may be supplied with the Alkalies of Honey Celandine and the rest of the Individuals named by Lully with which the Adepts did also sometimes acuate their Spirit of Wine as shall be declared below in tht Fifth Kind of Menstruums But these things make also against the Literal sense of our Receipt and do prove that the Salts of the Vegetables not the crude Vegetables themselves were taken in the Receipt But though he made choice of Tartar because of the strongest Alkali to be from thence prepared yet did he not for the same reason intimate that Celandine the Flowers of Rosemary Herb Mercury red Lilly and mans Blood were better than the rest because with these he proceeds another way for he separates the Elements from them with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine from which he takes only the Fire or Oyl which he circulates with the Spirit and so acuates it as is clearly enough evident in secunda Tabula Individuorum But because Honey surpasseth not only its own collateral Individuals but also the Tartar it self for he saith that the Spirit of Wine in Tartar hath one but in Honey two free Operations and therefore attributes his peculiar process to Honey namely by distilling the whole Comb the Honey together with the Wax with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine through an Alembick Now between both processes of Honey and the rest of the Individuals our Receipt keeps a middle station If Honey be volatilized as to the whole substance it becomes thereby a Magistery which being joyn'd to the Spirit of Philosophical Wine yields us a Menstruum of the Third kind But the Fires or Oyls of Celandine of the Flowers of Rosemary common white and red Wine c. are by separation of the Elements made with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Essences which being added to the said Spirit of Wine do not alter but multiply it rather because an Essence is added to an Essence that is the second to the first Spirit of Philosophical Wine But if Celandine the Flowers of Rosemary as also the Vegetables of our Receipt be distilled with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine it does extract and elevate all their Vnctuosity with it self rejecting the aridity of them being more simple subtil volatile and less loaded with dry Particles than the Vnctuosity of crude Honey and so by being circulated with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine it is made indeed a Magistery yet more inclining to the nature of an Essence and therefore less dry and less altering the Spirit of Wine than that of Honey and so being now deservedly united with the aforesaid Spirit it makes a Menstruum different from the Menstruums of the Third Kind So the Literal Sense of our Receipt does hitherto stand unmoved But not to derogate from the Authority of the Author and his own Commentator Lully it is necessary to suppose that the Spirit of Philosophical Wine being distilled upon the aforesaid Vegetables he did sometimes out of the remainder prepare an Alkali by calcination and acuate his Spirit with it and so make a Menstruum of the Fifth Kind From these and the like Receipts we observe 1. That Wine Lunaria Nigrum nigrius Nigro the Matter of the Menstruum of Vegetable Mercury or Soul of Metals is not Common but Philosophical Wine nor that the Spirit of this Wine is the Common but Philosophical Aqua ardens 2. That a Menstruum of this kind is the unctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine acuated that is tempered with the common Vnctuosity of Vegetable Oyls Mix digest and distil any common distilled Oyl with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and you will obtain a Menstruum of the Second Kind much sooner yea you will make the same in a moment if you mix the Essence Spirit of Philosophical VVine with the Magistery of an oyly Vegetable 3. That one oyly Vegetable Saffron or Macis of so many is sufficient for the acuation of the Spirit of Philosophical VVine nor yet will you err if you take Triacle which Spirit of Triacle made with this Spirit of Wine will be a Menstruum of this kind 4. That these Menstruums are Medecines 5. That these Menstruums made out of meer Vegetables are properly called Vegetable Menstruums tho' some which we call Vegetable Menstruums compounded are by reason of the addition of Metals or Minerals sometimes by the Adepts called Mineral Menstruums so Lully in the 34th Experiment calls his Circulatum majus made of Gold and Silver the true Mineral Menstruum But we distinguish them from the Mineral Menstruums because they are corrosive being prepared with the acidity of Miâ—eral Salts But these are most sweet without any Corrosive and do kindly dissolve things that are to be dissolved 6. That a Menstruum is call'd the Soul of Metals Soul is diversly taken among the Adepts First For perfect Metal Gold or Silver So Arnold in Flore Florum Philosophers call the Soul a Ferment because as the Body of man can do nothing without its Ferment or Soul so is it in the thing propounded for Ferment is a Substance which converts other things into its own Nature And you must know there is no Ferment except Sol and Luna that is Gold and Silver appropriated to those Planets c. Ferment therefore must be introduced into the Body because it is the Soul thereof This is that which Morienus said except you cleanse the unclean Body and make it white and infuse a Soul into it you conduce nothing to this Magistery Secondly For Metals and other things volatilized with a Philosophical Menstruum So Lully calls Gold and Silver volatilized in the preparation of his Circulatum majus Menstruum or animated Spirit Take saith he the animated Spirit of Sol and the animated Spirit of Luna joyn them together c. So the Tinctures of Gold and Silver volatilized by a Menstruum as also of imperfect Metals are by him called Souls So in the 20th Experiment he hath the Animal Water of Saturn in the 21th Experiment the Soul of Mars Yea separating the Elements from all things he calls the tinged distilled Liquors Souls or animated Spirits because by them is the dead dry and fixed Earth again revivified volatilized and reduced into a Sal harmoniack See the Revivification of the Salt of Tartar by its own Water in the Volatization of it given in the Second Experiment Thirdly For Menstruums themselves For Menstruums are the Souls of Metals by which the Metals otherwise dead are animated and revivified so Lully of this our Menstruum the Soul of Metals pag. 195. Comp. Anim. Transm Otherwise saith he Metals cannot be dissolved unless they be animated with a Vegetable Menstruum by the power of which Resolution is made in things resoluble And in Elucid Testam pag. 145. Aqua vitoe is the Soul and Life of Bodies by which our Stone is vivified So also Ripley in Libro Mercurii pag. 108. saith The Sperm of Metals is also called Metallick Aqua Vitoe because it administreth life and health to
Metals being sick dead c. Fourthly For the Vnctuosity as well of the Metal as Menstruum Of both saith Ripley pag. 150. Medulloe Phil. There is some certain Similitude of the Trinity to be perceived in the Body Soul and Spirit of our Work The Body is the substance of the Stone the Spirit is the Virtue that is the Quintessence which excites Natures from Death and the Soul is to be taken for the Ferment which cannot be had but out of the most perfect Body Gold in Sulphur of Gold there is a Terrestreity for the Body and in Mercury Menstruum an aereal serenity for the Spirit and in both a natural Unctuosity for the Soul For they are all fermentable in the Unctuosity of the Body being mix'd and inseparably united with it throughout its most minute parts by which Soul is the Stone formed because nothing can be any way formed without it 7. That this Menstruum is called Vegetable Mercury produced from red or white Wine The Adepts have many Mercuries The First is Common Argent vive running or sublimed The Second is The running Mercury of Bodies extracted out of Metals by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine A Third is Any Salt Alkali especially fixed with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Lully calcines Celandine and from thence extracts a Salt of which thus Repeat this Magistery so often till you have extracted all the Salt which is the Mercurial Part of that Individual Celandine These things therefore being done take all these Dissolutions Lixivia's and transmit them through a Filter or Linnen-Cloth that they may be purged from Terrestreity then distilled by Balneo congeal and the moisture being gone over in the bottom of the Vessel will remain a Mercury or Salt of a white colour and by this means you will have extracted out of this Matter a Mercury which hath almost innumerable Virtues of acuating the Vegetable Spirit drawn from Philosophical Wine so as to have the power of dissolving all Metals with the conservation of the Vegetative and Germinative Form In Magia Naturali He calls Tartar calcined and impregnated with the Vegetable Menstruum by being four times distilled then resolved per Deliquium and coagulated by the Name of Mercury And saith he pag. 379 you wil have the Salt of Art or Testamentary Mercury without which is nothing done Sometimes the Salt or Caput Mortuum in the separation of the Elements called exanimated Earth he calls Mercury So in Exp. 6. The inanimated Earth of Vrine dissolved in Water filtred and coagulated he calls Mercury Then saith he Keep our fixed Sal armoniack our animal Sulphur our fixed animal Mercury Lay a little of which upon a Fire-hot-plate and if it melt as Wax without fume it is a sign you have Argent vive fixed and perfectly depurated wherewith you will be able to produce many Experiments This is that Mercury which hath afforded us most convenient relief The Fourth Mercury is either Vegetable or Animal of which saith Ripley in Pupilla pag. 300. There are more Mercuries than the two above-said Mineral the red and green Lyon namely the Vegetable and Animal Mercury because both may be extracted out of some Liquors as out of Blood and Eggs. Lully Distinct 3. Libri Essentioe in Figuris Tabulis Individuorum describes the Vegetables and Animals in which are found these Mercuries most readily There is saith he lastly this other Secret of Nature for the Artist of this Art to know and really have the knowledge of the Individuals in which our Mercury is found most easily Wherefore let the Artists of this Art know that our Mercury is found in every Elemented Body yet in some so remote as to anticipate the Life of Man before the Artist of this Art can possess it being extracted as is expedient Wherefore we do in that place reveal those things which contain it most nearly Of this Mercury saith Lully Libro Mercuriorum pag. 8. VVhen we say common Mercury we speak of that which the Philosophers understand and when we say vulgar we speak of that which the Rustick understands and which is sold in Shops Which Ripley in the 326th pag. of his Concordance thus expresseth VVhen I speak of Mercury understand Mercury more common than common The Fifth is The Spirit of Philosohical VVine which Lully in Exp. 3. calls Vegetable Mercury So saith he will you have a Vegetable Salt extracted from this Individual Honey which Salt is most precious and hath the power of acuating the Vegetable Mercury and dissolving the two Luminaries c. in Exp. 5. Salts he prepares out of Portulaca Apium Squilla c. with all which saith he you may acuate the Vegetable Mercury extracted out of VVine either joyntly or severally of which lower in the fifth kind of Menstruums The Sixth is The Philosophical Menstruum it self for our present Menstruum is called Vegetable Mercury produced from white or red Wine The Seventh is The animated Spirit or Air of every Body in the separation of the Elements which Mercury being a Fire or Oyl is called Sulphur in almost all Receipts The Eighth is Sal armoniack Vegetable Animal or Mineral the Sulphur of Nature which is also called our Mercury Mercury Sublimate and Philosophers Mercury Necessary it is we should observe these things in the following Descriptions of Menstruums except we would some times confound the things themselves with the Names The Third KIND Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and Oyly Salts or such as can neither be called fixed nor volatile hitherto called Essential Salts such as are Sugar Honey Tartar of Common Wine and other Vegetables 10. The Mellifluous Heaven of Parisinus In practica Elucid p. 231. V. 6. Theat Chym. THe way of acuating this Celestial and Burning B Spirit of Philosophical Wine is to take of the Substances declared to you what quantity you will But we take the Substances of Flowers United that is the Substance of New Honey pag. 269. which we put in a Vessel to distill all the Aquosity through Y Balneo Marioe pag. 270. Then we pour in three parts and more of B upon that Substance prepared after this manner shutting the Vessel with its Cover called Antenotorium and put it in Putrefaction for the space of one Natural Day then with three Distillations by Z. Fire of Ashes pag. 270. we distill till we obtain all the Mercurial Part with the whole Juice of the Blessed Substance by that Method then repeat the aforesaid Magistery with New Substance of Flowers and making this Regiment four times at the end of which you have reduced B solutive from Power into Act by Virtue of the Manna of the Flowers United Now take a strong Glass Vessel able to hold as much Water as a common Pitcher with a Neck one span and a half long to which another Glass Vessel containing a fourth part only of the Pitcher must be joyned and well luted Into this Vessel put four Pounds of C the
evaporate being a little of it cast upon a red hot Plate This impregnated Earth being put into a Sublimatory sublime according to Art into a Volatile Salt which digest in Balneo two days and more with six parts of the ardent Spirit circulated decant the dissolution gently and if any thing remain undissolved proceed with it as before this dissolution circulate thirty days and it will be a Quintessence to be compared in Virtue with the Aurum potabile of the Ancients As these Menstruums are made either weaker or stronger according to the variety of weight so also are they more or less pure by longer or shorter or altogether neglected circulation for some Menstruums there are of this kind which the Adepts circulated not For an Example take the following 32. The less Vegetable Menstruum of Lully Lib. de materia Vegetabili in practica prima TAke the best Wine red is the best two pounds of it put into a Cucurbit with a blind Head and luting the joynts well put it in Balneo to putrify kindly the space of forty five days then fit an Alembick to it and augment the heat that the ardent Spirit may be distill'd which rectify thrice by it self or till it is free from all Phlegm and burns Cotton keep this ardent Spirit well stop'd in a cold place take the matter remaining in the first distillation and draw off the Phlegm till it remain thick like liquid Pitch upon which pour of the Spiritus ardens so much as to be the space of four Fingers above it digest three days in Balneo then distil gently by Ashes three days and by Virtue of a stronger Fire the ardent Spirit will carry over the Soul with it which it could not do in Balneo keep the distillation To the remaining Matter pour new Spirit doing so often till all the Soul be come over and that you will know if by being projected in a small quantity upon a red hot Plate it yields no smoak because the matter is now deprived of its Soul which we call dry Earth which imbibe with an eighth part of the animated ardent Spirit digest for three days in Balneo then distil gently in Ashes the superfluous Liquor being insipid as common Water make the second imbibition with a seventh part and so continue doing as before till the Earth be made heavier by a fourth part of its weight and it will be disposed to a reduction into a Volatile Salt by the way of sublimation This Earth therefore being well pulverized put into a Sublimatory administring Fire according to Art and that which you find sublimed white as Snow is the Volatile Salt which keep in a Vessel well stop'd Take of this Volatile Salt one part of the ardent Spirit six parts digest in Ashes and the dissolution is the Vegetable Quintessence apt to dissolve the perfect Bodies of Sol and Luna to make an Elixir and other Medicines precious and grateful Vegetable Sal Armoniack dissolv'd in Aqua ardens one part of the Salt to six of the Spirit makes the present Menstruum but the following is prepared from Sal Armoniack resolved per deliquium 33. The Vegetable Menstruum per deliquium of Lully Lib. de materia Vegetabili in Practica secunda TAke the best white-Wine putrify it in Balneo twenty days or longer then distil the Spiritus ardens according to Art till it burns Cotton then draw off the Phlegm till the matter remains in the bottom of the Vessel thick as liquid Pitch to which matter pour so much of the Phlegm as will swim four Fingers above it digest in Balneo two days and in Ashes one day decant the tinged Phlegm pour new Phlegm to the matter doing as before till no more will be tinged and the matter remains at the bottom of the Vessel like a white Earth upon this Earth pour the height of two Fingers of the ardent Spirit digest for a day in Ashes and the Soul which is in the Earth will enter into the ardent Spirit decant the ardent Spirit being animated pour off the ardent Spirit again upon the Earth doing it so oft as before till the Spirit draws out no more Soul and the Earth remains in the Form of a most fine powder being despoiled of all its Soul which you will know if it smoaks not upon a fiery Plate this Earth digest ten days in Ashes then put it in Balneo and pour of the tinged Phlegm so much as will swim two Fingers over it distil in Balneo cast away the distillation as a thing of no Virtue then again pour the tinged Phlegm upon the Earth repeating as before till no Phlegm remains and the Earth is impregnated with all the tincture that was in the Phlegm This done imbibe the Earth with the animated ardent Spirit digest with an easy heat in Balneo till the Earth is well dryed then again imbibe and so oft as before till the animated ardent Spirit is absorbed by the Earth and is made Volatile which you will know if a little of it cast upon a burning Plate fumes away for the most part then put this matter into a sublimatory and sublime with a subliming Fire and that which is sublimed is the Volatile Salt of the Vegetable matter put that Volatile Salt into a Phial digest in Balneo for a day and it will be reduced into a Water which we call Vegetable Menstruum which is a wonderful dissolvent for the radical dissolving of the two Luminaries These Menstruums the Adepts made sometimes not of Vegetables Sal Armoniack but by the way following 34. The Vegetable Mercury of Lully Lib. de Mat. Vegetabili in practica sexta TAke the best odoriferous Wine put it in a Circulatory large enough stop the said Vessel very well with Sulphur melted and putrify in Balneo twelve or fifteen Days then distil the Spirit and Phlegm according to Art till the Spirit burns Cotton upon the matter remaining like liquid Pitch pour six parts of the Phlegm digest two Days in Ashes shaking the Vessel now and then decant the Phlegm being tinged pour on other and doing as before till it hath extracted all the tincture and a black Earth remains at the bottom of the Alembick put the tinged Phlegm in an Alembick and distil in Balneo and that which remains at the bottom of the Vessel will be the Vegetable Oyl pour the ardent Spirit to the height of four Fingers upon the black Earth distil by Ashes and that which is distilled will be the ardent Spirit impregnated to the matter pour new ardent Spirit repeating as before three times and in the last increasing the Fire about the end Calcine the Earth with a Fire of Reverberation into whiteness out of which extract the fixed Salt with a little of the Phlegm the fixed Salt being pulverized put in an Alembick pour to it the animated ardent Spirit about two Fingers distil gently in Balneo the insipid and useless moisture repeat as before till the animated
Menstruums as well of this as other Adepts are of no validity The same Earth which being less than well dissolved is the cause of opacity in Bernhard's permanent Menstruum the very same exactly dissolved is the cause of limpidity with Thomas inspissating and coagulating the Water as well if not better than if it had been less dissolved The diaphaneity of Menstruums is defended by Lully Parisinus and most of the Adepts Lully proclaims his Coelum Vinosum to be clear bright and resplendent as the Stars of Heaven In Test novis pag. 8. Of which very Menstruum Parisinus thus in Appendice Elucidarii pag. 273. Vol. 6. Theat Chym. Then will you see a Quintessence brighter and clearer than a Diamond which exceeds the splendor of the Stars so as to be doubted whether it be contained in the Glass or no. The Tenth KIND Vegetable Menstruums compounded made of Vegetable Menstruums compounded and Metallick Bodies 52. The Neapolitan Menstruum of Lully In Exper. 13. TAke Luna and calcine with common Argent vive that is by amalgaming and then grinding the Amalgame with common Salt prepared then evaporate the Mercury with a most gentle Fire then take away the Salt with hot Water distilled and so you will have Luna calcined Take the calcined Luna and pour to it four parts of the Mercurial Water described by the three hot Vessels before in Numb 46. and the Vessel being covered with its Antenotorium set upon Ashes so as to boyl gently and you will perceive a Green or Sea Colour which Liquor pour warily into another Vessel so that the Faeces be not disturb'd the Matter remaining at the bottom dry with an easie Fire like the heat of the Sun Then know the weight of the said Calx and pour again four parts of the said Mercurial Water upon one part of the said Calx and the Vessel being covered with its Antenotorium as above let it boyl again gently the dissolution pour into another Vessel as before and joyn it with the first dissolution but remember to keep the said dissolved Matter continually in Balneo till the whole Work of dissolution is compleated repeating the Magistery so oft 〈◊〉 the whole Body of Luna be fully dissolved and decanted over which has indeed hapned to us at the second time and set it in putrefaction fourteen Days Then put it in an Urinal with its Receiver and Alembick very well luted and distil in a Furnace of Ashes then increase the Fire that the Soul of the Body may ascend into its Water The Vessel being cold examine the weight of the Earth of Luna remaining in the bottom for I believe of one whole Ounce there will not remain above two Eights Drachms of the Body not dissolved the rest will be perfectly dissolved that is distilled But if more of the undissolved Earth remains then pour to it so much of its Water lately distilled as to be three Fingers above it and the Vessel being covered with an Antenotorium put it in Balneo for a Natural Day then taking away the Antenotorium and putting on an Alembick with a Receiver very close distil by Ashes at the end of the distillation increase the Fire as before This repeat till the whole Body of Luna be pass'd through the Alembick by an airy revolution and thus will you by the Help of God have a Menstruum with which you may dissolve Sol. Annotations HItherto we have by Argent vive acuated either the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or Menstruums made with this Spirit which had so good a faculty of dissolving that most of the Adepts being content with these Mercurial Waters desisted from inquiring after stronger Menstruums The Mercurial Water which Lully terms Glorious he saith is sufficient yea a proper Menstruum to make the Philosophers Mercury or Metallick Sal Armoniack out of all Metals and Minerals You must know saith he my Son that in the Truth and Faith of God no Sulphur of Nature of any Metal can be sublimed without this Water of common Argent vive Test Noviss Pag. 12. But in this Tenth Kind of Menstruums the Adepts made yet other Menstruums adding moreover divers Bodies according to the intended several uses to the aforesaid Mercurial Waters Lully to make a more Noble Menstruum for the dissolution of Gold added Silver to the Mercurial Menstruum If perhaps he wanted a Menstruum for Pearls he joyned Pearls with the Mercurial Menstruum If he had a mind to make Aurum potabile he prepared a Menstruum out of Gold and Silver as more suitable to this purpose yet with some Mercurial Menstruum and so of others as you will observe in the following Examples 53. The precious Menstruum for Pearls of Lully In Comp. Animoe transmut Pag. Vol. 3. Theat Chym. TAke the Liquor of Lunaria of the third or second rectification Philosophical Aqua ardens rectifyed pour it upon Argent vive so as to swim three Fingers above it and putrefie three Natural Days and a great part of it will be dissolved with the Water of Lunaria which decant and pour fresh Liquor upon the Faeces putrefie in Dung or Balneo and repeat till all the Mercury is reduced into Water then joyn all the distillations together and draw off in Balneo and when you see it in a manner thick so as to be half a Pound of the Water of Mercury and Argent vive Vegetable and Mineral putrifie six Natural Days then put in Pearls and they will within ten Hours be dissolved then exuberate them by the way which I taught in the exuberation of Metals till they be converted into a Sal Harmoniack or Sulphur Naturoe of Pearls whereof dissolve one Ounce in a Pound of its Menstruum aforesaid and distil four times then put in Pearls and they will in half a quarter of an Hour be dissolved by reason of the greater subtilty of the Menstruum As Silver is joyned to the Mercurial Menstruum made by the three Fire-hot Vessels for the Neopolitan Menstruum which may be so call'd because it was reveal'd to Lully at Neapolis by Arnold de villa nova so this Menstruum for Pearls is made of the Sal Armoniack of Pearls and the Mercurial Menstruum or Glorious Water of Mercury which if they be Circulated together a convenient time you will make thereof a Coelum perlatum 54. The Mercurial compounded Menstruum of Lully In Experim 34. TAke three Ounces of Luna and three Ounces of Sol calcine them severally with Mercury as in the former Experiments in the Neopolitan Menstruum then evaporate it from the said Metals being calcined put them severally in distinct solutory Vessels and put upon them so much of the incalcinated Menstruum described before in Numb 45. as will swim four Fingers above it cover the Vessel with an Antenotorium putrifie in Balneo two Days and two Days more in Ashes with a heat like that of the Sun decant the dissolution and dry the remainder being dryed pour upon them of the incalcinated Menstruum
put it to the Earth in Balneo and digest six Days and in the said Balneo distil all the Menstruum for one Day and the Fire in Ashes separating then every one by it self as you did before and keep the Fire in Balneo And again put the Air with the Menstruum upon the Earth in which is the Fire and digest as before and this Magistery repeat till the Earth is well emptied of its Fire which is done in forty times or repetitions Then must you sublime the Earth after this manner Take that Earth which remained after the separation of the Air and Fire and put it in a Glass Vessel and pour upon it of the Vegetable Menstruum according to the quantity of the Earth and set it in Balneo for a Natural Day then another Day distil in Ashes and again put of the said Menstruum according to the weight of the Earth and digest in Balneo the space of one Day and distil in Ashes another Day and again repeat digesting in Balneo and distilling in Ashes till all the Earth is converted into an impalpable Powder Then take that and put of the Menstruum upon it according to its weight and digest in Balneo two Days then distil in Ashes one Day and put the distillation in Balneo Then take the Earth and put again of other Menstruum equal to its weight digest two Days and distil as before proceed in repeating the inhumations and distillations till the Earth has passed through the Alembick together with the Menstruum That Earth being thus mixed with the Menstruum is called Argent vive exuberated according to the intention of the Alcyhmists put therefore those distillations wherein is that Earth to be distilled by Balneo and draw off the Menstruum and the Earth will remain dry and prepared in the bottom of the Vessel which keep Thus Son have you the Elements of the Sulphur of Gold divided with the help of God Then must you have the Sulphur of Silver the Philosophers Mercury prepared from Silver or the Sal Armoniack of Luna and separate the Elements from it separating the Air with the Menstrual Water and the Fire with the Air and Water and the Earth subliming with the Menstruum and cause it to pass through the Alembick with the same Menstruum Thus have you my Son the Elements of the white Sulphur and the Elements of the red Sulphur separated and divided Now take the Menstruum or Water with which you separated the Elements of the Sulphurs of Gold and Silver and for every Pound of the Menstruum in which you dissolved the Gold dissolve one Ounce of Gold and in the Menstruum wherein you dissolv'd the Silver an Ounce of Silver and put either of them by it self in a Vessel of Circulation in Balneo or Dung the space of fifteen Days and there it will be strengthened into its Menstrual Nature This Water Son we call Elemented Menstruum or Water washed and drawn from the Faeces of the Earth Now take the two Elements namely the Air and Fire of the Sulphur of Gold put them together into a Glass distilling Vessel and distil in Ashes with a most temperate heat till you have three parts of five distilled in the Receiver then let it cool and that which is distilled receive by it self and distil it seven times and keep it apart then distil that which you left when you have distilled three parts of five continue distilling the two which remained till you see the Fire congealed at the sides of the Vessel let it cool till the Fire be congealed And that Fire which you drew off till the Fire was congealed he means that which ascends as yet moist before the sublimation of the Matter from these two parts left is called the second Air and Tincture and we call it our Secret and our Treasure and the Vapour of the Elements This my Son you must rectify by seven distillations or rectifications and the Earth which after the distillation of the first and second Air you drew out of the Vessels in which you distilled the first and second Air put in the Fire to be congealed and that Earth is called Fire Now Son prepare this Fire after this manner Put it in a distilling Vessel and upon it pour its own Water which is that wherewith you separated the Elements of the Sulphur of Gold when we commanded to reduce it to a fifth Spirit in the Vessel of Hermes and said Take the Water wash'd from the Faeces of the Earth otherwise the Elemented Menstruum of Sol five parts of its weight that is five Ounces of the said Water Elemented Menstruum of Gold to one Ounce of the said Fire and digest in Balneo eight Days then distil in Ashes most gently and again put new Water namely five parts digest and distil as before repeating this method seven times and so you have the Fire and Earth of the Sulphur of Gold calcined by Philosophical calcination and they are the two Elements of the red Sulphur prepared for the desert Limes And take notice that you must put the Earth of the white Sulphur which you calcined and prepared after the separation of the Elements of the red Sulphur with the Earth which you drew from the Air mix'd with the Fire and put both with the Fire congealed Now Son take the Earth of the Sulphur of Silver which remained after the separation of the Elements and prepare it as you did in calcining and preparing the Earth of Gold after the separation of the Elements sublimed together with the Menstruum and reduced into an impalpable Powder and carryed through the Alembick with the same Menstruum You may also prepare the Earth of the Sulphur of Silver with the Menstruum that you used in separating the Elements of the Sulphur of Silver Then have you the Earths of the Sulphur of Gold and Silver prepared by themselves which you will know by the sign given you that is putting a little of it upon a red hot Plate of Luna the greater part will fume away Then take those Earths in equal weight and ounces and put them in a preparing Vessel then take the Menstruum with which you prepared the Elements of Luna and in one Pound of it put one Ounce of the Vegetable Sulphur which we shewed you how to make from the Earth of Wine Vegetable Sal Armoniack made of the Earth of Philosophical Wine and distilling make the whole pass through the Alembick and then will you have the Menstruum with which you extracted the Elements of the Sulphur of Luna animated and acuated Then Son you must mix and prepare the Earths of the aforesaid Sulphurs that is of Gold and Silver together allowing of the said Menstruum now animated and acuated a fourth part of their weight digesting and drying as is done in the making of the Sulphur of Nature or Sal Armoniack till they have drank up four parts of the said Menstruum and are disposed to
many Men err in Saturn Hear what Avicenn saith Saturn will be always Saturn yea operate not with the Earth of Philosoph Saturn which the Spirit of it has despised and relinquished for the worst Sulphur Operate only with the fume of it to congeal Mercury yet not as Fools but as the Philosophers do and you will have a very good Work Phil. Cap. 2. Pag. 188. The whole composition we call our Lead the quality of the splendor proceeds from Sol and Luna and in short these are our Menstruums wherewith we calcine perfect Bodies naturally but no unclean Body is an Ingredient one excepted which is by the Philosophers commonly called Green Lyon which is the means of joyning the Tinctures between Sol and Luna with perfection as Geber himself attesteth Libro 42. portar Pag. 12. To manifest this thing to you you must know that it is one of those which are of the seven Days Planets and the meanest of the same out of whose Body is artificially extracted Blood and a vaporous Humor which is called the Blood of the Green Lyon from which is produced a Water called White of an Egg and Aqua Vitoe May-Dew and by many other Names which to avoid prolixity we now omit Phil. Cap. 3. Pag. 190. The method of extracting the Blood of the Green Lyon out of calcined Lead or Philosophical Minium is this that followeth 61. A Menstruum made of the red Lead of Ripley In pupilla Alchym pag. 303. TAke of Lead calcined or rubifyed or the best Minium that is Mineral Antimony prepared what quantity you please yet with this consideration that you must have so many quarts of distill'd Vinegar as you have pounds of the aforesaid calcined Lead To this Vinegar pour the aforesaid Lead in a large Earthen Vessel well glazed then for the space of three Days stir the Matter strongly with a Wooden Spatula six or seven times a Day cover it well from Dust and let it not be put to the Fire by any means during all this time after which separate all that is clear and cristalline by a Filtre into another Vessel then put it into a Brass Skillet to a gentle Fire that all the Phlegmatick Water may evaporate till a very thick Oyl is left in the bottom of the Vessel which suffer to cool which being done the Matter will become like Gum so as to be cut with a Knife hereof put four Pounds into a Glass Cucurbit with an Alembick the Joynt being well luted with a Paste made of the Scales of Iron Flower and the whites of Eggs well beaten together put the Vessel in a Furnace of Sand and not in Ashes and let the Vessel be buried in the Sand even to the middle of it and let the Sand be two Fingers thick under the bottom of the Vessel then put a Receiver to it but not luted till you have drawn out all the Phlegmatick Water with a most gentle Fire which Water throw away When you see a white fume appear then lute the Receiver which must be two foot long which being drawn out strengthen the Fire as much as you can and continue it till you have distilled all that can be extracted in twelve Hours and so will you have the Blood of the Red Lyon most red as Blood which is our Mercury and our Tincture now prepared to be poured upon its ferment that is upon the Calxes of most pure Gold c. But if you would use it for the white Work you must distil your Mercury three times with a slow Fire always reserving the Faeces apart in every distillation and then will you have your Mercury most white as Milk And this is our Virgins Milk whitened Menstruum and our Argent vive Philosophically exuberated with which by Circulation make an Oyl out of the Calxes of Luna and proceed in all things as you did with the red Mercury upon the Calxes of Gold and you will have a white Elixir which will convert any Metal into perfect Luna But the Golden Oyl ought to be perfected and tempered and well united with artifical Balsom by the way of Circulation till out of them is made a most clear and resplendent Golden Liquor which is the true Aurum potabile and Elixir of Life more pretious for Mens Bodies then any other Medicine of the World The like Menstruum Ripley hath in his Medulla Philosophiae Chymicae 62. The Simple stinking Menstruum of Ripley Medulla Phil. Chym. pag. 170. TAke the sharpest Juice of Grapes and being distilled dissolve into a clear Cristalline Water the Body being well Calcined to a Redness which is by the Philosophers called Sericon of which make a Gum which is like Allum in taste and is by Raymund called Azoquean Vitriol Out of this Gum with a slow Fire is drawn first a weak Water which hath its taste no sharpness no more than Spring-water And when a white Fume begins to appear then change the Receiver and Lute strongly that it may no way expire and so you will have your Aqua ardens Aqua vitoe and a resolvitive Menstruum which before was resolvible This is the Potential Vapour able to dissolve putrifie and also purifie Bodies divide the Elements and by its attractive Virtue exalt its own Earth into a wonderful Salt And they that think there is any other Water besides this which we speak of are mistaken in this Work this Water hath a most sharp taste and partly also a stinking smell and therefore is called stinking Menstruum and it being a very Airy Water it therefore ought to be put upon its Calxes in less then an Hour after it is distilled or rectified but when it is poured upon the aforesaid Calxes it begins to boyl up and then if the Vessel be well stopp'd it will not leave working though no Fire be administred to it from without till it be dryed up in the Calx wherefore you must apply no greater quantity of it than scarce to cover the Calxes then proceed to the full compleating of it as in the work of the compounded Water And when the Elixir is reduced to a purple Colour let it be dissolved in the same Menstruum being first rectified into a thin Oyl upon which fix the Spirit of our Water by Circulation and then hath it the Power of converting all Bodies into most pure Gold and to heal all Infirmities of man's Body more than all the Potions of Hippocrates and Galen for this is the true Aurum Potabile and no other which is made of Artificial Gold Elemented turned about by the Wheel of Philosophy c The same Menstruum is had in the Vade Mecum of Ripley 63. The Menstruum of Sericon of Ripley In Vade Mecum commonly called the Bosom-Book TAke of Sericon or Antimony thirty Pounds out of which you will have twenty Pounds or thereabout of Gum if the Vinegar be good dissolve each pound of that Sericon in two measures a Gallon of Vinegar twice distilled and
having stood a little while in digestion stir the matter often every day the oftner the better with a clean stick filtre the Liquor three times throw away the Faeces to be taken away as superfluous being no Ingredient to the Magistery for it is the damned Earth Then evaporate the filtred Liquors in Balneo Marioe with a temperate heat and our Sericon will be coagulated into a Green Gum call'd our Green Lyon dry that Gum well yet with care lest you burn the Flowers or destroy the Greens of it Then take the said Gum put it in a strong Glass Retort well luted and with a moderate Fire distil a weak Water to be cast away But when first you perceive a white fume ascending put to it a Glass Receiver large and of sufficient capacity whose Mouth is exactly joyned to the Neck of the Retort which must be very well luted lest any of the fume be lost or evaporate out of the Receiver Then increase the Fire by degrees till a red fume ascends and continue a stronger Fire till bloody drops come or no more fume appears Then abate the Fire by degrees and all being cold take away the Receiver and forthwith stop it that the Spirits may not exhale because this Liquor is called our blessed Liquor to be kept in a Glass Vessel very close stopped Then examine the Neck of the Retort where you will find a white and hard Ice in the form of a congealed Vapour or Mercury sublimate which gather carefully and keep because it contains great Secrets of which lower Then take the Faeces out of the Retort being black as Soot which are called our Dragon whereof calcine one Pound or more if you please in a Potters Glass-makers or Philosophical Furnace into a white Snowy Calx which keep pure by it self it being called the Basis and Foundation of the Work Mars our white fixed Earth or Philosophers Iron Now take the residue of the Faeces or black Dragon and sift it on a Marble or any other Stone and at one of the ends light it with a live Coal and in the space of half an Hour the Fire will run over all the Faeces which it will calcine into a very Glorious citrine Colour these citrine Faeces dissolve with distilled Vinegar after the aforesaid manner filtre also three times as before then evaporate the dissolution into a Gum and distil the Menstruum which is now called Sanguis Draconis or Dragons Blood and repeat this Work in all things as before till you have reduced all or the greater part of the Faeces into our Natural or Blessed Liquor all which Liquors pour to the first Liquor or Menstruum called the Blood of the Green Lyon the Liquor being thus mix'd putrefie it in a Glass Vessel the space of fourteen Days Then proceed to the separation of the Elements because in this Blessed Liquor you have now all the Fire of the Stone hidden before in the Faeces which Secret has been hitherto kept wonderfully close by the Philosophers Now take all the Menstruum being putrifyed put it in a Venice Glass of a fit size put an Alembick to it and lute with Linnen Rags dipp'd in the white of Eggs the Receiver must be very spacious to keep in the respiring Spirit and with a temperate heat separate the Elements one from another and the Element of Air which is the Oyl ardent Spirit containing a little white Oyl at the top will first ascend The first Element being distilled rectifie it in another Vessel fit for it that is distil seven times till it burns a Linnen Cloath being dipp'd in it and kindled then is it called our rectify'd Aqua ardens which keep very well stopp'd for otherwise the most subtil Spirit of it will vanish away In the rectifications of the Aqua ardens the Air will ascend in the form of a white Oyl swimming upon the Aqua ardens and a citrine Oyl will remain which is distilled with a stronger Fire Mercury being sublimed and reduced into Powder dissolv'd per deliquium upon Iron Plates in a cold place pour a little of the Aqua ardens to the Liquor being filtred and it will extract the Mercury in the form of a Green Oyl swimming a-top which separate and distil by a Retort and there will ascend first a Water and then a thick Oyl which is the Oyl of Mercury Then distil the Flood or Water of the Stone into another Receiver the Liquor will be whitish which draw off in Balneo with a moderate heat till there remains in the bottom of the Cucurbit a thick Oyly substance like melted Pitch keep this Water by it self in a Glass well stopp'd Take notice when first the Liquor riseth white another Receiver must be put to because that Element is wholly distilled Two or three drops of that black liquid Oyl being given in the Spirit of Wine do Cure any Poyson Now to this black and liquid Matter pour our Aqua ardens mix them well together and let the mixture settle three Hours then decant and filtre the Liquor pour on new Aqua ardens and repeat the operation three times then distil again in Balneo with a gentle heat and this reiterate thrice and it will come under the denomination of the rectify'd Blood of Man which Operators search for in the Secrets of Nature Thus have you exalted the two Elements Water and Air to the Virtue of a Quintessence keep this Blood for occasion Now to the black and liquid Matter or Earth pour the Flood or Water of the Stone mix them well together and distil the whole till the Earth remains very dry and black which is the Earth of the Stone keep the Oyl with the Water for occasion Reduce the black Earth to a Powder to which pour the aforesaid Man's Blood digest three Hours then distil in Ashes with a Fire sufficiently strong repeat this Work three times and it will be call'd the rectify'd Water of Fire and so have you exalted the three Elements namely Water Air and Fire into the Virtue of a Quintessence Then calcine the Earth being black and dry in the bottom of the Reverberatory into a most white Calx with which mix the Fiery Water and distil with a strong Fire as before the remaining Earth calcine again and distil and that seven times or till the whole substance of the Calx be pass'd through the Alembick and then have you the rectify'd and truly Spiritual Water of Life and the four Elements exalted to the Virtue of a Quintessence this Water will dissolve all Bodies putrefie and purge them This is our Mercury our Lunary but whosoever thinks of any other Water besides this is ignorant and foolish never attaining to the desired effects This Menstruum is made of the same Matter as the precedent Menstruums For Green Lyon Adrop Philosophical Lead Mineral Antimony Airy Gold Mercury c. are Synonima's of one and the same Matter This Matter being dissolved in distill'd Vinegar and again
cleansed and purified from all its superfluities most choice and most pretious keep it therefore warily and wisely in a Phial well stopp'd Then take all the Faeces of the Mercury as I have said before reserved grind them well on a Marble with the Phlegm of distill'd Vinegar dry them in the Sun and grind again from time to time imbibing them with the Water of distill'd Vinegar upon the Marble and drying in the Sun and repeat the operations of grinding imbibing and drying till all the blackness and superfluity is driven out of the Faeces which you will know thus If the Faeces be red or reddish or citrine by the aforesaid imbibitions and ablutions then it is well done but if they be yet black repeat the contritions imbibitions and desiccations till you have the sign aforesaid and then keep them Then take a Glass Cucurbit wherein put the aforesaid Faeces above prepared with a good quantity of distill'd Vinegar and set it in a Furnace that is in Balneo Marioe put Fire under and continue it in course till the Faeces aforesaid be throughly dissolved by Virtue of the Vinegar and Fire and being well dissolved take the Cucurbit from the Fire and distil them through a Filtre as is fitting all that Water dissolution of the Foeces being thus distilled filtred put it in a new Cucurbit well stopp'd but if any considerable part remains in the Filtre to be dissolved take that part and set it again upon the Fire as you did the first Faeces in Balneo Marioe till it be dissolved that you may dissolve those Faeces which remained with the Vinegar as you dissolved the first Faeces in Balneo with Vinegar in a Cucurbit then distil through a Filtre as before and put it with the other Water distill'd before which you reserved then take that new Cucurbit in which you put the aforesaid Faeces dissolved and distilled before and lute it well with its Alembick set it on a Furnace in Balneo give Fire and distil as is fitting but have a care that the Faeces be not throughly dryed but let them be moist or liquid Then take down the Cucurbit from the Furnace put it upon Ashes sifted and well press'd and give it a gentle Fire for the tempering of the Glass and extracting the Heterogeneous moisture which it hath from the Vinegar and see often to the Beak of the Alembick if a Golden or Ruddy Liquor distills if not continue the Fire till it does being distilled presently change the Glass being very clean and lute it very well to the Beak of the Alembick then strengthen the Fire receive the Ruddy Oyl and thus continue the Fire till all the Liquor be distill'd and save the Faeces because they are the Fire but the Oyl aforesaid the Philosophers us'd to call their occult Sulphur which you must rectifie thus put it again in a Cucurbit put on an Alembick well luted then set it on a Furnace in Ashes administer a gentle Fire till it distils receive the Liquor which distills in a Bottle well stopp'd with the Beak of the Alembick and the remaining Faeces save because they are the Fire joyn that Fire with the other Fire reserv'd and so putrefie by distilling it seven times and reserving the Faeces it makes as I said before and so you will have your Air or Sulphur well depurated clear bright and perfectly purified and of a Gold Colour c. The Blood of the Green Lyon being Fifteen Days putrify'd Bacon cohobated Seven times by Balneo into a clear and ponderous Water which he call'd the Philosophers Mercury out of the Foeces left in the rectifications of this Mercury dissolved in distilled Vinegar he made a new Gum out of which he then distilled a Golden Liquor or ruddy Oyl which after the Seventh rectification he would have be the Philosophers Air or Sulphur well depurated clear and bright But Ripley used two ways in rectifying the stinking Menstruum or Green Lyon for either he divided the fresh Blood of the Green Lyon into two parts distilling only one half the distilled part he called white Mercury white Tincture Virgins-milk c. The other remaining part he calls the red Mercury red Tincture c. as it may be seen in his Book called Adrop Phil. in the place before alleadged or putrify'd the whole Menstruum the Blood together with the white Fume the space of Fourteen Days which after that he divided into three Substances a burning Water a Water thick and white and an Oyl of which at length he made a Vegetable Menstruum which is described by Lully in Potestate Divitiarum and by Ripley above in Numb 35. in his Vade Mecum Concerning these three Substances of the stinking Menstruum Ripley hath these following Sayings in his Book named Terra Terrae Philosoph pag. 319. where thus When therefore you have extracted all the Mercury out of the Gum know that in this Mercury are contained three Liquors whereof the first is a burning Aqua vitae which is extracted by a most temperate Balneo This Water being kindled flames immediatly as common Aqua vitae and is called our attractive Mercury with which is made a Cristalline Earth with all Metallick Calxes also of which I will say no more because in this Operation we want it not After that there follows another Water thick and white as Milk in a small quantity which is the Sperm of our Stone sought by many men for the Sperm is the Original of men and all living Creatures whereupon we do not undeservedly call it our Mercury because it is found in all things and all places for without it no man whatsoever lives and therefore it is said to be in every thing This Liquor which now you ought to esteem most dear is that Mercury which we call Vegetable Mineral and Animal our Argent vivo and Virgins-milk and our permanent Water VVith this Mercurial Water we wash away the Original Sin and pollution of our Earth till it becomes white as Gum soon slowing but after the distillation of this aforesaid VVater will appear an Oyl by a strong Fire with this Oyl we take a red Gum which is our Tincture and our Sulphur vive which is otherwise called the Soul of Saturn and Living Gold our pretious Tincture and our most beloved Gold of which never man spoke so plainly God forgive me therefore if I have any way offended him being constrained to gratifie your will Some great Mystery of Art is here discovered by Ripley for the revealing of which he fears the displeasure of not only the Adepts but of God himself Lully and others have indeed plainly enough declared to their Disciples though perhaps it may not appear to us being less instructed in the matter what our Green Lyon is what common Mercury more common to us than common Argent vive what the Azoquean Vitriol is and the Menstruum made thereof but Ripley affirms that no man ever spoke so plainly of
parts and half a part of the husks of Grapes or the powder of dry Fire and mix it with the said Saw-dust and with this Composition fill your Furnace then light your Fire at both ends and let it burn for you must make no other Fire till you see six or ten or fifteen or twenty drops of Water distil and when twenty have distill'd make your Fire with small Wood dry and so by little and little make the Fire flame directly to the Matter and see when it distils that the Water be clear and when it is at fifteen Points and the Water clear and the fumes subtil continue that Fire equally And if you see it returned from fifteen to twelve Points or less strengthen the Fire and continue it according to the Point of its distillation and then thirdly strengthen your Fire one Point further and continue it till nothing more distills and then let the Fire go out stop your Furnace and let the Matter cool and if the Water be clear without any disturbed Colour or without muddiness take and keep it and stop the Phial with warm Wax that nothing may respire nor the Air enter because the Spirits which are subtil would presently be corrupted by the Air. Remember when you begin to make the Fire of dry Wood that your Vessels must be covered with the aforesaid Paste and wrapped about with Linnen Cloaths and the Phials well luted to the Beaks of the Alembicks with the same luting putting a Quill between the Beak of the Alembick and the Phial for whilst the Fire operates the Air will for the most part go out and respire when it hath not a Receiver to retain it for it is hot and the subject which retains it is not able to endure an exceeding heat and therefore it requires some place wherein it may respire when therefore you hear it blow open the Quill-hole for it O Father how have you made the practice thus tedious Son That you may be acquainted with all things both small and great and that you may have both a general and particular knowledge of Fires and other operations as also of all sorts of luting because it is not our intention to speak any more of them there being nothing difficult to the wise circumspect and intelligent and that you may hereafter say that the stinking Menstruum is at your command which is a mean thing by which all Bodies are in a short time converted into their first Nature and it is the pure and proper Original of a wonderful and most commodious thing but you must know how to apprehend it with a clear understanding c. The like Menstruum hath Lully in his Magia Naturalis which is called 68. The Water calcining all Bodies of Lully Magioe Naturalis Pag. 359. TAke of the Earth that is D. of Azoquean Vitriol five Ounces and a half and of the Water that is C. of Salt Peter and Niter two Ounces and a half the Sum of which is the weight of eight Ounces and being all mix'd grind the Matter fine upon a Marble then put it in a glass Vessel with an Alembick upon it and distil the whole substance first making a gentle Fire of Saw-Dust taking two parts of it and one part and a half of Coals small or ground and a little dry Bran and light the Fire and let it kindle of it self till it begins to distil from one Point to twelve twenty Points and then you must begin to strengthen the Fire with small Wood making the Fire of the Flame right under the Matter and so continue the Fire till it be returned to twelve or fifteen Points or also to fewer and then continue the whole Fire according to the Points of its distillation and after that strengthen the Fire one Point further and continue it till the Alembick loseth its Colour or no more distils then cease and let it cool gather the Water keep it in a hot and moist place and have a care that it respires not And remember to have a Quill in the luting of the Beak of the Alembick and the Neck of the Receiver that you may sometimes draw it out that the Receiver may have vent for the heat is there so quick that the Vessel containing the Matter cannot endure it wherefore it is requisite sometimes to be opened and sometimes shut Take notice that this Water though made of a contemptible thing hath the power of converting Bodies into their first Matter which being joyn'd to the Vegetable Virtue is of much perfection and must be put into practice presently after it is distill'd that the Spirit which is subtil and of a strange Nature may not be lost by the Air. The same Menstruum is described in Lully's Clavicula under this Title 69. The Stinking Menstruum for the dissolution of the Calx of Gold and Silver in order to the reducing them into Argent vive Cap. 15. Clav. Pag. 299. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. TAke of Vitriol two Pounds of Salt Peter one Pound of Cinabar three Ounces I do not understand by what Error Cinabar has crept in among the other Ingredients of this Menstruum for it is a constitutive not of this but of the following Menstruum for the dissolving of the Philosophers Stone especially Lully himself in Cap. 20. Claviculae speaking of the extracting of Mercury from a perfect Body having made no mention of Cinabar whereas notwithstanding in the same place he gave a Description of this Menstruum in these few Words saying Put of our stinking Menstrual made of two parts of red Vitriol and one of Salt Peter and let the aforesaid Menstruum be first distilled seven times and well rectify'd let the Vitriol be rubified and pulverized then put in the Salt Peter and Cinabar and grind all together then put the Matter in fit Vessels well luted to be distill'd let it be distill'd first with a gentle Fire as the Work requires and as they know how that have done it Let this Water be distill'd very often casting away the Faeces which remain at the bottom of the Cucurbit and so it will be your best distilled Menstruum Sometimes they added common Vitriol to the Azoquean Vitriol and Nitre It is thus done 70. The Stinking Menstruum made of Azoquean Vitriol common Vitriol and Niter of Ripley Cap. 1. Pag. 143. Medul Phil. Chym. TAke Vitriol made of the sowrest Juice of Grapes with the Fire of Nature and Sericon Azoquean Vitriol joyn'd together in one mass with Natural common Vitriol a little dryed together with the Sol Niter and out of these distil a Water which will first be weak and phlegmatick not colouring the Vessel which throw away Then will ascend a white Fume which will make the Vessel look like Milk which must be gathered till it ceaseth and the Vessel is returned to its former colour For that Water is the Stinking Menstruum wherein is our Quintessence that is the white Fume which is called the Fire
which are of a muddy colour Circulation being continued many days together in a circulating Vessel or in the Vessel of Hermes the Hole which you stopp'd with the said Matter must be opened and if a wonderful Scent go out so as that no fragrancy of the world can be compared to it insomuch as putting the Vessel to a corner of the House it can by an invisible Miracle draw all that pass in to it or the Vessel being put upon a Tower draws all Birds within the reach of its Scent so as to cause them to stand about it Then will you have my Son our Quintessence which is otherwise call'd Vegetable Mercury at your will to apply in the Magistery of the transmutation of Metals But if you find not the influx of Attraction stop the Vessel again as before and put it in the place before appointed and there let it stand till you attain to the aforesaid Sign But this Quintessence thus glorified will not have that Scent except a Body be dissolved in it nor have that heat in your mouth as Aqua ardens This is indeed by the Philosophers call'd the Key of the whole Art of Philosophy and as well Heaven as our Quintessence which arrives to so great a sublimity that either with it by it self alone or with the earthly Stars Metals the Operator of this work may do miracles upon the Earth Annotations THE twenty four following Kinds of Menstruums will prove that amongst the Dissolvents of the Adepts no one is made without the Vegetable Mercury or Spirit of Philosophical Wine for it is the foundation beginning and end of them all Yea it is according to the various and distinct degrees of its strength sometimes the least sometimes the greatest of all the Menstruums It is the least and weakest when it doth by its simple Vnctuosity dissolve only the unctuous or oyly parts of Vegetables but either reject or leave untouched the Remainder being less oyly and heterogeneous to it self it becomes the strongest when we temper its Vnctuosity with Arids that is dry things not Oyly for so it is made homogeneous to things dry-oyly and to things meerly dry In respect of which Homogeneity the Menstruums of the Adepts differ from the common because they do by reason of the said Homogeneity remain with the things dissolved inseparably yea are augmented by them but not with the least saturation transmuted and melted into a third substance and so cannot part without the diminution or destruction of their former Virtues The permanent Homogeneity of Menstruums with things to be dissolved is the reason why Essences are made with simple Vegetable Menstruums but Magisteries with the same compounded and so these operate more strongly those more weakly This is it to comprehend all in a word which shews us the various kinds of Menstruums distinct one from another in so many several degrees now to be described and illustrated by our Annotations But that you may more easily understand the following Receipts and me also I thought it necessary to preadmonish some certain things concerning the Nature and Property of this Spirit of Wine lest you should judge amiss of a thing not sufficiently understood First You are not to take the Spirit of common Wine though never so much rectified for the Philosophical Spirit of Wine for so the following Receipts of all Menstruums would be erroneous and seducing Having occasion saith Zacharias for a most excellent Aqua-Vitoe for the dissolving of a mark or half a pound of Gold we bought a large Vessel of the best Wine out of which we did by a Pellican obtain great plenty of Aqua vitoe which was often rectified in many Glass-Vessels bought for that end then we put one Mark of our Gold being before calcin'd a whole month and four Marks of Aqua vitoe into two Glass-Vessels one Retort entring into the other being sealed and both placed in two great round Furnaces we bought also Coals to the value of thirty Crowns at one time to continue Fire under it for the space indeed of a whole Year We might have kept Fire for ever before any congelation would have been made in the bottom of the Vessels as the Receipt promised no solution preceding for we did not operate upon a due matter nor was that the true water of Solution which ought to dissolve our Gold as appeared by experience pag. 783. Vol. 1. Th. Chym. Ripley admonisheth us of the same thing who saith Some think that this Fire this Fiery Spirit of Philosophical Wine is drawn from Wine according to the common way and that it is rectified by distillations often repeated till its watry Phlegm which impedes the power of its Igneity be wholly taken from it But when such a sort of Water which Fools call Pure Spirit though a hundred times rectified be cast upon the Calxes of any Body be it never so well prepared we do nevertheless see that it is found weak and insufficient as to the act of dissolving a Body with the preservation of its Form and Species Cap. 2. suoe Medul Phil. Common Wine saith he a little lower is hot but there is another sort much hotter whose whole substance is by reason of its aerity most easily kindled by Fire and the Tartar of this unctuous Humor is thick for so saith Raymund That Tartar is blacker than the Tartar from the black Grapes of Catalonia whereupon it is called Nigrum nigrius Nigro that is Black blacker than Black and this humidity being unctuous doth therefore better agree with the Unctuosity of Metals than the Spirit extracted from common Wine because by its liquefactive virtue Metals are dissolved into Water which operation the Spirit of Common Wine cannot perform which how strong soever is nothing else but clear water mix'd with a kind of Phlegmatick Water where on the contrary in this our Unctuous Spirit distilled there is no Phlegmatick aquosity found at all But this thing being rare in our Parts as well as other Countries Guido Montanor therefore the Grecian Philosopher found out another unctuous humidity which swims upon other Liquors which humidity proceeds from Wine to the knowledge hereof attain'd Raymund Arnold and some other Philosophers but how it might be obtained said not O tortas adeo mentes assuetaque falli Artificum vario rerum per inania ductu Pectora cum duris quid mollia vina metallis Apta epulis atque apta bibi suavissima vina Hic tamen expressam proelis torquentibus uvam Accipit phialae postrema in parte reponit Cujus in extremo rostrum connectitur ore c. Thus facetiously sings the Poet and Adept Augurellus Lib. 2. Chrys pag. 206. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. 2. That you take not any Oyl though an hundred times rectified instead of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine for all oyly matters whether distilled or expressed natural or artificial alone but much more mixt with other things as Alkalies Acids c. do by distilling digesting c. in
Life And I said that the most High created the Quintessence which is by the Art of man extracted from the Body of Nature created by God And I will name it by its three Names attributed to it by the Philosophers It is called Aqua ardens Anima or Spiritus Vini and Aqua Vitoe And when you have a mind to conceal it call it Quintessence because this is its Nature and this is its Name the greatest Philosophers have been willing to disclose to no man but caused the Truth to be buried with them And that it is not moist as the Element of Water is demonstrated because it burns which is a thing repugnant to Elementary Water That it is not hot and moist as Ayr is declared because dry Ayr may be corrupted with every thing as appears in the generation of Spiders but that remains always uncorrupt if it be kept from expiring That it is not dry and cold as Earth is expresly manifest because it is exceeding sharp and heats extreamly And that it is not hot and dry as Fire is apparent to the Eye because it infrigidates hot things and wastes and eradicates hot Diseases That it conduceth to incorruptibility and preserves from corruptibility I will demonstrate by an Experiment for if any Bird whatsoever or piece of Flesh or Fish be put into it it will not be corrupted so long as it shall continue therein how much more will it therefore keep the animated and living Flesh of our Body from all corruption This Quintessence is the humane Heaven which the most High created for the preservation of the four Qualities of mans Body as Heaven for the preservation of the whole Universe And know of a certain that the modern Philosophers and Physicians are altogether ignorant of this Quintessence and of the truth and virtue thereof But by the help of God I will hereafter declare to you the Magistery of it And hitherto I have taught you a Secret the Quintessence that is the humane Heaven Cap. 2. Lib. Essentioe 9. Lastly That many Receipts more obscure and otherwise intelligible by no man are by these illustrated The Second KIND Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and the hottest Vegetables Herbs Flowers Roots c. being Oyly 5. The. Anima Metallica or Lunaria Coelica of Lully Described in Composit Animae Transmut pag. 193. Vol. 3. Theat Chym. FIrst you must know that the Matter of our Stone or of all the Stones of the Philosophers together with Precious Stones which are generated or compounded by Art is this Metallick Soul and our Menstruum rectify'd and acuated or the Lunaria Coelica which among the Philosophers is called Vegetable Mercury produced from Wine red or white as is clearly manifest being revealed to us by God in our Figura Individuorum Distinct 3. Libri Quint. Essent c. But first it is expedient to draw our Menstruum by Art from Death that is the Impurities and Phlegm of Wine by the Office of an Alembick and to acuate it in distillation with pertinent Vegetables such as are Apium sylvestre Squilla Solatrum Carduus Oliandrum Piper nigrum Euphorbium Viticella or Flammula and Pyrethrum an equal quantity of all and pulverized Then the Menstruum must be circulated continually for the space of ten days in hot Dung or Balneo Marioe Annotations THE Vnctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine attracts none but the Vnctious natural Essences of Vegetables as we shall observe below in the Book of Medecines Essences being thus extracted as also all other Oyly things crude or expressed and all distilled of both Kingdoms Animal and Vegetable this Spirit of Wine doth by simple digestion divide into two distinct parts two Oyls or Fat 's whereof one is the Essence of the thing the other the Body The Essence so made we named the Second Spirit of Wine Both Essences this by Division and that by Extraction prepared are by longer digestion made one with the aforesaid Spirit of Wine For those things which are of one and the same purity and of a symbolical Nature are easily mix'd together and that inseparably and so an Essence made by an Essence is joyned to that Essence And if we protract Digestion further one of the Fat 's namely the Body less Oyly and therefore left hitherto is at length received also into a symbolical Nature by reason of which mixtion not only is the Spirit multiplied but also made fitter for the Dissolutions of dry things because the Particles of this Body less Oyly incline to dryness concerning which way we treat in this Receipt in the Prescription of which the Oyl drawn out of Oyly Vegetables is by distillation together with the Spirit of Philosophical VVine circulated into a Magistery or double Essence Natural and Artificial of which lower in its place by which the Spirit of Wine is multiplied and made more homogeneous to dry Bodies There is the same Menstruum but a little otherwise described in his Natural Magick pag. 358. thus Take Nigrum nigrius Nigro and distil ten or eight parts of the same in a Glass-Vessel and in the first distillation you must receive only one half this again distil and hereof take a fourth part and the third distillation you must take in a manner all and so distil that part eight or nine times and it will be perfect but not rectified under one and twenty Distillations Take of this VVater a quarter of a pound and acuate the same by distilling it with the Vegetables which are Apium Sylvestre and so of the rest of which was spoken above in Anima Transmutationis in the Chapter which begins First you must know c. And then put it into a Vessel of Circulation in hot dung or in the remains of a Wine-press with the preservation of the Species Which water is also one of the things without which nothing can be effected in the Magistery of this Art That Menstruum which ought to be drawn from the Death of Wine by the Office of an Alembick acuated with the said Vegetables and at length circulated is the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which is by these degrees so exalted as to be by Lully deservedly called the Matter of all the Stones of the Philosophers and vertuous Stones that is Precious Stones Anima Metallica and Lunaria Coelica which also is called Vegetable Mercury deduced from Wine red or white The Matter of which this Menstruum is made is called Wine in the former Receipt the Menstruum must be extracted from the Death of Wine But in the latter it is called Nigrum nigrius Nigro To these two Lully adds a third synonimous pag. 1. Test novissimi Take red Wine which we call the Liquor of Lunaria and Nigrum nigrius Nigro By which synonimous Terms none but a Fool can understand Common Wine for the common Spirit herefrom distilled is altogether insufficient to perform such and so great things yea all the Arcanums of the more secret Chymy which
broken and let them be digested together with the following Spices upon Ashes for three days of which take five grains every day The Spices are these Take of Cinamon Cloves Mace of each two ounces of Cheirus Anthos of each half an ounce of Amber two drachms of Musk five grains of Zibeth half a drachm of Ginger Cubebs Nutmegs of each one ounce and half of Amomus two drachms of Zedoary two ounces and half of Grains of Paradise one ounce and half After Digestion of them all separate and keep the Matter in Glass Vessels very close stopp'd From the Dose it self of this Prescription it is manifest that the operation is meerly Philosophical for if by Aqua vitae he would have understood the Common Spirit of Wine it would be altogether ridiculous to give only five grains for a Dose We meet with many more Menstruums of this kind which little differing from the pristine Nature of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine were less observed by some Adepts wherefore Christophorus Parisinus a Noble Sicilian doth not very much commend this acuation of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Some saith he have made the aforesaid Spirit acute with Vitriol which way is very good some with Nitre some with Cinnabar some with these two some with all three some with their Earth which way displeaseth me because a thick Unctuosity and ponderosity was hereby introduced some use Vegetables as Herbs Roots Flowers and Seeds known to you which have strong Vegetable Mercuries in them wherefore they that handled it after this manner augmented rather its Vegetable Form Vnctuosity than that they made it more soluble Parisinus in Elucidario pag. 231. Vol. 6. Theat Chym. For this reason Ripley following the same Master as Parisinus believed these things to be covered with a Mantle of Philosophy for so he writes in his Medulla Philosophioe Raymund saith it ought to be drawn out from the Death and Faeces of Wine for the space of one hundred and twenty days by continual rotation in a Balneo of of the hottest Dung and that it must be acuated with hot Vegetable things as Piper nigrum Euphorbium Pyrethrum Anacardus Squilla Solatrum Apium Sylvestre and such like for without the virtue of these things as he saith it is not sufficient to dissolve Metals except in a long time but that nothing of doubt or ambiguity may appear I say that all these things are covered and shrowded with a Philosophical Mantle For his meaning is that in this Spirit may be had another resoluble Menstruum because without such a resolutive Menstruum Solution can never be made And that resoluble Menstruum is generated only from the Metallick kind and is by our resolutive Menstruum produced into act Ripley pag. 168. Medul Philos Ripley did by the resoluble Menstruum produced into act by the Menstruum resolutive that is the Spirit of Philosophical Wine mean a certain Mercurial Water of the Preparation of which lower where likewise it will appear that by the aforesaid Vegetables Ripley thought Lully intended running Mercury yet nevertheless his following Menstruum proves that these Vegetables have been sometimes also taken by him literally 8. The Aqua Vitae of Ripley Pag. 338. Viatici THE Menstruum being distilled from the first Faeces circulate it with the hottest Species such as are Black Pepper Euphorbium Pyrethrum Anacardus Grains of Paradise and the like for the space of 100 days in Balneo and after that distil only half of it and make your putrefaction with it c. It is here manifest that Ripley took these Vegetables Not Argent vive because Circulation being finished he distilled only one half of the Spirit as the most subtil part of the Vegetables in which case that Metal Mercury though dissolved would remain in the bottom But whereas Lully acuates the Spirit by distilling and then circulates Ripley does this by circulating and after that distils To this Aqua Vitae he sometimes adds Oyls or Essences either of Metals or Vegetables as followeth 9. The Compounded Aqua Vitae of Ripley Pag. 343. Viatici CIrculate the strongest red Wine with known Vegetables for the space of 120 days with continual Rotation in Balneo and then draw only the purest Spirit by distillation to which put the Oyl of the purest Luna made without a Corrosive and let them be circulated together 100 days more and then is the Water of the nature of the Basilisk because as a Basilisk kills a man at an instant by the Aspect alone so this Water being put upon Argent vive does without any other Fire suddenly in a manner congeal it into the purest Silver And note if the Fire Oyl or Essence of Celandine be put in or the Fire of the Flowers of Thyme after the first Circulation and they circulated together without the Oyl of Luna the Argent vive will be much better congealed c. But that which begets the greater scruple is the Paraphrase of Lully himself upon this place We saith he would not have you ignorant of that you may extract our Argent vive Veget. from it s Myne another way The way my Son is to take the Herb which is called Portulaca marina Apium Squilla c. distil the Faeces which remain calcine draw off the Salt with the distilled water and abstract the water from it purifie the Salt by often dissolving and coagulating and you will have the Salt of the acuating Vegetable Herbs These saith he I meant when I said acuate with acuating Vegetables that is the Salts not the simple Herbs Wherefore you might say it follows that this Receipt of the Metallick Soul hath not at all been described so as to be understood according to the Literal Sense but I have my Answer ready namely that Lully acuated the Spirit of Wine with crude Vegetables also it is easily proved by the third Distinction of his Book of Essence in Figura individuorum alledged by him where he rehearseth the nearest Individuals acuating the Spirit of Philosophical Wine as are red Wine new Honey Celandine Flowers of Rosemary Herb Mercury red Lilly Tartar Mans Blood and white Wine Why he chose these not others and these only it is not my business to answer that which we learn from thence is that he commended two of those Individuals to us before the rest Tartar and Honey of which thus There are some Individuals in which Mercury Vegetable hath a free Act in some respect in Tartar it hath one free operation only and in Honey two and this an Artist ought to know that he may be certified in this Art and the first Truth thereof He prefers Tartar not for the sake of the Tartar but the Alkali made from thence and that he resolves as the best of Alkalies per deliquium and circulates it being purified with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine according to the Doctrine prescribed in prima Tabula individuorum in the second Experiment and in other places The Alkali of Tartar
making of Medicines and above all the Virtues among Vegetables and Animals are the Virtues of the Juice or Broth of Lunaria and the Fly of Besena which makes Honey Parisinus in his Alphabetum apertoriale hath indeed the same way of acuating the Spirit of Wine but he in the same place superadding the Salt of Honey extracted out of the Caput mortuum calcined to the Menstruum this acuition is referred not to this but to another Kind But the Honey seems to have this special Priviledge as if Menstruums of this third Kind could be made of it alone yet you must know that all Oyly Salts as are Sugar Cristallized Manna Cristallized crude Tartar of common Wine c. do on one side prove their affinity with Oyly things but on the other side with dry and so do by that their Oleosity introduce their own aridity into the Oyly Spirit of Philosophical Wine but by their aridity temper the Oleosity of that Spirit Wherefore the same things are to be understood of Sugar and Manna as have been spoken of Honey one Example or two we will add of crude Tartar being dryer then the things aforesaid 12. The Spirit of Crude Tartar of Guido Pag. 51. Thesaur TAke of crude Tartar two Pounds of Spirit of Wine three Pounds Distill and Cohobate ten times upon its own Caput Mortuum Paracelsus prepared this Spirit of Tartar after this manner 13. The Spirit of Crude Tartar of Paracelsus Lib. 8. Paragraph pag. 505. TAke crude Tartar beat and digest it seven or eight times in the Alcool of Wine and Distill it into a Liquor in which is no Alkali Out of the Receipts we observe the things following 1. That the Spirit of Philosophical Wine hath in dry things no dissolving faculty without acuition 2. That this acuition is the Mystery of the Art being difficult and tedious 3. That it is best made with crude Honey white Sugar-candy and Manna purified 4. That such Menstruums as these are somewhat hard to be made with crude Tartar 5. That Lully by Aqua Vitae Parisinus by the Celestial and Ardent Spirit Guido by Spirit of Wine and Paracelsus by the Alcool of Wine meant not common Aqua ardens which if a Man try an experiment with the Spirit of common Wine he will by his own Experience find the Truth of the Matter confirmed 6. That Menstruums of this Kind are the Magistery of Honey Manna Sugar crude Tartar mix'd with Spirit of Philosophical Wine they are made extempore thus Take of the Essence of Philosophical Wine and the Magistery of Hony or Sugar equal parts of each mix 7. That these Menstruums are Medicaments 8. That not only the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but also the Menstruums themselves have been Circulated by reason of which Circulation the Menstruums are called Circulatums and though it be not always expresly declared in Receipts that they should be Circulated yet it ought to be understood in all for this Circulation is the Purification and Melioration of the Menstruum By F saith Parisinus in Alphabeto Summetta pag. 9. mei M. S s. We mean Aqua Vitoe Circulated thirty Days at least in which Operation it is Purified from its Terrestreity so as to raise it self to the Celestial Virtue of a Quintossence which is called our Heaven Influencing upon the Elements such effects as you may deservedly call miraculous We therefore Name it Quintessence and Aqua Vitoe because it viviâ—â—es Bodies Without this F no alteration can be made in Bodies which caution may serve you for a general Rule It is otherwise called Vegetable Water whereof we have more than often made mention in several places of our Summetta which we sent you affirming the difference between F and D to be greater than between a clear Day and a dark Night as will appear in the Operation of it in particulars as well as generals which Virtue proceeds notwithstanding from our Circulation The fourth KIND Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of Spirit of Philosophical Wine and Volatile Salts such as common Sal Armoniack Salt of Blood Urine Soot c. 14. The Spirit of Sal Armoniack of Trismosinus In Tract Aquil. nig pag. 13. Aur. Veller Germ. TAke of Sal Armoniack one Pound of common Salt melted one Pound and a half being very well pulverized and mix'd sublime them the Matter sublimed sublime again with new Salt and that to be repeated so oft till the Sal Armoniack be made like an impalpable Spirit Powder then imbibe with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and the Vessel being very close set it in Balneo to be dissolved being dissolved decant and putrify with new Spirit of Wine added the space of eight Days in Balneo then Distill gently one half in Balneo and being Distilled pour it again to the remainder and Distill again but with a stronger Fire that all may ascend through the Alembick Being Distilled rectifie it so often till it be without Faeces Annotations HItherto of things Oyly acuating the Spirit of Philosophical Wine now follow those things which are less Oyly Volatile Salts which though they seem not to be Oyly yet that they are so is easily demonstrated by the following preparations of Salts Harmoniack whose Earths otherwise most fixed and flowing like Wax are by the Vnctuosity alone of the Menstruum made Volatile but this will not now be our inquiry It sufficeth us to use crude and common Sal Armoniack Salt of Vrine Blood c. for the acuition of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which Salts do by their aridity alter their Vnctuosity of this Spirit more than the aforesaid Oyly Matters and consequently make the Vegetable Menstruum stronger The same Receipt hath Trismosinus Libro novem Tincturarum in Tinctura Quarta pag. 59. as also in Tinctura Pitrumorisonis Philosophi Angli pag. 90. of the aforesaid Book Trismosinus sublimes crude Sal Armoniack several times upon Salt fused to be acuated by the acidity of this Salt and then the better dissolved by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Geber de investigat Magist pag. 284. Sublimes Sal Armoniack with an equal proportion of Salt Aristotle the Chymist perfected this sublimation after this manner pag. 74. Volum 3. Theat Chym. Take of Sal Armoniack one Pound of Spuma Maris six Ounces of Sal Gemme of common Salt and Alum of each two Ounces grind them all together and Sift through a thick Hair Sieve then put the Matter into an Aludel and sublime and the Sublimation repeat The Sal Armoniack being thus sublimed is impregnated with the Spirit of Wine not common for then would the process not succeed but Philosophical Wine and then dissolved per deliquium For the Vnctuosity of this Spirit cannot dissolve the substance of Sal Armoniack being heterogeneous to it but successively and by slow degrees Wherefore this dissolution will better succeed according to the Method of Lully Dissolve saith he Sal Armoniack in the Phlegme of Vinum of Lotium Philosophical Wine made of Vrine pass it through
a Filter and remove the Water by Balneo and the Salt will remain coagulated and white dissolve again with the Phlegm and Distil it away by Balneo Then take such a quantity of Aqua Vitoe Spirit of Philosophical Wine as you have of Phlegm and pour them together upon the same Salt and the Vessel being covered with its Antenotorium Blind Alembick set it in Balneo twenty four Hours the Antenotorium being taken away and an Alembick put on Distill by Balneo with a most gentle Fire when the Salt is coagulated congeal it again repeat the same Magistery dissolving by turns after this manner and congealing three times and so have you reduced the said Salt into a Vegetable Virtue by the help of the Vegetative Spirit by which you dissolved and congealed it Lully in Exp. 16. Sal Almoniack is easily dissolved in the Phlegm of Philosophical Wine and so is by this means sooner joyned with the Vnctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine than if it were immediately cast into this Spirit That Trismosinus knew also this Method and sometimes made use of it appears by the following Menstruum 15. Another Water of Sal Armoniack of Trismosinus In Tinctura Gereton pag. 98. Aur. Vel. German TAke of Sal Armoniack Crude two Pounds let it be dissolved in Wine Philosophical Cristallize it let the Cristals be dissolved per deliquium the solution divide into two parts one of which distil into the other with a Fire sufficiently strong rectify the parts being joyn'd together into a strong Water of Sal Armoniack The Sal Armoniack therefore being dissolved either in the Phlegm of Philosophical Wine that is Aqua ardens not rectify'd or Philosophical Wine it self Cristallized and resolved per deliquium is either by it self or with the addition of new Spirit of Wine Distilled into a Water of Sal Armoniack This Kind of Menstruums is made not of Sal Armoniack only but also of the rest of the Volatile Salts thus 16. The Gelative Sulphur of Lully In Exp. 8. TAke of the aforesaid animated Spirit of Vrine one part and of Aqua Vitoe perfectly rectify'd four parts which pour upon the animated Spirit and forthwith stop the Vessel that it may not respire which Vessel must be a large Bottle which shake and move with your Hands so in the twinkling of an Eye or Moment you will see all the Water converted into Salt but if any part of Phlegm be in the Philosophical Aqua Vitoe it will be immediately separated from the Salt in the Form of Water the Aqua Vitoe therefore ought to be very well purged from all Phlegm that when the work is done no Matter may remain with the Salt but be wholly converted which will be better and more useful and by this means you will have the Animal and Vegetable Salt which we will call Coagulative and Gelative Sulphur because it hath the property and virtue of dissolving the two Luminaries and reducing them from power to act their Vegetative and Germinative Form being preserved Lully sometimes sublimed this Offa or Pap of Vrine in the Ninth Experiment following thus There is saith he besides another way of Copulating the aforesaid Animal Spirit with the Vegetable Spirit namely thus Take of the Animated Spirit rectifi'd as above what quantity you will and pour it upon three parts of our Philosophical Aqua Vitoe perfectly rectifi'd which Copulation ought to be made in a Body large and high to which an Alembick may be suddenly fitted the said Copulation therefore being made you must have presently ready some Cotton-Wooll dipped in Oyl and very well squeezed wherewith the Mouth of the Distilling Vessel must be forthwith stopped and it must be let in within the Neck downward a hands breath fastened with a strong Flanel thread that upon occasion you may draw out the said Cotton-Wooll â—hen put to it an Alembick with a Receiver very close stopped and set it in a Furnace of Ashes giving it at first a gentle heat but then by degrees increasing the Fire till it be sublimed which sublimation you must keep in a Vessel firmly stopped because with this Salt and other Means you will be able to do Wonders Parisinus in his Apertorium pag. 15. M. S. S. mei doth by this Salt of Vrine acuate his C. or Spirit of Philosophical Wine which being acuated he then Circulates by the way used and before described in the Circulation of his Coelum melleum Lully hath also sometimes used the Volatile Salt of Blood for the making of these Menstruums as in his twelfth experiment Take Blood ground Blood drawn from sound and cholerick Men dryed on a clean Table that the Phlegm may be separated from it and then pulverized Exp. 11. put it in a Glass Body with a long Neck and having fitted an Alembick to it with a Receiver Distil first with a gentle Fire till the moisture exhale then encrease the Fire till the Salt be sublimed which will be very white gather it warily and keep it for it is of very great Virtue and Efficacy You have my dearest Son all the Medicines Salts which have properties with the two Luminaries as also with the other imperfect Metals without which this Art of Transmutation cannot obtain its desired end The Things which I observe from the Receipts are 1. That by Wine Spirit of Wine and Aqua Vitae common is not meant Aqua Ardens with which it is impossible to reduce or distil common Sal Armoniack into a liquid substance and though it might yet that Menstruum would be Common not Philosophical being made without the Spirit of Philosophical Wine 2. That these Menstruums are made of all Volatile Salts 3. That the Menstruums of this Kind are the Magisteries of Volatile Salts Mix the Essence of Philosophical Wine with the Magistery of any Volatile Salt and you will in a moment make a Menstruum of this fourth Kind 4. That these Menstruums may be also made by Parisinus his way of Coelum melleum namely by Circulation and therefore called Circulatums common Sal Armoniack Circulated Salt of Vrine Blood Harts-horn c. Circulated or the Water of Sal Armoniack Circulated the Water of the Salt of Blood Circulated c. 5. That it is very uncertain what Philosophical Menstruum Trismosinus meant by Spirit of Wine For divers Menstruums have been by the Adepts signified by the same Name of Spirit of Wine for the most part they meant the simple Spirit of Philosophical Wine sometimes the same acuated after a different manner that is the simple Vegetable Menstruum So Basil in his Book of Conclusions prepares the Oyls of Metals with Spirit of Wine by which he declares himself to have meant not the simple Spirit but a simple Vegetable Menstruum in the preparation of the Oyl of Mercury he commanding this open Metal to be by the Spirit of Wine rectify'd first with Salt of Tartar which Menstruum we shall have in the following Kinds reduced into an Oyl with the rest of the
Metals being more compact do more require Sometimes also they did by the Spirit of Wine intend Vegetable Menstruums compounded so Lully among the other Names of Circulatum majus reckons up also Aqua Vitae This Menstruum saith he the Wise Men called by almost innumerable Names the Acetum acerrimum which converts Gold into a Spirit this is Aqua Sicca Aqua Solis Aqua Vitoe in Exp. 25. Yea Mineral Menstruums also the Adepts more than often call by the Name of Aqua Vitae So Albertus in suo Composito de Compositis pag. 939. Volum 4. Theat Chym. Distills a Mercurial Mineral Water of which thus Behold this is the Aqua Vitoe the Acetum Philosophorum and Lac Virginis by which Bodies are resolved into the first Matter Though therefore it be uncertain to Divine what Spirit of Wine out of such a vast number of Menstruums Trismosinus intended yet shall we not much err from the Truth if we take any Menstruum whatsoever eithâ—r Simple or Compounded Vegetable or Mineral instead of this Spirit for we may with all promiscuously perfect the same Philosophical Work differing only in degrees as being stronger or weaker which common Spirit of Wine makes altogether impossible and fallacious Yet notwithstanding Directions there are which may in this ambiguity make us more certain as 1. Any ambiguous or unknown Name of any Menstruum iâ— easily known by its Synonima's if there be any in the same Book or other Writings of the same Adept as for Example If in the Description of the Balsamum Samech of Paracelsus you know not what the Circulatum minus is the Synonima's produced by Paracelsus himself Lib. 10. Arch. in the Description of the Circulatum majus where it is called Primum Ens Salis and Arcanum Salis denoting moreover the Nature yea and preparation of the Menstruum delivered here perhaps less clearly quatenus Menstruum but elsewhere more plainly under the Title of Essence or Primum Ens do put it out of all doubt that it is the Arcanum of common Salt But I said Synonima's in the Writings of the same not of another Adept because oftentimes others intended another thing by these Names yea that Name which hath in one Book the same signification with the rest hath commonly in another though of the same Author a signification different from them and therefore that Synonymum must if possible be had out of the same Book which must then be compared both with other Writings of the same Author and also with the Writings of other Adepts to confirm the meaning of the Author about the identity of the Synonimum which was doubted of 2. But if there be no Synonima's in Books of the same Author it is not convenient for this unknown Name to be explicated by the Writings of other Adepts because the Adepts themselves have sometimes also erred in giving an explication either better than was fitting or altogether contrary to an obscure Name and Place yet is it not only lawful but necessary also to observe what they say especially the Scholars or Followers of the same Author for though they shew not the Authors Meaning yet do they their own as to that Matter 3. But if Synonima's cannot discover the Name some expression used in the Receipt will perhaps explain more easily provided it be rightly examined by an industrious Observer of those Receipts as 1. If it be not known whether the Adept means a Mineral Acid or Vegetable Menstruum it must be enquired by the Particulars following First Whether that Menstruum dissolves Bodies with force or heat for then it must be Mineral this Sign betraying the acidity of Minerals Salts because Vegetable Menstruums dissolve Bodies always sweetly and slowly Secondly Whether the dissolution digested for a time be converted into a Black Colour or Black Powder swimming upon the Menstruum for that signifies a Vegetable Menstruum because the dissolutions of Mineral Menstruums do contain Bodies twice dissolved once with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine wherewith they become Black then with the corrosive or acid Spirit of Salts Therefore the Black Powder and Colour are Signs of a Vegetable dissolution whereto is added a Milky Opacity common indeed to both Menstruums for all weak or weakened Menstruums containing as it were their aridity less dissolved and precipitated as also Vegetable dissolutions longer digested after blackness do become Opacous and Milky and so continue till they are made diaphanous and most clear by drawing of the Phlegm the acid part or the Spirit of Philosophical Wine being better concentrated yet these three Signs we never observe in the use of the Mineral Menstruums Thirdly Whether the Adepts admonish the Operator to beware of air or fume in Operation or Poyson in the use of the thing already prepared for that is a Sign that his Menstruum is or was Mineral because Poysons derive themselves Originally from acidity for Pearls and Corals yea Gold and all other Arids though otherwise most Innocent do by being prepared with a Mineral Menstruum become the worst of Poysons Lastly If you see Mineral Bodies distinguished into two Oyls swimming distinctly and severally upon the Menstruum say that also was a Mineral Menstruum because this cannot be done by any Vegetable Menstruum though never so strong 2. If it be not known whether either the simple or compounded Vegetable Menstruum is to be taken we observe the things following as to the use of them First If in the dissolution of a Metallick or Mineral Body a White Body or some residue be left then may ye know it to be a simple Vegetable Menstruum because it extracts only the Tinctures or Essences of things dissolving the Oleosity but not the Aridity of things on the contrary Vegetable Menstruums compounded as also Mineral Menstruums which are stronger than the Simple do dissolve the whole Body not leaving any Foeces Secondly If the whole Body of a thing dissolved be turned into Oyl swimming upon the Menstruum that was a Vegetable Menstruum compounded for that only are they able to do The simple Vegetable Menstruums are not strong enough but Mineral Menstruums are too strong those therefore dissolve not the whole Body but these dissolve not only the whole Body but reduce it being dissolved into Oyl not one only but twofold So the Temperatum of Paracelsus a Menstruum otherwise sufficiently unknown is by use known to be the Circulatum majus or a Vegetable Menstruum compounded because he reduceth Metals by it into a swimming Oyl or Magistery Thirdly If in the dissolution or digestion of the thing dissolved you see it made Black or cast forth a Black Powder say it is was a simple Vegetable Menstruum because Vegetable Menstruums compounded and Mineral as being stronger do better retain their Body dissolved in them 3. But the doubt whether the simple Vegetable Menstruum or Spirit of Philosophical Wine is to be taken length of time alone resolveth for the sooner Essences are made in the Mineral
it in a convenient Vessel in Balneo till the Matter dissolve it self per deliquium then putting to an Alembick distil the superfluous Water then pour on three Pounds of the aforesaid Simple Spirit ardens and the Vessel being conveniently stop'd as will be manifested below put it into Putrefaction for one Natural Day after the manner following Get you a Brass Vessel about one span and a half broad and three spans and a half long which towards the Orifice must have a Copper Bottom pierced with many Holes the Cover whereof which is to go into the Vessel and stop it well must have one or two Holes but the Glass Vessels which you would put to that Copper Vessel ought to be conveniently covered in the lower part of those Copper Vessels of Putrefaction must be common Water those Copper Vessels put upon a Furnace making a moderate Fire under by the strength of which the fume or vapour of the Water will ascend and heat the Vessels in which your Matter is the whole work of our Supream Magistery will be matured and prepared by this Method then distil conveniently in Ashes with a heat scarce unlike to the heat of the Sun till you have drawn all the Juice from it then dissolve the Matter by pouring to it of the aforesaid Simple Spirit three parts in respect of the Matter which remained in the Vessel after the aforesaid Juice was abstracted from it Repeat the Magistery a fourth time proceeding and observing all things exactly as above So will you have the Spirit of your Chaos which is by the Philosophers called Fire depurated reduced from power into act with the Virtue of the Vegetable Matter Take therefore a Glass Vessel strong able to contain the measure of a common Urne pure and long whose Neck must be strong and two spans and a half long whose Cover must be another Glass called Antenotorium with a Neck turned downward containing the fourth part of a common Urne to be put into the aforesaid Vessel Into this Circulating Vessel put four Pounds and no more of the depurated Spirit which you brought from power to action by Virtue of the Vegetable Matter as I taught you before Circulate in Balneo or Dung the space of sixty Days and when Conversion is made of the Spirit deduced from power to action by the first Vegetable Matter then this you will thereby know that in the bottom of the Vessel will be a Sediment like the Urine of a sound Man Then will you see a Quintessence brighter and clearer then a Diamond which exceeds the Stars in splendour so as to be doubted whether it be contain'd in the Glass or not which you must dexterously separate from its Sediment and keep in a Vessel close stopped in a cold place This is that Virtue which the envious have hidden and obscured by innumerable Metaphors calling it Spiritus Vivus Aqua Argenti vivi Aqua Vitoe Aqua Celestis Aqua Dianoe Anima Menstrui Vegetabilis Fumus Ventus our Heaven Menstrual Blood Vrine sublimed Menstruum our Water of Sulphur our Blessed Stone giving it infinite other Names which we mention not here but have by Experience seen and known them to be one and the same thing Annotations MOst of the Adepts knew no other but this way of acuating the Spirit of Philosophical Wine for they believed there was one only thing and one only Method but this is not the last amongst the difficult Methods nor much different from the Coelum Vegetable of Lully made of the Alkali of Tartar The Tartar of this Wine is less Oyly than common Tartar and therefore adjoyned to this as a higher Kind but that we may the better understand the Receipt 't is convenient to compare it with its Original taken out of the last Testament of Lully 30. The Coelum Vinosum of Lully In Testam Noviss TAke Red Wine which we call the Liquor of Lunaria and Nigrum nigrius nigro and distil an Aqua ardens in Balneo and rectify it till it be without Phlegm which you will know when it burns a piece of Linnen Cloth by reason of its heat which you will make it do in five times sometimes in three and having such a sign divide it into two parts and keep one part for the making of the Menstruum and with the other part abstract the Soul from the Earth a pitchy mass by the way which I shall tell you The way my Son is to distil the Phlegm till it remain in the form of liquid Pitch then put to it of the Water ardens which you rectify'd so much as to swim three Fingers above the Matter and the Vessel being very close set it in Dung or Balneo six Days to digest after that distil all the Water in which is the Soul upon hot Ashes then increase the Fire a little and take out the Oyl which keep then pour in of the other Water ardens or Spirit of Philosophical Wine as before and put it in Putrefaction six Days as before and then distil in Ashes first the Water then the Oyl and thus continue the Magistery the same way till you have extracted all the Soul from the Earth keep it because it is the animated Water and keep the Oyl for the Tincture Then take the Earth being dry and hardened and calcine till it grows white being white give the Soul in the Water reserved to it My Son the way is this Take the Earth being white and depurated Salt and know the weight put it in a Vessel of Glass and pour upon it an eighth part of the animated Water the Vessel being very close and place it in Balneo three days till you see the ardent Spirit condensed in the Balneo and rectify it till it be without Phlegm then having put on an Alembick draw off the Liquor without taste because the Soul hath embraced the Spirit which is in that part and imbibe a second time with a seventh part of the animated Water and digest as before and distil away the moisture A third time imbibe with a sixth part digest and distil away the VVater A fourth time pour on a fifth part of the animated VVater as before The fifth time give a fourth part and digest as you know and continue with the fourth part always digesting and drawing of the Liquor till our Earth be pregnant and white Then take the Earth being pregnant and put it in a subliming Vessel luted and very close in a Fire of the third degree the space of twenty four Hours and sublime the pure from the impure And thus my Son will you have the Vegetable Mercury sublimed clear resplendent in the Form of a wonderful Salt Know you must my Son that the Philosophers and we do call it properly Vegetable Sulphur Sal Armoniack our Sulphur the Sulphur of Nature and many other Names we also give it Take my Son of this Vegetable Sulphur which you made one Ounce put it in a Glass Vessel and pour upon it
Spirit ascends without diminution of its Virtue and then will you have the fixed Salt acuated which put in an Alembick and pour to it the Vegetable Oyl three Fingers high digest in Ashes for a day increase the Fire and distil whatsoever can ascend the distillation keep warily because it is the Vegetable Mercury But if any of the Salt remains in the Alembick you must repeat the same operations till at length all the Vegetable Mercury passeth through the Alembick which will extract the Tincture of Gold being calcined with common Mercury and Salt and lastly with Sulphur which is an excellent Aurum potabile Sometimes they prepared these Menstruums by cohobation alone without any imbibition For Example 35. The rectified Aqua Vitae of Lully In potestate Divitiarum TAke Wine separate the Spirit warily as soon and as purely as you can because you will never separate it so warily but that it will contain in it some of the purest part of this Phlegmatick Substance or Water this Spirit being once separated is called Mercury that is Aqua ardens the sign of which is that if you dip a Linnen Cloth in it it will turn into a flame if first kindled and not be burned but if you separate often times rectify it is called Lunaria rectify'd that is Aqua ardens rectify'd whereof the sign is that a Linnen Cloth dipp'd in it burns all away Separate now all the superfluous Phlegm till none at all remains and at the bottom will reside a Pitch then mix the Lunaria that is the Aqua ardens rectify'd with that substance made like soft Pitch shaking it well till it be incorporated and set it to distil and that which goes over is called Man's Blood rectify'd which Alchymists seek for That Blood is also called Air or Wind and of this thing spake the Philosopher when he said Wind carryed him in its Belly from the remainder separate the superfluous Oyl called above Vegetable by distilling it through a Glass Alembick till nothing remains which Oyl keep a part till I shall tell you but the residue will be a substance black and dry which reduce to a fine powder and mix by little and little with the rectify'd Man's Blood and let them stand together for the space of three Hours and then distil and then this Water is called Aqua ignea rectificata or Fiery Water rectify'd then calcine the Caput mortuum in a Furnace of Reverberation till it be made like Lime and this Calx or Lime mix with the Fiery Water rectify'd and distil seven times and then is it called Aqua Vitoe rectify'd The same Menstruum hath Paracelsus in his Book de Elixire Vitae and the Author of the Appendix of the third Volume of Theatrum Chymicum These Menstruums differ not from the aforesaid made of Sal Armoniack but only in preparation in those the whole Earth of the Philosophical Wine is by its own Spirit reduced into a liquid substance with which is performed the same Work but after another manner Hitherto ought to be referred the Menstruum of Guido made thus 36. The Circulatum minus of Guido In Thesauro Chymiatrico TAke of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine one pound of the Salt of the same Wine four ounces mix the Joynts being well luted distil through an Alembick in Balneo pour back the distillation and cohobate four times and it will be prepared Lully reduceth his Sal Armoniacks with some difficulty into a liquid substance but Guido distils the Salt of Philosophical Wine by four cohobations into the same Menstruum the cause of abbreviation is to be sought in the preparation of that Salt which is two-fold common or secret of the common saith Guido thus The ardent Spirit of Wine being distill'd draw off the Phlegm till the matter remains in the substance of the thinner sort of Honey which will in a cold Cellar yield Cristals like Nitre which are called the Salt of Wine which take out and keep the remainder evaporate a little while and take more c. Of the secret way of making this Salt saith Guido also pag. 8. Thes Take of the Salt of Wine and Spirit of Wine of each four ounces digest the space of eight or ten days draw off gently in Balneo and the Phlegm only will ascend and you will have six ounces of the Salt of Wine to which Salt add again an equal quantity of its Spirit and digest again ten days and draw off the Phlegm pour new Spirit to the remaining Salt and proceed as above and thus may you increase the Salt of Wine as you please This latter way of making the Salt of Wine is not only the multiplication and addition as well of the quantity as quality of it but moreover is also the volatilization of it It is no wonder therefore that the Salt whose half part was Spirit of Philosophical Wine should so easily ascend with the same Spirit yet is it to be well observ'd lest we temper the aridity of the Salt of Wine too much with too great an addition of Vnctuosity and instead of a Menstruum of this Kind make a weaker of the second Kind What has been declared of Vegetable Menstruums is also to be understood of animal Menstruums for an Example we will instance 37. The animal Heaven of Parisinus In Apertorio TAke the Urine of Children between eight and twelve Years of Age of good disposition and health get that which is good and a good quantity and put it in many Glass Vessels which you must not fill above two thirds that it may the better circulate To every ten measures of Urine mix of our C. Philosophical Aqua ardens half a measure which must be without any Phlegm the Vessels being very well sealed with Wax let them putrefy fifteen days and then you will find the matter black and separated from its Terrestreity And you must know the longer it remains in putrefaction the more perfect will be the work every five days the Dung must be changed then pour it out into the Vessel which we described in the Vegetable Work and the Joynts being well luted distil till you see the sign which we spoke of in Chap. B. but for a more certain sign distil only two parts then take away the Receiver and put another to continuing the distillation till it remains like Syrup or melted Pitch then take these two parts reserved and distil by the same Balneo receiving three parts of four the remaining fourth cast away but distil half of these three and again distil three parts of four parts of this half which distil twice by themselves and thus will you have your Flower rectify'd with which we extract Acetum acerrimum out of its own Earth Take therefore this Earth being in the form of Syrup to which pour the Flower Spirit the height of three Fingers cover the Vessel with a blind Head and lute the Joynts with gumm'd Wax put it in putrefaction three natural Days and shake the
very great difficulty dissolved by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine but being once counited with this Spirit they are as well as Mercury converted into a third substance never to be divided into their constitutives that is Metal and Spirit This open Metal they made more open sometimes by the acidity of Salts so Trismosinus did sometimes sublime common Mercury for his Hell Fire yet principal care must be taken that such Menstruums as these made of Mercury sublimate be by being dulcify'd with longer than ordinary circulation or repeated cohobations freed from all the acidity of the Salts but this operation being full of danger yea contrary to the Rule of Vegetable Menstruums which excludes every Acid whatsoever we have therefore thought good to advise young Beginners to use crude Mercury as safer than sublimate Instead of these we will therefore commend the Menstruums made of crude Argent vive 42. The Alchymical Mercury of Ripley In Concord Raym. Guidon TAke of crude Mercury well purged one Ounce of our Fiery Tartar or former Vegetable Salt reserved in the Fifth Kind in Numb 23. three Ounces grind both together very fine upon a Marble till they be incorporated then put the matter in a warm Balneo and let it be all dissolv'd into a kind of white Milk put it all upon a Pound of crude Mercury and let it be all dissolved into the like Milk and thus do in infinitum This Mercury being dissolved putrify in Balneo then distil in Ashes first with a gentle Fire and an insipid Water will ascend which must be thrown away then the Fire being more increased another Water will ascend more thick which Water indeed dissolves all Bodies putrifies cleanseth and fixeth them at the end with a more vehement Fire will an Oyl ascend of a Golden Colour which must be preserved for the dissolving of the red Ferment and for the multiplying of the red Elixir for it is our peculiar Gold not yet fixed by Nature Elsewhere instead of Tartar fired that is the Spirit of Philosophical Wine dryed in the Salt of Tartar or Vegetable Sal Armoniack made of the Salt of Tartar but not yet sublimed Ripley sometimes used some simple Vegetable Menstruum with which he made the exalted Water of Mercury as followeth 43. The exalted Water of Mercury of Ripley Cap. 12. Philorcii TAke Nigrum nigrius nigro and distil an Aqua ardens and fortify it with Pepper Squilla Pyrethrum Euphorbium Solatrum Anacardus grains of Paradise Staphis-agria and the like in acuity but this is a great secret Take the Water of the fifth fortification and distil pour it upon Mercury so as to swim two or three Fingers above it stop the Vessel to prevent exhaling put the Mercury in Balneo to dissolve for a Month that which is dissolved of it empty into another Vessel and keep pour new Water upon the Mercury not dissolved and proceed as before thus continuing till you have one Pound of Mercury dissolved Then put the dissolution together in Balneo the space of fifteen Days and after that distil and that which ascends keep apart in a Vessel not to respire and upon the remaining Faeces pour new Water and proceed by Balneo as above and this Work continue till all the Mercury is exalted But this is not the Work of idle and sloathful Men. Now this Water thus exalted is by the Philosophers call'd by many Names for it is Lac Virginis Aqua roris Maii and Aqua Mercurii Nigrum nigrius nigro and Philosophical Wine we have proved before by Lully to be Synonimous the fortification or acuition of that Water or Spirit with Pepper Squilla c. we taught in the second Kind Mercury though an open Metal is yet hard enough to be dissolv'd in the aforesaid Menstruum of the second Kind but the stronger the simple Vegetable Menstruums are the sooner also is it dissolved an Example you will have in the following Glorious Water of Lully where Mercury is in the space of six days dissolved in the Coelum Vinosum of Lully by a Menstruum of the sixth Kind 44. The Glorious Water of Argent vive of Lully In Testamento Novissimo TAke of common Argent vive one Pound put it in a Glass Vessel and pour upon it of the Vegetable Menstruum above described 〈◊〉 the Sixth Kind in Numb 30. so much as to swim four Fingers above it set it in Balneo or Dung six Days and it will be all dissolved into a Glorious Water elevate the Menstruum gently by Balneo and at the bottom of the Vessel will remain the Light of Pearls and Soul of Metals This we meant in the Chapter which begins Oportet nos cum eo incipere cum eo finire Then take of this Glorious Water of Argent vive one Pound and mix it with two Pounds of the Vegetable Menstruum coelificated of Coelum Vinosum in Numb 30. and it will all become one Water with which you will dissolve all Bodies as well perfect as imperfect for the Production of our Sulphur The same way almost he prepares that which he calls the incalcinated Menstruum 45. The incalcinated Menstruum of Lully In Experim 34. TAke common Mercury brought out of Spain in Skins seal'd with a Spanish Seal to prevent Sophistication force it through a fine Skin then take the Mercurial Water extracted from Mercury by the Magistery as we taught you in the Experiment of three Vessels as you know and so dissolve the Mercury being all dissolv'd draw the Water from it by Balneo and in the bottom of the Vessel will the Mercury remain in the Form of an Oyl This therefore we will use to be incerated circulated rather into our Heaven or our coelificated Menstruum Take therefore four Pounds of the coelificated Menstruum the Vegetable Heaven described in the Fifth Kind in Numb 17. and one Pound of the aforesaid Mercury reduced into Oyl and joyn them together then will you have at length the incalcinated Menstruum with which you will dissolve the two Luminaries preserving their Form and not only preserving it but also propagating it in infinitum The Receipt of this Menstruum is plain yet must we declare what he means by the Mercurial Water extracted by the Magistery of three Vessels the Description of which Menstruum we read thus 46. The Mercurial Water by â—â—â—ee Vessels of Lully In Experim 13. TAke Spanish Mercury which is brought in Bladders with the Seal of Spain that it may not be adulterated sublime it thus Take Vitriol dryed from all Phlegm and common Salt prepared and decrepitated or first burn'd in Fire joyn the Mercury with these two grinding very well then sublime in a Vessel at first with a gentle Fire then increase the Fire till it be perfectly sublimed the Vessel being cold gather the sublimation carefully and beware of the fumes being Venomous imbibe the sublimation very well with the Oyl of Tartar per deliquium and quick Lime then put the matter into
oftentimes by it self in Ashes but be sure not to take away any of the Terrestreities which will every rectification remain in the bottom of the Vessel but rather pour back the distilled Water always to the same Faeces till you have performed the Work seven times compleat And observe the same order in rectifying the Water of animated Luna reserved before This done joyn these two Waters together which Conjunction is called the Conjunction of Father and Mother Male and Female Man and Woman And thus will you have the Menstruum majus the Animal Vegetable and Mineral being joyned together and these three reduced into one substance you must circulate sixty Days in a Vessel so luted as not to respire Circulation being compleated you will have the Menstruum majus brought to action the power of which is so great as not to be related This therefore is that admirable Menstruum which dissolves all Bodies with the preservation of their vegetative and transmutative Form This I say is that Menstruum containing in it such odour and fragrancy that nothing can be compared to it This lastly is the resoluble Menstruum which is by the Wise call'd by almost innumerable Names the Acetum acerrimum which converts Gold into a Spirit This is the Aqua Sicca Aqua Solis and Aqua Vitoe Parisinus made this Menstruum which he otherwise calls the greater Mercury or compounded Menstruum by this method 50. The Circulatum majus of Parisinus In Apertorio Cap. G. TAke of the best calcined Luna three Ounces of Sol also calcined according to Chapter H in which the Calcinations of Metals are after the common way described two Ounces to each being put by its self in its Glass pour of Circulated or the simple Quintessence acuated with Honey or the Coelum mellisluum described in Numb 10. the height of four Fingers the Vessels with their blind Heads put in Balneo two Days and in Ashes two more when you see the Waters in some measure tinged decant them and the dissolutions keep by themselves in Balneo well stopp'd to the undissolved Calxes pour again of E digesting decanting and repeating so often till the Bodies of Sol and Luna be reduced into a liquid substance then distil the Composition Dissolution of Sol and the Composition of Luna in Balneo and the Bodies will remain in the bottom of the Glass like an Oyl but to the Waters drawn from the said Luminaries in Balneo put Vegetable Sulphur according to the weights of the Sol and Luna and it will in the space of two Days be dissolved in Balneo so soon as the said Sulphur is dissolved in every of its Vessels pour every one to its Metallick Oyl but to avoid Error you must know that your dissolved Sulphur is that which we taught the preparation of in Chapter L namely that which is extracted out of Philosophical Wine otherwise called Sal Armoniack put the Vessels in Putrefaction eight Days then draw off the Waters in Balneo every one by it self then pour of new Water the height of two Fingers cover the Vessels with blind Heads and digest for a Day in Balneo then put on common Alembicks and distil the Waters gently in Ashes then increase the Fire that the air may also ascend into the Waters the Vessels being cold pour new Water to each remainder cover them with blind Heads digest in Balneo for a Night then distil in Ashes and this repeat as before till you have extracted all the Liquor of the two Luminaries keep the Earths and if a little of it be cast upon a red hot Plate and burns not it is an infallible sign because the said Earth is deprived of its Soul keep these two Earths mix'd together in digestion of Ashes for the receiving of their Mercuries the distilled Airs or Essences as we shall teach in Chapter L. in the way of making the mineral Sal Armoniacks or Metallick of Gold and Silver Now take the Liquors of both the said Luminaries that is their Souls or Mercuries already pass'd through an Alembick and joyn them together distilling through an Alembick in Ashes if any slimy Earth remains add it to the former Earths reserved and this do six times always removing the slimy Earth Take a large Vessel or Cucurbit with an Alembick made all of a piece in which pour your compounded Menstruum stopping the Mouth with a Glass Stopple luted with the white of an Egg quick Lime and course Paper which being dryed lute then with our Bitumen made of an equal quantity of Pitch Wax and Mastick and Circulate in a Sophical Balneo as we shewed you at Mr. Angelo's House in the Famous City of Venice when we made the simple Circulated Menstruum and let it be Circulating forty Natural Days which being expired you will see our Menstruum or Mercury clearer than Cristal and more odoriferous than any Perfume This Menstruum my Son hath the power of dissolving the two Luminaries and reducing them from power to action and you must know that by this alone yet with the addition of its red or white ferment you will by Circulation make particulars of great projection This is that which our Captain Raymund Lully in his Epistola Accurtatoria spoke of saying Having dissolved Sol and drawn the Water from it in Balneo then know the Gold is made Spiritual and irreducible into its former Body to which if you add a hundred parts of common Mercury it will congeal it into true Gold Moreover my Son if the said Gold congealed into a Gum be dissolved in some Water and given to a Patient of what infirmity soever he will in a very few Days return to his good temperament it removes whiteness of hair and all other signs of Old Age restores former Youth and preserves health even to the time prefixed by the Eternal God Know also that should I describe all the Miracles and indeed they may well be called Miracles and all the effects performed by this Mercury which as I remember I sufficiently declared to you by Word of Mouth and explained the various Sayings of our Captain in the Book of Quintessence then c. From the Receipts we observe 1. That these Menstruums are stronger than all the antecedent as being acuated with better arids or dry things and therefore do not extract the Essences but dissolve the whole Body into a Magistery 2. That these Menstruums are the Magisteries of Metals and Minerals and therefore Medecines 3. That they are made many several ways now known to us 4. That the Sal Armoniacks of Metals are made the same ways as Vegetable Sal Armoniacks 5. That every one of them is properly called Philosophers Mercury or Mercury of the Mercury of Gold Silver Iron c. sublimed the Mercury of Antimony common Sulphur c. sublimed because like common Mercury sublimed it is most easily resuscitated by hot Water or Vinegar into the running Mercury of Gold Silver Iron Antimony c. as we shall
animate it with the Water of Vegetable Mercury otherwise it can dissolve nothing And this is the Water containing all those things which you want and by Virtue thereof are Pearls made And this Vegetable Water being compounded doth by Virtue of the Mercury Mineral presently dissolve all Bodies and by reason of its Vegetability Vegetable Menstruum revivify every Body and by its attractive Virtue Symbolical Nature produce an Oyl from every Body and Mercury draws to it self its like that is the Mercury of a Body Of this Water saith Raymund in Compendio Art Transm ad Regem Robertum You know most Serene Prince that our Stone is made of nothing but Argent vive alone that is compounded of Vegetable and Mineral And therefore said the ancient Philosophers the Stone is made of one thing only that is Argent vive Viatic pag. 345. Mercurial Waters are called Ignes Gehennae by reason of this Fiery Nature of Argent vive the corrosive Specifick was because of the Mercurial Water call'd by Paracelsus Ignis Gehennae Libro de Specif Pag. 29. The Circulatum majus prepared from Mercury he calls a living Fire most extream Fire and coelestial Fire If you would bring into action saith he the Life of Antimony hidden in its Regulus you must resuscitate that Life with its like living Fire or Metallick Vinegar with which Fire many of the Philosophers proceeded several ways but agreeing in the Foundation they all hit the intended Mark c. Yet that Fire or Corporal Life in common Mercury is found much more perfect and sublime which manifestly proves by its flowing that there is a most absolute Fire and coelestial Life hidden in it wherefore whoever desires to graduate his Metallick Heaven the Arcanum Lapidis or Antimonii to the highest and reduce it to action he must first extract the first liquid Being as the coelestial Fire Quintessence and Metallick Acetum acerrimum out of the Corporal Life common Mercury c. Libro 10. Archid. Cap. 6. Pag. 39. Amongst the Deniers who judge Mercury to be of a cold Nature is first Bernhard illustrious for Learning as well as Linage saying Whereas Mercury is compounded of the four Elements they therefore being heated by the common and general Causes the Natural heat is excited by its own motion by such motion as this are the Fire and Air in Mercury moved likewise and by little and little elevated these Elements being more worthy than the Water and Earth of Mercury nevertheless moistness and coldness are predominant c. Lib. Alchym Pag. 766. Volum 1. Theat Chym. Argent vive being most cold may in a short time be made most hot and may the same way be made temperate with things temperate by the Ingenuity of an Artist Epist ad Thomam Pag. 57. Art Aurif Arnoldus de Villa Nova in the Book call'd Rosarium is observed to have declared that crude Mercury that is Argent vive which is by its Nature cold and moist may by sublimation be made hot and dry then by revivification made hot and moist like the Complexion of Men c. The said Arnold though a Reverend Doctor and Ingeniâ—us in other Sciences yet perhaps handled Experiments in this Art without the Doctrine of Causes but he saith that in the first Purgation the crude Spirit Argent vive is sublimed with the less Minerals and Salts and that Mercury it self which is in its Nature cold and moist may be made a Powder by Nature hot and dry as he saith this is indeed of no benefit to our Philosophical Work but suppose a Man may make such a Powder as he speaks of out of Mercury namely dry and hot by sublimation with saline Things yet these Purgations are vain and impertinent yea hurtful as to the perfecting of our Work c. And if it be said by way of instance that as by Purging the impurities of Mercury the said Arnold dryed it by sublimation so also as you say Thomas moistened it by revivification and made the Mercury hot and moist suitable to his own humane Body in Nature this indeed impedes not my Reverend Doctor nor impugnes the Truth of the Philosophical Art yea rather the Error appears in this Natural Art For as it is clear Arnold teacheth if you regard the sound of Words that Mercury being thus dryed by hot Water into which it is cast is revivifyed and he saith made hot and moist whereas when first sublimed it was hot and dry But what Philosopher can truly say that Mercury or any other Metal is by simple Water though never so hot and boyling changed as to its internal quality in Nature acquires moistness Natural to it self and so is revivifyed In this revivification therefore Mercury requires nothing forasmuch as common Water decocts not nor alters it because it enters it not and that which enters not alters not because every thing to be alter'd must first be mixed Some superficial impurities of Mercury such Water may indeed wash away from it but cannot infuse a new quality into it For such a Nature as Mercury had when reduced into Powder and mortified by sublimations such a Nature exactly will it keep being revivifyed by Water This I am willing to say with Reverence and Honour to the said Arnold but I consider and defend the Truth of Nature and Experiment About the end of his Epistle to Thomas But be it what it will it consists not with our Prudence to adhere to any Opinions of what Authority soever but to Truth alone in which respect we say Argent vive is neither cold nor hot yet that being of easier dissolution than the rest of the Metals it is most fit for this kind of Menstruums and that the Mercurial Waters prepared from it may by Chymical Liberty be called Hell-Fires though besides these Waters the Adepts call also other Menstruums Infernal Fire of which sort is the acetum acerrimum of Ripley in the Fifth Kind But the following Arguments taken out of the Text it self do prove that Arnold Lully 's Master was as to his reducing of Argent vive into the first Matter or Essence not sufficiently understood and misobserved by Bernhard taking Aqua servens for common boyling Water Arnold divided the Second Book of his Rosary into four Principal Works which are Solution Ablution Reduction and Fixion as appears by the first Chapter of the aforesaid Book Of the first Work namely the Dissolution of the Stone in the second Chapter thus You must dissolve the Stone Gold or Silver being dry and thick into Argent vive that it may be reduced into its first Matter and all this is done by Argent vive only it alone having the Power of converting Sol and Luna into their first Matter but Argent vive having a terrestrial and adustible seculency in it without inflammation and substance of aqueity you must of necessity take away that which is superfluous and supply what is wanting if you desire a compleat Medicine but
the Earthly feculency is to be wholly taken away by sublimation c. This sublimation or depuration of Mercury he describes in the third Chapter following The Craft Way therefore of removing the Earthy superfluous substance from it is to sublime it once or twice with Vitrum Vitriol formerly so called and Salt till the substance of it becomes most white having ascended most white cast it into Aqua fervens till it returns into Argent vive then take the Water from it and Work with it because it is not good to operate with it except it be first purifyed this way and therefore saith Avicen The first things to begin with is the sublimation of Mercury after that the solution of it that it may return into its first Matter and sublime it wholly Then put clean Bodies in the same weighed into this clean Mercury c. If we respect the sound of the Words Bernard in his long Argumentation corrected Arnold deservedly but if the Sense of the Words here is nothing deserving Correction Aqua fervens the Name of Arnolds Menstruum is the chief and almost only thing concealed by Arnold in the whole Practice of his Book which had he manifested he would have prostituted all the more secret Chymy but that he meant not common boyling Water is proved by the following considerations 1. Gold or Silver must be dissolved into Argent vive or the first matter first Being Essence c. by Argent vive not common but Philosophically prepared Nothing reduceth Gold into a first Matter but a first Matter as here the first Matter of common Mercury clean Mercury or the Mercury of Mercury The Adepts have a Rule That a first Matter prepares a first Matter Therefore as Mercury prepares Mercury an Essence an Essence a Magistery a Magistery so the Philosophers Mercury or the primum Ens Essence c. of Sol or Luna cannot be prepared but by the Philosophers Mercury primum Ens or some Essence wherefore by Aqua fervens in this Receipt we understand the Essence of Mercury but not in the least common boyling Water 2. Clean Argent vive or the first Matter of Mercury made of Argent vive sublimed by Aqua fervens cannot be running Mercury because it is in the Form of a Liquor For First The dissolution of Gold made with this clean Mercury is to be filtred Grind time after time and imbibe and boyl-in-Balneo then distil through a Filter till it meaning the Metal dissolved in the Menstruum Chap. 3. goes through Secondly In the Dissolution of Gold the Tincture only is extracted the Body being left Be patient saith he and extract not the Tincture hastily nor seek to have things perfect hastily or swiftly for the first Error in this Art is haste c. Bodies dissolved are reduced to the Nature of a Spirit and are never separated as neither Water mixed with Water and that because Nature rejoyceth in Nature as the Spouse is joyned with the Bridegroom but those things which are not dissolved have not pure parts except they be mollified Therefore my dearest you want wherewith to operate in the dissolution of the Stone that is you must separate their purer parts from them that the Work may be effected with lighter the heavier parts being cast away Cap. 3. Thirdly Mercury or the first Matter of Gold prepared with clean Mercury is also liquid Chap. 3. The beginning of our Work is to dissolve our Stone Gold or Silver into Mercury or into a Mercurial Water Chap. 4. No wonder therefore if Mercury prepared by Aqua fervens be called Water It is saith he expedient to dissolve Bodies by Water that is by Argent vive Cap. 3. Fourthly Because it extracts an Oyl from every thing Put saith he of the purest Mercury so much as to swim four Fingers or more which is better upon the substance of the Body from which you would extract an Oyl then kindle a gentle Fire under it till you see the Oyl that is the Air of it by little and little ascend or be elevated upon the Mercury gather it warily and keep it apart c. Cap. 10. 3. This Process of Arnold is ordinary and call'd by the Adepts The way of separating the Elements which cannot be done without either a Vegetable or Mineral Menstruum 4. Aqua fervens among the Adepts is the usual Name of Menstruum Dissolve saith Lully the purest Sol in its own Aqua fervens then separate the Phlegm and the Sol will remain below c. Codicil cap. 43. Pag. 203. That Fire burns Gold more than Elemental Fire because it contains heat of a terrestrial Nature and resolves without any fortitude force effervescence or corrosion which common Fire cannot do we therefore enjoyn you to make the Magistery of the hottest things you can get and you will have an Aqua calida which resolves every strong thing Vade mecum Pag. 272. Which Form of Speech Bernhard himself knew out of Morienus Saying Know that our Laton is red but of no benefit to us till it be made white Know also that Aqua tepida calida and fervens Synonima's of one Menstruum penetrates and whitens even as it self is white and a moist vaporous Fire effects all things Again Bendegid Johannes Mehungus and Haly You that seeking Day and Night spend your Mony waste your Wealth and Time tormenting your Wits in vain about the subtilties of Books I admonish you out of Charity through Compassion as a Father moved toward his Son that you would I say whiten the red Laton by a white odoriferous Aqua tepida but tear so many Sophistical Books so many Methods and leave such great subtilties believe me that it may be well with you Lib. Alchym 770. Vol. Theat 11. Chym. 5. It is by the blackness of the dissolution proved that Arnold's Aqua fervens was a simple Vegetable Menstruum the black appearing above saith he gather apart because that is the Oyl and the true sign of dissolution because this which is dissolved attains to the end of sublimity and is therefore separated from the lower parts ascending upwards and aspiring to higher places Cap. 3. Rofarii These things we are willing to say not impeaching the Reverence and Honour of Bernhard but we contemplate and defend the Truth and Experiment of Arnold The Ninth KIND Vegetable Compounded Menstruums made of Simple Vegetable Menstruums and Things tinging being first fixed 51. The Circulatum majus or Metallick Acetum acerrimum of Paracelsus Lib. 10. Arch. pag. 38. IF common Mercury ought to be reduced into the first liquid Being then is it first to be mortify'd and deprived of its Form and that is done by several sublimations with Vitriol and common Salt that at last it may be made like sixed Cristal Then dissolve it in its Matrix namely in the primum Ens of Salt the Circulatum minus made of Salt or the Water of Salt circulated described above in Numb 27. putrify a Month add to it
new Arcanum of Salt Circulatum minus that the impure may be precipitated to the bottom but the pure turn'd into Cristals sublime the same in a close Reverberatory being sublimed turn it up continually till it comes to a redness this sublimation extract with the Spirit of Wine rectifyed to the highest Philosophical Wine seperate the Spirit of Wine by distillation the remainder the dry Tincture or Crocus of Mercury dissolve upon a Marble per deliquium and digest for a Month pour new Spirit of Wine to it digest for a time and distil Then will the Arcanum of the primum Ens or first being of Mercury rise over in a liquid substance which is by the Philosophers called Metallick Acetum acerrimum and in our Archidoxyes Circulatum majus And the same is to be understood of Antimony Gemms and all other Metals Annotations THere is a great difference between this and the precedent Kind though they both treat of Mercurial Waters The antecedent were made of crude Mercury This Circulatum of Paracelsus is indeed made of Mercury but first fixed The precedent were most clear these greater Circulatums are indeed most clear but also most red and so much better in their Tinctures than the precedent The Receipt we will consider as divided into its parts in the first of which Paracelsus sublimes Argent vive so often till it be made like fixed Cristal that is like mineral or common Cristal clear and transparent As this part is common so it less needs explaining In his Book De Renovat Restaur he takes only Mineral Gold or Antimony for the same Work which Bodies notwithstanding are more bound up than the open Metal Mercury and for this reason it may seem to be fit enough for dissolution in Circulated Salt without sublimation For the illustration of the Receipt we will add the Description of the said Book Take of mineral Gold or Antimony most finely ground one Pound of Salt Circulated four Pounds being mixed digest them together in Horse-Dung for a Month from thence will spring a Water wherefore the pure must be separated from the impure coagulate it into a Stone which calcine with Wine cenificated lenificated and separate again and dissolve upon a Marble Let this Water be putrified for a Month from it will be produced a Liquor wherein are all such Signs as in the primum Ens of Gold or Antimony wherefore we deservedly call it the primum Ens of those things It is no otherwise to be understood of Mercury and other things also In the second part he dissolves Mercury being so sublimed in Salt Circulated the primum Ens of Salt the Arcanum of Salt the Water of Salt Circulated Synonima's of Paracelsus his Circulatum minus putrifies or digests precipitates with new Circulated Salt filters and lastly reduceth it into Cristals or Philosophical Vitriol In the Receipt of Lib. de Renov he adds the weights of things Take saith he of mineral Gold or Antimony one Pound of Salt Circulated four Pounds and then digests and separates the impure from the pure and coagulates into Cristals Sometimes he dissolves Bodies by some mineral Menstruum which he draws off two or three times from them and sweetens them again by taking away all the acidity so far as he is able with common Water Thus he dissolves common Sulphur in the strongest Aqua fortis Paracelsus his Aqua regis to be described in the eighteenth Kind cohobates three times into a black Matter which he sweetens with distilled Water Libro de morte rerum For it is much at one whether Gold or Antimony be dissolved by the Circulatum minus only and reduced into a Philosophical Vitriol or whether Argent vive for the abbreviation of time be in the sublimation of it first impregnated with the acidity of Salts and so made more open for the Work and then mixed with the Circulatum minus purified by digestion and precipitation and lastly reduced into a Philosophical Vitriol or whether to make the time yet shorter Sulphur be mixed with a mineral Menstruum that is an acid and the Circulatum minus mixed together and then freed from the acid so as with the Circulatum minus to be made the same Philosophical Vitriol for which way soever Philosophical Vitriol is made it comes to one and the same effect but of these Vitriols hereafter in the Receipts of mineral Menstruums In the third part he sublimes the Stones or Cristals of the Mercury in a close Reverberatory that is a Philosophical Egg always turning it up till the Vitriol of the Mercury is at length fixed into a most red Precipitate This part the Sublimations of Sulphur and Antimony in a close Reverberatory will illustrate The strongest Aqua fortis being often drawn off from the Sulphur the remaining matter being made thereby black and then sweetned he reverberates that is sublimes in a close Reverberatory and being sublimed turns up the close Reverberatory or Philosophical Egg so oft and continually till it comes to a redness as Antimony saith he which will become first white sublimate then yellow thirdly red precipitate as Cinnabar which being obtained you ought to rejoyce for it is the beginning of your Riches This reverberated Sulphur gives a most deep tincture to any Luna reducing it into most excellent Gold and preserves a Man's Body in most perfect Health This reverberated fixed Sulphur observe is of so great Virtue as is not fitting to declare Libro de morte rerum pag. 95. The Reverberation of Antimony is in pag. 67. Chyr majoris hus Take of Antimony reduced into a most fine Alcool into Philosophical Vitriol with the Circulatum minus by the way of Mercury in the Circulatum majus or again into a black and sweetned matter by the way of Sulphur what quantity you will let it be reverberated in a close Reverberatory for the space of one Month continually turning up the Reverberatory till the matter will be no more sublimed and it will be Volatile and Light first White then Yellow then Red lastly of a Purple or Violet Colour The Antimony being thus fixed by sublimation he extracts the tincture by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which tincture he calls the most Noble most Precious and only not Divine Essence of Lily In the fourth part he dissolves Mercury being precipitated and extracted by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine per deliquium and digests with new Spirit of Philosophical Wine and cohobates till it ascends through the Alembick into the primum Ens or Essence of Mercury Mercury Circulated the Circulatum majus prepared from Mercury c. In the Receipt we observe 1. That Argent vive Antimony Sulphur yea Gold Silver and all the other Metals being dissolved in some simple Vegetable Menstruum then reverberated or by sublimation fixed dissolved per deliquium and distill'd into a liquid substance are Argent vive Antimony Sulphur Gold Silver c. Circulated or the Circulatum majus made of Mercury Antimony Sulphur
that Water Son you must dissolve one half Ounce of the purest Luna after the filtred dissolution separate the Water from the Faeces distil the Menstruum from the Silver through an Alembick in which the limosity of the Silver will ascend This Water Son resolves all other Bodies and Argent vive it self by Virtue of which Son Pearls are reformed by the way which I told you in our Testamentum and in the Compendium super Testamentum Codicillum missum Regi Roberto The second Water is thus made Take half an Ounce of Lead and of the aforesaid Water as much as sufficeth when you see the Lead dissolved separate the Water by filtred distillation filtre the dissolution of the Lead and throw out the Faeces as nothing worth then distil the Water by Balneo draw off the Menstruum in Balneo and keep the Faeces the dissolved Lead for occasion The third Water is thus made Take of Copper one Ounce and dissolve it in as much of the first Water as you please and let it rest in its Vessel in a cold place for a Natural Day then separate the Green Water through a Filtre and pour out the first Faeces that which remains in the Filtre must be cast away then distil the Water through an Alembick and keep the second Faeces The fourth Water is thus made Take one Ounce of the purest Tin of Cornwall which is purer than any other and dissolve it in a quantity of the first Water and distil through a Filtre that Water dissolution with its limosity and the Faeces which remain cast away then distil the Water through an Alembick and keep the residue or Tin dissolved the second Faeces The fifth Water is thus made Take of the purest Iron one Ounce and dissolve it in a sufficient quantity of the first Water then distil through a Filtre and cast away the Faeces distil the Water through an Alembick and keep the second Faeces The sixth Water is thus made Take of the purest Gold one Ounce and dissolve it as I told you in my Testamentum that is with pure Lunaria the simple Vegetable Menstruum without Argent vive and Silver mix'd with such a weight of the fifth Water now prepared from Iron and do as you did with the other You may also Son dissolve all those Metals in this order Having made the first Water in it dissolve the Metal which we commanded you to dissolve after the second way to wit Lead then do with it as we told you before In this second Water dissolve the third Metal Copper and in the Water of the third Metal dissolve the fourth Metal Tin and in the Water of the fourth Metal dissolve the fifth Metal Iron and in the Water of the fifth Metal dissolve the sixth Metal Gold Take which of those Waters you like best to dissolve a Metal Son these limosities of Metals are called Quintessences or Mineral Mercury which the Philosophers esteemed in the Alchymical work in Alchymical Tinctures and the lapidifick in the making of Pretious Stones and in the Medicinal Work in the preparing of Medicines But Son in the Alchymical Work those Quintessences ought to be more subtil and to be done by dividing the Elements as we in the third Book of this Volume shall declare but in making Pretious Stones the Quintessence aforesaid are not so in such a subtil Matter but in Medicine either of them this two-fold way of preparing may be used Having spoken of the Quintessences of Minerals of Metallick Waters how we are to make them it is now convenient to speak of the division of them in general And my Son do thus When your Metals are dissolved you must divide every Water being first filtred and distilled from its remainder and every divided Water now distilled into two parts and one part of every part you must put with its own Faeces the remaining Metal which the Water had left in distillation into a Glass Alembick and distil a Limus deserti which is Air made out of two Bodies or Metals in the Furnace which we design'd you first with a gentle Fire shining with great Mineral Lustre and with great limosity appropriated to receive Celestial Virtues And put every one of those Waters into a Glass Vessel with a long Neck and round and then stop the Mouth of it with common Wax and after that with Mastick and every of those Vessels put in the open Air so as that neither Stone nor any other hurtful thing may touch the Glass Son Take the material Faeces from which you resolved the Limus which are the second Faeces left in the distillation of the Waters which you put in the Air. Take the Caput mortuum from the distillation of every Limus desertus or the third Foeces for the first remaining in the Filtre were cast away from the second the Limus desertus was distilled now the Foeces of the Limus desertus are those which he here calls the second and put them in a Glass Vessel with a long Neck which may contain two hands breadth and put in part of its own Water which was reserved from that aforesaid limous substance and stop the Vessels with a Stopple of Wax and with Leather and Mastick as you did to the other and Bury them Waters of Metals in a Garden in an Earth half a Yard deep and put also something about the Neck of the Vessels which may appear above ground for the preservation of them and let them be there for one whole Year Son the Waters which are put into the Earth are of one Nature and those which are put in the Air of another for Son those which are put into the Earth have a hardning coagulating and fixing Virtue and Quality and those which are in the Air have the Virtue and Property of being hardened coagulated and fixed The Year being ended you will have all that is desired in the World for this Work c. Annotations YOu will perhaps wonder that we have assigned this so high a place to these Menstruums they being inferior to many Menstruums of the antecedent Kinds as to Ingredients as well as to the method of preparation but though it be so nevertheless these Menstruums are by being exposed to the Air for a Year or for so long a time committed to the Earth made better and more excellent than the aforesaid Menstruums as will appear hereafter by the use of them We will at present explain the methods of making these Waters The Waters of the first method he makes thus He dissolves Lead Copper Tin Iron and Gold in the Glorious Water of Argent vive acuated moreover with Luna filtres every dissolution casting away the Foeces draws off the filtred dissolutions in Balneo to dryness divides the distilled Waters into two parts in one of which he dissolves its own Metal left in the drawing off of the dissolution which he then distills into a Liquor which he calls Limus desertus Quintessence or
Mineral Mercury and hangs it in the air for a Year to be his Etherial Water The Caput mortuum of the Limus desertus he dissolves in the other part of the Water reserved and Buries it in the Earth for his Terrestrial Water In Compendio Animae transm pag. 208. Volum 4. Theat Chym. He adds also the Waters of common Mercury and Silver to the rest the Mercury Water is thus made Take of common Mercury one Ounce and dissolve it in the dissolving Water aforesaid in the digestion of I. Ashes distil through a Filtre regard not the Faeces but keep the second left in the bottom after distilling through an Alembick The Water of Luna is thus made Take one Ounce of the purest Silver dissolve it in what quantity of the dissolving Water you please distil through a Filtre and cast away the first Faeces then distil through an Alembick in the digestion of H. Balneo and keep the second Faeces you must keep the second Faeces of all the Waters in their own Vessels every one by it self Moreover in Compendio Animoe he divides not the distilled Waters into equal parts as in Libro Essentioe but draws off the dissolutions of Metals by distilling one half for the Terrestrial Water and distils the other half for the Etherial Water You must indeed saith he be cautious in resolving the Limus because you are to make two Waters or parts of every Limus distilling one half of the Limus which you must keep apart because the Terrestrial Water is made of that first part and you must likewise distil the other half part which the Aerial Water is made of which is hung in the Air as aforesaid for a Year Pag. 209. Volum 4. Theat Chym. The Waters made by the latter method are more compounded than those of the first the first were prepared promiscuously with the Lunar Menstruum the second not so for the Water of Lead is made by the Lunar Menstruum of which Water of Lead is made the Water of Copper of this Water of Copper is made the Water of Tin from the Water of Tin he prepares the Water of Iron but the Water of Gold is made with the Lunar Menstruum to which is added half of the Water of Iron O wonderful mixture I will not say confusion of Metals yet doubtless the most acute Philosopher had reasons for it This method is also in Lapidario Cap. 9. sequentibus From the Receipts we observe 1. That the Etherial Waters are the Essences of Metals exposed to the influences of the Heavens for a Year 2. That the Terrestrial Waters are the Bodies of Essences dissolved in their own Menstruums and Buried for a Year 3. That the Essences of not only Metals but the whole Mineral Kingdoms do by such a method yield Etherial and Terrestrial Waters 4. That these Waters acquire their principal Virtues by being impregnated with the Stars of Heaven The Adepts held divers Opinions concerning the Influences of the Heavens Some would have the Situations Aspects and determinate Times of the Planets to be highly necessary to this Work but others thought the contrary Amongst the Affirmers let us hear Thomas Norton an English Adept who thus in the Sixth Chapter of his Ordinal Pag. 99. of Theat Chym. Britannicum THe Fifth Concord is known well of Clerks Between the Sphere of Heaven and our subtil Werks Nothing in Earth hath more simplicity Than th' Elements of our Stone will be Wherefore they being in Work of Generation Have most Obedience to Constellation Whereof Concord most kindly and convenient Is a direct and fiery Ascendent Being Sign common for this Operation For multitude of their Iteration Fortune your Ascendent with his Lord also Keeping th' Aspect of Shrews them fro And if they must let or needly infect Cause them to look with a Trine Aspect For the white Work may Fortunate the Moon For the Lord of the fourth House likewise be it done For that is Thesaurum absconditum of Old Clerks So of the Sixth House for Servants of the Werks Save all them well from great Impediments As it is in Picture or like the same Intents Unless then your Nativity pretend Infection In contrariety to this Election The Virtue of the mover of the Orb is formal The Virtue of the Eighth Sphere is here Instrumental With her Signs and Figures and parts aspectual The Planets Virtue is proper and special The Virtue of the Elements is here material The Virtue infused resulteth of them all The first is like to a Work-man's Mind The second like his Hand ye shall find The third is like a good Instrument The remnant like a thing wrought to your Intent Make all the Premises with other well accord Then shall your Merits make you a great Lord. Amongst the Denyers is Lully himself Who thus we say not that it is the business of an Artist to operate with the Figures and Images of Heaven by the knowledge of their motions as many Philosophers affirm But it is enough for you to know the influence of the Celestial heat informed by the Figure of the Heaven and Stars by reason of which Virtues are infused into Matter being aptly appropriated which receives them by the Natural Industry of an Artist with resolution which is done by Art imitating Nature c. And in this Point the Philosophers have been mistaken in reprehending those Men that knew that the Celestial Virtue is too common to every elemented Nature for by its great Nobleness it takes determination at any time because in things mixed it is influenced as well by Art as by Nature and this is done by reason of the Natural Virtues which are the subject and proper detainer of it in such a manner as that it receives such a Virtue according to the properties of the Matter and its Kind which afterwards effects such things by Nature as are reputed for a Miracle In like manner let every Artist take Notice that Nature cannot operate but by the succession of the least particles nor also can it receive any Virtues but by the succession of its operation nor can they also do all at once nor can the Constellations suffer the Station of any time punctually in a certain Virtue which may not be immediately varied And it being also granted that it might the time of Constellation is so small by reason of the Circles of revolution as that it may sooner pass from one Virtue to another c. Lib. Essen dist 1. Pag. 18. An ingenious Artist saith Paracelsus will by diligent animadversion be able to prepare Metals so that being guided by true reason he may promote the perfection of transmuting Metals by his own work or conduct better than by Courses of the twelve Celestial Signs and seven Planets which therefore to observe will be superfluous as also the Aspects the ill or good times day or hour the prosperous or unhappy State of this or another Planet which cannot help much less hurt in the
that which is also called the Philosophers Oyntment made of the Earth united in one Kind but that which was call'd the Vapour of the Elements and put it by it self in another Glass Vessel well Sealed and put it in the Air near the other which you put for a whole Year Take the Menstruum with which you separated the Elements of the Sulphur of Luna and that Menstruum wherewith you separated the Elements of the Sulphur of Sol and put in every Vessel wherein is Menstruum of Luna and the Menstruum of Sol one Drachm of Sulphur or Vegetable Sal Harmoniack and set it in Balneo then in Ashes till you have made it all go over with every Menstruum by it self Then each Menstruum being thus rectify'd or animated put in a Glass Vessel Sealed by themselves in their Cages and hang them in the Air near the other for a Year Take the Oleagineity of Luna the first or first Air which is that which you drew from the Earth of Luna when you prepared it for the making of the Sulphur of Luna which we commanded you to keep and said it should be for the making of the Sulphur of Nature put it in a Glass Vessel Sealed in the Air and there it will be made a Fluxible and Virtuous Water of wonderful penetration And what we said of the white Oyl we say also of the red incerative Oyl of Sol. And now Son you have the Stone Menstruum divided into eight parts three in the Earth and five in the Air. Annotations THe Ten foregoing Kinds of Vegetable as well Simple as compounded Menstruums the Adepts made by tempering the unctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine with many sorts of dry Bodies and by such means produced Menstruums adapted equally for every use and permanent and inseparable they being of the same Nature with the things that were dissolved In the Kind immediately antecedent we shew'd you that all the aforesaid Menstruums whether simple or compound exalted with so great Labour to the highest degree by tempering them with dry things may be raised yet higher and augmented in their Virtues For what Art cannot do Nature can what the Earth cannot do Heaven can For Menstruums perfected by Art do by being exposed to the Influences of the Heavens attain to very great and incredible Virtues by Nature In the eleventh precedent Kind we had Menstruums for Pretious Stones made of the simple Elements of Metals In this twelfth he takes the Sulphur of Nature Sal Harmoniack or Mercury of the perfect Metals Sol and Luna instead of crude Gold and Silver and by exposing the Elements of them to the Heaven and Earth separates them much more Nobly for the best of all Alchymical Tinctures From the Receipts we observe 1. That Limes in their Compositions are indeed clear but Clouded with a wearisome multilocution and disguised by so great a variety of operations besides also in respect of time made most tedious on purpose to deter young and unadvised Practitioners 2. That these Limes differ from the former Etherial and Terrestrial Waters in fineness of preparation these Elements are of the Sal Harmoniack or Philosophical Mercury of Sol and Luna but those Elements of a crude Metal For said Lully Limes for Alchymical Tinctures ought to be of a purer Nature than those which are for Pretious Stones 3. That these Limes are Essences graduated exposed to the Influences of the Heaven and Earth and consequently are Medicines 4. That the Sulphurs Naturae of imperfect Metals do also by the same method yield Limes as strong in their kind as the Sulphurs Naturae of Gold and Silver in their kind Hitherto have we treated of Vegetable Menstruums now follow those which are called Mineral But before we proceed further we are to take notice that by Vegetable Menstruums are meant also Animal Menstruums For all the Vegetable Menstruums already alleadged are not called Vegetable in respect of Ingredients for besides Vegetables Animals also and minerals were made use of in their preparations but by reason of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine produced chiefly from a Vegetable unctuosity which Spirit if you knew how to extract out of some Oyly Matter of the animal Kingdom as the Adepts have more than often done You might with this Animal Spirit transmute the aforesaid Vegetable Menstruums into Animal Menstruums which nevertheless you cannot apply to Mineral Menstruums for though there are also in this Kingdom thin Oyls swimming upon watrish Liquors as Oyl of Petre Pit-Coals c. Yet these are extraordinary Oyls of this Kingdom produced either by exorbitancy or defect of Nature And therefore such Oyls as these the Adepts referred to both the Vegetable and Animal Kingdoms for they are of one and the same Nature whereas the Oyls of Minerals and Metals are more dry and masculine then to produce our feminine Seed or Menstruum Now to recite the parts of Animals and the way of extracting this Spirit of Philosophical Wine from them is not proper to this place but belongs to a peculiar Book namely our fifth treating more copiously of these things to be published in due time when God permits wherefore not mentioning Animal Menstruums we proceed to the Mineral or Acid Menstruums OF Mineral MENSTRUUMS The Thirteenth KIND Simple Mineral Menstruums made of the Matter of Philosophical Wine only 59. The Green Lyon of Ripley Libro Accurt Pag. 383. TAke the Green Lyon without dissolution in Vinegar as sometime the Custom is put it in a large Earthen Retort which can endure the Fire and distil it the same way as you distil Aqua fortis putting a Receiver under it and luting the Joynts well that it may not respire then distil first with a gentle Fire till you see white fumes appear then change the Receiver stopping it well and distil with a great Fire so as Aqua fortis is distilled thus continuing twenty four Hours and if you continue the Fire the space of eight Days you will see the Receiver always full of white fumes and so you will have the Blood of the Green Lyon which we call Secret Water and Acetum acerrimum by which all Bodies are reduced to their first Matter and the Body of Man preserved from all infirmities This is our Fire burning continually in one Form within the Glass Vessel and not without Our Dunghill our Aqua Vitoe our Balneo our Vindemia our Horse-Belly which effects wonderful things in the Works of Nature and is the Examen of all Bodies dissolved and not dissolved and is a sharp Water carrying Fire in its Belly as a Fiery Water for otherwise it would not have the power of dissolving Bodies into their first Matter Behold this is our Mercury our Sol and Luna which we use in our Work Then will you find in the bottom of the Vessel Faeces black as Coals which you must for the space of eight Days calcine with a gentle Fire c. Annotations HItherto we have mix'd or tempered the
Green Lyon is purified by common Vitriol as thus When the Argent vive is put in a dry Vitriolated Vapour Spirit of Vitriol which is a sharp Water it is presently dissolved by the Incision and Penetration caused by the sharpness being manifestly strong and in dissolving is converted into the Nature of Terrestrial Vitriol not taking a Metalick nor a clear Coelestial Form as appears after the evaporation of the said Water and the congelation of it in the form of Yellow Cristals which Yellowness proceeds from the sharp Sulphurous Terrestreity which was beyond measure mixed in the said Water by Atoms with an Homogeneous Universality and simplicity which simplicity was taken and bound by the said Terrestreity with the alteration of the Light Clarity and Lucidity into Obscurity c. Cap. 89. Theor. Test 141. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. Son the thick Vitriolated Vapours from which Vitriol is produced is very sharp and pontick and therefore penetrates the parts of the Sulphur and Argent vive being depurated and penetrating tingeth that purify'd Matter congealing it into the Form of that Vitriolated and yellow Terrestrial Vapour which is mixed with them Wherefore what we have said is manifest that is This is the great Gate namely that the Terrestrial Virtues must not excel the Coelestial but on the contrary if you will have the thing desired Cap. 85. Theor. Test pag. 137. of the same Volume You may remember that you would put nothing with the Menstrual the Matter of the Menstruum but that which proceeded from it at the beginning of its mixtion for if you add an incongruous thing it will presently be corrupted by the incongruous Nature nor will you ever have that which you would have Gold and Silver and Mercury are dissolved in our Menstrual because it participates with them in proximity and vicinity of the first Nature and from hence will you extract a white Fume which is our Sulphur and the Green Lyon which is your Unguent and the stinking Water which is our Argent vive But it is requesite for the Green Lyon to be throughly dissolved in the Aqua Foetens or stinking VVater before you can have the said Fume which is our Sulphur which Sulphur is indeed the same way dissolved from the Body congealing the Spirit in the form of a dry Water which we call Stone and the highest Medium of all our Work which is the connexion and aggregation of both Natures that is of Body and Spirit Son This Water is called Aqua ignis or if you had rather Ignisaqua that undeclinable Word because it burns Gold and Silver better than Elementary Fire can do and because it contains in it heat of a Terrestrial Nature which dissolves without Violence which common Fire cannot do Wherfore we enjoyn you to make the Magistery of the hottest things you can get in Nature and you will have a hot Water which dissolveth all things Cap. 59. Theor. Test Pag. 98. Of the same Volume These Sayings Ripley comprehends in short thus These Words saith he may serve a Wise Man in order to know and acquire the Green Lyon But this Noble Infant is called Green Lyon because being dissolved it is Cloathed in a Green Garment Yet out of the Green Lyon of Fools Vitriol is extracted by a violent Fire that Water which we call Aqua fortis Spirit of Vitriol in which the said Lyon ought to be Elixirated For all Alchymical Gold is made of Corrosives c. Pag. 139. Medulla Phil. This Argent vive Green Lyon Philosophers Lead c. being purifyed with Vitriol must be further matured or calcined into a red Colour Minium Lead calcined Sericon c. E. that is Vitriolated Azoth Pag. 15. Theor. Test the fourth Medium or Principle is a substance produced from its Mine and in it more near to the Nature of Metals which is by some called Calcantis and Azoth Vitreus Mercury Vitriolated or Azoquean Vitriol which is the Earth and Mine of Metals and is by another Name called Vrisius of shining white and red within Black and Green openly having the Colour of a Venomous Lizard immediately generated out of Argent vive the Matter aforesaid impregnated with the said hot and dry sulphurous Vapour of common Vitriol in its resolution congealed into a Lizard in which Azoth Vitriolated is the form and species of the stinking Spirit in its mixtion the Mineral heat of which is multiplyed which is the Life of Metal and is signified by E. Cap. 3. Theor. Testam Pag. 12. Volume 4. Theat Chym. And a little after In the Work of Nature is Argent vive but not such as is found upon the Earth nor will be till it be first turned into an apostemated and venomous Blood In the same place You must know Son that by Art and Nature Argent vive is congealed by an acute Water understand therefore Philosophically because if it were not sharp and acute it could not penetrate which is the first action in dissolution after which dissolution it is returned into an apostemated Blood by the mutation of its own Nature into another Son there are two things which ought to stick together by the agreement of contrariety one pure the other impure the impure recedes Fire being an Enemy by reason of its Corruption the other remains in Fire because of its purity being transmuted into Blood and this is our Argent vive and our whole Secret cloathed with a tripartite Garment that is black white and red and that alone we want for the purpose of our Magistery Argent vive containing all that is necessary for a Quintessence There is in Mercury whatsoever Wise Men seek for under the shadow of it lies a fifth substance for the substance of it is pure and incombustible and all of it is nothing else but Gold and Silver not common Metals but airy being in Mercury or the Green Lyon melted and fused within and without by Virtue of the Fire against Nature and afterwards purify'd and separated from all its Original Blemish and Pollution for that Gold which is incombustible remains fused and liquid and imparts its Golden Nature in the said Mercury c. Cap. 62. Theor. Test Pag. 103. Volume 4. Th. Chym. Out of this Philosophical Minium calcined Lead or Sericon only the Adepts sometimes distilled their Menstruums for Example the first of this Kind in Numb 59. Sometimes they dissolved this Minium in distilled Vinegar which being drawn off they reduced it into Gum Adrop or Lully's Azoquean Vitriol out of which they then distilled the stinking Menstruum or Menstruum foetens in Numb 60. Sometimes they dissolved Gum Adrop per deliquium first and then distilled it The thirteenth way of practising saith Ripley as it here appears is very curious and that is in Saturn Philosophical rubified in a Glass Vessel stopp'd to prevent respiration with a strong and continual Fire till it becomes red Take therefore that rubified Saturn and pour a good quantity of distilled Vinegar
upon it and shake it very often every Day for a Month a Week then separate the Vinegar by a Filtre and take only that which is clear without Faeces and put it in Balneo to distil and after the separation of the Vinegar you will find at the bottom of the Vessel a white or sky-Coloured Water which take and being put in a Bladder five double to keep out the Water dissolve it in Balneo into a cristalline Water put that Water in a Distillatory and if you will separate the Elements from it or distil the dissolved Water which rectifie in a Circulatory and the Earth which remained in the bottom in the distillation calcine till it grows like a Sponge and then is it very sit to reassume its Mercury separated from it that a new Generation may be made and a Son brought forth which is called King of Fire and which is so great in the Love of all the Philosophers Cap. 17. Philos Pag. 220. Of this Work Ripley made mention Cap. 4. of the same Book Pag. 194. Saying There is moreover another Work in Gum produced by Vinegar from red Saturn out of which is the separation of the Elements made after it is dissolved in Bladders The Menstruums of Gum Adrop which way soever made were called stinking Menstruums because of the stinking smell This Water saith Ripley hath a most sharp taste and partly also a stinking smell and therefore is called stinking Menstruum Assa foetida also is so called from the smell which our Mercury hath when it is newly extracted out of its polluted Body because that smell is like Assa foetida according to the Philosopher who saith That stink is worst before the preparation of this Water which after the circulating of it into a Quintessence and good preparation it is pleasant and very delectable and becomes a Medicine against the Leprosie and all other Diseases without which Gold vive you can never make the true potable Gold which is the Elixir of Life and Metals Adrop Phil. Pag. 548. Volum 6. Theat Chym. These Menstruums they called White Fume because of their white and opake Colour It is also called White Fume saith Ripley nor without cause for in distillation a white fume goeth out first before the red Tincture which ascending into the Alembick makes the Glass white as Milk from whence it is also called Lac Virginis or Virgins Milk In the same place Out of the red Fume or red Tincture otherwise call'd the Blood of the Green Lyon the Adepts did by rectification alone prepare two Mercuries namely red and white Upon this occasion saith Ripley I will teach you a general Rule If you would make the white Elixir you must of necessity divide your Tincture the Blood of the Green Lyon into two parts whereof one must be kept for the red Work but the other distill'd with a gentle Fire and you will obtain a white Water which is our white Tincture our Eagle our Mercury and Virgins Milk When you have these two Tinctures or the white and red Mercury you will be able to practise upon their own Earth or upon the Calx of Metals for the Philosophers say we need not care what substance the Earth is of c. Adr. Phil. p. 554. Vol. 6. Theat Chy. Roger Bacon made a two-fold Mercury thus 64. The Green Lyon of Roger Bacon A Raymundo Ganfrido in verbo abbreviato de Leone Viridi Pag. 264. Thesauri Chymici Baconis THe abbreviated most true and approved Word of hidden things being manifested I have in a short Discourse abreviated to you in the Work of Luna and Sol in the first place earnestly requiring the Readers not to expose so Noble a Pearl to be trodden upon by Dogs or Swine for this is the Secret of all the Philosophers Secrets the Garden of Delights Spices and all Treasures into which he that hath once entred will want no more Now that Word not without cause desired by many Men was first declared by our eminent Doctor Roger Bacon afterwards J. Fryer Raymund Jeffery Minister General of the Order of the Fryers Minors took care to explain the Word with as much brevity as I could to the Sons of Philosophy In the Name of Christ then take a great quantity of the strongest Vinegar diligently distilled through an Alembick in which dissolve a good quantity of the Green Lyon being dissolved distil through a Filtre and keep it in Glass Cucurbits well stopp'd If any remarkable part of the Lyon remains undissolved dissolve it with the aforesaid Vinegar and distil through a Filtre and being dissolved joyn it with the other Waters before reserved in the Cucurbits then take the reserved Waters dissolutions and distil them all in Balneo Marioe applying Alembicks to them well luted that the Cucurbits may not respire put Fire under and receive all the Waters which will be distilled but have a care that the dissolved Lyon be not altogether congealed in the Cucurbits but that it may remain liquid or soft then take all the Cucurbits and put all that is in them into one Cucurbit which lute well with its Alembick and put it in a Furnace of Ashes as is fitting and put a gentle Fire under because of the temper of the Glass and because of the Heterogeneous moisture which is in the Lyon to be rooted out And take notice that must be always done with a gentle Fire but when the Heterogeneous moisture is gone over strengthen the Fire by little and little and have an Eye continually to the Beak of the Alembick if a red Liquor begins to go over but if it does not yet go over continue the aforesaid Fire till it doth but when you see the red Liquor distil change the Receiver forthwith and lute it well to the Beak of the Alembick and then strengthen the Fire and you will have the Blood of the Lyon exceeding red containing the four Elements very odoriferous and fragrant after due putrefaction keep it therefore in a good Phial well stopp'd Then take the Blood and put it in a Phial close stopp'd to putrefie and digest in hot Dung changing the Dung every five Days there to be digested for the space of fifteen or sixteen Days and this is done that the Elementary parts may be dissolved and be fitter to be divided into the four Elements and that by distillation being putrify'd fifteen or sixteen Days take it out and put it into a sit Cucurbit to be distilled with a gentle Fire in Balneo Marioe but it is enough for the Water to boyl with the Fire take the Water distilled and the Faeces which you find at the bottom of the Cucurbit keep carefully the Water which you distilled distil seven times always reserving the Faeces which it makes with the other Faeces reserved before and so you will have a splendid Water clear and white as Cristal and very ponderous which is said to be the Philosophers Mercury hidden by all the Philosophers and
against Nature without which our Natural Fire could not subsist whereof we will say more in its proper place And these namely the Mineral and Vegetable Water being mix'd together and made one Water do operate contraries which is a thing to be admired for this one dissolves and congeals moisteneth and dryeth putrefies and purifies dissipates and joyns separates and compounds mortifies and vivifies destroyeth and restoreth attenuates and inspissates makes black and white burneth and cooleth begins and ends These are the two Dragons fighting in the Gulf of Sathalia this is the white and red Fume whereof one will devour the other And here the dissolving Vessels are not to be luted but onely stopp'd slightly with a Linnen Cloth and Mastick or common Wax For this Water is a Fire and a Bath within the Vessel and not without which if it feels any other strong Fire will be presently elevated to the top of the Vessel and if it finds no rest there the Vessel will be broken and so the composition will be left frustrated So much as this compounded Water dissolves so much it congeals and elevates is congealed and elevated into a glorious Earth And so it is the secret dissolution of our Stone which is alwayes done with the congelation of its own Water And because this Fire of Nature is added to the Water against Nature so much therefore as it lost of its Form by the Fire against Nature so much it recovers by the Water of Nature that our work by the Fire against Nature may not be destroyed or annihilated From the Receipts we observe 1. That the Menstruums of this kind being made of the very matter of Philosophical Wine or Philosophical Grapes are the first of all other Menstruums either Mineral or Vegetable 2. That the milky Liquor or Spirit Virgins Milk white Mercury the White Wine of Lully and the Glew of the Green Lyon called by Paracelsus the Glew of the Eagle are terms synonymous and that the Red Liquor Blood of the Green Lyon Red Mercury the Philosophers Sulphur and the Red Wine of Lully otherwise by Paracelsus the Blood of the Red Lyon are likewise Synonyma's 3. That the acid Mineral Menstruums are by digestion or further elaboration transmuted either into a simple Vegetable Menstruum or into the Heaven or Spirit of Philosophical Wine 4. That these acid Menstruums are to be distilled with very great caution by reason of the excessive effervescence of the Azoquean Vitriol or rather Spirit of Philosophical Wine which is in this Vitriol caused by the Acids 5. That Mineral Menstruums are the Heaven or Essence of Philosophical Wine dissolved in an Acid so that having acquired this Spirit you may make them ex tempore by simple dissolution 6. That the Menstruums even now prepared are presently to be used lest they perish 7. That Menstruums are by dissolving Bodies coagulated 8. That Metallick Bodies are by these Menstruums reduced into running Mercury 9. That these are called Stinking Menstruums because of their stinking smell By the smell alone we easily distinguish these from those fragrant Menstruums called Vegetable Thus the unsavoury smell of the Menstruum it self proves that Morienus used the Stinking Menstruum What is the smell of it saith King Calid by way of Question before and after the making of it Morienus answereth Before it is made the sent of it is strong and unsavoury but after the preparation of it it has a good sent according to that which the wise man saith This Water resembles the unpleasant smell of a Body dead and void of life for the smell of it is ill and not unlike to the smell of Graves He that can whiten the Soul and cause it to ascend again and keep the Body well and take away all obscurity from it and extract the ill savour out of it will be able to infuse it into the Body and in the hour of conjunction exceeding Miracles will appear Morien de Trans Metal p. 33. Geber also acknowledgeth himself to have operated with a mineral Menstruum Cap. 25. Summoe perfect The first natural Principles saith he out of which Metals are procreated are the Stinking Spirit that is Sulphur and Water Vive which also we allow to be called dry Water And in another Place at the end of his Book de Investigat he goes on We do by plain and open proof conclude our Stone to be nothing else but a Stinking Spirit and living Water which we also call dry Water being cleansed by natural decoction and true proportion with such an Union that nothing can be added or taken from it to which a third thing ought to be added for the abbreviation of the Work that is a perfect Body attenuated 10. That Adrop the Name of the Matter of these Menstruums signifies the Philosophers Saturn or Lead The first Matter of this leprous Body saith Ripley is a viscous Water inspissated in the Bowels of the Earth The great Elixir for the Red and for the White saith Vincentius is made of this Body whose Name is Adrop otherwise called Philosophical Lead pag. 132. Medul Phil. Chym. Our Stone saith Arnold in Speculo Alchym is called Adrop which is in Latine Saturnus in English Lead and according to the Trojans Dragon or Topum that is Poyson Septima Dispos Speculi pag. 596. Vol. 4. Theatr. Chym. I have shewed that the Philosophers gave it divers Names because of the diversity of Colours but as to their Intention they had one peculiar Name that is Roman Gold or Adrop or Stone above all the Stones of this world Quarta dispositio Speculi pag. 594. of the same Volume Laton and Azoth are together and never asunder but remain always joyned together but because of the diversity of Colours the Philosophers call'd them by many Names and as the Colours are varied and changed they imposed so many Names because Azoth among the Indians is Gold among the Hermians Silver among the Alexandrians and Macedonians Iron with the Greeks Mercury with the Hebrews Tin with the Tartars Brass with the Arabians Saturn and among the Latines and especially among the Romans Ognividon by an Anagram Dono G vini G signifying Philosophical Mercury or Sulphur aqueum But that none may err I say it hath one proper Name and is commonly called by men and every one knows the Stone Tertia dispos Specul p. 593. of the same Volume Some of the Adepts write not Adrop but Atrop by which Name they have been pleas'd to signifie the Matter of these Menstruums to be as it were the Gate of all the most secret Chymy for Atrop by the inversion of the Letters is read Porta a Gate Thus Robertus Valensis in Gloria Mundi pag. 305. That you may attain saith he to the true foundation I will once again repeat it to you and call it the first Hyle that is the beginning of all things it is also called the only Holy apprehend what Elements are in it by those which are repugnant the
this Kind are made not only of Mineral Salts not tinging but also of Vegetable Alcalies thus 83. The fixative Water of Trithemius Pag. 37. Aurei Veller Germ. TAke Aqua fortis mix'd with the Spirit of Wine described above in Numb 74. whereto add of the Oyl of Tartar per deliquium half a Pound distil the Spirit throw away the Phlegm and dissolve the remaining Earth or Salt in the Spirit Keep the solution for the fixing of things but for volatilization the Salt of Tartar must be cohobated so oft till it ascends as the common Salt in the Eating Water Hereto is referred the Menstruum called 84. The Aqua Mirabilis of Isaacus Cap. 29. 2 Oper. Min. pag. 91. Manus Phil. TAke old Urine distil with a weak Fire then a stronger that whatsoever can may ascend rectifie the destillation taking away all the Fatness or Oyl till it leaves no Faeces behind it The Caput Mortuum left in the bottom calcine the space of two hours but without fusion of the Salt draw all the saltness from the calcined Matter with common Water evaporate the Liquor to a thin skin that the Salt may be Cristalized repeat sometimes that the Salt may be made most pure which dissolve in the distilled Urine Then take of this regenerated Urine six pounds of distilled Vinegar and Spirit of Philosophical Wine of each three measures of Common Salt two pounds of Sal Armoniack and calcined Tartar of each half a pound dissolve them all together into an Aqua Mirabilis The like Water almost hath Basilius but that he distils his through an Alembick the Description of which followeth 85. The Resuscitative Water of Basilius Pag. 81. Currus Triumphalis Antim TAke of the Salt of Mans Urine clarified and sublimed of Sal Armoniack and Salt of Tartar of each one part mix the Salts pour strong Philosophical Vinegar to them lute with lutum sapientioe digest the Salts for a Month in a continual heat then distil the Vinegar by Ashes till the Salts remain dry then mix them with three parts of Venetian Earth force them with a strong Fire through the Retort and you will have a wonderful Spirit for the making of Running Mercury out of Antimony The same Water we find also pag. 39. of his Manual Operations The Adepts have sometimes used some crude Oyley Matter instead of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in making these Menstruums thus Paracelsus volatilized four Salts into a Menstruum of this Kind with Wax dissolved in Aqua fortis 86. The Water of Sallabrum of Paracels Libro de reductione Metallorum in Argentum vivum sive Tractatu 4. Rosarii novi Olympici Bened Figuli pag. 24. TAke notice there is no shorter Method of reducing Metals into Mercury known to us than that which we used in our Book de putrefactione quatuor Salium which we there called Sallabrum as thus each of those Salts as lower must be converted into a pure Water or Oyl per deliquium which being mixed in equal weight are called Lac Veterum or Milk of the Ancients Which Philosophical Milk put into a strong Receiver and distil the Spirits of calcined Vitriol calcined Alume and the best Niter ana five times upon it and the mixture will be called Flying Eagle carrying Metals in its Talons aloft such a Metal being sublim'd grind to powder from which draw the Spirit of strong Wine being poured to it the height of a Finger three or four times gently in Balneo and you will have a quick or running Metal as common Mercury Now the Eagle is made volatile thus To the Philosophers Milk acuated with the said Spirits or Eagle pour Wax being very well liquefied and purged about the thickness of a Finger distil the Phlegms together with the Spirits by a Cucurbit in Balneo which Matter must be cohobated so often till they are all coagulated or well mixed and you will have the Philosophers Borax which we wrote of in our Book de virtute Vitrioli wherein the Volatile Eagle absconded it self with its Feathers namely Spirits Now take the Calx of what Metal you please made of Aqua fortis one part of the Flying Eagle half a part mix putrefie nine days the longer the better then sublime the Matter upon Sand in a Cucurbit well luted and all the Metal you took will ascend wherewith proceed as before Sallabrum described in the Book mentioned de putrefactione quatuor Salium Take Sal Niter Sal Gemmoe common Salt Pot-Ashes an equal quantity of each dissolve every one by it self and purge it from all Terrestreity out of all being mixed together make a clear and transparent Water which again coagulate in a clean Vessel and you will find the Salt of another colour namely yellow penetrating and sweetning dissolving and fixing Love and esteem this Salt because there are many Secrets in it for it fixeth the Volatile and vivifieth the Spirit being dead and mollifieth the hard and friable and freeth from any Leprosie and Poyson sixeth Arsenick and moreover is the promoter of many famous works to a happy and desired End In the first place let us admonish you to beware of this and such like Menstruums for a Mystery lies in these Receipts which to observe is necessary lest you begin to doubt the Truth of them after many most dangerous Experiments tried in vain for you Beginners let this suffice that it is impossible for Wax or any other oyley Matter to supply the place of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine There would be no need of this Spirit in the whole Art if crude oyley things could perform the same as this most pure and most unctuous Liquor No man but he that is expert in the Method of preparing the Spirit of Philosophical Wine can make these Menstruums whereas all the rest may be made by any Ideot if he hath but the Spirit of this Wine given him The Adepts do in these Receipts both prepare and acuate this Spirit of Wine no wonder therefore that they either wholly omitted the Mystery or not sufficiently express'd it in their Compositions for which reason also these Menstruums do appertain to the preparation of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine rather than as all the rest to the Vse of this Spirit or compositions of these Menstruums nor should I have remembred them here had they not been detrimental to many men and that to my own knowledge The Name Sallabrum is given quasi Salis labrum or Salt-Cellar not that Salt is to be contained in this Vessel as Candelabrum or Candlestick is so called because Candles are set in it but rather because the Essence or Fire of some Metals or some Chymcial Light is either to be reserved or made in this Sallabrum as Alume is by Isaacus in Man Philosophor pag. 28. called Lucerna signifying a Lanthorn Concerning this Sallabrum Thomas Aquinas in Lilio Benedicto pag. 1085. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. Thus Adde labrum Salis quanta sit sexta duorum Conjunge poneque
very small Fire and sometimes increase it by degrees till your Matter begins to sublime which it will do with a little heat and when you see the Matter ascend diligently observe to keep the Fire in the same degree that it may sublime very gently which will be easily done for the Matter is sublimed and ascends with a very little Fire pag. 402. of the same Volume Gold dissolved in this Aqua fortis of Isaack and once or twice cohobated then washed with common Water becomes so volatile as to ascend with a very small heat into a most poysonous Sublimate if any man does the same by as easie a Method with common Aqua Regis made of Sal Armoniack and Niter we declare he needs not Menstruums of this Kind but that common Sal Armoniack is insufficient for such a purpose even the Novices of vulgar Chymistry have long since experienced Besides the Vse of this Menstruum the Encomiums of Sal Harmoniack which agree not in the least with the Common of the same Name do prove the excellency of this Menstruum Now saith he we have a mind to teach you how and which way to joyn Soul Body and Spirit together so as to enter one into the other for a Congregation of Contraries cannot be so as to remain together without a Medium which before in cap. 146. he called Sal Harmoniack or dry Water Take an example from the Dyers that dye Cloaths c. Thus it is with our Stone Though we have rightly prepared the Body Soul and Spirit if they enter not into one another they will neither now nor at any time ever remain together without the Medium of our dry Water Now Beloved where now shall we find this Water For Geber saith Our water is not Rain-water Aristotle saith Our water is a dry water Hermes saith Our water is gathered out of a filthy and stinking Menstrual Matter Danthynus saith Our water is found in old Stables Houses of Office and stinking Sinks And Morienus Our water springs in Mountains and Valleys and Fools understand not these words but think it Mercury it is not Mercury it is a dry water which causeth all Mineral Spirits Soul and Body to enter and mix together and when it has joyned them together it departs from them and lets them remain fixed And this water is found in all things of the world For if this water was not in vain should we endeavour to make the Stone For how should we make one of our prepared Matter enter into another As the Apothecaries gather their Herbs together so ought we to do either in the Vegetable Animal or Mineral Kingdom to make a perfect work or Quintessence we ought to have a dry water out of every distinct thing A dry water therefore is in all things to make themselves perfect Therefore saith Galen All things have their own Medicine to make the Stone either in the Mineral Animal or Vegetable Kingdom without the addition of any exotick things Wherefore when we would make the Stone or any Fixation we ought to make that conjunction with our dry water as was said of the Dyer and Apothecary Therefore is it my Beloved that so many fall into Errors because they do not understand nor follow Nature Therefore did I mention the Dyer and Apothecary for you to understand Nature by that rude way that you may in your own mind perceive that no conjunction can be made without a Medium .. Wherefore all the works above cited are good but those two things are not there named the Spirit that is and Dry Water weights and way of joyning wherein consists our whole Art wherefore I conjure you never to reveal this Secret for all the Art that is in the world is comprehended in it to make the perfect work in a short time and little pains Cap. 147 148 149. 2. Oper. Min. pag. 524 525. Vol. 3. Theat Chym. Ripley hath described the same Water thus 88. The Aqua Regis of Ripley Pag. 349. Viatici MAke a corrosive Water of Salt Peter and Harmoniack and put not above four Ounces in the Destillatory and draw a water with a slow Fire wherein dissolve and make the Oyl of Sol c. This Water Basil Valentine calls the Kings Bath of which thus in the elucidation of the second Key Take notice Friend and seriously consider because here lies the principal Secret Make a Bath have a care that no strange thing enter into it lest the Noble Seed of Gold be radically destroyed after the dissolution of it Exactly therefore and with care examine the things which the second Key informs you of that is what Minerals are to be taken for the Kings Bath wherein the King ought to be dissolved and his external form subverted that his Soul may appear without blemish To this purpose will the Dragon and Eagle that is Niter and Sal-Armoniack serve out of which being united is made an Aqua fortis as you will be informed in my Manuals where I shall treat of the Particular of Sol. 89. The Kings Bath of Basilius Lib. Partic. in Particul Solis TAke of Salt Peter one part of Sal Harmoniack one part of Flints pulverized half a part mix and distil Take notice that this Water must be carefully and exactly distilled for it cannot be distilled by the common method He that is expert in the operations of the more secret Chymy will know what is to be done Observe you must have a strong earthen Retort well luted in the upper part of which must be a Pipe half a span long and two fingers broad put a great Receiver to it lute well and increase the Fire by degrees till the Retort grows red hot Then put in a spoonful of this Matter through the Pipe and suddenly stop the Pipe with a wet Cloath and the Spirits will pass impetuously into the Receiver the Spirits being asswaged put in another spoonful of the said Matter thus proceeding till no Matter remains and you will have Aqua Gehennea or Hell-water dissolving the Calx of Gold in an instant into a thick solution which we mentioned in the third Part as also in the second Key not only dissolving Gold but reducing the same into volatibility c. This Kings Bath is described also by Basilius in Revelatione Manualium Operationum thus 90. A Philosophical Water for the Solution of Gold of Basilius Labore primo Revelation Man Operat TAke of Salt Peter and Sal Armoniack of each two parts of Stones washed one part grind them together and by a Retort with a Pipe distil the Water into a large Receiver putting in two or three ounces through the Pipe the Receiver must be a big one and lie in a Vessel full of cold Water and covered with wet Linnen Cloaths that the Spirits may cool for it will be very hot stop the Joynts of the Retort very close kindle a Fire and the Retort being hot cast in three ounces of Matter the Pipe being suddenly
pass it all over as before and thus repeat this Work of distillation four times in every distillation adding an Ounce of the said Salt to that Water Then will you have at length a Mineral Water vegetated and acuated with the augmentation of Virtue and Power proceeding from the said most precious Vegetable Salt without which is nothing done Our Annotations upon the Receipts are 1. That the Menstruums of this Kind are simple Vegetable Menstruums of the sixth Kind dissolved in Acids Take away the Acidity and it will be a Menstruum again of the sixth Kind 2. That these Menstruums are better made of Aqua fortis it being an Acid stronger than the rest yet that they may be also made of any other Acid less strong as distill'd Vinegar Spirit of Salt Sulphur c. 3. That these are the best of all the simple Mineral Menstruums both in the facility of making and excellency of Virtue 4. That it is much at one whether the Metal be first dissolved in common Aqua fortis and then the Vegetable Sal Harmoniack added or the said Salt first and then the Metal 5. That these Aqua regisses differ from the common in that they dissolve all Metals promiscuously Silver as well as Gold and reduce the same not into a Calx but Oyl which cannot be said of common Aqua regis 6. That Metals dissolved in these Menstruums and sublimed become the greatest Poysons belonging to this Art The Nineteenth KIND Mineral Menstruums compounded of the Philosophers Spirit of Wine and Acid Spirits tinging Spirit of Vitriol Butter of Antimony c. 94. Spirit of Vitriol mixt with the Spirit of Wine of Lully Epist accurtatoria pag. 327. THE Spirit of Vitriol is more dry and thick than the Spirit of the Quintessence of Aqua ardens and great affinity there is between the Spirit of Vitriol and the Nature of Gold because they are both derived from the same Principles with Minerals The Spirit therefore of Vitriol being joyned with the Spirit of Aqua ardens inspissates it and makes it suddenly adhere to Gold so as to be fixed with it and believe me this is a very excellent way of Abbreviation Annotations THis Difference you may observe between the Simple and Compounded Mineral Menstruums The Simple dissolve only but the Compounded do both dissolve and tinge things dissolved for they are in a wonderful manner exalted by things tinging and made many degrees better so as to have enough to serve themselves and others also and therefore may deservedly be called graduated as well as graduatory Waters Hitherto we have treated of the Simple In 〈…〉 Nineteenth Kind we are to consider them as Compounded of two Spirits Oyley and Acid tinging as in the prescribed Receipt of the Spirits of Philosophical Wine and Vitriol mix'd together and intimately joyned by two or three distillations The Preparation is most easie in which notwithstanding it will not be impertinent to take notice of this one thing that both Spirits must be without Phlegm and exquisitely rectified according to the Advice of the following Anonymus A burning Oleity is made out of Wine therefore it participates with Sulphur and herein is indeed the greatest virtue of the Metallick Nature which it drew and conceived from the Earth and as this Oleity the Spirits that is are much more agil than the Spirits of other things therefore their Virtues are much more agil than the Virtues of other things but yet you must know that those Spirits as saith the Text of Alchymy and as indeed the truth is which come out of Vegetables and Animals conduce not to Alchymy as they are in a Vegetable Nature but it is requisite for them to attain to a Metallick Nature by many depurations and distillations and then they are serviceable to it Therefore is there one only stone and one foundation necessary to the Art namely the Metallick virtue though sometimes Vegetable and Animal things are taken yet they do not remain in a Vegetable or Animal Nature but are transmuted into a Metallick and Sulphureous Nature which contains a Metallick Virtue Whereupon said Ferrariensis cap. 20. suarum Quoestionum It is impossible to coagulate Argent vive without Sulphur or something that hath a sulphureous Nature because Sulphur is the coagulum of Argent vive and if there be sulphureities in Wine having a burning faculty it argues there is a Metallick Nature in it wherefore some do operate in Wine and Gold or Silver to extract out of the Wine it s most subtil Spirit strengthning the virtue of Gold with it that so the Spirits may be fixed with it by which consequently the Tincture of the Gold is dilated and multiplied and of a certain there is a very great coherence or participation between the Spirits of Wine and the Spirits of Gold they being both of a hot Nature and therefore the Spirits of Wine are inseparably fixed with Gold yet it is to be noted that the Spirits of middle Metals as Vitriol c. are of larger fixation and more nearly allied to Gold both springing as it were out of one Fountain namely out of the Mines of Metals than the Spirits of Wine which proceed from a Vegetable Nature though the Spirits of Wine are more agil and subtil Some therefore do compound the Spirits of them so as to joyn the Spirits of Vitriol with the Spirits of Wine to inspissate one with the other and to make them more easily united to Gold But he that intends to operate with these things must take the strongest Spirits and the purest Matters so that the Spirits must be exactly purified before they are fixed with Gold or Silver Anonym de Principiis Natur. Arte Alchym pag. 30. Syntagm Hermon Rhenani Not only the rectified Spirit of Vitriol but every Acid Spirit is here effectual provided it be tinging and mixed with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine thereby to be made a Menstruum of the same Kind 'T is thus made 95. The Butter of Antimony mix'd with the Spirit of Wine of Basilius Pag. 88. Currus Triumphalis Antim TAke of Common Mercury most purely sublimed of Antimony equal parts grind mix and distil by a Retort which retains the Spirits three times rectifie this Oyl with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and it is prepared and of a Blood-colour in the beginning it was white and thickens as Ice or melted Butter This Oyl hath done many wonderful things yet the Virtue Faculty and Operation of it hath always appeared making an ill thing good This Composition though given by Basilius as a Medicine not as a Menstruum yet is by Paracelsus in Libro de Gradationibus described as such 96. The Water of the fourth Gradation of Paracelsus Libro de Gradationibus pag. 131. TAke of Antimony one pound of Mercury Sublimate half pound distil both together with a violent Fire through an Alembick and a redness willl ascend like Blood thick which tingeth and graduates any Luna into Sol and
in Water upon the Receiver again and again oftentimes thus the Receiver may not be broken by the violence of the Spirits all which particulars mark well The Distillation being ended let the Vessels cool and keep the Receiver with the Water very close stopped Then take the same Mineral dried and prepared as before in the same order and measure which grind together and put into a Retort as before and pour the Water a little before Distilled upon it fit a Receiver to it the Joynts being very well Luted as before and having dried the Luting put Fire under the Distillation being compleated take again New Materials of the same Weight and put them again into a Retort with their own Water and Distil as before with the same Degrees of Fire which being done and the Vessel cold take away the Receiver and keep it carefully with its Distilled Water firmly stopped For you will have a Physical Mineral Water or Stinking Menstruum with its Form This Water hath the power of Calcining and at the same time dissolving all Metals with the preservation of their Vegetative Form Many Experiments we have herewith both seen and done Isaacus Hollandus to augment the strength of these Menstruums did rather add some tinging Minerals to the Vitriol than the Acidity of Niter and Alume Thus he prepared a Menstruum called 105. The Dissolving Water for the Red of the first Description of Isaacus Cap. 103. Oper. Min. TAke of Roman Vitriol six parts of Lapis Haematites Crocus Martis Cinabar Aes ustum Mineral Antimony of each one part being well dried mix and putting them into a Retort pour four Pounds of Rectify'd Aqua Vitae to them Distill and Cohobate three times upon the Caput Mortuum pulverized The following Menstruum being like this proves it to be of a sanguine colour 106. The Dissolving Water for the Red of the second Description of Isaacus Cap. 45.3 Oper. Miner TAke of Mineral Antimony Aes ustum Crocus Martis Cinabar of each two parts of Vitriol the weight of all being all dried and mix'd together pour to them of Aqua Vitae most purely rectified the height of two hands the Vessel being close luted digest in Balneo the space of ten days stirring the Matter three or four times every day that it may be the better incorporated with the Aqua Vitae these ten days being ended and an Alembick put on Distill with a gentle Fire but at last with a most strong Fire twelve hours together that all the tinged Spirits may ascend with the Aqua Vitae This process repeat always Distilling the Water with new Matters till it becomes Red as Blood To these two we will add also a third Menstruum of this sort 107. A Dissolving Water for the Red of the third Description of Isaacus Cap. 61.3 Oper. Min. TAke of Roman Vitriol Cinabar of each one part of Crocus Martis Lapis Haematites Aes ustum Verdegreece of each half a part calcine the Vitriol first If you have a mind you may extract the Tincture out of Mineral Antimony with Philosophical Vinegar and being separated from the Vinegar add it to the former Species as also as much Aqua Vitae twelve times rectify'd as sufficeth the Vessel being well luted digest in Balneo seven or eight times then having put on an Alembick and luted the Joynts well Distill with a gentle Fire two days then a stronger two days more then the space of three days that the Glass may be hot the Glasses being cold take out the Caput Mortuum which being well pulverized digest with the Distilled Water for the space of eight days then Distill the first day gently the second more strongly the third most strongly for the space of twenty four hours that the Glass may be red hot then let it cool the Distilled Water digest with new Matters and Distill as before and that to be three times repeated And as these Menstruums were for Red Tinctures so also he made some for White Tinctures thus 108. A Dissolving Water of Isaacus for the White Cap. 76.3 Oper. Min. TAke of Roch Alume Lapis Calaminaris of the Calx of Eggs an equal quantity pour to them as much Aqua vitae rectify'd from all Phlegme as sufficeth and distil as the Dissolving Water for the Red. 109 Another Dissolving Water of Isaacus for the White Cap. 48.3 Oper. Min. TAke of Roach Alume Lapis Calaminaris Calx of Eggs common Arsenick an equal quantity being all pulverized mix and to the Powder pour as much Aqua Vitae well rectify'd as to be the space of three hands above the Matter distil with a gentle Fire then a stronger lastly for twenty four hours so as to be red hot cohobate the distillation yet four times upon the Caput Mortuum reduced into Powder Many such Menstruums as these we meet with in several places of Isaacus in the Descriptions of which tho the Addition of Philosophical Aqua Vitae or Spirit of Wine be not always express'd yet that it is to be understood in all of them is evident by the former Receipts of Dissolving Waters The Menstruums following may be Examples in the first place that which is called 110. A Red Water Shining Day and Night of the First Description of Isaacus Cap. 153. Lib. 2. Oper. Min. Pag. 528. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. TAke the Crocus of Mars Antimony as it is dugge out of the Mines Red Arsenick of each one Pound of Auripigment one Pound of Roman Vitriol three Pounds of Sal Niter as much as the weight of all the rest Grind all together into an impalpable Powder mix one bound of Sal Armoniack with them and being well mix'd put the Matter in an Earthen Vessel not glazed within such as can well endure the Fire and having put on an Alembick with a Receiver strongly luted distil Aqua Fortis as it should be first with a small Fire then increasing the Fire by degrees and a White Water will distil which being distilled the Alembick will begin to be Red or Yellow then presently take away the Receiver and add another soundly luted and increase your â—ire till a White Spirit goes over it is the Sal Armoniack which goes over last of all and strengthen the Fire so long till the Alembick be altogether clear When now the Red Spirit goes over nothing of Sal Armoniack goes with it and so soon as it is gone over the White Water the Spirit and dry Water or Sal Armoniack go over together then the Alembick becomes White within as if it was full of Snow and then increase the Fire till the Spirit and Water are driven through the Beak by Exhalation as a Man casts forth his Breath by force so the Spirit and dry Water do breath through the Pipe of the Alembick into the Receiver and increase the Fire and the Spirit and dry Water being gone over the Alembick becomes clean clear white and transparent then let it cool and take it from the Fire put the Water into a
which all Fixed Stones may be resolved and the Stone made perfect This Water of Paradise the Ancients call'd their sharp clear Vinegar c. Metals sometimes are not reduced into graduated Vitriols but by repeated Cohobation made Menstruums of this Kind Thus 115. The Mercurial Vinegar of Trismosinus Libro Moratosan sive Octo Tincturarum in Secunda Tinctura Pag. 79. Aur. Vell. Germ. TAke Argent Vive purged the common way put it in an Alembick whereto pour very sharp Vinegar Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine described before in Numb 72. three Ounces of Vinegar to one Ounce of Mercury draw off six times in Balneo then force it to ascend into the Receiver being distilled rectifie it and it will be prepared Sometimes instead of Philosophical Vinegar he used the strongest Aqua Fortis described in Numb 73. 116. The Mercurial Water of Trismosinus Libr. Octo Tincturar in Tinct quarta Pag. 80. Aurei Vell. Germ. TAke of Roman Vitriol Sal Niter of each one Pound and a half of Vegetable Sal armoniack four Ounces of Tiles pulverized one Pound out of which distil Aqua fortis by the Rule of Art Take of Venetian Mercury sublimed you must have a care of its Venemous Fume four Ounces put it in a Cucurbit pour the said Aqua fortis to it draw off strongly that the Mercury may be well mixed with the Aqua fortis and it will be prepared Albertus Magnus prepared the same Mercurial Water thus 117. The Mercurial Water of Albertus Magnus Libro Compositum de Compositis Cap. 5. Pag. 937. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. TAke of Roman Vitriol two Pounds of Sal Niter two Pounds of Alume calcined one Pound being well ground and mix'd together put the Matter in a fit Glass Phial and having luted the Joynts very close that the Spirits may not evaporate distill Aqua fortis after the common way first with a weak Fire secondly a stronger thirdly with Wood that all the Spirits may go over and the Alembick turn white then put out the Fire let the Fornace cool and keep the Water carefully because it is the Dissolvitive of Luna keep it therefore for the finishing of the Work because that Water dissolves Luna separates Gold from Silver calcines Mercury and the Crocus of Mars c. This is the first Philosophical Water Common Aqua fortis and hath one Degree of Perfection in it Take of the first Water one pound dissolve in it two Ounces of Vegetable Sal armoniack pure and clear which being dissolved the Water is presently otherwise qualified and otherwise coloured because the first was of a Green Colour and the Dissolvitive of Luna and not of Sol and presently after the putting in of the Sal armoniack the Colour of it is turned to a Citrine and dissolveth Gold Mercury and Sulphur sublimed and tingeth a Mans Skin of a most Citrine Colour keep that Water Philosophical Aqua Regis apart Take of the second Water one Pound and of Mercury sublimed with Roman Vitriol and common Salt five Ounces and a half put it to the second Water by little and little gradually seal the Mouth of the Glass well that the Virtue of the Mercury put in may not suddenly exhale put the Glass in Ashes temperately hot and the Water will presently begin to work upon the Mercury dissolving it and incorporating and let the Glass stand thus in hot Ashes and in the dissolution of the Water till the Water appears no more but has wholly dissolved the Sublimed Mercury Now the Water acts always upon Mercury by the way of imbibition till it dissolves it totally But take notice if the Water cannot wholly dissolve the Mercury put in then lay aside the Mercury that is dissolved by that Water and that which is not dissolved at the bottom dry with a gentle Fire grind and dissolve it with new Water as before and thus repeat this Order till all the Sublimed Mercury is dissolved into Water And then joyn all the solutions of that third Water into one in a clean Glass and stop the Mouth of it well with Wax and keep it carefully This is the third Philosophical thick qualified Water in the third degree of Perfection and is the Mother of Aqua Vitae which dissolves all Bodies into their first Matter Take the third clarifi'd Mercurial Water qualifi'd in the third Degree of Perfection putrefie it in the Belly of a Horse to be well digested in a clear Glass with a long Neck well sealed the space of 14 days make it putrefie and the Feces settle at the bottom then will this Water be transmuted from a Citrine to a Yellow Colour which done take out the Glass put it in Ashes with a most gentle heat put on an Alembick with its Receiver and begin to distil by little and little a most clear clean ponderous Aqua Vitae Virgins Milk most sharp Vinegar drop by drop continuing constantly a slow Fire till you have distilled all the Aqua Vitae gently then put out the Fire let the Fornace cool and keep it diligently apart Behold this is Aqua Vitae the Philosophers Vinegar Virgins Milk by which Bodies are resolved into their first Matter which is called by infinite Names The Signs of this Water are these if a Drop be cast upon a Copper Plate red hot it will presently penetrate and leave a White Impression it smoaks upon Fire is coagulated in the Air after the manner of Ice and when this Water is distilled the Drops of it do not enter continually as other Drops but one is distilled one way another another way this Water acts not upon Metallick Bodies as another strong Corrosive Water which dissolves Bodies into Water but if Bodies be put into this Water it reduceth and resolves them all into Mercury as you shall hear hereafter Paracelsus made this Water by the following Method 118. The Mecurial Water of Paracelsus In Appendice Manualis de Lap. Phil. Pag. 139. TAke of Mercury seven times sublimed with Vitriol Sal Niter and Alume three pounds of Vegetable Sal armoniack sublimed three times with Salt clear and white one Pound and a half being ground together and alcolized sublime them in a Sublimatory nine hours in Sand Being cold draw off the Sublimate with a Feather and with the rest sublime as before This Operation repeat four times till no more sublimes and a Black Mass remains in the bottom flowing like Wax being cold take it out and being ground again imbibe it often in the Water of Sal armoniack prepared according to Art the Menstruum described in Numb 91. in a Glass Dish and being coagulated of it self imbibe it again and dry nine or ten times over till it will scarce any more be coagulated Being ground finely upon a Marble dissolve it in a moist place to a clear Oil which you must rectifie by Distillation in Ashes from all Feces and Sediment This Water keep diligently as the best of all Lully made his Mercurial Water
But here riseth some doubt in that the Red Colour of this Calcined Vitriol seems to be by Isaacus himself called Volatile not in the least fixed This Matter saith he will remain red for ever and not fixed for if it should be fixed it would be altogether corrupted for it must be Dissolved into Water and distilled through an Alembick Cap. 65. To disperse this Cloud you must know the meaning of Isaacus is that Vitriol calcined or by what way soever reduced into redness remains red but not also fixed â—â—ause it must be dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar and Distilled through an Alembick For we find the like if not the same Phrase concerning the redness and fixity of the Philosophers Stone which will easily remove the aforesaid doubt When the Stone is perfect saith he it ought to remain in that State now and for evermore After Perfection it cannot be changed for better nor for worse but will remain a King for ever Wherefore if any Man has prepared the true Philosophers Stone no Multiplication follows after wheresoever Multiplication follows after Perfection there is not the Philosophers Stone nor is there a true Stone It may be a Medicine or other Stone of which sort are many wherewith Projection is made but it is not the Philosophers Stone which we here Discourse of When the aforesaid Stone is perfect and prepared it ought to remain in that State for ever Cap. 127. 1. Oper. Miner Pag. 407. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. As to the Permanence of the red colour in the Philosophers Stone he declares the following Notions In Multiplication saith he no blackness intervenes nor do any Colours of the World shew themselves nor any Whiteness nor in Sublimation does any thing shew it self besides redness nor in fixation does any Colour shew its self except its own that is an egregious redness For the Stone hath no other Colour but redness for it is one only substance one single matter and as the Heaven invincible You must also know tho it were sublimed it would not be deprived of all its fixity for when the Stone is made and prepared in the utmost vertue of it then can it not be changed out of its own Essence into another for if the Stone could be changed or drawn out of its own Essence into another Essence or Nature it would not be the Philosophers Stone nor one single Matter nor a glorified Body no no understand my Discourse rightly c. Cap. 72. 1. Oper. Min. Pag. 355. of the same Volume Isaacus being perhaps perswaded of an unalterable constancy of redness observed in the Multiplication of the Stone of higher Degree or Kind concludes the Philosophers Stone to be altogether and absolutely immutable which Opinion to defend in every part he has sooner ventured to deny the volatilization it self of the Stone than give way to the a … ing of fixity in Multiplication You must know saith he if the Stone were sublimed yet would it not be deprived of its fixity Yea he has chosen rather to prevert his own Senses for he himself hath in the same place taught how to volatilize the Philosophers Stone with some shining Menstruum and the Sense of the Word Fix tho upon this Term depends one half of all the Operations in the more secret Chymy than relinquish this fallacy derived from a Paralogism The Stone saith he may be so often opened as aforesaid and after that sublimed and again condensed so as to unite its parts which we call Fixation we term it indeed Fixation but it is not Fixation but only Condensation so as that all the subtil parts of it are again forced into an Union joyntly together as they were at first and the Stone will again expect Fire and we may again make Projection with it as we did before Cap. 76. read 73 74 75. Chapters of the same Book What we have against this Opinion we will reserve for the Third Book in the mean time it will be requisite for you to observe this one thing That the Matter of Calcined Vitriol as also of the Philosophers Stone multiplied remains for everred but not fixed because either of them may be volatilized with Philosophical Menstruums But let them be how they will the Vitriol of Saturn fixed the same way by the same Author will prove that the graduated Vitriol of Venus calcined to redness in a close Vessel is fixed Take saith he a Glass Viol put in it one half of Purged Saturn Sugar of Saturn made not with common Distilled Vinegar but Philosophical reserve the other part by it self till you have occasion put a fit Glass to the mouth of the Viol and put the Glass in sifted Ashes in a Fornace of Tripos Arcanorum or on a Fornace wherein you calcine Spirits give it a Fire as hot as the Sun is at Mid-summer no more except by chance a little hotter or colder provided it be not so great as to melt the Lead for so your Matter would be liquid as Oyl and should it stand so the space of 12 days all the Sulphur would fly away and the Matter be corrupted for the Sulphur of it is not yet fixed and on the outside only and therefore the Matter is most easily melted and though it be pure yet is it not fixed wherefore the Fire must be so gentle as not to melt the Matter let it stand so the space of Six Weeks after which take a little project it upon a hot Iron if it presently melts and fumes it is not yet fixed but if it remains the Sulphur of it is fixed Then increase the Fire notably till your Matter becomes citrine and so continually till it grows red still increasing the Fire till it attains to the colour of Rubies increase till it is red hot and then is it fixed and prepared for Infusion with the Noble Water of Paradise the Menstruum described in Numb 114. Besides this there is indeed another way also of calcining Philosophical Vitriol which is done in an open Vessel thus graduated Verdigrese is calcined to redness before the Distillation of it in the preparation of the Spirit of Venus of Basilius as we have observed in the precedent Kind but this belongs not to this place for the Calx remains volatile not fixed which way of Calcining was invented meerly for the seperation of the Phlegme The third Branch consists in a new dissolution of this fixed Vitriol in Philosophical Vinegar for which Reason this Vitriol is volatilized again and made fit for Distillation in the former Receipt this Solution is wholly omitted but more exactly described in the latter Process The fourth Branch is the single and frequent Distillation in the several ways of making all these Stinking Menstruums yet this excepted that out of this graduated fixed and again volatilized Vitriol the Spirit ascends not White but of a Saffron Colour because more Mature before the Red Oyl and lastly the White Spirit appears also being extracted out of the Salt or
of Sol with Philosophical Sulphur which is the second Principle in order and the Spirit of Mercury a little before call'd the White Spirit of Vitriol into pure and malleable Gold as it was before not in the least defective in colour and virtue Sometimes he acuates the Spirit of Vniversal Mercury with the Sulphur and Salt of other Metals Thus 134. The Spirit of Universal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur and Salt of Luna of Basilius Libr. partic in particul Lunae THe Sulphur of Luna being extracted and edulcorated dry the remainder of the Calx of Luna to which pour the same Corrosive Water of Honey that you used for the Salt of Sol digest gently the space of four or five days that the Salt of the Luna may be extracted which you will know by the Whiteness of the Menstruum All the Salt being extracted draw off the Water of Honey edulcorate the Salt distilling and clarifying it with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine The remainder left in extracting the Salt of the Luna edulcorate and dry then pour the Spirit of Tartar to it digest fifteen days and proceed as with the Gold and you will have the Mercury of Luna of which in the Second Book for here we use it not The said Salt of Luna hath excellent Virtues for the Body of Man of which I shall treat in a place more convenient In the mean time the efficacy of the Salt and Sulphur of Luna you will learn by the Process following Take the Lazurine Sulphur of Luna dissolved in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine rectified and coagulated put it in a Cucurbit pour to it double the quantity of the Spirit of Mercury made of the White Spirit of Vitriol In like manner take the Salt of Luna extracted and clarified which mix with three times the quantity of the Spirit of Mercury lute both the Glasses and digest gently in Balneo the space of eight days and nights have a care that none of the Sulphur and Salt be lost but let them be in the same quantity as they were separated from the Silver Putrifaction being ended mix both Dissolutions and distil c. He sometimes acuated this Spirit without Metallick Salt and Sulphurs only thus 135. The Spirit of Universal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur of Sol and Luna of Basilius Libro particul in particul Lunae TAke of the Sulphur of Luna one part of the Sulphur of Sol half a part of the Spirit of Mercury six parts joyn them together lute well digest in a gentle heat and a Liquor will come over of a Red Colour distil through an Alembick so as nothing to remain This Spirit of Mercury he fermented not onely with the Sulphurs of the perfect Bodies but sometimes added to them withal the Sulphur of some imperfect Metal as Mars thus 136. The Spirit of Universal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur of Sol and Mars of Basilius Libro partic in partic Solis TAke of the Sulphur of Sol and of the Sulphur of Mars equal parts of each of the Spirit of Mercury the heighth of two Fingers above them that the Matter may be well dissolved into a C … n Water of a Ruby Colour being mix'd distil through an Alembick that they may become one as they were 〈◊〉 first from one Stem keep it well that nothing may evaporate Besides the Sulphur of Mars he sometimes added also the Sulphur of Antimony thus 137. The Spirit of Universal Mercury acuated with the Sulphurs of Sol Mars and Antimony of Basilius Libro partic in particul Antimonii TAke of the Sulphur of Antimony two parts of the Sulphur of Sol one part mix Take of the Sulphur of Mars three parts of the Spirit of Mercury six parts being well luted di … that the Sulphur of Mars may be wholly dissolved therâ— cast in a fourth part of the Sulphur of Antimony and Sol â—ure again and digest till they be all dissolved then add another fourth part of Antimony and Sol repeating the Work as before till all be perfectly mix'd and the Matter made like a thick Red Oyl distil the whole through an Alembick Sometimes he fermented this Spirit after an unusual way namely without the Sulphur of any perfect Metal but meer imperfect onely thus 138. The Spirit of Universal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur of Mars Jupiter and Saturn of Basilius Libro partic in partic Mercurii Vivi TAke of the Soul of Mars two Ounces of the Soul of Saturn one Ounce of the Soul of Jupiter one Ounce dissolve them in six Ounces of the Spirit of Mercury being well dissolved distil them through an Alembick without any Sediment into a Golden Water like to the transparent Dissolution of Gold Tho these Menstruums of Basilius may well deserve the first place among the Dissolvents of the Adepts yet some of the Adepts made Menstruums not much inferiour to them Isaacus Hollandus not onely the better to dissolve Bodies but tinge them also deeper made his Menstruums of Tinging Menstruums and common Mercury but being satiated with the Tinctures Souls Sulphurs c. of Tinging Things Thus made he the Menstruum call'd 139. A Compounded Mercurial Water for the Red Work of Isaacus Cap. 43.3 Oper. Miner TAke Argent Vive purged with Salt and Vinegar which sublime with an equal quantity of Aes ustum Crocus of Mars Crocus of Venus and Lapis Haematites of Roman Vitriol the weight of all and a little Salt and repeat the Sublimation seven times every time with new Species and the Mercury will be sublimed for the Red. Take of Aes ustum Cinabar Crocus of Mars Venus Lapis Haematites Antimony equal parts of each of Roman Vitriol the weight of all mix and reduce to a fine Powder to which pour of Aqua Vitae compleatly rectifi'd Spirit of Philosophical Wine the height of two hands breadth digest in Balneo three days stirring the Matter daily then draw off the Aqua Vitae with a gentle Fire then increase the Fire gradually lastly force with a most strong Fire for the space of Twelve hours that all the Spirits may ascend This Work must be three times repeated with new Matters continually Take of this Water one Pound of Argent Vive sublimed for the red as much as sufficeth or you can dissolve distil and reserve Besides Mercury he sometimes added also Sulphur and Sal Armoniack sublimed for the red thus 140. The Philosophers Water made of Three Spirits of Isaacus Cap 10.3 Oper. Min. TAke of Roman Vitriol six parts of Lapis Haematites Crocus of Mars of Venus Cinabar Aes ustum Mineral Antimony of each one part dry well and mix put the Matter in a Retort and pour to it of Aqua Vitae rectifi'd Spirit of Philosophical Wine four Pounds distil and cohobate three times with the Caput Mortuum pulverized Divide the Water into two parts whereof save one in the other dissolve one Ounce of Salarmoniack sublimed to redness in Balneo which being dissolved dissolve one Ounce of Sulphur prepared
lastly also put in an Ounce of Mercury sublimed for the Red Work These three being dissolved in the Dissolving Water made of Aqua Vitae you have a Water which is deservedly called the Philosophers Water by reason of its admirable and secret Virtues the Miracles of which must not be described because not convenient for certain Reasons c. The Preparation of Sulphur Take of Sulphur Vivum 12 Pounds to which being pulverized pour distilled Philosophical Vinegar let them boyl gently in Balneo the Vessel being very close the space of three days decant the Vinegar being now tinged warily to the residue pour New Vinegar digest and decant and so often repeat till no more Vinegar will be tinged The tinged Matter distil gently in Balneo to the remainder of a fourth part from the residue you will in the space of three or four days in a cold Celler receive Cristals the graduated Vitriol of Sulphur like Niter clear as Amber and of the colour of Gold The remaining Vinegar evaporate into a Golden Powder then dissolve the Cristals and Powder in the aforesaid Vinegar and Cristallize and that so oft till the Sulphur leaves no Feces behind it This is a great Alchymical Secret for the Purging of Sulphur The Preparation of Mercury Take of Roman Vitriol by which the Adepts do more than often mean that which is graduated six or eight Pounds of common Salt two Pounds mix them together with three Pounds of Mercury purged with Salt and Vinegar sublime the Mercury and that repeat three times always with new Species keep the Mercury The Preparation of Salarmoniack Take of Salarmoniack three Pounds sublime it thrice with Roman Vitriol and Lapis haematites with New Matters every time Tho these Menstruums of Isaacus are not so much esteemed as those before of Basilius as to the Excellency of Preparation yet are they of no less but the same Virtue with those as to the quality of tinging for they are made of the same Sulphurs Crocusses and Essences of Mars Venus Sulphur c. as the compounded Mineral Menstruums of Basilius were made of Lully acuates the same Menstruums with Metallick Essences not indeed already made but to be made in the preparation of the Menstruum thus with the Stinking Menstruum acuated with Vegetable Salharmoniack he makes the Essence of Luna which being mix'd with the said Menstruum becomes a Menstruum of this Kind and is called 141. The Compounded Water of Silver of Lully Cap. 10. Practicae Testamenti majoris Pag. 161. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. IN the Power of A God take one Ounce of F clear Luna Pag. 171. well purged and refined And that Silver being well beaten extended with a Hammer into Leaves cut them into small pieces short and slender then divide them into two equal parts and take two dissolving Glasses the Form and Measure of which you will see in the Chapter of Vessels and in one of these two put one Ounce and a half of F. Menstrual Pag. 171. alleadged by us before in Numb 67. I mean the eighth part of the whole Menstrual then put in presently one part of F and be careful immediately to stop the Mouth of the Vessel with its Cover and lute the joynt well with the luting aforesaid in the Preparation of the said Menstrual or with clear and pure Wax which done put it in Balneo Mariae hot for three days that God may give you a happy day Then take F the Dissolution of the Silver and strain decant the Water into another clean Glass Vessel and incline the Vessel well and warily that the Earth of F may not be strained with the Water nor the Water troubled and stop the said Phial wherein you put the Water of F and keep it apart Then upon the Dissolving Vessel of that F which ought to be dissolved the other part of Silver to be distilled into a Menstruum put its Alembick which must be close and discreetly joyned with the luting aforesaid then place it upon Sifted Ashes and setting it on a Fornace kindle your Fire and distil put the Liquor in a Glass Phial and make a Fire of Saw-dust and when the Liquor is in a manner all distilled strengthen the Fire a little with Coals according to that which is used for the exact calcining of an Earth but keep it from too much heat for we have seen it done by the heat of the Sun understand this well unless you would be made a fool give this heat continually for eleven hours then stop the Fornace and go to sleep and in the Morning take your Calcinatory which is so called because of the property of its operation and put in the Menstrual often mentioned wherein G our Mercurial Pag. 171. or Vegetable Sal armoniack was dissolved see the Menstruum below in Numb 147. and you will see it operate and the fume ascend and the Metal calcined with Liquefaction but stop it better than before with its own stopple which goes in to the said Calcinatory and have a care of puting it into any other heat till it hath operated by its own Virtue and when it hath wrought and is quiet lute the joynt well with common Wax and being so luted put it in a hot Balneo Mariae three Natural days as you did elsewhere because it is so expedient Then distil the Water and calcine the Earth remaining in the bottom as aforesaid and repeat so oft till all the Earth is dissolved by this Method in the Form of a Liquor and the Dissolved Limus or Oyl by Art dissolved which is the Substance of a Body depurated by Water and carried by the Water of the Wind always keep apart and when it is all dissolved and distilled joyn them together then putrifie six weeks to be circulated in a temperate heat where the Vessel must be very well luted with its Cover and so ought the Figure of I to be done the composition or compounded Water of Luna Pag. 171. of the same Volume The same way sometimes he prepares the Essence of Gold with the Stinking Lunar Menstruum by addition of which he makes the same Menstruum more acute that is more noble 142. The Stinking Lunar Menstruum acuated with the Essence of Sol of Lully In Experimento 30. TAke the aforesaid Water wherein you have the Soul of Luna described in Numb 121. and dissolve in it two Ounces or one and a half of the fixed Salt of Vrine as you have it in its Experiment the sixth but produced by us in Numb 30. which being dissolved dissolve one Ounce of Gold in that Water putrefie eight days then separate the Water by Balneo and the Body will remain in the Vessel like melted honey upon which Matter pour back so much of the Distilled Water as to swim two fingers above it cover the Vessel with its Antenotorium and putrefie in Balneo the space of 24 hours then put on an Alembick with a Receiver lute the joynts well distil in Ashes lastly
three Ounces of the VVater Aqua ardens rectifyed to the highest revealed to you before and the Vessel being covered close put it in Balneo for one Natural Day then Distil in Ashes till all ascend that can then know the weight of the Salt remaining at the bottom of the Vessel and pour to it three times its weight of the aforesaid Aqua ardens and put it in our Balneo the space of one natural Day then Distil in Ashes and thus do three times Then is all the Vegetable Salt come over the Helm with its own VVater and mixture is made and the Water clear which we call Simple Menstruum My Son Take a Glass Vessel which must be white Glass and sound and it must be a large Vessel and put into it four Pounds or six at most of this Menstruum thus simply dissolved and the Vessel being well shut and sealed put it in Balneo or Dung the space of sixty Days and it will in that time be converted into a Quintessence exceeding Glorious and Odoriferous which you will know when you see in the bottom of the Vessel a Sediment like that in the Urine of a well Complexioned Youth and it will be clear and resplendent as a Star of Heaven Keep it in a hot and moist place as is a Balneo separating it first from its Sediment and sealing the Vessel well as may be Both Receipts agree in all things except that Lully calcines the dead Earth and by dissolving in common Water and calcining purifies it Parisinus not so this Earth notwithstanding seeming by this way of putrifying to be made fitter for the Reception of its Spirit The Receipts consist of these two parts the preparation of the Vegetable Sal Armoniack and the Reduction of the same Salt into a liquid Substance or Menstruum The preparation of the Sal Armoniack is effected by two Operations In the first the Soul is extracted out of the Body by Virtue of the Spirit to exanimate and fix the Earth and make it melt like Wax on a red hot Plate In the second the Soul is stored to this fixed Earth by times and this variously to make it Volatile In both Receipts as well of Lully as Parisinus the animated Spirit is restored to the Earth so exanimated in an eighth seventh sixth fifth and fourth part of its weight till it wholly evaporates upon a fiery hot Plate this method of impregnating or revivifying the Dead Body will be confirmed and illustrated by the Vegetable Sal Armoniack of Parisinus In Apertorio Cap. F. and L. and parte secunda Citharoe vel Violettoe and Cap. 5. Elucid pag. 235. Vol. 6. Theat Chym. OUr Vegetable Mercury is that Principle to be admired above all other things of this Art which consists in the preparation and ablution of its most precious Earth which is of so great Virtue as not to be comprehended by the wit of any Men those only excepted who have attained to the miraculous effects of it Our purpose is to take the matter remaining in the distillation of Philosophical Wine like melted pitch to which pour of its Death Phlegm the height of four fingers above it agitate that the tincture or unctuous superfluous part of it may be dissolved let the matter settle decant the tincture to the remaining matter pour new Phlegm agitating and decanting so oft till no more tincture ascends and the Earth remains white sparkling like a Diamond which dry in the Sun or some such heat being dryed and pulverized pour to it of C that is its ardent Spirit so much as will swim upon it the space of four Fingers digest in a blind Head three natural Days then distil with a slender heat of Ashes till the Veins disappear take away the Receiver stop it well put another to distil away all the Phlegm with a Fire somewhat stronger cool the Vessel take out the Matter being hardened pulverize and putting it in the same Vessel pour to it of C the breadth of three Fingers lute and putrefie three days take away the blind Head distil through an Alembick till the Veins ascend then change the Receiver as before repeat these Operations till the Earth remain white and fume not upon a hot Plate Now take a Phial put the aforesaid Earth into it lute well the Neck of the Phial and set it to digest or calcine rather in Ashes and you will have your most precious Earth now sit to receive its Spirit animated or Soul with the conservation of its radical moisture Take this Earth put it in a round Vessel a hands breadth deep broad about the Orifice and imbibe it with its Soul or animated Spirit as we shall declare cap. L. thus have you so full an Instruction of this Matter that 't is impossible for you to err if you be a faithful Christian I promised he goes on cap. L. to give you full direction for the making of all sorts of Sulphurs for our Magistery that is Mineral Vegetable and Animal Sulphur Wonder not that I did first sublime and vivify the Mineral Sulphur of Nature I doing this to give them in order and that you might the better attend your Practice and Theory though I know you are not ignorant that no dissolution can be made without either Vegetable or Animal Sulphur Now to our purpose Take the Vegetable Earth prepared as I taught you cap. F. imbibe it with it s animated Spirit giving an eighth part of it in respect of the Earth cover the Vessel with a Blind Head digest eight days in Balneo then lay aside this Head and draw of all the insipid moisture in a gentle heat of Ashes or of the Sun then imbibe with a seventh part digesting in Balneo and distilling in Ashes as before then imbibe with a sixth then a fifth lastly a fourth part and with this quantity repeat the rest of the imbibitions till the Earth hath drank up two parts and more of its weight Then take the Earth out of the Vessel pulverize and put a little of it upon a red hot Plate if the greatest part of it fume away put the powder into a Sublimatory and sublime the Philosophers Sal Armoniack giving the beginning of Vegetation to both the terrestrial Luminaries Gold and Silver without which neither the Vegetable nor Animal Work yea nothing at all can be done in this Magistery This Volatilization of the fixed Earth the Adepts performed other ways also not always observing the order of the aforesaid weights of the animated Spirit in the resuscitation or impregnation of the dead Body For sometimes they imbibed this exanimated Earth with an eighth part of its animated Spirit so oft till it became animated again and was made Volatile Thus Lully made his The Vegetable Sal Armoniack of Lully Libro de materia Vegetabili in practica quarta TAke excellent Wine either red or white distil by the Rule of Art an ardent Spirit burning Cotton evaporate the Phlegm till the Matter remain thick as