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
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
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
IX Vegetable Menstruums compounded made of Simple Vegetable Menstruums and Things tinging being first fixed 51. The Circulatum majus or Metallick Acetum acerrimum of Paracelsus 137 X. Vegetable Menstruums compounded made of Vegetable Menstruums compounded and Metallick Bodies 52. The Neapolitan Menstruum of Lully 144 53. The Pretious Menstruum for Pearls of Lully 146 54. The Mercurial compounded Menstruum of Lully 147 55. The sweet Spirit of Mercury of Basilius 148 56. The incalcinated Menstruum of Parisinus 149 XI Vegetable Menstruums compounded graduated made of the compounded Vegetable Menstruums impregnated with the Influences of Heaven and Earth 57. The Etherial and Terrestrial Waters of Metals of Lully 154 XII Vegetable Menstruums compounded most highly exalted made of compounded Vegetable Menstruums graduated 58. The Ethereal and Celestial Limes of Lully 163 XIII Simple Mineral Menstruums made of the Matter of Philosophical Wine only 59. The Green Lyon of Ripley 172 60. A Menstruum made of the Gum Adrop of Ripley 174 61. A Menstruum made of Red Lead of Ripley 179 62. The Simple stinking Menstruum of Ripley 181 63. The Menstruum of Sericon of Ripley 182 64. The Green Lyon of Roger Bacon 192 65. The Green Lyon of Paracelsus 198 66. The Stinking Menstruum made of the Gum Adrop and Common Vitriol of Ripley Ibid. 67. The Stinking Menstruum made of Azoquean Vitriol and Nitre of Lully 199 68. The Water calcining all Bodies of Lully 201 69. The Stinking Menstruum for reducing Metals into Argent vive of Lully 202 70. The Stinking Menstruum made of Azoquean Vitriol Common Vitriol and Nitre of Ripley Ibid. XIV Simple Mineral Menstruums made of the Acid or Saline Essences of Salt 71. The Water or Oyl of Salt of Paracelsus 211 72. The Water of Salt by another Description 214 XV. Simple Mineral Menstruums made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and Acid Spirits as Aqua fortis Spirit of Nitre c. 73. Aqua fortis mixt with the Spirit of Wine of Paracelsus 222 74. Aqua fortis mixt with the Spirit of Wine of Trithemius 223 75. Vinegar mixt with the Spirit of Wine of Basilius Ibid. 76. The Spirit of Salt of Basilius 225 77. The Spirit of Salt of Guido Ibid. 78. The Aqua fortis mixt with the Spirit of Wine of Lully Ibid. 79. Aqua fortis mixt with the Spirit of Wine of an Anonymous 226 XVI Simple Mineral Menstruums made of Philosophical Vinegar and Volatile Salts as Common Sal Armoniack Urine c. 80. The Oyl of Sal Armoniack of Guido 229 81. The Water of Sal Armoniack of Isaacus 230 XVII Simple Mineral Menstruums made of Philosophical Vinegar and fixed Salts non tinging as well vegetable as mineral 82. The Aqua comedens of Paracelsus 233 83. The fixative Water of Trithemius 234 84. The Aqua mirabilis of Isaacus 235 85. The resuscitative Water of Basilius Ibid. 86. The Water of Sallabrum of Paracelsus 236 XVIII Simple Mineral Menstrums made of Vegetable Sal Harmoniack and Acids not tinging 87. The Aqua fortis of Isaacus Hollandus 240 88. The Aqua Regis of Ripley 244 89. The Kings Bath of Basilius 245 90. A Philosophical Water for the solution of Gold of Basilius Ibid. 91. The most strong Aqua fortis of Paracelsus 247 92. The Aqua Regis of Guido Ibid. 93. The Aqua Regis of Lully 248 XIX Mineral Menstruums compounded of Philosophical Spirit of Wine and Acid Spirits not tinging Spirit of Vitriol Butter of Antimony c. 94. Spirit of Vitriol mixt with the Spirit of Wine of Lully 251 95. The Butter of Antimony mixt with the Spirit of Wine of Basil 253 96. The Water of the fourth Gradation of Paracelsus 254 97. The Water of the sixth Gradation of Paracelsus Ibid. XX. Mineral Menstruums compounded of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and other tinging things Vitriol Cinabar Antimony c. 98. The Oyl of Vitriol of Basilius 261 99. A Menstruum of Basilius made of Hungarian Vitriol 293 100. The Mineral Menstruum of Isaacus 294 101. The stinking Menstruum of Lully made of Vitriol and Cinabar 294 102. The same Ibid. 103. The stinking Menstruum of Lully made of Vitriol Cinabar and Nitre 295 104. The stinking Menstruum of Lully made of Vitriol Nitre Alume Tartar c. 296 105. The dissolving Water for the Red of Isaacus 297 106. Another 298 107. Again another 299 108. A dissolving Water of Isaacus for the White 299 109. Another 299 110. A Red Water shining Day and Night of Isaacus 300 111. Another 301 112. Again Another 303 XXI Mineral Menstruums Compounded made of Simple Mineral Menstruums and Mercury the rest of Metals and other tinging things 113. The Spirit of Venus or Spirit of Verdigreece of Basilius 306 114. The Water of Paradise of Isaacus 310 115. The Mercurial Vinegar of Trismosinus 312 116. The Mercurial Water of Trismosinus Ibid. 117. The Mercurial Water of Albertus Magnus 313 118. The Mercurial Water of Paracelsus 315 119. The stinking Menstruum of Lully 316 120. The Mercurial green Lyon of Ripley 317 121. The stinking Lunar Menstruum of Lully 317 122. The stinking Solar Menstruum of Lully Ibid 123. Philosophers Vinegar made of the Mercury of Silver of Isaacus 318 XXII Mineral Menstruums compounded of the Philosophers Vinegar and other Simple Mineral Menstruums and things tinging being first fixed 124. The Menstruum of Venus of Isaacus Hollandus 322 125. A Menstruum of Vitriol of Isaacus Hollandus 324 126. The Circulatum majus of Isaacus 332 127. The Oyl of Vitriol shining by Night of Trismosinus 335 128. The Circulatum majus of Ripley 337 129. The Metallick Acetum Acerrimum of Ripley 338 130. The Circulatum majus of Isaacus made of Sulphur 339 XXIII Mineral Menstruums compounded made of Mineral Menstruums compounded and Metallick Bodies and other tinging Things 131. The Oyl of Mars and Venus of Basilius 346 132. The S irit of Vniversal Mercury made of Vitriol of Basilius 347 133. The Oyl of Mars and Venus acuated with the Sulphur and Salt of Sol of Basilius 351 134. The Spirit of Vniversal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur and Salt of Luna of Basilius 353 135. The Spirit of Vniversal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur of Sol and Luna of Basilius 354 136. The S irit of Vniversal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur of Sol and Mars of Basilius Ibid. 137. The Spirit of Vniversal Mercury acuated with the Sulphurs of Sol Mars and Antimony of Basilius 355 138. The Spirit of Vniversal Mercury acuated with the Sulphur of Mars Jupiter and Saturn of Basilius Ibid. 139. A compounded Mercurial Water for the red Work of Isaacus 356 140. The Philosophers Water made of three Spirits of Isaacus 357 141. The compounded Water of Silver of Lully 358 142. The stinking Lunar Menstruum acuated with the Essence of Sol of Lully 360 XXIV Mineral Menstruums compounded of vegetable and mineral Menstruums mixed together 143. The Vegetable â—ire dissolved in the calcinaâ—ive Water of Lully 363 144. The
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
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
common Gold The Philosophers Green Lyon therefore is green Gold Gold vive which is not as yet fixed but left imperfect by Nature and for this reason hath it the Virtue of reducing all Bodies into their first Matter and making those Bodies which are fixed Spiritual and Volatile Tract de Adrop Pag. 547. Thirdly It may also be called Lyon because as all other Animals give place to a Lyon so all Bodies yield to the power of Gold vive which is our Mercury Tract Adrop Pag. 548. Fourthly This Noble Infant is called Green Lyon because when it is dissolved it is cloathed with a Green Garment Yet out of the Green Lyon of Fools Vitriol is with a violent Fire extracted that which we call Aqua fortis in which the said Lyon ought to be elixirated Medulla Philos Pag. 139. These things spoken of the Green Lyon are also to be understood of Adrop being a Synonymous term of the same Matter Take saith Ripley Adrop that is the Green Lyon Now as to Adrop he declared as followeth Adrop saith he is Gold and Silver in power but not in sight as Rhasis saith and our Gold and Silver according to the Philosophers is not common Gold and Silver for our Gold and Silver are airy which in order to be well fermented ought to be joyned with the beloved common Gold Forasmuch as the Philosopher saith That Adrop in its prosundity is airy Gold and Adrop it self is called Leprous Gold And to these Sayings seems to assent Guido the Greek Philosopher speaking of the Mercurial or Menstrual Spirit the Spirit or Blood of the Green Lyon which is extracted out of the Natural Adrop by Art where he writes And that Spirit is Sol extracted out of the Philosophers Solary Water Arsenick and Luna And in the same place presently adds The Body is the ferment of the Spirit and the Spirit the ferment of the Body and the Earth wherein lies the Fire dries imbibes and fixeth the Water and the Air wherein lies the Water the Air which lies in the Water it ought to be read according to the Doctrine of separating the Elements washeth tingeth and perfecteth the Earth and Fire and so Guido's Saying that they tinge and perfect ought to be understood that the Stone the Menstruum drawn from Adrop or the Green Lyon is sufficient for the compleating of it self into an Elixir and that no Exotick or Heterogeneous Matter as he affirms is or ought to be introduced to it but all the parts of it are co-essential and concrete because the Philosophers meaning was to compleat that work in a short space above the Earth which Nature scarce perfecteth in a thousand Years under the Earth Unskilfully therefore according to the Opinion of the Philosophers as Guido saith do they proceed that seek to obtain a ferment from common Silver and Gold for our select Body For that Matter in which is Argent vive clean and pure not most is ill read throughly brought to perfection by Nature is as Guido affirms after compleat purification a thousand times better than the Bodies of Sol and Luna vulgarly decocted by the Natural heat of the Sun Concord Lully Guidon Pag. 323. A certain Philosopher saith He goes on Discoursing of the same Adrop A fume white is drawn from its own Mines which if rightly gathered and again sprinkled upon its own Mines will there make a fixation and so the true Elixir will in a short space of time be produced from it And certainly without those Liquors or Spirits that is the Water and Oyl of Mercury Menstruum this Alchymical Body which is Neutral or Adrop is not purged And that is the Alchymical Body which is called Leprous Body that is black at the beginning of the Work in which as saith Vincentius in his Speculum Naturale are Gold and Silver in power and not in aspect which in the Bowels of it is also airy Gold to which no Man can attain except the unclean Body be first cleansed which is without doubt after its compleat dealbation and then it is a thousand times better than are the Bodies of common Gold and Silver decocted by Natural heat The first Matter of this Leprous Body is a viscous Water inspissated in the Bowels of the Earth Of this Body according to the Judgment of Vincentius is made the great Elixir for the red and white the Name whereof is Adrop otherwise called the Philosophers black Lead out which Raymund commands us to extract an Oyl of a Golden Colour or such like Raymund adds But this Oyl is not necessary in the Vegetable Work namely for the inceration of the Vegetable Stone because solutions and coagulations are there soon made and if you can separate it from its Phlegm and after that ingeniously find out the Secrets of it you will in thirty Days be able to perfect the Philosophers Stone For this Oyl makes Medecines Tinctures penetrable sociable and amicable to all Bodies and in the World there is not a greater Secret Medul Phil. Chym. pag. 131. Ripley hath here recited various Synonima's of this Adrop We for a time will follow the Green Lyon by the way of Philosophical Lead as we are directed by Ripley in these very Words First understand when Avecenn saith that Gold and Silver are in Lead by Power and not by sight and they are left by Nature crude and half cocted and therefore that ought to be perfectly supplyed by Art which is left imperfect by Nature and by way of a ferment digesting and cocting that which is left crude For a ferment therefore take perfect Gold for a little paululum not paulatim of their fixed substance those fixed Bodies will draw and convert much of Bodies not fixed to the perfection of Gold and Silver And thus will Art help Nature that in a little space of time that may be done above the Earth which is not in a thousand Years done under the Earth And by this means you will understand how Lead contains in it the greatest Secrets of this Art For it hath in it Argent vive clean pure odoriferous not brought by Nature to perfection And this Argent vive is the Basis and Ground-Work of our pretious Medicine as well for Metallick as Humane Bodies so as to be the Elixir of Life curing all infirmities Which the Philosopher meant saying There is in Mercury whatsoever Wise Men seek From this are the Soul Body Spirit and Tincture drawn Moreover also in this Mercury is the Philosophers Fire always burning equally within the Vessel and not without It hath also a great attractive Virtue and Power in dissolving Sol and Luna and reducing the same into their first Matter With this Mercury are to be dissolved the Calxes of the perfect Bodies in congealing the aforesaid Mercurial Spirit c. Pupilla Pag. 295. But have a care that you operate not with common Saturn because commonly it is said Eat not of the Son whose Mother is corrupted and believe that
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
inspissated into a Gum in taste like Alum is by Ripley in the Description of the antecedent Menstruum in Numb 62. called Lully's Vitriol of Azoth or Vitriolum Azoqueum Lully in practica Testamenti Cap. 9. Pag. 159. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. makes a Menstruum of B. C. D. By B. he meant the said Green Lyon or common Argent vive which as he says elsewhere is more common to Men than vulgar Argent vive B. saith he Pag. 153. of the said practica signifies Argent vive which is a common substance consisting in every corruptible Body as appears by the property of it c. By C. he intended common Niter C. saith he signifies Salt Peter which hath a common acid Nature and like Argent vive by the property of its strong acid Nature Pag. 154.4 Volum aforesaid By D. he understood Gum Adrop made of the Green Lyon D. saith he signifies Azoquean Vitriol which corrupts and confounds all that is of the Nature and Being of common Argent vive In the same place Both C. and D. he calls the purer mediums Cap. 58. Theor. Test pag. 96. You must know Son saith he our Bath you may wash the Nature of Phil Argent vive so as Nature could never do that is to make Argent vive a compleat Elixir But Phil. Argent vive and Metals being both in Nature and in your Work extreams and extreams not being able to joyn themselves without the Virtue of a middle disposition which is between the softness of Argent vive and the hardness of Metal because there is by reason of that middle disposition a Natural complyance which is the cause of Conjunction between Body and Spirit as it is in every thing generated or in capacity of being generated In Nature are many mediums whereof two are more pure and more viscous the Green Azoquean Vitriols with the stony Nature which is the Salt and Nature of Stones By the help my Son of this contemptible Matter is our Stone which we have so much sought for procreated c. With the other of these mediums C the stony Nature Salt Peter Salt of Peter or Niter we have no business at present but being solicitous of D. Gum Adrop or the Azoquean Vitriol of Lully it will be worth while to consult Lully himself Of which the Philosopher Cap. 59. Theor. Testamenti thus Son saith he the Azoquean Lyon which is called Azoquean Vitriol is by Nature made of the peculiar substance of common Argent vive which is the Natural Root from whence Metal is procreated in its own Mine By common Argent vive he meant not the Vulgar but Philosophical Argent vive the natural Root as well of Metals as Minerals When we say common Mercury saith he we speak of that which the Philosophers understand and when we name the Vulgar we speak of that which is known to the Country-men and sold in Shops Cap. 1. Lib. Mercuriorum which the following Synonyma's of this Mercury namely Chaos Nature Origo Green Lyon Argent vive Unguent Oyl Pasture and Liquor of great Value do also testifie in Cap. 45. Theor. Test pag. 75. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. This common Argent vive or Green Lyon must be purged from its Superfluities before the Aroquean Vitriol of Lully or the Gum Adrop of Ripley can be made of it You must saith he my Son being a Student of this Science be stedfast and not search after this or that because this Art is not perfected with many things and therfore we tell you there is but one only Stone that is Sulphur and one only Medicine namely the composition of Sulphur to which nothing is to be added only the Terrestrial and Phlegmatick Superfluities taken away because they are and ought to be separated from our Argent vive which is more common to men than Vulgar Argent vive and is of greater Price Merit and stronger Union of Nature from which and the first forms of it it is necessary to separate by the known degrees of separation all that belongs not to the Sal Armoniack of Metals c. Cap. 18. Theor. Test pag. 33. Volum 4. Th. Chym. We say there is but one only Philosophical Stone volatile not yet fixed or matter of a Menstruum extracted from the things aforesaid by our Magistery And therefore when it comes newly into the World you must not add any other Powder or any other Water nor anything incongruous to it more than that which is born in it being radical to its own Nature and the Mother of it which feeds and carryed it that is Sulphur which formed the Stone in a Celestial Colour But before you extract distil it the Stone throughly purge and cleanse it from all its Phlegmamatick Terrestrial and corruptible Infirmities which are contrary to its Nature because they are the death of it with which it is surrounded which do mortifie its vivificative Spirit Cap. 7. Theor. Test pag. 20 of the said Volum It is to be diligently noted that one of the two aforesaid Natural Principles Sulphur and Argent vive is more truly Natural in the whole and through the whole substance of it as well within as without and that is the pure Sulphur hot and dry introducing its form that is according to which the form of a Metal pursues a pure effect But the other Argent vive is unnatural that is inwardly natural and outwardly against Nature but the internal natural part is made proper and also con-natural to it self because it comes by its own Nature but the external part is added to it by accident and is to be naturally separated from it after the corruption Putrifaction of it wherefore it is manifest that such Argent vive is not in the whole substance of it natural in the first reception of it nor is depurated to the full unless it be depurated by the Ingenuity of Art C. 5. p. 10. Codicilli As to this Purification of Argent vive or the Green Lyon Ripley thus Wherefore saith he this Mercury the corrosive Spirit of common Vitriol is by Raymond called Our Fire against Nature Nevertheless the same thing happens in some measure to this Mercury the acidity of Vitriol as also to the other Vegetable Mercury or Green Lyon which is our natural Fire For both of them are hidden in the middle or center of their Bodies that is between the Phlegmatick Water on one side and Terrestrial Crassitude on the other side nor are they obtained without the great Industry of Philosophy and so those parts can avail us nothing except only their middle substance For saith Raymond We take neither of the first Principles because they are too simple nor of the last because they are too gross and feculent but only of the middle wherein is the Tincture and true Oyl separated from unclean Terrestreity and Phlegmatick Water Therefore saith Raymond thus The unctious Moisture is the near Matter of our Physical Argent vive pag. 289. Pupilloe Alchym Argent vive or the
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
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
the present Secret The Adepts have indeed in their Practicks described the use of Philosophical Wine without any veyl of Philosophy and amongst them Raymond and Arnold with some others have attained to the knowledge of the same but to use Ripley's expression in Medulla how it might be obtained they said not Wherefore they being silent Ripley the first and indeed the only man of all declares to us that the Key of all the more secret Chymy lyes in the Milk and Blood of the Green Lyon that is that the stinking Menstruum or the parts of it Mercury and Sulphur Virgins Milk and the Lyons Blood white and red Mercury being fourteen Days digested gently is the white and red Wine of Lully and other Adepts Nor was he satisfied in declaring this freely to us but adds Strength and Light to his Words in making a Vegetable Menstruum the Rectify'd Aqua vitae described by Lully in Potestate Divitiarum and by us in Numb 31. of the said stinking and corrosive Menstruum by which one only example he was pleased to teach us that all Vegetable Menstruums may be made of the said stinking Menstruum Lully's rectify'd Aqua vitae is made by divers Cohobations upon its own Caput Mortuum We may if we please proceed by another way or method Distil the Menstruum Foetens being fourteen Days digested and first will ascend the Aqua ardens then the Phlegm and in the bottom will remain a Matter thick as melted Pitch which are the Constitutive Principles of all Vegetable Menstruums Let us therefore desist from further pursuit of the said Green Lyon which we have pursued through the Meads and Forrest of Diana through the way of Philosophical Saturn even to the Vineyards of Philosophy This most pleasant place is allowed the Disciples of this Art to recreate themselves here after so much Pains and Sweat dangers of Fortune and Life excercising the work of Women and the sports of Children being content with the most red Blood of the Lyon and eating the white or red Grapes of Diana the VVine of which being purified is the most secret Secret of all the more secret Chymy as being the white or red Wine of Lully the Nectar of the Ancients and their only desire the peculiar refreshment of the Adopted Sons but the Heart-breaking and Stumbling-block of the Scornful and Ignorant But before we depart hence I will present you Paracelsians with another Dish and that not unsavory which is that the Virgins-milk or white Mercury otherwise the white Wine of Lully extracted out of the Green Lyon is by Paracelsus that Glue of the Eagle or Green Lyon so carefully sought for For Eagle and Green Lyon are to the Adepts Synonyma's of the same thing For thus Ripley before You will obtain the white Water which is our white Tincture our Eagle our Mercury and Virgins-milk Consequently therefore red Mercury or the red Wine of Lully is the Blood of the Red or Green Lyon For the same Lyon is called sometimes Green in his Youthful Estate sometimes red in his more grown Estate and therefore the Blood is sometimes said to be of the Green Lyon sometimes of the Red So Ripley in the Menstruum described in Numb 61. saith Take the Blood of the Red Lyon being 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 the purest Gold also elsewhere The Blood of the Lyon of a Rosey Colour But let us hear Paracelsus himself 65. The Green Lyon of Paracelsus Aurei Velleris Germ. p. 41. TAke distill'd Vinegar wherein dissolve the Green Lyon putrefie filtre the Solution draw off the Liquor in Balneo to an Oyliness this Oyl or Residue put in a Retort distil away the moisture in Sand with a gentle Fire Then increase the Fire and the Green Lyon being compelled by the strength of the Fire will yield his Glue or Air To the Caput mortuum pour its Phlegm the moisture drawn off putrefie in Dung or Balneo and distil as before and again will ascend the Spirits force it strongly and there will come a tenacious Oyl of a Citrine Colour Upon the Caput mortuum pour again the first distill'd VVater putrefie filtre and distil as before Lastly with a most strong open Fire and there will come over a Bloody Oyl which is otherwise called Fire The remaining Earth reverberate into whiteness c. Hitherto we have had the stinking Menstruums made of Azoquean Vitriol only yet sometimes the Adepts have added common Vitriol to it thus 66. The stinking Menstruum made of the Gum Adrop and Common Vitriol of Ripley Pag. 357. Viatici TAke and Grind the Gum made of Sericon with distill'd Vinegar and as much of Vitriol evaporated and first distil the VVater with a gentle Fire then with a strong receive the Oyl blood of the Lyon which separate from the VVater till you have the pure Oyl by it self Sometimes instead of common Vitriol they added common Nitre to the Azoquean Vitriol thus Lully in Practica Testamenti made his stinking Menstruum 67. The stinking Menstruum made of Azoquean Vitriol and Nitre of Lully Cap. 9. Pract. Testam p. 159. Vol. 4. The. Chym. TAke one part of D D signifies Azoquean Vitriol which destroys and confounds all that is of the Nature and Being of common Argent vive pag. 154. and half a part of C C signifies Salt Peter or Nitre pag. 154. of the same Volume which being very well ground fifted and mixed together put in a Glass Cucurbit in a Furnace and putting on an Alembick in which the Spirits are by resolution distilled and condensed lute the joynts of the Vessels with linnen Cloath impasted and steeped in luting made of VVheat-flower and the whites of Eggs that the united properties of the three Mercuries namely Saltish Vitriolick and VVatry being joyn'd and united together may be preserved And observe that the said Powders put into the Cucurbit exceed not the weight of eight Ounces and to abbreviate the time put of the like Powder into two other Cucurbits according to the weight of eight Ounces in every Cucurbit and place them upon little long Furnaces so as I shall declare in the Chapter of Furnaces put not above three Cucurbits upon one Furnace for the Fire cannot administer equal heat to more as the mixtion of Nature requires and let the said Cucurbits be placed the distance of five or six Fingers one from another and let the bottoms of the Cucurbits be luted with Potters Clay mix'd well with hair put fine Ashes well sifted and pressed the thickness of five Fingers under them and to the Beak of every Alembick put a Glass Phial with a long Neck at the end because the Receiver of those Phials must not feel the heat of the Furnace nor the Water of the Phials flow back nor the Spirits recede or fly away Then must you provide a good quantity of Saw-dust whereof take two
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
part of the Kings Crown obtained a part dissolved with a part of Sol and Luna together and putrified in this Oyl eight days and nights is changed into good Gold Praised be God Annotations THo every Mineral Menstruum is able enough to dissolve any Body whatsoever yet the Adepts thought good to acuate them yet more by the addition of Metallick Bodies that they might the better dissolve and tinge their Dissolutions In the present Receipt Basilius dissolves Mars in the Spirit of Venus described before in Numb 113. reduceth it into Vitriol and at last distils it into a Compounded Oyl Sect. 2. Cap. 4. This Menstruum he calls Oyl of the Salt of Mars Now saith he I have taught you how to extract a clear Vitriol out of Venus and to distil its Red Oyl this Oyl dissolves Mars into Vitriol and being yet once distilled strongly by a Retort you will have a Noble Tinging Oyl or Salt of Mars which is a Subject that pays Tribute to the King and enricheth him This Oyl dissolves the Purple Spiritual Gold and brings it over the Helm c. The Process of this Oyl of the Salt of Mars c. being by its brevity too obscure will be not a little illustrated by the following Spirit of Mercury 132. The Spirit of Universal Mercury made of Vitriol of Basilius Labore 2. Libri Revelat. TAke Common Copper make Verdegrese of it after the common way grind it pour to it a good quantity of Distilled Vinegar Philosophical or Vinegar mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine stir it well and the Verdegrease will be dissolved let the Feces settle and the Solution will be very pure clear and green Draw off the Vinegar in a Cucurbit to thickness and in a cold place a weighty Vitriol graduated to the highest degree will be cristallized which again dissolve in hot Water evaporate the Water till it be thick put it again in a cold place and the Vitriol will be again coagulated which solution and coagulation must be three times repeated and the purification of the Vitriol will be perfect Let the Phlegm evaporate from this Vitriol in a Calcining Pot and calcine it till it begins to be red that is enough Then take pure Flints calcine and being red hot quench them in Distilled Vinegar repeat some certain times till they be well calcined Then again calcine and when they are a little cool pour to them Philosophical Vinegar made hot and let them be gradually dried Of these little Stones thus prepared take one part of the Vitriol now calcined two parts grind and mix put the Matter in an Earthen Retort that will not suck up the Spirits or in a Glass Retort well luted put a large Receiver to it and the Vessel being well luted kindle a Fire by degrees the space of 24 hours then give a stronger Fire 24 hours more and the Green Spirits will come over White and the Fire being thus continued Red Drops at last Keep this violent Fire till all the Spirits and Drops are gone over then put the Distillation in a Cucurbit and the Vessel being very close rectifie it in Balneo with a most gentle Fire and the Phlegme will ascend but in the bottom of the Cucurbit will remain the Oyl of Vitriol red and ponderous This Work being finished Take pure Filings of Iron put them in a Cucurbit pour to them the said Oyl of Vitriol so as to swim above them add so much distilled Rain Water till you see that the Oyl dissolves the Iron then draw of the Phlegme by Disâ—illation and let the remainder cristallize in a cold place into pure Vitriol and thus are Mars and Venus joyned together This Vitriol calcine it under a Tyle and stir it with an Iron Hook into a fine reddish Powder This Powder put into a Glass Retort well luted and the Vessels being very close distil by degrees of Fire as you distilled the Oyl aforesaid and first you will have a White Spirit which is the Philosophers Mercury then a Red Spirit which is the Philosophers Sulphur an incombustible Oyl compounded of both the Tinctures of Venus and Mars never to be separated and this is the Blood of the Green and Red Lyon with which the King their Father ought to be nourished draw of the Plegms from this Oyl in Balneo and it is prepared for Gold to be tinged with it Take the Caput Mortuum which is of a Beautiful Crimson Colour grind it to a most fine Powder put it in a Glass pour Philosophical Vinegar distilled to it digest three days in a gentle heat to extract the Salt wherein lye the Treasures of the whole World without which Salt all labour would be in vain draw off the Vinegar in Ashes and the Salt will remain in the Glass to which pour the aforesaid Oyl of Venus and Mars in a Glass Retort and the Salt will be presently dissolved and then distil with the same violence as before and the Oyl will carry its own Spirit of Salt over with it which rectify once in Balneo and it will be ten times stronger than before and you have the incombustible Oyl of Mercury Sulphur and Salt issuing out of one root prepared this Oyl is the true first Matter of Metals and the true root from which Gold is generated This Spirit of Mercury ye searchers of Nature has been to my knowledge detrimental to many unwary men seeking after it either too inconsiderately or arrogantly which to prevent for the future I will somewhat more clearly manifest the Nature Qualities and Original of it Common Verdegrese reduced into Vitriol by Vinegar then three times dissolved in common Water and coagulated must be calcined to redness in an open Vessel that the superfluous Phlegm may be drawn away and made fitter for the ensuing Distillation But whoever calcined Verdegrese purified in Apothecaries Shops call'd the flowers of Verdegrese to redness without the diminution of its Virtues Who I say has distil'd a most Red Oyl out of this calcined Powder Verdegrese therefore must be dissolved not in common but Philosophical Vinegar in order to be not only purified but reduced also into Vitriol graduated to the highest In the 20th Kind Basilius distils the same Red Oyl of Venus ponderous as Lead or Gold thick as Blood and of a fiery quality that is of extream acidity out of Roman Vitriol being highly graduated that is either macerated or throughly dissolved in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine In the 21th Kind We took Notice that the same Vitriol of Copper or Verdegrese being purified with common Vinegar was reduced into a graduated Vitriol not indeed by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine alone but with the juice of Sowre Grapes that is mix'd with common Vinegar or some other stronger Acid and then distilled into the Oyl of Venus If Metals Minerals and all other Acids dissolved in acids and reduced into Vitriols be so graduated with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or Philosophical Vinegar that the
increase the fire extreamly and that which comes over keep very close for it is the animated Spirit or Soul of the Gold From the Receipts we observe 1. THat the Menstruums of this Kind are more noble than those of the 20th and 21th Kinds there the Essences or Magisteries of Metals were dissolved in Simple Mineral Menstruums but here in the same compounded 2. That these Menstruums differ not from the Menstruums of the Tenth Kind but in the addition of Acidity dissolve a Menstruum of the said Kind in what Acid you will and it will be forthwith transformed into a Menstruum of this Kind 3. That these Menstruums are by Digestion made sweet again and Vegetable as before 4. That these Menstruums are not satiated but by their Dissolutions augmented as well in quantity as quality in infinitum 5. That the Spirit of Universal Mercury or first Matter of Metals of Basilius is by him also called Mercury duplicated wherein the Kings Mantle is to be dissolved Sect. 1. Cap. de Sulphure Mercurii Sect. 2. de Vitriolo Phil. and Sect. 2. Cap. 4. de Vitriolo Veneris In another place the Sulphur of Mars and Venus duplicated Sect. 1. Cap. 3. de dulph Martis Veneris In another place the Soul of Mars and Venus as in Particul Veneris 6. That this duplicated Mercury is made much better by adding the Kings Mantle the Crocus of Sol Luna and other Metals That the Menstruums of almost all Kinds are promiscuously called Philosophers Mercuries but of these more copiously and more exactly in the Third Book 7. That the Spirit of Universal Mercury of Basilius is the same with the Magisteries of Mars and Venus made after the Mineral way dissolve the Magisteries of Mars and Venus in the common Spirit of Vitriol and by this simple Dissolution you will make the same Spirit of Universal Mercury 8. That as Mars and Venus so also Jupiter and Saturn and the rest of the Metals may be made into the said first Matters that is of the same Virtues with the first Matter of Mars and Venus as to the faculty of dissolving But Mars and Venus are preferred for the excellency and exuberance of their Tinctures The Four and Twentieth KIND Mineral Menstruums compounded of Vegetable and Mineral Menstruums mix'd together 143. The Vegetable Fire dissolved in the Calcinative Water of Lully Pag. 363. Magiae Naturalis TAke of the Vegetable Water acuated the Metallick Soul of Lully described in Numb 5. one Ounce put it in a Phial with a long Neck into which you poured three Ounces of the Calcinative Water the Mineral Menstruum described in Numb 68. and suddenly cover the Phial with its Cover luted close with Wax then place it well in a Balneo the space of two Natural days and in that time the whole Vegetable will be converted into Clear Water Animadversions THe Adepts acuated the Spirit of Philosophical Wine divers ways and reduced it into several as well Vegetable as Mineral Menstruums in the antecedent Kinds Now in this 24th and last Kind of Menstruums they mix not either common Oyly or Arid or Acid Matters with the Vnctious Spirit of Philosophical Wine as they did in the aforesaid Compositions of Menstruums but joyn Vegetable and Mineral Menstruums already perfected together in order to make Menstruums of this Kind The like Menstruum almost is made by Luly and call'd 144. The Vegetable Heaven dissolved in a Mineral Menstruum of Lully Pag. 59. Testam Novissimi TAke of the Stinking Menstruum described in Numb 99. one Pound add one Pound or half a Pound which will be enough of Aqua Vitae most perfectly rectified Philosophical described in Numb 30. and acuated with the sublimed Salt of Tartar in Numb 17. or Wine Hold the Vessel in your hands and do not put it on the ground or any other place till the fury of the ebullition is over and it is a mixture of a Vegetable with a Mineral seal it with Wax and let it stand a day then put it two days in Balneo and distil in Ashes and you will have a limpid clarify'd and ponderous Water then put it in a Circulating Vessel very well sealed the space of sixteen days in Balneo conveniently till you return and see the Water well united and at the bottom of the Vessel in the form of a Cristalline Salt keep it The same Menstruum but of different weight he made elsewhere he added half a part of the Vegetable Menstruum to one part of the Stinking Menstruum in the antecedent but in the following Menstruum he takes more of the Vegetable than Mineral Menstruum 145. Ice compounded of Vegetable and Mineral Menstruums of Lully Pag. 68. Testam Noviss TAke of the Mineral G or Stinking Menstruum three Ounces and of Aqua Vitae rectifi'd and acuated with the Salt of Tartar four Ounces put them together in a Glass and distil nine times in Balneo and in that time it will be all converted into one as Ice Ripley mix'd vegetable and mineral Menstruums thus 146. The Aqua Mirabilis of Ripley Pag. 212. Philorcii TAke the Tartar calcined white as Snow grind it upon a Marble and incerate it with Aqua Vitae fortified with its Species as is premised with the Menstruum described in Numb 8. till it be as thin paste then put it in a Circulating Vessel and circulate the Water till it is wholly dried up in the Tartar repeat the same Work and so continue till it hath drank off the Water double its part and quantity in weight which done grind the Tartar and lay it upon a Stone or hang it in a Linnen Bag and put a Glass under to receive the droppings of it and this must be done in a place under ground till all the Tartar is distilled into clear Water out of which after Distillation and Coagulation is made a wonderful Salt of Nature which the Philosophers call Salt-peter and incombustible Sulphur properly the volatile Salt of Tartar which fixeth any Argent Vive But to have perfect Aqua Vitae requisite for this Work put Philosophical Wine in a Circulatory for a hundred days to be circulated with its Species and then extract Aqua Vitae out of it the Menstruum in Numb 23. because if you put to it as much Salharmoniack sublimed as Tartar one drop of it after it is perfected suddenly kills a Cancer in the Flesh of Man and if it be dropped upon ones hand penetrates it and dissolves every Body Without this Water we profit little in this Art and he that has this Water will not in the least doubt of compleating the Art But this Water is made twice as strong if an equal quantity of the Mineral Spirit which is the Philosophers acute Water the Green Lyon of Ripley in Numb 59. be added to it and then circulated upon the Tartar and upon the Sal harmoniack to spissity and then dissolved into Water which if done this Water will be of greater value than any Gold and