in Mercury of white matter and of white Substance cometh that Mercury For so he is of a pure subtil Earth Sulphur most clear and most subtil commixed with pure Water and with Commixtion and heat these two Elements digesteth with Temperance of heat and so turneth into Mercury the Sperm of Metals therefore Water and Earth is the first matter of Mercury and Mercury is the first matter of all Mettals and when they be put into that Water they all melt and dissolve in him as the Ice doth in warm Water and why do they so because they were first Water coupled by cold and now here is Aristotles's Principle assoyled And although there were two things first yet nevertheless when they be resolved into clear currant Mercury and no palpable thing of the Body seen nor felt but passeth through the Philter clean as Water then is it but one thing upon the which all Philosophers accord and ground them est una Sola res And here now I have shewed you more plainly then it hath been shewed here before And I say to thee for truth this is the very true Key of this Science for Merlin and many others write here of divers ways as in the verse of Merlin dissipare leviter extracta c. and Albertus in the fifth Book de mineralibus de semine Metallorum where he upon a little Gloss teacheth Solution as there ye may see But of all special Books that ever I could read or see Stella Complexionis is the Father of Truth and Doctrine shewing the clear light and the right way of the Preparation of this precious Treasure and he expoundeth all the Figures of the Philosophers openly where I doubt not but God hath his Soul in everlasting â—iss For by the space of thirty years I ever â—udied and busied my self upon the Mystery â—arables Figures and Sayings of old Phiâ—osoâ—hers in the which I was marvellous blinded â—nd overseen and specially by one book which is called the 12 Chapters or 12 Gates â—n Metre in English which was made by a sufâ—â—cient Clerk and well learned but I warn â—very man to beware of him for by him ye â—hall never know the privity but rather he â—eadeth you out of the way for he sayeth it is â—ne Vessel one thing one furnace and no â—ore True it is that it is but one thing as I have before opened and shewed It is one â—orm of a Vessel as Stella Complexionis declareth And I say to you this one thing in the which all â—he Wise Philosophers have grounded themselves on it is after the full putrefying and utter rotting of the Elements then to be separate and every one of them well rectifyed and then reduced again to the Body by Nature in marvellous Sulphur elect And here I Counsel thee to Practise truly and to remember and consider the saying of the great Philosopher Constantius Affricanus in the Book of Elements where heâ— sheweth that man is made by ingression of contrary things which is to be â—â—â—derstood of the four Elements and after this Body reverted to him simple then all his humour is turned into Water the Spirit into Air the heat into Fire and the Bones and Flesh into Earth now mayest thou heaâ— and know by visible Experience and in likewise with our Water one thing by rotting is turned again into his simple Elements and moisture then separate them and the first shall ascend as a Smoak and turn into Air as Water keep that Treasure and then thou shalt distil after that an Air more intentive and thicker and one drop of this will swim and go above Water if thou mix it with Water and in this Air is Fire aud beneath in the bottom of your Cucurbit is your Earth as a dead Body corrupt and infect Note well here be the four Elements reverted into their Simple as before is said by the Authority of Constantius And I assure you that this is as true as ever God made Gold and Silver and all things else and Heaven and Earth and the Sea therefore believe me if thou wilt or chuse thee to thy own folly and leave off true Doctrine of the Philosophers and wander forth in the World as Mist in the Wind and so thou shalt never come to thy purpose but thou must first make the Bodyes water after digest them not burning nor destroying their radical moisture which is the life of Tincture of this precious Treasure and utterly rot them and after divide the Elements and well rectifie thy Earth by due Calcination and with washing of his own Water till it be pure clear bright and white shining and then sublime up all the quintessence again then thou hast the wonderful Earth called Terra foliata Sulphur Elect of the Philosophers more noble more precious then Gold or Silver if â—hou wilt work it up as thou mayest at thy pleasure by continuance of Reiteration and Sublimation then he will become clear as Heaven Christaline shining bright as thou mayest see in the Rosary of the Secrets of all Philosophers in the last work Therefore may you see and understand when your Tincture is perfect which is in the fourth Governance plainly in writing and also mark other Authors of this secret Science for when he is perfect fixt and stable and will not fume then he will run through a Plate of Copper and make it perfect Silver or perfect Gold better then ever was produced out of the Mine by Nature and also the very truth of this Secret is more woâ—th and richer then man can devise for of his own sperm or seed he shall evermore encrease and multiply to the Worlds end for as fire elemental burneth all and overcometh all things and nothing can overcome him even so this Magnesia the Child of Fire shall never be blemished nor vaâ—quished by the Fire but ever standing and abiding bright shining clear so that almost man cannot express the brightness which is incredible to any man except to them that have seen it with their Eyes And thou that art a finder of this Book I charge thee as thou wilt answer to God that thou never shew this but to a vertuous and wise discreet and well disposed man which is ever glad to help the Poor and needy People for with this glorious Science ye may procure many glorious Gifts of the blessed Trinity both in Riches and Soul which shall never fail you everlastingly Da gloriam Deo Amen Magnalium Dei FINIS RAECIPIOLVM OR THE Immature-Mineral-Electrum THE FIRST METALL Which is the MINERA OF MERCVRY By Ioh. Bapt. Van-Helmont LONDON Printed for William Cooper at the Pelican in Little Britain 1683. Electum Minerale Immaturum id est Metallus primus est Minera Mercurii TAKE of the best Argentum vivum which you shall Distil from its own Minera that is of the best Hungarian Minera which shall hold abundance of Argentum vivum one pound will hold twelve thirteen or fourteen ounces of
bright permanent pure and shining of a Celestical Colour And if Water did not enter into our Medicine it could not purifie nor mend it self and so thou couldst not obtain thy desire But that which doth mend it is Sol for the Water cannot be made better without it For without Sol and his shadow a tinging Poyson cannot be generated Whoever therefore shall think that a Tincture can be made without these two Bodyes to wit Sol and Lune he proceedeth to the Practicâ— like one that is blind For Body doth not Act upon Body nor Spirit upon Spirit Neither doth Form receive an Impression from Form nor Matter from Matter when as like doth not Exercise either Action or Passion upon its like â— For one is not more worthy than an other wherefore there can be noâ— Action betwixt them when as like doth not bear Rule over like But a Body doth receive Impression from a Spirit as Matter doth from its Form and a Spirit from its Body because they are made and created by God that they mayâ— Act and suffer each from other For Matter would flow infinitely if a Form did not retard and stop its Flux Wherefore when the Body is a Form informing it doth inform and retain the Spirit that it afterwards cannot flow any more The Body therefore doth tinge the Spirit and the Spirit doth penetrate the Body whereas one Body cannot penetrate an other Body but a subtil Spiritual congealed Substance doth penetrate and give Colour to the Body And this is that Gummy and Oleaginous Stone proportioned in its Natures containing a Spiritual Nature occulâ—â—y in it self together with the Elements purifyed Therefore the Philosophers-Stone is to be wholy reduced into this Gumminess by the last Reiteration or Inceration of a certain gentle Flux resolving all the Elements that they flow like Wax But when it is the Stone it appeareth like Copper whereas notwithstanding it is a certain Spiritual Substance penetrating and colouring or tinging all Metallick Bodys From hence thou mayst easily guess that this doth not proceed from the crasâ—itude and grossness of the Earth but from a Spiritual Metallick Substance which doth penetrate and enter Wherefore it behoveth thee to resolve the Body into a subtil Metallick Spirit and afterwards to congeal and fix retain and incerate it that it may flow before â—it tinge For Gold doth Colour nothing besides it self unless first its own Spirit be extracted out of its own Belly and it be made Spiritual And know that our Mercurial Water is a living Water and a burning Fire mortifying and tearing in pieces Gold more than common Fire And therefore by how much more it is better mixed rubbed and ground with it by so much more it destroyeth it and the living fiery Water is more attenuated But now when three are made one in the Form of a congealed Substance then it hath in it a true Tincture which can endure the Violence of the Fire Therefore when the Body is so tinged it can tinge another and it hath in it self all Tincture and Virtue And from hence all they who tinge with Sol and his Shadow viz. with the Poyson that is Argent vive do perfectly compleat our Stone which we call the great and perfect Gumm And know for certain that it is not necessary that our Stone or Gumm lose its first Mercurial Nature in the Sublimation of its crude and first Spirit for the Oyl and Gumm pertaining to this Stone are nothing else then the Elements themselves Mercurialized and made equal together shut up and coagulated resoluble and living retained or bound in the viscosity of the Oyly Earth and inseparably mixed And we ought to know that that Gum or Oyl is first drawn out of the Bodys which being added it is reduced into a Spirit until the superfluous humidity of the Water be turned into Air drawing one Element out of another by digestion until the Form of Water be converted into the Nature of Oyl and so our Stone in the end getteth the Name of Gumm and Sulphur But whosoever hath brought the Stone thus far that it appear like a mixing Gumm and suffereth it self to be mixed with all imperfect Bodies he verily hath found a great Secret of Nature because that is a perfect Stone Gum and Sulphur This Stone then is compounded of a Body and Spirit or of a volatile and fixed Substance and that is therefore done because nothing in the World can be generated and brought to light without these two Substances to wit a Male and Female From whence it appeareth that although these two Substances are not of one and the same species yet one Stone doth thence arise and although they appear and are said to be two Substances yet in truth it is but one to wit Argent-vive But of this Argent vive a certain part is fixed and digested Masculine hot dry and secretly informing But the other which is the Female is Volatile crude cold and moyst and from these two Substances the whole may easily be known and the whole Stone intirely understood Wherefore if our Stone did only consist of one Substance in it there could be no Action and passion of one thing towards the other for one would neither touch nor come nigh or enter into the other As a Stone and piece of Wood have no Operation on each other since they do consist of a different matter and hence they can by no means no not in the least be mixed together and there is the same reason for all thingâ— that differ in matter Wherefore it is evident and certain that it should be necessary for the Agent and Patient to be of one and the same Genus but of a different species even as a man differeth from a Woman For although they agree in one and the same Genus yet nevertheless they have diverse Operations and Qualities even as the Matter and Form For the Matter suffereth and the Form actethâ— assimulating the Matter to it self and according to this manner the Matter naturally thirsteth after a Form as a Womaâ— desireth an Husband and a Vile thing a precious one and an impure a pure one so also Argent vive coveteth a Sulphur as that which should make perfect which is imperfect So also a Body freely desireth a Spirit whereby it may at length arrive at its perfection Therefore Learn thou the Natural Roots and those that are better with which thou oughtest to reduce thy Matter whereby thou mayst perfect thy work For this blessed Stone hath in it all things necessary to its perfection The Practick of the same Author If we well consider the Words of Morienus that great Philosopher in Alchimy who saith Mix together Water Earth Air and Fire in a due weight without doubt thou wilt obtain all the Secrets of this Divine Science And first when he saith put into the Water or putrifie the Earth in Water this signifieth nothing else then the Extraction of Water out of
the Neck of the Retort which close well together that no fume issue forth of the Receiver Then encrease your Fire by little and little till the fume which issueth be reddish then continue the greater Fire until drops like blood come forth and no more fume will issue forth and when that leaveth bleeding let it cool or asswage the Fire by little and little and when all things are cold then take away the Receiver and close it fast suddenly that the Spirits vanish not away for this Liquor is called our blessed Liquor which Liquor keep close stopped in a Glass till hereafter Then look into the Neck of the Retort and therein you shall find a white hard Ryme as it were the Congelation of a Frosty vapour or much like sublimate which gather with diligence and keep it apart for therein are contained great Secrets which shall be shewed hereafter after the great Work is ended The Creation of our Basis. Then take out all the Feces which remaineth in the Retort and are blackish like unto Soot which Feces are called our Dragon of which feces Calcyne one pound or more at your pleasure in a fervent hot Fire in a Potters or Glass-makers Furnace or in a Furnace of vente or a Wind Furnace until it become a white Calx as white as Snow which white Calx keep well and clean by it self for it is called the Basis and Foundation of the Work and it is now called Mars and our white fixed Earth or ferrum Philosophorum The Calcination of the black Feces called our black Dragon Then take all the rest of the aforesaid black Feces or black Dragon and spread them somewhat thin upon a clean Marble or other fit Stone and put into the one side thereof a burning Coal and the Fire will glide through the Feces within half an Hour and Calcyne them into a Citrine Colour very glorious to behold The Solution of the said Feces Then dissolve those Citrine Feces in such distilled Vinegar as you did before and then filter it likewise three times as before and after make oâ— evaporate it to a Gum again and then draw out of it more of our Mensâ—ruum called now Dragonâ— Blood and â—terate this Work in all points as afore unâ—il you have either brought all or the most part of the Feces into our Natural and blessed Liquor all which Liquor put to the first Liquor or Menstrue called the Green Lyons Blood and set that Liquor then altogether in one Vessel of Glass fourteen days in Putrification and after proceed to the Separation of Elements for now have you all the Fire of the Stone in this our blessed Liquor which before lay hidden in the Feces which Secret all the Philosophers do marvellously hide The Separation of the Elements whereof the first is the Air and is also counted our ardent-Ardent-Water and our Water Attractive Then put all the said putrified Menstruum into a Still of fine Venice Glass fit for the quantity thereof put on the Limbeck and close it to the Still with a fine Linnen Cloth dipt in the White of an Egg and then set it in Balneo Mariae put to the Receiver which must be of a great length that the Spirit respire not out again and with very temperate heat separate the Elements one from another and then the Element of Air will issue forth first which is an Oyl Our Ardent Water or Water Attractive is thus made When all the first Element is distilledâ— then in another Still fit for it rectify it thaâ— is to say distil it over 7 several times and until it will burn a Linnen Cloth clean up that is dipt in it when it is put to thâ— flame which then is called our Ardent Water rectified and is also called our Water Attractive which keep very close stâ—pped for otherwise the Spirit thereof which is very subtil will vanish away By often rectifying the Ardent Water there will come Aer in a white Oyl swimming above the Water and there will remain behind a yellow Oyl which with a stronger Fire will also come over Put Sublimate beaten small upon a Plate of Iron and in the cold it will dissolve into Water and filter it then and put upon it some of the Ardent Water and it will draw to it self all the Mercury in form of a green Oyl swimming aloft which separate and put into a Retort and distil first a Water and afterward will come a green thick Oyl which is the Oyl of Mercury The Flood or Water of the Stone Then draw out the Flood or Water of the Stone by it self in another Receptory which Liquor will be somwhat white and draw â—t with a very gentle Fire of Balneo until â—here remain in the bottom of the Still a â—hick Oily substance like unto liquid Pitch keep this Water by it self in a fit Glass very close stopped Note when the Liquor cometh white you must put on another Receiver for then all that Element is come over two or three drops of this black Liquid Oyl given in Spirit of Wine cureth all Poyson taken inwardly Our Mans Blood is thus made and rectified Then put our Ardent Water upon that Matter black and liquid stir them well together and let it so stand well covered for 3 Hours then decant and filter it put on fresh Ardent Water and repeat this Operation 3 times and then distil it again with a moist lent Fire of Balneo and so do three times and then it is called Mans blood rectified which the Workers in the Secrets of Nature do so seek and so hast thou the Elements exalted in the virtue of their quintessence namely the Flood that is Water and the Air let this Blood be kept for a season The Oyl or Fire or the Earth of the Stone Then put up the Flood or Water upon the black and soft matter or Earth of the Stone let them be well mingled together and then distil the whole until there remain in the bottom an Earth most dry and black which is the Earth of the Stone save the Oyl with the Water for a season close stopt in any wise The Fiery Water Then beat this black Earth into Powder and mingle it with Mans blood and so let it stand 3 Hours after that distil it on Ashes with a good Fire and Reiterate this work 3 times and then it shall be called Water of the Fire rectified and so hast thou three of the Elements exalted into the Virtue of the quintessence namely Water Air and Fire The Earth Then Calcine the Earth black and dry in Furnace of Reverberation until it become very fine white Calx The Water of Life which is our Mercury and our Lunary Then mingle with this white Calx the â—iery Water and distil it with a strong Fire all 〈◊〉 as before and Calcine the Earth again â—hat remaineth in the bottom of the Still â—nd then distil it again with a strong Fire â—s before and again Calcine it and thus
Earth and the pouring of Water upon the Earth so long until the Earth putrifie and be cleansed otherwise it would not bring forth its Fruit. Secondly when he saith mix Water and Air it 's no more then if he should have said mix Water now prepared with Air dissolved or joyn and mix together dissolved Air with Water Judge ye your selves For you know that Air is warm and moyst and ye have the saying of Morienus concerning the dissolution of Air Earth Fire and Water Some when they speak of Dissolution say that the Solution of the Fire is better because whatsoever is dissolved in the Fire that floweth in the Air. And Note that the Fire of the Philosophers is nothing else then the Air dissolved and congealed This you may better comprehend from similitude and suppose that first you have Air dissolved and congealed to which add Fire The Earth ought to be first prepared and the Fire dissolved before they are mixed For the Earth together with the Fire ought to be put into a fit Vessel and after is to be introduced the inextinguishable Fire of Nature which when it descendeth upon the Earth devoureth the whole together with its Gumm and converteth it into its own Nature Wherefore if ye consider well the Sayings and Precepts of the Philosophers and understand their Mystical Sence ye shall come to all the Secrets of the Divine Chymick Art FINIS A Catalogue of certain Chimical-Books Sold by William Cooper at the Pelican in Little-Britain London ROg Bacon of the Cure of Old-Age and Preservation of Youth 1683. 8o Edward Madeira Arrais his account of the Tree of Life 1683. 8o Cardinal Cusa the Idiot of Wisdom and of the Mind Sublime Philosophy for a mental Man 1650. Dominicus de Nuysement of the true Salt and Secret of the Philosophers 1657. 8o Lazarus Erkern of the Refining of Metalls with 44 Figures 1683. Folio Fulke of the Causes of all kind of Stones Metalls Earths c. 1563. 8o Dr. Meverells Answers concerning the Compounding Incorporating Separation and Variation of Metalls and Mineralls 1679. 8o Lirenaeus Philalethes Ripley reviv'd or a Commentary upon Sr. Geo. Ripleys Works of the Philosophers-Stone 1678 Aurifontina Chimica or 14 Treatises of the Philosophers Mercury 1680. 24 s Io. Ioach Bechers Magnalia Naturae of Transmutations done at Vienna c. 1681. Ioh. Ern. Burgravius his Introduction to Astral Philosophy 1664. 8o William Bacons Key to the understanding of Van-Helmonts works 1682. 4o Io. Case his Wards to the Key of Van-Helmont against Dr. Bacon 1682. 4o Rob. Boyle his Aerial Noctiluca or the wonder of this Age. 1680. 8o his Observations upon the Icy Noctiluca 1682. 8o his Antielixir or Degradation of Gold Sr. Ken. Digbies Rare Chymical Secrets as they were presented to him in his Travels through France Spain Italy and Germany by the best Chymists of those Countrys through which he passed and published since his Death by Mr. Hartman his Steward and Operator 1682. 8o Nic. Flammells summary of the Philosoâ—â—ers-Stone 1680. 24. Chr. Glasers compleat Chymist 1677. 8o Geber the Arabian his Works in Chymistry 1678. 8o Hydropyrographum Hermeticum or the true fiery Water oâ— the Philosophers 1680. 24. Rara Avis in Terris or the compleat Miner their Laws Customs c. 1681. 12o Nic. Lemerys's Course of Chymistry 1677. 8o His Appendix to his Course of Chimistry 1680. 8o Reym Lullies's Clavicula or Key to his Works 1680. 24. A strange Letter concerning the vast Treasure of an Adept 1680. 24 s. William Maxwells's 100 Aphorisms of the Body of Natural Magick 1656. 8o The Principles of the Chymists of London 2 parts 1676. 8o A Philosophical Riddle in Verse with Aurifontina Chym. A Brief Preparation of the Philosophers Stone ibid. Paracelsus his Mystical Philosophy written to the Athenians 1657. 8o The Privy Seal of Secrets discovering the first matter of Philosophers 1680. Io. Rays's Account of the melting smelling preparing and refining of the Metalls and Mineralls in England 1674. 8o Sr. George Ripley's Treatise of Mercury 1680. Const. Rodoâ—anacis his Discourse of Antimony and its Vertues 1664. 4o An Account of the Philosophers transmuting Powder found by Winces Seilerus in the Chappel of a Monastery in Germany 1683. 4o David Persons Salamandra or Treatise of the Philosophers Stone 1636. 4o Synesius the Greek Abbot of the Philosophers Stone 1678. 8o Secrets Disclos'd of the Philosophers Stone 1680. 24. William Simpsons Philosophical Dialogues of the Principles of things 1677. 8o The Treasure of Treasures 1680. 24. A Treatise of the Blessed Manna of the Philosophers 1680. Tumba Semiramidis the Wise-men's inexhaustible Treasure 1676. 8o The Touch-stone of Gold and Silver wares by W. B. 1677. 8o A new Touchstone of Gold and Silver wares by Io. Reynolds 1679. 8o G. Kendall's Appendix teaching the way to make Mathew's Pill 1663. 8o Bernard Earl of Trevisan his Epistle to Thomas of Bononia concerning the Secret workings of Nature in the Product of things 1680. 24. William Cooper's Catalogue of Chimical Books in 3 parts 1675. 8o The end THE BOSOME-BOOK OF Sir GEORGE RIPLEY CANON OF BRIDLINGTON CONTAINING His Philosophical Accurtations in the makeing the Philosophers Mercury and Elixirs LONDON Printed for William Cooper at the Pelican in Little Britain 1683. The Bosome-Book of Sir George Ripley The whole Work of the Composition of the Philosophical Stone of the great Elixir and of the first Solution of the gross Body FIrst take 30 pound weight of Sericon or Antimony which will make 21 pound weight of Gum or near thereabouts if it be well dissolved and the Vinegar very good and dissolve each pound thereof in a Gallon of twice distilled Vinegar when cold again and as it standeth in Dissolution in a fit Glass Vessel stirr it about with a clean Stick very often every day the oftner the better and when it is well moulten to the bottom then filter over the said Liquors three several times which keep close covered and cast away the Feces for that is superfluous â—ilth which must be removed and entreth not into the Work but is called Terra damnata The making of our Gum or green Lyon Then put all these cold Liquors thus filtred into a fit Glass Vesâ—el and â—et it into Balneo Maria to evaporate in a temperate heat which done our Sericon will be coagulated into a green Gum called our green Lyon which Gum dry well yet beware thou burn not his Flowers nor destroy his greenness The Extraction of our Menstrue or blood of our green Lion Then take out the said Gum and put it into a strong Retort of Glass very well Luted and place it in your Furnace and under that at the first make sober Fire and anon you shall see a faint Water issue forth let it waste away but when you see a white Smoak or fume issue forth then put too a Receiver of Glass which must have a very large Belly and the mouth no wider then it may well receive into that
Collectanea Chymica A COLLECTION Of Ten Several Treatises IN CHYMISTRY CONCERNING The Liquor Alkahest the Mercury of Philosophers and other Curiosities worthy the Perusal Written by Eir. Philaletha Anonymus Ioh. Bapt. Van-Helmont Dr. Fr. Antonie Bernhard Earl of Trevisan Sir Geo. Ripley Rog. Bacon Geo. Starkey Sir Hugh Platt and the Tomb of Semiramis see more in the Contents LONDON Printed for William Cooper at the Pelican in Little Britain 1684. Ad Lectorem Reader WE seek no Mecaenas to flatter with a Dedication nor crave we any shâ—lter from great Personages for we know that our Philosophy is the Worlds Contempt and its Professors their scorn and derision therefore we neither crave their Pardon nor fear their Frowns but shall assert this truth only that Arts have no Enemies but such as are Ignorant thereof for which reason we fear no Jack-straws Insurrection though levelled against our learning for true Wisdom is justified of her Children and to them only we give this account of the occasion of printing this Collection of these small Chymical Treatises which was next to the usefulness of them for their Preservation being by several Ingenious Chymists conceived to be well worth the perusal and too good to be lost for the smallest Treatises on this Subject are not always of the least worth or esteem for Truth needs no large Mattleings to set her forth And for that small Treatise of the Alkahest it was bestowed upon and sent unto me by a Generous Stranger who was pleased to take notice of my care in the preserving the Porta Prima at the end of Ripley Reviv'd as likewise of that general Invitation in the aforesaid Book page 390 which iâ— any other Gentlemen shall be pleased to Imitate I hope in time we shall obtain all the lost pieces of the Works of that Famous Modern English Adept so much thirsted after which will be very acceptable Service to all Philosophers and not the least kindness unto Your Servant W. C. B. THE CONTENTS 1. EIrenaeus Philaletha his Arcanum or Secret of the immortal Liquor Alkahest called Ignis-Aqua in English and Latin Page 5. 2. Anonymus's Practice of Lights or an Excellent and Ancient Treatise of the Philosophers-stone p. 27. 3. Joh. Bapt. Van. Helmonts Praecipiolum or the Immature Mineral Electrum the first Metal which is the Minera of Mercury p. 47. 4. Fr. Antonie M. D. his Aurum-Potabile or his Receit shewing his Way and Method how he made and prepared that most excellent Medicine for the Body of Man p. 73. 5. Bernhard Earl of Trevisan his Treatise of the Philosophers-Stone p. 83. 6. Sir Geo. Ripley's Bosome-book containing his Philosophical Accurtations in the making the Philosophers Mercury and Elixirs p. 101. 7. Roger Bacon's Speculum Alchymiae or the true Glass of Alchemy p. 125. 8. Geo. Starkeys Admirable Efficacy and almost incredible Virtue of true Oyl which is made of Sulphur-vive per Campanam p. 139. 9. Sir Hugh Platts's New and Artificial Remedies against Famine written upon the occasion of the great Dearth in the Year 1596. p. 155. 10. Tumba Semiramidis the Tomb of Semiramis Hermetically Sealed which if a Wise Man open he shall find inexhaustible Riches and the Treasures of Kings to his content By. H. V. D. THE SECRET OF THE IMMORTAL LIQUOR CALLED ALKAHEST OR IGNIS-AQUA By EIRENAEUS PHILALETHES Communicated to his Friend a Son of Art and now a Philosopher By Question and Answer LONDON Printed for William Cooper at the Pelican in Little Britain 1683. THE SECRET OF THE LIQUOR Alkahest Quaest. 1 WHAT is the Alkahest Answ. 2 It is a Catholick and Universal Menstruum and in a Word may be called Ignis-Aqua a Fiery-Water an uncompounded and immortal ens which is penetrative resolving all things unto their first Liquid Matter nor can any thing resist its Power for it acteth without any reaction from the Patient nor doth it suffer from any thing but its Equal by which it is brought into Subjection but after it hath dissolved all other things it remaineth intire in its former Nature and is of the same Virtue after a thousand Operations as at the first 3. Q. Of what Substance is it 4. A. It is a noble circulated Salt prepared with wonderful Art till it Answers the Desires of an Ingenious Artist yet is it not any Corporal Salt made Liquid by a bare Solution but is a saline Spirit which Heat cannot Coagulate by Evaporation of the moistureâ— but is of a Spiritual uniforme Substance volatile with a gentle heat leaving nothing behind it yet is not this Spirit either Acid or Alkali but Salt 5. Q. Which is its Equal 6. A. If you know the one you may without difficulty know the other Seek therefore for the Gods have made Arts the reward of Industry 7. Q. What is the next matter of the Alkahest 8. A. I have told you that it is a Salt the Fire surrounded the Salt and the Water swallowed up the Fire yet overcame it not so is made the Philosophers Fire of which they speak The Vulgar burn with Fire we with Water 9. Q. Which is the most noble Salâ— 10. A. If you Desire to learn this descend into your self for you carry it about with you as well the Salt as its Vulcan if you are able to discern it 11. Q. Which is it tell me I pray you 12. A. Mans Blood out of the Body oâ— Mans Urine for the Urine is an Excrement separated for the greatest part from the Bloodâ— Each of these give both a volatile and fixed Salt if you know how to collect and prepare it you will have a most precious Balsom of Life 13. Q. Is the property of Humâ—ne Urine more noble than the Urine of any Beast 14. A. By many degrees for tho' it be an Excrement only yet its Salt hath not its like in the whole Universal Nature 15. Q. Which be its parts 16. A. A volatile and more fixed yet according to the variety of ordering it these may be variously altered 17. Q. Are there any things in Urine which are different from its inmost specifick urinaceous Nature 18. A. There are viz. A Waâ—ery Phlegm and Sea Salt which we take in with our Meat and remains intire and undigested in the Urine and by Separation may be divided from it which if there be no sufficient use of it in the Meat after a convenient time ceaseth 19. Q. Whence is that Phlegm or insipid watery humidity 20. A. It is chiefly from our several Drinks and yet every thing hath its own Phlegm 21. Q. Explain your self more clearly 22. A. You must know that the Urinâ— partly by the separative Virtue is conveye with what we drink to the Bladder partlâ— consists of a watery Teffas an excrementitioâ— humor of the Blood whence being sepaâ—rated by the odour of the urinaceous â—ermenâ— it penetrates most deeply the saltness beinâ— unchanged unless that the saltness of thâ— Blood and Urine be both the same so thaâ— whatsoever is contained
the Glass was fair and clear cleaving to the Glass Then turned I up the Glass and there appeared a thousand sparks like very crude ☿ bright and shining marvelous to sight which I pickt out as subtilly as I could and among them I found one that was black on the one side and bright as Pearl on the other side and another like the colour of the Rainbow and all the other were as bright as any thing might be so that I thought they had been crude Then put I a part of them in a strong Fire and they never blemished but ever continued white then I would have quickned them with more quick Water Regm Lullii Test. cap. 56. Aqua viva est Argentum vivum congelatum in sulphur sicutâ— menstruale quod congelatur in Substantiam Embrionis but they would never mingle neither joyn with them more together For the impediment was that these sparks were corrupted among the Ashes in the drying and fixing Then I did melt them all together and never man saw fairer Silver than that was Then I thought to prove a shorter way I took Sol and our Omogeneum sometimes 6 to 1 another 1 to 1. and 4 to 1 and 3 to 1. and within 40 days and less I have made Calces R. Lullius ex metallorum limis vel oleis factis de corporibus imperfectis in Aquam cristalinum deductis per Artem fit Aqua-Vitae Menstrum nostrum resolutivum quo terrae oleorum purificantur a macula originali Aliam Aquam nolite quaerere quia haec Aqua trahit animas a corporibus facit eas visibiliter apparere si scis hanc Aquam rectè disponere habes totum sed difficulter fit Aqua ista magno ingenio ex Luna fit Elixir cum Aqua illa ex Sole absque putrefactione non sic ex aliis corporibus nisi post pâ—trefactionem Stude ergò propter istam Aquam habendam sine qua nihil fit in hac Arte. Chap 86. Hoc Argentum vivum cum corpore â—onjunctum sunt duo spermata de quibus facimus â—asci Aquam-vivam quae est Argentum vivum â—ostrum Aqua-vitae quae corpora mortua resuscitat Argentum vivum constructum congelatum dat omnem calorem quo indigemus fiat ergo oleum de ipso cum corrosiva abhinâ— trabatur aqua quae dissolvit omnia vel cum ipso oleo misceatur oleum fermenti album vel rubrum putrefiat totum per â—alneum fac inde Elixir as red as the Ruby and in likewise white calx with Luna bright shining and as soft as Silk which Calx I have examined and proved oft times after this manner I have put the Calce of Luna into one of our vegetable Menstrues and after I have put him into a Limbeck and have distilled from the said Calce the said Menstrue and the said Calce hath been like a Sponge Spongeous and full of strange Colours and shining white marvellous to see Then have I taken this Substance and put it in a clean Vessel and stopped it fast and so have I sublimed out all the Spirit and the Body remained beneath as soft as Oyl and impalpable that no man can express the subtilness thereof Upon the which Calce I gave my whole Confidence For what learned men soever had seen this Calce would verily have known that it had been the very true and right calce after the teaching of wise Philosophers for this Body is open and subtilizate and his radical humidity saved by his Menstruum fatens And this Calce is apt to receive liquefaction and all other Operations to it naturally conserving Now I perceive verily and without doubt how they declare one thing which is true first of the putting to of the Earth and the Water together in the Philosophers Egg which is likened to the Masculine and the Feminine the which shall bring and gender betwixt them the Child of the Fire which after shall never dread the Fire for himself is the very Fire natural and retrograde to Water and Earth again and after so nourished in the Fire till he be perfect white called by his Name Magnesia Magnesia est Aqua composita congelata quae repugnat Igni postea nunquam dubitat illum in aliquo eoque ipsamet est Ignis de Natura Ignis fit in Igne crevit suum intinctum fuit ignis Reymund T. T. Cap. 63. Jo. Dastin Magnesia sanè est Aqua composita Igni repugnans congelata corpus totum redigens in cinerem Note how here in this wonderful Preparation is hid all that ever the Wisemen hadâ— in the which is the Menstruum faetens or Ignis contra Naturam it is the wonderful marvellous and secret life of the Stone as by any Practice I have seen and approved for in the beginning of the first corruption it smelâ—eth like foul Brass and after that he changâ—th from favor to favor and in Colour â—range and at the last he is fragrant and sweet smelling This I have truly proved by the very expeâ—ience in making of my foresaid Calce notwithstanding the Preparations the Philosoâ—hers have hid and nothing else which I have â—uly proved for I have continued our Mercuâ—y and Sol in firing ten Months and more â—n the which process I have seen the natuâ—â—l Acts with marvellous things incredible â—xcept to them that have seen the changing of them as in manner of other Vegetable â—hings growing by their own radical moistâ—re and heat of the Sun both in burnishing and in divers Colours springing with leaves â—â—ke an Hauthorn-tree with Flowers marvelâ—ous in sight to behold and after this ten months I wearyed and hasted with Fire above â—nd my Body did melt and rise from the Ground and ascended and the Spirit brake part out and the other part of the work was marvellous to see for part of the Sun was turned into Moon and I assure all good â—nd well disposed men but not to Asses and foolish People for I would not that they should see my Book But note the Testament of Reymond where be declareth in the 55 Chapter and sheweth of the changing of common Mercury first ere he may change the Body for he saith The common Mercury may neueâ— change the Body but himself be first changed anâ— made pure Water and as he is changed sâ— will he change the Body and Preparation â—â— never considered till now at the last labour Wherefore let never man labour nor busie himselâ— till his Mercury be turned into pure Water anâ— distilled and every Element well rectified and the Earth well calcinated and the same Earth from his original corruption well wished and that once well and truly done thaâ— the Sun and Moon joyned together with thiâ— foresaid Mercury And then beginning youâ— work and then with the volatile matter thou shalt have both Earth and Water all â—â— one thing and not of divers kinds and wheâ— I thought to be at an end there
Salt which is the Salt of the Praecipiolum and the Claviâ— of the Philosophers wherewith they do unlock the Lock of the Praecipioli and bringeth the same to his first matter If you know not this Salt you know nothing of the true Chymistry This Salt doth decrease in the decrease of the Moon and increaseth at the full-Moon and one Grain will Purge very softly all Podagrous Venemous and Hydropical Humors with two Grains of your Praecipioli prepared How to bring the Praecipiolum into his first or slippery matter Take your Salt and twice as much of your Praecipolum when it is made dry first dissolve your Salt in fair warm Water and power it upon the Praecipiolum and evaporate it away very gently in warm Ashes with a gentle Fire then take your Praecipiolum with its one Salt and put it into a little Retort nip the Neck of the Retort very close or melt it together or Seal it with Hermes Seal then put it into Balneum vaperojum and let it stand six Weeks in digestion or to putâ—ifie and it will turn to a slimy Water then take your Retort and open the Neck then lay your Retort in a Sand Furnace and cover your Retort with an Earthen Pan and lay a Receiver well luted and first give a slow Fire then a stronger and this continue till your Spirits be well resolved into Water first your Spirit will come in form of a white Cloud and at last in the form of red Clouâ—s or red Smoak and give Fire so long till all your Spirits be come over into clear white Water and when you have this sign take your Receiver from the Retort anâ— stop the Receiver very well with Wax that no Spirit may fly away Then let your Fire go out then take the matter which remaineth in the Retort out of the Retort and put the same into a Bolthead and stop it well and set it in a warm place then take your Spirits which are in the Receiver and rectifie them once and keep those Spirits very carefully Observe this you may remember when the Praecipiolon hath lost its Mercury that the same Mercury will be so bright as a Venus Lookinglass take the same bright Mercury and dissolve him in your before-mentioned Spirit as now followeth Take one part of your bright Mercury and put it into a Bolthead and power upon it two parts of your Spirit of Mercury and stop it very close and let it stand in a little warmth and the Mercury will dissolve or melt in your Spirit and then distil it together through a Retort in Sand and again take one part of your bright Mercury and put it into a Bolthead and power upon it two parts of your Spirit and set it in a warm place and the Mercury will melt in the Spiritâ— then distil again through a Retort in Sand and it will come over in the form of Water this continue as long until the half part of your bright Mercury is brought to a clear Water when yoâ— have this clear Water keep it very close stopped with Wax and take your Powder which I gave you to keep in a Bolt-head and place it very deep in a Sand Copel and give it a very strong Fire for twenty and four Hours then let the Fire go out of the said Copel and stir the Powder with a Wooden-stick and power upon it the half part of your clean Mercurial Water and stop the Glass or melt the Glass-mouth together then shake it and let it stand in a warm place for three or four days in digestion powr off this into another Glass and powr upon the remainder of the Powder another half of the Water and stop or melt the mouth of the Glass again and let it stand again for three or four days in a warm place in digestion then powr it out to the former Water and stop the Glass or melt the mouth of the Glass very close that no Spirit may fly out or fly away and let it stand in your Balneo Vaporoso eight days and then distil it through a Retort and if any stuff shall remain in the Retort which will be very little powr upon it your Spirit again and distil it over until all is gone over Now is the Salt with his own Spirit mixt together and brought into the first matter keep it very well stopped This is the Water that the Philosophers have given divers yea above a hundred Names unto it as their Horse-dung their Balneum Mariae their Calx Vive and in short this is the Philosophers true Fire without this Fire or Water no man can do any true Work in Chimistry The Philosophers having brought forth this Salamander which Salamander will never waste in the Fire the longer the stronger This Water will increase or multiply per Infinitum that is to say if all the Sea should be Mercury it will turn the same into the first matter First you must wash your Mercury with Salt and Vinegar divers times and at last with Water to wash away the Salt then mix this Mercury with Calx Vive and calcined Tartar and distil it in a Retort in a Sand Furnace and lay to it a Receiver filled almost halfâ—full with Water and when your Mercury is dry then squeeze him eight or ten times through Leather and then is your Mercury well purged from his uncleanness This is the Mercury you shall use in multiplying your Spirit â—r Astrum Mercurii Take of this Mercury purged one part and of your Spirit or Astrum Mercurii two parts put them together mixt into a Bolt-head stop well the Bolt-head and let it stand in a warm place one Night and your Mercury will melt in your Spirit or Astrum Mercurii and turn it into Water and then distil it through a Retort and thus you may do by repeating your Water with fresh Mercury as long as you please This Water will bring or dissolve all Stones and Gold and Silver into their first matter Item it will bring Gold and Silver over with him through a Retort and that Gold and Silver will never be separated one from the other The reason is Gold and Silver and all metals be of the same Nature and have beginning from the same Water there is nothing in the World but hath its beginning from it The Vniversal Medicine Take of fine Gold that is made fine Powder that is to say take the same Gold which did remain when you made your Praecipiolum one part of your finest Silver made to fine Powder two parts put every metal by it self into a Glass power upon each your Astrum Mercurii that it may go over it one finger breadth and stop each Glass very close and let it stand in a warm place for eight days together and your Gold and Silver will be almost dissolved into Water then powr off the Water every one by it self in a Glass and power more Water to the Gold and Silver which did remain and let it
stand eight days in a warm place and then powr your Waters off to your former Waters and all your Gold and Silver will be dissolved into Water and there will râ—â—ain some faeces then take of both these Waters of each the fourth part and put them together in a Bolt-head that no more of the Bolt-head be empty then three parts and Seal your Bolt-head or melt your Bolt-head mouth very close and put your Bolt-head into an Athanor with your matter into a continual warm heat until it do come to a fixed red Stone or Powder before it do come to a red Powder will appear in your Bolt-head many Colours as black green yellow and red and when it is red and a Powder then take your Bolt-head and buâ—y it in a Sand Copel very deep and give by degrees Fireâ— and at last a very strong Fire and it will melt as Wax and let it stand one whole week or the longer the better then take it out and let it cool and break your Glass and you will find a fixt Stone or Powder as red as Scarlet I did give you Charge that you should keep three parts of your Gold and Silver which was dissolved into Water out both these Waters together in a Retort disâ—il them and both the Gold and Silver will go with the Water over through the Reâ—ort with which Water you shall multiply your Medicine Now take one part of your Medicine made into fine Powder and put it into a little Bolt-head and poure upon it twice as much of your Water as of Gold and Silver and Seal it again and set it into your Athanor again until it do come into a red Powder and then put it again into the Sand for â—o give him the Fixation that he may melt â—ike Wax Upon such a way you may mulâ—iply your Medicine ad Infinitum and your Powder will dissolve in any Liquor Now as to make your Astrum Horizontale or your Golden fixt Praecipitate Take the Gold that remaineth over in the working of your Praecipiolum and make it â—nto a Powder dissolve it in your Astrum Merâ—â—rii as much as you will distil through the Retort once or twice and your Gold will go over along with your Water and will never be separated one from the other they are â—oth of one Nature Now take your Praecipiolum which is made dry I do not mean your Praecipiolum which is made already dry to a Medicine put iâ— into a little Glass Cucurbit and pour upâ—on it your Golden Astrum Mercurii anâ— distil it from it three or four times very slowâ—ly and at last very strong and your Praecipiolum will be red and fixed if you will yoâ— may do the same with Mercury purged iâ— will fix the same to a red Powder and you may do this work with Silver and with your Praecipiolum or Argentum vivum purgâ—tum No man can find out all those Secretâ— which are hidden in this Philosophical Menstruum The Oyl of Gold Take one part of Gold five or six partâ— of the best Mercury mix them both together and then distil the Mercury from the Gold and then mix the same Mercury again with the Gold and this continue until your Gold will not mix with your Mercury then take the Gold and grind it and put it into a clean Crusible and Calcine it till it be almost red-hot and then extinguish your Gold in the best rectified Spirit of Vineger when it is extinguished pour off your Vineger from the Goldâ— make your â—old dry and then make it hot again then â—gain extinguish it in your former Vineger â—nd this repeat five or six times and then â—â—ke your Gold and make it dry and Amalâ—ame it again with the aforementioned Mercury and distil it again as at the first â—nd this do so long until the Gold will not â—ix with your Mercury and then Calcine â—our Gold again and extinguish it in the â—ormer Vineger five or six times if your Viâ—eger decay or waste you may add to it some more fresh Vineger And this you may conâ—inue until you think there is no strength â—est in your Mercury Then you must take â—resh Mercury and go to work as before and â—o continue till you think you have enough â—rom the Gold Then take your Vineger which is impregnated with the whole Essence of Gold Evaporate it or distil it very softly off and it will lye at the bottom like a yellow Salt which you shall dissolve in fair distilled Rain Water filter it and evaporate it again softly and then put it into a little Retort and place it in Sand with an indifferent large Receiver for it and give a Fire by degrees and it will come over in a white Spirit like Smoak and then iâ— will come over â—ed like Saffronâ— and when it is resolved into a red Liquor let the Fire go out and keep it for use the Dose is three or four drops This is saith the Author one of the greatest Medicines under the Sun and you can hardly get a better Three drops are able to extinguish any sickness and in this Oyl of Gold is the greatest Secret of Nature With this Liquor Reymond Lully figureth Mercury in Exenterata Naturae These Processes was by a German given to Mr. Richard Pratt who lived some time in Hantshire and cured the German of a Sickness for which Kindness the German gave him these Processes protesting that they were some of Van-Helmonts and Mr. Pratt gave them to Mr. Yalden minister of Compton near Godlyman in Surry who sent them to Dr. Salmon to Print which he neglecting some Years they were sent with Dr. Antonies's Recipe of his Aurum potabile to William Cooper to Print for the benefit of the Publick and since I receiv'd them I find Dr. Salmon hath newly Printed them in his Doron Medicum called Liquor Aureus Lib. 2 d. Book 11. Sect. 2. page 520 to 523. As for the Electrum minerale Immaturum which he calls Idea vide Doron lib. 1. Cap. 27. page 315. to 326. But so very much mangled and altered by putting in feigned Names when indeed he receiv'd all of them in their proper known Names as you have them here Printed one purpose to prevent mens being deceived for Mr. Yalden is a Man of so Christian a Temper that he thirsteth to do all the good he could in this World the Truth hereof his poor Parishioners and Neighbours will sufficiently testifie Therefore to undeceive the World and to save men from false Broyleries and Chargeable Expenses I have here Printed the true Copy as Mr. Yalden sent it to me W. C. B. FINIS AVRVM-POTABILE OR THE RECEIT OF Dr. FR. ANTONIE SHEWING His Way and Method how he made and prepared that most Excellent Medicine for the Body of Man LONDON Printed for William Cooper at the Pelican in Little Britain 1683. Dr. Fr. Anthonie's Receit shewing the way to make his most Excellent Medicine called Aurum Potabile TAke Block-tinn and burn it
Glasen Stills which will hold a gallon or two apiece the Balneum 2 foot â—nd a halfe square to hold many Glasses Get about 6 gallons of the strongest red Wine Vinegar Vineger of Claret or White-Wine are too weak made of red Wine Sack or Mâ—scadine and set as many Stills going at a time as your Balneum will hold take a pint of that which runneth first and put it away as weak and not for his use then Still ouâ— all the rest till the Still be dry wash the Still with a little of the flegm the first running and then wipe him dry then put in that which was distilled and do as before putting away the first pint and so do five times so of a gallon you shall have 3 Pints of the Spirit of Vineger and of your 6 gallons only two gallons and two Pints and if your Spirit be yet too weak distil it oftner This keep in a Glass close stopped to make your Menstruum withâ— you may stop it with Cork and Leather over it You must provide three strong green Glasses to make Menstruum with little Maâ—s round the bottoms containing four Pints apeice To Lute them fit a Wooden stoppel of dry Wood first boyled and then dryed in an Oven to the Mouth then melt hard Wax to fill the Chinks then paste a brown Paper next over that then prepare luting of Clay Horseâ—dung and Ashes and stop over all that Glass Stills 2 or 3 to distil the first Infusions on the Earth cover 3 or 4 Pints a peice of green Glass The Rule of â—ll Stillings you must paste brown Paper to the closing of the head of the Still and also paste the Receiver and nose of the Still together so that no strength go forth Calcining Pots provide about a dozen for many when they are put into a strong Fire will break then must you let your Fire slack FINIS A TREATISE OF BERNARD EARL OF TREVISAN OF THE Philosophers Stone LONDON Printed for William Cooper at the Pelican in Little Britain 1683. A Singular Treatise of Bernhard Count Trevisan concerning the Philosophers Stone COnsidering the long Desires and Hopes of the Students in the Chymick Art I will in the present Treatise briefly and openly declare this Art First therefore the Subject of the Art is to be known in the second place the Foundation in the third the Progress fourthly and lastly the Extraction of the Elements Which being known every one may most easily attain the end of the Art The Subject of this admired Science is Sol and Luna or rather Male and Female the Male is hot and dry the Female cold and moyst and know for a certain that our Stone is not compounded of any other thing although many Philosophers name several other things of which they speak Sophistically Nevertheless by Scotus Hortulanus St. Thomas and Christopher Parisiensis and very many others many other things for an other Cause are sophistically reckoned up that Ignorant Men may be deceived because it is not fit for Fools to know our Secrets And this is it which I thought fit at this time to propound concerning the Subject of our Art The Foundation of this Art is the Knowledge of the four Qualities and that in the beginning of the work Coldness and Moysture have the Dominion For as Scotus saith As the Sun dryeth up the abundance of Water in Fenny and Boggy Places after the same manner our Sulphur when it is joyned with its Water or Mercury doth by little and little consume and drink up the same by the help of the Fire and that by the assistance of the only living God The Progress is nothing else than â—a certain contrary Action for the Description of contrary things is one and the same and if thou shalt have twice made this equality thou shalt finish the whole Progress But now all skill consisteth in drawing forth the Elements wherefore read over that which followeth so often until thou canst conceive and understand it and know that no one ever spoke so plainly as I in this Place as thou wilt find by what followeth Therefore give thanks to the great God and be grateful to thy Friend who communicated to thee this Tractate Live also according to God and reason because Divine Wisdom will not enter into a wicked Soul nor into a Body subjected to Sins The Extraction of the Elements is a certain Composition of Blackness Whiteness Yellowness and Redness And know that Natures ought to be drawn from their Root But the Root is a certain Congregation of Elements consisting in Sulphur and Mercury which they call a confused Mass. But the Natures which are drawn forth from the Root are Sulphur and Mercury which when they are joyned together are separated and purified that they may be the better mingled afterwards and united with the Body out of which they are drawn And after the Colours have passed and that which is above is made like that which is below and that which is below like that above then Miracles will from thence appear Which being done thou hast a Triangle in a Quadrangle and a fifth thing which is contained in four Now remaineth the Multiplication in which this briefly is to be noted That the Elixir ought to be nourished out of the same things from which at first it had its Composition No Philosopher before now hath so openly declared this as I have here done and that for two Causes first because from the beginning to the end of the work a long time is required although some Philosophers do say the Stone may be made in one day and others in one month But know that they speak Enigmatically and that their words ought not thus to be understood Nevertheless I say with Scotus that the Stone or perfect work may be made in one year Secondly because Man's Life is short and he groweth Old before he comprehendeth and understandeth what is needful to be done in the Composition of the Stone And therefore I have here so openly explained all things least this so noble a Science should be lost and perish The Theory of the same Author Use venerable Nature for the Philosophers from their own Authority have imposed various Names on this Nature by reason of divers Colours appearing in its Alteration For when it appeareth under the form of Water they have called it Argent vive Permanent Water Lead Spirit Spitâ—tle of Lune Tinn c. And when it 's made dry and becometh white they have named it Silver Magnesia and white Sulphur And when it groweth red they call the same Gold and Ferment But they do not vary in the thing it self when that is always one thing only and the same matter and always of the same Nature in which nothing entreth which is not drawn from it and this which is next to it and of its Nature And this is most true to wit the Stone is one and one Medicine and it is a Water clear and
new Experiments of Fire and Flame and the perviousness of Glass 1673. The Lives of St. Basil and St. Chrysostome drawn by way of Parallel 1681. 8o Geo. Starkeys Liquor Alkahest the Immortal dissolvent of Paracelsus and Helmont 1675. 12â— Paracelsus his Archidoxis or chief teachings of Quintessences Arcanums Magisteries Elixirs c. 1663. 8o Aurora and Treasure of Philosophers 1659. 8o The Water Stone of the wise Men describing the Universal Tincture 1659. 8o The end The Admirable EFFICACY And almost incredible Virtue of true Oyl which is made of SULPHUR-VIVE Set on fire and called commonly Oyl of Sulphur per Campanam To distinguish it from that Rascally Sophisticate Oyl of SVLPHVR which instead of this true Oyl is unfaithfully prepared and sold by Druggists and Apothecaries to the dishonour of Art and unspeakable damage of their deluded Patients Faithfully collected out of the Writings of the most acute Philosopher and unparalell'd Doctor of this last Age Iohn Baptist Van-Helmont of a noble Extraction in Belgia and confirmed by the Experience of George Starkey who is a Philosopher by the Fire London Printed for William Cooper at the Pelican in Little Britain 1683. The admirable Efficacy and almost incredible virtue of true Oyl which is made of SVLPHVR VIVE set on fire and called commonly Oyl of SVLPHVR per Campanam OF this most noble Liquor and not vulgar Medicine the noble Helmont writeth thus in his excellent Discourse concerning the Tree of Life In the year 1600. a certain man belonging to the Campâ— whose Office was to keep account of the Provision of Victuals which was made for the Army being charged with a numerous Family of small Children unable to shift for themselves himself being then 58 years of Ageâ— was very senâ—ible of the great care and burden which lay upon him to provide for them while he lived and concluded that should he dye they must be inforced to beg their bread from door to door whereupon he came saith Helmont and desired oâ— me something for the preservation of his life I then being a young man pityed his sad condition and thus thought with my selfe the fume of burning Sulphur is by experience found powerfully effectual to preserve Wines from corruption Then I recollecting my thoughts concluded that the acid liquor or Oyl which is made of Sulphur Vive set on fiâ—e doth of necessity contain in it self this fume yea and the whole odor of the Sulphur in as much as it is indeed nothing else but the very Sulphurous fume imbibed or drunk up in its Mercurial Salt and so becomes a condensed liquor Then I thought with my selfe Our blood being to us no other then as it were the Wine of our life that being preserved if it prolong not the life at least it will keep it sound from those many Diseases which proceed originally from corruption by which means the life being sound and free from diseases and defended from pains and grief might be in some sort spun out to a further length than otherwise Upon which meditated resolution I gave him a Viol glass with a small quantity of this Oyl distilled from Sulphur Vive burning and â—aught him moreover how to make it as he should afterward need it I advised him of this liquor he should take two drops before each Meal in a small draught of Beer and not ordinarily to exceed that Dose nor to intermit the use of it taking for granted that two drops of that Oyl contained a large quantity of the fume of Sulphur the man took my advice and at this day in the year 1641. he is lusty and in good health walks the Streets at Brussels without complaint and is likely longer to live and that which is most remarkable in this whole space of forty one years he was not so much as ill so as to keep his Bed yea although when of a great age in the depth of Winter he broke his Leg near to his Ancle-Bone by a fall upon the Ice yet with the use of this Oyl he recovered without the least Symptome of a Fever and although in his old age poverty had reduced him to great straits and hardship and made him feel much want of things necessary for the comfort and conveniency of Life yet he lives healthy and sound though spare and lean The old mans name is Iohn Mass who waited upon Rithovius Bishop of Ypre in his Chamber where the Earls of Horne and Egmondon were beheaded by the Duke of Alva and he was then 25 years of age so that now he is compleat 99 years of age healthy and lusty and still continues the use of that liquor daily Thus far Helmont which relation as it is most remarkable so it gives the Philosophical reason of his advice on which it was grounded And elsewhere the same Author relates how by this liquor he cured many dangerous deplorable Fevers which by other Doctors had been given over for desperate And in other places he commends it as a peerless remedy to asswage the insatiable thirst which accompanies most Fevers To which relation and testimony of this most learned Doctor and acute Philosopher I shall add my own experience I find it a rare preservative against corruption not only in living Creatures but even in dead flesh Beer Wine Ale c. a recoverer of dying Beer and Wines that are decayed a cure for Beer when sick and roping Flesh by this means may be preserved so incorruptible as no embalming in the World can go beyond it for the keeping of a dead Carcase nor Salting come near its effcacy as to the conserving Meat or Fowles or Fish which by this means are not only kept from corruption but made a muâ—ial Balsome which is it self a preservative from corruption of such as shall eat thereof which being a curious rarity and too costly for to be made a vulgar experiment I shall pass it over and come to those uses which are most beneficial and desirable It is an excellent cleanser of the Teeth being scoured with it they will become as white as the purest Ivory and the mouth being washed with Oyl dropped in water or white-Wine so as to make it only of the sharpness of Vinegar it prevents the growing of that yellow scale which usually adheres to the Teeth and is the forerunner of their puâ—refaction it prevents their rottenness for future and stops it being begun from going further takes away the pain of the teeth diverts Rheums and is a sure help for the strong savour of the Breath making it very sweet In a word there is not a more desireable thing can be found for such who would have clean or sound Teeth or sweet Breath or to be free from Rheums for which use let the water be made by dropping this Oyl into it as sharp as Vinegar as I said before Against a tickling cough and hoarsness it is a rare remedy not only taken two or three drops twice a day inwardly in the usual
drink one useth before each meal but also by gargling the Throat with it and so used it is excellent against swelled Throats Angina's Struma's Palates of the mouth inflamed or the Vvula of the Throat or the Almonds of the Ears which are usually said then to be fallen It is excellent also against the Head-ach and to divert Rheums from the Eyes to wash the Temples therewith likewise to take away Tetters Morphew Itch or Scabs this dropped in water is a pleasant safe and effectual remedy Besides which outward applications it is a Lord internally taken preventing corruption rooting out the seeds thereof though never so deeply concealed in the body and upon that score opening inveterate obstructions eradicating old pains and preventing otherwise usual relapses into Stranguretical Colical or Arthritical pains it is abstersive cleansing all Excrementitian setlings in the Mesaraick or Mesenterial Vessels and so cutting off the original sourse and taking away the cause of putrefactive corruption which is the productive beginner of very many diseases On this score it lengthens the life and fress the body from many Pains and Ailes to which otherwise it would be subject It is a pleasant remedy having only a little sharpness which to the Palate is most gratefull and yet this Acidity is contradistinct from that Acidity which is the forerunner of putrefaction which it kills and destroys as the Acidity of Spirit of Vitriol is destroyed by the fixed Acrimâ—ny of its own Caput mortuum or that of Vinegar by the touch of Cerusse or Minium Praeternatural heat and thirst in Fevers is no way allayed so speedily and easily as by this nor is there any thing that for a constant continuance may be more safely and profitably taken Spirit of Salt such as the noble Helmont speaks of alone may be joyned with this for its safety and continual use with profit especially in Nephritical distempers and the heat or sharpness of Urine Now as this is so noble a medicine so there is none in the World more basely adulterated and counterfeited our wise Doctors commending for it quid pro quo an adulterated mineral acidity of Vitriol distilled in a Retort form vulgar Sulphur which the Apostate Chemists prepare and sell for and the Knavish Apothecarries use and give to their Patients instead of this truâ— Spirit which if sincere is clear as water ponderous and exquisitely acide made of Sulphur Vive only set on Fire without any other mixture and the sumes received in a broad Glass fitted â—or the purpose vulgarly called a Campana or Bell from its shape or likeness Most sottish is that Maxime of the Doctors that Spirit of Sulphur and Vitriol are of one nature when experience teacheth that the meer Acetosity of Vitriol which brings over nothing of its excellent vertue will dissolve Argent Vive which the strongest Spirit of Sulphur truly and not sophistically made will not touch nor will that recover Beer or Wines or preserve them as this will do one therefore is an unripe Esurine Acetosity of little vertue the other a Balsom of an Antidotary vertue a preservative against corruption and upon that score nothing can be used more effectually as a preservative against or a remedy in Contagious Fevers Small-Pox Measles or Pestilence than this nor more ridiculously than the other which being drawn from the vulgar Sulphur that hath an infection of malignity mixed with it which it took from the Arsenical nature of the Minerals from which it was melted adds nothing of vertue to the crude vitriolate Spirits but only â—hat which was before of little vertue to become a Medicine of more danger and hazard but not a jot more goodness than it was when first drawn from the Vitriol which being of it self clear and crude is for to deceive the ignorant by its Colour tincted with some Root or Bark Thus the credulous world is imposed on and cheated while instead of most noble remedies in name promised adulterated trifles are produced to the Disparagement of Art and the scandal and reproach of the prosessors Medicine To discover which abuses and vindicate true Art I have made my Praeludium concerning this Oyl or Spirit of Sulphur the vertues of which if truly and faithfully made are so eminently remarkable and almost incredibly efficatious that I thought it not unworthy my pains in a few lines to communicate to the studious Reader both what real benefit is to be expected from the true and what injury is done to deluded at least if not destroyed Patients by the Sophisticate Oyl of Sulphur Post-Script THat those who desire this so pleasant so efficacious and profitable a remedy may not be abused by the base counterfeit Oyl of Vitriol corruptly called Oyl of Sulphur because it hath been once distilled from common unwholsome Brimstone and tincted with some Bark or Root of which the Town is full and all Apothecaries Shops to the great abuse of Art but much greater of those who make use of it instead of the true when indeed it hath not one quality like thereto Let the Reader be informed that at George Starkey's House in St. Thomas Apostles next door to Black-Lyon-Court And at Richard Johnsons at the Globe in Mountague-Close in Southwark the true is to be had drawn from Sulphur Vive set on Fire without any addition but the Sulphur it self which is easily known by its clearness sharpness weight not working on Quick-silver turning bitter like to Gall on the filings of Silver preserving Wine and Beer from Corruption restoring them when decayed and in a word by its quenching feverish heat and thirst c. As before hath been rehearsed at large may by any one be distinguished from that which is false and Sophisticate However at those two places he may be confident of that which is real and true And likewise at Richard Johnsons House in Mountague-Close in Southwark aforesaid you may have any Chimical Salts Oyls and Spirits Besides which Oyl or Spirit of Sulpâ—ur several other rare and admirably effectual Medicinal Secrets for the certain safe and speedy cure of most if not all diseases as hath been proved by many hundrâ—d Patients adjudged rather incurableâ— or dâ—sperately dangerous by other Doctors are there to be had being the more than ordinary Seâ—rets and preparations of George Starkey who entitles himself a Philosopher by the Fire And in particular that Pill or Antidote injuriously challenged as the Invention of Mr. Richard Mathews who in truth had that Preparation for which he hath since been so famous from the said George Starkey the true Author thereof who had it from God by studious search without the help of Book or Master and which Preparation he hath since amended and advanced in its virtue beyond comparison of that which Mr. Mathews had from him as hath been and is daily confirmed by the Experience of able Men. Concerning which Antidote or Pill or rather Anodinous Elixir its vertues and advancement to almost a true Vniversality by four
think you will find it in his best forme and of farthest extention when it is in his pâ—p or pulp for his Body is exceeding waterish and vanisheth away to a small subâ—â—ance if you seek to dry it This I write by mine own trial yet peradventure the Goord of Naples which he calleth Cucurbita may bâ— of a differing nature from our Pompions How to save much flâ—werâ— or meal that is lost in all our usual Corn mills that grind either with Wind or Water IF I teach the Miller so to grind his wheat as that neither the starchmaker if I be not deceived shall have stuff to make his starch with except he grind for himself after the aâ—cient manner nor the brown Baker any bran to make horsebread withal I hope that my fault will be pardonable at this time because I hold it much bâ—tter to want flower about our necks then in our bellies and that horses should sâ—â—rve before their masters The conceit is short and easie and I hope without controlment Let every Mill that grindeth corn have also a boulting mill annexed unto it that the same mover may play upon both and by shaking of the boulter make a division of the bran from the flower This bran as soon as it is divided from the flower must be returned again into the hopper amongst the rest of the wheat that is unground and so as fast as you gather any bran you must mix it with more corn And by this means you shall have much less bran and also more flower though you would notwithstanding this course pass the same through a fine boulter again It is an usual manner in the higher part of Germany to boult with these mills but not to grind over their bran again in the first mill for ought that I know or as yet can learn How to make starch without any corn IT is well known that those Aaron-roots beâ—ore mentioned will make a white and delicate starch You must gather them in March or April washing them clean and paring away all the filth or foul skins from them and after slicing them into thin slices and so leaving thâ—m in fair clear water and changing your water every 12. hours for the space of four or five days till they become exceeding white and clean then stamp them and force them through a strainer with clean water and when the substance of the starch is setled in the bottom which will be in a few hours then drein away all the clear water that fleeteth on the top very gently and expose the rest being in flat earthen pans or clean tubs to the Sun which will attract or draw up all the water and leave a hard cake in the bottom But in the winter time when you cannot have the Sun of a sufficient force for this purpose then set your stone pans or pewter basons wherein you have strained out your starch upon a pot with sâ—alding water and so you may dry the same in a sufficient quantity for your own use all the year long And if you would harden the same without charge then place your pan upon your bief pot and so you shall make one fire to perform several actions at once But because these roots are not to be had in all places nor at all times of the year therefore for a second supply I have thought good to set down this receit following Take of the whitest Gum Arabique that you can buy at the Grocers let them beat the same into pieces for you as big as hasel nuts in their great morters then take 3. ounces of this Gum and first wash it in fair Conduit water in a Stone Bason stirring it up and down with your hands to take the filth from it then wash it again with some more water and pour that also away and then to every 3. ounces so washed put a wine pint of fair Conduit-Water stirring it up and down 3. or 4. times aday to procure a speedy solution or dissolving of the Gum Then cover your Pan and when all the Gum is dissolved strein the water through a clean and thin Linnen cloth and reserve the same in Glasses well stopt till you have cause to use it It will last sweet at the least three weeks after it is made When you would use this starch if you desire to have your ruffs to carry a pure and perfect white colour you must mingle some blew with the water stirring it up and down with your finger in a Porrenger and before the blew settle to the bottom wet your ruff therein and presently wring it out again then put it till it be clear and after set it as you do in your common starch I do find by experience that half the time that is lost in the other manner of starching is here gained For by reason that your starch is in a thin water the Lawn and Cambrick will be soon cleared and with much less beating And I think that a second profit will here likewise fall out by the way viz. That your Lawn and Cambrick will last much longer For if I be not deceived the continual patting or beating thereof between the hands in our usual starching worketh a great fretting and wearing of the same And I doubt not but that there be many other sorts of Grain Pulse and Roots which will make as good Starch as Wheat which at this time I leave unto the studious indeavours of those that are careful for the common good It may be that at my better leisure I may handle this subject more at large but now the present times inforce me to deliver that knowledg which I have And thus much for starch Sweet and delicate cakes made without Spice or Sugar SLice great and sweet Parsnep roots such as are not seeded into thin slices and having washed and scraped them clean dry them and beat them into powder here a mill would make a greater dispatch searcing the same through a fine searce then knead two parts of fine flower with one part of this powder and make the same into cakes and you shall find them to taste very daintily I have eaten of these cakes divers times in mine own house Quaere what may be done in Carots Turneps and such like roots after this manner Here I think it not impertinent to the purpose which I have in hand to wish a better survey to be made of my book of Husbandry being a parcel of the Jewel house of Art and Nature Printed an 1594. Wherein sundry new sorts of Marle are familiarly set down and published for the good of our English Farmers amongst the which those waste ashes of the Sope-boylers for such as dwell near unto the City of London or may by easie water carriage convey them unto their hungry and lean grounds have a principal place for the enriching of all cold moist and weeping grounds The book is to be had at the Peliâ—an in Little Britain And if there were
a sufficient direction for those that are wise and willing to do good both to themselves and to their Country whereby they may easily even in one days Practise attain to the full perfection thereof Supposing then that your Wormwood is either cut down in the Leaf before it be seeded or being seeded that it is cut into short pieces whereby there may be made an equal mixture of the whole Bulk together for you must note that the seedy tops are much stronger and much more Oyly then the rest of the leaves or stalks make first a decoction of 4. â—unces of Hops with nine Gallons of water which is the proportion which some Brewers in some sorts of drink do use and when you have gotten out by eâ—ullition or boyling the full strength and vertue of them keep the same and begin likewise with some small proportion of Wormwood to the like quantity of water as before and when you have bestowed as much time and fire therein as you did about the Hops then taste each of them by it self and if you find the same to exceed the first in bitterness then begin with a less proportion of Wormwood and so reiterate your work till you have equally matched the one with the other Then may you safely proceed by the rule of proportion to a barrel and from thence to a Tun and so to a whole brewing Neither let the bitterness of Wormwood in his present tast any thing dismay you for if you did but tast the decoction of hops only before the mixture of ground Malt which doth wonderfully sweeten the same you would think it a very uâ—â—pt liquor to be wrought up into so pleasing a drink as our ordinary Beer doth shew it self to be For it is the Hopâ— only which maâ—eth the essential difference between Beer and Ale and that by allaying the exceeding lusciousness of Malt by his bitterness whereby both uniting themselves together become a savoury and wholsome drink for mans body Which may be in every respect as well performed in Wormwood as in the Hop yea and peradventure with Centaury Artichoke leaves or Aloes hepatique as some workmasters have confidently affirmed unto me And though the Hop be usually in drink and the Wormwood only in medicine whereby some may happily be perswaded that it is inconvenient for men that are in health to drink a Medicine continually to their meat Yet let this be a sufficient answer to that Objection that it is the dose only that maketh the difference herein For I can assure you in mine own experience and by the experience of one of the best experienced Brewers in London who yet liveth that if you give a double or treble quantity of English Hops to an ordinary guile of strong Beer you shall find the same to be a sufficient preparative to your body for the best purgation that shall be ministred after And this is the reason why Venice-Turpentine which being ministred in a small dose is given for the strengthening of the Back and to stay the running of the Reins Yet iâ— it be taken in the quantity of an ounce at once it will purge sufficiently in divers Bodies So then either let there be no more tast of Wormwood then there is of Hops in our drink and we shall find no difference in effects but such as shall commend and grace the Wormwood beyond the Hop or let Beer be advanced with the Hop â— to the bitterness of Wormwood Wine and so we shall find the Hop far to exceed the Wormwood in his malign quality Thus much I have thought good to publish for the credit of Wormwood and for the benefit of this Iland in sundry respects which I shall not need to particularize at tâ—is time because they are so commonly known to all men And though I know I may be overweighed either with the Flanders Merchants or with the great hopmasters of England whose Foundation is so deeply laid that a few loose lines can neither shake nor stir the same yet either knowing or at the least perswading my self to maintain the truth before I give it over I will crave the liberty of the Schools quâ—d fiat controversia And in the mean time those which will not be satisfied of the wholsom and rare medicinable helps of the one together with the weak and feeble vertues of the other which was but a hedg-bird the other day though now it be perking so proudly upon his Poles I will refer them to the learned Herbals of Dâ—scorides Mathiolâ—â— Doctor Turner Dodoneus Thurnizerus and the rest An Abstract of certain frugal Notes or Observations in a time of Dearth or Famine concerning bread drink and meat with some other circumstances belonging to the same taken out of a Latin writer intituling his book Anchora famis sitis FIrst for the avoiding of all putrefaction as well in bread as in corn it is very requisite that they be perâ—â—ctly dryed or gently parched either in the sun or by the warmth of the Air or else in the want of these two in some apt Oven or rather in a Stoue but with such care as they do not burn or savour of aduâ—â—ion 2 After the baking of your bread it is necessary that the same be left in the Oven well closed for some reasonable time the heat thereof being less'ned by degrees for so the bread being thoroughly baked and suffered to cool of it self again will satisâ—ie the hunger of a man in double pâ—opâ—rtion to that which otherwiâ—e it would 3 Each kind or sort of bread being a little tosted over the coals and aâ—terwards sopped in Wine will fill or glut â—xcâ—â—dingly Such a Breakfast as this taken in the Morning is a sufficient repast for thâ— whole day after 4 The meal of parâ—hâ—d corn doth fill the gut exceedingly 5 Bread may be made of Rice Indian millet or Turkish Wheat â—ither by decocting the whole grain in water and so bringing it to the form of a Pulteis and after baking the same â—r elâ—e by grinding it into Meal but the latter way maketh the fairer bread This may as suffiâ—iâ—ntly be performed with our ordinary wheat for â—ught that I can imagine 6 All manner of Pulse â—s Lentils Vetches Beans and such like if they be first rubbed over in Lee and then hullâ—d and after ground they will yield both fairer meal and better bread 7 Past or Dow is soon baked upon thin Plates of Iron or Brass 8 Those which â—ide Post are oftentimes content both to bake thâ—ir Bread and also to rost their meat under the seats of their Saddles here I think that our climate will prove too cold 9 Men must be brought by degrees and not too suddainly from their usual and natural Food and drink into these artificial diets 10 A Pulteis or hochpot made of Flower or Meal sodden amongst Apples Pears Plums and such like Fruit or of some bread and water or the broath of Flesh that hath been tosted in the
Smoke or with Milk well boiled together doth fill the Stomack more then thrice so much of dry bread eaten alone especially if the same be high boiled to a stiâ—neâ—s or consistency 11 Such like compositions do also extend farther in the satisfying of hungry Maws being made of Biskets or dry hard or stale grated bread And by this means one loaf will go as far as two new loaves 12 All sorts of good Cakebread or Spice-bread steeped a convenient time in fair water will convert the water into a most pleasant or wholsome drink the Bread notwithstanding being very wholsom to be eaten 13 Pound your Pepper Ginger and such like Spices and having steeped them in water place the same well covered over a gentle fire and then work your paste with the imbibition or decoction thereof And by this means your spice will extend much farther in Cakebread And the same spice also being new pounded or beaten may be afterward wrought up in Paste for cakebread Here you may practise upon these Plants which be hot and wholsome withal As the wild Cresses otherwise called Pepperwort Galingale Thime Orrace Isop Wintersavery Penniroyal and such like Herbs instead of Spices 14 Some of these Artificial kinds of bread and drink if there be any left that may be well spared will serve for the feeding and fatning of Cattel Geese Hens Hogs c. 15 The smell or sent of Bread I think he meaneth that which is new and hot from the Oven doth nourish the body and refresh the Spirits greatly Some commeâ—d the Spirits of bread extracted by distillation as a most soveraign preservative in the Consumption and other pining Diseases 16 If any of these Artificial foods or drinks do happen to offend either in colour tast or savour they may be helped with Honey Sugar Saffron Wine Annis-seeds Coâ—iander seeds sweet Fennel Cinnamon and such like 17 In the time of necessity even green corn taken as it groweth of it self or a little parched or dryed against the Fire or steeped or boiled in Wine or water affordeth a reasonable kind of sustenance 18 The distilled water of Oats doth so warm the Stomach as it doth overcome the sences It is well known that many do Brew a very strong and mighty drink with malted Oates and how profitable the same might be to all our English Brewers if there mâ—ght be sufficient store of them had in a dearth of Wheat and Barley the same being rightly matched or rather mastered a little with the Hop to alter their tast They can best tell that have made theiâ— private experience and profit of them when others very inconsiderately have run on in their common and chargeable course of brewingâ— 19 The Liquor of the Birch tree is both wholesome and savory and deserveth to be recommended in his kind 20 There may be an excellent extraction made of Ale which you may term either a Spirit or a quintessence and that in a small dose far more excellent then all the tartareous sulphureous or mercurial preparations If the Author do here mean any Philosophical course it will be both too curious and costly for the common sort of pâ—ople If only a well recâ—ified Aquavitae or an evaporation of the Phlegmatick part to a thick body I cannot see how we shall raise any store or quantity of mâ—tter to furnish the Subject which we have in hand If he mean physically we will reserve the strict examinatiâ—n thereof till a fitter Occasion be offered 21 The meal of such corn as is ground in the month of August is remembred amongst the Writers of best credit to keep and last best all the year after 22 Such bread as is made up of the Flower of dry Beans is most strong in nourishment and may be corrected of his tast by the addition of Cumminseed And it is also a usual matter in Germany to make drink of Beansâ— Our English Brewers do also find good use of them amongst other Corn in a small proportion wherein they have a special care not to surcharge the rest of their Beer Corn with too great a quantity of Beansâ— lest they should give a bad smack or farewel to their Beer But I am verily perswadâ—d that if either Beans or Pease were artificially handâ—ed according to the manner before expressed that they would not only prove serviceable and that in a large manner for Beer only but also for the making of wholesom sweâ—t and delicate bread 23 Of Vetches first hulled and of the Herb Aphace which receiveth divers Translations and is called Dandelion Priests crown Swines snout Monks head Dogs teeth or common Cicory may be made a bread so as it be mixed with a convenient proportion of other usual meal for it yieldeth a very â—air and savoury Flower as the Author testifieth of his own experience The same may be corrected with Annis-seed Fennel seed Coriander seed c. 24 Both Bread and Drink may also be made of Lentils 25 Bread may be made of Pannick as also of Millet whose seed even in a small quantity doth arise greatly both in Bulk and substance 26 A solid and wholsome Bread may be made of wheat starch But such bread by reason of his price will have no fit place here-except every private man do make his own provision 27 A decoction of Annis seed Fennel seed Caraway seed and such like either in Wine or Water is a most wholesom drink Hereunto may be added a decoction also of Licoras with Annis-seeds together in fair Water in a due proportion 28 Of Beechmast Acorns and the Barks or raping of Trees that are wholsome a convenient drink may be had 29 Mushrooms will spring abundantly if you â—â—it the Barks of the black and white Poplar and bury them in Furrows well dunged So likewise the white Poplar being cut off close by the ground and watered with warm water well seasoned with Leaven in four days space will bring forth most pleasant and delicate Mushrooms These being dressed in their kinds are accompted amongst the most lusty and stirring meats with the Italians 30 A good bread may be made of the Rape or Navew being first scorched and after sodden and then baked 31 A bread may be made of the powdred or ground leaves of the Pear Tree Apple tree Beech and Oak and so likewise of drink 32 Dow may be kneaded up with Wine Vinegar or Ale if you would make the same hot and hearty But I think the new Must of Wine or the best Wort of Ale or Beer much better for that we may well doubt or rather assure our selves that the whole spirit of Wine or Ale will fly away in the baking because the same had first wrought it self into a body whereas in Wort that never came to Workmanship the fire or spirit doth as yet lie close and couched within it 33 A drunken bread may be made with spirit of Wine and Flower But I think that common Aqua-composita would proâ—e over chargeable
Augurellus calls this Menstruum Mercury in these words Tu quoque nec coeptis Cylleni and acibus unquam Defueris Argentum vulgo quod vivere dicunt Sufficit tantis praestant primordia rebus Nor is Argent vive ever wanting to the bold undertaking of Cylenus it yeelds principles to great things The same doth George Ripley judge in his Preface of the twelve Gates I will teach you truly that these are the Mercuries that are the keys of Knowledge which Raymund calls his Menstrua's without which is nothing done Geber names it otherwise saying by the most high God this is that Water which lighteth Candles gives light to houses and yeelds abundance of Riches Oh the Water of our Sea Oh our Sal Nitre appâ—rtaining to the Sea of the World Oh our Vegetable Oh our fixt and volatile Sulphur O the Caput mortuum or faeces of our Sea Tridensine in his secret work of the Philosophers Stone saith The Water which Philosophers used for the complement of the Work they called Laâ— Virginis Coagulum the Morning-dew the Quintessence Aqua-vitae the Philosophers Daughter c. Paracelsus variously also Azoth Spirit of Wine temper'd and circulated mercurial-Mercurial-Water Sendivogius Chalibs Rupescissa Vinegar most nobly distilled Van-Helmont that most profound Philosopher by Fire called it the Liquor Alkahest and thus describ'd it The Liquor Alkahest resolves every visible and tangible body into its first matter preserving the power of the Seed concerning which the Chymists say the Vulgar burn by Fire but we by Water We by the Philosophers leave are those that can at will give names to their products do call it the Mercurial Oyl of Salt putrefied and alembicated for Oyl is exalted to an higher degree of a fiery quality as it is the foundation of the whole metallick solution which is to be well observed without which nothing can be advantagious in the Art and it acts the part of a Woman in our Work and is deservedly called the Wife of Sol and the Matrix and it is the hidden Key to open the close Gates of Metals for it dissolves calcined Metals it calcines and putrefies the volatile and spiritual it tingeth into all colours and is the beginning middle and end of Tinctures and is of one nature with Gold as Arn. de Villa Nova affirms unlâ—ss that the nature of Gold is compleat digâ—sted and fixed but the nature of the Water is incompleat indigested and volatile In a word it is the Philosophers Fire by which the Tree of Hermes is burnt to ashâ—s Concerning this Fire Iohannes Pontanus in his Epistle saith The Philosophers Fire is not the Fire of Balneo nor of Dung nor of any thing of that kind which the Philosophers have published in their Writings it is mineral it is equal it is continual it evapourates not unless it be too much incensed it participates of Sulphur it is taken elsewhere than from the matter it divide dissolves calcines and congeals all things and it is a Fire with moderate burning it is a compendium without any great charge because the whole work isâ— perfected therewith Study therefore therein for if I had found this at first I had not erred two hundred times before I attained to practice wherefore men do err have erred and will err because the Philosophers have not constituted a proper Agent in their Books except one namely Artephius But he speaks according to his judgment and unless I had read Artephius and perceived his scope I had never attained to the Complement of the Work c. Do you consult him and ye shall know what our Menstruum is I have said enough CHAP. VII Whether the dissolving Menstruum be corrosive GEBER de Sum. perfect Cap. 52 seems to be of this opinion whilst he saith Every thing that is solved must necessarily have the nature of Salt Alums and the like And Paracelsus in his fourth Book Archidox of the Quintessence a little after the beginning saith thus It is difficult and scarce credible to extract a Quintessence without a Corrosive out of Metals but especially out of Gold which cannot be overcome but by a Corrosive by which the Quincessence and Body are one separated from â—he other which Corrosive may again be taken from it And Chap. 3. of Long Life Tom. 6. Book 3. he thus speaks Resolve Gold together with all the substance of Gold by a Corrosive c. and that so long till it be made the same with the Corrosive nor be you dismayed because â—f this way of operation for a Corrosive is commodious for Gold if it be Gold and without a Corrosive it is dead Yet you must know that our Menstruum being poured upon Gold ought not properly be said to be corrosive but rather fiery the strength and vertue of which Arcanum overcomes all Poisons For every Realgar that is Mercury vive and sublimate as also precipitate ought to dye in the Elixirium of Sol and come to a singular and excellent tincture because also violent solution is not made by our Menstruum such as by the Resuscitatives Aquafortis and Regia and others of this form but as was said before in the fourth Chapter it is done gently sweetly without any noise and with the preservation of its radical moisture with the spirits of which as Lully hath it in his Vade mecum a vivified vertue is infused in the matters CHAP. VIII Of the practice of the Stoâ—e WHen you have acquired the tinging Soul of the Planet or the true Quintessence thereof by previous putrefaction in which the true Mercury and the Philosophers true Sulphur are contained then is your matter prepared â—â—t to make thereby our blessed Stone Take therefore in the name of Him that said and all things were done of this most pure matter a sufficient quantity put it into a fixing Vessel or Phial or Philosophical Egg hâ—rmetically sealed place it in an Athanor as you know and proceed with a convenient viz. a digesting heat continual for that failing it must needs dye or become abortive sweet subtile altering and not burning that I may use the Counts own words from the first conjunction even to perfect ablution government of the Fire concerning which the anonymous Philalethes may be further consulted who by the government of every Planet cleerly describes the diversities of colours coagulating and fixing it into the white or red Stone for as Raymund Lully advertiseth he that hath not power and patience in the work will corrupt it with too much haste The sign of the Work perfected will be this If the Stone being projected upon an hot plate of Venus doth melt like Wax and not smoke but penâ—trate and tinge then is the Oriental King born sitting in his Kingdom with greater power than all the Princes of the World Hence a Philosopher crys out Come forth out of Hell arise from the Grave awake out of Darknessâ— for thou hast put on Brightness and Spirituality because the voice of Resurrection is
the Philosophers Fire is what the magical Elements the Key or dissolving Menstruum whence it is to be drawn whether sweet or corrosive cold or fiery it hath troubled me often to see such men so concerned and in vain laborious in those things wherein they at length could find nothing but vanity and affliction of mind wherfore commiserating them by the impulse of Charity I do freely impart though many will accuse me as guilty of violated silence the Light mercifully communicated to me that they may use the same as a Key to the Sanctuary of that sacred Knowledg But the curious Industry and indefatigable Curiosity of you being most excellent in the exact Arcana's and Work of Polydaedalus nature having invited all the Learned men of the World by your most sweet incitements to communicate the most secret things enjoyneth and obligeth me to make you the genuine Sons of all sorts of Knowledg Heirs of this which in my judgment is the most exact and curious Work of all Nature But who I am enquire not I am a man that makes it my study to profit others your Friend and an admirer of your Vertues known to many at least by name Farewell therefore ye Students of Nature and High-Priests of Art the lofty Stars of Germany God be with you and with his Power strengthen your Works and Thoughts that they may be highly advantagious to the whole Commonwealth of Learning for the encrease of the Publick-good and the immortal Glory of your own Names From my Study Ian. 1. 1674. THE Tomb of SEMIRAMIS Hermetically Sealed CHAP. I. Of the Physical subject of the Philosophers Stone THE Fear of the Lord is the beginning of our Work and the end Charity and love of our Neighbour Entring therefore with the assistance of our good God upon so divine a Work it must be first enquired what the subject thereof is For as a Plough-man in vain prepares his Ground for Harvest unless he be assured of the Seed so also he prepares the Chymical Ground without â—ny recompence if he knows not what he sows therein and herein at this day many do perplex themselves and are hurried into different opinions But this is not a place to discuss all these things whilst some do seek it in the Animal Kingdom in Blood Sperm Sweat Urine Hair Dung Egs Serpents Toads Spiders c. Others are with great diligence imploy'd in the Vegetable Kingdom especially in Wine for the unprofitable Magistery For though it be manifest to us that the supreme Medicine of our health may be obtained in either Kingdom and indeed in Man especially in his heart as also in Wine for as Gold contains the vertues of all Minerals so do these two comprehend the powers of all Animals and Vegetables as contracted into one yet that the great work of Philosophers could be made from them was never in the thought of any Adept it is therefore requisit to be sought in the Mineral Kingdom But there is also here a great company of Dissenters so that we have need of an Oedipus For some there be that think to extract it out of the middle Minerals as they call them namely Salt Nitre Alom and such other but all in vain because they have in them no Argent vive into which they may be resolved in which error even we in our primitive ignorance were also involved It remains therefore to be supposed that Metals are the Physical subject of our blessed Stone But here also the matter is in suspence because Metals are some perfect and some imperfect But in fine we say that all fused Metals but especially the not fused though imperfect may by the intimate depuration of their original pollution which yet is very difficult and by outward appearance scarce possible be the subject of the Stone whereof saith Flamel some have operated in Iupiter others in Saturn but I saith he have operated and found it out in Sol and in Exercit. ad Turbam it is read That all Metals clean and unclean are internally Sol and Luna and Mercury but there is one true Sol which is drawn from them And the Author of the â—ecret work of the Hermetick Philosophy Can. 16. saith He that seeks the Art of multiplying and perfecting imperfect Metals but by the nature of Metals deviates from the truth for Metals must be expected from Metals as the species of Man from Man of Beast from Beast And Can. 18. He proceeds thus Perfect Bodies are endowed with a more perfect Seed under the hard shell therefore of the perfect Metals lieth the perfect Seed which he that knoweth how to extract by Philosophical Resolution is entred into the Royal Path. So also that Anonymous Philalethes in his Introduction into the King's Sacred Palace Chap. 19. concerning the progress of the Work in the first forty days There is indeed in all even in the common Metals Gold but nearer in Gold and Silver though as the same Adept speaks well there is yet one thing in the Metallick Kingdom of an admirable off-spring in which our Gold is nearer than in common Gold and Silver if you seek it in the hour of its nativity which melts in our Mercury as Ice in warm Water c. But leaving now these more imperfect Metals at present we declare those two great and more perfect Luminaries Sol and Luna to wit Gold and Silver to be the Physical subject of the Stone which way a great part of the Philosophers have followed and came to their desired end Which same thing Augurellus shews 2 Chrysop when he saith Take a Metal pure and purged of all its dross whose Spirit recedes in its secret part and being pressed with a great weight lives privily and desires to be released from bands and to be sent out of prison to Heaven being spread into thin plates The same in Chrys. lib. 1. Seek not the principles of Gold any-where else for in Gold is the seed of Gold though being close shut up it retires further and is to be sought by us with tedious labour And concerning the dignity of both the Luminariâ—s Lully that Star of Spagyrick Philosophy in his Book P.M. 28. saith Two are more pure than the restâ—â—amely Gold and Silver without which the Work cannot be begun or finished because in them is the purest substance of Sulphur perfectly purified by the ingenuity of Nature and out of these two bodies prepared with their Sulphur or Arsenick our Medicine may be extracted and cannot be had without them And Claâ—gor Buccinae saith You must operate prudently and expresly because neither Sol nor Luna can be without ferment and any other seed or ferment is not proper and useful but Gold to the red and Silver to the white which bodies being first subtiliated under weight must then be sowed that they may putrify and be corrupted where one form being destroyed another more noble is put on and this is done by the means of our Water alone From hence
a certain Anonymous in his Answer excellently concludes As Fire is the principle of Fire so Gold is the principle of Gold such as the Cause is such is the Effect such as the Father such the Son such as the Seed is such is the Fruit Man generates Man and a Lion a Lion But you will say The Philosophers affirm that the matter ought to be such that the Poor as well as the Rich may obtain it from whence that saying is God hath granted this treasure to be sought by all men nor doth he deny that great Good to any man except to him that makes himself unworthy by the depraved affections of his heart And Geber You ought not to consume your goods because of mean price if you understand the principles of Art which we shall deliver to you you will attain to the compleat Magistery For if it were Gold or any such costly thing the Poor would be constrained to postpone this glorious Work And whereas an Artist may often-times happen to erre a poor man could not repeat the Work after an error committed which must absolutely be done if there be no other remedy And Lilium This Stone is openly sold at the meanest rate which if the Sellers knew they would keep it in their hands and by no means sell it And another Anonymous Our expences exceed not the price of two Florins which Arnoldus thus confirms Hold fast because the charge of our most noble Art exceeds not the price of two pieces of Gold in its emption that is in the operation And Geber saith If in operations you lose your money reflect not injuriously on us but impute it to your own imprudence for our Art requires no great expences To which we answer That we never denied that besides Gold and Silver there is not also granted another subject of meaner value where we excluded not imperfect Metals as we mentioned before out of an Anonymous Philosopher in these words There is yet one thing in the Metallick Kingdom if an admirable beginning c. though many Philosophers would have this vile price to be â—nderstood of our dissolving Menstruum Moreover you will say out of Sendivogius Tract 11. in your Operations take not common Gold and Silver for these are dead things We answer by granting that the Stone is not made of common Gold and Silver as such and so long as they are dead but when resuscitated and reduced into their first seminal nature and made like unto the Philosophers Gold then do they not only express their seed but also do serve instead of ferment which a certain Philosopher confirms in those words saying Neither the ancient 〈◊〉 the modern Philosophers have ever made any thing but Gold of Gold and Silver of Silver yet that was not common Gold or Silver By which it appears that the Philosophers Gold is not common Gold neither in colour nor in substance but that which is extracted from them is the white and red tincture CHAP. II. What the Physical or Philosopher's Gold is THe Philosophers Gold or Silver is a metallick body resolved into the last matter to wit into Mercury which is the first matter of the Stone and is thus proved Every thing is from that into which it is resolved But all Metals are reduced into Argent vive ergo they were Argent vive For according to the common opinion of Philosophers that which the wise men seek is in Mercury Moreover Mercury is the radix in Alchymy because from it by it and in it are all Metals And Theophrastuâ— that most profound Sea of the Spagyrick-Philosophy thus speaks concerning the first matter of Metals To extract Mercury from metallick bodies is nothing else but to resolve or reduce them into their first matter that is running Mercury even such as it was in the center of the Earth before the generation of Metals to witâ— a moist and viscous vapour which is the Philosophers Gold or Silver containing in it invisibly the Mercury and Sulphur of Nature the principles of all Metals which Mercury is of ineffable vertue and efficacy and contains divine secretsâ— CHAP. III. Of the preparation of Bodies for the Philosophers Mercury AVicen saith If you desire to operate you must necessarily begin your Work in the solution or sublimation of the two Luminaries because the first degree of the Work is that Argent vive may be made from thence but because these as the more perfect Bodies are closer bound and have an ba 〈…〉 lation that they may be reduced into 〈…〉 do in the first place require preparation aâ—â—â—physical calcination which indeed is not so necessary in Silver for by reason of the cleanness and softness thereof our Water easily acts upon it which is not done in Gold and the other Metals which do all require Calcination on which our Water then more easily acts especially if those which are impure be deputated for the similitude of substance Concerning the Calcination of Bodies out of the secret Work of the Doctor and Bishop of Trent for the Philosophers Stone Metals to be dissolved ought to be first calcined or purged in Lac virginis and Luna being most fine and subtilly filed must be dissolved in Aqua-fortis and distilled rain-water in which Sal Armoniack or common Salt hath been dissolved then it must be precipitated into a most white Calx and washed in decanted water and the Calx must be edulcorated in other rain-water hot that all the saltness and acrimony may be taken away then must it be dryed and it will be a most pure Calx But Gold must be calcined after this manner Make an Amalgame with Gold which must be first depurated by the Body of the black Eagle that it may be made beautiful and glorious above measure and Mercury very well purged with Salt and Vinegar and strained through Leather put it in purified Aquafortis that all the Mercury may be dissolved decant the Aquafortis from the Calx of Sol wash the Calx as aforesaid in warm water and dry it with a gentle heat that Calx if artificially and lightly reverberated yet so that it flow not will be converted into a most beautiful Crocus Gold that it may be reduced into the first Matter or Mercury of Philosophers is thus otherwise calcined whereof Paracelsus in his 7th Book of Metamorphosis concerning resuscitation declares namely that Metal must be calcined with revivified Mercury by puting Mercury with the Metal into a Sublimatory digesting them together till an Amalgame be made then sublime the Mercury with a moderate Fire and bruise it with the metallick Calx and as before repeat the digestion and sublimation and that so often till the Calx being put to a burning Candle will melt like ice or wax This Metal so prepared put to digestion in Horse-dung or in â—al Mariae moderately hot digesting it for a moâ—â—h and the Metal will be converted into living Mercury that is into the first matter which is called the Philosophers