfull figments and Imaginations And as we sée in the spring times when nature putteth forth her flowers that the lées of wine are mixed with the wine it selfe and doe trouble it and oftentimes corrupt it and that as in the excéeding heate of the Sommer Sunne the more hote Sulphurus part of the same wine that is the spirit may and is woont to vapour away whereof followeth the corruption of the same wine euen so also about the same seasons and times the feces and tartarous heape mixed with our blood doth at the last peruert and corrupt it hereof commeth the occasion and multiplication of sicknesses For the spirit of blood being disprearced and seperated both by external and also by internal heate it must needes bée corrupted to the which corruption arising of the said causes the cause of many sicknesses is rather to be referred then to those bare simple qualities of hote and cold dry and moyst As therefore we haue taught in the seperation of the true spirit of wine which resembleth the celestiall and spiritual Nectar of our life many impurities thereof doe manifestly appeare euen so and after the very same sort it fareth with wheate with fruits and with meates and drinkes prepared of them and generally with all other vegetable things procéeding after the same maner as we haue said concerning wine For they haue no light proportion with our blood according to this saying We are nourished with those things whereof we consist which thou maiest aptly turne and say we consist of those things wherewith we are nourished But the one partaketh of the other or of this or of that more then of the other as for example of the spirit of the Mercurial liquor of Salt of the feces of the stinking vnprofitable excremēts which is the reason that out of this or that more commendable kinde of meate the more worthy and commendable blood is generated Therefore to adde one example more in stéed of a surplussage of waight let it not be forgotten that out of Hydromel Cider Ale or such like kind of drinkes out of their feces the same preparations and seperations as wel of a commendable liquor as of feces may be made after the same maner as we haue before shewed to be done concerning wine and that the beginnings and heterogeneall and vnnaturall parts may in the same sort be extracted out of these as out of that other To conclude thou maiest with better successe learne the beginnings of sicknesses by making a comparison betwéene the preparation and seperation of those things which giue nourishment vnto man and our blood then if according to the cōmon maner thou haue recourse to the humours bare qualities and so to séeke out and discerne the causes originals of sicknesses by a certaine witty contemplation rather then by that which is more true and infallible Thus we haue thought good to set down these things by way of anticipation concerning the exact and internal anatomy of humours concerning also the artificiall examining of them both that thereby it might appeare from whence the natural impressions of things the infallible causes of diseases are to be sought as also that the true Philosophers Physitians may vnderstand thereby the way to cōpound prepare and administer artificially medicines and remedies which now we intend to shew euen according to the order and method of the Dogmatickes So as wée thinke it not good vtterly to reiect the olde nor wholy to followe the newe but to restore the old forme of composition of Medicines increased and amended with many of our inuentions experiments and compositions for the publique good and for the health of the sicke as also for the instruction of some ignorant Physitians An Elixir of our description A wonderfull remedy to cure inueterate and almost desperate diseases and to conserue health and to prolong life as followeth TAke of the roote of Zedoary of Angelica of Gentian of Valerian Tormentil or Setfoyle Goates beard Galanga the wood Aloes and citrine or yeallow Sanders of each thrée Ounces Of Baume of red Mint Maioran Basil Hysope Germander Chamepithis of each halfe a handfull of Lawrell Berries Iuniper of the séedes Peony of Seseli or Comin of Anis of Mugwoort of Cardus-Benedictus of each two ounces the barke of Citrine of Missel of the oake and of all the Mirabolans of each one Ounce Cloues Cinamum Mace Ginger Cubebs Cardamony Pepper long and round Spikenard of each one ounce and a halfe Aloes Hepat Myrrhe Olebanum Mastic of each sixe Drachmes The flowers of Rosemary of Sage of Stechados of Mary-golds of Saint Ihons woort of centaury the lesser of Betonie of the Linden tree of each so many as yée can gripe with two fingers and the thumbe at twise of the flowers of Chicory commonly called Suckary of red Roses and of Buglosse of each one gripe in like sort onely of gruat hony and of white Suger of each one pound Of Aqua-Vitae after the best maner rectified ten pound Cut that which is to be cut and beate that which is to be beaten All these things being put into a large Matrat and close stopt that no breath come forth set in horse-dung meanely hote by the space of eight or ten dayes to putrifie Being putrified let them be hard and well pressed or strained and put the liquor distrained into an Allembic and distill it by a Cornute at aconuenient fire The first water which commeth forth from the distrained liquor wil be most cleare kéepe it by it selfe for it is precious Thy Receiuer being of glasse must be of good receit and must be passing wel closed with the Cornute by the necke that the least vapour come not forth And when the Receyuer beginneth to bée darkened and to be filled with white spirits thou shalt increase thy fire by degrées a little and a little according to arte vntil the said whited spirits appeare no more Then take away the Receiuer that thou mayst put by it self that water which commeth foorth the second time and kéepe it wel it is called the mother of Balsam being very profitable to roote out many sicknesses and to