means a great quantity of the acid Humor causing the Pain and coagulating the approximate Juices inducing the Deafness will be taken in a great measure away and that is done many times with one Blister which forty Purges and Vomits would not so well accomplish the Success of which having often tried this means I could not but commend to the Consideration of Artists XVIII Whatever Medicines you put into the Ear be sure they be warm unless some great occasion require the contrary but not very hot because the natural temperature of the Ear is cold and dry And be sure you put no new Medicine in 'till they are cleansed from the filth of the former The Sick ought to lie on the contrary side and the Medicament put in ought not to exceed four or five drops at a time The less unctuous the Medicament is so much the better for when it is gotten into the Labyrinth of the Ear it comes not easily out again Things more subtil and spirituous are much to be preferred in this case because they do their Work and then go away in Vapor XIX Dropping in Things into the Ears may do but syringing is much better provided it be done with a fit Instrument and a skilful Hand You ought not to syringe violently but leisurely lest by such a violence the Tympanum should be broke which would cause an incurable Deafness Moreover you ought to be very careful how you apply Topicks 'till Universals are premised though the afflux of the evil Humors be first abated XX. The passage of the Ear being very sensible you must be careful that you use not sharp Things yet Wallaeus boldly attempted the use of Unguentum 〈◊〉 and he saith that therewith he cured a sore Ear that ran with purulent Matter for the space of eight years And Petrus Johannes Faber saith That Nitre dissolved in strong Vinegar and often dropped into the Ears quickly cures any ringing or noise in them XXI Galen advises Opium dissolved to be put into the Ear and Paulus dissolves it in Milk for that purpose But these may be dangerous If an Opiate be required there is nothing better of that kind than our Guttae Vitae or Spiritus Anodynus for by reason of the heat of the Spirit and other Things joined with the Opium the Optate can do no hurt whereas otherwise it might stupifie and much encrease the Deafness and may destroy the Instruments of Hearing However Opiates of any kind must be given if the Sick be in danger of death by the Pain because the saving of the Life of a Patient is much greater than the Hurt should it be a total and perpetual Deafness XXII If 't is certain there is an Aposteme Authors say You may use Juice of Crowfoot 't is much commended but 't is scarcely safe because 't is very hot and corrosive If the Bone that is covered with the thin Membrane be comes carious after such Suppuration you must often drop into the Ear Spirit of Wine mixt with Honey of Roses Marcellus saith That Cows Milk two Ounces mixt with Honey one Ounce being dropt into the Ear and the Ear stopt presently with Wool or Cotton will wonderfully heal the Ulcer yea though it were cancerous XXIII Crato's Medicine for a Noise and Tingling of the Ears Take bitter Almonds blanched an Ounce White Hellebore Castoreum ana two Drams Costus one Dram and half Rue two Scruples Euphorbium half a Dram boil all in a sufficient quantity of Water for an hour over a gentle Fire then strain and drop of it warm into the Ear three or four times a day XXIV Sennertus advises to this Take Ox-Gall Goats Gall Juice of Onions ana four Ounces Vinegar Twelve Ounces mix and put them over a Chafing-dish of good live Coals and let the boiling Fume be taken up the Ear through a Funnel XXV A Deafness which had been of many years continuance I cured with the Powers of Anniseedss dropping them into the Ear but I purg'd the Patient four times with my Pilulae Mirabiles and drew several Blisters both behind the Ears and on other Places adjacent thereto XXVI A poor Man had lost his Hearing as some thought by the Pox falling into an Empericks hand he cured him by fluxing him with the following Medicine Take Turbith Mineral eight Grains Mithridate one Dram mix for a Dose It raised an effectual Flux which continued twenty four Days after which the Patient heard as well as ever he did in all his life Some may wonder at the Success because that some have wholly lost their Hearing or had it mightily depraved by this kind of Operation But this is not to be wondred at since that in some Bodies such Sulphurs abound as are not only able to fix the Mercury but also to condense or coagulate it which mixt with the Humors as it will be if much of it be used coagulates or thickens all the morbifick Matter contained in the part whereby the Organs or Passages are more firmly obstructed than before and a perpetual Deafness succeeds CHAP. XVII Of BUBOES I. A Bubo is a Swelling of the Glandules whether in the Throat Arm-pits or Groin and they proceed either 1. simply from the afflux of Humours caused by Cold or some other Matter 2. Or are complicate with Poyson and Venom as in the Plague or Pestilence and French Disease II. If it be a simple Bubo and indeed let it arise from what Cause soever whether simple or complicate if there be any hope of its breaking you must wholly desist from Purging and Vomiting for those Operations destroy the End of the Bubo since Nature thrustsout the offending Matter by those Emunctories and the nature of Vomiting and Purging is to draw from the Circumference to the Centre whereby the Bubo is hindred from rising and coming to its perfection In all these Cases Natures End in thrusting forth the Bubo ought to be promoted which is best done by a sudorisick means inwardly given and strong Attractives and Suppuratives mixed outwardly III. In order to this end you may give some few Gr. of our Laudanum Volatile or our Guttae Vitae or if for some particular Reasons Opiates are not to be given the Diaphoresis is to be promoted with Antimonium Diaphoreticum or Bezoar Minerale or with some more powerful Medicine as is Mercurius Sudorificus or our Angelus Mineralis or Angelick Pills or you may compound something after this manner Take of our New London Treacle twelve Grains Bezoar Mineralis sixteen Grains mix for a Dose Or this Take of our Antidote one Scruple Antimonium Diaphoreticum twenty five Grains mix for a Dose giving often one Ounce of our Aqua Bezoartica The Patient is to be covered down warm in his naked Bed and he ought to Sweat as long as he can well endure it or 'till Faintness after which let him cool gradually or by degrees Where Opiates are wholly useless give this Take Bezoarticum Minerale one Scruple Juice of Alkermes
Compounds you may see in our Phylaxa Medicinae Lib. 1. and 2. Salmon LXI In a hot Cause and Constitution Barbet gives this Take Roots of Al theae one Ounce Liquorice two Drams Mallow-Leaves M. ij Melon-seeds half an Ounce boyl them in Barley-water in a Quart of the Colature dissolve Syrup of Corn Poppies two Ounces raw Crabs-Eyes bruised one Dram mix them Dose two Ounces three or four times a Day Or thus Take rose-Rose-water Strawberry and Purslane-water ana one Ounce Prophylactick-water Cinnamon water ana half an Ounce raw Crabs Eyes bruised one Scruple Laudanum Opiatum two Grains Fernelius his Syrupus de Altheae one Ounce mix them and let it be given by Spoonfuls LXII In a cold Cause and Constitution Take Roots of Rest harrow white Saxifrage ana one Ounce Liquorice half an Ounce Goats blood six Drams Crabs-Eyes bruised Nutmegs Cinnamon ana one Ounce Saffron three Drams Cloves two Drams Strasburgh Turpentine one Pound Spirit of Malmsey-wine five pound the Ingredients being cut and bruised digest fourteen days then distil in B. M. Dose one Ouuce Fasting and twice or thrice a day besides Barbet also saith That Cochinele being taken in fine Pouder in Rhenish-wine to one Scruple is a pleasant and sweet Medicine and of great efficacy LXIII Deckers advises the following Pouder Take Mustard-seed Tartar Vitriolate ana one Dram and a half Crabs-Eyes Salt of Bean-stalks of Broom of Rest-harrow of Pidgeons Dung ana one Dram mix and make a Pouder Dose from one Scruple to half a Dram in parsly-Parsly-water The Tincture of the Nephritick Stone is also very good but it is no where described but Moebius has this preparation Take Pouder of the Nephritick Stone put upon it rectified Spirit of Salt digest and there will be a green Tincture Dose from six Drops to twelve or twenty in Wine or proper Water Seeds of Violets are very convenient because they purge and expel the Stone especially if they be used in an Emulsion and is called by Schroder the Nephrocathartick Emulsion it is much commended both by Crato and Hartman and is a good thing against suppression of Urine LXIV Spiritus Acetosae Mineralis Take Tartar Vitriolate one Ounce Julep of Roses one Pound Cinnamon-water four Ounces mix them Dose two Ounces 't is an excellent thing Or Take Tartar Vitriolate one Ounce Radish-water one Pound Juice of Limons two Ounces Syrup of Corn-Poppies and de Altheae ana one Ounce Crabs-Eyes two Drams mix them Dose two Ounces Also Spirit of Juniper-berries affused upon Rob of Elder and Juniper and digested becomes of a pleasant red Colour and in Taste like Malmsey-wine and is truly a Medicine of great efficacy So also a Nephritick Liquor made of Nitre and Sal Gem calcin'd and dissolved per deliquium is a Nephritick of singular use LXV The Urinary Laudanum of Michael Take Spanish Juice of Liquorice dissolved in Winter-cherry-water one Ounce and a half Camphire one Dram Saffron four Scruples Winter-cherries half an Ounce Gum Tragacanth Mastick ana one Dram and a half Laudanum Opiatum two Drams mix them It is much commended for a peculiar Quality of provoking Urine opening Obstructions and expelling the same Michael his Nephritick Liquor Take Lynx-stone Jews-stone Nephritick-stone Sponge Crystal Crabs-Eyes ana q. v. dissolve them in rectified Spirit of Salt filtre the Solutions and distil to dryness so have you at bottom a coagulated Nephritick Liquor LXVI 〈◊〉 his Lithontriptick Pouder Take Crabs-Eyes prepared Goats-blood prepared ana one Dram and a half Jews-stone Nephritick-stone ana one Dram Pikes-Eyes Millet-seed ana two Scruples Crystals of Tartar half a Dram Salt of Tartar one Scruple mix and make a Pouder Dose from half a Dram to one Dram in any appropriate Water LXVII Forrestus his Decoction which some say exceeds all other things Take Red Tares three Ounces Barley hull'd two Drams Seeds of Marsh Mallows Mallows ana three Drams of the four greater cold Seeds ana one Dram fat Figgs nine Sebestens seven Liquorice scraped six Drams fair Water one Pound and a half boil 'till half be consumed then strain for an Apozem These Pills also are esteemed Take Pouder of Millepedes Crabs-Eyes Jews-stone ana one Dram Turpentine two Drams mix and make Pills Dose from half a Dram to one Dram every Morning Fasting Deckers his Apozem is yet better Take spring-Spring-water three Pound red Vetches hull'd Barley ana two Drams Liquorice bruised Juniper-berries bruised ana one Ounce Seeds of Daucus Violets white Poppies Nettles Mallows ana half an Ounce fat Figgs nine Sebestens seven boil to a Quart strain and dissolve therein Syrups of Corn Poppies of the five opening Roots of Diacnicu ana one Ounce and a half Spirit of Sal Armoniack one Dram mix them Dose six Ounces twice or thrice a Day dropping into it at taking 2 or three Drops of the Juniperated Balsam of Sulphur LXVIII The same Deckers commends this Mixture Take parsly-Parsly-water two Ounces Fennel and treacle-Treacle-water ana one Ounce Spirit of Vinegar half an Ounce Crabs-Eyes one Dram Oyl of Juniper-berries six Drops Spirit of Nitre one Scruple Laudanum Opiatum two Grains Syrup of the five Roots or rather Syrup of Corn Poppies one Ounce mix them If the same be great this Emulsion may be given Take Hull'd Barley boil'd 'till it cracks two Ounces sweet Almonds blancht Violet-seeds ana half an Ounce white Poppy-seeds one Ounce with a sufficient quantity of Barley-water make an Emulsion to twenty four Ounces of which add Diacodium Syrup of Corn Poppies ana one Ounce mix them He also commends to all the Spirit of Sal Armoniack given in Rhenish-wine or some Diuretick Spirit or Water as a Specifick Medicine not only to prevent but to cure the Stone if brittle or easie to be broken Universals being given before-hand LXIX Junken Medicus Pars 2. Sect. 1. Cap. 18. prescribes this Take Strawberries fresh gathered a Gallon Winter-cherries half a Pound Horse-Radish Roots scraped two Pound Daucus-seeds half a Pound Juice of Birch or Birch-wine twenty four Pound mix and distil in B. M. Dose frome one Ounce to three with Syrup de Althaea half an Ounce sweet Spirit of Nitre ten or twelve Drops Or thus Take ripe Strawberries four Pound Winter-cherries two Pound Malaga-wine two Pound Juniper-water of Parsly-roots ana two Pound Ground-Ivy white Saxifrage-roots ana one Ounce Peach-kernels two Ounces digest in a Vessel close stopt for a Month then distil Dose from a Spoonful to four in the Morning Fasting it is said both to preserve from and cure the Stone Again Take Crabs-Eyes Sperma Coeti ana half a Scruple Volatile Salt of Amber six Grains mix for a Dose and to be often repeated Or thus Take Wild Bryar Seeds half an Ounce Crabs Eyes pure Nitre ana one Ounce mix them Dose one Dram. Or thus Take Crabs Eyes one Scruple Volatile Salt of Amber six Grains Laudanum Opiatum one Grain or two mix them for a Dose Again Take Malaga-Wine one Quart Opium in pouder Salt
thick as an Oyl which Oyl first with a soft fire and after with a stronger fix into dry Pouder IV. This Work is not to be done all at once but by little and little at a time till it goes through with it in the Color of Blood then will it precipitate into a Red Pouder called by the Philosophers Sericon Dissolve it with as much of Our Vegetable Sal Anatron the space of an hour then set it in Balneo in a long Receptory till it be clearly dissolved and becomes as it were a fine Wine which with the very softest heat make it to Evaporate and Congeal so will you have a pure Stone and of subtil parts V. Also if you dissolve this same Red Pouder of Mercury in Water or Spirit of Common Salt prepared as Bachon and Albertus have taught you shall have an Oyl or Salt of Gold which no Fire can destroy which will melt and tinge with a solar Color upon a Plate of Venus This Treasure carry always with you wheresoever you go Who knows not the Secret of this prepared Salt in Our lesser Works knows little of the hidden things of Alchymie VI. Try this fixt Pouder at Sect. 3. above for the fixation reiterate still the Work with the same Fire against Nature upon the same Pouder Ten times and it will be dryed up no more into Pouder but remain in a thick Oyl the which will turn Argent Vive and all Bodies into pure Alchymick Gold sufficiently good for all works of the Goldsmith but not for Medicine for Man's Body VII A Second way Gold is much more wonderfully Elixirated by the said Fire against Nature compounded with the Fire Natural after this manner Let Vitriol of the Fire of Nature made of the most sharp Humidity or moisture of Grapes and Sericon joyned together in a Mass with the Natural Mineral Vitriol called the Gum of Adrop or Vitriol Azoth made somewhat dry and with Sal Nitre be dissolved VIII First Ascends a Fair Weak Flegmatick Water which cast away Then a White Fume making the Vessel appear White like Milk which Fume must be gathered into the receiver so long till it ceases and the Vessel becomes clear of its own Color This water of the White Fume is the stinking Menstruum which is called Our Dragon against Nature This Menstruum if the said Dragon against Nature was absent would be our Fire Natural of which we shall hereafter speak in its proper place IX Raymundus saith this Water is made of four things 1. The Composition of Sal Amarum 2. Menstru um Foetens 3. Argent Vive which is a common substance in every Corruptible Body 4. Mineral Vitriol X. This compounded Water Mineral and Water Vegetable being mixed together and made one Water as aforesaid doth work contrary Operation which is wonderful it Dissolves and Congeals it makes moist and dry it putrifies and purifies it divides asunder and joyns together it destroys and restores it kills and makes alive it wounds and heals again it makes soft and hardens it makes thin and thick it resolves Compounds and Compounds again It begins the Work and makes an end of the same XI These two Mineral Waters Compounded together in one are the two Dragons Fighting and striving to gather one against the other in the Flood of Satalia viz. the White Fume and the Red and one of them shall devour the other And here the Solutory Vessels ought to be Luted but gently or closed with Linnen Cloth or with Mastick or common Wax or Cerecloth XII These two Dragons are Fire and Water within the Vessel and not without and therefore if they feel any exteriour fire they will rise up to the top of the Vessel and if they be yet forced by the violence or strength of the Fire they will break the Vessel and so you will lose all your Work XIII This Compounded Water aforesaid does Congeal as much as it does Dissolve and lists it up into a glorious Crystalline Earth This is our Secret dissolution of the Stone which is always done with the Congelation of its Water The Fire of Nature is here put to the Fire against Nature therefore as much as the Stone has lost of its form by the power and strength of the Water or Fire against Nature so much has it gotten and recovered again of its form by the Virtue of the Water or Fire of Nature But the Fire against Nature by the means of the Fire of Nature cannot be destroyed CHAP. LXV The Practice with the said Compounded Water upon the Calx of the Body Dissolved I. THE Practice with the said Compounded Water upon the Calx of the Body duly dissolved and prepared Take the prepared Body made with a thick Oyl put to it so much of the Compounded Water as may cover the same Calx i. e. Our prepared Calx with Our Vege table Menstruum by the depth of half an Inch. The Water will presently boil over the Calx without external dissolving the Stone and lifting it up into the form of Ice with the drying up also of the said Water II. The said Calx being so dissolved and sublimed into the form of Ice you must take away after this is done the residue of the Calx remaining in the Vessel undissolved shall again be well dryed by the Fire upon which put so much of the said Compounded Water as you did before dissolving subliming and drying till the Calx is wholly dissolved III. The substance thus dissolved subtily separated and brought into a Pouder must be put as thereafter shall be shewed into a good quantity of the Fire of Nature which is a Quintescence the same being first well rectified and the Vessel well stopp'd to the end that the means of the heat outwardly administred unto it procuring the inward heat to work it may be dissolved into an Oyl the which will soon be done by reason of the simplicity of the Water or simple Fire of Nature IV. And therefore when you have brought the said Pouder so dissolved sublimed and prepared with the said Compounded Water into an Oyl 〈◊〉 is our Menstruum Visible unto sight by putting thereto a good quantity of the aforesaid rectified simple Fire of Nature as before declared then abstract or draw away the said Water again from the same Oyl by Distilling the same in a moist Temperate heat so long till there remains in the bottom of the Glass a thin Oyl V. This Oyl the oftner it is dissolved with the said simple rectified Fire of Nature and the said Water Abstracted or Distilled by a Temperate heat so much the more will the said Oyl be made subtil and thin VI. With the said Oyl provided the Calx be the Calx of Sol or Luna you may incere the substances or Calces of other Bodies the said Bodies being first dissolved exalted sublimed and prepared with the said Compounded Water in manner and form of Ice aforesaid till that by the Inceration of the
Use of Limbs I. IN many people here in England there is a loss of the use of their Limbs the most part caused by taking great Colds and sometimes it is the effect of the Palsie the like may happen in the West Indies but though in those hot Countries it is possible to proceed from such a Cause yet it is oftner and more generally known to proeeed from the Belly-Ach and that kind of Belly-Ach which proceed from dryness and Costiveness of Body II. If it proceeds from taking of Cold though Sudorificks are commonly used yet they ought rather to be used after a Legitimate purging and clensing the Body let the Sick first take our-Pilùlae Mirables from a Scruple to a dram And repeat the same for 2. or three times with due Intervalls between each Purging as of two or three days or more as they are in Age and strength III. After sufficient purging and cleansing the Body let the Patient sweat well with new London-treacle for 3. or 4. times or oftner as you see occasion and be very cautious that the Sick takes no Cold again and in the time of sweating Frictions ought to be used to the helpless Limb with course Cloths that as by the Diaphoresis the nervous juice becomes depurated and clean so also by the rubbing the natural Spirits may be called back again IV. After Sweating the weak Limbs are to be bathed alternatim with Powers of Amber and Powers of Juniper and in strong robust Bodies and where the Skin is very thick with Oyl of Amber pure and simple for some few daies and then afterwards with Powers of Amber c. V. If it be caused from a Palsie there ought to be some gentle Purging but with such things as more particularly carry off the cold glutinous and clamy Humour which has devolved upon the Nerves among which our Vinum Catharticum is none of the meanest if it be a strong Man and in the flower of his years you may with caution give the former Pilulae Mirabiles if he complains of a fulness and heaviness in his Stomach give him One Two or Three Doses of our Impetus Mineralis and you shall find a wonder succeed VI. But during all this you must sweat oftentimes and powerfully by giving our Vinum Catharticum inwardly and provoking the Sweat with Spirit of Wine in Hartman's Chair if you have such a one using Frictions withal as before directed VII Outwardly let the paralytick Limbs be well anointed Morning and Evening with this following Oyntment Take Chymical Oyl of Rosemary and Anniseeds of each an ounce Volatile Sal Armoniac in fine Powder half an ounce Palm Oyl half a pound mix them for use Rub it well in before a good Fire VIII Inwardly let the Sick take every morning this Take our new London Treacle Volatile Sal Armoniack ana Five grains mix it with pulp of Figgs and give it an hour after the taking of it give this Take our Spiritus Cosmeticus half an ounce Powers of Rosemary half a drachm Spiritus Antiastmaticus Twenty Drops mix and give it in a Glass of Sack or Ale and give the same at Night continuing this course for a month together IX But when it proceeds from the dry Belly Ach as for the most part it does in the West-Indies this following method is necessary to be pursued First Give the following Clyster R. Chicken Broth a pint Honey or Salt half an ounce Tinctura Aurea One Ounce or instead thereof boil two ounces of the Pulp of the bitter Gourd in the Broth then exhibit the clear Liquor warm if it comes away without any apparent effect repeat it again X. Then purge with our Pilulae Mirabiles two three four or six times as need requires with intervals between each Purge but for poor People who cannot go to the charge of these Pills or if they be not to be had use this Take a large quantity of Peach Leaves bruised viz. about fourty handfuls Pulp of the bitter Gourd Six ounces boil all in a gallon of Water to two Quarts strain and sweeten with Sugar and Honey Dose from half a pint to a pint according to Age and Strength This Purge at due intervals is to be repeated three four five or six times as you see need XI This done the Bowels and all the pained Parts and lamed Limbs are to be bathed with Powers of Amber Morning and Evening or with Oyl of Turpentine two ounces mixed with Hogs-lard Eight Ounces XII Lastly In the loss of the use of Limbs proceeding from what cause soever this following Drink must be constantly used and no other without which a perfect Cure cannot be expected Take Juniper Berries well bruised Seeds and all Four Ounces Fountain Water a Gallon boil all to Three Quarts or Five Pints strain out the clear and put to it of Spirit of Wine Four Ounces sweeten with White Sugar and drink it as your ordinary Drink This Dyet will seldom or never fail the desired end which is to restore the Sick to the perfect use of their Limbs and without which it can scarcely be done Salmon CHAP. XI Of the Cholick or Belly-ach I. To Cure the Belly-ach in a Child Take the best Brandy a Quart Cinnamon Cortex Winteranus ana half an Ounce Annifeeds an Ounce and half Rheubarb very thin sliced or grosly bruised two Ounces mix and in a gentle heat of a Bath make a Tincture Dose from two Spoonfulls to eight alone by it self or sweetned with Sugar but to Children give it sweetned with Sugar and mixed with a little Ale It is a thing not to be 〈◊〉 and which I have proved almost a thousand times Salmon II. Where a continuing and long lasting Belly-ach has been with a 〈◊〉 Flux I have Cured 〈◊〉 by the following Diet Drink Take strong Ale a Gallon choice Brandy a Pint Rheubarb thin sliced four Ounces Anniseeds bruised I Ounce Tie them up in a loose thin Rag with a Stone in it and put them into the Ale and Brandy and let the Sick continually drink of it I have used it in several Cures of Patients and never found it fail Salmon III. For the Cholick accompanied with a Quartane Ague Take Butter of Antimony rectified from Regulus of Mars 'till it is clear You may give of this from two drops to five in our Aqua Bezoartica Salmon IV. For a Pocky Cholick or the Belly-ach in Pocky Habit of Body This is difficult to be remedied and many times not without much trouble and sometimes danger to the Sick this following is of wonderful use Take Crude Antimony Sal Armoniack of each as much as you please reduce them into an Impalpable Powder then sublime so will you have red Flowers Take of these Flowers à Gr. iij. ad vj. Of white Proecipitate well edulcorated à Gr. iij. ad 8. Mix them and with Balsam de Peru a sufficient quantity make a Mass for one Dose of Pills 'T is a wonderful Medicine and not enough to
to the flux of the Humor to the sore or raw parts Elder Persons may take my Laudanum Volatile from three to six Grains beginning with the smaller Dose first They that cannot swallow a Pill may take ten or twelve Grains of my new London Treacle in any fit Vehicle These things thicken the fluid acid so that it cannot approach with that violence to the diseased parts IX But whereas Opiates strangely disagree with some People my Tinctura ad Catarrhos answers all the Intentions both of sweetening and stopping the flux of the said Humour and it may be given even to Children with a world of safety and security from half a Dram to one or two in any proper Liquor which the Child will take See it in my Phylaxa Medic. Lib. 2. Cap. 9. Sect. 2. c. X. If an Epilepsie or Convulsion be present or feared you may give with it from ten Grains to fifteen or twenty of Cinnabar of Antimony or from six Grains to twelve of the native Cinnabar levigated into a very subtil Pouder purging presently after with some of the things before named XI If the Child be taken with a vomiting withal it certainly shews the foulness and dissaffection of the Stomach and then you must cleanse it with the most innocent Gilla Theophrasti or the Salt of Vitriol given to fifteen or twenty Grains which has this Property in it not only to cleanse the Ventricle of the sharp and acid Humor causing the Thrush but also even to heal the places already raw And in those of ripe years it is a most admirable thing if given from two Scruples to a Dram in Broth or some such-like XII Sylvius de le Boe saith be prefers a metallick or mineral Sulphur fixt above all in comparison of which nothing saith he that I have hitherto tried does so kindly certainly speedily and safely restrain those vicious effervescencies But what those Sulphurs are or how in his sense to be prepared he has no-where told us I am well satisfied that the Sulphur of Antimony if well made is a most admirable thing But then it must be given to Men and not to Infants Truly I cannot tell whether it may safely be given to Children in any Dose whatsoever or no especially as it is now made There is a Sulphur of Antimony that I know which may be so prepared as it may be given to little ones without danger but that is no where to be sold that I can tell of XIII Among the rest of the ordinary Remedies Lac Sulphuris is no mean thing and it may be given to Infants as well as to elder Persons with a very great advantage XIV Topicks must be also used to the mouth throat and afflicted parts among which elder Persons may use this Take white Vitriol Roch Alum one Scruple Plantane or Spring-water four Ounces mix dissolve and sweeten with Sugar for a Gargarism But Children to whom it cannot so easily be used must have the juice of baked Turneps to wash withal or swallow down or the juice of Parsneps baked with Milk These things are Balsams in their kind and besides their healing Property have a faculty of sweetning and taking off the edge of the acid XV. Moreover you may if you please sweeten these Juices with Honey or Syrup of Roses both which still contribute to the healing of the sore and raw mouth And if the Child has discretion enough it ought to hold the same in its mouth for some time And to these things you may add Syrups of Violets Jujubes Liquorice Lettuce juice of Purslane c for that they all blunt as it were the edge of the sharp Humor and withal contribute to healing XVI But that which is more observable and remarkable but only for Persons of ripe years is the use of Spirit of Wine or pure Brandy for that only held in the mouth and sometimes Gargled with for two or three minutes at a time and that four or five times a day and then spit out certainly heals and cures the afflicted parts to a miracle And though it may smart much at first it is vehement but for a while viz. for the first two or three times using of it afterwards it is easier and at length the parts are as it were pleased and refreshed with the use thereof and in the end it perfectly heals them And this it does not do only from its balsamick Property but also as it is an Alcaly and absorbs the acid in the Ulcer XVII Sylvius commends the Yolk of an Egg mixt with a little Rose-water and Sugar for that it draws to it the acid Humour that hurts the Stomach and so by degrees 〈◊〉 the parts affected and promotes the falling of the Thrush you may use it as the Turnep and Parsnep-Juice Concerning both which Juices you are to note this That they correct the evil Ferment both in Stomach and small Guts whereby the acid effervescency is hindred and the Disease the sooner cured XVIII While the Thrush is ripening to wit gradually falling from the afflicted parts a new Cuticle grows under it and covers the place and although this follows of its own accord by the Benefit of the Medicines now commended yet it will be promoted by Syrup of Red Roses Honey of Roses and the like Also Powder of fine Bole Terra Sigillata Crabs Eyes c. mixt with fair Water and Sugar or Honey and held for some time in the mouth promote the healing XIX This is also observable That as in the curing of other Ulcers Driers are used so on the contrary much spitting is good here as if the Patient was in a Flux for then it is cured with the more speed and ease In other Ulcers things that temper the acid Acrimony and then dry are used In this you must use such things as may temper the said Acid but withal moisten XX. AEtius commends Galls beaten and boiled in Water the strained Decoction made into a thick Syrup with Honey being rubbed upon the place it is good Others commend a Decoction of Cinquefoil Roots You may also if you please use the Leaves too A Decoction of Savory in Wine is said to do it in two or three days If it be malignant Hercules Saxonia used Lixivium of Tartar or Vitriol-Water by which he conquered them Joel first washes the part well then lays on this Take Honey of Roses half an Ounce Oil of Vitriol one Dram mix and make a Liniment This he says is a present Remedy whether in old or young XXI Goclenius advises for a Thrush in children this Take Roch Alum Sugar ana half an Ounce boil in Plantane water add Juice of Mulberries a sufficient quantity mix and wash the mouth often with it But Riverius saith that the best and only Remedy is Spirit of Vitriol or Sulphur if there be no Inflammation which in those that are grown may be used alone Dip a little Cotton bound to the end of a stick in it and give
the Gold Take the Gold which you have scraped out of the Retort and pouder it very small in your Glass Mortar with which mingle your Mercury by degrees or by little and little your Mercury will hardly mix with your Gold the reason is the Gold is full of the Praecipiolum and then it is time to separate the Praecipiolum from the Gold and Mercury which is a Womans work when her Cloths are foul she washes them from their foulness The same way you must cleanse or separate the Praecipiolum from the Gold and Mercury as followeth XI When you have the sign that your Mercury will hardly amalgamate or mix with your Gold or that the Gold will not enter into the Mercury then pour on it the fairest Water distilled Water is best three Fingers breadth above the Sol or Luna and Mercury which wash together in the Mortar with a Pestel very well till the Water is blewish black then it is a sign that the Gold le ts fall its Tartar or Praecipiolum into the Water Pour off this Water into a Glass but be careful that not any of the Mercury goes off with it for this Mercury will no more mix with common fair Water than Oil and Water will mix Put more fresh Water upon your Gold and Mercury and wash it again 'till the Water is blew again pour it off as aforesaid Thus continue washing 'till your Water remains white Put this last Water to the other Waters in the Glass and cover the Glass very close that not any foulness may fall into the Glass XII The Praecipiolum being thus washed away the Mercury will again amalgamate with the Gold as Oil will dissolve Wax Take the Amalgama dry it upon warm Ashes very softly with a Sponge or on Paper and by a little heat that the Amalgama may be dry which put again into the Retort and distil it as aforesaid by Sect. 8. 9. so long 'till the Gold will hardly Amalgamate with the Mercury then separate the Praecipiolum as aforesaid by Sect. 10. 11. XIII Now observe I gave you a charge that you should keep your Glass close wherein you put your blewest Water which will be clear and a Pouder at bottom which is some of the Praecipiolum The clear Water pour off without disturbing it as soon as you can into another Glass Now when you see that your Gold will hardly mit with your Mercury or not without great trouble pour the same Water which you poured off from the Praecipiolum upon your Amalgama and wash it again 'till the Water is blewish as aforesaid which pour off and continue so doing 'till the Water is colourless by Sect. 11. XIV Then take the Amalgama again and dry it and repeat the same Work again by Sect. 12. 'till you have the sign which wash again with the aforesaid Water by Sect. 13. and you will find that your Praecipiolum will 〈◊〉 daily This distillation and washing you shall continue 'till the Mercury is freed from the Mercurium coagulatum or Praecipiolum XV. Observe that as the Water grows less you add to it as need requires fresh Water Now the sign when the Mercury has lost all its Sperm or its Tartar or Coagulum or Praecipiolum is That that Mercury will Eternally Amalgamate with the Gold so that they will always mix well together And if you should a thousand times Amalgamate that Gold and Mercury and as often distil the one from the other yet they will still Amalgamate again or mix And if you should wash them a thousand times with fresh Water the Water will be clear and not blewish As long as any Salt or Praecipiolum is in the Mercury you cannot distil two three or four times the Mercury from the Sol but it will be difficult to Amalgamate or mit the one with the other and when you will have it to mix you must wash it and then it will Amalgamate well again But when that the Salt or Praecipiolum is all separated from the Mercury it will Amalgamate or mit after a thousand distillations as aforesaid And if it be wash'd a thousand times the Water will always be clear XVI To prepare the Praecipiolum to a Medicine Pour the clear Waters from the Pouder which lies at the bottom in the Glass that no Water may be left on the Pouder put the Glass on a little warm Ashes that the Pouder may dry which will look blewish Yellow Put this Pouder into a little Cucurbit Glass or Bolt-head and distil off from it the Water of Eggs five or six times or so long 'till the Pouder becomes Red and distil off from it five or six times Spirit of Wine so is it fitted for Medicine Dostwo or almost three Grains XVII To make the Water of Eggs. Take a good quantity of Eggs boyl them very hard take the Whites and cut them very small and distil them in an Alembick per Cineres very softly 'till you have got all the Water from the Whites then take the Egg-shells calcine them put them into a Retort put upon them the former that is their own Water and distil per Arenam with a strong Fire put this Water upon Ashes again and distil it again Thus continue it five or six times so the Water will be fitted for the Praecipiolum XVIII The Philosophers Key which is the Sal Prae cipioli or Salt of the Mercury coagulate You may remember that I gave you Instruction that you should pour off the clear VVater from the Praecipiolum and you should make dry the Praecipiolum and bring it into a Medicinal red Pouder Or you should bring it into its first Matter which shall bring all Mettals principally its own Body into its first Matter which cannot be done without the Sal Praecipioli which is hidden in the VVater you pour off from the Praecipiolum That same VVater filtre through brown Paper and set the VVater to evaporate in a round Glass very softly in Ashes VVhen the VVater is evaporated away you will find at the bottom of the Glass a yellow whitish Salt which is Sal Praecipioli and the Clavis Philosophorum wherewith they do unlock the Lock of the Praecipiolum which brings the same into its first Matter If you know not this Salt you know nothing of the true Chymistry This Salt does decrease in the decrease of the Moon and increase in the full One Grain will purge very safely all Podagra's Struma's venerial and hydropical Humors with two Grains of the Praecipiolum prepared XIX To bring the Praecipiolum into its first Matter or slippery Water Take of the Salt p. 1. of the Praecipiolum p. 2. being dry first dissolve the Salt in warm Water and put it upon the Praecipiolum and evaporate it away very gently in warm Ashes with a very gentle fire then is the Praecipiolum with its own Salt put it into a little Retort nip up the neck of the Retort very close put it into Balneum
is but One and of the Nature thereof I. WHEN it was demanded of Bauzan a Greek Philosopher whether a Stone may be made of a thing which budeth Answered Yea viz. the two first Stones to wit the Stone Aleali and our Stone which is the Workmanship and Life of him who knows and underftands it II. But he that is ignorant of it who has not made nor knows how it is generated supposing it to be no Stone or apprehends not in his own mind all the things which I have spoken of it and yet will attempt to compose it spends away foolishly his precious time and loses his Money III. Except he finds out this precious Treasure he finds indeed nothing there is no second thing or matter that can rise up and take its place or stand it self instead thereof there is no other Natures that can triumph over it IV. Much heat is the nature thereof but with a certain temperature If by this saying you come to know it you will reap profit but if yet you remain ignorant you will lose all your labour V. It has many singular Properties and Virtues in curing the Infirmities of Bodies and their accidental Diseases and preserves sound Substances so that there appears not in them any Heterogenities or Contrarieties No possibility of the dissolution of their Union VI. It is the Sapo or Soap of Bodies yea their Spirit and Soul which when it is incorporate with them dissolves them without any loss VII This is the Life of the Dead and their Resurrection a Medicine preserving Bodies cleansing them and purging away their Superfluities VIII He that understands let him understand and he that is ignorant let him be ignorant still For this Treasure is not to be bought with Money and as it cannot be bought so neither can it be sold. IX Conceive therefore its Virtue and Excellency aright consider its value and Worth and then begin to Work How excellently speaks a Learned Philosopher to this purpose X. God saith he gives thee not this Magistery for thy sole Courage Boldness Strength or Wisdom without any labour but thou must labour that God may give thee success Adore then God Almighty the Creator of all things who is pleased thus to favour thee with so great and so precious a Treasure CHAP. XXXIII The Way and Manner how to make the Stone both White and Red. I. WHen you attempt to do this take this our precious Stone and put it into a Cucurbit covering it with an Alembick which close well with Lutum sapientiae and set it in Horse-dung and fixing a Receiver to it distil the matter into the Receiver till all the water is come over and the moisture dry up and dryness prevail over it II. Then take it out dry reserving the water that is distilled for a future occasion take I say the dry body that remained in the bottom of the Cucurbit and grind it and put it into a Vessel answerable in magnitude to the quantity of the Medicine III. Bury it in as very hot Horse-dung as you can get the Vessel being well luted with Lutum sapientiae And in this manner let it digest But when you perceive the Dung to grow cold get other fresh Dung which is very hot and put your Vessel therein to digest as before IV. Thus shall you do for the space of forty days renewing your Dung so often as the occasion or reason of the Work shall require and the Medicine shall dissolve of it self and become a thick White water V. Which when you shall see you shall weigh it and put thereto half so much by weight of the water which you reserved close and lute your Vessel well with Lutum sapientiae and put it again into hot Horse-dung which is hot and moist to digest not omitting to renew the Dung when it begins to cool till the course of forty days be expired VI. So will your Medicine be congealed in the like number of days as before it was dissolved in VII Again take it weigh it justly and according to its quantity add to it of the reserved water you made before grind the Body and subtilize it and put the water upon it and set it again in hot Horse-dung for a Week and half or ten days then take it out and you shall see that the Body has already drunk up the Water VIII Afterwards grind it again and put thereto the like Quantity of your reserved water as you did before bury it in very hot Horse dung and leave it therefore ten days more take it out again and you shall find that the Body has already drunk up the Water IX Then as before grind it putting thereto of the afore reserved Water the aforesaid quantity and bury it in like manner in hot Horse-dung digesting it 10 days longer then taking it forth and this do the fourth time also X. Which done take it forth and grind it and bury it in Horse-dung till it be dissolved Afterwards take it out and reiterate it once more for then the Birth will be perfect and the Work ended XI Now when this is done and you have brought your matter to this great perfection then take of Lead or Steel 250 Drams melt it and caste thereon 1 Dram of Cinnabar to wit of this our Medicine thus perfected and it shall fix the Lead or Steel that it shall not fly the fire XII It shall make it white 〈◊〉 cleanse it from all its dross and blackness and convert it into a Tincture perpetually abiding XIII Then take a Dram from these 250 Drams and project it upon 250 Drams of Steel or Copper and it shall whiten it and convert it into Silver better than that of the Mine which is the greatest and last Work of the White which it performs XIV To convert the said Stone into Red. And if you desire to convert this Magistry into Sol or Gold take of this Medicine thus perfected at 10. above the weight of one Dram after the manner of the former Example and put it into a Vessel and bury it in Horse-dung for forty days till it be dissolved XV. Then give it the Water of the dissolved Body to drink first as much as amounts to half its weight afterwards bury it in hot Horse-dung digesting it till it is dissolved as aforesaid XVI Then proceed in this Golden Work as before in the Silver and you shall have fine Gold even pure Gold Keep my Son this most secret Book containing the Secret of Secrets reserving it from Ignorant and Profane Hands so shall you obtain your desire Amen CHAP. XXXIV Kalid's Secret of Secrets or Stone of the Philosophers Explicated I. IF you would be so happy as to obtain the Blessing of the Philosphers as God doth live for ever so let this verity live with you Now the Philosophers say it abides in the Shell and contains in it self both White and Red the one is called Masculine the other Feminine and they are
perfect Luna XIII The Regiment of Luna Dissolve and Coagulate it 7 times or at least 4 times and to it dissolved adjoyn the fixed Rubifying Waters which we shall declare and you will find the body aptly solar for it agrees with Sol and remains quietly with it In this Venus admirably well purged and dissolved may be a great help to you because a most clean tinging and fixed Sulphur may be extracted from it And I tell you that Mercury purified and fixed has power to palliate or illustrate the foulness of imperfect Bodies and fixed Sulphur extracted pure from bodies to tinge them with splendor XIV Hence you may gather a great Secret viz. That Mercury and Sulphur may be extracted as well from imperfect Bodies as from perfect For purified Spirits and middle Minerals are an help and very peculiar for deducing the Work to perfection XV. Another Regiment of Luna This is to reduce it to a more noble state Take Luna dissolved 3 Pounds of Venus dissolved 4 Pounds of Ferment dissolved 1 Pound conjoyn the dissolutions decoct them sor 7 days with gentle fire in a sealed glass as in Mars with their whole water then augment the fire leisurely for other 7 days and let it be as a fire of Sublimation For other 7 days give it fire yet stronger that the whole water may be fixed with it This pouder reduce in a small quantity and if it retains with it self part of the Mercury which you will easily perceive if you know how to calcine it is well indeed but if not put it again to be fixed until it is sufficiently fixt This must be reduced with red reducing Medicines so will you find your Luna tinged transmuted and fixed XVI The Ferment of Luna for the White It is made by dissolving Luna in its own Corrosive water and then boiling this water away to a third part it is to be exposed to the Air or set in B. M. or in Dung for certain days so will it be Oyl of Luna and Ferment which keep for the White Work XVII The Ferment of Ferments upon Mercury for the White Take of the Ferment of Luna which is its Oyl add to it twice as much of Arsenick sublimed and dissolved in water Quaer what Water then to both these add of Mercury dissolved as much as of the Arsenick mix the Waters set them over the fire for one day to be incorporated then draw off the water by an Alembick and cohobate fifteen times so incerating it will be fluid as fusible Wax Add to it as much Virgin-Wax melted commix them and project the mixture upon Mercury washed Quaere What is meant by washing here according as you see fit for that resolved is augmented in Virtue and Weight XVIII A Work upon Luna and Mercury Take Litharge Salt of Pot-Ashes mix and make a Cement Put the Cement first into a Crucible an Inch thick upon which put a Ball of the Amalgamation of Mercury and Luna upon which put the remainder of the Cement that the Ball may be in the middle Dry lute and set the Crucible in a gentle fire for half a day leisurely augmenting the fire and so continue its leisurely in crease from the Evening unto the dawning of the day with moderate ignition at last then take it out and prove it by Cineritium and it will be Luna in weight and surdity and much better in fixation XIX Another Work Amalgamate Luna with Mercury to which add as much Saturn as there is Luna put it into such a Crucible that a fourth part of it may be empty Affuse on it Oyl of Sulphur and decoct it unto the consumption of the Oyl Afterwards keep it for two hours in a moderate fire and there will be generated a black Stone with a little Redness This Stone prove by Cineritium and you will find your Luna augmented in Weight Surdity and Fixation XX. Another Work Take Luna amalgamated with Mercury Grind it with twice so much Metaline Arsenick to which a tenfold proportion of amalgamated Venus viz. That the Amalgamation of Venus may be 10 times as much as the whole Amalgama of Luna and Mercury mixed with the duple quantity of Arsenick grind the whole and fix Then reduce it into a Body and you will find a good augmentation XXI Of the Citrination of Luna or tinging its Body yellow Dissolve 〈◊〉 Philosophick Zyniar which is Verdigrise deduced from Venus prepared in the water of the dissolution of Luna Aqua Fortis to which adjoyn half so much as its self is of Mercury rubified by sublimation and in some sort fixed and dissolved to these add as much of Luna dissolved as the Zyniar Verdigrise is from which fermented for one day extract the water by distillation and cohobate 10 times then coagulate and reduce into a body and you will find it a good Work XXII Or thus Dissolve Zyniar 1 Ounce and our Crocus prepared with Mercury sublimate till it wax red 1 Ounce add as much Sal Armoniack and sublime it thrice from that Crocus which dissolve To which add of Luna dissolved 2 Ounces Then do as in the former incerating and reducing and you will find satisfaction XXIII Or thus Take of Crocus and Zyniar dissolved ana add as much Sol dissol ved incerate as before then coagulate to the coagulate add a fourth part of its weight of the Oyl of Salt-peter and project upon so much of Luna and will be a Tincture of a Citrine aspect XXIV Or thus Make a Water of our Zyniar and of our said Crocus and imbibe the Calces of Sol and Luna of each equal parts therewith until they have drunk in their own weight of it Then incerate with the Oyl of Sal Armoniack and Nitre and reduce the Mass into a Noble Body XXV Or thus Sublime Sal Armoniack from our greenness to which add Crocus and Zyniar from which well commixed sublime the Sal Armoniack and repeat it twice or thrice Then dissolve the whole to which add a third part of Gold dissolved incerate as before and congeal then project upon Sol 1 ounce Luna 2 Ounces mixed together and it will be good CHAP. XLVII Of the Alchimie of Sol. I. PErfect Bodies as Sol is need no preparation in relation to their farther perfection but that they may be more subtilized and attenuated we give you this Preparation Take Leaves of fine Sol which lay stratum superstratum with common Salt well prepared in a Vessel of Calcination Set it into a Fornace and calcine well for 3 days until the whole be subtily calcined Then take it grind it well wash it with Vinegar Quaer Whether Spirit of Vinegar or some other acid Spirit and dry it in the Sun Then grind it well with half its weight of prepared or purified Sal Armoniack and set it to be dissolved until the whole by help of the Common Salt and Sal Armoniack is reduced into a most clear water This is the pretious ferment for
of Perfection if in the reiteration of their Cal cination and Reduction they loose nothing of their Goodness in respect of Color Weight Quantity or Lustre of which great care is to be taken in the manifold reiterations of these Operations if therefore by repeating the Calcination and Reduction of altered Metals they loose any thing in their differences of Goodness it is to be supposed you have not rightly persued the Art CHAP. LIV. Of Solution and its Cause I. SOlution is the reduction of a dry thing into Water and every perfection of Solution is compleated with subtile Waters such especially as are acute and sharp and Saline hav ing no Feces as Spirits of Vinegar of sower Grapes of acid Pears of Pomgranates and the like Distillod II. The case of this Invention was the Subtilezation of those things which neither have Fusion nor Ingress by which was lost the great advantage of fixed Spirits and of those things which are of their Nature For every thing which is dissolved must necessarily have the nature of Salt or Alum or their like III. And the nature of them is that they give Fusion before their Vitrification therefore Spirits dissolved will likewise give Fusion And since they in their own nature agree with Bodies and each with other Fusion being acquired they must by that of necessity penetrate Bodies and penetrating them transmute them IV. But they neither penetrate nor transmute without our Magistery or Art viz. That after Solution and Coagulation of the Body there be added to it some one of the Spirits purified not fixed and then to be so often sublimed from it till it remains with it and gives to it a more swift fusion and conserves the same in Fusion from Vitrification V. For the nature of Spirits is not to be Vitrified but to preserve the mixture from Vitrification as long as they are in it Therefore the Spirit which more retains the nature of Spirits more defends or preserves from Vitrification And a Spirit only purified more preserves than a Spirit purified calcined and dissolved Therefore there is a necessity of mingling such a Spirit with the body for from these there results good Fusion and Ingress and true Fixation VI. Now we can demonstrate by natural operation that things only holding the nature of Salts Alums and the like are soluble for in all nature we find no other things to dissolved but them therefore what things soever are dissolved must of necessity be dissolved by their nature or property VII Yet since we see all things truly calcined to be dissolved by reiteration of Calcination and Solution therefore we by that prove that all Calcinates approach to the nature of Salts and Alums and must of necessity be themselves attended with these properties VIII The way of solution is two-fold 1. By hot Dung and by boilng or hot water that is in Balneo of both which there is one intention and one effect IX To dissolve by Dung is That the Calcinate be put into a Glass Vessel up on which must be affused Spirit of Vinegar or the like double its weight Then the mouth of the Vessel must be so closed or stopt that nothing may go forth and the matter with its Vessel set in hot Dung to be dissolved and the solution afterwards filterated X. But that which is not yet dissolved must be again calcined and after Calcination in like manner dissolved until by repeating the labour the whole be dissolved as before which also filter XI The way of dissolving by boiling water is more speedy thus Put the Calcinate in like manner into its Vessel with Vinegar poured on it as before and the mouth being well clofed that nothing expire set the Vessel buried in Straw into a Pot full of water as in Distillation in Balneo then kindling the fire make the water boil for an hour which done decant the Solution and filtrate XII And that which is undissolved let it again be calcined and then again in the same manner dissolved which Work so often repeat till the whole is finished XIII The Dissolutory or dissolving Fornace is made with a pot full of water with Iron Instruments in which other Vessels are artificially retained that they fall not These are the Vessels in which every Dissolution is made XIV Bodies are in a twofold way brought to perfection either 1. By the way of Prepararion or 2. By commixtion of perfect Bodies with the Imperfect i. e. by Medicine prepared for the purpose XV. Now we say that the Body cleansed by the way of Calcination as aforesaid and Reduced must either be filed or Granulated thus being melted we pour it upon a Table-board full of small holes over cold water the water being well stirred while this is doing XVI The body thus granulated we put into our Dissolving water or AF. made of Nitre and Vitriol as to one half thereof or dissolve the filings of the same body in the said AF into a limpid water then add to it of Ferment prepared to a third part of its own weight Abstract the water and revert or cohobate it and repeat this 7 times After it is reduced into a Body prove it in its Examen and you will rejoyce for the Treasure you have found XVII And because we have treated of the perfect administration of Imperfect Bodies we should now give you the special true and certain Rule for every particular body but that being already done for Saturn Jupiter Mars Venus and Luna in their respective Chapters aforegoing where we treat of their Regiment we shall refer you thither XVIII Mercury also purified and fixed has power to take off or away the foulness of imperfect Bodies and to brighten or illustrate them And Fixed Sulphur extracted from bodies to tinge or colour them with splendor Hence you may learn a great Secret viz. That Mercury and Sulphur may be extracted as well from imperfect bodies rightly prepared as from the perfect Purified Spirits also and middle Minerals are a great help and very peculiar for bringing on the Work to perfection XIX The Dissolving Water or AF. Take Cyprus Vitriol 1 Pound Sal-Nitre half a Pound Roch Alum a fourth part Distil off the water with a red hot heat for it is very solutive and use it as we have before in several places taught This may be made more acute if in it you dissolve a fourth part of Sal Armoniack because that dissolves Gold Sulphur and Silver CHAP. LV. Of Coagulation and its Causes I. COagulation is the Reduction of a thing Liquid to a solid substance by deprivation of its moisture for which there is a two-fold Cause one is the Induration or hardening of Argent Vive of which we have already treated Chap. 48. Sect. 8. ad 23. The other is the freeing of Medicines dissolved from their Aquosity which is mixed or joyned with them and so is varied according to the kinds of things to be Coagulated II. The way of Coagulating things
rei volatilis quae est sui generis II. Per quam Corpora redduntur volatilia spiritualia sese elevando subtiliando sublimando contra naturam propriam corpoream gravem ponderosam III. Et hoc modo fiunt non Corpora quinta essentia de natura Spiritus quae vocatur Avis Hermetis Mercurius extractus à servo rubeo IV. Et sic remanent inferius partes terrestres aut potius grossiores Corporum quae perfectissimè non possunt solvi ullo ingeniorum modo V. Et fumus ille albus album illud aurum id est haec quintessentia dicitur etiam magnesia composita quae continet ut Homo vel composita est ut Homo ex Corpore Anima Spiritu VI. Corpus ejus est terra Solaris fixa plusquam subtilissima per vim Aquae nostrae divinae ponderositer elevata VII Anima ejus est Tinctura Solis Lunae procedens excommunicatione horum duoruns VIII Spiritus verò est virtus mineralis amborum aquae quae defert animam five tincturam albam super Corpora ex corporibus sicut portatur tinctura tinctorum per aquam supra pannum IX Et ille spiritus Mercurialis est vinculum animae Solaris corpus Solare est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continens cum Luna spiritum animam X. Spiritus ergo penetrat corpus figit anima copulat tingit dealbat XI Ex his tribus simul unitis fit lapis noster id est ex Sole Luna Mercurio XII Cum ergo aqud nostra aurea extrahitur natura omnem superans naturam ideoque nisi corpora per aquam hanc diruantur imbibantur terantur parce diligenter regantur donec ab spissitudine abstrahantur in tenuem spiritum impalpabilem vertantur vacuus est labor XIII Quia nisi corpora vertantur in non corpora id est in Mercurium Philosophorum nondum operis rogula inventa est XIV Et illud ideo quoniam impossibile est illam tenuissimam animam omnem in se tincturam habentem à corpori bus extrahere nisi prius resolvantur in aqua nostra XV. Solve ergo corpora in aurea aqua decoque quousque tota egrediatur tinctura per aquam in colorem album sive in oleum album cumque vide ris illam albedinem super aquam scias tunc corpora esse liquefacta XVI Continua ergo decccti onem donec pariant nebulam quam conceperunt tenebrosam nigram albam I. IT is most certain therefore in this Art That this Soul extracted from the Bodies cannot be made to ascend but by adding to it a volatile Matter which is of its own kind II. By the which the Bodies will be made volatile and spiritual lifting themselves up subtillizing and subliming themselves contrary to their own proper nature which is corporeal heavy and ponderous III. And by this means they are unbodied or made no bodies to wit incorporeal and a Quintessence of the nature of a Spirit which is called Avis Hermetis and Mercurius Extractus drawn from a red Subject or Matter IV. And so the terrene or earthy parts remain below or rather the grosser parts of the Bodies which can by no Industry or Ingenuity of Man be brought to a perfect dissolution V. And this white Vapor this white Gold to wit this Quintessence is called also the Compound Magnesia which like Man does contain or like Man is composed of a Body Soul and Spirit VI. Now the Body is the fixed solar Earth exceeding the most subtile Matter which by the help of our divine Water is with difficulty lifted up or separated VII The Soul is the Tincture of Sol and Luna proceeding from the conjunction or communicating of these two to wit the Bodies of Sol and Luna and our Water VIII And the Spirit is the mineral power or virtue of the Bodies and of the Water which carries the Soul or white Tincture in or upon the Bodies and also out of the Bodies like as the Tinctures or Colours in Dying Cloth are by the Water put upon and diffused in and through the whole Cloth IX And this Mercurial Spirit is the Chain or Band of the solar Soul and the solar Body is that Body which contains the Spirit Soul having the power of fixing in it self being joyned with Luna X. The Spirit therefore penetrates the Body fixes and the Soul joyns together tinges and whitens XI From these three united together is our Stone made to wit of Sol Luna and Mercury XII Therefore with this our Golden-Water a natural Substance is extracted exceeding all natural Substances and so except the Bodies be broken and destroyed imbibed made subtile and fine thriftily and diligently managed 'till they are abstracted from or lose their grossness or solid Substance and be changed into a thin and subtil Spirit all our Labour will be in vain XIII And unless the Bodies be made no Bodies or incorporeal that is be converted into the Philosophers Mercury there is no Rule of Art yet found out to work by XIV The reason is because it is impossible to draw out of the Bodies all that most thin and subtile Soul which has in it self the Tincture except it be first resolved in our Water XV. Dissolve then the Bodies in this our Goldenwater and boil them till all the Tincture is brought forth by the Water in a white Colour and a white Oil and when you see this whiteness upon the Water then know that the Bodies are melted liquified or dissolved XVI Continue then this boyling till the dark black and white Cloud is brought forth which they have conceived CHAP. XII Of Digestion and how the Spirit is made thereby I. PONE ergo corpora perfecta in aqua nostra in vase Hermeticè sigillato super ignem lenem coque continuò donec perfectè resolvantur in oleum pretiosissimum II. Coque inquit Adfar igne leni sicut per ovorum nutritionem donec solvantur corpora eorum tinctura conjunctissima nota extrahatur III. Non autem extrahitur tota simul sed parum ad parum egreditur omni die omni borâ donec in longo tempore compleatur hujusmodi solutio quod solvitur semper petit superius IV. Et in tali dissolutione sit ignis lenis continuus donec in aquam viscosam solvantur impalpabilem tota egrediatur tinctura in colore nigredinis primum quod est signum verae solutionis V. Continua deinde decoctionem quousque fiat aqua permanens alba quia in suo regens balneo fiet postea clara tandem deveniet sicut argentum vivum vulgare scandens per aêra super aquam primam VI. Ideoque cum videris corpora soluta in aquam viscosam scias tunc corpor is esse conversa in vaporem te habere animas à corporibus mortuis separatas in spirituum ordinem sublimatione delatas VII Unde ambo cum
if not inveterate Trembling Gout or any weakness of the Nerves and Joynts coming of a cold and moist cause by anointing the afflicted parts therewith and taking of it inwardly as shall be immediately directed for it does gently and by degrees as it were carry off the morbifick Cause and matter almost to a Miracel 9. This marvellous Balsam opens all obstructions of the Liver and Spleen being taken Morning and Evening for a Month together in a little Syrup or other convenient Vehicle It is held for a great Treasure and has many other singular Virtues not here necessary to be named lest we should prejudice its worth and Excellency 10. The way and manner of taking it In diseases of the Head Brain and Nerves give it in Rosemary or Juniper-water or in Canary For the Stone and other Diseases of the Reins and Bladder you may give in Rhenish-wine For the Colick and Diseases of the Bowels you may give it in Juniper or Cardamum-water For Palsies and weaknesses of the Nerves and Joynts you may give it in some Antiparalitick Wine First grind or mix it with a little of the yolk of an Egg to open its body and then mix it with the Liquor you would give it in 11. If the sick cannot take it so it may be made up into Pills with some fit Powder as of Zedoary Nutmeg Cinnamon Bay-berries Cubebs Winter-cherries or what the Physician shall think more fit and so gilded for by this means it will be taken without nauseating you may give the Balsam from half a Dram to two Drams according to Age and Strength and it may be given Morning and Night for a Month two or three together 12. And it is certain that this Balsam is one of the greatest specificks in the cure of the Palsie Scurvy and Gout that is transcending all other Medicaments but it ought to be constantly given in a due Dose and with those Advantages that it may not loath the Stomach so taken it performs more than any other Balsam It cleanses the whole body of all Impurities mundifies the whole mass of Blood heals all inward Bruises Wounds Ulcers or Excoriations whether in the Bowels or Lungs restoring decayed Nature and carrying off all its Faeculencies by Urine and Stool It is only Sold by the Author of this Work at his House at the Blue-Ball by the Ditch-side near Holborn-bridge and at Mr. John Harris's at the Harrow in the Poultry London Price 24 s. the Pound or 18 d. the Ounce AT the sign of the Archimedes and Spectacles in Ludgate-street near the West-end of St. Paul's lives John Marshall who both turns and grinds makes and sell's all sorts of Glass Instruments as Perspective Glasses Telescopes Microscopes Horoscopes Sky-Opticks Reading Glasses from the smallest size to 20 Inches Diametre Microscopes according to Mr. Leewenhoeck Also Microscopes of the said Marshall's Designing a singular Invention for the advantage of Light the like of which were never yet done before Also Spectacles for all Ages Cristal Prisms Speaking Trumpets and all other sorts of Optick Glasses for brevity sake not here named SALMON'S Practical Physick The First BOOK CHAP. I. Of ACHES of all sorts I. For an Ach proceedings of Cold in any part of the Body TAke Oyl Olives Venice Turpentine ana two Ounces Oyl of Amber four Ounces Volatile Salt of Amber six Drachms melt and mix them together for a Balsam and anoint the place well there with Morning and Evening for eight or ten days more or less as occasion requires Salmon II. For an Ach in the Joints Take Palm Oyl Turpentine ana one Ounce Oyl of Wormwood three Ounces Volatile Salt Armonicak two Ounces melt mix and make a Balsam It is excellent being anointed with all Salmon III. For Aches in the lower parts of the Body Take Palm Oyl Turpentine Oyl of Amber and Anniseeds of each one Ounce mix melt and make a Balsam Salmon IV. For an Ach in the Bones Take Palm Oyl Turpentine ana two Ounces Oyl of Amber and Juniper Berries of each two Ounces and two Drachms Camphier two Ounces melt mix and make a Balsam Salmon V. An approved Searcloth for all Aches Take Burgundy Pitch one pound Oyl Olive six Ounces Wax four Ounces white Frankincense two Ounces powdered melt them in a Pipken stirring all well together and Boil to a Consistency then pour out all into a Bason or Pan of Water then anoint your Hands with Butter and make the Plaster into Rolls VI. An Excellent Ointment for the same Take the Gall of an Ox White-wine Vinegar Palm Oyl Aqua Vitae of each a like quantity boyl them gently on a Fire keeping it scum'd till it grow clammy and with this bathe well the part by rubbing it in before a Fire with a warm Hand Morning and Evening still laying a Linnen Cloth upon it VII For Ach in the Bones and the Gout Take of the best Aqua Vitae and Oyl of Amber of each a like quantity mix them well together and anoint the part well with a warm Hand before the Fire and bind on it a Linnen Cloth Morning and Evening VIII For the Joynt Ach and the Gout most Excellent Take the Juice of Sage Aqua Vitae the Oyl of Bays Vinegar Mustard and of an Oxes Gall of each a like quantity put them all together in a large Ox Bladder Tye it fast and chafe it up and down with your Hand during one hour and half then keep it for your Use and anoint the griev'd part Morning and Evening IX A Process against all Aches in the Back Hips Sides Knees or any part of the Body Take first Pil. Mirabile one Scruple to Purge now and then and take them in Syrup of Roses after Purging procure Sweat thus Take Guaiacum one Ounce and a half the Root of Enulacampane one Ounce boyl them in a Pottle of small Ale till half be consumed then drink thereof a quart in a Hot-house and Sweat often Then in the House bathe all the Body with this Oleaginous Balsame Take Oyl of Amber Oyl of Turpentine of Foxes of Excester and of Chamomil of each a like quantity and mix it well with some Brandy And if the Pains and Aches fall out to be most painful in the Night as many times they do Then at Night let him take this Potion Syrup of Poppy three Drachms Syrup of Betony one drachm and a half Waters of Bugloss and Sage of each an Ounce mix them well together X. This Cured a Man perfectly when he was Lame over all his Body Take the Gall of an Heifer for a Man and the Gall of a Steer for a Woman Brandy of each a like quantity then bath it well upon the Wrist a little before the Fit cometh and let it lie till the Fit be gone XI Aches from a hot Cause Take Spring Water two quarts Sal Armoniack Nitre of each four Ounces mix dissolve and keep it for Use Bathe the part with it then anoint with Oyl of Poppy Seed
Salmon XII Another for the same Take Camphire two Ounces Spirit of Wine a pint mix and dissolve there with bathe the parts Afflicted Salmon XIII Another for the same There is nothing better in the World than to bathe the place afflicted two or three times a day which our Guttae Vitae mentioned in one Phalyxa lib. 1. chap. 9. sest 1. Salmon XIV For an Ach in the Shoulder Take Bole Armoniack Chalk ana one Ounce Spanish Oyl one Ounce Vinegar six Drachms Camphir half an Ounce or better Saffron 2 Drachms Mix and apply it hot with Tow twice a day Salmon XV. An Ach from a Vehement hot Cause Take Comfry Roots fresh gathered beat them till they are soft or a perfect Cataplasm then spread upon Leather and apply it 'T is an excellent thing Salmon XVI Another against Aches Take Balsam of Amber and anoint with it twice a day How this Balsam is made see in our Phylaxa lib. 2. now in the Press XVII Another for the same Take Oyl of Earth-worms one Ounce Oyl of Amber one Ounce mix them If this increases the Pain it proceeds from an hot Cause Anoint then with this Receipt Unguentum Populneum two Ounces Oyl of Poppies six Ounces in which dissolve Camphire two Ounces mix them for an Ointment Salmon XVIII For an Ach by a Fall There is nothing better then that you anoint the place hurt with Balsam de Chili twice a day rubbing it well in and keeping warm for that helps to disipate the Congregation of Humours Salmon XIX For an Old Ach. I have scarcely found any thing more effectual than first well to anoint for three or four daies with Balsam de Chili and then afterwards to apply Balsamum Amicum plaister-wise for a month together See them in my Phylaxa Salmon XX. Anothor for this purpose Make a Plaister of Tacamahaca and apply it Salmon XXI Aches from vehement hot Causes Take Oyle of the Yelks of Eggs one Ounce dissolve in it Camphire two Ounces and mix all with Oyl of Earth Worms one Ounce and anoint with it Salmon XXII To heal and strengthen weak Limbs of Children and those which cannot stand nor go Most wonderful and excellent to cure the Rickets Take juices of Sage sweet Marjoram Rosemary Time Chamomil Hysop Feverfew Lavender Balm Mint Wormwood Rue Winter-Savory and Bays of each Three Ounces put it in a double Glass the which stop well and paste it all over with Dough and set it in an Oven with Houshold-Bread and when it is drawn break off all the Paste and if the juice be thick break the Glass and put it into a Gally-Pot and when you use it take the quantity of Two Spoonfulls of it and put to it as much of the Marrow of an Ox Leg melt them together stir them well and add to it a little Brandy and Morning and Evening anoint well before a Fire the Child's Arms Sides Thighs Leggs Knees Feet and Joynts bathing it well in with a warm Hand Then give it some Syrnp of Rheubarb to open the Obstructions of the Liver and mingle it with Two Ounces of Mint-water mix it well and give it the Child fasting This will mightily strengthen the Limbs and make the Child to stand and go Probat XXIII For all Aches or Pains in the Nervous Parts arising from a Cold Cause Contusions c. There is nothing can take away the Preheminence from Balsam de Chili which may always be had at the Author's House at the Blue Balcony by the Ditch-side near Holbourn Bridge London because of its amicable and peculiar Faculty in strengthning the Nerves and dissolving or dissipating any inherent Matter I could give you I believe an Hundred Histories of Cures of this kind performed by this Medicine I have cured with it an Ach in the Hip or the Sciatica Anoint with it twice a day at least Viz. Morning and Evening and apply 〈◊〉 dipt in it over the part in the mean season Salmon CHAP. II. Of the Apoplexy 1. TAke of the best Aqua-vitae well rectified from Phlegm one Pint Oyl of Vitriol one Spoonful mix them and let him drink thereof one Spoonful first in the Morning and another last at Night Then let him Sweat in a Stove twice a Week and every time thereafter bathe him with Balsam de Chili This is Excellent II. For the Joint-ach and Numbness after an Apoplexy Take Six Spoonfuls of dragon-Dragon-water dissolve in it one drachm of Mithridate drink the same draught Three Mornings together fasting and sweat Two Hours after it This Cures III. For an Apoplexy or other like Fits Take a large quantity of Earth-worms gathered in the Mornings in May when they Generate put them into a Pail of Water for twenty four Hours that they may perfectly cleanse themselves This done take them out and dry them carefully upon a Marble Tile before a clear Fire being thoroughly dryed keep them in a dry place for use When you have Occasion to use them beat them into Powder in a large Brass or Iron Mortar and of this Powder take a Spoonful at a time Morning and Evening in a Glass of Wine four days before and four days after the Full and Change of the Moon it will perfectly Cure I lately cured one of an Apoplexy therewith and I know several others cured some Years since Salmon IV. An Errhine against an Apoplexy in the Fit I can propose no better than that of Deckers which exceeds all others and it is thus made Take Turbith Mineral one Ounce powder of Liquorice three ounces Flowers of Rosemary one ounce and a half mix into a most subtile Powder Of this Powder you may blow up from six to ten or twelve grains at a time Viz. from three to five or six up each Nostril It brings out of the Fit and used in the Intervals prevents it I have proved it in two or three several Persons Deck ers saith multumque pituitae viscidae educit cum successu praescribitur hic Pulvis in Apo plexia Epilepsia Lethargo Ca pitisquè affectibus soporosus omnibus nec non quibusdam capitis affectibus recentibus inveteratis vertigine gravedine c. Exec. med pag. 20. Salmon V. Strong Purging in an Apoplexy Authors commend purgeing but it must be with very strong Medicines as Troches Alhandal Scammony with Castor or Pil. Cochie one ounce as Rondeletius prescribes But in my Opinion nothing is better than my Pil. Mirabiles taken from a scruple to half a drachm See it in my Philaxa Med. Lib. 2. Now in the Press If Purgatives do nothing the Patient commonly dies Salmon VI. Strong Emeticks to be given Celsus saith Many things ought or may well be done in a dangerous Case which otherwise should be omitted Therefore it is Lawful to give Antimoniates in a large dose as Aqua Benedicta Vinum Antimoniale Infusion of Regulus Sal Emeticum Mynsichti and such like which evacuate great quantities of Phlegm and other Humours not only from the Stomach and
Ounce dissolve it in Aqua Regia All these three Menstruums with their Praecipitates put into a well Luted Retort and with a gradual Fire distil to dryness which repeat by Cohobation twelve times then wash the Powder five times with some Cordial Water and dry it put to it of the best Spirit of Wine a Quart and distil it from it in a well Luted Glass Retort Cohobating six times and the remaining Powder put into a strong Crucible well Luted which place in a Circulary Fire for three Hours remove it from the Fire and being cold burn off the best Spirit of Wine from it Dose à Gr. six ad twenty with Scammony from twelve Gr. to twenty five the day before the Fit or the same morning if the Fit salls towards night Salmon XVIII A most excellent Medicine against all sorts of burning Feavers There is nothing better in the World that I know of than my Febrifuge mentioned in my Phylaxa Lib. 2. now in the Press You may take about twenty Grains to thirty or thirty five Grains in a Glass of fair Water sweetned with Sugar or in Wine well sweetned just at the coming of the Heat and you may give another Dose about an Hour after and if the Heat be vehement you may give a third Dose in like manner 't will take off the Feaver as it were by Inchantment This Course being taken for two three or four returns of the Fit 't will at length certainly vanish If the Fever be Continent you ought to give it every Day 4 or 5 Doses a Day as before directed 'till the Feaver is wholly taken off 'T is one of the best of Antifebriticks I speak experimentally from I veryly Believe a Thousand Proofs the greatest of all which was made upon my own Person in the West-India's when it was supposed there was scarcely an Hour betwixt me and Death Salmon XIX Agues chiefly Quartans cured by our Aurum Vitae Cathartick in Phylaxa Lib. 1. Chap. 41. Sect. 1. Tho' I did always know this Medicine to be a very good Antifebritick yet my late Experience thereof since the Writing of that Book has much more confirmed me in the use of it I have Cured many Quartans with it of long continuance when the hopes of Cure were almost past by a declivity into other more dangerous Diseases Dose is from two Grains to twelve according to Age and Strength Let it be given in a Bolus over Night and a Purge the next Day or it may be given in the Morning Fasting in a simple Extract of Aloes Salmon XX. Another Remedy against all sorts of stubborn Agues Take of our Royal Powder in Phylaxa Lib. 1. Cap. 44. Sect. 1. from fifteen Grains to thirty or thirty five and mix it with the Pap of an Apple or a stew'd Prune or with a little Conserve of Roses or a little Syrup and so let the Sick take it early the Day before the Fit or the same Morning if the Fit comes towards Night Drinking warm Posset Drink or Broth liberally after it it is a good thing and scarely ever fails Salmon XXI A Tedious Quartan and Tertian I have oftentimes Cured Tedious Quartans and Tertians by giving half a Pint of the Crude Juice of Camomil an Hour before the coming of the Fit and repeating the same Dose for four or five Fits Salmon XXII A good Observation If in any Ague whatsoever when any Concoction though not perfect appears in the Urine then give a Purge on the Ague Day so as it may have done Working before the Fit comes viz. four or five Hours before the coming of the Fit you will find the Ague will never return any more after the Fit but will be quite removed as if done by Inchantation It has been often tryed with answerable Success In Tertians do it after the third or fourth Fit In Quotidians you may tarry longer In Quartans scarcely before the thirtieth Day And in this case we may fly to Antimonial and Mercurial Medicines especially if of long continuance For as the Matter lies in several places so chiefly in the Mesentery whence unless it be fetcht the Cure seldom succeeds as it ought to do If the Disease vanish not upon Purging I always give my Volatile Laudanum before the Fit Salmon XXIII Another method in Quartans and long continued Agues Take Water half a Pint Salt of Tartar 2 Drachms Oyl of Sulphur half a Drach Sena three Drachms Jalop in Powder one Drachm Make an Infusion for two Doses the next Day Purge also with this Take Calomelanos Scamony in powder of each alike mix them Dose from half a Drachm to one Drachm Salmon CHAP. IV. Of BLEEDING I. To stop the Bleeding at the Nose TAke Bole Armoniack stamp it finely to powder Ashes of an Old Hat of each alike mix them then blow up some of it with a Quill into the bleeding Nostril of the Patient and it stops presently Salmon II. Against Pissing of Blood Take Sheeps Milk highly praised herein above all Fasting four Ounces mix with it a Drachm of fine Bole Armoniack in Powder and one or two Grains of my Volatile Laudanum dissolved and so give it Salmon III. Against the Bloody-Flux and Pissing of Blood Take Conserve of Roses one Ounce Crocus Martis one Scruple Volatile Laudanum two Grains mix them well then take it on the point of a Knife in a Morning Fasting and do so three several Mornings together Salmon IV. Against spitting of Blood Take Mastick and Olibanum in Powder two Scruples of each Conserve of red Roses 2 Ounces Diascordium half an Ounce Guttae Vitae three Drachms mix them together and make an Electuary then take thereof Morning and Evening on the point of a Knife as much as a Nutmeg at a time Salmon V. A good Remedy against Bleeding at Nose I commend this Powder of Heurnius Take Seeds of white Henbane white Poppy ana one Ounce Blood-stone red Corral ana two Ounces Camphire two Scruples Terra Lemnia two Scruples mix them Dose half a Drachm or two Scruples Morning and Evening with Conserve of red Roses If Opium in fine Powder eight Grains were added 't would be so much the better Salmon VI. Another against Bleeding of a Wound If a Fuss-Ball tough and soft be cut into slices and squeezed hard in a Press those pieces applyed are sufficently able to stop any Bleeding especially if any Stegnotick Powder be strewed on So also the Fungus growing on a Birch Tree the Powder of Agarick being first strewed on the place Salmon VII Another for the same The Powder of Man's Blood is almost an Infallible Remedy strewed upon the place or if it be in the Nostrils blow it up with a Quill or put up in a Nasale the Mouth being held full of cold Water Salmon VIII A most effectual Remedy O I commend as one of the greatest Secrets our Aqua Regulata see it Phylaxa Med. Lib. 1. Cap. 1. Sect. 1. being applyed by washing the Part and then laying
is necessary to carry off the offending Matter And then you are to proceed in the use of the Laudanum to a Cure which will succeed to your good liking Salmon IX Fluxes Cured with Volatile Laudanum Take Decoction of Rue Rosemary or Sage ten Ounces common Spirit of Wine four or five Ounces our Volatile Laudanum ten or twelve Grains Dissolve the Laudanum in the Spirit and mix it with the Decoction and exhibit it warm once a day Clyster-wise it will cure in about three or four days Salmon X. Griping of the Guts and vebement Flux Take Rhubarb thin sliced two Ounces Anniseeds bruised one Ounce and half Gentian Cinnamon ana half an Ounce common Spirit of Wine a Quart mix and make a Tincture Dose from five Spoonfuls to eight twice or thrice a Day 'T is a Medicine without an equal and the best thing in the World for Gripings in Nureses Infants and little Children to whom you must proportion the Dose Salmon XI A pleasant Remedy against Fluxes Take Catechu which is choice in fine Powder three or four Ounces common Spirit of Wine a Quart white Sugar Candy in fine Powder three Ounces mix them put not in the Sugar-Candy 'till the Catechu and Spirit has been ten Days in Digestion then mix and dissolve Dose from half a Spoon full to two or three Morning and Night Salmon XII Fluxes not to be stopt rashly Celsus saith To be Loose for a Day is good for Ones Health or for more so there be no Feaver and it stop within seven Days for the Body is Purged and what would have done hurt is beneficially Discharged but continuance is dangerous for sometimes it causes a Griping and Feaver and consumes the Strength If therefore the Strength be not too much weakned in order to stopping of a Flux you ought first to Purge with our Family Pills such as come from my own Hand not those which Hollier sells and then to take my Guttoe Vitoe Spiritus Anodynus or Volatile Laudanum such as come from my Hand and after eight or ten Doses to Purge again with the Family Pills But if the Strength of the Sick be too much weakned you must not Purge first but as we directed at Sect. 8. aforegoing Salmon XIII Stubborn Fluxes Take Angelus Mineralis Grains ten or twelve Pulp of an Apple rosted as much as a Nutmeg mix and give it at Night going to Bed for eight or ten Nights after Purge with an Infusion of Rheubarb See the Angelus in my Phylaxa Lib. I. Cap. 42. Sect. I. It takes away all those Impurities or Precipitates them which often Creates stubborn Fluxes Salmon XIV An Inveterate Flux in a Scorbutick Habit. An Inveterate Diarrhoea or Flux in a Scorbutick Habit ought not to be stopt with Astringents nor is it easily Cured with Antiscorbuticks Salt of Vitriol is a good thing for it makes revulsion and evacuates upwards You may give it from one Drachm to half an Ounce in Posset-Drink in the Morning Fasting Tincture of Antimony given to sixty eighty or one hundred Drops in Claret-wine is good So also our Tinctura Martis well prepared which is preferred before all others Salmon XV. Several other approved Remedies against Fluxes Powder of unripe Mulberries is an approved thing and gratifies the Stomach Powder of Mastick taken in Conserve of Roses or juice of Quinces is an excellent thing Water thickned with Powder of Acorns by Boyling has Cured an Inveterate Flux universalls premised Quiddony of Sloes ripe or un-ripe is an approved Remedy Riverius commends Juices of spotted Arsmart and Housleek ana mixt and boyled away to a third part as a thing that never fails though the Flux be never so Inveterate Bees-wax given in substance is good but its Oyl in a proper Vehicle of admirable use Or this Take Wax boyl it in a Lixivium of Salt of Tartar then take it out melt it and mix it with Chymical Oyl of Nutmegs Dose twenty Grains to half a Drachm every Night Tincture of Oak-bark is a prevalent thing so also Tinctures of Balaustins and Pomegranate Peels Our Pulvis Bezoarticus has cured several who have been given over by many Physicians which it did by absorbing the Acid and Virulent Humour Nor is our Pulvis Antifebriticus any mean Remedy Salmon XVI To Cure an extraordinary Flux of the Blood Take Mastick in Powder one drachm 2 hard Yolks of Eggs temper them with good Rose-Vinegar Or Juice of Quinces and give it to the Patient to eat first in the Morning By this Medicine alone a Man was Cured of this Distemper who had daily 70. Stools a day when all other means failed XVII Against Gripings and Wind in the Guts Take Oyl of Aniseed half a drachm mix it with White Sugar and in a Cup of Wine drink it fasting it doth the Work XVIII A Clyster against Pains and Gripings in the Bowels Dysenteria Take Cows Milk one Pint common Spirit of Wine four ounces Gum-Tragacanth one drachm the Yolks of three Eggs Oyl of Roses two Ounces make it Blood warm to the dissolving of the Gum and so put it up Salmon CHAP. VI. Shortness of Breath I. Against shortness of Breath TAke of Saffron in Powder one Scruple of Musk in Powder one Grain give them in Wine after take Spiritus Antiasthmaticus in Wine II. For the same Take Juniper Berries two Ounces boyl them well in two Quarts of Water and drink of the Decoction first and last and at other times This helps all Diseases of the Chest and will make you breath freely Salmon III. Against shortness of Breath with a Cough Take the Roots of Valerian and boyl them with Liquorice Raisins stoned and Anniseeds and drink of the Decoction often this is singular good against the said Diseases for it openeth the Passages and causeth the Phlegm to be spit out easily IV. Shortness of Breath Physicians commonly say That the strongest Purges are most proper in this Disease if the Matter be highly peccant and inveterate Paulus advises even to Purge with Coloquintida Some despise Aganick tho' a Plegmagoge because of its weakness Elaterium is a good Purge not only in a Dropsey but also in an Asthma and Orthopnaea for that they are caused by gross Matter it may be given of it self in a proper Vehiele to five or six Grains in Composition you may give it thus Take Scammony ten Grains Gambogiae five Grains Elaterium half a Grain all being in fine Powder mix them for a Dose if the Sick be strong Galen also approves of the most violent things Take Mustard-seed one Ounce common Salt half an Ounce Elaterium fifteen Grains grind them together and make Troches Galen saith eight Troches so that in each Troche you will have almost two Grains of Elaterium Or you may give it in Powder with a little Honey or the Pap of an Apple But that the Cure may he safe Emollients Clysters may be given afore-hand and half a Pint of Aqua Mulsa after These Purges may be given every fourth
another Disease and seems to be only a cold watery Juice shed abroad under the whole Skin and substance of the Flesh arising in part from Obstructions as aforesaid in part from a Discrasie or weakness of the substance of the Blood so declining in its Strength as not to have ability to carry its Serum along with it to the Emulgent Arteries to be evacuated in its ordinary course by Urine III. It is caused either by too frequent and long giving of Hydragogues which by vehement drawing away of the watry Humour so mightily weaken the substance of the Blood that it is left so thick and its grumous parts so compact or congelated that the following generated Serum cannot easily mix with it to make it of one Substance or Consistency whereby in its passage through the Veins and Arteries lying in a separate state from the other parts of the Blood it soaks as it were through the Vessels and makes the habit of the Body cold and watry Or from Obstructions as aforesaid whereby the Blood becomes not only vitiated but also has time to let its se rous parts pass through the Pores and Plicatures of the Vessels to the Flesh and external habit of the Body IV. That there is no Plethory in a Cachexia is certain and nothing is more certain than that there is a Cacochymie and therefore care must be taken not only to open the present Obstructions but also to depurate the Blood and alter the habit of its Substance If it proceeds from taking too great a quantity of Hydragogues you must give Strengthners which are partly Sudorifick that as well as to make the Blood stronger they may so open the Pores of the Body as to cause a transfusion of the superfluous Humidities which infest the Flesh and Skin through them for which purpose this following mixture is of good use Take of our Antidote Bezoar Minerale ana fifteen Grains mix and make a Bolus to be given at Night going to Bed and let the Sick sweat gently upon it This ought to be given every day or every other day for four or five times in which space I have never known it fail to cure V. In the other case the chief business is to open the appendent Obstructions and remove the Discrasie of the Blood Many prescribe Blood-letting in this but in my Opinion that must be very pernicious because it still diminishes the Strength of the Sick which is already too much weakned and exhausts the Spirits now wasted and flagging In this case bitter Herbs by many are prescribed and the bitter Decoction has been found of good use Half a Pint of the Juice of Centory given Morning and Evening for a Week together has cured to a wonder VI. But because the squeamish Stomachs of several cannot be prevailed with to take such bitter and nauseous Doses and because in others the Obstructions are so obdurate that none of those ordinary Remedies nor yet any thing prepared from Vegetables will do any good we must have recourse to Things that are more powerful and of another Nature which shall have power to pierce to the most inward recesses of Nature Of this kind are mineral Waters but such especially as proceed from an Iron Mine of which the Sick ought to drink liberally and for some Weeks because those Waters being repleat with a ferrous Vitriol both powerfully open and also sweeten which is one of the chief Intentions of Cure VII Now because many can neither spare time to go to the Wells or by living remote cannot well compass to get thither we shall here prescribe other Remedies which no Place can fail of affording Take Filings of Iron white Tartar in Pouder ana make them into a Mass with Water which put into an earthen glased Vessel or wooden Bowl put it in a warm place till it is dry Powder it again and moisten with Water and and dry again repeating this five or six times This prepared Iron may be made up into Pills with a little Diacassia Or if the Sick cannot take Pills you may make a Tincture of it with White-Wine by digesting the White-Wine upon it for five or six Weeks And although possibly a Tincture may be made in much lesser time yet the longer the White-Wine stands upon the Matter were it a year or more the better it is Take of the Rust aforesaid eight Ounces White-Wine two Quarts digest five or six Weeks as aforesaid then decant the Tincture and upon the Faeces put more Wine repeating this Work so long till no more Tincture will arise Dose from a spoonful to three or four This Tincture you may if you please boil into a Syrup with Sugar VIII If you be in the Country where Tartar cannot be gotten it may do if you only take Scales of Iron from the Smith's Anvil and put into White-Wine The Wine alone will in time being in a warm digestion extract a most admirable Tincture for the purpose aforesaid and truly neither in appearance nor effects will it be much inferiour to the former Take Scales of Iron four Pound White-Wine a Gallon mix digest warm for two or three Months or more shaking the Glass once a day and keep it for use upon the faeces Dose from one spoonful to three or four in the Morning fasting Now here is to be noted that the Sick ought to lie in their warm Bed two or three hours after taking of it or if up to walk up and down or use some stirring Exercise for two or three hours following IX If the Cachexy be attended with vehement pain in any particular Part or Limb bleeding with Lee ches is of admirable use I remember once more especially I had a cachectick Person in cure who had so vehement Pain in his Shoulder that he could not lift his Hand to his Head I set a dozen Leeches to his Shoulder and he was cured of his Pain at once This method I have pursued several times with good success And sometimes where Leeches could not be gotten I have profitably applied Vesicatories which have abundantly answered expectation Yet this is to be observed That though they often are and may freely enough be applied to the Legs yet it is something dangerous to do it in a Dropsie lest they should bring an afflux of Humors upon the Part so great as to cause a Gangrene which yet a prudent Physician having this Caution may easily avoid X. In a Cachexia in Women where there is a great Obstruction of the Terms you ought not to provoke them 'till you have opened Obstructions of other Parts cleared the passages and prepared the Blood and Humors For Nature discharges not the Blood by the Veins of the Womb 'till the Crudities be in a great measure consumed and the Blood has recovered its inward Heat Life and Vigor And Crudities being 〈◊〉 and the Oeconomy of the Body restored what natural Evacuations were suppressed will return of their own accord XI I once had
a cachectical Patient who formerly had the Pox but had been well of that Disease some years but fearing there should be yet some Relicks of it desired I should proceed in the Cure as if it had been the Pox nor could I prevail with the Man to admit of any other Cure At length I fumed him with the following Troches Take artificial Cinnabar six Drams Myrrh Amber Mastick Olibanum Cloves Nutmegs ana half an Ounce Mercurius Dulcis two Drams with Spirit of Wine make thirty two Troches for eight Fumigations I fumed him three or four times and took away all his swelling without any sensible fluxing and he became perfectly well But one thing which was very remarkable in this Cure was That an old Pain of the Spleen which he had been troubled withal for twenty two or twenty three years was totally and perfectly removed and much of the Disease went away by Urine XII A confirm'd Cachexy is without danger and may be cured in short time by Sudorificks only the Cause principally proceeding from a Debility of the Blood and noble Parts charged either with too great Acidities or an aqueous Matter which is sent into the Habit of the Body For this purpose a Tincture of the opening Crocus Martis or the Crocus Martis it self is profitably given and Grulingius saith for this purpose it excels all other Remedies because it strengthens so powerfully For internal Sudorificks which may also absorb the Acid we commend Bezoar Mineral from six to sixteen Gr. our Angelus Mineralis from six to twelve Grains Pilulae Angelicae from one to two Scruples or a Decoction of Guaiacum after the usual manner the Patient being in a Stove or Bed XIII Barbet saith that the watery Matter is first gathered in the Face and Limbs and if the tumid Parts be prest with your Finger that they are not so full as in a true Dropsie and that the cause of it is from the lymphatick Vessels being compressed broken or some other way obstructed whereby the natural Motion of the Lympha is himdred and so thrust into the fleshy and skinny Parts But all this we cannot concede unto nor do we believe that ever the Rupture of the lymphatick Vessels were or can be the Cause thereof but this possibly may be sometimes a Cause the two great thinness of the Lympha and the weakness or laxness of the Vessels containing it whereby it has an emission through their Pores and Plicatures into the fleshy Substance of the Body XIV If the Sick be of a cholerick habit of Body if they sweat in a Stove Chair or Bagnio it ought to be with a gentle heat If they be melancholly the heat must be greater but if phlegmatick the heat must be most intense that the Humors may be melted and the preternatural Gelly dissolved without which it can never pass away by sweat And this is of use chiefly in Virgins where the Disease proceeds from Grief drinking cold Water eating unripe Fruit or other hetrogene Things But in hot Constitutions and such as have been used to eat and drink hot Things whereby the Liver is made exceeding hot and dry and much Choler abounds in the first and second Region viz. in the Veins of the Liver Spleen and Mesentery and in the greater Veins and Arteries Baths are much more proper than Stoves and such-like because they moisten whereas a dry sweat irritates the Atribilious Humor XV. Being come out of the Bath you may anoint the Belly Feet Legs and other swoln Parts with the following Unguent Take tops of Elder Dwarf-Elder Doves-foot musked Cranes-bill Mustard Rocket Camomil ana two Ounces Palm-oil one Pound boil well strain out by pressing then add distilled Oils of Amber Anniseeds and Juniper ana three Drams mix them to anoint withal and inwardly give a Dram or two or more of our Aqua Bezoartica or good cinamon-Cinamon-Water XVI Catharticks are adjudged by most to be of evil consequence being given to cachectick Persons because they hurt the Liver and weaken the Ferment of the Viscera This is true it they be often or long given as we noted at Sect. 3. above for they destroy the Patient the 〈◊〉 and weakned Parts being extreamly hurt and more weakened thereby but Lenitives may be given and repeated with Strengthners between and sometimes stronger Purges provided there be pretty long intervals between and many times Corroboraters of the Bowels be given in the interim to support and restore their tone XVII Quercetanus commends this Pouder Take fine Filings of Iron one Dram Feculi Ari one Dram Essence of Coral Pearl Pouder of Amebrgrise ana half a Ounce Amber prepared Cinamon ana four Scruples Sugar q. s. mix and make a Pouder It is a good Thing for pale and depraved Colours Cachexies in Men Women and Maids whether young or old the Body being prepared and purged for some time before hand Schroder commends his Chalybeated Salt for the same purpose See it in my Seplasium Lib. 1. Cap. 16. Sect. 13 14 15. Lib. 2. Cap. 14. Sect. 4 5. XVIII Or this Take Filings of Iron sprinkle them with Waters of Wormwood Ash or Scurvy-Grass wherein their Salts have been dissolved leave them so long till all is converted to Rust or Crocus of which take six Ounces burnt Harts-horn prepared Magisteries of Coral and Pearl ana one Dram and half Cinamon Crystals of Tartar ana one Dram Sugar a sufficient quantity mix and make a Pouder Dose one Dram. XIX Sennertus commends this Wine Take Filings of Iron three Ounces and half White Wine two Quarts infuse them together in a Boltbead a Month in a warm place shaking it three or four times a day Dose five or six Ounces at a time in the Morning fasting and lying two or three hours in Bed after it or otherwise walking and stirring two hours after it As often as you pour out one Glass you must put in another till half the Rust or Crocus seems spent then you are to cease and put in no more Our Tinctura ad Chlorosin is also of experienced Use. XX. If the Patient finds any pain in the Abdomen or Belly you ought to bathe the Part with Powers of Amber twice a day Or with this Take Palm-Oil four Ounces Oil of Anniseeds half an Ounce mix and anoint with it Or this Take Palm-Oil four Ounces Oil of sweet Fennel-seed of Oranges ana two Drams mix and anoint with as before CHAP. XIX Of the STONE in the Reins 1. AS this is a Disease with which many are afflicted so it is of as hard and difficult Cure for which variety of Medicaments are instituted The cause of which is this That those things which do some good and cure them to boot yet do others no good at all and sometimes make them worse for which Reason sake we shall make it it our Business here to examine variety of Authors and hear what they all say II. It is a Disease like the Colick but it is
of Tartar ana two Ounces mix digest a Week or longer filter and keep it for use Dose one Spoonful This has been used with good success Take Cypress Turpentine one Ounce Balsam of Peru one Dram Pouder of Florentine Orrice-Roots Crabs Eyes ana two Drams Extract of Liquorice one Dram Volatile Salt of Amber half a Dram mix and make Pills Dose from half a Dram to a Scruple LXX Syrup made of Juice of Pellitory of the Wall with Honey is a Specifick in this Disease it opens all the Passages provokes Urine and that without any straining of the parts or pain and expels Sand Gravel or other Matter which obstructs the Passages Take of this Syrup four spoonfuls White or Rhenish-wine a quarter of a Pint mix for a Dose to be given Morning and Evening LXXI Where the Disease is extream and the Sick has not made Water for many days this following Liquor may be given Take Rhenish-wine Malaga-wine ana one Pound and a half Onions and Garlick bruised ana twenty Horse-radish-roots bruised four Ounces Juniper-berries bruised two Ounces Salt of Potashes half an Ounce mix digest four or five days then decant the clear Dose three or four Spoonfuls several times a day CHAP. XX. Of the STONE in the BLADDER I. BEfore we come absolutely to the matter in hand it is necessary to discuss the Point VVhether the Stone in the Bladder can be broken by Medicines or not That it may be broken many Physicians do affirm and bring in proof thereof their Experiences The reason they render for it is That Medicines may do it acting by their tenuity acidity asperity and their diuretick force Or that there is a dissolving Salt as well as a coagulating One which Virtues are not to be denied to Herbs Plants Metals Stones and minerals AEtius Lib. 2. tells us how Philagarius cured the Stone in the Bladder with Goats-blood and a Hedge-Sparrow mixt together Laurembergius cured one of a great Stone by the use of Millepedes A Jesuite at Rome cured a Printer's Son of the Stone with Millepedes rightly prepared Turrianus in Iatro Lib. 4. Pag. 262 saith He broke a Stone which was design'd to be cut by giving a little Pouder of Crystial to drink or the dissoluble substance thereof viz Calcin'd in a Potter's Fornace at least nine times and quenched in nettle-Nettle-water to be reduced to a Calx then put into a Cellar to melt per deliquium Rhasis Lib. 9. saith He cured a Stone in the Bladder of long standing with his Pills Horatius Augenius and his Father with some others cured several with the same Medicine Johannes Prevotius saith the Stone in the Bladder is broken by a Plaster of white Onions boiled and applied to the bottom of the Belly Hippocrates Galen Avicenna Dioscorides and others are of the same Opinion And the Author of this Work knew one who was appointed to be cut of the Stone by taking Diureticks was perfectly cured of which Horse Raddish was chief was perfectly cured so that for more than twenty five years since he has not been troubled with it And it is possible that a thousand more of these Examples may be urged II. To all these Things we answer 1. That all these Examples and thousands more of the like can be no Rule to conclude the thing because all the same Things have been used with all care and circumspection to others where the success has not been answerable 2. That it is probable that the Stones dissolv'd by the aforesaid Medicaments and such other like might be only sandy gritty Concretions friable and easily broken whereas we say had the Stone been great and hard like a Flint the Event would not have succeeded 3. We can bring also the Opinion Experience of many great Physicians to the contrary Hartman is of Opinion the Stone in the Bladder if it be confirmed and already come to some magnitude is scarcely cured by any other way than by cutting Barbet saith a crumbling Stone is seldom a hard Stone can never be wasted away or cured by Medicines Guarinonius saith that scarce ever any one saw the Stone broken by Medicines I could name multitudes of others of this Opinion but these may suffice And truly daily Experience to our Grief and the wretchedness of miserable Patients are as demonstrable and irrefutable Arguments of the Impossibility of Cure by Medicines without cutting Though Wincleras in Misc. curios An. 76. Obser. 102. saith he broke the Stone in the Bladder of a Boy 12 old and brought it away peace-meal by this Medicine Take purple Violet = Seed half an Ounce Waters of Strawberries Restbarrow Winter = Cherries ana q. s. make an Emulsion to which add Goats Blood two pound Hog = Lice prepared one Dram Species Lithontriptice half a Dram Spirit of Turpentine one Scruple mix them Dose two spoonfulfs often given which made it come away in pieces Probably this might be such a soft crumbling Stone as Barbet speaks of I have made trial two or three several times and the Experiment succeeded not possibly the Stones might be of a flinty Substance and therefore the Experiment not to be despised The last I tried it upon without success was cut of the Stone which being extracted weighed three Ounces and some odd Grains and was of a hard and marble = like substance III. Moreover when it is to be considered that the distance of Place is far and the ways by which the Medicines pass many and that if they be strong they carry large quantities of Matter from the whole Body to the Bladder and do more hurt by their acrimony and tenuity in scowring off the Lenter Mucus or slimy Matter which usually sticks to the Stone and serves it for a Bed whereby the Stone is made sharper and harder and thereby raises more intense pains than before But if they be weak they lose their Virtue before they come at the urinary Passages and Bladder whereby they do little or no good at all I say all these things being considered they still confirm me in my Opinion That if a Stone be large and of a flinty or Marble-like hardness or substance there is no Cure for the same by Medicines but by the Hand only of the Operator IV. Sometimes also we are deceived and think there is a Stone when indeed there is none as is recorded concerning a Noble-Man who after he had been tormented with pain and difficulty in making Water the Physicians and Chyrurgions doubted whether there was a Stone or no having used Medicines to no purpose he was cut for the Stone as is usual and was eased of his pain yet they found no Stone but a fungous Flesh in the neck of the Bladder which by degrees was consumed by convenient Medicines A like Example to this I can relate of a Patient of mine viz. Mr. S not long since one of the Shreiffs of the City of London who having been for some Months troubled with Pain and Obstruction of
joined with a volatile Alcalie and such are the Spirit of Wine and Essence of the Blood Dose from ten to twenty or thirty or forty Drops in any convenient Liquor It opens all manner of Obstructions in any part of the Body provokes Urine powerfully and is an admirable good thing against the Disury and Ischury viz. where the Water comes scalding and by drops or where it is totally supprest IX I have found much good in this following for bringing away Sand Gravel or any mucous Matter obstructing the Urine Take Strasburg Turpentine two Ounces Oleum Petroleum one Ounce Oleum Anisii Baccarum Juniperi ana half an Ounce Millepedes prepared Earth-worms prepared pure Salt of Tartar volatile Sal-Armoniack ana three Drams mix them Dose from six Drops to twelve or more in a Glass of Ale Wine or Mead. Sometimes I prepared it thus Take Strasburg Turpentine two Ounces Oleum Petroleum one Ounce Oil of Limons Caraways sweet Fen nel-seed ana half an Ounce Crabs Eyes Goats Blood prepared volatile Sal-Armoniack volatile Salt of Amber ana three Drams strong Tincture of Thebian Opium made with the best rectified Spirit of Wine an ounce and half mix them Dose from ten Drops to twenty thirty or more according to age and strength in any proper Vehicle X. This is a thing I have often experienced with good success Take of our Spiritus Universalis two Pound brui sed Onions eight Ounces Parsley bruised four Ounces digest twenty four hours strain out by pressing then pass it through a Filter Dose from half a spoonful to a spoonful or more in a Glass of Ale Mead Wine or Parsley or Arsmart-water Or thus Take common Spirit of Wine a Quart bruised Onions Aniseeds Parsley roots ana six Ounces mix digest three days strain filter and keep it for Use Dose three or four spoonsuls in any fit Vehicle XI Laurenbergius Riverius and others mightily commend this as a thing almost infallible Take pure Salt of Tartar one Ounce parsley-Parsley-water a Quart mix dissolve and filter it two or three times through brown Paper that it may become clear then put into it the fresh outward Rind of Orange peels so much as to colour it of a Citron-colour viz. about two Ounces after three days decant the clear and keep it for Use The Dose is a spoonfull or more in half a Pint of White or Rhenish-Wine or Wine in which Mustard-seed or Horse-Radish-root has been infused XII This is commended by some for to expel the Stone in the Bladder Take Millepedes prepared Bedugar or Sponge of the Briar bush seeds of purple Violets ana one Ounce Species Lithontripticae two Drams mix them make a Pouder Dose two Drams in ten Ounces of a Diuretick Decoction mixt with two Drams of Spirit of Juniper It was given at five in the Morning for some time and a little after a great quantity of reddish Urine came away with flakes like Scales of Fishes which was the Coat or Crust loosned from a larger Stone and by the continual use thereof the Sick was freed from his Disease XIII This has been approved of Take a Hare with young calcine it to Ashes these Ashes mix with an equal quantity of Sugar Dose two Drams in any convenient Vehicle as Syrupus Nephriticus mixt with a Glass of White or Rhenish-Wine But Arnoldus de Villa nova took a Hare and fill'd the Bolly with the skin Saxafrage Millet Lapis Lyncis Lapis Judaicus Lapis Spongiae Cinkfoil and golden Rod and then calcin'd it of which he gave a spoonful in a Glass of Wine every day it broke says he and forced away the Stone in the Reins and Bladder XIV I have often given this following Medicine with incredible success Take Strasburg Turpentine two Ounces Hercules noster half an Ounce Bezoar Minerale Crabs Eyes Millepedes prepared ana q. s. mix and make Pills Dose two Drams twice a day drinking after it the following mixture Take Rbenish-Wine eight Ounces Syrupus Nephriticus an Ounce Potestates Litbontripticae fifteen Drops mix for a Draught This I have also proved with good Success Take Balsam of Peru half a Dram Oils of Nard and Mastich ana ten Drops Oil of Juniper six Drops Lapis Judaicus prepared Crabs Eyes fifteen Grains mix and give it in White or Rhenish-Wine or a Decoction of Millet XV. If by these or some of the Medicines mentioned in the former Chapter the Sick receives no benefit you must come to manual operation how that is to be performed whether by the Apparatus minor or major we have taught in our Synopsis Medicinae Lib. 3. Cap. 16. Sect. 7. 8. to which we shall refer you But there is another way of taking out the Stone which is thus The Artist puts his Finger up the Anus and moves the Stone to the fore-part of the Belly and then by a hole cut in the Musculus Rectus according to the Duct of the Fibres above the Os Pubis he takes out the Stone by the help of the Lapidillium or a pair of Forceps The Operation being performed this way a dripping of the Urine need never be feared and besides a larger space is allowed to take out the Stone in However this Operations is not without its danger besides the trouble for if the Lips of the Wound made in the Bladder be not united to the Muscles of the Abdomen an Exulceration of the Bladder follows which both makes much pain and creates an Ulcer more incurable than the Stone it self Roussetus commends cutting in the Groin especially for Children and is approved by Hildanus in larger Stones which cannot be brought to the Perinaeum it being there taken out with less pain and danger of an Hemorrhage The healing of the Bladder is not extraordinary because it has fleshy Fibres by the help whereof and the innate heat the Wound is the more easily cured XVI Some inject by a Catheter into the Bladder thinking thereby to break the Stone for that the Medicines are not altered in their passage nor lose any thing of their Virtue as those do which are given by the mouth but reach the Stone immediately I have injected Opiates with good success for giving ease If the Liquors be sharp they ought to be such that breaking the Stone they may not hurt the Bladder as Waters made of the Ashes of Scorpions Parsley-roots Kneeholm Crabs Eyes Pellitory of the Wall Pigeons dung c. Baverius injects Petroleum in which Lapis Lyncis has been boiled and strained forth embrocating at the same time with a Decoction of Mallows He says it wonderfully breaks the Stone in the Bladder Or you may inject with this Take a small Lixivium of Pot-Ashes one Pound crude Opium two Drams mix digest twenty four hours then strain out the Liquor for use CHAP. XXI Precipiolum The Universal Medicine of PARACELSUS WHat we have aenigmatically delivered in our Doron Medicum Lib. 1. Cap. 27. concerning the universal Medicine of Paracelsus by reason of
Vaporosum and let it stand 〈◊〉 Weeks in digestion or to putrifie and it will become a slimy Water Take the Retort open its neck and lay the Retort in a Sand-furnace and cover it with an earthen Pan fixing to it a Receiver well luted give first a slow fire then a stronger which continue till the Spirits be well resolved into water First the Spirits will come forth in white Clouds or in smoak and at last in red Clouds or smoak give fire so long till all the Spirits are come over in a clear white water and when you have this sign take the Receiver from the Retort stopping the said Receiver very well with Wax that no Spirits may fly away then let the Fire go out XX. The Matter which remains in the Retort take out and put it into a Bolt-head and stop it well and set it in a warm place then rectifie once the Spirits which are in the Receiver and keep them carefully Now observe this you remember that when the Mercury hath lost its Praecipiolum that the same Mercury will be as bright as a Venice Looking-glass Take of this bright Mercury one part of the Spirit aforesaid two parts put them into a Bolt head stop it very close and let it stand in a little warmth and the Mercury will mix with the Spirit then distil all through a Retort in Sand. Take again of the aforesaid Mercury which is clear as a Venice Looking-Glass p. i. of the Spirit p. ij put them into a Bolt-head and set it in a warm place and the Mercury will mix with the Spirit and dissolve then distil again in a Retort in Sand ut supra and it will come over in form of VVater this continue so long 'till all the one half part of the might Mercury is brought to a clear thin VVater which keep very close stopped with VVax Take the Pouder which I ordered to be kept in a Bolt-head and place it very deep in a sand Capel and give a strong Fire for twenty four Hours then let the Fire go out and take the Bolt-head forth and stir the Pouder with a wooden Stick and put it upon the half part of the clear Mercurial Water closing the Glass with Hermes Seal shake it and let it stand in digestion in a warm place for three or four days then pour off this into another Glass and pour upon the remainder of the Pouder the other half of the VVater sealing the Glass again and letting it stand ut supra for three or four days then put it to the former VVater and Seal up the Glass Hermetically letting it stand in Balneo Vaporoso eight Days after distil it through a Retort and if any thing remain in the Retort which will be very little pour upon it the Spirit again and distil it 'till all is come over Now is the Salt with its own Spirit and brought into its first Matter keep it well stopped XXI This is the VVater which the Philosophers have given divers Names to as their Horse-dung Balneum Mariae and Calx Viva and in Sum this is the Philosophers true Fire without which no true work can be done in Chymistry XXII The Philosopher has brought forth this Salamander which will never wast in the Fire the longer the stronger This Water will increase and multiply per Infinitum that is to say if all the Sea were Mercury it would turn the same into its 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 Calcin'd Tartar and by Sect. 8. aforegoing distil it in a Retort in a sand Furnace and fix to it a Receiver fill'd almost half full of Water that the Mercury may fall into it and coagulate which dry and squeeze eight or ten times through Leather so will your Mercury be well purged and cleansed from all its filth and uncleanness XXIII This is the Mercury which you must use in the multiplying your Spirit or Astrum Mercurij Take of this Mercury p. i. of the Astrum Mercurij p. ij put them into a Bolt-head stop it close and let it stand in a warm place one Night so will the Mercury melt in the Spirit or Astrum Mercurij and turn into Water then distil it through a Retort Thus may you do by repeating the Spirit with fresh Mercury as long as you please XXIV This Water will dissolve Gold and Silver and all sorts of Stones and bring them over with it through a Retort Gold and Silver thus dissolved can never be separated one from another The reason is because they and all other Mettals are of the same Nature and have beginning from the same Water there is nothing in the World but has its beginning from it XXV Medicina Universalis the Universal Medicine Take of your fine Gold in Powder viz. the same which did remain when you made the Praecipiolum one part of your finest Silver two parts in fine Powder put each by it self into a Glass pour upon each the Astrum Mercurij so much as may overtop them a Fingers breadth stop each Glass very close and let them stand in a warm place for eight days and the Gold and Silver will be almost all dissolved into Water pour off this Water each by it self into a Glass and put more Water to the Gold and Silver which yet remains let it stand again eight days in a warm place and then pour off these Waters to the former Waters so will the Gold and Silver be dissolved into Water but there will remain some Foeces XXVI Take of both these Waters a quarter part and put them together into a Bolt-head so as three quarters may be empty seal it Hermetically digest it in an Athanor in a continual warm heat 'till it comes to a fixed red Stone or Pouder Before it becomes a red Pouder there will appear many Colours as Black then Green then Yellow lastly Red When it is very Red and a Pouder take the Bolt head and bury it in a sand Capel very deep and give Fire by degrees and at last a very strong Fire and it will melt like Wax Let it stand one whole Week but the longer the better then take it out and let it cool after break up your Glass and you will find a fird Stone or Pouder and Red as Scarlet XXVII Now you may remember that I bid you keep three parts of your Gold and Silver which were dissolved into Water put both these Waters together into a Retort distil them and both the Gold and Silver will go over with the Water through the Retort with which Water you shall multiply your Medicine Now take of your Medicine p. i. in fine Pouder and put it into a little Bolt head putting upon it twice as much of your Waters as of Gold and Silver Seal it again and digest it in an Athanor 'till it comes to a Red Pouder
and then put it again into the Sand Capell for to give Fixation and that it may melt as Wax as at Sect. 26. thus may you multiply your Medicine ad Infinitum and the Pouder will dissolve in any Liquor XXVIII To make the Astrum Horizontale or Aurum Horizontale viz. the Golden fix'd Praecipitate Take the most fine Gold to wit that which remains over in the working of the Praecipiolum dissolve it in your Astrum Mercurij as much as you will distil it through a Retort once or twice and your Gold will go over along with your VVater and will never be separated one from another for they are both of one nature XXIX Now take the Praecipiolum which is made dry not that which is made already into a Medicine put into a little Glass Cucurbit and put upon it your Golden Astrum Mercurii and distil from it three or four times very slowly but at last very strongly so will your Praecipiolum be a red and fired Stone as some call it or Pouder XXX The same may be done with Mercury purged it will fix the same into a red Pouder The same work may be done with Silver and with your Praecipiolum or with Quicksilver only cleansed No man can find out all the Secrets which are hid in this Philosophick Menstruum the true ALKAHEST of the Immortal Paracelsus The KEY of HELMONT and LULLY 31. TAke Quicksilver purified fix Ounces fine Gold purified with Antimony one Ounce make an Amalgama then distil the Mercury from the Gold mix the same Mercury again with the Gold and thus continue 'till your Gold will no more Amalgama with your Mercury but continue separate XXXII Then take the Gold grind it and put it into a clean Crucible and calcine it 'till it be almost red hot and then quench it in the best rectified Spirit of Vinegar when it is extinguished decant the Spirit from the Gold make the Gold dry heat it again and extinguish in the former Vinegar which work repeat six or seven times XXXIII Then dry your Gold and Amalgama it again with the former Mercury and distil again as at first and this do so long 'till the Gold will not Amalgama with the Mercury then calcine the Gold again and extinguish it in the former Spirit of Vinegar which work repeat as before six or seven times and as your Spirit decays or wastes add to it fresh Spirit of Vinegar-All these Operations you must so long continue 'till all the Semen Salt or Mercury coagulate is extracted out of the Quicksilver XXXIV Take then fresh Quicksilver and work in all things as before by Amalgagamating Distilling Calcining and Extinguishing in the said Spirit of Vinegar and continuing still with other fresh Quicksilver so long 'till you think you have enough from the Gold XXXV Then take this Spirit of Vinegar impregnated with the whole Essence of Gold evaporate it or distil it very softly off so will the Essentia Auri lye at the bottom like a yellow Salt which dissolve in fair rain-Rain-water distilled filtre and evaporate again softly then put it into a small Retort in a Sand-heat with an indifferent large Receiver give Fire by degrees and it will come over in a white Spirit like Smoak and Red like Saffron Being resolved into a red Liquor let the Fire go out and keep the Essence for use It is one of the greatest Medicines under the Sun three or four Drops of it are able to extinguish any Sickness curable The OPENING of SOL and LUNA XXXVI TAke of the Red Lyon twelve parts pulverize it well and grind it with one part of the Calx of fine Gold or Silver Put all into a small Bolt-head set it in Sand to the Neck which Neck must be very well Luted give the first degree of Fire for a Week the next Week the second degree the third Week the third degree and the fourth Week the fourth and last degree to a hissing so that if a drop of Water fall upon the Sand it may hiss XXXVII Then let the Fire go out and cut the Glass with a Ring take the Crystalline Matter like a Ring near the Neck of the Glass pulverize and grind it with its weight of the Calx of fine Sol or Luna as aforesaid pass the afore-mentioned four degrees in eight Hours to a hissing open the Glass as before and take the starry Crown which is the living Gold or Silver XXXVIII This Living Gold or Silver augment by digestion with a twelfth part of fine Sol or Luna at a time as often as you please or till you have a sufficient quantity of the same Take of this Living Sol or Luna a small quantity digest it in Ashes till it changes Colours viz. towards Red or White Earth Take then this Red or White Earth Amalgamate it with Living Gold or Silver and Calx digest again in a Glass Hermitically Sealed till it comes to a perfect Redness or Whiteness LIBRI PRIMI FINIS Clavis Alchymiae OR HERMES TRISMEGISTVS KALID PERSICVS AND GEBER ARABS All Translated out of the best Latin Editions into English and Claused for the sakes of the Lovers of Learning To which is Added A Singular Comment upon the First Book of HERMES the most Ancient of Philosophers By WILLIAM SALMON Professor of Physick The Second BOOK LONDON Printed for J. Harris and T. Howkins 1692. Clavis Alchymiae OR HERMES TRISMEGISTVS KALID ARABS AND GEBER ARABS All Translated out of the best Latin Editions into English and Claused for the sakes of the Lovers of Learning To which is added a singular Comment upon the First Book of Hermes the most Ancient of Philosophers BY WILLIAM SALMON Professor of PHYSICK The Second BOOK LONDON Printed for John Harris and Thomas Howkins 1691. Hermetis Trismegisti Tractatus Aureus The Golden Work of Hermes Trismegistus Translated out of Hebrew into Arabick then into Greek afterwards into Latin and now done out of Latin into English Claused and largely Commented upon By WILLIAM SALMON CHAP. I. The Preface Explicating in part the Prima Materia I. HERMES Even Hermes himself saith I have not in a very long Age ceased to try Experiments nor have I spared any Labour of mind But I obtained the knowledge of this Art by the Inspiration of the Living God only who esteeming me his Servant worthy did reveal and open the Secret to me Salmon There are three things which are certainly most necessary to the attainment of this knowledge I. An Unwearied Study 2. A Continued Experience 3. And the Divine Blessing going along with all Without these it is not probable any Man can attain the knowledge of this Secret There must be a diligent Study and a serious Meditation in the Soul concerning this thing Then these things thus meditated on must by experience be brought to ocular demonstration nor if you miss many times must you be weary with trying Lastly you must all along attend the Blessing of God for his assistance 'T is that Eternal
help of Vulgar Argent Vive And the Crow is the Infancy of the Work wherein the said Philosophick Mercury is United with its Solar Ferment The blackness of the Night is the Putrefaction thereof and the clearness of the Day its Resurrection into a State of Purity It flies without Wings being Born or carried by the fixt Nature and the bitterness in the Throat is the Death of the first Life whence is Educed the Soul which is the Red and Living Tincture taken from the Body And the Water is the Viscous Humidity made of the Philosophers Argent Vive which radically dissolves all Metals and reduces them into their first Ens or Water and also reduces common Quick-Silver into the same by a Simple Imbibition for ever VI. Hermes Understand and accept of this gift of God which is hidden from Ignorant and Foolish Men. This hidden Secret which is the Venerable Stone splendid in Color a sublime Spirit an Open Sea is hid in theCaverns of the Metals Behold I have exposed it to you and give thanks to the Almighty God who teaches you this knowledge If you be grateful be will return you the Tribute of your Love Salmon Fools and unlearned are excluded from the knowledge of this Mystery viz. Such as are unacquainted with the gift of God which is a measure of his Holy Spirit He calls it a Stone yet says it is a Spirit for was it not a Spirit it could not Penetrate and Tinge other Bodies by an absolute Unity and Conjunction Bodies and Matter cannot do this the most that they can do is but to touch one another in their Superficies for all matter is Dead and no Dead thing can penetrate into the property of another but only at most lie side by side with it And to make the matter the more sensible to your understanding he compares it to an open Sea for that this Spirit peirces Bodies and is joyned to them even as Water is joyned to Water or as the Salt Body thereof is joyned with its Aqueous parts It is hidden in the Caverns of the Metals that is if you seek for it in any thing that is not Metalline you stumble at the Threshold VII Hermes You must put the matter into a moist fire and make it to Boil which Augments the Heat of the Humour or Matter and destroys the Dryness of the incombustible Sulphur continue Boiling till the Radix may appear then Extract the Redness and the light parts till only about a third remains Salmon There are said to be three Species of Decoction 1. An external Fiery heat in Humido and is called Elixation 2. An external heat in Sicco which is called Assation 3. An internal natural heat in Humido called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Maturity or the Ripening and perfecting heat Now which of these it is that Hermes speaks of is the question The first and the third differ in this The first is an external Fiery Heat The latter an Internal Natural Heat In my Opinion both are to be admitted The Natural Heat Internal is the Cause of Generation and without that the External Heat can do nothing Hence we conclude the Heat to be twofold 1. External to excite 2. Internal to perfect both which ought to be made in humido for all Generation is naturally made in Calido Humido in a moist Heat which Hermes calls Ignem Humidum as if he should say the Fire is twofold which you must use viz. External and Internal He seems to make his Coction double 1. In the time of Augmentation 2. In the Ultimate perfection or Maturity and so long this Fire is to be continued till the Radix does appear i. e. the Seed of Metals The same method that Nature takes in Generating Herbs and Plants she takes in Generating Metals whose Seed is extracted by the help of Art which Seed is only and truly the Philosophers Mercury in which all the Metals are resolved into their first principles and in which is imprest the Character or Power of Transmutation They all err who think to reduce Metals only into Crude Mercury and not into their Radix as Hermes speaks viz. into their Seeds which is the first Matter living in Metals and from thence Nature ever goes forward never back-ward till she comes to perfection VIII Hermes For this Cause-sake the Philosophers are said to be Envious or Obscure not for that they Grudged the thing to the honest or just Man to the Religious or Wise or to the Legitimate Sons of Art but to the Ignorant the Vitious the Dishonest lest evil Persons should be made powerful to perpetrate sinful things for such a fault the Philosophers must render an account to God Evil Men are not worthy of this Wisdom Salmon It appears that neither Hermes nor any of the other Philosophers did Envy or Grutch the true knowledge of the matter to the Pious Just and good Man but only to the Profane and Wicked they did not think it fit to give the Childrens Bread to Dogs for which Cause-sake they always keep the Prima Materia Secret and left it as a Legacy to the Legitimate Sons of Art but the manner and way of working it through all its various Operations they have faithfully and plainly declared to the least Iota or Tittle CHAP. III. The Names and First Operation Explicated I. HERMES Now this Matter I call by the Name of the Stone the Feminine of the Magnesia the Hen the White Spittle or Froth the Volatile Milk the Incombustible Ashes so that it might be hidden from the simple and unwise who want understanding honesty and goodness which notwithstanding they signified it to the Wise and Prudent by one only Name which is the Stone of the Wise or the Philosophers Stone Salmon There are various Names by which the Philosophers call it as Sol Gold Brass of the Philosophers Magnesia the pure Body clear Ferment Elixir Masculine Fixt Argent Vive Incombustible Sulphur Red fixed Sulphur the Rubin Kibrick Green Vitriol the Greenness Redness burnt Brass Red Earth the Water of Sulphur Aqua Mundi Spittle of Luna Shaddow of the Sun Eyes of Fishes Sulphur sharp Wine Urin Light of Lights Father of Minerals Fruitful Tree Living Spirit Venom most strange Vinegar White Gum Everlasting Water Aqua Vitae a Woman Man Masculine Feminine a Vile thing Azot FirstMatter Principium Mundi and therefore Argent Vive Mercury Azot Plentlunam Hypostasis White Lead Red Lead Water the Crow Iron Silver Lime Jupiter Vermilion Whiteness all signifie but one thing Our Stone but in diver times and degrees of Operation So also White Earth White Sulphur Ethel Auripigmentum Arsenick Chaos a Dragon Serpent Toad Green-Lyon Red-Lyon Camelion Quintessence Virgins Milk Radical Humidity Unctuous Moisture Sperm Sal Armoniack Hair Urine Antimony Philosophers Lead Salt a Bird Microcosmus Cinnaber do all signifie but one and the same thing II. Hermes Conserve therefore in this the Sea the Fire and the
the Regions above but truly by forbearing to Flie. Salmon In this our Art are two Principles which spring from one Root and which are the subject of our Stone viz. Argent Vive and Sulphur of which the one is Volatile and superior the other fixt and below from the Conjunction of which often repeated is made the true and Philosophical sublimation and fixation And that is the fixation when the Body receives the Tinging Spirit and takes from it its Volatility this is done by frequent Reiterations till a Calx of perpetual duration is produced and will remain for ever in the Fire But in the very beginning of this work the substance of the Stone which in it self is most fixed by a Spirit not fixed or Volatile as Sea Water acetum radicatum and such like is to be made Volatile And by this means it will be more fit to be cleansed of its Filth or Rust which in metals is a most certain sign of Imperfection V. Hermes If therefore you shall deliver it out of its Imprisonment or Cage or Straights then afterwards you shall Order and Govern it according to the number of days I shall note to you according to Reason and then it shall be a Companion to thee and by it thou shalt be made great and powerful Salmon That is the fixed Body is to be lifted up by sublimation and to be so often repeated till the Volatile is made fixed or fixed with it But this is not to be done hastily or all at once but by little and little and by degrees Lest by too great a haste you break the Vessel or come to some other hurt God himself made all things in Number Weight and Measure that is in due and just proportion as well in respect of Time as Matter If you proceed wisely in this Case you will receive the fulness of your expectations VI. Hermes Extract from the Sun Beams the shadow and the sordid Matter by that which makes the Clouds hang over it and Corrupts it and keeps it from the Light because by its Torture and Red Fiery Heat or Redness it is Burned Salmon The shadow always goes along with the Body walking in the Sun Now that a clearer Light may appear through the Body without any shadow the Body must be opened made thin and dissolved which is the Patient by the Spirit or Sun-Beams which are the Agent the living Fire by whose Power it is brought to a Calx and the Corruptible part is Burnt up and destroyed or made fit to be separated VII Hermes Take this Redness Corrupted with the Water which resembles the Matter holding the Fire as in a live Coal from it As often as you take this Redness Corrupted in Water away from it so often you have the Redness Purified then will it Associate it self viz. become fixed and Tinged in which 〈◊〉 it will rest for ever Salmon That is Our Magnesia which is sown in our Philosophick Earth is to be Corrupted or Putrefied and then to be Digested Coagulated Sublimated Incerated and Fixed This Magnesia or Redness is thus made pure by separation and then it becomes Dissolved Digested Coagulated Sublimed Incerated and Fixed and Tinged being first lift up into the highest Heavens and then Buried again in the deepest Earth that therewith it may arise and in the same have a Habitation and be fixt for ever The Water is the Spirit the Redness is the Soul or Tincture and the Earth is the Body Now the Spirit is the Life of the Soul as the Body is the Clothing or Habitation thereof so that the Body is a substance fixed dry and containing both the Spirit and the Soul The Spirit Penetrates the Body the Body fixes the Spirit the Soul conjoyned Tinges of its own Color whether it is White or Red. VIII Hermes Return the Coal being extinct in its life to the Water in the thirty days I note to thee so will you have a Crowned King resting upon the Fountain or Well but drawing it from the Auripigment and wanting the Humour or Moisture Now have I made the Hearts of the attentive who hope in thee glad and their Eyes beholding thee in the hope of that which thou possessest Salmon The Life of the Coal is Fire which being removed from it is like a Dead Body nor in a Coal only but in all other things it is Fire that excites or stirs up the Life comforts it and conserves it Yea the Essence of Life is nothing else than Pure Naked Unmixed Fire not that which is Corrupting and Elementary but that which is Subtil Coelestial and Generating all things This in Metals is the Aqua Philosophica Oleaginosa Sulphurea and in this the Earth is to be raised up in the space of 30 days which is a certain Number for an uncertain By the Crowned King is meant the perfection of the Tincture The Well is the Fountain of the Philosophers inexhaustible out of which it draws the Auripigment or eternal Tincture but wanting indeed its moisture or Running-Water which is for so long time to be Digested and Boiled with Fires c. IX Hermes Now the Water was first in the Air then in the Earth restore thou it then to the superior places through its own meanders or passages and not foolishly or indiscreetly change or alter it and then to the former Spirit gathered in its Redness you must carefully and leisurly joyn it Salmon Convert the Elements and you shall have what you seek The Earth which is Cold and Dry agrees with the Water in one quality which is cold The Air which is Hot and Moist participates with the Fire which is Hot and dry and consequently the Earth with the Fire because of its Driness The Earth is the only true and first Element of the Stone which by a Philosophical Calcination is to be Burnt up and Rarified afterwards to be Dissolved in a Moist place into a Ponderous Water This by Sublimation is made more subtil and converted into Fire This Oyl by a most strong Fire into Ashes or a Red Rubicund Earth Thus the Dragon devours his own Tail and the Pelican with her own Blood nourishes her Young ones The Blood of the Pelican is this Red Spirit Now nothing is joyned together with it but that which before was separated from it This Mixtion of the Elements is not Corporeal but Spiritual not with Hands done but the work of the Metalline Archeus or Spirit which you ought well to know and then you will not long err from the Truth CHAP. V. A Dialogue between Hermes and his Son I. HERMES Know thou my Son that the fat of our Earth is Sulphur that Sulphur is Auripigment Siretz or Colcothar of which Auripigment Sulphurs and such like some are more vile or mean than others in which there is a difference or diversity Of this kind also is the Fat of Glewy substances to wit of Hair Nails Hoofs and Sulphur it self Oyl of Peter and the Brain or
the Water and the Fire dwelling therein which does contain its own Water drawn from the Four Elements and their Waters This is not Water in its form but Fire containing in a strong and pure Vessel the Ascending Waters lest the Spirits should flie away from the Bodies for by this means are they made Tinging and Permanent or Fixed Salmon That is the Mercury and the Sulphur dwelling in the Salt or the Spirit and the Soul dwelling in the Body which is our Stone The Fire saith he contains its own Water drawn from the Four Elements That is the Sulphur contains the Mercury drawn from its Original Fountains This is not Water in Form but Fire Nor is it Quick-Silver in form but Sulphur nor Spirit in form but Oyl or Tincture containing the Clouds and Ascending Waters which are of a dry consistency or Body sticking to the sides of the Glass lest they should flie away in sublimation from the Bodies by this means being often iterated at least three times but if it be six or seven times it is yet better the Spirit enters into and peirces and penetrates the Body in Order to its Fixation which at length is perfected which the highest Fixation and Tincture by the Fixing Oyl or Sulphur VII Hermes O Blessed Water in the form of Sea which Element thou dissolvest Now it behoves us with this watery Soul to possess a Sulphurous Form and to mix or joyn the same with our Vinegar Salmon Great is the Virtue and Power which dwells in the Aqua Philosophica from whence it is caled Blessed For as common Water washes away the Filth from things and cleanses them outwardiy so this our Elementated Water not only Dissolves Bodies but also Washes away and Cleanses them inwardly from all manner of Defilemens and Impurities and being joyned with the Philosophick Vinegar brings forth from them their incombustible Sulphur which by projection tinges and transmutes all imperfect Metals into most pure fine Gold and Silver This Water is the Key of the Art by which the Bodies are oftentimes to be opened that is they are to be Dissolved and by the same to be again Coagulated to be made more noble pure and perfect So that no Foot-steps of Death Blackness Corruption or Imperfection may any more remain in them The preparation of this Water is known but to a few nor do many attain to it because the Well is Deep out of which it is drawn nor do the Vulgar Chymists understand it But whatever you do you can do no great Matter without the help of Nature and tho' Aqua Fortis and Aqua Regis and such-like are usefull in their places to dissolve and Tear Bodies into Atoms yet are they Alien and far from the true Aqua Philosophica which has the Power to enter into the insides of Metals whereas they only divide them into many Superficies And therefore say the Philosophers the preparation of this Water is not to be Learned of Masters but it must be taught by the Dictates of Nature her self VIII Hermes For when by the Power of the Water the Compositum also is Dissolved you have the Key of the Restauration then Death and Blackness flie away and Wisdom proceeds on to the Finishing of the Work Salmon This Water does not Tear or Gnaw Bodies into Pieces and Bits but it Radically Dissolves them and reduces them into their Prima Materia as they were in their Original Generation Of this Nature are those Fountains Springs in Hungaria which have a Faculty of Transmuting what Iron soever is cast into them into good Coper and those other Fountains into which if any Wood be cast so as it remains but some certain time by the Lapidescent Virtue of the Water it is transmuted through its whole substance into Stone which Memorable and well known Powers and Operations of Nature in these particular things are in part a demonstration or at least an Argument to persuade one to the belief of other Operations and Transmutations in the Metalline Kingdom Ignis Azoth say the Philosophers are enough for the whole Work Learn therefore from Nature the preparation of this Azoth or Water of the Philosophers which Water being prepared does with a simple Operation through the help of Nature gently boyling in a soft Fire bring the work to a conclusion and perfect the same This Operation indeed or simple Coction is that which opens the Door into the Chambers of Life making Putrefaction and Death and blackness and darkness to vanish and flie away This Water and this Fire tho' simple and simple in their Operation yet are they hid and known but to a few for that they lead into the most recluse and abscondite recesses of Nature CHAP. VII The Operations of Nature in the Aqua Philosophica as in a Seed I. HERMES Now know my Son that the Philosophers chain up the Matter with a strong chain or band when they make it to contend with the fire because the Spirits in the washed Bodies desire to dwell therein and to rejoyce there In these habitations they vivifie themselves and dwell therein and the Bodies hold or contain them nor from them can they ever be separated Salmon The Bodies before they can be 〈◊〉 united with the Spirit and joyned one to another in a strong Confederation must first be purified and washed with Azoth and 〈◊〉 for the washing is that which puts an end to the blackness and the purification is made and continued till the White Elixir is made perfectly white and till the red is made perfectly red being thus cleansed and purified the Spirit out of a natural propension is drawn to the Bodies in which being ardently inflamed it immediately commixes with them and they are conjoyned with an indissoluble conjunction under the Chains of which they remain inseparable for ever Now this conjunction is not made by chance but from the meer affinity which is between the Bodies and Spirit for they both proceed from one fountain and principle though of the two the spirit by reason it vivifies and holds the Particles of the Bodies together is much the more noble the more excellent and most powerful Agent II. Hermes Then the dead Elements are revived and the Compositum or 〈◊〉 Bodies are tinged and altered and by wonderful operations they are made permanent or fixed as the Philosopher saith Salmon The Domicils of themselves remain dead but the Inhabitants in them are alive Now the Bodies of the Metals are the Domicils of their Spirits which when they are received by the Bodies their terrestrial substance is by little and little made thin extended and Purified and by their Vivifying Power the Life and Fire hitherto lying Dormant is excited and stirred up For the Life which dwells in the Metals is laid as it were asleep nor can it exert its Power or shew it self unless the Bodies be first Dissolved Exalted and turned into Spirit for that the Spirit does only Vivifie being brought to this
tho' most Vehement and Fusory or in the strongest reverberation without the least Diminution Detriment or Corruption But the Mercury is fixed by the Spirit of the Sulphur not by its Corporeity the Corpo real Particles only give form and convey the Spirit to the Mercury which could not be brought to it in or by any other Vehicle By the Fire all the Heterogene or impure parts of the Mercury are destroyed the pure left behind and held fast by the Power of the fixing Spirit which otherwise without the assistance and help of that Spirit would have vanished also This Volatile substance it seizes upon changes or trans mutes and fixes that is brings over into its own property This tho' a Spirit contains in it the highest fixity and its Body being Opened is the Sulphur or Seed which must be sown in the Philosophick Earth or Mercury as we have often said that it may there Die and resume a new Body a thousand fold more in quantity than its own which by the enforming Power of the Energetick Spirit will be made to live spring up and grow to be a Tree of the first Magnitude bearing Golden Apples whose Seed will be and remain in its self for ever and bring forth a new to infinity of Generations It s perpetual new Substance or Body being made out of the Substance of the Mercurial Earth by the Power of the transmuting or Vegetating Spirit and Soul VI. Hermes And that which rests or remains upon a strong Fire is fixed and is also a strong Fire it self And that which in the heat of a strong or boyling Fire is corrupted or destroyed or made to sly is Cambar Salmon By Cambar also he means the self same thing to wit our Volatile Mercury in its Corruptible State or rather the Corrubtible and impure part thereof which must be corrupted or destroyed and made to fly away that that which is pure and will not fly may appear and remain but the purifying Fire must be known in which the great Secret of the Operation lies and without which nothing can be done which Fire as we have formerly said is two fold viz. Internal and External the latter being used only to excite the former VII Hermes And know ye that Our AEs Brass or Laton is Gold which is the Art of the premanent or fixed Water and the Coloration of its Tincture and Blackness is then turned or changed into Redness Salmon That is Our Gold or Stone or Tincture is the product of the permanent or fixed Water by which he means the Philosophick Mercury impregnated with the Spirit of the fixed and incombustible Sulphur And by this you may perceive he puts a difference between the AEs Brass or Laton which is made by this permanent Water and the Corpus aeris or Body of common Brass Now the Aqua permanens is that which contains in it self the Tinctures of all Colors Black only excepted which is taken away from it for that it is a sign-of imperfection and impurity By this Water alone Mercury is turned or changed into the true Red that is into the Tincture of Sol. But to take away its Corruption and to reduce it into the incorruptible and fixt Nature of Sol that must be done by Sol alone and not by any corruptible and Forreign Matter or Substance for that Sol contains in himself the Seeds of fixity and Tincture which no other Body in the World does besides But to make Sol do or perform these things its Body must be opened prepared and made fit for this purpose by Virtue of the Aqua permanens or Aqua Philosophica VIII Hermes I confess that through the help of God I have spoken nothing but the Truth That which is destroyed must be restored and renewed and from thence Corruption is seen in the Matter to be Renovated and from thence the Renovation appears And on both or either side it is the sign of Art Salmon He has 〈◊〉 erto been teaching you the first part of the Work which is the Destruction of the first Birth and Life concerning which he assures us he has spoken nothing but the Truth Our Mercury must be undone and unmade that is corrupted and destroyed and brought through Putrefaction into a pure and Limpid Water that it may be able to peirce the Metalline Bodies from which State by Conjunction with a pure fixt and incombustible Sulphur and by Virtue of a subtle living and fixing Spirit invisible without length breadth or thickness which Spirit is the Philosophick Fire it is to be renewed and regenerated the Water is to be dryed up the spiritual is to be made corporeal the thin to be made thick the Volatile to be made fixt and the changeable Colors reduced to a Unity and Permanency either White or Red according to the Order and Root of the Operation one and the same Mercury does corrupt and destroy the Bodies and again exalt perfect and fix them The Matter of Our Stone is but one and therefore nothing can be more Alien from the Art than to fetch it from many things Nature is not mended or made better but by a Nature of its own kind as Vinegar makes Vinegar so Our Art begins with Mercury and with the same Mercury it is Finished It is a kind of Proteus which creeping upon the Earth assumes the Nature of a Serpent but being Immersed in Water it represents a Fish presently taking to it self Wings it ascends a loft and flies like a Bird yet notwithstanding it is but one and the same Mercury with this the Artist does Work and with it he transacts all the necessary Operations of our Stone being fit and proper for them all viz. for Putrefying Distilling Coagulating Mortifying Vivifying Subliming and Tinging without which seven Operations you labour wholly in vain Till you have Putrefied the Matter you have not made one step in the true way but that being done you have accomplished the first sign of the Art as Hermes testifies CHAP. X. The Practical part of the Philosophick Work I. HERMES My Son that which is born of the Crow is the beginning of this Art Salmon The Crow is the Blackness and Darkness of the Matter being Corrupted Now nothing was ever Generated or brought to light which had not its beginning from blackness and darkness ex nocte Orphei i. e. from principles Invisible for so it is said concerning the Creation of the great World In the beginning when God Created the Heavens and the Earth the Earth was empty and void and darkness was upon the Face of the Deep and God said let there be Light and it was so From whence we may gather that Darkness was Prior to Light And so it is in this our Philosophick Work and altho' it is commonly thought that the darkness or Dark principle is taken for the true Seed of things yet it is no such thing but only certain Rudiments or rather the Domicil wherein the true Seeds of things
dwell Nor is the Spirit by it self the Seed of things nor yet the Corporeal Particles by themselves but a certain portion of Spirit joyned with a fit proportion of Idoneous Matter conjoyned with an Eternal Soul which in the beginning of our Work is to be Putrefied and made blackness and darkness that the whole Corporeal form may be made spiritual and the Seed which before was Corporeal and Visible or a Spirit joyned with a Soul and a Body may become wholly spiritual From this third Immixt Incorporeal and Invisible Seed as from the Crow in the blackness and darkness of the Night is our Stone the true Seed brought forth which saith Our Hermes is the beginning of this Art II. Hermes See here how I have obscured the matter spoken of to you by a kind of Circumlocution and I have deprived you of seeing the light by giving you too much light And 1. This dissolved 2. This joyned 3. This nearest and longest I have named to you Salmon He tells us he has not nakedly demonstrated the whole thing to us but he has Indigitated the Matter with what fincerity he could Circumscribendo by a certain going about or Circumlocution which the Sons of Art by thinking and Meditating upon may at length happily find out The Philosophers say there are three several Birds which from the Name of Hermes they call Aves Hermeticae which fly by Night without Wings The first is Corvus the Crow or Raven which from its blackness is said to be the beginning of the Art and is of the Nature of the Element of the Earth Another is the Swan and is so called from the Whiteness in the middle and answers to the Element of the Water in which the Swan is Conversant The third is the Eagle which is the Oleum seu Sulphur Philosophorum and answers to the Air for that it flys longest in the Air and nearest to the Sun But that you may not be deceived by Names these Birds answer to so many Spirits or rather to one only Spirit under that threefold appearance or manifestation III. Hermes Roast them therefore then boyl them in that which proceeds from the Horse Belly for 7 14 or 21 days that it may eat its own Wings and kill or destroy it self This done let it be put in Petta Panni and in the fire of a Fornace which dili gently lute and take care of that none of the Spirit may go forth And observe that the times of the Earth are in the Water which let be as long as you put the same upon it Salmon Hitherto he has for the most part delivered the Art Theorically now he comes to the Practical part ordering the matter before demonstrated in divers manners to be roasted and to boil it in Horse-dung for a certain number of days There is a time of digestion which is the prime or first Assation or Decoction with a fire weak and soft like that of horse-dung which is sufficient for the first degree of Digestion This being done the Dragon will eat his own Wings and kill or destroy himself that is the matter will begin in the Terra Philosophica to be dissolved and corrupted Then after the time of the solution is absolved or compleated the heat of the fire is by little and little to be augmented and the matter to be decocted in a Philosophick Fornace or 〈◊〉 with a continual fire But the Vessel which must hold the matter must be exactly sealed lest the Mineral Spirits which have a most vehement and penetrating fire should transpire or go forth and leave the dead Body This may be done with Lutum Sapientiae which you may prepare after this manner Take Glue dried into powder one ounce Barly flower two ounces green Wood Ashes Salt Calx Vive Sand Crocus martis or Caput mort of Vitriol ana one ounce all being in fine powder let them be mixed with juice of Comfrey and Whites of Eggs to the just consistency of Lute with this the Mouths and junctures of the Vessels must be stopt and closed so that the least Spirit or Vapour may not go forth IV. Hermes The mat ter then being melted or dissolved and burnt take the brain thereof and grind it in most sharp Vinegar or Childrens Urine till it be obscured or hid this done it does live in putrefaction Salmon Our Stone contains secretly or hiddenly in its self all the Colors of the World which are not manifested unless it be first melted or dissolved As often therefore as it is melted in the fire so often a new color arises from it till all the colours are vanished and the whole matter is reduced to ashes And in these Philosophick Ashes is the Phoenix hidden and out of them will it arise with glory and splendour at first weak like a Worm which in success of time will become a Bird even the most glorious Phoenix By the Brain thereof he means the Spirit But here he calls the Ashes the Brain Metaphorically for as the Brain is the Seat of the most pure and subtil Animal Spirit in an Animal so these Ashes are the place of the most subtil Mineral or Metallick Spirit and the matter in which the said Spirit is hidden even the most noble and most pretious Spirit of this whole greater World By the most sharp Vinegar or Childrens Urine he means the Acidity or Spiritual juices of the Metals or Metalick bodies And by grinding the Ashes therewith he means dissolving them therein which is the Philosophick way of speaking And this dissolution must be so long till it putrefies and the first color of the operation appears which is blackness which color must twice appear The Stone must become Black twice twice White and twice Red the cause of which is but one only for that the putrefaction is twice repeated and therefore it is said the second time to live in Putrefaction that is being once corrupted and putrefied the second time it does putrefie By the Brain as I have said is understood the Spirit or the most subtil Mineral substance dissolved in the Radicated Vinegar of the Philosophers if you know not the preparation or rectification of this Radicated Vinegar you know nothing of the true Philosophick Menstruum or dissolvent there is no other Aqua Vitae Metalica Aqua Vitae Mercurialis Aqua Lapidis but this Acetum Radicatum for that it contains in it self all things necessary for this Work V. Hermes The Dark Clouds will be in it before it is Kill'd let them be converted into its own Body and this to be reiterated as I have described Again let it be Killed as aforesaid and then it does Live Salmon That is to say while the Matter is in Dissolution and Putrefaction in Killing but not Killed the Clouds like a Tempest will arise which is an effervescence caused from the contest of the contending principles as is evident in all sorts of Fermentations These Clouds must revert again and be converted into
and Water too soon it will not be Levened If it lies too long it will be over done so in our Work if you be too hasty you will perform nothing at all If too long and with too Violent a Fire you will hazard the breaking of your Vessel and by an over Volatility frustrate the fixity of your Medicine The making of Cheese is Famous for almost every Housewife can tell you how easie it is to ruin or spoil all how good soever your Milk and Rennet may be if you be unskilful in the Art If the Milk be too hot or too cold or the Rennet be too much or too little or the Coagu lum lies too short a time or too long you may spoil your Cheese and miss the Perfection or Goodness which therein you seek after These are Familiar examples and need no farther exposition The Matter therefore is first by our Ferment corrupted and brought into a blackness by Death but not such a blackness out of which it cannot be recovered but so that in the Course of the Fermentation the Mass of the Confection may pass through the mutation or changes of all the Colors Now Heat working at the first in humidity brings forth the blackness but Heat working in the dryness causeth Whiteness and in the White the Citrinity and wonderful deep Redness These Varieties of Colors are caused only by the Ferment in a proper and fit heat so that the Corruption of one is the Generation of another and the Ferment becomes the Ferment of the Ferment as the Philosophers speak He who cannot taste the Sapor of Salt will never attain to this desired Ferment of Ferments which is the Soul even before Fermentation If therefore this Ferment be not well prepared your Magistery will be nothing worth and know that this Fermentum is taken only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Luna that is from Gold and Silver and converts the other Bodies into its own Nature Therefore it behoves you to know how to introduce this Ferment into Dead and imperfect Bodys that is to make Ingression because it is the Soul and this Soul gives to them Life and Perfection so that together with this living and perfect Soul they are made alive and perfect and one perfect Body II. Hermes The certain Color of the Golden matter for the Red and the Nature thereof is not sweetness therefore of them we make Sericum which is Ixir the Ferment and of them we make Enamel of which we have Written Salmon Altho' it does not here sufficiently appear what our Author means by Sweetness and Sericum yet afterwards he so explains himself that we may guess at it and that it is the Golden Ferment for the Red the adumbration whereof he gives us under the Mask of Encaustum or Enamel and truly by Figures 〈◊〉 and Tropical ways of speaking he has been pleased to deliver himself through this whole Work I suppose he uses the Similitude of Sweetness here in respect of Leven for that Leven is not Sweet III. Hermes And with the King's Seal we have tinged the Clay and in that we have put or placed the color of Heaven which augments the sight of them who can already in some measure see Salmon By the King's Seal is meant the Virtue Power Character or Tincture of Gold which tinges Lutum the Clay that is the Mercurial Mass or Earth which is now but one thing and a Secret drawn out of the Fountains of the Wise for which reason it is by some called Sigillum Sapientum Also Sigillum Hermetis and Sigillum Mercurii This is the thing which many have sought after in vain and could never find that is the outward turned inward and the inward parts turned outwards that which was below raised up and that which was above laid down below the Superiors and Inferiors the Heavens and the Earth joyned together in one Globe or Mass and digested together in one till they produce the heavenly color the light of Sol which gives such as have Eyes to see the happiness of seeing a Fountain inexhaustible an Eternal Spring the permanent and endless Treasure IV. Hermes Gold therefore is the most pretious Stone without Spots also temperate which neither Fire nor Air nor Water nor Earth is able to corrupt or destroy the universal ferment rectifying all things in a middle or tempe rate Composition which is of a Yellow or true Citrine colour Salmon Our Hermes here confesses plainly that the Philosophick Gold is this most pretious Stone without blemish and incorruptible and differs as much from vulgar Gold as Leven does from the Paste or Yest from the Ale or Beer which is made by it For as clear well-wrought Ale cannot change other Wort into Ale nor Levened Paste leven another Mass of Meal and Water till it 〈◊〉 brought to the perfection of Leven so neither can vulgar Gold which is the product of Mercury and Sulphur transmute or change any other body into its own Purity Tincture and Fixity No This is only the work of our Stone Elixir Tincture the true Philosophick Gold V. Hermes The Gold of the Wise Men boiled and well digested with a fiery Water makes Ixir Salmon The Gold is to be exquisitely boiled as much as you please with a fiery water and digested This fire is found no where more perfect better or more powerful than in Minerals and their Roots which Roots the Philosophers say are in the Air And the Gold is Spiritual Gold not the body of vulgar Gold unprepared This Aqua Ignea is nothing else but the Mercury of the Philosophers drawn from its Mineral Root This Water is the Mother which does dissolve the Gold conceived in its Belly being digested and nourished there for forty Weeks at the end of which digestion like as in the hour of a mans Nativity the Soul i. e. the Tincture arises but not first nor quickly In this point is all the hazard but this being past there is no more peril the danger is wholly over VI. Hermes For the Gold of the Wise Men is more weighty or heavy than Lead which in a Temperate or due composition is the ferment of Ixir and contrariwise in a distemperature or undue Composition the distemperature or hurt of the whole Work or Matter Salmon Our Gold the Off-spring of this great Work is much heavier than Lead because of its Weakness Volatility and Intemperature Our Infant is of a most strong and temperate Composition healing the Infirmities of its proper Parents and tinging the Mercury of all Bodies whatsoever into the best and most pure fine Gold By this is understood the Vital Roots of the Minerals into which if the Bodies be reduced they are made apt or fit for a new Regeneration so that from the same you may have the true Tincture of the Philosophers VII Hermes For the work is first made from the Vegetable Secondly from the Animal in a Hens Egg in which is the greatest assistance and the constancy of the Elements
will tinge nothing for it never tinges any thing Red but that which is White and while the Work is now perfecting add them to the light of the Sun and it will be compleated Regimine Marino as we have already declared and by this conjunction above your Stone will attain to its Beauty and Glory XII Thus have you a dry Fire which does tinge an Air or Vapour which fixes and chains the Volatile Matter binding the Fugitive in Fetters and also whitens expelling the blackness from Bodies and a fixed Earth also receiving the Tincture CHAP. XX. The Order of the Practical part of the Operation I. WAsh your Mercury with the Water of the Sea till you have taken away from it all its Blackness so will you accomplish your work to perfection in which rejoyce II. If you understand how a Resurrection is ac complished i. e. how the living Principle or Spirit comes forth from the dead Matter or Substance how that is made apparent which was hidden and how Strength is drawn forth through Weakness you cannot be Ignorant how to compleat and perfect this Work III. How Manifest and Clear are the Words of the Wise yet so as the internal Life and Principal is still hidden you understand them not perfectly by their Expressions IIII. Two Bodies equally taken from the Earth grind in the Oyl of the Decocted Matter and in the Milk of the White Volatile Now mighty and wonderful are the powers and force of these Bodies which are freely bestowed upon you through this whole Science which you shall possess and therewith a long and enduring Life V. Take by force the most Intense Wisdom from whence you must draw forth the Eternal perpetual or fixed Life of the Stone till your Stone is congealed and its dulness is vanished so will you accomplish the Life thereof sought after VI. Give therefore of this Life sufficienly to your Matter and it will mortifie it or bring it to putrefaction but repleat your Earth and it shall make it to live Spring Bud Grow Germinate VII Plant this Tree upon your Stone that it may not be in danger of the violence of Winds that the Volatile Iufluences or Bird of Heaven may fall upon it and by virtue thereof its Branches may bring forth much Fruit from thence Wisdom does arise VIII Take this Volatile Bird cut off its Head with a fiery Sword then strip it of its Feathers or Wings undo its Joynts and boil it upon Coals till it is made or becomes of one only Color IX Then put the Venom or Poyson to it so much as is enough to bury or cover it govern it now with a gentle Fire till your Matter is mortified or putrefied which done grind it with White Water and manage it rightly X. For we bought two Black Crows and we put them into a Paropsidem or Crucible or Cupel which we had by us and Eggs or Silver Gobbets came out White as Salt these we tinged with our Saffron of them we sold publickly two hundred times with which we have been made Rich and our Treasures are multiplied XI And whosoever you shall imbue or fill with the Powers thereof should they be hurt with the Poyson of Vipers or the Malignity of Brass or Verdigrise they shall be in no danger for that it quickens and revives the Dead and kills the Living It destroys and restores again it casts down that which is elevated and lift up and elevates that which is abjected and cast down and gives you a dominion over the Heavens of the Earth XII Now you must note that there are two Stones of the Wise found in the Shores of the Rivers in the Arms of the Mountains in the Bowels of the Floods and in the back parts of the Kings House which by instruction and prudent management may be brought forth Male and Female XIII By these being conjoyned and made complex or perfectly united into one consimiliar substance you will be made wiser you will see the reason of the Operation and the end of the Work Blessed God how great and how wonderful a thing is this XIV A certain Philosopher dreamed that the Kings Messenger came to a certain Podagrick and the Podagrick desired that he might go with him to whom the Messenger answered since thou hast the Gout how canst thou go with me for thou canst not walk XV. To whom the Podagrick answered Thou knowest that in the Root of this Mountain there is a certain Tabernacle bearing me then thither leave there the burthen so shall I be presently freed or delivered from my Gout XVI Then said he to me thou art not able to touch the foot thereof but going back he took him up and placed him in the Tabernacle the foot of which the Messenger said he was not able to touch And waking from his Dream he saw nothing Behold the Similitude XVII Another also saw in a Dream wherein it was said if any one truly should sit down by the way and should ask you whether you would think fit to do this thing would you do it He answered I know not the other said thar he should lie or generate with his Mother in the middle of the Earth then awaking he saw nothing Consider well this similitude CHAP. XXI The remaining Operations and conclusion of this whole Work I. BUT leading you to the knowledge of Phylosophy and exposing the Demonstrations thereof in a Philosophick manner we should make it the dirision and mockery of Women and the play of Children II. Take also the fresh Bark or Rind in the same moment in which you shall after another manner extract the matter or thing it self in the place where it is generated and put it into a Cucurbit and sublime it III. And that which is or shall be sublimed separate it for it is the Vinegar of the Philosophers and their Sapience i. e. their Salt IV. Then take this Vinegar and melt or pour it forth upon another Cortex Bark or Superfices of the Sea and put it into a Glass Vesica in which put so much of your Vinegar as may over top it the heighth of Four Inches this bury in warm Horse dung for Thirty One or Forty Daies V. This time being past take the Vessel forth and you will find it now dissolved and turned into a black and stinking Water more black and stinking than any thing in the whole World VI. Take then this very thing it self and very gently elevate it in its tabernacle till all the moisture is consumed so as no more will ascend this sublimed Matter keep carefully for your use VII Then take the Foeces which remain in the bottom of the Cucurbit and keep them for they are the crown and rejoycing of the Heart Die then the same and grind them and add there to fresh or new Cortex of the Sea that is say Mercury and grind them together drying them in a warm Sun VIII And the Waters from the same first sublimed
sink down to the bottom which diligently grind and dry and put them in the Crucible or Test of Ethel and sublime and the Matter being sublimed purely White as fine Salt keep it safely for it is the Auripigment and Sulphur and Magnesia of the Philosopers IX Understand now and see that you govern your Work with Wisdom and Prudence and make not too much haste X. Then take the Cucurbit put half way into lute and put into the same your dissolved black Water which you have sublimed that is to say nine parts and of this whitned Auripigmentum which you sublimed from the Ethel two parts XI I say that this opened or decocted Auripigment is immediately dissolved in the Water and made like to Water that nothing can be seen by mankind of a more intense fixt and perfect Whiteness nor any thing more beautiful to the Eye which the Philosopers call their Sal Virginis or Virgin Salt XII Put this into a little Vessel called a Cucurbit close well the Joynts which put upon a gentle Fire making it as it were but with two Coals at first and then adding two others and look into it to see how the Water ascends and descends XIII When you see the Vapour is consumed and nothing more will ascend of that which is elevated nor descend know that the Matter it self is now coagulated make therefore a more intense and vehement Fire for the space of three hours of the day XIV Then lastly take away the Fire or let it go out and the next day all things being cold open the mouth of your 〈◊〉 and take forth the Matter which is of a substance white sincere and melted or dissolved XV. This is your Substance sought after and now you have comethrough to the end of your Work manage it according to your Reason and Prudence for God assisting you may make of it what you please KALIDIS PERSICI SECRETA ALCHYMIAE Written Originally in Hebrew and Translated thence into Arabick and out of Arabick into Latin Now faithfully rendred into English By WILLIAM SALMON CHAP. XXII Of the Difficulties of this Art I. THanks be given to God the Creator of all things who hath made us renewed us taught us and given us knowledge and understanding for except he should keep us preserve us and direct us we should wander out of the right way as having no Guide or Teacher Nor can we know any thing in this World unless he teach us who is the begining of all things and the Wisdom it self his power and goodness it is with which he over-shadows his People II. He directs and instructs whom he pleases and by his long-suffering and tender Mercies brings them back into the way of Righteousness For he has sent his Angels or Spirit into the dark places and made plain the Ways and with his loving kindness replenishes such as love him III. Know then my Brother that this Magistery of our Secret Stone and this Valuable Art is a secret of the Secrets of God which he has hidden with his own People not revealing it to any but to such who as Sons faithfully have deserved it who have known his Goodness and Almightiness IV. If you would request any Earthly thing at the Hand of God the Secret of this Magistery is more to be desired than any thing else For the Wise Men who have perfected the knowledge thereof have not been wholly plain but speaking of it have partly concealed it and partly revealed it And in this very thing I have found the preceeding Philosophers to agree in all their so much valued Books V. Know therefore that Musa my own Disciple more valuable to me than any other having diligently studied their Books and laboured much in the Work of this Magistery was much perplexed not knowing the Natures of things belonging thereto Whereupon he humbly begged at my Hands my Explanation thereof and my Directions therein VI. But I gave him no other Answer Than that he should read over the Philosophers Books and therein to seek that which he desired of me Going his way he read above an hundred Books as he found or could get them the true Books of the Secret of the Great Philosophers But by them he could not attain the knowledge of that Mistery which he desired tho continually studying it for the space of a Year for which reason he was as one astonished and much troubled in mind VII If then Musa my Scholar who has deserved to be accounted among the Philosophers has thus failed in the knowledge of this Mistery what may be supposed from the Ignorant and Unlearned who under stand not the Natures of things nor apprehend whereof they consist VIII Now when I saw this in my most dear and chosen Disciple moved with Piety and Love to him by the Will also and Appointment of God I wrote this my Book near the time of my Death in which tho' I have pretermitted many things which the Philosophers before me have mentioned in their Books yet have I handled some things which they have concealed and could not be prevailed withal to reveal or discover IX Yea I have explicated and laid open certain things which they hid under AEnigmatical and dark Expressions and this my Book I have Named The Secrets of Alchymie for that I have revealed in it whatsoever is necessary to the knowledge of this Learning in a Language befiting the matter and to your sence and understanding X. I have taught four Magisteries far greater and better than the other Philosophers have done of which number The one is a Mineral Elixir another Animal The other two are Mineral Elixirs but not the one Mineral whose Virtue is to wash cleanse or purifie those which they call the Bodies And another is to make Gold of Azot vive whose Composition or Generation is according to the Natural Generation in the Mines or in the Heart and Bowels of the Earth XI And these four Magisteries or Works the Philosophers have discoursed of in their Books of the Composition thereof but they are wanting in many things nor would they clearly shew the Operation of it in their Books And when by chance any one found it out yet could he not throughly understand it than which nothing was more grievous to him XII I will therefore in this Work declare it toge ther with the way and manner how to make it but if you read me learn to understand Geometrical proportion that so you may rightly frame your Fornaces not exceeding the mean either in greatness or smalness with all you must understand the proportion of your Fire and the form of the Vessel fit for your Work XIII Also you must consider what is the ground work and beginning of the Magistery which is as the Seed and Womb to the Generation of Living Creatures which are shaped in the Womb and therein receive their Fabrick Increase and Nourishment For if the prima materia of our Magistery is not conveniently managed the
Work will be spoiled and you will not find that which you seek after nor shall you bring your Work to perfection XIV For where the cause of Generation is wanting or the root of the matter and heat it self your labour will be lost and the Work come to nothing The same also will happen if you mistake in the proportion or weight for if that be not right to wit the proportion of the parts compounding the matter compounded missing of its just temperature will be destroyed and so you shall reap no fruit the which I will shew you by an Example XV. See you not that in Soap with which Cloaths are washt clean and white that it has its virtue and property by reason of the just proportion of its Ingredients which spread themselves in length and breadth and because of which they agree to the same end by which it appears that the Compositum was truly made and the power and efficacy which before lay hid which is called Property is now brought to light which is the quality of washing and cleansing in a proper Laver XVI But should the Ingredients have been put together without proportion being either too little or too much the virtue and efficacy of the Soap would be destroyed nor would it any ways answer the end desired for that that end or effect ariseth from the just proportion and mixion of each Ingredient The same you must understand to happen in the Composition of Our Magistery CHAP. XXIII Of the four principal Operations Solution Congelation Albification and Rubification I. BEgining now to speak of the Great Work which they call Alchymie I shall open the matter without concealing ought or keeping back any thing save that which is not fit to be declared We say then that the great work contains four Operations viz. to Dissolve to Congeal to make White and to make Red. II. There are four quantities partakers together of which two are partakers between themselves so also have the other two a coherence between themselves And either of these double quantities has another quantity partaker with them which is greater than these two III. I understand by these quantities the quantity of the Natures and weight of the Medicines which are in order dissolved and congealed wherein neither addition nor diminution have any place But these two viz. Solution and Congelation are in one Operation and make but one Work and that before Composition but after Composition those Operations be divers IV. And this Solution and Congelation which we have spoken of are the solution of the Body and the congelation of the Spirit which two have indeed but one Operation for the Spirits are not congealed except the Bodies be dissolved as also the Bodies are not dissolved unless the Spirit be congealed And when the Soul and the Body are joyned together each of them works its Companion into its own likeness and pro perty V. As for Example When Water is put to Earth it strives to dissolve the Earth by its virtue property and moisture making it softer than it was before bringing it to be like it self for the Water was more thin than the Earth And thus does the Soul work in the Body and after the same manner is the Water thickened with the Earth and becomes like the Earth in thickness for the Earth was more thick than the Water VI. Know also that between the solution of the Body and the congelation of the Spirit there is no distance of time nor diversity of work as though the one should be without the other as there is no difference of time in the conjunction of the Earth and Water that the one might be distinguished from the other by its operation But they have both one instant and one fact and one and the same work performs both at once before Composition VII I say before Composition lest he that should read my Book and hear the terms of Solution and Congelation should suppose it to be the Composition which the Philosophers treat of which would be a grand Error both in Work and Judgment Because Composition in this Work is a Conjunction or Marriage of the congealed Spirit with the dissolved Body which Conjunction is made upon the fire VIII For heat is its nourishment and the Soul forsakes not the Body neither is it otherwise knit unto it than by the alteration of both from their own virtues and properties after the Conversion of their Natures and this is the solution and congelation which the Philosophers first speak of IX Which nevertheless they have absconded by their AEnigmatical Discourses with dark and obscure Words whereby they alienate and estrange the minds of their Followers from understanding the Truth whereof I will now give you the following Examples X Besmear the Leaf with Poyson so shall you obtain the beginning of the Stone and the Operation thereof Again Work upon the strong Bodies with one solution till either of them are reduced to subtilty Also Except you bring the Bodies to such a subtilty that they may be impalpable you shall not obtain that you seek after And If you have not ground them repeat the Work till they be sufficiently ground and made subtil so shall you have your desire With a thousand such other like unintelligable and not to be understood without a particular demonstration thereof XI And in like manner have they spoken of that Composition which is after solution and congelation Thus. Our Composition is not perfect without Conjunction and Putrefaction Again You must dissolve congeal separate conjoyn putrefie and compound because Composition is the beginning and very life of the thing These things who can understand without being taught XII But 't is true that unless there be a compounding the Stone can never be brought to light There must be a separation of the parts of the Compound which separation is in order also to a conjunction I tell you again that the Spirit will not dwell with the Body nor enter into it nor abide in it until the Body be made subtil and thin as the Spirit is XIII But when it is attenuated and made subtil and has caste off its thickness and grossness and put on that thinness has forsaken its Corporeity and become Spiritual then shall it be conjoyned with the subtil Spirits and imbibe them so that both shall become one and the same thing nor shall they for ever be severed but become like water mixt with water which no Man can separate CHAP. XXIV Of the latter two Operations viz. Albification and Rubification I. SUppose that of two like quantities which are in solution and congelation the larger is the Soul the lesser is the Body Add afterwards to the quantity which is the Soul that quantity which is in the Body and it shall participate with the first quantity in virtue only Then working them as we have wrought them you will have your desire and understand Euclid his Line or Proportion II. Then
part which causes the Natures to ascend when it has lost its Occidental heat and waxes cold then the Natures are changed and become thick and descend to the center where the earthly Natures are joyned together which were subtilized and converted in their generation and imbibed in them IX And so the moisture joyneth together the parts divided But the Earth labours to dry up that moisture compassing it about and hindering it for going out by means whereof that which before lay hid does now appear nor can the moisture be separated but is held fast and firmly retained by dryness X. In like manner we see that whatsoever is in the World is held or retained by or with its contrary as heat with cold and dryness with moisture thus when each of them has besieged its Companion the thin is mixed with the thick and those things are made one substance viz. their hot and moist Soul and their cold and dry Body are united and made one XI Then it strives to dissolve and subtilize by its heat and moisture which is the Soul and the Body labours to enclose and retain the hot and moist Soul in its cold and dry substance And in this manner is their Virtues and Properties altered and changed from one thing to another XII I have told you the Truth which I have seen and my own self has done And therefore I charge you to change or convert the Natures from their Substances and Subtilties with heat and moisture into their Substances and Colours If you proceed aright in this Work you must not pass the bounds I have set you in this Book CHAP. XXVII The manner of Fixation of the Spirit Decoction Trituration and Washing I. WHen the Body is mingled with moisture and that the heat of the fire meets therewith the moisture is converted into the Body and dissolves it and then the Spirit cannot go forth because it is imbibed with the Fire II. The Spirits are fugitive so long as the Bodies are mixed with them and strive to resist the fire its heat and flame and therefore these parts can scarcely agree without a good and continual Operation and a steadfast permanent and natural heat III. For the nature of the Soul is to ascend upwards where its Center is and he that is not able to joyn two or more divers things together whose Centers are divers knows nothing of this Work IV. But this must be done after the conversion of their Natures and change of their Substances and matter from their natural Properties which is difficult to find out V. Whoever therefore can convert or change the Soul into the Body and the Body into the Soul and therewith mingle the subtil and volatile Spirits they shall be able to tinge any Body VI. You must also understand that Decoction Contrition Cribation Munidification and Ablution with Sweet Water are most necessary to the Secret of our Magistery VII And if you bestow pains herein you may cleanse it purely for you must clear it from its blackness and darkness which appear in the Operation VIII And you must subtilize the Body to the highest point of Volatility and Subtility and then mix therewith the Souls dissolved and the Spirits cleansed and so digest and decoct to the perfection of the matter CHAP. XXVIII Of the Fire fit for this Work I. YOu must not be unacquainted with the strength and proportion of the fire for the perfection or destruction of our Stone depends thereupon For Plato said The fire gives profit to that which is perfect but brings hurt and destruction to that which is Corrupt II. So that when its quantity or proportion shall be fit and convenient your Work will thrice prosper and go on as it ought to do but if it exceed the measure it shall without measure corrupt and destroy it III. And for this cause it was requisite that the Philosophers have instituted several proofs of the strength of their Fires that they might prevent and hinder their burning and the hurt of a violent heat IV. In Hermes it is said I am afraid Father of the Enemy in my House To whom he made Answer Son Take the Dog of Corascene and the Bitch of Armenia and joyn them together so shall you have a Dog of the colour of Heaven V. Dip him once in the Water of the Sea so will he become thy Friend and defend thee from thine Enemy and shall go along with thee and help thee and defend thee wheresoever thou goest nor shall he ever forsake theee but abide with thee for ever VI. Now Hermes meant by the Dog and Bitch such Powers or Spirits as have power to preserve Bodies from the hurt strength or force of the Fire VII And these thing are Waters of Calces and Salts the Composition whereof is to be found in the Writings of the Philosophers who have discoursed of this Magistery among whom some of them have named sea-Sea-water Virgins Milk food of Birds and the like CHAP. XXIX Of the Separation of the Elements I. AFterwards take this precious Stone which the Philosophers have named yet hidden and concealed put it into a Cucurbit with its Alembick and divide its Natures viz. the four Elements the Earth Water Air and Fire II. These are the Body and Soul the Spirit and Tincture when you have divided the Water from the Earth and the Air from the Fire keep each of them by themselves and take that which descends to the bottom of the Glass being the Faeces and wash it with a warm fire till its black ness be gone and its thickness be vanished III. Then make it very white causing the superfluous moisture to fly away for then it shall be changed and become a white Calx wherein there is no cloudy darkness nor uncleanness nor contrariety IV. Afterwards return it back to the first Natures which ascended from it and purifie them likewise from uncleanness blackness and contrariety V. And reiterate these Works upon them so often till they be subtilized purified and made thin which when you have done render up thanks and acknowledgments to the most Gracious God VI. Know then that this Work is but one and it produceth one Stone into which Garib shall not enter i. e. any strange or foreign thing The Philosopher works with this and therefrom proceeds a Medicine which gives perfection VII Nothing must be mingled herewith either in part or whole And this Stone is to be found at all times and in every place and about every Man the search whereof is yet difficult to him that seeks it wheresoever he be VIII This Stone is vile black and stinking it costs nothing it must be taken alone it is somewhat heavy and is called the Original of the World because it rises up like things that bud forth this is the manifestation and appearance of it to them that seek truly after it IX Take it therefore and work it as the Philosopher has told you in the the Book
where he speaks of it after this manner Take the Stone and no Stone or that which is not a Stone neither of the nature of a Stone it is a Stone whose Mine is in the top of the Mountains X. By which the Philosopher understands Animals or living Creatures whereupon he said Son go to the Mountains of India and to its Caves and take thence precious Stones which will melt in the water when they are put into it XI This Water is that which is taken from other Mountains and hollow places they are Stones and no Stones but we call them so for the resemblance they have to Stones XII And you must know that the Roots of their Mines are in the Air and their Tops in the Earth and they make a noise when they are taken out of their places and the noise is very great Make use of them very suddenly for otherwise they will quickly vanish away CHAP. XXX Of the Commixtion of the Elements which were separated I. NOW you must begin to commix the Elements which is the compass of the whole Work there can be no commixti on without a Marriage and putrefaction The Marriage is to mingle the thin with the thick and Putrefaction is to rost grind water or imbibe so long till all be mixt together and become one so that there be no diversity in them nor separation as in water mixed with water II. Then will the thick strive to retain the thin and the Soul shall strive with the fire and endeavour to sustain it then shall the Spirit suffer it self to be swallowed up by the Bodies and be poured forth into them which must needs be because the dissolved body when it is commixed with the Soul is also commixed with every part thereof III. And other things enter into other things according to their similitude and likeness and both are changed into one and the same thing For this cause the Soul must partake with the conveniency propensity durability hardness corporcity and permanency which the body had in its commixtion IV. The like also must happen to the spirit in this state or condition of the Soul and Body For when the Spirit shall be commixt with the Soul by alaborious operation and all its parts with all the parts of the other two viz. of the Soul and Body then shall the Spirit and the said two be changed into an inseparable substance whose natures are preserved and their Particles agreed and conjoyned perfectly together V. Whereby it comes to pass that when this Compositum has met with a body dissolved and that heat has got hold of it and that the moisture which was in it is swallowed up in the dissolved body and has passed into it into its most inward parts and united or conjoyned it self with that which was of the nature of moisture it becomes inflamed and the fire defends it self with it VI. Then when the fire would enflame it it will not suffer the said fire to take hold of it to wit to cleave to it i. e. to the Spirit commixt with the water The fire will not abide by it until it be pure VII And in like manner does the Water naturally fly from the Fire of which when the fire takes hold it does by little and little evaporate VIII And thus is the Body the means to retain the Water and the Water to retain the Oyl that it might not burn and consume away and the Oyl to retain the Tincture which is the absolute matter and cause to make the colours appear in that wherein otherwise there would be neither light nor life IX This then is the true life and perfection of this great Work even the work of our Magistery which we seek after Be wise and understand search diligently and through the goodness and permission of God you shall find what you look for CHAP. XXXI Of the Solution of the Stone compounded and Coagulation of the Stone dissolved I. THE Philosophers take great pains in dissolving that the Body and Soul might the better be incorporated and united for all those things which are together in Contrition Assation and Rigation have a certain affinity and Alliance between themselves II. So that the fire may hurt or spoil the weaker principle in nature till it be utterly destroyed and vanish away and then it turns it self also upon the stronger parts till it divests the Body of the Soul and so spoils all III. But when they are thus dissolved and congealed they take one anothers parts striving in each others mutual defence as well the great as the small and they incorporate and joyn them well together till they be converted and changed into one and the same thing IV. When this is done the fire takes as much from the Soul as it does from the Body nor can it hurt the one more than the other neither more nor less which is a cause of perfection V. For this reason it is necessary in teaching the composition of the Elixir to afford one place for expounding the solution of simple Bodies and Souls because Bodies do not enter into Souls but do rather prevent and hinder them from Sublimation Fixation Retention Commixtion and the like Operations except purification go before VI. Now understand that Solution is done by one of these two ways either by extracting the inward parts of things unto their Superficies an Example whereof we have in Silver which seems cold and dry but being dissolved so that the inward parts appear outward it is hot and moist VII 〈◊〉 to reduce it to an accidental moisture which it had not before to be added to its own natural humidity by which means its parts are dissolved and this is likewise called Solution VIII But as to Congelation the Philosophers have said Congeal in a Bath with a good Congelation This I tell you is Sulphur shining in Darkness a Red Hyacinth a fiery and deadly 〈◊〉 the Elixir the which there is nothing better a Lyon a Conqueror a Malefactor a cutting Sword a healing Antidote which cures all Infirmities and Diseases IX And Geber the Son of Hayen said That all the Operations of this Magistery are comprehended under these six things 1. To make fly ascend or sublime 2. To melt or liquify 3. To incerate 4. To make white as Marble 5. To dissolve 6. To congeal X. To make fly is to drive away and remove blackness and foulness from the Spirit and Soul to melt is to make the Body liqnid To incerate is properly to subtilize the Body To whiten is to melt speedily To dissolve is to separate the parts And to congeal is to mix joyn and fix the Body with the Soul already prepared XI Again To fly of ascend appertains both to Body and Soul To melt to incerate to whiten and to dissolve are accidents belonging to the Body But congelation or fixation only belongs to and is the property of the Soul Be wise understand and learn CHAP. XXXII That Our Stone
fire for 40 days of Elemental heat and in that decoction of 40 days the Body will rejoyce with the Soul and the Soul will rejoyce with the Body and Spirit and the Spirit will rejoyce with the Body and Soul and they will be fixed together and dwell one with another in which Life they will be made perpetual and immortal without separation for ever CHAP. XXXV A farther Explication of this matter I. OUR Medicine is made of 3 things viz. of a Body Soul and Spirit There are two Bodies to wit Sol and Luna Sol is a Tincture where with imperfect Bodies are tinged into Sol and Luna tingeth into Luna for nature brings forth only its like a Man a Man a Horse a Horse c. II. We have named the Bodies which serve to this Work which of some are called ferment for as a little leven levens the whole lump so Luna and Sol leven Mercury as their Meal into their Nature and Virtue III. If it be demanded Why Sol and Luna having a prefixed Tincture do not yet tinge imperfect Metals I Answer A Child tho' born of humane kind acts not the Man it must first be nourisht and bred up till it comes to Maturity So is it with Metals also they cannot shew their power and force unless they be first reduced from their Terrestreity to a Spirituality and nourisht and fed in their Tinctures through heat and humidity IV. For the Spirit is of the same matter and nature with our Medicine We say our Medicines are of a siery nature and much subtiler but of themselves they cannot be subtil nor simple but must be maturated or ripened with subtil and penetrating things V. Earth of it self is not subtil but may be made so through moist water which is dissolving and makes an ingress for Sol that it may penetrate the Earth and with its heat make the Earth subtile and in this way the Earth must be subtilized so long till it be as subtil as a Spirit which then is the Mercury more dissolving than common water and apt to dissolve the said Metals and that through the heat of fire to penetrate and subtilize them VI. There are several Spirits as Mercury Sulphur Orpiment Arsenick Antimony Nitre Sal-armoniack Tutia Marchisits c. but Mercury is a better Spirit than all others for being put into the fire they are carried away and we know not what becomes of them But Mercury as it is much subtiler clearer and penetrative so it is joyned to the Metals and changed into them whereas the others burn and destroy them making them more gross than they were before VII Now Mercury is of such a subtil nature that it transmutes Metals into simple and pure substances as it self is and attracts them to its self But no Metal can be transmuted by any of the other Spirits but they burn it to Earth and Ashes which Mercury it becomes impalpahle and therefore is called Argent Vive VIII We take nothing else to subtilize Metals to make them penetrative or to tinge other Metals Some call it Argent Vive or a Water an Acetum a Poyson because it destroys imperfect Bodies dividing them into several parts and forms our Medicine is made of two things viz. of Body and Spirit And this is true that all Metals have but one Root and Original IX But why cannot this Medicine be made of two compounded together I Answer It may be made of all these together but they must be reduced into a Mercury which would be difficult of the shortness of Man's Life Therefore we take the next matter which are the two aforesaid things viz. Body and Spirit X. Some Philosophers say our Medicine is made of four things and so it is For in Metals and their Spirits are the four Elements Others say true also That Metals must be turned into Argent Vive Here many Learned and Wise Men err and loose themselves in this path Thus far of the matter of which our Medicine is made or with which it is ioyned Now of the Vessels XI The Vessel ought to resemble the Firmament to enclose and encompass the whole Work For our Medicine is nothing else but a change of Elements one into another which is done by the motion of the Firmament for which reason it must needs be round and circular XII The other or second Vessel must also be round and be less than the outward Vessel 6 or 7 Inches high called a containing Cucurbit on which you must place an Alembick or Head through which the Vapors may ascend which must be well luted with Lute made of Meal sifted Ashes Whites of Eggs c. Or of Meal Calx Vive ana j. part tempered with Whites of Eggs which you must immediately use Lute it so well that no Spirits may fly away the loss of which will prejudice your Work extreamly therefore be wary XIII The Fornace or Oven must be round 12 or 14 Inches high and 6 or 7 Inches broad and 3 or 4 Inches in thickness to keep in the heat the better XIV Our matter is generated through or by help of the heat of the fire through the Vapour of the Water and also of the 〈◊〉 which must be nourished be wise and consider and meditate well upon the matter XV. Now in order to this Work there is 1. Dissolution 2. Separation 3. Sublimation 4. Fixation or Congelation 5. Calcination 6. Ingression XVI Dissolution is the changing of a dry thing into a moist one and belongs only to Bodies as to Sol and Luna which serve for our Art For a Spirit needs not to be dissolved being a liquid thing of it self but Metals are gross and dry and of a gross nature and therefore must be subtilized XVII First Because unless they be subtilized through dissolution they cannot be reduced into water and made to ascend through the Alembick to be converted into Spirit whose remaining foeces are reserved for a farther use XVIII Secondly Because the Body and Spirit must be made indivisible and one For no gross matter joyns or mixes with a Spirit unless it be first subtilized and reduced into Argent Vive then the one embraces the other inseperably For Argent Vive meeting with a thing like it self rejoyceth in it and the dissolved Body embraces the Spirit and suffers it not to fly away making it to endure the fire and it rejoyces because it has found an equal viz. one like it self and of the same nature XIX Dissolution is thus done Take Leaves of Sol or Luna to which add a good quantity of pure Mercury putting in the Leaves by little and little into a Vessel placed in so gentle a heat that the Mercury may not fume when all is dissolved and the Mass feems to be one Homogene body you have done well If there be any foeces or matter undissolved add more Mercury till all seems to be melted together XX. Take the matter thus dissolved set it in B. M. for
7 days then let it cool and strain all through a Cloth or Skin if all goes through the dissolution is perfect if not you must begin again and add more Mercury so long till all be dissolved XXI Separation is the dividing of a thing into parts as of pure from impure We take our dissolved matter and put it into the smaller Vessel which stands in the Cucurbite well luting to the Alembick and seting it in Ashes continuing the fire for a Week One part of the Spirit sublimes which we call the Spirit or Water and is the subtilest part the other which is not yet subtil sticks about the Cucurbite and some of it falls as it were to the bottom which is warm and moist this we call the Air. And a third part remaining in the bottom of the inner Vessel which is yet grosser may be called the Earth XXII Each of these we put into a Vessel apart but to the third we put more Mercury and proceed as before reserving always each principle or Element apart by it self and thus proceeding till nothing remains in the inner Vessel but a black pouder which we call the black Earth and is the dregs of Metals and the thing causing the obstruction that the Metals cannot be united with the Spirit this black pouder is of no use XXIII Having thus separated the four Elements from the Metals or divided them you may demand What then is the fire which is one of these four To which I Answer That the Fire and the Air are of one nature and are mixed together and changed the one into the other and in the dividing of the Elements they have their natural force and power as in the whole so in the parts XXIV We call that Air which remained in the bigger Vessel because it is more hot than moist cold or dry The same understand of the other Elements Hence Plato saith We turned the moist into dry and the dry we made moist and we turned the Body into Water and Air. XXV Sublimation is the ascending from below upwards the subtil matter arising leaving the gross matter still below as he said before in the changing of the Elements Thus the matter must be subtilized which is not subtil enough all which must be done through heat and moisture viz. through Fire and Water XXVI You must then take the thing which remained in the greater Vessel and put it to other fresh Mercury that it may be well dissolved and subtilized set it in B. M. for three days as before We mention not the quantity of Mercury but leave that to your discretion taking as much as you need that you may make it fusible and clear like a Spirit But you must not take too much of the Mercury lest it become a Sea then you must set it again to sublime as formerly and do this Work so often till you have brought it through the Alembick and it be very subtil one united thing clear pure and fusible XXVII Then we put it again into the inner Vessel and let it go once more through the Alembick to see whether any thing be left behind which if so to the same we add more Mercury till it becomes all one thing and leaves no more sediment and be separated from all its Impurity and Superfluity XXVIII Thus have we made out of two one only thing viz. out of Body and Spirit one only congenerous substance which is a Spirit and light the Body which before was heavy and fixed ascending upwards is become light and volatile and a mere Spirit Thus have we made a Spirit out of a Body we must now make a Body out of a Spirit which is the one thing XXIX Fixation or Congelation is the making the flowing and volatile matter fixt and able to endure the fire and this is the changing of the Spirit into a Body We before turned the dryness and the Body into moistness and a Spirit now we must turn the Spirit into a Body making that which ascended to stay below that is we must make it a thing fixed according to the Sayings of the Philo sophers reducing each Element into its contrary you will find what you seek after viz. making a fixt thing to be volatile and a volatile fixt this can only be done through Congelation by which we turn the Spirit into a Body XXX But how is this done We take a little of the ferment which is made of our Medicine be it Luna or Sol as if you have 10 Ounces of the Medicine you take but 1 Ounce of the ferment which must be soliated and this ferment we amalgamate with the matter which you had before prepared the same we put into the Glass Vial with a long Neck and set it in warm Ashes Then to the said ferment add the said Spirit which you drew through the Alembick so much as may overtop it the height of 2 or 3 Inches put to it a good fire for 3 days then will the dissolved Body find its Companion and they will embrace each other XXXI Then the gross ferment laying hold of the subtil ferment attracts the same joyns it self with it and will not let it go and the dissolved Body which is now subtil keeps the Spirit for that they are of equal subtilty and like one to another and are become so one and the same thing that the fire can never be able to separate them any more XXXII By this means you come to make one thing like another the ferment becomes the abiding place of the subtil body and the subtil body the habitation of the Spirit that it may not fly away Then we make a Fire for a Week more or less till we see the matter congealed which time is longer or shorter according to the condition of the Vessel Furnaces and Fires you make use of XXXIII When you see the Matter Coagulated put of the abovesaid Matter or Spirit to it to over top it two or three inches which digest as before till it be coagulated also and thus proceed till all the Matter or Spirit be congealed This Secret of the Congelation the Philosophers have consealed in their Books none of them that we know of having disclosed it except only Larkalix who composed it in many Chapters and also revealed it unto me without any Reservation or Deceipt XXXIV Calcination We take the known Matter and put it into a Vesica setting a Head upon it and luting it well put it into a Sand Furnace making a continued great Fire for a Week then the Volatile ascends into the Alembeck which we call Avis Hermetis that which remains in the bottom of the Glass is like Ashes or sifted Earth called the Philosophers Earth out of which they make their Foundation and out of which they make their increase or augmentation through heat and moisture XXXV This Earth is composed of four Elements but are not contrary one to another for their contrariety is changed to an agreement unto
an homogene and uniform nature Then we take the moist part and reserve it a part to a farther use This Earth or Ashes which is a very fixed thing we put into a very strong Earthen Pot or Crucible to which we lute its Cover and set it in a calcining Fornace or Reverberatory for 3 days so that it may be always red hot Thus we make of a Stone a white Calx and of things of an earthy and watery nature a fiery nature For every Calx is of a fiery nature which is hot and dry XXXVI We have brought things to the nature of fire we must now further subtilize the four Elements we take apart a small quantity of this Calx viz. a fourth part The other we set to dissolve with a good quantity of fresh Mercury even as we had done formerly in all the Processes of the aforegoing Paragraphs and so proceed on from time to time till it is wholly dissolved XXXVII Now that you may change the fixt into a Volatile that is Fire into Water know that that which was of the nature of Fire is now become the nature of Water and the fixt thereby is made volatile and very subtil Take of this water one part put it to the reserved Calx and add to it as much of the water as may over top the Calx 2 or 3 Inches making a fire under it for 3 days thus it congeals sooner than at first for Calx is hot and dry and drinks up the humidity greedily XXXVIII This Congelation must be continued till all be quite congealed afterwards you must calcine it as formerly being quite calcined it is called the quintessence because it is of a more subtil nature than fire and because of the Transmutation formerly made All this being done our Medicine is finished and nothing but Ingression is wanting viz. that the matter may have an Ingress into Imperfect Metals XXXIX Plato and many other Philosophers began this Work again with dissolving subliming or subtilizing congealing and calcining as at first But this our Medicine which we call a ferment transmutes Mercury into its own na-nature in which it is dissolved and sublimed They say also our Medicine transmutes infinitely imperfect Metals and that he who attains once to the perfection of it shall never have any need to make more all which is Philosophically to be understood as to the first Original Work XL. Seeing then that our Medicine transmutes imperfect Metals into Sol and Luna according to the nature and form of the matter out of which it is made therefore we now a second time say That this our Medicine is of that nature that it transmutes or changes converts divides asunder like fire and is of a more subtil nature than fire being of the nature of a quintessence as aforesaid converting Mercury which is an imperfect substance into its own nature turning the grossness of Metal into Dust and Ashes as you see fire which does not turn all things into its nature but that which is homogene with it turning the hetero gene matter into Ashes XLI We have taught how a Body is to be changed into a Spirit and again how the Spirit is to be turned into a Body viz. how the fixed is made volatile and the volatile fixed again How the Earth is turned into Water and Air and the Air into Fire and the Fire into Earth again Then the Earth into Fire and the Fire into Air and the Air into Water and the Water again into Earth Now the Earth which was of the nature of Fire is brought to the nature of a quintessence XLII Thus we have taught the ways of transmuting performed through heat and moisture making out of a dry a moist thing and out of a moist a dry one otherwise Natures which are of several Properties or Families could not be brought to one uniform thing if the one should be turned into the others nature XLIII And this is the perfection of the matter according to the advice of the Philosopher Ascend from the Earth into Heaven and descend from the Heaven to the Earth to the intent to make the body which is Earth into a Spirit which is subtil and then to reduce that Spirit into a Body again which is gross changing one Element into another as Earth into Water Water into Air Air into Fire and Fire again into Water and Water into Fire and that into a more subtil Nature and quintescence Thus have you accomplished the Treasure of the whole World XLIII Ingression Take Sulphur Vive Melt it in an Earthen Vessel well glazed and put to it a strong Lye made of Calx vive and Pot Ashes Boyl gently together so will an Oyl swim on the top which take and keep Having enough of it mix it with Sand distil it through an Alembick or Retort so long till it becomes incombustible With this Oyl we imbibe Our Medicine which will be like Soap then we distil by an Alembick and cohobate 3 or 4 times adding more Oyl to it if it be not imbibed enough XLV Being thus imbibed put fire under it that the moisture may Vanish and the Medicine be fit and fusible as the body of Glass Then take the Avis Hermetis before reserved and put it to it Gradatim till it all becomes perfectly fixt XLVI Now according to Avicen it is not possible to convert or transmute Metals unless they be reduced to their first Matter then by the help of Art they are transmuted into another Metal The Alchymist does like the Physitian who first Purges off the Corrupt or Morbifick Matter the Enemy to Mans Health and then administers a Cordial to restore the Vital Powers So we first Purge the Mercury and Sulphur in Metals and then strengthen the Heavenly Elements in them according to their various Preparations XLVII This Nature works farther by the help of Art as her Instrument and really makes the most pure and fine Sol and Luna for as the heavenly Elemental Virtues work in natural Vessels even so do the artificial being made uniform agreeable with nature and as nature works by means of the heats of Fire and of the Bodies so also Art work 〈◊〉 by a like temperate and proportionate fire by the moving and living virtue in the matter XLVIII For the heavenly virtue mixed with it at first and inclinable to this or that is furthered by Art Heavenly Virtues are communicated to their Subjects as it is in all natural things chiefly in things generated by putrefaction where the Astral Influences are apparent according to the capacity of the matter XLIX The Alchymist imitates the same thing destroying one form to beget another and his Operations are best when they are according to nature as by purifying the Sulphur by digesting subliming and purging Argent Vive by an exact mixtion with a Metalick matter and thus out of their Principles the form of every Metal is produced L. The power and virtue of the converting Element must
prevail that the parts of it may appear in the converted Element and being thus mixed with the Elementated thing then that Element will have that matter which made it an Element and the virtue of the other converting Element will be predominant and remain this is the great Arcanum of the whole Art CHAP. XXXVI The Key which opens the Mystery of this Grand Elixir I. THIS is the true Copy of a Writing found in a Coffin upon the Breast of a Religious Man by a Soldier making a Grave at Ostend to bury some slain Soldiers Anno 1450. 2. My Dear Brother if you intend to follow or study the Art of Alchymie and work in it let me give you warning that you follow not the literal prescripts of Arnoldus nor Raymundus nor indeed of most other Philosophers for in all their Books they have delivered nothing but figuratively so that Men not only loose their time but their Money also III. I my self have studdied in these Books for more than 30 Years and never could find out the Secret or Mistery by them But at length through the goodness of God I have found out one Tincture which is good true and absolutely certain and has restored to me my Credit and Reputation IV. Now knowing as I do how much time you have lost and what Wealth you have consumed being touched with it as a Friend and in regard of our faithful promise to each other in our beginning to participate each of others Fortunes I have thought it fit here to perswade you not to loose your self any longer in the Books of the Philosophers but to put you in the right way which after long Wanderings I have found out and now at this present I on my Death-Bed bequeath you V. I advise you to take nothing from it nor add any thing to it but to do just as I have set it down and observe these following directions so will you succeed and prosper in the work VI. First Never work with a great Man lest your life come into danger 2. Let your Earthen Vessels be well made and strong lest you lose your Medicine 3. Learn to know all your Materials that you be not cheated with that which is sophisticate and nothing worth 4. Let your Fire be neither stronger nor soster but what is fit and just as I have here directed 5. Let the Bellows and all the other Materials be your own 6. Let no man come where you Work and seem Ignorant to all such as shall enquire any thing of you touching the Secret 7. Learn to know Metals well especially Gold and Silver and put them not into the Work till they be first purified by your own hands as fine as may be 8. Reveal not this Secret to any one but let this Writing be Buried with you giving a confirmed charge concerning the same to him you Trust. 9. Get a Servant that may be Trusty and Secret and of a good Spirit to attend you but never leave him alone 10. Lastly when you have ended the Work be Kind and Generous Charitable to the Poor publick Spirited and return your Tribute of Thanks to the Great and most Merciful God the Giver of all good Things VII Take mineral Quick Silver three pounds made neither of Lead nor Tin and cause an Earthen Pot to be made well burned the first time glaze it all over except the bottom the which anoint with hogs Grease and it will not Glaze This is done that the Earth of the Quick Silver may sink to the bottom of the Pot which it would not do being glazed nor become Earth again VIII The Pot must be made a good foot long of the Fashion of an Urinal with a Pipe in the midst of it The Fornace must be made on purpose that the Pot may go in close to the sides of the Mouth of the Furnace Set on the Pot a good great Cap or Head with its Receiver without Luting of it give it a good fire of Coals till the Pot be all on fire and very red then take the fire out quickly and put in the Quick Silver at the Pipe and then with as much hast as you can stop it close with Lute IX Then will the Quick Silver by the heat and force it finds both Break and Work a part thereof you shall see in the Water as it were a few drops and a part will stick to the bottom of the Pot in black Earth Now let the Pot cool within the Fornace as it is then open it and you shall find the Quick Silver in it all Black which you must take out and wash very clean and the Pot also X. As for the Water which does distil out put it a side or cast it away for it is nothing worth because it is all Flegm Set the Pot into the Fornace again and make it red hot put in the Quick Silver lute well the Pipe and do as you did the first time and do this so often until the Mercury becomes no more black which will be in ten or eleven times XI Then take it out and you shall find the Mercury to be without Flegm but joyned with Earth of which two Qualities it must be freed being Enemies to Nature thus the Quick Silver will remain pure in color Caelestial like to Azure which you may know by this sign viz. Take a piece of Iron heat it red hot and quench it in this Mercury and it will become soft and white like Luna XII Then put the Mercury into a Retort of Glass between two Cups so that it touches neither bottom nor sides of the Cups and make a good fire under it and lay Embers on the top the better to keep the heat of the fire and in Forty hours the Mercury will Distil into a slimy Water hanging together which will neither wet your Hands nor any other thing but Metals only XIII This is the true Aqua Vitae of the Philosophers the true Spirit so many have sought for and which has been desired of all Wise Men which is called the Essence Quintessence Powers Spirit Substance Water and Mixture of Mercury and by many other the like Names without strange things and without offence to any Man XIV Save well this precious Liquor or Water obscured by all Philosophers for without it you can do no good or perfect Work Let all other things go and keep this only for any one that sees this Water if he has any Practice or Knowledge will hold to it for it is Precious and worth a Treasure XV. Now resteth to make the Soul which is the perfection of the Red without which you can neither make Sol nor Luna which shall be Pure and Perfect With this Spirit you may make things Apparent and Fair yea most True and Perfect all Philosophers affirm that the Soul is the substance whichsustains and preserves the Body making it Perfect as long as it is in it XVI Our Body must have a Soul otherwise
it would neither move nor work for which reason you must consider and understand that all Metals are compounded of Mercury and Sulphur Matter and Form Mercury is the Matter and Sulphur is the Form According to the pureness of Mercury and Sulphur such is the Influence they assume XVII Thus Sol is engendred of most pure fine Mercury and a pure red Sulphur by the Influence of the Sun and Luna is made of a pure fine Mercury and a pure white Sulphur by the Influence of the Moon XVIII Thence it is that Luna is more pure than the other five Metals which have need of cleansing being cleansed they need but onely the pure Sulphur with the help of Sol and Luna Sulphur is the Form of Sol and Luna and the other Metals their other parts are gross matters of Sulphur and Mercury XIX Husband-Men know many times more than we do They when they reap their Corn growing on the Earth gather it with the Straw and Ears The Straw and Ears are the Matter but the Corn or Grain is the Form or Soul XX. Now when they sow their Corn then they sow not the Matter which is the Straw and the Chaff but the Corn or Grain which is the Form or Soul So if we will reap Sol or Luna we must use their Form or Soul and not the Matter XXI The Form or Soul is made by Gods help after this manner You must make a good Sublimate that is seven times sublimed the last time of the seven you must fublime it with Cinnaber without Vitriol and it will be a certain Quintessence of the Sulphur of that Antimony XXII When this is done take of the finest Sol one Ounce or of the finest Luna as much file it very fine or else take leaf Gold or Silver then take of the aforesaid Sublimate four Ounces sublime them together for the space of Sixteen hours then let it cool again and mix them all together and sublime again Do this four times and the fourth time it will have a certain Rundle like unto the Matter of the White Rose transparent and most clear as any Orient Pearl weighing about five Ounces XXIII The sublimate will stick to the brims and sides of the Vessel and in the bottom it will be like good black Pitch which is the Corruption of Sol and Luna XXIV Take the Rundle aforesaid and dissolve it in most strong Spirit of Vinegar two or three times by puting it into an Urinal and seting it in B. M. for the space of three daies every time pouring it into new Spirit of Vinegar as at the first till it be quite dissolved Then distill it by a filter and save that which remains in the Pot for it is good to whiten Brass XXV That which passed the filter with the Vinegar set upon hot Ashes and evaporate the Moisture and Spirit of Vinegar with a soft fire and set it in the Sun and it will become most White like unto White Starch or Red if you work with Sol which are the Form or Soul or Sulphur of Luna and Sol and will weigh a quarter of an Ounce rather more than less save that well XXVI Take an Urinal half a foot high and take of the firm body five Ounces of the Soul or Sulphur of Sol or Luna a quarter of an Ounce and of the Spirit four Ounces Put all of them into the Urinal and put on its head or Cover with its Receiver well closed or Luted Distil the Water from it with a most soft Fire and there will come off the first time almost three Ounces XXVII Put the Water on again without moving the Urinal and distil it again until no more liquor will distil which do 6 or 7 times and then every thing will be firm Then set the same Urinal in Horse-dung seven days and by the virtue and subtilty of the heat it will be converted into water XXVIII Distil or filter this water with stripes or shreds of Woolen-cloth a gross part will remain in the bottom which is nothing worth All that which is passed the filter congeal which will be about 4 or 5 Ounces and save it When you have congealed it three times melt ten ounces of the most fine Sol or Luna and when it is red hot put upon it 4 Ounces one Coppy said 13 Ounces of this Medicine and it will be all true and good Medicine XXIX Likewise melt Borax and Wax ana one ounce to which put of the former Medicine 1 ounce Put all these upon Mercury or any other Metal 3 pound and it will be most fine Sol or Luna to all Judgments and Aslays Thus have I ended this process in which if you have any practise or judgment and know how to follow the Work you may finish it or compleat it in 40 days XXX An Appendix teaching how to make Aurum Potabile Take Sal Armoniack Sal Nitre ana 1 pound beat them together and make thereof an AR Then take of the most fine Sol q. v. in thin leaves and cut into very small pieces which roul into very thin Rowls and put them into an Urinal or like Glass to which put the AR so much as to overtop it the depth of an inch XXXI Then nip up the Glass and put it to putrefie in Sand with a gentle heat like that of the Sun for 3 or 4 days in which time it will come to dissolution then break the Glass off at the Neck and pouring off the AR. easily and leisurely leave the dissolved Sol in the bottom and repeat this work with fresh AR. 3 or 4 times and keep the first water then put on a Helme with Lute and distil off in Sand Being cold break the Glass and take the Sol and wash it 3 or 4 times in pure warm water XXXII When the Sol is clean from the AR take of it and put it into the like Glasses with rectified S. V. 2 or 3 inches above it put it into putrefaction as before in Sand stoping the mouth thereof very close for 3 or 4 days then put the S. V. out which will be all blood red If any thing remains in the Glass undissolved put in more S. V. and let it stand as before Do this as long as you find any Tincture therein This is Aurum Potabile XXXIII But if you would have the Tincture alone distil off the S. V. with a very gentle fire and you shall find the Tincture at the bottom of the Glass which you may project upon Luna Gebri Arabis Summa The Sum of GEBER ARABS Collected and Digested By WILLIAM SALMON Professor of Physick CHAP. XXXVII An Introduction into the whole Work I. PErfection and Imperfection of Metalline Bodies is the Subject of this present discourse and therefore we treat of things perfecting and corrupting or destroying because opposites set near to each other are the more manifest II. That which perfects Imperfect Minerals is a commixtion of Argent Vive and Sulphur
in due proportion by a due and temperate decoction in the bowels of clean inspissate and fixed Earth joyned with an incorruptible radical humidity whereby it is brought to a solid fusible substance with a convenient fire and made maleable III. But Imperfect Minerals are made of a commixtion of pure Argent Vive and Sulphur without due proportion or a due de coction in the bowels of unclean not fully inspissated nor fixed Earth joyned with a corrupting humi dity whereby are brought forth Metals of a porous substance and though fusible not sufficiently or so perfectly maleable as the others IV. Under the first definition are concluded Sol and Luna each according to their perfection Under the second Saturn Jupiter Mars and Venus each according to their imperfection in which that which is manifest must be hidden or taken away and that which is hidden must be made manifest and brought into operation which is done by preparing them by which their Superstuities will be removed and their defects or imperfection supplied and the true perfection inserted into them V. But the perfect Bodies as Sol and Luna need none of this preparation yet such a preparation they must have as may subtilize their parts and reduce them from a Corporality to a fixed Spirituality that from thence may be made a fixed Spiritual Body in order to compleat the Great Elixir whether White or Red. VI. In both these viz. the White and Red Elixirs there is no other thing than Argent Vive and Sulphur of which one cannot act nor be without the other It would be a foolish and vain thing to think to make this Great Elixir or Tincture from any thing in which it is not this was never the intention of the Philosophers though they speak many things by similitude VII And because all Metalick Bodies are compounded of Argent Vive and Sulphur pure or impure by accident and not innate in their first nature therefore by convenient preparation 't is possible to take away their impurity the end of preparation is to take away Superfluities and supply the defects VIII For we have considered the substance of Metaline Bodies perfect and imperfect to be but one viz. Argent Vive and Sulphur which are pure and clean before their commixtion and by consideration and experience we found the Corruption of Imperfect Bodies to be by accident but that being pre pared and cleansed from all their Superfluities Corruption and fugitive Uncleanness we found them of greater brightness clearness and purity than the naturally perfect Metals not prepared by which consideration we attained to the perfection of this Science IX The Imperfect Bodies have accidentally Superfluous Humidities and a Combustible Sulphureity with a Primary Blackness in them and corrupting them to gether with an Unclean Faeculent Combustible and very gross Earthiness impedeing Ingress and Fusion Therefore it behoves us with artificial fire by the help of purified Salts and Vinegars to remove superfluous accidents that the only radical substance of Argent Vive and Sulphur may remain which may indeed be done by various ways and methods according as the Elixir requires X. The general way of preparation is this 1. With fire proportional the whole superfluous and Corrupt humidity in its essence must be elevated and the subtil and burning Sulphureity removed and this by Calcination 2. The whole Corrupt substance of their superfluous burning humidity and blackness remaining in their calx must be corroded with the following cleansed Salts and Vinegars till the Calx be White or Red according to the nature of the body and is made clean and pure from all Superfluity and Corruption These Calxe are cleansed with the 〈◊〉 Salts and Vinegars by grinding imbibing and washing 3. The whole 〈◊〉 Earthiness and Combustible gross Faeculency must be taken away with the aforesaid things not having Metallick Fusion by commixing and grinding them together with the aforesaid Calx depurated in the aforesaid manner Forthese in the Fusion or Reduction of the Calx will remain with themselves the said uncleanness and gross Earthiness the Body remaining pure XI Being thus cleansed it is Meliorated thus First This Purged and Reduced Body is again Calcined by Fire with the Salts as aforesaid Secondly Then with such of these as are Solutive it must be Dissolved For this Water is Our Stone and Argent Vive of Argent Vive and Sulphur of Sulphur abstracted from the Spiritual Body and subtilized or attenuated which is Meliorated by confirming the Elemental Virtues in it with other prepared things of its own kind which augment the Colour Fixion Weight Purity and Fusion with all other things appertaining to the true Elixir XII The Salts and Vinegars for this work are thus prepared and cleansed Common Salt and Salt Gem as also Sal Alcali and Sandiver are cleansed by Calciing them and then casting them into hot water to be Dissolved which Solution being Filtred is to be coagulated by a gentle fire then to be Calcined for a Day and a Night in a moderate fire and so kept for use XIII Sal Armoniack is cleansed by Grinding it with a preparation of Common Salt cleansed and then subliming it in an high Body and Head till it ascends all pure then dissolving it in a Porphyrie in the open Air if you would have it in a water or otherwise keeping the sublimate in a Glass close stopt for use XIV Roch Alums or Factitious or other Alums are cleansed by putting them in an Alembick and extracting their whole Humidity which is of great use in this Art The Faeces remaining in the Bottom Dissolve on a Porphyrie in a moist place or in water and then again extract and keep it for use XV. Vitriol of all kinds is cleansed by dissolving it in pure Vinegar then Distilling and Coagulating Or first abstract its Humidity over a gentle fire the Faeces Caleine and Dissolve per deliquium or in their own water filtre and Coagulate or if you please the water and keep it for use XVI Vinegars of what kind or how acute and sharp soever are cleansed by subtilization and their Virtues and Effects are Me liorated by Distillation With these Salts and Vinegars the imperfect Bodies may be prepared purified meliorated and subtilized by the help of the Fire Glass and Borax are pure and need no preparation XVII Out of the Metalline Bodies we compose the Great Elixir making One substance of many yet so permanently fixed that the strongest or greatest force of Fire cannot hurt it or make it flie away which will mix with Metals in Flux and flow with them and enter into them and be permixed with the fixed substance which is in them and be fixed with that in them which is incombustible receiving no hurt by any thing which Gold and Silver cannot be hurt by XVIII Hence we define Our Stone to be agenerating or Fruitful Spirit and Living water which we name the Dry water by Natural proportion cleansed and United
soft substance This is done with Ignition in their Fusion thus With Saturn or Jupiter the substance of Argent Vive or Sulphur fixed or of Arsenick must be mixed in their profundity Or they must be mixed with hard and not fusible things as the Calx of Marchasite and Tutia for these are united with and embraced by them and harden them so that they flow not till they are red hot The same thing is also compleated by our Medicine perfecting them of which hereafter XX. Fixation by removal of their fugitive substance This is done by calcination in a fire proportional to their substance In order to which 1. All their corrupting adustive substance must be cleansed from them as aforesaid 2. Then their earthy superfluity must be taken away 3. They must be dissolved and Reduced or compleatly washed in a Lavement of Argent Vive This is necessary and profitable XXI Saturn is specially hardened by a Calcination with the Acuity of Salt and by Talk it is especially dealbated as also by Marchasite and Tutia Calcine Saturn fluxed with common Salt putrefied stirring it continually with an Iron Spatula till it comes to Ashes Decoct it for one Natural day and let it be a little Fiery hot but not much then wash it with pure clean water and Calcine it for 3 daies till it be Red both within and without If you would have it to be prepared for the White Imbibe it with water of White Alum and reduce it with Oyl of Tartar or its Salt But if you would have it for the Red Imbibe it with the water of Crocus Martis and of Verdigrise and reduce it with Salt of Tartar as before This work Reiterate as often as need requires XXII The Calcination of Saturn and Jupiter Let a great Test or Calcining Pan be placed in a Fornace and put Saturn and Jupiter into it with as much common Salt prepared and Roch Alum Calcined being in Flux let the Metal be continually stirred with an Iron Spatula full of holes till the whole be reduced to Ashes which sift and set chem in the Fire again keeping them continually Red Fire Hot till the Calx of Jupiter is whitened or that of Jupiter is rubified as Minium XXIII The Regimen of Saturn and Jupiter for the White Take Saturn purified three Pound melt or add to it clean or purified Mercury twelve Pound stirring the whole that they may be mixed This mixture put into a Bolt-Head of a Foot in Length which place in the Athanor with a gentle Fre for a week Take purified Jupiter one Poind melt and add purified Mercury 12 Pound doing in all respects as before with Saturn In this weeks time you will have a Paste dissolved fit to be Fermented with the White Ferment Thus. XXIV Take of the White Ferment one Pound of the Paste of Saturn two Pounds of the Paste of Jupiter three Pounds These being dissolved mix through their least parts and set in putrefaction in a moderate Fire like as in dissolution for seven daies Then take them out well mixed and Strain or Squeeze their more Liquid parts through a Cloth The thick Matter remaining put into a Glass Seal it well up and place it in an Athanor for the time aforesaid which do thrice till it has Imbibed all the humidity Then put the Vessel with its Matter into a Fornace of Fixation for twelve daies which done take it forth and reduce it with things reducing so will you find that which our Ancestors found not without great Study viz. The Generated generating Prove this upon the Cineritium or Cupel with Lead and you will find the Body perfect in Whiteness perpetually generating its like XXV The Regimen of Saturn is also compleated if being prepared and dissolved I suppose he means in his dissolutive Water made of Nitre and Vitriol it be mixed with a third part of its Red Ferment dissolved also and then Distilling off the Water and Cohobating seven times Reduce it to a Body and prove it by its Examen and you will rejoyce in the bountiful Body which is generated XXVI White Medicines for Saturn also solar Medicines for Saturn Because the Medicines and the work are wholly or altogether the same as for Jupiter and that in the Chapter of Jupiter we have explicitely and largely declared the matter we shall refer you thither saying no more thereof in this place see Chap. 43. Sect. 16 17 18 19 20 21. following CHAP. XLIII The Alchymie of Jupiter I. TO prepare Jupiter Put it into a fit Vessel in a Fornace of Calcination and make a good Fusion stirring the melted Metal with an Iron Spatula full of holes drawing off the Scum as it arises and again stirring the Body and thus continuing till the whole quantity is reduced to Pouder or Ashes This Pouder sift and replace it in the Fornace again in the same heat of Fire stirring it often for 24 hours till its whole accidental and superfluous humidity is abolished with all its combustible and corrupting Sulphur Then often well wash it with common Salt cleansed and Alum purified and sharp Vinegar and dry it in the Sun or Air. Grind it again washing and drying it doing this so long till by the acuity of the Salts Alums Vinegar its whole humidity blackness and uncleanness is taken away This done add Glass in fine Pouder to it impaste the whole together and with a sufficient Fire make it flow in a Crucible with a hole in its bottom set within another so will the pure and clean Body descend the whole Earthy and Faeculent substance remaining above with the Glass Salts and Alums in which pure Body is an equal and perfect proportion Argent Vive and White Sulphur not burning Then Calcine this pure Body with pure and clean Sal Armoniack till it be in weight equal or thereabout being well and perfectly Calcined Grind the whole well and long upon a Porphyrie and set it in the open Air in a Cold moist place or in a Glass Vessel in a Fornace of Solution or in Horse-Dung till the whole be dissolved augmenting the Salt if need be This Water ought to be esteemed for it is what we seek for in the whole II. Tin is a Metallick Body White Livid not pure and a little sounding partaking of little Earthiness possessing in its Root harshness softness easiness of Liquefaction without Ignition not abiding the Cupel or Cement but extensible un der the Hammer Therefore Jupiter among Bodies diminished from perfection is in the Radix of its Nature of affinity to Sol and Luna but more to Luna and less to Sol. III. Jupiter because it receives much whiteness from the Radix of its generation it whitens all other Bodies which are not White but it has a fault that it breaks or makes brittle all other Bodies except Saturn and most pure Sol Jupiter adheres much to Sol and Luna and therefore does not easily receede from them in the examen or Tryal by the
a commixtion through their least parts which keep in sufficient heat as in the White is said Extract the Water and what remains in the Cloth put into a well sealed Glass for 3 Weeks Then take it out and add to it a third part of its own reserved water and decoct by Chap. 42. Sect. 23. aforegoing which Work do thrice When it has imbibed all its proper Water put it in its proper Vessel and Fornace to be fixed When fixed with things reducing reduce it into a Body ready to be reduced and tinged XXVIII We more espe cially handling the Regimen of Venus do declare that you ought seven times or oftner to rectifie it when prepared and dissolved distilling off the Water and cohobating thereon each time which being coagulate thence make a most noble Greenness with Sal Armoniack dissolved in Spirit of Vinegar That greenness rubisie in a Vessel of Mars and again dissolve it to which solution adjoyn a third part of prepared and dissolved Luna afterwards extracting and cohobating the water of Ferment 7 times Then reduce this into a Body and you will rejoyce The Regimen of Mars is as of Venus but by reason of its foulness no great good arises from it XXIX Grind Luna amal gamated with Mercury with twice so much Metaline Arsenick Quaere Whether Regulus of Arsenick be not intended To which adjoyn a tenfold proportion of Venus amalgamated with Mercury Grind the whole and fix and reduce into a Body so will you have a pure White Metal XXX The first Dealbation of Venus Take Realgar 1 ounce Argent Vive sublimed 3 Ounces and half Tartar calcin'd 1 ounce grind and incorporate put them into a Bolt head a Foot and half high and its Orifice so wide as two Fingers may go into it lute it and set it over a Fire covered with a Cloth First make a gentle Fire for a quarter of an hour afterwards augment the Fire underneath and round about until the Fornace be very hot with Ignition when all is cold break the Vessel and take out what you find Metalline and make of this a great quantity XXXI A Second Dealbation Upon Tutia sublime one part of Mercury sublimate and two parts of Arsnick sublimed until it shall have ingress This clearly and very speciously whitens Veuus XXXII A Third Dealbation Take Mercury sublimate 3 Ounces Arsenick sublimed 2 Ounces dissolved with Litharge till they become 8 Ounces to these 8 Ounces adjoyn other 8 Ounces of Arsenick sublimed grind them together and flux them with Oyl of Tartar and there with you may whiten prepared Venus at pleasure XXXIII A Fourth Dealbation Grind Metaline Arsenick with as much of the Calx of Luna and imbibe the Mixture with the Water of Sal Armoniack and dry and grind then dissolve Salt of Tartar in the Water of Salt Nitre some suppose Spirit of Nitre with which Oyl imbibe the Medicine repeat this thrice incerating and drying and you will rejoyce XXXIV A Fifth Dealbation which is of our own Invention Imbibe Jupiter calcined washed and dryed so often with metaline Arsenick and hals so much Mercury sublimate as untill it flows and enters Venus which if first prepared it whitens speedily XXXV A Sixth Dealbation Vpon Tutia calcined dissolved and Coagulated sublime White Arsenick so that the Arsenick be 3 parts to 1 of the Tutia reiterating the sublimation upon it four times for it has Ingress With them mix half as much as the whole is of Mercury sublimate grinding and incerating 4 times with the Water of Sal Armoniack Nitre and Tartar ana Quere whether that may not be Aq. Regis with this when coagulated cement prepared plates of Venus and melt so will you have a very beautiful Body XXXVI A Seventh Dealbation Grind Venus calcined and incerated adding to it Arsenick sublimed and half a part of Mercury sublimate with which being well ground and mixed add a little of the Water of Sal Armonoick Quer. if not A. R incerating upon a marble after dry and sublime Revert the sublimate upon the Foeces again imbibing which do thrice the fourth time imbibe with Water of Nitre Spirit of Nitre and sublime what can be sublimed reiterate this Labor till it remains fluid in the bottom This in Copper prepared will be Resplendent with brightness XXXVII An Eighth De albation Upon the prepared Calx of Venus so often sublime Arsenick sublimate till some part of the Arsenick remaine with it in the strongest Fire That imbibed with the Water of Nitre Spirit of Nitre and lastly incerated with Water of Luna and Mercury precipitate and in the end with Oyl of Tartar Rectified until it flows wonderfully whetens Venus and enters the second order if you have operated right For I have else where said that if you obtain any part of Mercury precipitated in the mixture your Work wil be more splendid especially if the White Ferment dissolved with the Mercury dissolved after a certain fixation of it be added by the medium of Inceration by which you will find you have traced the high way it self Geber our Author here saith that the last 8 Sections are all proved Experiments the first 4 of them being Experiments of the Ancients by him again proved the latter 4 Rectifications of the Practises of the Ancients or rather Experiments of his Own All which he affirms to be absolutly true and by him proved so CHAP. XLVI Of the Alchymie of Luna I. THE preparation of Luna It is subtilized attenuated and re duced to a Spirituality in the same manner as hereafter in Chap. 47. Sect. 1. we shall teach concerning Sol. Therefore in all and every part of the Work do the same as we shall there teachwith Gold and this work of Luna dissolved is the Ferment for the White Elixir made Spitual II. It is a metalick Body white which pure whiteness clean hard sounding very durable in the Cupel extensible under the Hammer and fusible It is the Tincture of whiteness hardens Tin by Artifice and converts it to it self and being mixed with Sol it breaks not but in the examination it perseveres without Artifice III. He who knows how to subtilize it and then to inspissate and fix it associated with Gold brings it into such a State that it will remain with Sol in the Test and be in no wise separated from it being put over the fumes of sharp things as Vinegar A. F. or Salarmoniack and it will be of a wonderful Caelestine Color It is a noble Body but wants of the Nobility of Sol and its Minera is found determinate but it has often a Minera confused with other Bodies which Silver is not so Noble It is likewise dissolved and Calcin'd with great Labor and no Profit IV. If therefore clean fixed Red and clear Sulpher fall upon the pure substance of Argent Vive thereof is made pure Gold then in like manner if clean fixed white and clear Sulphur falls upon the substance of Argent Vive there
Goodness and purity of each Metal For seeing that Argent Vive for no Causes of Extermination permits it self to be divided into parts in its composition because it either with its whole substance receeds from the fire or with its whole remains permanent in it there is necessarily observed in it a cause of perfection For it is that which overcomes Fire and by Fire is not overcome but it amicably rests rejoycing therein possessing Perfection as we have found with an Approximate Potency XXXIII Of the Purification of Argent Vive It is cleansed two ways either by sublimation of which we have shewed the way already or by way of a Lavament of which the way is this Put Argent Vive into a Stone or Earthen Dish and pour upon it as much Vinegar as is sufficient to cover it Set it over a gentle fire and let it heat so far as you may well hold your Fingers in it and no more Then stir it about with your Fingers until it be divided into most small Particles in the similitude of Powder and continue stirring it until all the Vinegar be wholly consumed After which wash away the Earthiness remaining with Vinegar and cast it away Repeating this washing so often till the Earthiness of the Mercury is changed into a most perfect Coelestine colour which is a sign that it is throughly washed XXXIV Of the Nature of Argent Vive There is a necessity of removing its Superfluities for it has Causes of Corruption viz. an Earthy substance and an adustible watriness without Inflamation yet some have thought it to have no superfluous Earth and Uncleanness but that is vain and not true For we see it to consist of much lividness and not of whiteness we see also a black and Feculent Earth to be separated from it with easie Artifice by a Lavation as abovesaid But because we are by that to acquire a two-fold perfe ction viz. 1. To make a Medicine 2. To perfect it Therefore we must necessarily prepare the same by the degrees of a two-fold purification for two cleansings of Mercury are necessary One by Sublimation for the Medicine which shall be here shewed The other by a Lavament for coagulation which we have shewed at Sect. 33. above XXXV For if we would make a Medicine of it then there is a necessity to cleanse it from the foeculency of its Earthiness by sublimation least it create a livid color in projection and also to remove its sugitive watriness lest it make the whole Medicine fugitive in projection and to keep safe the middle substance thereof sor Medicine of which the Property is not to be burned but to defend from combustion and not to fly it self but to make sixed which is a perfection by manifold Experiences For we see Argent Vive more nearly to adhere to Argent Vive and to be more beloved by the same but next to it Gold has place and after that Silver XXXVI Wherefore bence it follows that Argent Vive is more friendly to its own nature but we see other Bodies not to have so great conformity to or unity with it and therefore we find them in very deed less to partake of the nature thereof And whatsoever Bodies we see more to defend from adustion those we judge to partake more of the nature of it therefore it is manifest that Argent Vive is the perfective and salvative from Adustion which is the Vltimate of Perfection XXXVII The second degree of its Purification is for its Coagulation And the washing away of its earthiness for one day only is sufficient for it the method of which washing we have largely declared at Sect. 33. aloregoing Being therefore so throughly washed project upon it the Medicine of Coagulation and it will be coagulated into a Solifick or Lunifick substance according as the Medicine was prepared From what is now said it is manifest that Argent Vive is not perfective in its nature but that matter is which is produced of it by our Art And so likewise is it in Sulphur and Arsenick Therefore in these it is not possible to follow nature but by our natural Artifice XXXVIII It is also undeniably manifest that bodies containing the greatest quantity of Argent Vive are bodies of perfection Wherefore it is to be supposed that those bodies are more nigh to perfection which more amicably imbibe Argent Vive The sign of this is the easie susception of Argent Vive by a Solar or Lunar body of Perfection For this same reason if a body altered do not easily receive Argent Vive into its Substance it must needs be very remote from this perfection spoken of XXXIX The preparation of Argent Vive Take of it one pound Vitriol Rubified two pounds Roch Alum Calcin'd one pound Common Salt half a pound Nitre four ounces Incorporate all together and sublime Gather the white and Dense and ponderous which will be found about the side of the Vessel and keep it for use Now if in the first Sublimation you shall finde it Turbid or Unclean which may be thro Carlesness sublime it again with the same Foeces and reserve it as before XL. The Regiment of Mercury It is done two ways 1. You must Amalgamate it well washed and purified as under directed 2. You must Distill it and thence make an Aqua Vitae or Spirit of Wine The first wav Take of Mercu ry 40 Ounces of Sol. of Luna of Venus of Saturn ana one Ounce melt these bodies first the Venus and Luna secondly the Sol thirdly Saturn Take all out of the Fire having melted them in a large Crucible and your Mercury in readiness made hot in another and when the said Metals begin to harden pouer in the Mercury Leisurly stirring the mixture with a stick setting it again on the Fire and taking it off untill they be all amalgamated with the whole Mercury This Amal gama put to be dissolved for seven days Extract the water with a Cloth make the residue Volatile giving Fire of Ignition This again imbibe with its whole water and put it to be generated and again to be dryed for forty days and you will finde a Stone which put to be fixed so will you have a Stone augmentable to Infinity In this Book we have expounded all things which we have written in divers Books XLI The sublimation of Mercury If you would perfectly sublime it you must add to every pound of it common Salt two pound and a half Salt-Peter half a pound mortify the Mercury wholly grinding it all together with Vinegar until nothing of the Mercury appear living in the mixture then sublime it according to Art It is a thing profitable XLII The Sublimatioa of Red Mercury Take one pound of it mix and perfectly grind it with Vitroil Nitre ana one pound and sublime it from them Red and splendid XLIII Out of all that has been said it appears with evident Demonstration that our Stone is procreated out
more subtil separation is made by distillation in Balneo than by a Distillation in Ashes or Sand. IX This is evident for Oyl distilled by Ashes is gross thick and foetid But that being rectified in Balneo the Oyl is separated into its Elemental parts so that from a most Red Oyl you have another most limpid white and serene the whole redness remaining in the bottom of the Vessel X. By this Operation we come to the determinate separation of all the Elements of every Vegetable and of that which from Vegetables proceeds to a Being and of every like thing But by that which is made by Descent we at tain the Oyl of every thing Vegetable determinately and of their like and by Filteration we accomplish the clearness of every liquid thing XI To Distil in Ashes You must have a strong earthen Pan and fitted to the Fornace like to the aforesaid Fornace of Sublimation with the same distance from the sides of the Fornace and with like Vent-holes upon the bottom of which Pan sifted Ashes must be put to the thickness of one Fingers breadth length almost and upon the Ashes the Retort or Distillatory must be set and covered round about with the same Ashes almost as high as to the neck of the Alembick Retort or Distillatory XII This done put in the matter to be distilled cover the Vessel with its Alembick the neck of which must inclose the neck of the Cucurbit or Vesica lest what is to be distilled should fly away Then lute the juncture and begin the Distillatiou But the Vesica Cucurbit Retort or Distillatory with the Alembick Head or Recipient must be both of Glass and the fire must be of strength according to the exigency or nature of the matter to be distilled and to be continued till all that should be distilled is come off XIII To distil in Balneo is like the former in a Cucurbit and Alembick save that you must have an Iron or Brass Pot fitted to the Fornace Upon the bottom of the pot within must be laid a Bed of Hay or Wooll or other like matter to the thickness of 3 Inches that the Cucurbit may not be broken and with the same the Cucurbit must be covered round about almost as high as the neck of the Alembick upon which lay sticks cross and upon them stones to hold the Cucurbit to the bottom of the Pot and keep it firm and steady that it be not raised by the Water nor be broken by its moving up and down Lastly Put in Water till the Pot be full which done kindle the fire and distil off the matter XIV To Distil by Descent You must have a Glass Descensory with its Cover and that put in which is to be Distilled and then the Cover luted on and fire made on the top or over it that the Liquor may descend XV. To Distil by Filtre Put the Liquor to be Distilled into an Earthen Stone or Glass Concha under which set another Vessel to receive the Distillation The larger part of the Filter put into the Liquor even to the bottom of the Concha leting the narrower part hang over the side thereof and over the under Vessel so will the Liquor fall down through the Filter in the lower Vessel without ceasing to the last drop Where note That if the Liquor be not clear enough the first time it must be so often repeated till it is as you desire it XVI The Distillatory Fornace is the same with the Sublimatory But Fire must be administred according to the exigency of things to be Distilled The way of doing which we have just now taught CHAP. LIII Of Calcination of Bodies and Spirits with their Causes and Methods I. CAlcination is the bringing a thing to Dust by Fire through an abstraction of its humidity holding the particles of the Body together II. The cause of the invention thereof is that the Adustive corrupting and defiling sulphureity may be abolished by Fire and it is 〈◊〉 according to the diversity of the things to be calcined for Bodies are calcined and Spirits are calcined as also other things foreign to these but with a divers intention III. And seeing there are imperfect Bodies of two kinds viz. Hard as Venus and Mars and Soft as Saturn and Jupiter all which are calcined there was a necessity of calcining them with a several intention viz. General and Special IV. They are calcined with one general Intention when that their corrupting and defiling Sulphureity may be abolished by Fire for every adustive Sulphureity which could not be removed without Calcination is thereby abolished from every thing whatsoever V. And because the Body it self is solid and by reason of that solidity the internal Sulphureity concealed within the continuity of the substance of Argent Vive is defended from Adustion therefore it was necessary to separate the Continuity thereof that the Fire coming freely to every its least parts might burn the Sulphureity from it and that the Continuity of Argent Vive might not defend it VI. The common inten tion also of Calcination is Depuration of the Earthiness for it is found that Bodies are cleansed by reiterated Calcination and Reduction as we shall hereafter shew VII Special Calcination is of Soft Bodies and with these two intentions that through it there may be an intention of Hardning and Fixing which is accomplished by an Ignitious repition of Calcination upon them and this is found true by Experience VIII But why the Calcination of Spirits was invented is that they may the better be fixed and the more easily dissolved in to Water for that every kind of thing Calcined is more fixed then the not Calcined and of easier solution and because the Particles of the Calcinated more subtilized by Fire are more easily mixed with Water and turned into Water IX The Calcination of other things is subservient to the Exigency of the Preparation of Spirits and Bodies of which Preparation we shall speak more at large in the following but these are not of Perfection X. The way of Calcination is divers by reason of the diversity of things to be Calcined for Bodies are otherwise Calcined than Spirits or other things And Bodies divers from each other are diversly Calcined Soft Bodies have one general way according to the intention viz. That both may be Calcined by Fire only and by the acuity of Salt prepared or unprepared XI The first Calcination by Fire is thus Have a Vessel of Iron or Earth formed like a Porringer which let be very strong and firm and fitted to the Fornace of Calcination so that underit the Coles may be cast in and blowed XII Then cast in your Lead or Tin the vessel being firmly set upon a Trivet of Iron or Stone and fastned to the Walls of the Fornace with 3 or 4 Stones being thrust in stiff between the Fornace sides and the Vessel that it may not move the form of the Fornace must be the same with the Form of
the Fornace of Great Ignition of which we have spoken and shall speak more in the following XIII And the Fire being kindled sufficient for the fusion of the Body to be calcined a skin will arise on the Top which con tinually rake together and take off with a Slice or other fit Iron or Stone instument so long till the whole body is converted into Pouder XIV If it be Saturn there must be a greater fire till the Calx be changed into a compleat whiteness XV. Now understand that Saturn is easily reduced again into a Body from its Calx but Jupiter with most difficulty therefore be carefull that you err not in exposing Saturn after its first Pulverization to too great a Fire and so reduce the Calx into a Body before it is perfected in this you must use temperance of Fire and that leisurly augmented by degrees with Caution till it be confirmed in its Calx and is not so easily reducible but that a gentle fire must be given to the last compleating of the Calx XVI Likewise be careful that you err not in Jupiter by reason of its difficult Reduction for that intending to reduce it you find it not reduced but a Calx still or turned into Glass and so then conclude its reduction impossible XVII Now we say that if a great Fire be not given in the reduction of Jupiter it reduceth not and if a great Fire be given sometimes it reduces not but Possibly may be converted into Glass the reason of which is because Jupiter in the profundity of its nature has the fugitive substance of Argent Vive included which if long kept in the Fire flies away and leaves the Body deprived of humidity so that it is found more apt to Vitrifie than to be reduced again into a metallick Body XVIII For every thing deprived of its proper Humidity gives no other than a Vitrifying fusion whence it naturally follows that you must hasten to reduce it with the speedy force of a Violent Fire for otherwise it will not be reduced XIX The Calcination of these Bodies by the Acuity of Salt is the quantity after quantity of Salt be very often cast upon them in their fusion and permixed by much agitation with an Iron Rod while in fusion till by the mixtion of the Salt they be turned into Ashes and afterwards by the same way of perfection the Calces of them are perfected with their considerations XX. But herein also is a difference in the Calces of these two Bodies for Lead in the first work of Calcination is more easily converted into Pouder or Ashes than Tin and yet the Calx is not more easily perfected than that of Tin The cause of which diversity is that Saturn has a more fixed humidity than Jupiter XXI The Calcination of Venus and Mars is one yet divers from the former by reason of the dificulty of their Liquefaction Make either of these Bodies into thin Plates heat them red hot but not to Melting for by reason of their great Earthiness and large quantity of Adustive flying Sulphur they are easily thus reduced into Calx for the much Earthiness being mixed with the substance of Argent Vive the due Continuity of the said Argent Vive is frustrated XXII And thence comes their porosity through which the flying Sulphur passes away and the Fire by that means having access to it Burns and Elevates the same whence it comes to pass that the parts are made more rare and through discontinuity converted into Ashes XXIII This is manifest for that plates of Copper exposed to Ignition yeild a Sulphurous Flame and make pulverizable Scales in their Superfices which is done because from the parts more nigh a more easy combustion of the Sulphur must be made XXIV The form of this Calcinatory Fornace is the same with the form of the Distillatory Fornace save only that this must have one great hole in the Crown of it to free it self from Fumosities and the place of the things to be Calcined must be in the midst of the Fornace that the Fire may have free access to them round about but the Vessel must be of Earth such as are Crucibles XXV The Calcination of Spirits You must give Fire to them gradually and leisurly increase it that they may not fly till they be able to sustain the greatest Fire and approach to Fixation their Vessel must be round every way closed and the Fornace the same with the last mentioned But you need not use greater Labour than what is to prevent their flight XXVI Or thus As to the form of the Fornace Let it be made square in length four Feet and in breadth three Feet Luna Venus and Mars or other things must be Calcined in strong Dishes or Pans made of Clay such as that of which Crucibles are made that they may endure the strongest force of the Fire to the total combustion of the matter to be Calcined XXVII Calcination is the Treasure of the thing Be not weary therefore for imperfect Bodies are cleansed by it and by reduction of the Calcinate into a solid Body or Mass of Metal again then is our Medicine projected upon them which is matter of Joy and Rejoycing XXVIII The Ablutions of the Calces Have a large Earthen Vessel full of pure hot fresh Water with this wash the Calx stirring it often that all the Salt and Allom may be dissolved with which they have been Calcined then being setled decant the Water gently put the Calx again into hot Water and do as before till it be perfectly washed then dry and keep it for inceration XXIX The Inceration of Calces washed Take the former Calx dissolve it in Spirit of Vinegar 2 pounds of Common Salt Roch Allom Sal gem ana 2 Ounces in this water imbibe 4 Ounces of of the aforesaid dryed Calx till it has drank in all the said Water then dry it and keep it for use XXX The Reduction of Calces into a solid Mass. Take the former incerated Calx wash it with distilled Urine till you have extracted all the Salts and Alums with the filth of the Calcined Body which being dryed imbibe 4 pounds of this Calx with Oyl of Tarter 1 pound in 1 pound of which dissolve Sal armoniack 2 Ounces Salt-Peter 1 Ounce This Imbibition do at several times drying and imbibing Lastly dry it and make it descend through a great descensory and reduce it into a solid Mass being purged from its Combustible Sulphureity by Calcination and from its Terrestreity by its Reduction so have you it purified from all accidental Impirities and defements which happned to it in its Minera XXXI But it s innate foulness which dwels in the Root of its Generation must be obliterated or done away with our Medicine the greater part of which contains in it self the substance of Argent Vive according as the necessity of the Art requires XXXII Again you must note that Bodies are found to be
of working this Tryal is thus Take sifted Ashes or Calx or Pouder der of the Bones of Animals Calcined or a Commixtion of all or some of them moisten with Water and make the mixture firm and solid with your hands and in the midst of it work it into a round flatish lump make a round and smooth hollowness and upon the bottom of it strew a small quantity of Glass beaten to Pouder which lay to dry XVI When dry Put your Metal into the Hollowness thereof which you would try or prove put Coals of Fire upon it and then blow with Bellows upon the Surface till the Metal flows upon which being in flux cast part after part of Lead and blow with a flame of strong Ignition XVII Whilst you see it agitated with a strong Concusssion it is not pure cast wait till all the Lead be Exhaled when that is gon off and the Motion yet ceases not it is not yet pure cast Lead then again upon it and blow as before until the Lead vanish If it do not yet rest repeat the casting in of more Lead and blowing upon it till it be still or quiet and you see it clean and clear in its Su perfices XVIII This done take away the Coals scatter the Fire and put Water upon the Test for you will find it throughly proved and if while you are blowing this proof you cast in Glass the Bodies will be the better and more perfectly purified because that takes away the Impurities and separates them XIX Or Instead of Glass you may cast in Salt Borax or a little Alum This Examen of the Cineritium or Test may in like manner be made in a Crucible of Earth if the fire round about it be blowed and upon the surface also of the Crucible that the Body to be proved may the sooner flow and be perfected CHAP. LXIII Of Cementation and its Causes I. WE now come to the Examen of Cement And whereas some Bodies are more and others less burned by the Calcination of fire i. e. they which contain a greater quantity of burning Sulphur more but they which contain less less Therefore seeing Sol has a lesser quantity of Sulphur than other Metallick Bodies it is not in the midst of all Mineral Bodies burnt by the force of fire II. And seeing Luna also next to Sol partakes of a less quantity of Sulphur than the other four Bodies yet has more Sulphur than Sol therefore it can less bear the strong Ignition of a violent Fire for a long space of time than Sol can And by consequence less bear things burning by a like nature but Venus less than it because it consists of more Sulphur still and of greater Earthiness than Luna and so can less bear the violent force of Fire III. Jupiter also less than Sol or Luna because it partakes of greater Sulphureity and Earthiness than either of them yet it is less burnt by violence of Fire than Venus but more than Sol or Luna IV. Saturn in its Commixtion by nature holds more of Earthiness and Sulphureity than either of these before named and therefore is more burnt by Inflamation or violence of Fire and is sooner and more easily inflamed than all the said Bodies because it has Sulphureity more nearly conjoyned and more fixed than Jupiter V. Mars is not burnt by it self but by Accident for when it is mixed with Bodies of much humidity it imbibes that Humidity by reason of its own want of the same and therefore being conjoyned it is neither inflamed nor burned if the Bodies with which it is joyned or united be neither Inflamable nor Combustible VI. But if Combustible Bodies be mixed with it it necessarily happens according to the nature of the Combustion that Mars is burnt and inflamed Seeing therefore that Cement is made of Inflamable things the necessary cause of its Invention is manifest viz. that all Combustible things might be burned VII And since there is but one only body incombustible that alone or what is prepared according to the nature of it is kept safe in Cement But which abide more and which less are known with their Causes Luna abides more but Mars less Jupiter yet less and Venus less than Jupiter but Saturn least of all VIII The way of Examination by Cement is thus You must compound it of Infla mable things of which kind are all blackening flying penetrating things viz. Vitriol Sal Armoniack Verdigrise Alum or Plumous Alum and a very small quantity of Sulphur with Humane Urine and other like acute and penetrating things All which are made into a Paste with the Urine aforesaid and spread upon thin plates of that Body which you intend to examine by this way of Probation IX Then the said plates must be laid upon a Grate of Iron included in an Earthen Vessel but so as not to touch one another that the power of the Fire may have free and equal access to them Thus the whole must be kept in Fire in a strong Earthen Vessel for the space of 3 days but with this Caution That the plates may be kept Red Fire hot but not melt X. After the third day you will find the Plates cleansed from all impurity if the Body of them was perfect if not they will be wholly corrupted and burnt in the Calcination XI Some expose Plates of Metal to Calcination without a Composition of Cement and they are purified in like manner if the Body be perfect If not they are totally consumed But in this kind of Examen they must have a longer space of time for that they are purified by the only force of Fire than if they were Examined by the help of Cement XII And for that the nature of Luna differs not much from the nature of Sol therefore of necessity it rests with it in the Tryal by Cement and there is no separation of Bodies one from another in these two kinds of Tryal unless that be caused by reason of the Diversity of the Composition of their substances XIII For from thence results the Diversity of Fusion and Thickness or Thinness or Rarity which are indeed the causes of Separation for that by reason of the strong Composition of some their substance is not corrupted by the substance of the Extraneous Body in as much as a mixtion of them cannot be made through their least parts XIV Therefore in such a commixture they must necessarily be separated each from other without the total corruption of their Essences And the perfecting of imperfect Bodies is discerned when they are by Ingenuity of preparation found to be of the same Fusion Ignition and Solidity CHAP. LXIV The Examen by Ignition I. SInce Bodies of greatest Perfection with determinate Ignition are found to receive the Fire before fusion of them therefore we say if our design is to find out the com pleat alteration of them there is a necessity to bring such Bodies to their Fusion II. And before these
declared And these things I thought fit to speak as a warning to the prudent Sons of Art that they spend not their Money unprofitably but may know what they ought to look after for by this only they may attain to the perfection of this Secret and by no other means Farewel The Secret Book of Artephius CHAP. III. Of the Composition of our Antimonial Vinegar or Secret Water I. ANtimonium est de partibus Saturni in omnibus modis habet naturam ejus Antimonium Saturninum convenit Soli in eo est argentum vivum in qu◠non submergitur aliquod metallum nisi aurum id est Sol submergitur verè tantum in argento vivo Antimoniali Saturniali II. Et sine illo Argento vivo aliquod metallum dealbari non potest Dealbat ergo latonem id est aurum reducit corpus perfectum in suam primam materiam id est in sulphur argentum vivum albi coloris plusquam speculum splendentis III. Dissolvit inquam corpus perfectum quod est de sua natura Nam illa aqua est amicabilis metallis placabilis dealbans Solem quia continet argentum vivum album IV. Et ex hoc utrique maximum elicias secretum videlicet quod aqua Antimonij Saturnini debet esse Mercurialis alba ut dealbet aurum non urens sed dissolvens postea se congelans in formam cremoris albi V. Ideo dicit Philosophus quod aqua ista facit corpus volatile propterea quod postquam in haec aqua dissolutum fuerit infrigidatum ascendit superius in superficie aquae VI. Recipe inquit 〈◊〉 crudum foliatum vel laminatum vel calcinatum per Mercurium ipsum pone in aceto nostro Antimoniali Saturniali Mercuriali salis armoniaci ut dicitur in vase vitreo lato alto quatuor digitorum vel plus dimitte ibi in calore temperato videbis brevi tempore elevari quasi liquorem olei desuper natantem in modum pelliculae VII Collige illud cum cocleari vel pennâ intingendo sic pluribus vicibus in die collige donec nihil amplius ascendat ad ignem facies evaporare aquam id est superfluam humiditatem aceti remanebit tibi quinta essentia auri in modum olei albi incombustibilis VIII In quo oleo Philosophi posuerunt maxima secreta hoc oleum habet dulcedi nem maximam atque valet ad mitigandos dolores vulnerum I. ANtimony is a Mineral participating of Saturnine parts and has in all respects the nature thereof This Saturnine Antimony agrees with Sol and contains in it self Argent vive in which no Metal is swallowed up except Gold and Gold is truly swallowed up by this Antimonial Argent Vive II. Without this Argent Vive no Metal whatsoever can be whitened it whitens Laton i. e. Gold and reduceth a perfect Body into its prima Materia or first Matter viz. into Sulphur and Argent Vive of a white Colour and out-shining a Looking-Glass III. It dissolves I say the perfect Body which is so in its own Nature for this Water is friendly and agreeable with the Metals whitening Sol because it contains in it self white or pure Argent Vive IV. And from both these you may draw a great Arcanum viz. a Water of Saturnine Antimony mercurial and white to the end that it may whiten Sol not burning but dissolving and afterwards congealing to the consistence or likeness of white Cream V. Therefore saith the Philosopher this Water makes the Body to be volatile because after it has been dissolved in it and infrigidated it ascends above and swims upon the surface of the Water VI. Take saith he crude Leaf-Gold or calcin'd with Mercury and put it into our Vinegar made of Saturnine Antimony Mercurial and Sal Armoniack as is said in a broad Glass Vessel and four Inches high or more put it into a gentle heat and in a short time you will see elevated a Liquor as it were Oyl swimming a top much like a Scum VII Gather this with a Spoon or a Feather dipping it in and so doing oftentimes a day till nothing more arise Evapourate away the Water with a gentle heat i. e. the superfluous humidity of the Vinegar and there will remain the Quintessence Potestates or Powers of Gold in form of a white Oyl incombustible VIII In this Oyl the the Philosophers have placed their greatest Secrets it is exceeding sweet and of great virtue for easing the pains of Wounds CHAP. IV. Of the Operations of our Antimonial Vinegar or Mineral Water I. EST igitur totum secretum istius secreti Antimonialis ut per hoc sciamus extrahere argentum viv de corpore magnesiae non urens hoc est Antimonium sublimatum Mercuriale II. Id est opportet extrahere unam aquam vivam incombustibilem dein illam congelare cum corpore perfecto Solis quod inibi dissolvitur in naturam substantiam albam congelatam ac si esset cremor totum deveniat album III. Sed prius Sol iste in sua putrefactione resolutione in hac aqua in principio amittet lumen suum obscurabitur nigrescet demum elevabit se super aquam paulatim illi albus supernatabit color in substantiam albam IV. Et hoc est dealbare latonem rubeum eum sublimare Philosophicè reducere in suam primam materiam id est in sulphur Album incombustibile in argentum vivum fixum V. Et sic humidum terminatum id est Aurum corpus nostrum per reiterationem liquefactionis in aqua nostra dissolutiva convertitur reducitur in sulphur argentum vivum fixum VI. Et sic corpus perfectum Solis accipit vitam in tali aqua vivificatur inspiratur crescit multiplicatur in sua specie sicut res caeterae VII Nam in ipsa aqua corpus ex duobus corporibus Solis Eunae sit ut 〈◊〉 tumeat ingrossetur elevetur crescat accipiendo substantiam naturam animatam vegetabilem VIII Nostra etiam Aqua ceu acetum supradictum est acetum montium id est Solis Lunae ideo miscetur Soli Lunae illisque adhaeret in perpetuum ac corpus ab illa accipit tincturam albedinis splendet cum ea fulgore inaestimabili IX Qui sciverit igitur convertere corpus in Argentum album medicinale facile deinde poterit convertere per istud Aurum album omnia metalla imperfecta in optimum Argentum finum X. Et 〈◊〉 Aurum album dicitur a Philosophis Luna alba Philosophorum Argentum vivum album fixum aurum Alchimiae fumus albus Ergo sine illo aceto nostro Antimoniali Aurum album Al chimiae non 〈◊〉 XI Et quia in aceto nostro est duplex substantia Argenti vivi una ex Antimonio altera ex Mercurio sublimato ideo dat duplex pondus
substantiam Argenti vivi fixi etiam augmentat in eo suum nativum colorem pondus substantiam tincturam I. THE whole then of this Antimonial Secret is That we know how by it to extract or draw forth Argent Vive out of the Body of Magnesia not burning and this is Antimony and a Mercurial Sublimate II. That is you must extract a living and incombustible Water and then congeal or coagulate it with the perfect body of Sol i. e. fine Gold without allay which is done by dissolving it into a nature and white Substance of the consistency of Cream and made throughly white III. But first this Sol by putrefaction and resolution in this Water loseth all its light or brightness and will grow dark and black afterwards it will ascend above the Water and by little and little will swim upon it in a substance of a white colour IV. And this is the whitening of Red Laton to sublime it philosophically and to reduce it into its first Matter viz. into a white incombustible Sulphur and into a fixed Argent Vive V. And so the fixed moisture to wit Gold our Body by the reiterating of the Liquifaction or Dissolution in this our dissolving Water is changed and reduced into fixed Sulphur and fixed Argent Vive VI. Thus the perfect body of Sol resumeth Life in this Water it is revived inspired grows and is multiplied in its kind as all other things are VII For in this Water it so happens that the body compounded of two bodies viz. Sol and Luna is puffed up swells putrefies is raised up and does increase by receiving from the Vegetable and animated Nature and Substance VIII Our Water also or Vinegar aforesaid is the Vinegar of the Mountains i. e. of Sol and Luna and therefore it is mixed with Gold and Silver and sticks close to them perpetually and the body receiveth from this Water a white Tincture and shines with an inestimable brightness IX Who so therefore knows how to convert or change the body into a medicinal white Gold may easily by the same white Gold change all imperfect Metals into the best and finest Silver X. And this white Gold is called by the Philosophers Luna alba Philosophorum Argentum vivum album fixum Aurum Alchymiae and fumus albus And therefore without this our Antimonial Vinegar the Aurum album of the Philosophers cannot be made XI And because in our Vinegar there is a double substance of Argentum vivum the one from Antimony the other from Mercury Sublimate it does give a double weight and substance of fixed Argent vive and also augments therein the native colour weight substance and tincture thereof CHAP. V. Of other Operations of our secret Mineral Water and its Tincture I. NOstra igitur Aqua dissolutiva portat magnam Tincturam magnamque fusionem propterea quod quando sentit ignem communem si in ea est conpus perfectum Solis vel Lunae subitò illud fudi facit liquefieri conperti in suam substantiam albam ut ipsa est addit colorem pondus Tincturam corpori II. Est etiam solutiva omnium liquabilium est Aqua ponderosa viscosa praetiosa honoranda resolvens omnia corpora cruda in eorum primam Materiam hoc est in Terram pulverem viscosum id est in Sulphur Argentum vivum III. Si ergo posueris in illa Aqua quodcunque Metallum limatum vel attenuatum demittas per tempus in calore leni dissolvetur totum vertetur in aquam viscosam sive Oleum album ut dictum est IV. Et sic mollificat corpus praeparat ad fusionem liquefactionem imò facit omnia fusibilia id est lapides Metalla postea illis dat Spiritum Vitam V. Dissolvit ergo omnia solutione mirabili convertens corpus perfectum in Medicinam fusibilem fundentem penetrantem magis fixam augens pondus colorem VI. Operare ergo cum ea consequeris quod desideras ab ea Nam est Spiritus anima Solis Lunae Oleum Aqua dissolutiva fons balneum Mariae ignis contra naturam ignis bumidus ignis secretus occultus in visibilis VII Atque acetum acerrimum de quo quidam antiquus Philosophus dicit Rogavi Dominum ostendit mihi 〈◊〉 aquam nitidam quam cognovi esse purum acetum alterans penetrans digerens VIII Acetum inquam penetrativum Instrumentum movens ad putrefaciendum resolvendum reducendum aurum vel argentum in sui primam materiam IX Et est unicum agens in toto mundo in hac arte quod videlicet potest resolvere reincrudare corpora metallica sub conservatione suae speciei X. Est igitur solum medium aptum naturale per quod debemus resolvere corpora perfecta Solis Lunae mirabili solemni solutione sub conservatione suae speciei absque ulla destructione nisi ad novam nobiliorem meliorem formam sive generationem scilicet in lapidem perfectum philosophorum quod est secretum arcanum eorum mirabile XI Est autem aqua illa media quaedam substantia clara ut argentum purum quae debet recipere tincturas Solis Lunae ut congeletur convertatur in terram albam vivam XII Ista enim aqua eget corporibus perfectis ut cum illis post dissolutionem congeletur fixetur coaguletur in terram albam XIII Solutio autem eorum est etiam congelatio eorum Nam unam eandem habent opera tionem quia non solvitur unum quin congeletur alterum nec est alia aqua quae possit dissolvere corpora nisi illa quae permanet cum eis in materia forma XIV Imo permanens esse non potest nisi sit ex alterius natura ut fiant simul unum XV. Cum videris igitur a quam coagulare seipsam cum corporibus in ea solutis ratus esto scientiam methodum operationes tuas esse veras ac philosophicas teque in arte rectè procedere I OUR dissolving Water therefore carries with it a great Tincture and a great melting or dissolving because that when it feels the vulgar Fire if there be in it the pure or fine bodies of Sol or Luna it immediately melts them and converts them into its white Substance such as it self is and gives to the Body colour weight and tincture II. In it also is a power of liquifying or melting all things that can be melted or dissolved it is a Water ponderous viscous precious and worthy to be esteemed resolving all crude Bodies into their prima Materia or first Matter viz. into Earth and a viscous Pouder that is into Sulphur and Argentum vivum III. If therefore you put into this Water Leaves Filings or Calx of any Metal and set it in a gentle Heat for a time the whole will
proper Womb it becomes fixed Thus the Wise man does that by Art in a short time which Nature cannot perform in less than the Revolution of a Thousand Years XIV Yet notwithstanding it is not We that make the metal but Nature her self that does it Nor do or can we change one thing into another but it is Nature that changes them We are no more than meer Servants in the work XV. Therefore Medus in Turba Philosophorum saith Our Stone naturally contains in it the whole Tincture It is perfectly made in the Mountains and Body of the Earth yet of it self without art it has no life or power whereby to move the Elements XVI Chuse then the natural Minerals to which by the advice of Aristotle add Art For Nature generates Metaline Bodies of the Vapours Clouds or Fumes of Sulphur and Mercury to which all the Philosophers agree Know therefore the Principles upon which Art works to wit the Principles or beginnings of Metals For he that knows not these things shall never attain to the perfection of the Work XVII Geber saith He who has not in himself the knowledge of the Natural Principles is far from attaining the perfection of the Art being Ignorant of the Mineral Root upon which he should work XVIII Geber also farther saith That our Art is only to be understood and Learned through the true wisdom and knowledge of Natural things that is with a wisdom searching into the Roots and Natural principles of the matter XIX Yet saith he my Son I shew thee a Secret though thou knowest the Principles yet therein thou canst not follow Nature in all things Herein some have erred in Essaying to follow Nature in all her properties and differences CHAP. XXXVIII Of Mercury the Second Principle of the Work I. THe second Principle of our Stone is called Mercury which some Philosophers call as it is simple of it self a Stone One of them said This is a Stone and no Stone and that without which Nature never performs any thing which enters into or is swallowed up of other Bodies and also swallows them up II. This is simply Argent Vive which contains the Essential Power which Explicates the Tincture of our Elixir or Philosophers Stone III. Therefore saith Rhasis such a thing may be made of it which exceedeth the highest perfection of Nature For it is the Root of Metals Harmonises with them and is the Medium that explicates and conjoyns the Tinctures IV. For it swallows up that which is of its own Nature and production but rejects what isForreign and Heterogene being of an Uniform substance in all its parts V. Wherefore our Stone is called Natural or Mineral Vegetable and Animal for it is Generated in the Mines and is the Mother or Womb of all Metals and by projection converts into Metals it Springs or Grows like a Vegetable and abounds with Life like an Animal by peircing with its Tincture like Spirit and Life every where and through all particles VI. Morien saith This Stone is no Stone that can Generate a living Creature Another faith It is cast out upon the Dunghil as a vile thing and is hidden from the Eyes or understandings of Ignorant Men. VII Also in Libro Speculi Alchymiae it is said Our Stone is a thing rejected but found in Dunghils i. e. in putrefaction or the Matter being putrefied containing in it self the four Elements over which it Triumphs and is certainly to be perfected by humane industry VIII Some make Mercury of Lead Thus R Lead melt it six or Seven times and quench it in Salt Armoniac dissolved of which take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sal Vitrioli 〈◊〉 j. Borax 〈◊〉 ss mix and Digest Forty days in Igne Philosophorum So have you Mercury not at all differing from the Natural But that is not fit for our work as the Mineral is If you have any understanding this Caution may sufficiently instruct you CHAP. XXXIX Of the Purification of the Metals and Mercury for our Work I. THis is a great and certain truth that the Clean ought to be separated from the Unclean for nothing can give that which it has not For the pure substance is of one simple Essence void of all Heterogeneity But that which is impure and unclean consists of Heterogene parts is not simple but compounded to wit of pure and impure and apt to putrifie and corrupt II. Therefore let nothing enter into your Composition which is Alien or Foreign to the matter as all Impurity is for nothing goes to the Composition of our Stone that proceedeth not from it neither in part nor in whole III. If any strange or foreign thing be mixed with it it is immediately corrupted and by that Corruption your Work becomes frustrate IV. The Citrine Bodies as Sol c. you must purge by Calcination or Cementation and it is then purged or purified if it be fine and florid V. The metal being well cleansed beat it into thin Plates or Leaves as is Leaf Gold and reserve them for use VI. The White Liquor as Mercury contains two Superfluities which must necessarily be removed from it viz. It s foetid Earthiness which hinders its Fusion and its Humidity which causes its flying VII The Earthiness is thus removed Put it into a Marble or Wooden mortar with its equal weight of pure fine and dry Salt and a little Vinegar Grind all with the Pestle till nothing of the matter appears but the whole Salt becomes very black Wash this whole matter with pure Water till the Salt is dissolved this filtby water decant and put to the Mercury again as much more Salt and Vinegar grinding it as before and washing it with fair water which work so often repeat till the water comes clear from it and that the Mercury remains pure bright and clear like a Venice Looking Glass and of a Coelestial Colour Then strain it through a Linen Cloth three or four times doubled two or three times into a clean Glass Vessel till it be dry VIII The proportion of the parts is as 24 to 1. There are 24 Hours in a Natural Day to which add one and it is 25. to wit the Rising of the Sun To understand this is Wisdom as Geber saith Indeavour through the whole Work to over-power the Mercury in Commixtion IX Rhasis saith Those Bodies come nearest to perfection which contain most Argent Vive He farther saith That the Philosophers hid nothing but Weight and Measure to wit the Proportions of the Ingredients which is clear for that none of them all agree one with another therein which causeth great error X. Though the matters be well prepared and well mixed without the Proportions or Quantities of the things be just and according to the reason of the Work you will miss of the truth or the end and lose all your Labour you will not indeed bring any thing to perfection XI And this is evident in the Examination When there is a Transmutation of the Body or that
Decoct V. And therefore to Grind is to Decoct of which you are not to be weary saith Rhasis Digest continually but not in haste that is not with too great a Fire cease not or make no intermission in your work follow not the Artifice of Sophisters but pursue your Operation to the Complement and perfection thereof VI. Also in the Rosary it is advised to be cautious and watchful lest your work prove dead or imperfect and to continue it with a long Decoction Close up well thy Vessel and pursue to the end VII For there is no Generation of things but by Putrefaction by keeping out the Air and a continual internal motion with an equal and gentle Heat VIII Remember when you are in your work all the Signs and Appearances which arise in every Decoction for they are necessary to be known and understood in order to the perfecting the matter IX You must be sure to be incessant and continual in your Operation with a gentle Fire to the appearing of the perfect Whiteness which cannot be if you open the Vessel and let out the Spirit X. From whence it is Evident that if you mannage your matter ill or your Fire be too great it ought to be extinguished Therefore saith Rhasis pursue your business incessantly beware of instability of mind and too great expectations by a too hasty and precipitate pursuit lest you lose your End XI But as another Philosopher saith Digest and Digest again and be not weary The most exquisite and industrious Artist can never attain to perfection by too much haste but only by a long and continual Decoction and Digestion for so Nature works and Art must in some measure imitate Nature CHAP. XLIV Of the Various Signs Appearing in every Operation I. THis then is the thing that the Vessel with the Medicine be put into a moist Fire to wit that the middle or one half of the Vessel be in a moist Fire or Balneo of equal Heat with Horse-Dung and the other half out of the Fire that you may daily look into it II. And in about the space of Forty Days the superficies or upper part of the Medicine will appear black as melted Pitch and this is the Sign that the Citrine Body is truly converted into Mercury III. Therefore saith Bonellus when you see the blackness of the Water to appear be assured that the Citrine Body is made Liquid The same thing saith Rhasis the Disposition or Operation of our Stone is One which is that it be put into its Vessel and carefully Decocted and Digested till such time as the whole Body ibe Dissolved and Ascended IV. And in another place he saith continue it upon a temperate or gentle Balneo so long till it be perfectly Dissolved into Water and made impalpable and that the whole Tincture be extracted into the blackness which is the Sign of its dissolution V. Lucas also assureth us that when we see the blackness of the water in all things to appear that then the Body is dissolved or made Liquid VI. This blackness the Philosophers called the first Conjunction for then the Male and Female are joyned together and it is the Sign of perfect mixtion VII Yet notwithstanding the whole Tincture is not drawn out together but it goes out every day by little and little until by a great length of time it is perfectly extracted and made compleat VIII And that part of the Body which is dissolved ever Ascends or Rises to the Top above all the other undissolved Matter which remains yet at Bottom IX Therefore saith Avicen That which is spiritual in the Vessel Ascends up to the Top of the Matter and that which is yet gross and thick remains in the Bottom of the Vessel X. This blackness is called among the Philosophers by many Names to wit The Fires the Soul a Cloud the Revens-Head a Coal Our Oyl Aqua vitae the Tincture of Redness the shadow of the Sun Black Brass Water of Sulphur and by many other Names XI And this Blackness is that which conjoyneth the Body with the Spirit XII Then saith Rhasis The Government of the Fire being observed for the space of Forty Days both to wit the White Liquor and the Citrine Body are made a Permanent or fixt Water covered over with blackness which blackness if rightly ordered cometh to its perfection in Forty Days space XIII Of which another Philosopher saith so long as the obscure blackness appeareth the WOMAN hath the Dominion and this is the first Conception or strength of our Stone For if it be not first Black it shall never be either White or Red. XIV Avicen saith That Heat causeth blackness first in a moist Body then the humidity being consumed it putteth off or loseth its blackness and as the Heat encreaseth or is continued so it grows white XV. Lastly by a more inward Heat it is Calcin'd into Ashes as the Philosophers teach XVI In the first Decoction which is called Putrefaction Our Stone is made all Black to wit a Black Earth by the drawing out of its Humidity and in that Blackness the Whiteness is hidden XVII And when the Humidity is reverted upon the Blackness again and by a continued soft and gentle Digestion is made fixed with its Earth then it becomes White XVIII In this Whiteness the Redness is hidden and when it is Decocted and Digested by augmentation and continuance of the Fire that Earth is changed into Redness as we shall hereafter teach CHAP. XLV Of the Eduction of the Whiteness out of the Blackness or Black Matter I. NOw let us revolve to the Black matter in its Vessel not so much as once opened but continually closed Let this Vessel I say stand continually in the moist fire till such time as the White Colour appears like to a white moist Salt II. The Colour is called by the Philosophers Arsenick and Sal Armoniack and some others call it The thing without which no profit is to be had in the Work III. But inward whiteness appearing in the Work then is there a perfect Conjunction and Copulation of the Bodies in this Stone which is indissoluble And then is fulfilled that saying of Hermes The thing which is above is as that which is beneath and that which is beneath is as that which is above to perform the Mystery of this matter IV. Phares saith Seeing the Whiteness appearing above in the Vessel you may be certain that in that Whiteness the Redness lies hid but before it becomes White you will find many Colours to appear V. Therefore saith Diomedes Decoct the Male and the Female or Vapour together until such time as they shall become one dry Body for except they be dry the divers or various Colours will not appear VI. For it will ever be black whilst that humidity or moisture has the dominion but if that be once wasted then it emits divers Colours after many and several ways VII And many times it shall be changed from
Colour to Colour till such time as it comes to the fixed Whiteness VIII Synon saith All the Colours of the World will appear in it when the Black humidity is dryed up IX But value none of these Colours for they be not the true Tincture yea many times it becomes Citrine and Redish and many times it is dryed and becomes liquid again before the Whiteness will appear X. Now all this while the Spirit is not perfectly joyned with the Body nor will it be joyned or fixed but in the White Colour Astanus saith Between the White and the Red appear all Colours even to the utmost imagination XI For the varieties of which the Philosophers have given various Names and almost innumerable some for obscuring it and some for envy sake XII The cause of the appearance of such variety of Colours in the Operation of your Medicine is from the extension of the blackness for as much as Blackness and Whiteness be the extream Colours all the other Colours are but means between them XIII Therefore as often as any degree or portion of Blackness descends so often another and another Colour appears until it comes to Whiteness XIV Now concerning the Ascending and Discending of the Medicine Hermes saith It ascends from the Earth into Heaven and again descends from Heaven to the Earth whereby it may receive both the superiour strength and the inferiour XV. Moreover this you are to observe that if between the Blackness and the Whiteness there should appear the Red or Citrine Colour you are not to look upon it or esteem it for it is not fixt but will vanish away XVI There cannot indeed be any perfect and fixt Redness without it be first White Wherefore saith Rhasis no Man can come from the first to the third but by the second XVII From whence it is evident that Whiteness must always be first lookt for after the Blackness and before the Redness for as much as it is the Complement of the whole Work XVIII Then after this Whiteness appears it shall not be changed into any true or stable Colour but into the Red Thus have we taught you to make the White it remains now that we elucidate the Red. CHAP. XLVI Of the Way and Manner how to educe the Red Tincture out of the White I. THe matters then of the White and Red among themselves differ not in respect to their Essence But the Red Elixir needs more subtilization and longer digestion and a hotter fire in the course of the Operation than the White because the end of the White work is the beginning of the Red work and that which is compleat in the one is to be begun in the other II. Therefore without you make the White Elixir first make the matter become first White you can never come to the Red Elixir that which is indeed the true Red Which how it is to be performed we shall briefly shew III. The Medicine for the Red ought to be put into our moist fire until the White Colour aforesaid appear afterwards take out the Vessel from the fire and put it into another pot with sifted Ashes made moist with water to about half full in which let it stand up to the middle thereof making under the Earthen pot a temperate dry fire and that continually IV. But the heat of this dry fire ought to be double at the least to what it was before or than the heat of the moist fire by the help of this heat the white Medicine receiveth the admirable Tincture of the Redness V. You cannot err if you continue the dry fire Therefore Rhasis saith With a dry fire and a dry Calcination decoct the dry matter till such time as it becomes in Colour like to Vermilion or Cinabar VI. To the which you shall not afterwards put to compleat it either Water or Oyl or Vinegar or any other thing VII Decoct the Red Matter or Medicine the more red it is the more worth it is and the more decocted it is the more red it is Therefore that which is more decocted is the more pretious and valuable VIII Therefore you must burn it without fear in a dry fire until such time as it is clothed with a most Glorious Red or a pure Vermillion Colour IX For which cause Epistus the Philosopher saith Decoct the White in a Red hot Furnace until such time it be clothed with a purple Glory Do not cease though the Redness be somewhat long before it appears X. For as I have said the fire being augmented the first Colour of Whiteness will change into Red Also when the Citrine shall first appear among those Colours yet that Colour is not fixt XI But not long after it the Red Colour shall begin to appear which ascending to the height your Work will indeed be compleat XII As Hermes saith in Turba Between the Whiteness and the Redness one Colour only appears to wit Citrine but it changes from the less to the more XIII Maria also saith When you have the true White then follows the false and Citrine Colour and at last the Perfect Redness it self This is the Glory and the beauty of the whole World CHAP. XLVII Of the Multiplication or Augmentation of our Medicine by Dissolution I. OUR Medicine or Elixir is multiplyed after a two-fold manner viz. 1. By Dissolution 2. By Fermentation II. By Dissolution it is augmented two manner of ways First by a greater or more intense heat Secondly by Dew or the heat of a Balneum Roris III. The Dissolution of heat is that you take the Medicine put into a glasen Vessel or boil or decoct it in our moist fire for seven days or more until the Medicine be dissolved into Water which will be without much Trouble IV. The dissolution by Dew or Balneum Roris is that you take the Glass Vessel with the Medicine in it and hang it in a Brazen or Coper Pot with a narrow Mouth in which there must be water boyling the Mouth of the Vessel being in the mean Season shut that the Ascending Vapours of the boyling water may dissolve the Medicine V. But Note that the boyling water ought not to touch the Glass Vessel which contains the Medicine by three or four Inches and this Dissolution possibly may be done in two or three days VI. After the Medicine is dissoved take it from the Fire and let it cool to be fixed to be congealed and to be made hard or dryed and so let it be dissolved many times for so much the oftner it is dissolved so much the more strong and the more perfect it shall be VII Therefore Bonellus saith When the AEs Brass or Laten is burned and this burning many times reiteated it is made better than it was and this Solution is the Subtilization of the Medicine and the Sublimation of the Virtues thereof VIII So that the oftner it is sublimed and made subtil so much the more Virtue it shall receive and the more penetrative
shall the Tincture be made and more plentiful in quantity and the more perfect it is the more it shall transmute IX In the Fourth Distillation then it shall receive such a Virtue and Tincture that one part shall be able to transmute a thousand parts of the cleansed Metal into fine Gold or Silver better than that which is Generated in the Mines X. Therefore saith Rhasis The goodness or excellency of the Multiplication hereof depends only on the Reiteration of the dissolution and fixation of the perfect Medicine XI For so much the oftner the work is Reiterated so much the more fruitful it will be and so much the more augmented XII So much the oftner you sublime it so much the more you increase it for every time it is augmented in Virtue and Power and Tincture one more to be cast upon a thousand at a second time upon ten thousand at the third time upon one hundred thousand at the fourth time upon a Million And thus you way increase its Power by the number of the Reiterations till it is almost infinite XIII Therefore saith Meredes the Philosopher know for certain that the oftner the Matter or Stone is dissolved and congealed the more absolutely and perfectly the Spirit and Soul are conjoyned and retained XIV And for this cause every time the Tincture is Multiplied after a most admirable and unconceiveable manner CHAP. XLVIII Of the Augmentation or Multiplication of Our Medicine by Fermentation I. OUr Medicine is Multiplied by Fermentation and the Ferment for the White is pure Luna the Ferment for the Red is pure fine Sol. II. Now cast one part of the Medicine upon twenty parts of the Ferment and all shall become Medicine Elixir or Tincture Put it on the Fire in a Glass Vessel and seal it so that no Air go in or out dissolve and subtilize it as oft as you please even as you did for making of the first Medicine III. And one part of this second Medicine shall have as much Virtue and Power as Ten parts of the former IV. Therefore saith Rhasis Now have we accomplished our Work by that which is hot and moist and it is become equally temperate and whatsoever is added or put to it shall become of the same temperament and Vertue with it V. You must then Conjoyn it that it may Generate its like yet you must not joyn it with any other that it might convert it to the same but only with that very same kind of whose substance it was in the beginning VI. For in Speculo Terrae Spiritualis it is written that the Elixir is figured in the Body from whence it was taken in the beginning when it was to be dissolved VII That is to say to dispose Marry or Conjoyn that Earth revived and in its Soul purified by commixtion of its first Body from whence it took beginning VIII Also in Libro Gemmae Salutaris it is said that the White work needs a White Ferment which when it is made White is White Ferment also and when it is made Red is the Ferment of Redness IX And so the White Earth is Ferment of Ferment for when it is Conjoyned with Luna or shall be made a Medicine it is to cast upon Mercury and every imperfect Metaline Body to be converted into Luna X. And to the Red ought Sol to be joyned and it will become a Medicine or Tincture to project upon Mercury or upon Luna XI Rhasis also saith You must now mix it with Argent Vive White and Red after their kind and be so chained that it flies not away XII Wherefore we command Argent Vive to be mixed with Argent Vive until one clear water be made of two Argent Vive's Compounded together XIII But you must not make the mixture of them till each of them apart or separately be dissolved into water and in the Conjunction of them put a little of the matter upon much of the Body viz. First upon four and it shall become in a short time a fine Pouder whose Tincture shall be White or Red. XIV This Pouder is the true and perfect Elixir or Tincture and the Elixir or Tincture is truly a simple Pouder XV. Egidius also saith to Solution put Solution and in dissolutionput desiccation viz. make it dry putting all together to the fire XVI Keep entire the sume or vapour and take heed that nothing thereof flie out from it Tarry by the Vessel and behold the wonders how it changes from Colour to Colour in less space than an hours time till such time as it comes to the Signs of Whiteness or Redness XVII For it melts quickly in the Fire and congeals in the Air. When the fume or vapor feels the sorce of the fire the fire will penetrate into the Body and the Spirit will become fixed and the matter made dry becoming a Body fixt and clear or pure and either White or Red. XVIII This Pouder is the compleat and perfect Elixir or Tincture now you may separate or take if from the fire and let it cool XIX And first part of it projected upon 1000. parts of any Metalline Body transmutes it into fine Gold or Silver according as your Elixir or Tincture is for the Red or the White XX. From what has been said it is manifest and Evident that if you do not congeal Argent Vive making it to bear or endure the fire and then conjoyning it with pure Silver you shall never attain to the Whiteness XXI And if you make not Argent ViveRed and so as it may endure the greatest fire and then conjoyn it with pure fine Gold you shall never attain to the Redness XXII And by dissolution viz. by Fermentation your Medicine Elixir or Tincture may be multiplied infinitely XXIII Now you must understand that the Elixir or Tincture gives fusion like Wax for which cause saith Rhasis Our Medicine ought of necessity to be of a subtle substance and most pure cleaving to Mercury of its Nature and of most easie and thin liquifaction fusion or melting after the manner of water XXIV Also in the Book called Omne datumOptimum it is said when the Elixir is well prepared it ought to be made liquid that it may melt as Wax upon a Plate Red-Fire-Hot or upon Coals XXV Now observe what you do in the White the same you must do in the Red for the work is all one The same Operation that is in the one is in the other as well in multiplication as projection CHAP. XLIX Of the Differences of the Medicine and Proportions used in Projection I. GEBER the Arabian Prince Alchymist and Philosopher in lib. 5. cap. 21. saith That there is three orders of Medicines The First Order is of such Medicines which being cast upon imperfect Bodies takes not away their Corruption or Imperfection but only give Tincture which in Examination flies away and vanishes II. The Second Order is of such Medicines which being cast upon Imperfect Bodies tinge
defined V. The Elemental fire is that which does Fix Calcine and Burn and is nourished by Combustible things VI. The fire against Nature which is a violent strong Corrosive destroying the special form of that which is dissolved therein is that which in Power Dissolves Frets Infects and destroys the generative Power of the form of the Stone it does Dissolve the Stone into Water of the Cloud with the loss of its Natural Attractive and special Form and is called Fire against Nature as Raymundus 〈◊〉 from its Operation for that which Nature does make this fire against Nature destroys and brings to Corruption unless there be fire of Nature put to it VII Here as Raymundus saith lies contrary Operations as in the Compounded Water for as the fire against Nature does Dissolve the Spirit of the fixed Body the Volatile Spirit is thereby constrained to retire into a fixed Earth a Congealed Earth as White as Snow VIII For the fire of Nature does Congeal the Dissolved Spirit of the fixed Body into a glorious Earth and the Body of the Volatile being fixed by the same fire against Nature is here again by the fire of Nature resolved into the Water of Philosophers but not into the Water of the Cloud and so by this means the fixed is returned back again into its wonted Nature of Flying and the moist is made dry and the ponderous is made light IX But yet he saith this fire which is against Nature is not the Work of Our Magistery but it is the fire which is purely Natural This he saith because he would shew us thereby the difference between the Mineral Elixir and the Vegetable and the Animal For that these three several Elixirs are made of three several Waters viz. Mineral Vegetable and Animal which serve for the Work divers ways X. And First we will Treat of the Mineral Elixir then of the other in order The Fire against Nature is a Mineral Water viz. the Humour or Tincture drawn out of Body of Venus Dissolved in its Mineral Spirit very strong and Mortal serving only to the Mineral Elixir XI This Mineral Water or Fire against Nature is drawn with fire Elemental from a certain stinking Menstruum as Raymundus saith and is made of four things It is the strongest Water in the World whose only Spirit saith he does wonderfully increase and multiply the Tincture of the Ferment for here Sol or Gold is Tinged with the Mineral Spirit the which Mineral Spirit is the strength of the most simple Sulphur without much Earthiness XII Thin Mineral Water is the dropping of Adrop or Adrup Venus which is the noble Tincture called the natural Roman Vitriol and which for the abundance of its noble Tincture is called Roman Gold XIII This some do call the Spirit of the Green Lyon others the blood of the Green Lyon wherein almost all Err and are deceived for the Green Lyon of the Philosophers is that Lyon by whose Virtue attractive all things are lifted up from the Bowels of the Earth and the Winter-like Caverns making them to Wax green and flourish whose Child for all the Elixirs are to be had from it is to us most acceptable and sufficient XIV The Child of Philosophers is generated of their Green Lyon of which Child is had the strength of Sulphur both White and Red Our two Sulphurs of Nature are the Gold and Silver of the Philosophers and their hidden Treasure XV. Of this Child of the Green Lyon of the Philosophers is drawn the strength of Sulphur White and Red but not Burning as Avicen saith which are the two best things the Alchymist can take to make his Gold and Silver of and this is sufficient to be said for the attaining the knowledge of the Green Lyon which is so called because that when he is dissolved he is streight ways adorned with a green Vesture i. e. When our Sulphur of Nature is dissolved in its own Menstruum which is the Virgins Milk it is clothed with this greenness and therefore called the Green Lyon XVI But of the Green Lyon of Fools this we say that from it with a strong fire is drawn Aquafortis in the which the aforesaid Philosophers Lyon of the Mineral Stone ought to be Elixirated and assumes its Name Raymundus saith it were better or fafer to eat the Eyes of a Basalisk than that Gold which is made with the Fire against Nature XVII And I say also that the things from whence the same Aquafortis is drawn is green Vitriol and Azoth i. e. Vitriol Natural not Artificial viz. the droppings of Copper called also Roman Vitriol Roman Gold by many of the Philosophers from the abundance of its noble Tincture the which Tincture must be Fermented with Common Gold XVIII How great and Secret a Virtue then and of what strength the Fire against Nature is evidently appears in the construction of the Body of the Volatile Spirit being by it vulgarly sublimed in the form of Snowy Whiteness Raymundus in the end of the Epistle of his Abridgment saith feed Argent Vive with this Oyl viz. with the Oyl wherewith the Spirit of the Quintessence is thickened c. XIX For want of such Natural 〈◊〉 the true and natural Principle not Artificial as Vincent saith made of Salts Sulphurs and Alums which cut and gnaw Metals is to be chosen lest in the end of your work you fail of your desire The Philosophers will you to Calcine Sol with Mercury Crude till it be brought into a Calx Red as Blood Here comes in the work of Sol and Mercury together brought into a dry Red Pouder and fixed but whether it is to be done with Mercury or Sulphur the Water of him is doubtful CHAP. LXIV The manner of Elixiration with the Fire against Nature I. TAke the first Sol Calcined with the first Water viz. the Mercurial Spirit very clean and brought into the Color of Blood in the space of 20 days in lesser time it is not to be done This Calcination cannot be so profitable as it would be unless Sol be first Mercurializ'd into such a thinness as it may cleave together to that to which it must be joyned in a 24 fold proportion viz. as 1. to 24. strain ed through a clean Linnen Cloth without any remain ing substance of the Gold II. I my self have seen it so ordered and done and then it may certainly in a strong Bolt Head well Luted on every side except on the Top boyling in a strong Fire for the space of 20 days be precipitated into a Red Pouder like Cinnaber all which I have seen performed Every particle of this Pouder you shall so fix as that if it be put upon a Red-Hot Iron Plate its Spirit shall not fume or fly away III. This Pouder Dissolve with or in our Fire against Nature being Dissolved abstract the Water of the Fire against Nature from it so long till the substance of the Pouder so Dissolved do remain in the Vessel as
dissolved and put it into a Vessel which stop well and set it in Balneo for seven days so will the water or fire of Nature become a Citrine Color IV. This water or fire of Nature by its attractive Virtue will draw away the Tincture from the fire against Nature as Raymundus saith in his practical Alphabet And altho' it is somewhat opposite to Nature to dissolve the Bodies with the fire against Nature yet if you know how to comfort the matter with the fire of Nature and by Balneation in 15 days to draw it from the blackness of the water or fire against Nature the which may be done as I have proved in 6 days you shall perfect the work and attain the desired end V. Let the aforesaid Natural Water or fire of Nature so tinged with a Yellow Color be always warily emptied and poured off from the aforesaid dissolved Bodies into another Vessel with a narrow Mouth that may be firmly stopped and then with more of the said fire let there be made in Balnco in the space of time aforesaid another quantity of the said Oyl VI. And so the same water being tinged with Sol or Gold let it be warily emptied and poured off as before and when the water of Nature will be tinged no more then it is a sign that the Tincture is all drawn forth from the dissolved Body by the Fire against Nature VII Put the Tinctures thus decanted off into a Glass Stillatory and with a soft or easie Fire abstract the Water or Fire of Nature from the same so long till you see in the bottom an Oyl to which you must put New Fire of Nature again well rectified and after the Matter has stood in Balneo for the space of 6 days then abstract the said water or fire of Nature by distillation VIII And let the work with the same water be repeated upon and from the said Oyl after the same manner so long till you have brought your Oyl of Gold to be most subtil and pure without any Foeculent grossness wherein let nothing of the water or fire of Nature be left behind but the substance of Gold only turned to Oyl IX This subtil and pure Oyl of Gold being put in Kemia or its proper Vessel and firmly sealed up may by the aforesaid Regiments be changed into the great Elixir as it is shewed before with the other simple Oyl made with the Compounded Water in the former practice at Sect. 8. Chap. 65. aforegoing X. But to proceed sublime Quick-Silver with Roman Vitriol and prepared or Calcined Salt and after that sublime it by it self alone three times from its Foeculent substance This done and the same made into Pouder put this sublimate Pouder into a fixatory Vessel and put thereto a certain quantity of your aforesaid Oyl of Gold but so much only as may scarcely cover the sublimate firmly close the Vessel and set it in a soft Fire till the Natures are perfectly joyned together XI This done grind it upon a Marble and Incerate it again with your said Oyl of Gold and after put it again into its Fixatory Vessel under a Fire of the first Degree as before and let the same Vessel stand twice as long as it did before to the Intent that the Natures may be firmly Compact and United together XII Now this Rule is generally to be Observed that the Vessel with the Matter in it to be fixed ought always to be set over the fire from time to time to be augmented and this Inceration to be continued still upon the Argent Vive sublimed until the same is perfectly fixed with the said Oyl or substance of Gold XIII The which must be proved upon a Plate of Silver Red Hot And if it be found fixed let it have for the greater certainty one Inceration more of the said Oyl which set under a strong fire for the space of three days then grind it with your Oyl upon the same Stone till it be as thick as an Oyntment which make perfectly dry with an easie fire and then let it be Calcined with a strong fire for the space of eight hours XIV Which done then Incerate it and dry it again with a soft or gentle fire oftentimes till it stands in the fire like melted Wax This Medicine will transmute Silver substantially and perfectly into fine and pure Alchymick Gold perfect to all the works of Goldsmiths but not to Medicine for Man CHAP. LXVII Two other Mineral Elixirs or Two other Processes of Mercury I. THere be many other Noble and Profitable Secrets in this Art or Mystery of our Mineral Stone viz. good Elixirs to be made out of Metalline Bodies of which Mineral Elixirs two are more excellent than the rest the first of which we shall handle in this Chapter Here comes in the Process or Practical Operation of Mercury mentioned Chap. 61. Sect. 13. aforegoing II. The first of these Elixirs is only in Mercury The second in Mercury and the White Body for the White Elixir and with the same to the Red too if you so please being prudently pursued and sought after III. The first manner to Elixirate only with Mercury is thus Dissolve Mercury only by it self into a Milky water with the which Mercury so dissolved you may dissolve so much more Mercury and so continually as long as you please IV. Put this into a gentle Fire to be Distilled so shall you have Our Virgins Milk White and Chrystalline wherewith all Bodies may be dissolved into their first Matter Washed and Purged V. This water is of a Silver Colour which if you fix with its Earthy Faeces Calcin'd and after that dissolved again in the quantity of its remaining water and then again Coagulated and Congealed which work is to be done upon a Stone you will have at length the Elixir of Argent Vive which will transmute all Imperfect Bodies to a perfect Whiteness VI. And so of this Mercurial substance is made a water permanent or fixt wherewith the Calces of all Bodies may be so depurated and Whitened as thereby to become the most pure and fine Silver VII And therefore as I have said before in the beginning of this work when Mercury is dissolved then are its Elements separable and after the separation of its Mercurial Liquor and that a competent putrefaction is performed after the same White Liquor there will Distill a Golden moisture or humour to which if you add a small quantity of the Ferment of the Gum of the aforesaid Elixirated White Stone that then the same White Stone with the said Golden humour shall be made the Red Stone which shall transmute Argent Vive and all Metalline Bodies into the finest and most pure Gold VIII Again if you take the aforesaid Red humour of Mercury and Dissolve in it a little of the aforesaid Red Ferment being made as aforesaid of the White Stone and then with the same Red humour of Mercury so Fermented with it self the
Calces of all Bodies may be so depurated and Citrinated that thereby they may become most pure Gold IX When also Argent Vive is dissolved then dissolve in it a little of the aforesaid Red Ferment and so put all into Kemia or a proper Vessel which firmly close up with a Philosophick Seal Then with a continual and easie or gentle Fire draw out the Charriot of the four Elements through the Depth of the Sea until the Floods being dryed up there appears in the Matter a bright shining substance like to the Eyes of the Fishes X. For by this Operation if you keep your Temperate Fire continually alive the Floods shall dry up with an exceeding drought and the dry Land or Earth shall appear as in the days of Noah the waters were dryed up from off the Earth and behold the Face of the Ground was dry And by lifting up the Rod of Moses and stretching out his hand the waters were dryed up and the dry Ground appeared in the midst of the Sea for so says David He Rebuked the Red Sea and it was dryed up he led them through the Depths as through the Wilderness XI And then by the Space of Forty days following it shall be Rubified as the Philosophers Demonstrate by the help of a Vehement Fire as the Nature of it requires continuing and remaining in the same strong Fire till it melt and flow like Wax whereby it will be able to transmute all Bodies into pure fine Gold XII And thus the White and Red Medicines are multiplied with their own proper humidities viz. only by the solution of the White Medicines in their own proper White and Red humours and by their Coagulation again of the same as necessity requires Thus have we explicated with singular plainess of Speech the Elixiration of Mercury per se or Argent Vive alone CHAP. LXVIII The second of the former Elixirs with Mercury and the Body Alchymick I. TO Elixirate with Mercury and the Body Alchymick Take One part of the most pure Kibrick quod est pater Mercurij omnium Liquabilium Sea water twelve parts in which dissolve the Kibrick being dissolved strain the water through a Linnen Cloth and what remains undissolved which will not go through put into the Vessel called Kemia set it over a gentle fire as it were the heat of the Sun untill there appears on the Top a Red Color II. Then put to it a quarter more of the sea-Sea-water aforesaid being kept in a very clean Vessel set it on a very gentle fire and dry it up again as you did before by little and little at a time III. For in this Work by so much less there is put of the Spirit and more of the Body by so much the sooner and better shall the Solution be made the which Solution is made by the Congelation of its water IV. And therefore as the Rosary saith you must beware that the Belly be not made over moist for if it be the water shall not receive or attain to its dryness V. This manner of Imbibition must be Observed and continued so long till the whole water by several Imbibitions shall be dryed up into a Body VI. This done let the Vessel be firmly and Philosophically Sealed up and placed in its proper Fornace with a mean or gentle fire which must not wax cold from the first hour you begin to set the same into the Fornace till you have made an end of the whole work VII And when the matter is sublimed then let it be made to Descend by little and little without Violence the fire being Artificially made or set over it which done let it be again sublimed as before VIII And so let the Soul of the Sun of the Vulgar the which Soul is Our unclean Oyntment the Spirit not yet conjoyned with the Body Ascend from the Earth to the Heaven and again make it to Descend from Heaven to the Earth till all becomes Earth which before was Heaven IX To the end there may be made a substance not so hard as the Body nor yet so soft as the Spirit but holding a mean disposition standing fixed and Permanent in the fire like a White peice of melted Wax flowing in the bottom of the Vessel X. The which White substance of a mean or middle consistency must be fed and nourished with Milk and Meat till the quantity thereof be increased according to your desire XI This Medicine being Fermented to the Red with a portion of Sol Dissolved in the water of the Sea by reason of separating the first the form from the Matter to the end that it may be in a more noble form than it was before when the first qualities did remain undivided and that it may be brought into a Purple Colour by the help of a strong and continual fire whereby is made the true Elixir both for the White and Red Work XII Now this Elixir be it White or Red shall be increased an hundred fold more both in Virtue and Goodness if its Quintessence be fixed with it and that then afterwards it be brought and reduced by the Fire of Nature into a thin Oyl the which must be done in a Circulatory Vessel for truly then the least drop thereof does Congeal a thousand drops of Mercury into the very greatest Medicine CHAP. LXIX Of the Vegetable Stone I. THe Vegetable Stone is gotten by Virtue of the Fire of Nature of the Composition of which fire we now intend plainly to treat and of the way how to work with it in every respect II. Its Composition is of four things as Raymundus saith in his Book of Quintessences It is a Composition of Sal Amarum which is Ignis adeptus a fire that is gotten without Wood or Coal and by an easie working does work against all manner of sharpness of Action of the Visible Fire like as if it were the fire of Hell and therefore altho' Wine be hot yet this water of Mercury is hotter for it is able to dissolve all Bodies to putrefie and also to divide the Elements which neither common Fire nor Wine can do III. Some think that this Fire of Nature is extracted or drawn from Wine according to the common way and that it must be rectified by often Distillations until its Flegm is wholly abstracted which hinders its Heat Virtue Strength and Burning But this when it is done to all advantages and its highest perfection which Fools call the pure Spirit and then put to the Calx of the Body never so well prepared yet will it be weak and ineffectual to Our purpose for Dissolution Conservation c. IV. The true and Pure Spirit is Our Silverish Spirit of Wine which is our Vegetable Mercury and the true water of the Philosophers Concerning which see in Ripley's secret Concord V. Wherefore since the vulgar Spirit or Wine is such it is evident that there is an Error in choosing of this Principle for the true Principle which is
of his natural Magick that there is a Salt made of the Lees or Tartar of Wine or Aquae Vitae called the Salt of Art and Mercury without which Salt saith he there is nothing can be done Also he begins his Practice with this Salt in the first and last Chapter of his Codicil XXIV Wherefore as the same Philosopher affirms among these things is this Menstruum one of the Secrets of this Art whose Virtue must be increased by a wise management of the Matter you must circulate this Menstruum in the Unctuous humidity in a Vessel of Circulation by rotation continually an hundred and twenty days in the hottest Fornace CHAP. LXX The Remaining Process of the Vegetable Stone I. HItherto the Process of the Vegetable Stone has been long and Obscure but that nothing may be doubtful to the prejudice of my professed Love to your Lordship I say that all these things spoken by Raymundus are covered with the Mantle of Philosophy Truly his intention is that there should be made a dissolution with the Spirit of Wine but that this Spirit of Wine should be joyned with another Menstruum resoluble without which Resolution can never be attained II. Here the two Spirits are joyned together the Vegetable Menstruum or White Oyl of Tartar and our Metalline Oyl III. And that Menstruum Resoluble is generated only of a Metalline kind for it is a potential or mighty Vapour being in every Metalline Body joyning together two extreams Sulphur and Argent 〈◊〉 IV. And so indeed after this sort Our water is a Metalline water which because it does savour of the Nature of either extream it therefore brings our Resolutive Menstruum into Act. V. Now how this Menstruum which is Unctuous Moist Sulphurous and Mercurial agreeing with the Nature of Metals and wherewith Bodies must be Artificially Dissolved may be had we will here shew by clear practice VI. Take the sharpest humidity of Grapes and in it being Distilled dissolve the Body well Calcin'd into a Redness into a Cyrstalline clear and Ponderous water the which Body Calcin'd into Redness is of the Masters of this Science called Sericon VII Now comes in the Practice of Pupilla of the dissolution of the Red Lyon for the Fire of Nature called also Red Lead Red Coral Sericon is of the Nature of Black Pepper Euphorbium c. of a hot biting and fiery Nature all which things are spoken only by way of Comparison VIII Then of this Crystalline water let there be made a Gum the which in Taste will be like to Alum This Gum by Raymundus is called Vitriol Azoth from which let there be drawn with a gentle Fire first a weak water with no more Taste or sharpness than simple Well water Fresher water there is none in Taste yet will it never Consume or Waste tho' it be used never so often nor will it be ever less in quantity IX And when the White Fume shall begin to appear change your Receiver and Lute it strongly that it breath not forth so shall you have our burning water Our Aquae Vitae and Resolutive Menstruum the which before was Resoluble a Vapour potential a mighty Vapour able to dissolve Bodies to Putrifie and to Purifie to divide the Elements and also to exalt theEarth into a wonderful Salt by the force of its attractive Virtue This is our Fire of Nature X. This water has a bitter sharp Taste upon the Tongue and also a kind of stinking Menstruum and because it is a water which is very Spirituous and Volatile therefore within a Month after it is Distilled it ought to be put upon its Calx When it is Affused upon the Calx it will without any external Fire boil if the Vessel be closely shut and it will not cease to Ferment or work till it be all dryed up into the Calx XI Therefore you must put no greater a quantity of it to the Calx but what may just cover it as it were and so proceed when the Fornace is dryed up to the whole Complement thereof as in the Operation of the Compound water and as the work requires XII And when the Elixir shall be brought into a Purple Color then let it be dissolved with the aforesaid Vegetable Menstruum into a thin Oyl the same Menstruum being first rectified and let the same by the Circulation of the Spirit of our water be fixed so will it have Power to transmute or change all Bodies into pure Gold and to Heal and Cure all Infirmities and Diseases in Man's Body ten thousand times better than all the Potions and Prescriptions of Galen or Hippocrates XIII This Elixir is the true Aurum potabile and no other for it is made of Gold Elementated and Circulated by the spirituous wheel of Philosophy and it is so wrought with the Air Gass potency or spirit of Mercury dissolved by its self sublimed and rectified as that the body of Gold by it may not only be curiously and exquisitely Elixirated but also that it may then afterwards be brought to such a perfection by this our Art as to be applied profitably to the most desirable work XIV Thus you may see we have hid nothing concerning this our desired Elixir of the Vegetable Stone I shall now proceed to that of the Animal Stone which is but a work of three days and in three days will be compleatly ended My advice to you is not to gather the Leaves of Words but the Fruits of Works the profit of the things sought after XV. And know that in this Work I have not so much affected the Curiosity of Language or Elegancies of Stile as the denudating the Essential Verity and exposing the very Power of Truth to your View which by reason of my haste I have now concisely done in few words CHAP. LXXI Of Our Animal Stone I. WE now come to reveal the most noble and High Secret of Secrets viz. the Mystery of our Animal Stone desired of all Mankind and the way and manner of its Elixiration But this Animal Elixir is neither from Wine as it is Wine nor from Eggs Hair or Blood as they are such things but only from the Elements And these Elements we ought to search out in the Excellency of their exceeding Simplicy and Rectification II. The Elements as Roger Bachon saith are the Roots of all things the Mothers of every thing yet the Elements of the said things do not enter into the Work of this Our Elixir but only by the Virtue and Commixtion of those Elements with the Elements of Spirits and Bodies of Metals III. Yet so indeed as Roger Bachon saith the Elements of those things aforesaid do so enter in as to pierce through tho' not to dwell there and to Accomplish this Our great Elixir IV. Notwithstanding among all those things which be Natural as all the rest be which Philosophers have taken there is one thing yet which is found more pretious more excellent more proper and more Natural
the water begins to whiten the whole Mass. XXVII A temperate heat working in moist Bodies brings forth blackness which having obtained there is nothing that you need fear for in the same way the Germination of our Stone does follow and forthwith to wit in the space of thirty or Forty days you have Gas or Adrop which is our Uzifer or Cinnabar and our Red Lead XXVIII Takeheed to defend your Glass from a Violent Heat and a sudden Cold make use of a moderate Fire and beware of Vitrification Beware how you bind up your matter mix it not with Salts Sulphurs nor the middle Minerals let Sophisters prate what they will Our Sulphur and our Mercury are found in Metals only XXIX 7. De Coagulatione Coagulation or Congelation is the induration or hardning of things in Calore Candido and the fixing of the Volatile Spirit The Elements are forthwith converted but the Congelation is no way impeded for those things which are Congealed in the Air melt or soften not in the Water for if so Our work would be destroyed and come to nothing XXX When the Compositum is brought to Whiteness then the Spirit is United and Congealed with the Body but it will be a good length of time before such a Congelation will appear in the likeness or Beauty of Pearls The cause of all these things is the most temperate heat continually working and moving the Matter Believe me also that your whole Labour is lost except you revivifie your Earth with the Water without that you shall never see a true Congelation XXXI This Water is a Secret drawn from the Life of all things existing in Nature for from Water all things in the World have their first beginning as you may easily perceive in many things The substance or Matter is nourished with its proper Menstruum which the Water and the Earth only produce whose proper Colour is Greenness XXXII Understand also that our fiery Water thus acuated is called the Menstrual Water in which Our Earth is dissolved and naturally Calcined by Conge lation when you have made seven Imbibitions then by a Circumvolution putrifie again all the Matter without addition beholding in the first place the blackness then the Whiteness of the Congealed Matters XXXIII Thus your Water is divided into two parts with the first part the Bodies are purified the second part is reserved for Imbibitions with which afterwards the Matter is made black and presently after with a gentle fire made White then reduce to Redness XXXIV 8. De Cibatione Cibation is the Feeding or Nourishing of our dry Matter with Milk and Meat being both administred moderately till it is reduced to the third Order you must never give so much as to cause a suffocation or that the Aqueous humour should exceed the Blood if it drinks too much the work will be hurt XXXV Three times must you turn about the Philosophick Wheel observing the Rule of the said Cibation and then in a little time it will feel the Fire so as to melt presently like Wax XXXVI 9. De Sublimatione Sublime not the matter to the top of the Vessel for without Violence you cannot bring it down to the bottom again by a temperate heat below in the space of 40 days it will become black and obscure When the Bodies are purified let them be sublimed by degrees more and more till they shall be all elevated or converted into Water XXXVII We use Sublimation for three Causes First that the Body may be made spiritual Secondly that the the Spirit may be made Corporeal aud fixed with it and become Consubstantial with it Thirdly that it may be purified from its Original Impurities and its Sulphurous Salt may be diminished with which it is infected subliming it to the Top as White as Snow XXXVIII 10. De Fermentatione Fermentations are made after divers manners by which our Medi cine is perpetuated Some dissolve Sol and Luna into a certain clear Water and with the Medicine of them they make the same to Coagulate or be Coagulated but such a Fermentation we propose not XXXIX This only is our Intention that first you must Break or Tear or Grind the matter to Atoms before you Ferment it Mix then presently your Water and Earth together and when the Medicine shall flow like Wax then see the above mentioned Amalgamation and put forth the same and when all that is mixed together above or on the top of the Glass being well closed make a Fire till the whole be Fluxed then make projection as you shall think fit because it is a Medicine wholly perfect Thus have you made the Ferment both for the Red and the White XL. The true Fermentation is the Incorporation of the Soul with the Body restoring to the same the Natural Odour Consistency and Colour by a Natural Inspissation of the separated things And as the Magnet draws Iron to it self so our Earth by Nature draws down its Soul to it self Elevated with Wind For without doubt the Earth is the Ferment of the Water and by Course or Turns the Water is the Ferment of the Earth XLI We make the Water most Odoriferous with which we reduce all the Bodies into Oyl with which Oyl we make our Medicine flow We call this Water a Quintessence or the Powers and it Heals or Cures all humane Diseases Make therefore this Oyl of Sol and Luna which is a Ferment most fragrant in smell XLII 11. De Exaltatione Exaltation differs a little from Sublimation if you understand aright the words of the Philosophers If therefore you would Exalt your Bodies sublime them first with Spiritus Vitae then let the Earth be subtiliated by a Natural rectification of all the Elements so shall it be more pretious than Gold because of the Quintessence or Powers which they contain XLIII When the Cold does overcome the Heat then the Air is converted into water so two contraries are made by the way till they kindly conjoyn and rest together after this manner you must work them that they may be Circulated that they one with another may speedily be Exalted together In one Glass well Sealed all this Operation is to be done and not with hands XLIV Convert the Water into Earth which will quickly be the Nest of the other Elements for the Earth is in the Fire which rests in the Air. Begin this Circulation in the West then continue it till past the Meridian so will they be exalted XLV 12. De Multiplicatione Multiplication is the thing which makes the augmentation of the Medicine in Color Smell Vertue and Quantity for it is a Fire which being Excited never dies but always dwells with you one spark of which is able to make more Fire by the Virtue of Multiplication XLVI He is rich which has but one Particle or Grain of this our Elixir because that Grain is possible to be augmented by one way to Infinity if you dissolve this our dry Pouder and make a
said subtil and thin Oyl of Sol and Luna the said substances of other Bodies be made fixed and to flow like Wax VII With which flowing substance you shall not only congeal Argent Vive into perfect Sol and Luna according as you have prepared your Medicine but you shall also with the same fluxible and flowing substance transmute and change all such other imperfect Bodies as they were whose Calces were so sublimed and from whom at their first subliming or lifting up they took their beginning into Sol and Luna aforesaid VIII And this thin and subtil Oyl being put into Kemia its proper Vessel first sealed up to putrifie in the Fire of the first degree being moist it becomes as black as liquid Pitch The fire may then have its Action in the Body to corrupt it the same Body as before so opened IX Therefore it grows first black like melted Pitch because the bear working in this moist Body does first beget a blackness which blackness is the first sign of Corruption and since the Corruption of one thing is the generation of another therefore of the Body corrupted is generated a Body Neutral which is certainly apt declinable and applicable unto every Ferment whatsoever you please to apply it to X. But the Ferment must be altered together with the Alchymick Body and the whole substance of our Stone or Elixir must partake of the Nature of the Quintescence otherwise it will be of no effect XI And between the said sign of blackness and perfect whiteness which will follow the said blackness there will appear a green Color and as many variable Colors afterwards as the mind of Man is able to conceive XII When the present White Color shall begin to appear like the Eyes of Fishes then may you know that Summer is near at hand after which Autumn or Harvest will happily follow with ripe fruit which in the long looked for Red ness This is after the Pale Ashy and Citrine Color XIII First the Sun does perfectly Descend by its due Course from its Meridional height and Glory through its gross and natural solution into an imperfect Pale and Ashy Color shining in the Occidental parts of the West which is somewhat of a yellowish or Brick dust Color from thence it goes to the Septentrional parts of the Earth being of a Variable watrish blackness of a dark cloudy alterable putrefactive watrishness XIV Then it Afcends up to the Oriental parts shining with a more perfect Crystalline Summer-like and Paradisical White Lastly he Ascends his Fiery Chariot directing his Course up again to his Meridional Life Perfection and Glory there to Rule and Shine in fire brightness splendor and the highest perfection even in the highest most pure and Imperial Redness XV. When this aforesaid simple Oyl of the altered Body being in its Vessel duly sealed is by the Fire thus disposed what is there more than one simple thing which nature has made to be generated of Sulphur and Mercury in the Bowels of the Earth XVI Thus it is evident that our Stone is nothing else but Sol and Luna Sulphur and Mercury Male and Female Heat and Cold. And therefore to be more short when all the parts of our Stone are thus gathered together it appears plainly enough what is our Mercury Our Sulphur Our Alehymick Body Our Ferment Our Menstruum Our Green Lyon And what Our White Fume Our two Dragons Our Fires and Our Egg in which is both the Whiteness and the Redness XVII As also what is Man's Blood Our Aquae Vitae Our Burning Water and what are many other things which in this Our Art are Metaphorically or figuratively named to deceive the Foolish and unwary XVIII Also there is a similitude of a Tri-une shining in the Body Soul and Spirit The Body is the substance of the Stone The Soul is the Ferment which cannot be had but from the most perfect Body and the Spirit is that which raiseth up the Natures from Death and Corruption to Life Perfection and Glory XIX In Sulphur there is an Earthiness for the Body In Mercury there is an Aerealness for the Spirit and in them both a Natural Unctuosity for the Soul or Ferment all which are inseparably United in their least parts for ever From this Fermental Body the Stone is formed and without it it cannot be made XX. It is the peculiar property of Sol and Luna the which property appertains to the Stone it self to give the form of Gold and Silver And therefore the Elixir whether it be White or Red may be Infinitely augmented with the Fermental Oyl if you do cast the same upon Mercury it shall transmute it into the Elixir which Elixir must be cast afterwards upon the Imperfect Bodies XXI Moreover the said White Elixir is augmented with Mercurial Water and the Red Elixir with the Mercurial Oyl the which two viz. the Mercurial Water and Mercurial Oyl can only be had of Mercury dissolved of it self XXII See what the Scripture saith He stroke the Stone and Water flowed out and he brought forth Oyl out of the Flinty Rock We may Note the whole composition of the Elixir in these four Verses following XXIII He stretched forth the Heavens as a Curtain The Water stood above the Mountains This is the Water which does cover Our Matter and performs the dissolution thereof causing a cloudy Ascension That does walk upon the Wings of the Wind. This figures forth the sublimation of ourStone XXIV Who makes his Angels Spirits and his Ministers a flame of Fire By this is shadowed forth the rectification separation and disposition of the Elements Who has founded the Earth upon its Basis so fixt that it shall not be moved for ever Under which is described the fixation of the Elements and the perfection of the Philosophick Stone CHAP. LXVI Another way of Elixirating Gold by the Fire against Nature I. ANother way by which the Body of Gold is Elixirated by the power of the Fire against Nature through the help of the Operation of the Fire of Nature which is thus Dissolve the Body of pure Gold in the Fire against Nature the same fire being well rectified Arsenick Mercury sublimate as the manner is from which Gold being so dissolved into a Citrine clear and shining Water without any Heterogenity or Sand remaining let the water be abstracted till the Body does remain in the bottom of the Glass like a fixt Oyl II. Upon this Oyl affuse the said Water or Fire against Nature again and abstract again and this work so often repeat till the water or fire against Nature have no more sharpness upon the Tongue than common Well-Water III. This done draw such another new water or fire against Nature which Affuse upon the former Oyl and abstract in all respects as before is taught then Affuse upon this Oyl the water or fire of Nature well rectified and let it be double in quantity or proportion of the said Oyl of the Body so