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
a Retort and administer Fire till Mercury vive is gone over into the Receiver sublime again as before with the same new Matters then as before vivify by a Retort thus repeat the Magistery four times Then take this Mercury thus prepared and make it boyl with Philosophical Aqua Vitoe being dryed press it through a Goats Skin Then take this Mercury and put it in Vessels three Aludells which must be firmly and strongly joyned together and covered on all sides with strong lutum sapientioe then prepare a Furnace in which these Vessels may be fitly placed so as that they may all have equal heat but the Receiver must by no means feel the Fire so also the Beak of the first Vessel through which the Mercury is to pass must be out of the Furnace Then give Fire to the said Vessels so as to be red hot both within and without then put in the Mercury through the Pipe on the outside of the Furnace and presently stop the Mouth of the Pipe with Cotton and by the sharpness of the Fire part of the Mercury will in a short time distil into the Receiver but one part in the likeness of Water separate the Water from the Mercury and keep it but that which remains quick cast again into the said Vessel as before so oft till it be through the sharpness of the Fire all converted into Water empty the Receiver every time into another Vessel and keep it well stopp'd Then take of this Water four Ounces and of the Oyl or Salt of the first Experiment Salt of Tartar impregnated with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine one Ounce make it go over together with the said Salt distilling that Water in Ashes with a most gentle heat at first then in the end increasing the Fire till more will not distil Then take new Salt or Oyl of the same first Experiment and joyn it with that Water a little before distilled and make it go over again distilling by Ashes as before but this Magistery you must repeat five times mixing one Ounce of the said Salt or Oyl of the first Experiment every time with three Ounces of the said Water distilling as before in Ashes with the same degree of Fire and the same weight as before as well of the Water as of the Salt or Oyl And by this means will you by the help of God have a Mineral and Vegetable Water united together which hath the power of dissolving Mercury and all Metals especially the two Luminaries For the multiplication of this Water you must proceed thus Take one Ounce of Mercury purged and five Ounces of the said sharp Water now prepared joyn these two together in a small Cucurbit lute it well then will the Mercury be forthwith dissolved which dissolution put in a little Urinal with an Alembick and Receiver the Joynts well luted distilling in Ashes and it will all come over into a Water some Terrestreity of no moment being left in the bottom of the Vessel Then may you this way multiply the saâ—d Water as much as you will viz. by taking five parts oâ— it and one of Mercury purged dissolving first and distilling through an Alembick as before He revivisies Mercury sublimate to be purged after the common way by the Oyl of Tartar and quick Lime being now purged to digests it in Aqua Vitae that is Philosophical for common Spirit of Wine would be here of no effect wherein this digestion with Philosâ—phical Aqua Vitae much of the permanent unctuâ—sity sticks to the Aâ—gent vive altering it exceedingly then he puts it into divers Aludels joyned together and to the Receiver and made red hot in order to be converted into a Mercurial Water The way of distilling by Vessels red hot I find in many places to have been much in use among the Adepts but whether they contrived this way for the abbreviating or more exquisite way of operating or for what other cause I know not Basilius Lib. particularium in particul Solis distils not Mercury but Gold often extinguished in the Philosophical Aqua Vitae through a hot Vessel into a red Liquor Take of Aurum fulminans saith he one part of the Flowers of Sulphur three parts calcine with a gentle Fire till the Sulphur be consumed the red hot matter extinguish in the Spirit of Wine acuated with some drops of the Spirit of Tartar the Vegetable Menstruum made of the Salt of Tartar decant the Spirit and the powder dry at the Fire to which being dryed add again three parts of the Flowers of Sulphur calcine and quench as before This Work repeat six times that the powder of the Gold may be made like Butter soft and fat which must be carefully dryed because it melts with a little Fire this powder being a little heated put into a Retort with a Pipe and made red hot and the Pipe being presently stopp'd distil the red drops falling into good Spirit of Wine put before into the Receiver If the Gold being divers times extinguished in the Spirit of Philosophical Wine is made soft and fat why might not this be also done in common Mercury digested according to the Receipt in the same Spirit of Wine But suppose Lully propos'd it only to himself to reduce Argent vive into a common acid Liquor yet does he out of this with the addition of the Salt of Tartar of the first Experiment make a Vegetable Menstruum of the Fifth Kind with which he dissolves common Argent vive and reduceth it into a Mercurial Water then he dissolves common Mercury by this Mercurial Water and draws it off so as to remain in the Form of an Oyl which Oyl of Mercury being dissolved in the Vegetable Heaven he circulates and being circulated calls it the incalcinated Menstruum If instead of the Oyl of Mercury you take crude Mercury reduced into the true first matter of Mercury and acuate the Vegetable Heaven with this Mercurial Sal Armoniack you will make the same yea a much better incalcinated Menstruum The way of making the Sulphur of Nature of common Argent vive is this following The Mercurial Sal Armoniack or Mercury of the Mercury of Lully In Experim 18. TAke Mercury being twice sublimed with Vitriol and Salt put the sublimate upon an Iron Plate being first very well pulverized add to it two Ounces of Tin calcined then set it in a moist place and it will be dissolved sublime again and lay it upon an Iron Plate as before and it will be all dissolved and thus may you dissolve as much Mercury as you please then take this Water and rectify it seven times in Ashes or till it will yield no more Terrestreity then distil it in Balneo with an easie heat and distil one part of ten which is of no use being Phlegm which it contracted in the moist place then know the weight of the Water remaining in the bottom and to every four Ounces put one Ounce of the Vegetable Salt of the first
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
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
of Mercury and the Stinking Menstruum thus 119. The Stinking Mercvrial Menstruum of Lully Pag. 63. Testam Novissimi TAke of the Stinking Menstruum four Pounds and put in one pound of Mercury Vive put the Matter in Balneo or Horse Dung six days and it will be all converted into Water distil by Balneo and you will have a Mercurial Water truly Mineral Ripley followed his Master in the way of making the Mercurial Water as followeth 120. The Mercurial Green Lion of Ripley Pag. 310. Pupillae Alchymicae TAke Mercury sublimed with Vitriol and common Salt to the quantity of 20 or 40 Pounds in my opinion two or four ought to be read that you may have enough Grind it well into Powder and put it in a Glass Vessel very large and strong pour to it so many Pounds of the most strong Water the Stinking Menstruum is the strongest Water in the World Pag. 138. Medullae as there are Pounds of Mercury Shake them soundly together and the Vessel will become so hot that you can scarce touch it stop it well and let it stand nine days in a cold place shaking it strongly three or four times each day Which done put the Vessel in a Fornace of Ashes and with a most gentle heat distil away all the Aqua Vitae Menstruum which keep safe by it self then immediately add another Receiver well luted kindle a most strong Fire and continue it till all the Golden Liquor is wholly distilled The same ways as the Mercurial Waters are made may also be made Menstruums of this Kind out of the other Metals thus 121. The Stinking Lunar Menstruum of Lully In Experimento 29. TAke of the aforesaid Mineral Water described in Numb 104. as you have it in the former Experiment Numb 26. six or eight Ounces dissolve in it one Ounce of Luna which dissolution put into a small Retort to be distilled by Ashes which Distillation ceasing increase the Fire as much as possible and when no more moisture will with this degree of Fire distil cool the Vessel receive the Distilled Water wherein is the Soul of Luna and secure it from respiring Thus also Lully prepares the Water of Sol. 122. The Stinking Solar Menstruum of Lully In Experim 31. TAke the Aqua Fortis or Mineral Water described in Numb 104. as above and in every Pound thereof dissolve three Ounces of the Animal Salt prepared and fixed as you have it in its Sixth Experiment Which being dissolved dissolve therein two Ounces of Gold cemented as you know after that putrefie eight days then distill by Balneo Now that which remains at the bottom will be like melted Honey upon which Matter pour again some of its own Water distilled by Balneo so as to swim two fingers above it putrefie for a natural day then taking away the Antenotorium put on an Alembick with a Receiver so close as not to respire Distil by Ashes till no more will distil then increase the Fire a little that part of the Air may pass into the Water and lastly increase the Fire that also the Element of Fire may pass through the Alembick and when nothing will distil with this last degree of Fire cool the Vessel take away the Receiver with its Distilled Water and keep it well stopp'd Isaacus Hollandus made a Mercurial Water sometimes with the Mercury of Luna thus 123. Philosophers Vinegar made of the Mercury of Silver of Isaacus Cap. 99. 2. Oper. Min. Pag. 492. Vol. 3. Th. Cym. TAke of the Calx of Luna one Pound of Sal armoniack which must be clear and transparent as Cristal without moisture a fourth part being ground put them in a Stone Jugge then take Philosophical Vinegar distilled five or six times from its Phlegme so as to leave no Feces empty the Vinegar into another Stone Jugge and having put on an Alembick place it in Balneo The Jugge which the ground Calx is in lute well to the beak of the Alembick and let the Luting be throughly dried Then make Fire under the Balneo and distil the Vinegar leasurely upon the Calx of Luna and so many Pounds as you have of the Calx of Luna so many four Pounds of Vinegar distil upon it and when all the Vinegar is distilled let it cool gently the space of three days before you remove the Jugge for if you remove it sooner the Vinegar Luna and Sal armoniack will run over and you will retain nothing so vehement is that Matter for Cold and Hot do come together and when you would remove it have a Glass Stopple ready fitted to the mouth of the Jugge or Receiver which you must presently lute to it that the Virtue may not evaporate Then set the Jugge in Balneo let the Fire be no hotter than your hand can well endure in the Water up to the Knuckles or then may be drunk without burning and thus keep it the space of six weeks Then let it be cold break it and presently lute an Alembick to the Jugge very firmly and put a Receiver to the Beak distil in a temperate Balneo whatsoever will distil and when now no more distils take it out and put it in Ashes lute the Receiver again to the Beak and first apply a gentle heat then sometimes a stronger till your Mercury begins to sublime with the Sal armoniack as white as Snow and hanging to the White Matter with clear Fibers then keep it thus till you see it sublimes not in the same heat to extract the Mercury purely out of the Earth Then let it cool take away the Alembick take out the Mercury being sublimed with the Sal armoniack which are sublimed into a Mass together which weigh that you may know how much Mercury you sublimed out of the Calxes of Luna for you knew how much Sal armoniack you put into the Jugge Then put the Sublimate again into a Glass and again sublime that you may see whether any Feces remain for you must repeat the Sublimation till no Feces remain Keep this Mercury till I teach you what to do with it You must know that in that Vessel wherein you sublimed the Mercury with the Sal armoniack is the Body commonly called Caput Mortuum or Element of Earth with its Oyl or Fire this take out and weigh that so you may the better know how much Mercury you sublimed also out of it for you knew how much of the Calx of Luna you had in the Jugge so you may certainly know how much you have out of it Then put your Salt or Earth into a Glass and pour Distill'd Vinegar upon it and dissolve it into a pure Water if it yields any Feces pour off the top gradually and congeal again till it leaves no more Feces then congeal again Then have you your Salt prepared with your Earth clear as Cristal Now take your Sublimed Mercury and Sal armoniack and your clear Salt and grind them together upon a Marble dry being ground put all the
lastly also put in an Ounce of Mercury sublimed for the Red Work These three being dissolved in the Dissolving Water made of Aqua Vitae you have a Water which is deservedly called the Philosophers Water by reason of its admirable and secret Virtues the Miracles of which must not be described because not convenient for certain Reasons c. The Preparation of Sulphur Take of Sulphur Vivum 12 Pounds to which being pulverized pour distilled Philosophical Vinegar let them boyl gently in Balneo the Vessel being very close the space of three days decant the Vinegar being now tinged warily to the residue pour New Vinegar digest and decant and so often repeat till no more Vinegar will be tinged The tinged Matter distil gently in Balneo to the remainder of a fourth part from the residue you will in the space of three or four days in a cold Celler receive Cristals the graduated Vitriol of Sulphur like Niter clear as Amber and of the colour of Gold The remaining Vinegar evaporate into a Golden Powder then dissolve the Cristals and Powder in the aforesaid Vinegar and Cristallize and that so oft till the Sulphur leaves no Feces behind it This is a great Alchymical Secret for the Purging of Sulphur The Preparation of Mercury Take of Roman Vitriol by which the Adepts do more than often mean that which is graduated six or eight Pounds of common Salt two Pounds mix them together with three Pounds of Mercury purged with Salt and Vinegar sublime the Mercury and that repeat three times always with new Species keep the Mercury The Preparation of Salarmoniack Take of Salarmoniack three Pounds sublime it thrice with Roman Vitriol and Lapis haematites with New Matters every time Tho these Menstruums of Isaacus are not so much esteemed as those before of Basilius as to the Excellency of Preparation yet are they of no less but the same Virtue with those as to the quality of tinging for they are made of the same Sulphurs Crocusses and Essences of Mars Venus Sulphur c. as the compounded Mineral Menstruums of Basilius were made of Lully acuates the same Menstruums with Metallick Essences not indeed already made but to be made in the preparation of the Menstruum thus with the Stinking Menstruum acuated with Vegetable Salharmoniack he makes the Essence of Luna which being mix'd with the said Menstruum becomes a Menstruum of this Kind and is called 141. The Compounded Water of Silver of Lully Cap. 10. Practicae Testamenti majoris Pag. 161. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. IN the Power of A God take one Ounce of F clear Luna Pag. 171. well purged and refined And that Silver being well beaten extended with a Hammer into Leaves cut them into small pieces short and slender then divide them into two equal parts and take two dissolving Glasses the Form and Measure of which you will see in the Chapter of Vessels and in one of these two put one Ounce and a half of F. Menstrual Pag. 171. alleadged by us before in Numb 67. I mean the eighth part of the whole Menstrual then put in presently one part of F and be careful immediately to stop the Mouth of the Vessel with its Cover and lute the joynt well with the luting aforesaid in the Preparation of the said Menstrual or with clear and pure Wax which done put it in Balneo Mariae hot for three days that God may give you a happy day Then take F the Dissolution of the Silver and strain decant the Water into another clean Glass Vessel and incline the Vessel well and warily that the Earth of F may not be strained with the Water nor the Water troubled and stop the said Phial wherein you put the Water of F and keep it apart Then upon the Dissolving Vessel of that F which ought to be dissolved the other part of Silver to be distilled into a Menstruum put its Alembick which must be close and discreetly joyned with the luting aforesaid then place it upon Sifted Ashes and setting it on a Fornace kindle your Fire and distil put the Liquor in a Glass Phial and make a Fire of Saw-dust and when the Liquor is in a manner all distilled strengthen the Fire a little with Coals according to that which is used for the exact calcining of an Earth but keep it from too much heat for we have seen it done by the heat of the Sun understand this well unless you would be made a fool give this heat continually for eleven hours then stop the Fornace and go to sleep and in the Morning take your Calcinatory which is so called because of the property of its operation and put in the Menstrual often mentioned wherein G our Mercurial Pag. 171. or Vegetable Sal armoniack was dissolved see the Menstruum below in Numb 147. and you will see it operate and the fume ascend and the Metal calcined with Liquefaction but stop it better than before with its own stopple which goes in to the said Calcinatory and have a care of puting it into any other heat till it hath operated by its own Virtue and when it hath wrought and is quiet lute the joynt well with common Wax and being so luted put it in a hot Balneo Mariae three Natural days as you did elsewhere because it is so expedient Then distil the Water and calcine the Earth remaining in the bottom as aforesaid and repeat so oft till all the Earth is dissolved by this Method in the Form of a Liquor and the Dissolved Limus or Oyl by Art dissolved which is the Substance of a Body depurated by Water and carried by the Water of the Wind always keep apart and when it is all dissolved and distilled joyn them together then putrifie six weeks to be circulated in a temperate heat where the Vessel must be very well luted with its Cover and so ought the Figure of I to be done the composition or compounded Water of Luna Pag. 171. of the same Volume The same way sometimes he prepares the Essence of Gold with the Stinking Lunar Menstruum by addition of which he makes the same Menstruum more acute that is more noble 142. The Stinking Lunar Menstruum acuated with the Essence of Sol of Lully In Experimento 30. TAke the aforesaid Water wherein you have the Soul of Luna described in Numb 121. and dissolve in it two Ounces or one and a half of the fixed Salt of Vrine as you have it in its Experiment the sixth but produced by us in Numb 30. which being dissolved dissolve one Ounce of Gold in that Water putrefie eight days then separate the Water by Balneo and the Body will remain in the Vessel like melted honey upon which Matter pour back so much of the Distilled Water as to swim two fingers above it cover the Vessel with its Antenotorium and putrefie in Balneo the space of 24 hours then put on an Alembick with a Receiver lute the joynts well distil in Ashes lastly
Life And I said that the most High created the Quintessence which is by the Art of man extracted from the Body of Nature created by God And I will name it by its three Names attributed to it by the Philosophers It is called Aqua ardens Anima or Spiritus Vini and Aqua Vitoe And when you have a mind to conceal it call it Quintessence because this is its Nature and this is its Name the greatest Philosophers have been willing to disclose to no man but caused the Truth to be buried with them And that it is not moist as the Element of Water is demonstrated because it burns which is a thing repugnant to Elementary Water That it is not hot and moist as Ayr is declared because dry Ayr may be corrupted with every thing as appears in the generation of Spiders but that remains always uncorrupt if it be kept from expiring That it is not dry and cold as Earth is expresly manifest because it is exceeding sharp and heats extreamly And that it is not hot and dry as Fire is apparent to the Eye because it infrigidates hot things and wastes and eradicates hot Diseases That it conduceth to incorruptibility and preserves from corruptibility I will demonstrate by an Experiment for if any Bird whatsoever or piece of Flesh or Fish be put into it it will not be corrupted so long as it shall continue therein how much more will it therefore keep the animated and living Flesh of our Body from all corruption This Quintessence is the humane Heaven which the most High created for the preservation of the four Qualities of mans Body as Heaven for the preservation of the whole Universe And know of a certain that the modern Philosophers and Physicians are altogether ignorant of this Quintessence and of the truth and virtue thereof But by the help of God I will hereafter declare to you the Magistery of it And hitherto I have taught you a Secret the Quintessence that is the humane Heaven Cap. 2. Lib. Essentioe 9. Lastly That many Receipts more obscure and otherwise intelligible by no man are by these illustrated The Second KIND Simple Vegetable Menstruums made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and the hottest Vegetables Herbs Flowers Roots c. being Oyly 5. The. Anima Metallica or Lunaria Coelica of Lully Described in Composit Animae Transmut pag. 193. Vol. 3. Theat Chym. FIrst you must know that the Matter of our Stone or of all the Stones of the Philosophers together with Precious Stones which are generated or compounded by Art is this Metallick Soul and our Menstruum rectify'd and acuated or the Lunaria Coelica which among the Philosophers is called Vegetable Mercury produced from Wine red or white as is clearly manifest being revealed to us by God in our Figura Individuorum Distinct 3. Libri Quint. Essent c. But first it is expedient to draw our Menstruum by Art from Death that is the Impurities and Phlegm of Wine by the Office of an Alembick and to acuate it in distillation with pertinent Vegetables such as are Apium sylvestre Squilla Solatrum Carduus Oliandrum Piper nigrum Euphorbium Viticella or Flammula and Pyrethrum an equal quantity of all and pulverized Then the Menstruum must be circulated continually for the space of ten days in hot Dung or Balneo Marioe Annotations THE Vnctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine attracts none but the Vnctious natural Essences of Vegetables as we shall observe below in the Book of Medecines Essences being thus extracted as also all other Oyly things crude or expressed and all distilled of both Kingdoms Animal and Vegetable this Spirit of Wine doth by simple digestion divide into two distinct parts two Oyls or Fat 's whereof one is the Essence of the thing the other the Body The Essence so made we named the Second Spirit of Wine Both Essences this by Division and that by Extraction prepared are by longer digestion made one with the aforesaid Spirit of Wine For those things which are of one and the same purity and of a symbolical Nature are easily mix'd together and that inseparably and so an Essence made by an Essence is joyned to that Essence And if we protract Digestion further one of the Fat 's namely the Body less Oyly and therefore left hitherto is at length received also into a symbolical Nature by reason of which mixtion not only is the Spirit multiplied but also made fitter for the Dissolutions of dry things because the Particles of this Body less Oyly incline to dryness concerning which way we treat in this Receipt in the Prescription of which the Oyl drawn out of Oyly Vegetables is by distillation together with the Spirit of Philosophical VVine circulated into a Magistery or double Essence Natural and Artificial of which lower in its place by which the Spirit of Wine is multiplied and made more homogeneous to dry Bodies There is the same Menstruum but a little otherwise described in his Natural Magick pag. 358. thus Take Nigrum nigrius Nigro and distil ten or eight parts of the same in a Glass-Vessel and in the first distillation you must receive only one half this again distil and hereof take a fourth part and the third distillation you must take in a manner all and so distil that part eight or nine times and it will be perfect but not rectified under one and twenty Distillations Take of this VVater a quarter of a pound and acuate the same by distilling it with the Vegetables which are Apium Sylvestre and so of the rest of which was spoken above in Anima Transmutationis in the Chapter which begins First you must know c. And then put it into a Vessel of Circulation in hot dung or in the remains of a Wine-press with the preservation of the Species Which water is also one of the things without which nothing can be effected in the Magistery of this Art That Menstruum which ought to be drawn from the Death of Wine by the Office of an Alembick acuated with the said Vegetables and at length circulated is the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which is by these degrees so exalted as to be by Lully deservedly called the Matter of all the Stones of the Philosophers and vertuous Stones that is Precious Stones Anima Metallica and Lunaria Coelica which also is called Vegetable Mercury deduced from Wine red or white The Matter of which this Menstruum is made is called Wine in the former Receipt the Menstruum must be extracted from the Death of Wine But in the latter it is called Nigrum nigrius Nigro To these two Lully adds a third synonimous pag. 1. Test novissimi Take red Wine which we call the Liquor of Lunaria and Nigrum nigrius Nigro By which synonimous Terms none but a Fool can understand Common Wine for the common Spirit herefrom distilled is altogether insufficient to perform such and so great things yea all the Arcanums of the more secret Chymy which
we are solicitous to describe would be prostituted to all men were this one only Word literally understood by Wine therefore is meant a Philosophical Secret hidden from all the unexpert It is expedient to draw from the Death of Wine by the Office of an Alembick that is we must rectifie so often till it become most pure without the Foeces and Phlegm of Wine which is by Lully called the Death of the Spirit It is saith he purged from all its Superfluity and Phlegmatick corruptible matter which is its Death and which mortifies its Spirit which hath the power of vivifying its Earth let therefore the corruptible Phlegm be purged and separated from it by a subtil method which I will tell you For what reason because if it be not well purged its Earth will never become white nor will Matrimony be made between the Body and Spirit and so that Spirit is call'd the Spirit of the Stone in Apertorio The Method of Rectification omitted in the former Receipt is described in the latter as also in Epistola accurtatoria This Rectification of Philosophical Wine Sendivogius understood not as appears by the Sixth of his Epistles Brux 25. Martii 1646. Where thus The second Article my Companion of the Pagesian work endeavours to repeat the mysterious way of extracting and preparing Mercury more than needed the Authority of Lully being misunderstood and the Precepts of other Philosophers ill applied he commanding the tenth part of his Magnesia first ascending by distillation to be saved as the only useful and truly Mercurial substance but the other nine parts proceeding by continuance of distillation to be cast away as of no use to this end that the said tenth part reserved might at length be restored to the Earth remaining after compleat distillation which Earth is foolishly supposed to be the Salt and Sulphur of Mercury and by repeated cohobations inhumations digestions and sublimations described by him united but it is a grievous Error for that which Authors declare concerning the tenth part containing the Spirit and of inhumations in its own Earth is otherwise referred than to the extraction and preparation of Mercury as shall be elsewhere in time demonstrated nor for the said extraction and preparation of Mercury is there any Rule to be used besides the bare distilling of Magnesia whereby the Spirit and Oyl are together elevated to a Siccity even of the Foeces and separation of the Spirit from the Oyl and rectification of the same Spirit oftentimes repeated But these things we will in their proper place more amply treat of in the Method of operating Parisinus a Disciple of Lully will correct Sendivogius who learnt of Lully to rectifie his Spirit of Philosophical Wine after this manner Take A Chaos our Vegetable Mercury in which the four Elements are found confused pag. 271. Vol. sext Theat Chym. and put it in a Vessel to be distilled through Y Balneo pag. 276. and in this temperate distillation gather its B. Celestial ardent Spirit pag. 269. continue that distillation this way and method till you attain to the Signs declared in our Apertorial and till you know that the said B. is dissolved and separated from its Elemental Nature continuing this Magistery even to the fourth Revolution Then put this Celestial fiery Matter into a pure Vessel and distil slowly with ordinary fire and take only a tenth part in the second distillation take half and in the third two parts of three and in the fourth take four parts of five and more Then take that last Celestial Water and distil it three or four times by the Rule abovesaid taking the whole without any separation appointed This observe and admire the necessity of this Mystery and Foundation and you will understand the reason why dull and ignorant men make the worst Bread with the finest and purest Flower because they mix the course part with the fine The same thing happens to presumptuous Artists who perswade themselves that they are able to find out the beauty of our Quintessence with the exuberated Spirit negligently purified without an exact separation of the pure from the impure in Elucid pag. 230. Vol. 6. Theatri Chym. Which way notwithstanding of rectification so exactly to observe there seems to me to be no necessity rectification of the Spirit being good enough which way soever done either with fewer or more cohobations provided it be separated from the impurities of the Wine which you will know saith Lully when it burns a piece of Linnen by reason of its vehement heat that is as elsewhere more clearly till a Linnen Cloth moistned with this Spirit and kindled be wholly consumed This rectified Spirit is in distilling sharpned with the oyly Vegetables nominated in the Receipt the Oyls of which being nearest to it it easily carrieth with it and is impregnated with the same and acuated by the aridity contained in them Yet are we not obliged to use these Vegetables only and no other or is it necessary to mix all of them together as if one or two would not suffice The Oyl of any Vegetable or drawn out of a Vegetable with the help of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine or already made and added to the Spirit of Philosophical Wine will here satisfie us I will give one form or other in confirmation of this kind of Menstruums of which sort is 6. The Aqua Vitae of Paracelsus Pag. 508. Tom. 1. TAke of the Alcool of Wine exsiccated three pounds of the Flowers of Rosemary Macis Lavender of each half an ounce of Cubebs Cloves Cinamon of each two ounces of Mastick half an ounce of both sorts of Storax half a dram of each of Doronicum three ounces and cohobate seven times The following Vse besides the Alcool of Wine exsiccated testifies that this Water is made with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine Take of the Leaves of Gold Num. 20. of Pearls not perforated Granats Rubies of each half a drachm digest for a Month Then take of this Oyl three or four grains with Malago wine or the water of Majoram or Sage This Menstruum is Vinum Essatum or Essentificatum or Spiâ—it of Philosophical Wine impregnated with the Essences of the Oyly Ingredients with which Paracelsus dissolves Gold and Precious Stones into a most noble Oyl or Elixir which he says is a Secret against the superfluity of Womens Menstruums The Description of this Water being clear requires no other Light I will therefore propose another Receipt more obscure 7. Another Aqua Vitae of Paracelsus Pag. 115. Chyr Min. TAke of the waters of Melissa Roses Cheirus Sage Balsamus of each one pound of all the Peppers Cubebs Ginger Cinamon Mastick red Myrrh Mace Cloves of each two ounces of the Juyce of Honey half a pound of rectifi'd Aqua Vitae sive pound Let them be all digested together for the space of nine days and after that separated and distilled in a Pelican into a Spirit Then to this Liquor add an Apple roasted and
Mineral Mercury and hangs it in the air for a Year to be his Etherial Water The Caput mortuum of the Limus desertus he dissolves in the other part of the Water reserved and Buries it in the Earth for his Terrestrial Water In Compendio Animae transm pag. 208. Volum 4. Theat Chym. He adds also the Waters of common Mercury and Silver to the rest the Mercury Water is thus made Take of common Mercury one Ounce and dissolve it in the dissolving Water aforesaid in the digestion of I. Ashes distil through a Filtre regard not the Faeces but keep the second left in the bottom after distilling through an Alembick The Water of Luna is thus made Take one Ounce of the purest Silver dissolve it in what quantity of the dissolving Water you please distil through a Filtre and cast away the first Faeces then distil through an Alembick in the digestion of H. Balneo and keep the second Faeces you must keep the second Faeces of all the Waters in their own Vessels every one by it self Moreover in Compendio Animoe he divides not the distilled Waters into equal parts as in Libro Essentioe but draws off the dissolutions of Metals by distilling one half for the Terrestrial Water and distils the other half for the Etherial Water You must indeed saith he be cautious in resolving the Limus because you are to make two Waters or parts of every Limus distilling one half of the Limus which you must keep apart because the Terrestrial Water is made of that first part and you must likewise distil the other half part which the Aerial Water is made of which is hung in the Air as aforesaid for a Year Pag. 209. Volum 4. Theat Chym. The Waters made by the latter method are more compounded than those of the first the first were prepared promiscuously with the Lunar Menstruum the second not so for the Water of Lead is made by the Lunar Menstruum of which Water of Lead is made the Water of Copper of this Water of Copper is made the Water of Tin from the Water of Tin he prepares the Water of Iron but the Water of Gold is made with the Lunar Menstruum to which is added half of the Water of Iron O wonderful mixture I will not say confusion of Metals yet doubtless the most acute Philosopher had reasons for it This method is also in Lapidario Cap. 9. sequentibus From the Receipts we observe 1. That the Etherial Waters are the Essences of Metals exposed to the influences of the Heavens for a Year 2. That the Terrestrial Waters are the Bodies of Essences dissolved in their own Menstruums and Buried for a Year 3. That the Essences of not only Metals but the whole Mineral Kingdoms do by such a method yield Etherial and Terrestrial Waters 4. That these Waters acquire their principal Virtues by being impregnated with the Stars of Heaven The Adepts held divers Opinions concerning the Influences of the Heavens Some would have the Situations Aspects and determinate Times of the Planets to be highly necessary to this Work but others thought the contrary Amongst the Affirmers let us hear Thomas Norton an English Adept who thus in the Sixth Chapter of his Ordinal Pag. 99. of Theat Chym. Britannicum THe Fifth Concord is known well of Clerks Between the Sphere of Heaven and our subtil Werks Nothing in Earth hath more simplicity Than th' Elements of our Stone will be Wherefore they being in Work of Generation Have most Obedience to Constellation Whereof Concord most kindly and convenient Is a direct and fiery Ascendent Being Sign common for this Operation For multitude of their Iteration Fortune your Ascendent with his Lord also Keeping th' Aspect of Shrews them fro And if they must let or needly infect Cause them to look with a Trine Aspect For the white Work may Fortunate the Moon For the Lord of the fourth House likewise be it done For that is Thesaurum absconditum of Old Clerks So of the Sixth House for Servants of the Werks Save all them well from great Impediments As it is in Picture or like the same Intents Unless then your Nativity pretend Infection In contrariety to this Election The Virtue of the mover of the Orb is formal The Virtue of the Eighth Sphere is here Instrumental With her Signs and Figures and parts aspectual The Planets Virtue is proper and special The Virtue of the Elements is here material The Virtue infused resulteth of them all The first is like to a Work-man's Mind The second like his Hand ye shall find The third is like a good Instrument The remnant like a thing wrought to your Intent Make all the Premises with other well accord Then shall your Merits make you a great Lord. Amongst the Denyers is Lully himself Who thus we say not that it is the business of an Artist to operate with the Figures and Images of Heaven by the knowledge of their motions as many Philosophers affirm But it is enough for you to know the influence of the Celestial heat informed by the Figure of the Heaven and Stars by reason of which Virtues are infused into Matter being aptly appropriated which receives them by the Natural Industry of an Artist with resolution which is done by Art imitating Nature c. And in this Point the Philosophers have been mistaken in reprehending those Men that knew that the Celestial Virtue is too common to every elemented Nature for by its great Nobleness it takes determination at any time because in things mixed it is influenced as well by Art as by Nature and this is done by reason of the Natural Virtues which are the subject and proper detainer of it in such a manner as that it receives such a Virtue according to the properties of the Matter and its Kind which afterwards effects such things by Nature as are reputed for a Miracle In like manner let every Artist take Notice that Nature cannot operate but by the succession of the least particles nor also can it receive any Virtues but by the succession of its operation nor can they also do all at once nor can the Constellations suffer the Station of any time punctually in a certain Virtue which may not be immediately varied And it being also granted that it might the time of Constellation is so small by reason of the Circles of revolution as that it may sooner pass from one Virtue to another c. Lib. Essen dist 1. Pag. 18. An ingenious Artist saith Paracelsus will by diligent animadversion be able to prepare Metals so that being guided by true reason he may promote the perfection of transmuting Metals by his own work or conduct better than by Courses of the twelve Celestial Signs and seven Planets which therefore to observe will be superfluous as also the Aspects the ill or good times day or hour the prosperous or unhappy State of this or another Planet which cannot help much less hurt in the
sublimation which you must sublime with a Fire of the fourth degree And observe that all those preparations and distillations of the Earths are to be done in Balneo And thus Son have you our Sulphur or Matter or Vegetable and Metallick Earth in one Kind united for the making of the Glorious High and Virtuous Stone which will transform common Argent vive into perfect Sol or Luna without the help of Fire but as the Eye of a Basilisk which kills Animals by sight alone But it is your interest Son to use great diligence and exquisite Ingenuity in making the Roots of this high and lofty Tree which Roots we call desert Limes in which the whole Virtue of Heaven and Earth relating to this Magistery will be infused And the way is this Take of the Vegetable and Mineral Earth or Sulphur which you united in one Kind by sublimation which is that which you call'd the Earth of Sulphur in one Kind united put it in a Glass Vessel and pour so much as it weighs of the Menstruum with which you separated the Elements of the Sulphur of Luna and prepared the said kind of Earth and put it in a Philosophical Balneo three Natural Days and in that time it will be all dissolved which being thus dissolved put in a common Balneo and distil the Menstruum and the Earth united to its kind will by sublimation remain as an Oyl which we call the Philosophers Oyntment and it is one of the Secrets which we take care to have concealed Then Take of that Oyl or Oyntment aforesaid ten Drachms and of the rectify'd Air of the Sulphur of Luna one Drachm not one Ounce And of the Air of the Sulphur of Sol one Drachm and distil in a Fire of Ashes and that which is distilled which is almost all is called the Terrestrial desert Limes keep it Take of the Element of the Fire Sulphur of Gold already prepared and congealed ten Drachms not twenty and of the Element of the Air Sulphur of Luna one Drachm and of the Element of the Air of the Sulphur of Gold another Drachm and put all in Ashes and distil that which is distilled from it which is almost all is called the Etherial desert Limes keep it for occasion Take of the Element of the Fire of the Sulphur of Gold one Drachm or two and rectifie it again thus pouring upon it fiVe parts of its own Menstruum which is that with which you separated the Elements of the same Sulphur of Gold and put it to digest in Balneo for one Natural Day then distil in Ashes what you can And again pour the said Menstruum upon it digest and distil by Ashes and repeat till it be all pass'd over by a Fire of Ashes Then take its weight of the said Vegetable Earth united and sublimed together prepared above and you must unite them together with the distilled Element of Fire and not distil but so lay it aside and it is called the Terrestrial desert Limes of Gold not vaporized Take of the said Earth in one kind united one Drachm and of the Oyl of the Air of the Sulphur of Luna one Drachm mix them together and you will make the same Magistery as you did with the precedent Gold and it is called the Terrestrial desert Limes lunificated not vaporized We do now think good to shew the way of celificating and preparing those Limes in order to receive the Virtues of Heaven and Earth and the way is this Take Brass or Iron Cages and let them be like those wherein Parrots whistle but the twiggs must be closer so that no Earth neither Celestial nor Terrestrial can enter but only the vapour of Heaven and Earth which you will have by Influence Take the Limes above mentioned Terrestrial desert made of ten drachms of the Earth or Sulphur united which is that which you united with the Earth of the Sulphur of Silver and reduced into an Oyl or Oyntment and of one Drachm of the Air of the Sulphur of Luna and one Drachm of the Air of Sol mix'd and that Limes put in a Glass Vessel with a long Neck exactly Sealed with the Seal of Hermes and put it in the Cage and set it one Arm or two deep and let it stand a Year and half or at least a Year covering it well with Earth and keeping it from all dangers and in that time will it be made a powerful Water with wonderful fixative Virtues of the Stone and it hath admirable Virtues acquired from Heaven which it attracted from the Vapours of the Earth Son depend upon this Take the Limes above declared Etherial desert which you made of ten Drachms of the Fire of the Sulphur of Gold and of one Drachm of the Air of the Sulphur of Luna and one Drachm of the Air of the Sulphur of Sol and put it in another Glass Vessel with a long Neck Hermetically Sealed and put it in another Cage and hang it in the Air on a Tree or any private place free from all Wind Dust and Danger leave it a Year and half or a whole Year at least as we said of the other and so will be made a clear Water endowed with the Virtue of hardning fixing congealing penetrating and making the Stone Volatile and is called the Mercury of Air of most acute penetration Take the Terrestrial desert Limes of Gold not vaporized nor celificated neither distilled through an Alembick nor circulated which is that that you made by meerly mixing of one Drachm of the Element of the Fire of the Sulphur of Sol and of one Drachm of the Earth united in its Kind and that take also the Terrestrial desert Limes lunificated not vaporized which you made out of one Drachm of the Earth of Sulphur united and one Drachm of the Air of the Sulphur of Luna and put those Limes every one by it self in a Glass Vessel Sealed as was said of the other and put it in the Earth the depth of one Arm for a whole Year in a Cage and in that time will be made a Water of wonderful Virtue in joyning Bodies and content your self with this Take the Limes which you made out of ten Drachms of the Fire or Air and one of the Earth and take that which remains of the Air of the Sulphur of Luna because you took but three Drachms of it when you made the Limes and let it hang in the Air in a Glass Vessel Sealed and in a Cage as you did with the other and there will it receive the Celestial Virtues which are the means of Conjunction between the Limes of the Earth and the Limes of the Fire and other Limes also Take the second Air the Menstruum Elemented in which were dissolved the Air and Fire of the Sulphur of Gold and gently drawn off that is three parts only from five of it which is that which you drew from the Fire congeled which we call'd Philosophical Oyl and Philosophical Treasure not
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
this Kind are made not only of Mineral Salts not tinging but also of Vegetable Alcalies thus 83. The fixative Water of Trithemius Pag. 37. Aurei Veller Germ. TAke Aqua fortis mix'd with the Spirit of Wine described above in Numb 74. whereto add of the Oyl of Tartar per deliquium half a Pound distil the Spirit throw away the Phlegm and dissolve the remaining Earth or Salt in the Spirit Keep the solution for the fixing of things but for volatilization the Salt of Tartar must be cohobated so oft till it ascends as the common Salt in the Eating Water Hereto is referred the Menstruum called 84. The Aqua Mirabilis of Isaacus Cap. 29. 2 Oper. Min. pag. 91. Manus Phil. TAke old Urine distil with a weak Fire then a stronger that whatsoever can may ascend rectifie the destillation taking away all the Fatness or Oyl till it leaves no Faeces behind it The Caput Mortuum left in the bottom calcine the space of two hours but without fusion of the Salt draw all the saltness from the calcined Matter with common Water evaporate the Liquor to a thin skin that the Salt may be Cristalized repeat sometimes that the Salt may be made most pure which dissolve in the distilled Urine Then take of this regenerated Urine six pounds of distilled Vinegar and Spirit of Philosophical Wine of each three measures of Common Salt two pounds of Sal Armoniack and calcined Tartar of each half a pound dissolve them all together into an Aqua Mirabilis The like Water almost hath Basilius but that he distils his through an Alembick the Description of which followeth 85. The Resuscitative Water of Basilius Pag. 81. Currus Triumphalis Antim TAke of the Salt of Mans Urine clarified and sublimed of Sal Armoniack and Salt of Tartar of each one part mix the Salts pour strong Philosophical Vinegar to them lute with lutum sapientioe digest the Salts for a Month in a continual heat then distil the Vinegar by Ashes till the Salts remain dry then mix them with three parts of Venetian Earth force them with a strong Fire through the Retort and you will have a wonderful Spirit for the making of Running Mercury out of Antimony The same Water we find also pag. 39. of his Manual Operations The Adepts have sometimes used some crude Oyley Matter instead of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in making these Menstruums thus Paracelsus volatilized four Salts into a Menstruum of this Kind with Wax dissolved in Aqua fortis 86. The Water of Sallabrum of Paracels Libro de reductione Metallorum in Argentum vivum sive Tractatu 4. Rosarii novi Olympici Bened Figuli pag. 24. TAke notice there is no shorter Method of reducing Metals into Mercury known to us than that which we used in our Book de putrefactione quatuor Salium which we there called Sallabrum as thus each of those Salts as lower must be converted into a pure Water or Oyl per deliquium which being mixed in equal weight are called Lac Veterum or Milk of the Ancients Which Philosophical Milk put into a strong Receiver and distil the Spirits of calcined Vitriol calcined Alume and the best Niter ana five times upon it and the mixture will be called Flying Eagle carrying Metals in its Talons aloft such a Metal being sublim'd grind to powder from which draw the Spirit of strong Wine being poured to it the height of a Finger three or four times gently in Balneo and you will have a quick or running Metal as common Mercury Now the Eagle is made volatile thus To the Philosophers Milk acuated with the said Spirits or Eagle pour Wax being very well liquefied and purged about the thickness of a Finger distil the Phlegms together with the Spirits by a Cucurbit in Balneo which Matter must be cohobated so often till they are all coagulated or well mixed and you will have the Philosophers Borax which we wrote of in our Book de virtute Vitrioli wherein the Volatile Eagle absconded it self with its Feathers namely Spirits Now take the Calx of what Metal you please made of Aqua fortis one part of the Flying Eagle half a part mix putrefie nine days the longer the better then sublime the Matter upon Sand in a Cucurbit well luted and all the Metal you took will ascend wherewith proceed as before Sallabrum described in the Book mentioned de putrefactione quatuor Salium Take Sal Niter Sal Gemmoe common Salt Pot-Ashes an equal quantity of each dissolve every one by it self and purge it from all Terrestreity out of all being mixed together make a clear and transparent Water which again coagulate in a clean Vessel and you will find the Salt of another colour namely yellow penetrating and sweetning dissolving and fixing Love and esteem this Salt because there are many Secrets in it for it fixeth the Volatile and vivifieth the Spirit being dead and mollifieth the hard and friable and freeth from any Leprosie and Poyson sixeth Arsenick and moreover is the promoter of many famous works to a happy and desired End In the first place let us admonish you to beware of this and such like Menstruums for a Mystery lies in these Receipts which to observe is necessary lest you begin to doubt the Truth of them after many most dangerous Experiments tried in vain for you Beginners let this suffice that it is impossible for Wax or any other oyley Matter to supply the place of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine There would be no need of this Spirit in the whole Art if crude oyley things could perform the same as this most pure and most unctuous Liquor No man but he that is expert in the Method of preparing the Spirit of Philosophical Wine can make these Menstruums whereas all the rest may be made by any Ideot if he hath but the Spirit of this Wine given him The Adepts do in these Receipts both prepare and acuate this Spirit of Wine no wonder therefore that they either wholly omitted the Mystery or not sufficiently express'd it in their Compositions for which reason also these Menstruums do appertain to the preparation of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine rather than as all the rest to the Vse of this Spirit or compositions of these Menstruums nor should I have remembred them here had they not been detrimental to many men and that to my own knowledge The Name Sallabrum is given quasi Salis labrum or Salt-Cellar not that Salt is to be contained in this Vessel as Candelabrum or Candlestick is so called because Candles are set in it but rather because the Essence or Fire of some Metals or some Chymcial Light is either to be reserved or made in this Sallabrum as Alume is by Isaacus in Man Philosophor pag. 28. called Lucerna signifying a Lanthorn Concerning this Sallabrum Thomas Aquinas in Lilio Benedicto pag. 1085. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. Thus Adde labrum Salis quanta sit sexta duorum Conjunge poneque
very small Fire and sometimes increase it by degrees till your Matter begins to sublime which it will do with a little heat and when you see the Matter ascend diligently observe to keep the Fire in the same degree that it may sublime very gently which will be easily done for the Matter is sublimed and ascends with a very little Fire pag. 402. of the same Volume Gold dissolved in this Aqua fortis of Isaack and once or twice cohobated then washed with common Water becomes so volatile as to ascend with a very small heat into a most poysonous Sublimate if any man does the same by as easie a Method with common Aqua Regis made of Sal Armoniack and Niter we declare he needs not Menstruums of this Kind but that common Sal Armoniack is insufficient for such a purpose even the Novices of vulgar Chymistry have long since experienced Besides the Vse of this Menstruum the Encomiums of Sal Harmoniack which agree not in the least with the Common of the same Name do prove the excellency of this Menstruum Now saith he we have a mind to teach you how and which way to joyn Soul Body and Spirit together so as to enter one into the other for a Congregation of Contraries cannot be so as to remain together without a Medium which before in cap. 146. he called Sal Harmoniack or dry Water Take an example from the Dyers that dye Cloaths c. Thus it is with our Stone Though we have rightly prepared the Body Soul and Spirit if they enter not into one another they will neither now nor at any time ever remain together without the Medium of our dry Water Now Beloved where now shall we find this Water For Geber saith Our water is not Rain-water Aristotle saith Our water is a dry water Hermes saith Our water is gathered out of a filthy and stinking Menstrual Matter Danthynus saith Our water is found in old Stables Houses of Office and stinking Sinks And Morienus Our water springs in Mountains and Valleys and Fools understand not these words but think it Mercury it is not Mercury it is a dry water which causeth all Mineral Spirits Soul and Body to enter and mix together and when it has joyned them together it departs from them and lets them remain fixed And this water is found in all things of the world For if this water was not in vain should we endeavour to make the Stone For how should we make one of our prepared Matter enter into another As the Apothecaries gather their Herbs together so ought we to do either in the Vegetable Animal or Mineral Kingdom to make a perfect work or Quintessence we ought to have a dry water out of every distinct thing A dry water therefore is in all things to make themselves perfect Therefore saith Galen All things have their own Medicine to make the Stone either in the Mineral Animal or Vegetable Kingdom without the addition of any exotick things Wherefore when we would make the Stone or any Fixation we ought to make that conjunction with our dry water as was said of the Dyer and Apothecary Therefore is it my Beloved that so many fall into Errors because they do not understand nor follow Nature Therefore did I mention the Dyer and Apothecary for you to understand Nature by that rude way that you may in your own mind perceive that no conjunction can be made without a Medium .. Wherefore all the works above cited are good but those two things are not there named the Spirit that is and Dry Water weights and way of joyning wherein consists our whole Art wherefore I conjure you never to reveal this Secret for all the Art that is in the world is comprehended in it to make the perfect work in a short time and little pains Cap. 147 148 149. 2. Oper. Min. pag. 524 525. Vol. 3. Theat Chym. Ripley hath described the same Water thus 88. The Aqua Regis of Ripley Pag. 349. Viatici MAke a corrosive Water of Salt Peter and Harmoniack and put not above four Ounces in the Destillatory and draw a water with a slow Fire wherein dissolve and make the Oyl of Sol c. This Water Basil Valentine calls the Kings Bath of which thus in the elucidation of the second Key Take notice Friend and seriously consider because here lies the principal Secret Make a Bath have a care that no strange thing enter into it lest the Noble Seed of Gold be radically destroyed after the dissolution of it Exactly therefore and with care examine the things which the second Key informs you of that is what Minerals are to be taken for the Kings Bath wherein the King ought to be dissolved and his external form subverted that his Soul may appear without blemish To this purpose will the Dragon and Eagle that is Niter and Sal-Armoniack serve out of which being united is made an Aqua fortis as you will be informed in my Manuals where I shall treat of the Particular of Sol. 89. The Kings Bath of Basilius Lib. Partic. in Particul Solis TAke of Salt Peter one part of Sal Harmoniack one part of Flints pulverized half a part mix and distil Take notice that this Water must be carefully and exactly distilled for it cannot be distilled by the common method He that is expert in the operations of the more secret Chymy will know what is to be done Observe you must have a strong earthen Retort well luted in the upper part of which must be a Pipe half a span long and two fingers broad put a great Receiver to it lute well and increase the Fire by degrees till the Retort grows red hot Then put in a spoonful of this Matter through the Pipe and suddenly stop the Pipe with a wet Cloath and the Spirits will pass impetuously into the Receiver the Spirits being asswaged put in another spoonful of the said Matter thus proceeding till no Matter remains and you will have Aqua Gehennea or Hell-water dissolving the Calx of Gold in an instant into a thick solution which we mentioned in the third Part as also in the second Key not only dissolving Gold but reducing the same into volatibility c. This Kings Bath is described also by Basilius in Revelatione Manualium Operationum thus 90. A Philosophical Water for the Solution of Gold of Basilius Labore primo Revelation Man Operat TAke of Salt Peter and Sal Armoniack of each two parts of Stones washed one part grind them together and by a Retort with a Pipe distil the Water into a large Receiver putting in two or three ounces through the Pipe the Receiver must be a big one and lie in a Vessel full of cold Water and covered with wet Linnen Cloaths that the Spirits may cool for it will be very hot stop the Joynts of the Retort very close kindle a Fire and the Retort being hot cast in three ounces of Matter the Pipe being suddenly
stopp'd the Spirits will pass through and the Receiver will grow white and drops fall When the Spirits are setled put in three ounces more stopping the Pipe immediately proceed as before changing very often with wet Linnen Continue this Operation till you have water enough which stop very well that it may not evaporate it is the true Water and Mineral Bath for the King That Basilius as well as Isaacus used the Sal Harmoniac not common Sal Armoniac for his Bath the Vse of the same doth also prove Take of this Water three parts of the Calx of Gold one part mix them in a Cucurbit put it with an Alembick upon hot Ashes to be dissolved if it be not wholly dissolved pour out the Water and pour on new and that till all the Calx is dissolved in the water being cold white Faeces settle in the bottom which separate put all the water together and digest for a day and a night in Balneo then removing the Faeces digest the space of nine Days continually distil the Water that the Water may remain in the bottom like Oyl c. distil so often till all the Gold has pass'd through the Alembick In the same place This unctious Bath reduceth Gold and all other Metals into Oyls because it is made of the Oyly Spirit of Philosophical Wine concentrated and dryed in some Vegetable Alcali and Spirit of Nitre whereas on the contrary Sal Armoniack or common Aqua Regis cannot transmute Metals beyond its saline Nature for that Oleity which it hath not it cannot give Isaacus for want of a Retort with a Pipe perhaps not being at that time known sustained no small loss of Spirits in distilling this Menstruum which Basilius did by help of the said Retort endeavour to repair though that also not without some difficulty The later Adepts Crinot Trismosinus and Paracelsus observing the difficulty of distilling and the loss of Spirits made it better who by a plain but better method dissolved the Vegetable Sal Harmoniack in Spirit of Nitre or Aqua fortis without any loss danger or delay 91. The most strong Aqua fortis of Paracelsus Lib. 3. Arch. de separ Elem. pag. 7. TAke Sal Nitre Vitriol and Alume in equal parts which distil into Aqua fortis this again pour to its Faeces and repeat distil in a Glass which Aqua fortis clarify with Silver and dissolve Sal Armoniack in it That Paracelsus neither by Sal Armoniack meant the common is also demonstrated by the use of the Menstruum which he thus describes These things being done take a Metal reduced into Plates and there resolve it into Water in the same Water then separate by Balneo and pour on again this repeating till you find an Oyl in the bottom of Sol or Gold a purple of Luna a lazurine of Mars red and very dark of Mercury white of Saturn livid and lead Coloured of Venus altogether green of Jupiter yellow in the same place Whoever dissolved Metals promiscuously with common Aqua regis both Silver and Gold into an Oyl either purple or lazurine Not to say any thing of the reduction of all Metals into two Fat 's red and white the Essence thereof and the Dead Body It is therefore clear from the effect that Paracelsus dissolved Sal Harmoniack in Aqua fortis for his most strong Aqua fortis In making this Menstruum Guido adds the weight of the Sal Harmoniack which Paracelsus omits 92. The Aqua Regis of Guido Pag. 22. Thesauri Chym. TAke Vitriol common Salt and Nitre distil into Aqua fortis take one Pound of this four Ounces of Philosophical Sal Harmoniack and distil yet once Solomon Trismosinus sometimes dissolved Metals in commâ—â— Aqua fortis and to the solution added Sal Harmoniack Thus he volatalized Silver being dissolved in Aqua fortis with the aforesaid Salt Lib. 8. Tinct quinta pag. 81. Aurei velleris German Take of pure Luna four Ounces dissolve it in common Aqua fortis draw off the Phlegm to the remainder add six Drachms of Sal Harmoniack and pour on new Aqua fortis draw off again in Ashes to an oleity this repeat four times with new Aqua fortis then urge it strongly and the Luna will ascend together with the Aqua fortis Sometimes he volatilized Gold and Silver together with this Menstruum In Tinctura Regis Julaton pag. 16. Aurei veller Take of the filings of Gold of Sal Harmoniack each two Ounces to which put four Ounces of the best Silver dissolved in eight Ounces of Aqua fortis draw off to an Oleity pour on new Aqua fortis and repeat three times with new Aqua fortis and the Gold will ascend with the Silver through the Alembick Lully made his Aqua Regis by dissolving Vegetable Sal Harmoniack in the acid Water of Mercury sublimate 93. The Aqua Regis of Lully In Exp. 17. TAke Mercury being twice sublimed with Vitriol and common Salt prepared each time with new materials grind and if there be one Pound of sublimate take the whites of nine new laid Eggs which whites beat so long that it seems to be Water then mix the white with that sublimate and put it in a Retort with a long Neck joyn a Receiver to it very close giving it a Fire of Ashes at the beginning most gentle till it distils by that degree The distillation ceasing increase the Fire and at last give a most violent Fire and by this means part of the Mercury will turn into Water and part into running Mercury which running Mercury being gone over sublime again then grind and joyn it with the distilled Water and distil again as before repeating the Magistery till all the sublimate is gone over and converted into Water Wherefore you may the same way multiply it as often as you please always putting new sublimate to the Water and distilling till it be converted into Water Now take this Water put it in a small Urinal Cucurbit joyning a Head to it with a Receiver then distil by Balneo till the white seems to be gone over mixt with it which you will thus know take an Iron or Copper Plate upon which let one drop of the distillation fall if it boyls and seems to dissolve take away the Receiver joyning another very well luted and distil by Ashes and again by Ashes repeat this Magistery seven times And thus you will have a Mercurial Water which will serve you in many operations Take now one Ounce of the Salt of the second Experiment Volatile Salt of Tartar declared in Numb 17. and four Ounces of this Water the acid Water now distilled from Mercury sublimate mix them together and the mixture will presently be dissolved being dissolved distil by Ashes with a gentle Fire luting the Joynts well in the last place increase the Fire that all the Salt may with the Water pass through the Alembick then again put one other Ounce of the Salt into the same Water and by distillation
Glass and stop it close Take the Caput Mortuum grind it to a fine Powder put it in pure clear Water for two hours let it settle pour off the clear and pour it upon pure clear Water again as before and let it boyl an hour as before then let it settle again add it again to the former cast away the Feces and that which you poured out the Solution evaporate and a yellow Powder will remain weigh it add as much Sal Niter and mix them together put them into a Glass pour your Distilled Water or Menstruum upon it put on an Alembick strongly luted all over adding a Receiver and leave it three days upon thee Fornace to Digest before you put Fire under then kindle your Fire and Distill first with a small Fire then sometimes a greater till the White Spirit is gone over then cease and you have a Red Water shining Day and Night which dissolves fixed Luna as Luna is commonly dissolved and it will take a Tincture as the purest Sol that ever was seen yea it tingeth all White Metals of the colour of Sol. 111. A Red Water shewing Light by Night of the Second Description of Isaacus Cap. 44. Oper. Min. Pag. 458. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. TAke of Roman Vitriol three Pounds of Cinabar Verdegrese Cerusse of each half a Pound of Crocus Martis Lapis haematites of each four Ounces of Sal Niter as much as the whole Mass five Pounds pulverize and mix them well together divide the Mass into three parts and of one part make an Aqua fortis which pour upon the powder of another part distill Aqua fortis again and pour it upon the third powder and distill Aqua fortis again which being done pulverize all the three Caput Mortuums Take the Water of Sal armoniack which I shall teach you below to make but we have already declar'd it in Numb 81. wherewith grind the aforesaid powder so fine as that a Painter may paint with it then dry it in your Dry Stove in glass Dishes being dried grind it dry upon a Stone and put it into an earthen Pot and pour the Aqua fortis before distilled upon it distill first with a gentle fire the space of twenty four hours then increase the Fire as yet 24 hours more then increase till it begins to shine then keep it in the same fiery brightness six hours more then let it cool take it away from the Fire and stop the Receiver well Then grind and pulverize the Caput Mortuum upon a Stone with Vinegar distilled and extract the Salt or Element of Earth out of the Feces put the Salt into a Glass pour yout Aqua fortis upon it the Alembick and Receiver being very close put the Glass in Sand in a Kettle with Water in Balneo distill all that will distill when no more distilleth let the Balneo boil a day and a night whether it drops or no Then let it cool remove it from the Fire put it in Ashes use first a weak Fire for 12 hours then increase the Fire yet 12 hours more then let it be moderately hot and let it be so for six hours then let it cool take it from the Fire and cover it well and having taken away the Feces or Salt grind them very small with Distill'd Vinegar put it into a Stone Jugge and a good part of the Distillation being poured to it put it in Balneo doing as was taught before see if it hath yet any Feces and make the Salt clear put it again in a Glass pour on the Aqua fortis again do every way as before three or four times and all your Matter or Earth will distill with the Aqua fortis then take it from the Fire stop close and keep it well For you have a pretious Water above all the Waters that ever I heard of and believe me in good faith I have seen and done also my self wonderful things with this Water This Water I have reduced to a Red Christalline Stone which would give light by night so as that my Friends might see to eat and drink by it Keep it well for use and esteem it as the most secret Water of all you have The Method of making such Shining Menstruums is better perceived by the following Water 112. A Red and Shining Aqua fortis of the Third Description of Isaacus Cap. 72. 1. Oper. Min. Pag. 354. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. TAke of Vitriol clarified and purified from its Feces of Sal Niter an equal quantity distill an Aqua fortis out of them according to Art then take the Caput Mortuum out of the Glass and reduce it to a fine Powder then grind it upon a Stone then put it in common Distill'd Water and draw out all the Salt then filter it that you may have it clean from Feces congeal again and being congealed make it an impalpable Powder and put the Powder into a Glass and then pour that Aqua fortis again upon the Powder which you distill'd from thence and distill again all that will distill Then take out the Caput Mortuum again grind it to Powder as before and do in all things as before this Operation repeat till you have distilled all the Salt within the Aqua fortis Then have you an excellent Red Water shining by night like a clear Fire then rectifie that Water in Balneo oftentimes distilling and pouring on again so as at last to have all the Distillation in Balneo Then is your pretious Water prepared by which you may multiply and open your Philosophical Stone These Menstruums are little different yea almost the same with the former of Isaacus as to the Ingredients as well as Method of preparation but the addition of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine which Isaacus prescribed in those Dissolving Waters must of necessity be understood in these his Aqua fortises for without this Spirit all these Waters would be common of no Vertue and Vse From the Receipts we observe 1. That all Tinging Bodies whatsoever being either naturally or artificially dissolved in an Acid and reduced into Salt or Vitriol by the help of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine do yield the present Menstruums by these two Methods either by repeated Cohobation or Simple Distillation but in this latter way it is necessary for the Salts or Vitriols of the said Bodies to be first graduated that is by various Dissolutions and Coagulations joyned with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and then distilled where Caution must be had lest in this gradation of the Vitriol the Acid be by Operations less necessary than convenient debilitated for so you will easily prepare Menstruums unexpectedly of the Eighth instead of this Kind 2. That these Menstruums differ from Menstruums of the Eighth Kind these being Acid but those Sweet Dissolve a Compounded Vegetable Menstruum of the Eighth Kind in Distilled Vinegar Spirit of Sulphur Common Aqua Fortis c. and you will immediately have a Menstruum of this Kind on
thus continue till the Matter be altogether red as a Ruby then increase the Fire yet ten days and the hidden part of the Vitriol is now manifest and prepared in its redness as a volatile Matter The redness thus remaining take the Glass out of the Ashes and the Matter out of the Glass and put it in a stronger Glass to which pour the best Vinegar well rectify'd stop it well set it in Balneo so let it stand four days yet stirring the Matter with a Spatula made of Haslewood three or four times a day let it cool decant the Vinegar into another Glass pour new upon the Matter digest in Balneo as before this repeat with new Vinegar three times the decanted Vinegar gently draw off till the Matter remains in the form of a Salt at the bottom to which pour new sharp Vinegar put it four days in Balneo as before to dissolve and let that be repeated till it be free from any sediment Then coagulate the Matter into a dry Powder and put it in a Glass Cucurbit with a wide mouth and a large Alembick day the Receiver in a Vessel full of Water lute the Joynts firm and distil with an open Fire but very gently the space of four hours after that strongly and the Spirits will ascend yellow which are called Air continue the Fire in the same degree till the Alembick begins to be red then slow the Fire that the Alembick may be of a blood colour then increase the Fire still that the Glass may be burning hot as a red hot Iron which keep in that heat till the Alembick be made of a Snow Colour then strengthen the Fire yet more that the Alembick may again be clear and transparent then let it cool remove the Receiver and pour the Oyl into a pure Glass which stop well and you will have the true Oyl of Vitriol shining night and day in dark places which keep well for your occasion But you must know there is a White and Beautiful Oyl found in the bottom which to its red Oyl c. This Receipt of Trismosinus agrees almost in all things with Isaacus his Description of the Menstruum made of Vitriol so that it seems to me to be borrowed of Isaacus especially because the same phrase of Isaacus of the volatile redness of Calcined Vitriol is retained Those things therefore which were observed before upon the Menstruum of Isaacus do also hereto relate but we added this because Trismosinus does more assure us that this Oyl shines in darkness concerning which quality of his Menstruum Isaacus was silent Ripley made Menstruums of this Kind this way 128. The Circulatum Majus of Ripley Pag. 395. Accurtationum THe time of true Putrefaction and Alteration is compleated in the space of Six Weeks but it may be done in a shorter time by half and that by the acuition of our Mercurial Waters that is the white and red Water the milk and blood of the Green-Lyon in Numb 59. with common Mercury sublimate which thus do Fix and Calcine the Mercury sublimate and dissolve it in our white or red Mercury of the said Menstruum so as to be all one true Water which Water being thus acuated hath the Power of putrifying and altering any Calx of Metals in the space of three Weeks and that because the two Fires namely of Nature and against Nature are then joyn'd together in that Water Common Mercury being dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar or any Mineral Menstruum and fixed either by Sublimation as the Circulatum majus of Paracelsus or Calcination as the Vitriol of Isaacus calcined to redness is then dissolved in a stinking Menstruum and distilled through an Alembick He reduced all other Metals and Minerals the same way as he did Mercury into the greater Circulatums thus 129. The Metallick Acetum acerrimum of Ripley Pag. 266. Clavis aureae Portae HAving therefore these two Mercuries the white and red of the Stinking Menstruum practice with them either upon their own Earth or Caput Mortuum of the said Menstruum or upon the Calx of Metals prepared for you need not trouble your self about the Earth provided the substance of it be fixed Take therefore any of them being white and ferment it thus For the White Work take the Calx of Luna and the altered Earth a Philosophical Calx made of the Mineral Menstruum of Luna in equal quantity grind them together and temper them with the White Mercury which we call Lac Virginis in the Description of the Green Lyon and sublime them very well keep and gather that which is not fixed that is so much as ascends white and sticking to the parts of the Glass as Mercury sublimate for this is that our Mercury made by sublimation out of the white altered Earth then grind it upon its own Calxes tempering distilling and subliming it with Lac Virginis till it be wholly fixed so as to be immovable by Fire This is the sublimed and fixed Mercury for which fools take that common Mercury sublimed with common Vitriol and Salt wherein they very much err put it into a Circulatory and pour Lac Virginis upon it till it be covered then let it be circulated and distilled through an Alembick An Example of making the altered Earth of Metals and the way of fixing the said Earth he hath given in Vitriol Take Vitriol calcined to Ashes common Colcothar grind it to a most fine Powder put it in an Vrinal pour Lac Virginis the White fume of the Stinking Menstruum to it till it be covered with it stop the Vrinal with a Linnen Cloth and let it stand eight days then add the same quantity of the former Milk repeating it from eight days to eight but when it will drink up no more let it stand in the cold well stopp'd till a Cristalline Earth appears in the superficies of it like Eyes of Fish Seperate this Earth from the thicker parts resided in the bottom and put it this graduated Vitriol made not indeed of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine nor Philosophical Vinegar but the Stinking Menstruum in a Philosophical Egg to digest calcine discreetly till it be perfectly fixed then increase the Fire till it be perfectly citrinated and still increase it that it may be Rubified in the form and colour of Sanguis Draconis Lastly For a conclusion we will add the Circulatum Majus of Isaacus made of Sulphurs which being most clear in the graduation fixation and volatilization of it will help to illustrate those things which have perhaps remained more obscure in the antecedent and make the Receipts in this Kind more clear 130. The Circulatum majus of Isaacus made of Sulphur Cap. 88.3 Oper. Min. TAke Hungarian or Spanish Sulphur ten or twelve pounds prepare it upon a Stone with Philosophical Vinegar distilled as Painters do their Colours pour a good quantity of the aforesaid Vinegar upon it put it in Balneo stir it well with a Woodden Spatula decoct it in a
close Vessel in Balneo the space of six or eight days stirring it three or four times a day then let it cool and settle filter the tinged Vinegar pour on new repeat this Work till no more Vinegar will be tinged Draw off all the tinged Vinegar in Balneo that a Powder of a golden Colour may remain at the bottom This Powder prepare and extract with Vinegar as before filter the solution and draw it off till at length it leaves no Feces behind it then draw off the Vinegar that the rest of the Matter may remain in the form of a Powder Take of this Powder one part of Salt prepared one part of Roman Vitriol dried six parts mix them all well and sublime by degrees first with a weak Fire secondly stronger lastly most strong for the space of two days sublime the sublimation mix'd with its Feces three times then casting away the Feces sublime with new Species and repeat the Work three times then dissolve the Sublimation in the Dissolving Water for the red of what Description soever in the Twentieth Kind the Water being drawn off sublime pour on New Water and sublime and that do three times Then take seven parts of this Sublimation one part of the Calx of Sol and sublime This Sublimation being put into a Philosophical Egg made of Gold for one of glasswould be of little use for this purpose because it would become soft as wax stop it well and set it upon a Tripos the space of eighteen Weeks to be fixed but the first six Weeks with a gentle Fire the next six a stronger the last most strong These Eighteen Weeks being ended take out the Matter being fixed reduce it to Powder to which being put in a dissolving Vessel pour an equal quantity of our red burning Water of the aforesaid Dissolving Water for the red seal or stop the Vessel very well let it dissolve and settle then take it out and distil it through an Alembick in Balneo with a very small Fire It is necessary for the Receiver to be well luted and the Alembick must have a pipe in the upper part for it must be six times distilled always with new Red Water and your Matter will at length become thick as Honey which distil in Sifted Ashes by degrees and an Air will ascend like Water then changing the Reciver an Oyl of a Golden Colour will distil gilding the Alembick as also the Receiver let it continue in the same heat till the Alembick be of a Blood Colour then take away the Receiver stop it suddenly put another to and increase the Fire for the space of twenty four hours till the Vessel grows red hot in which heat let it continue twelve hours and the Matter will ascend red as blood and at last also a red fume These Spirits no more appearing let the Vessels cool keep the Distillation but the Feces reverberate c. Out of the Receipts these things we observe 1. THat these Menstruums made of the graduated Vitriols of Metals fixed in a close Vessel have the like place amongst Mineral Menstruums as the greater Circulatums of Paracelsus have amongst the vegetable Menstruums Dissolve the aforesaid Circulatums in any Acid Spirit and you will presently make Menstruums of this Kind 2. That these Menstruums are Medicines call'd Volatile Arcanums dissolved in an Acid. 3. That the graduated Vitriol of Venus has some certain peculiar Priviledges above the rest 1. Because in the Distillations of these Menstruums it hath a Fixed Body besides a Soul and Spirit whereby the two aforesaid must be fixed into the Stone but all the other Metals and Minerals being reduced into graduated Vitriols have no Fixed Bodies and are divided into two parts only Spirit and Soul but because the Adepts found it necessary to borrow some Fixed Body elsewhere for the fixing of these they therefore more than often affirmed the possibility of making the Stone out of Vitriol alone without any Addition thus have we heard Isaacus in the antecedent Receipts saying God hath vouchsafed such a blessing to Vitriol that the Philosophers Stone may be made of it alone without Addition it translating all Metals into true Sol but the Oyl of it must be fixed with its Earth or Body but that is not so with Metals for their Earth distils together through the Alembick But who observes not here these Words Without any Addition to be meant of any Foreign Matter and are so to be understood with some certain restriction For this most red Oyl of Vitriol shining by night and which must be fixed with its Salt into the Philosophers Stone cannot in the least be produced from Vitriol alone and that crude being not graduated with Philosophical Menstruums Moreover as the like Oyl being distilled from Gold and fixin the purified but not volatalized part of it is called by Isaacus the Stone of Sol alone whereas notwithstanding he used his Philosophical Vinegar to the making of it so the Stone may be said to be made out of Vitriol alone without Addition though the same Vinegar was used in the preparation of it Lastly It is manifest by the Kinds of almost all Menstruums that no Acid that is dry and incombustible Matter can be reduced into Oyl without an Oyly Menstruum because it must receive this unctiosity from the Vnctions Spirit of Philosophical Wine 2. Because it is of mean value and so by the Adepts call'd the Stone which God hath given us freely This Work saith Isaacus you cannot enter upon with a little Matter you must have at least four or five Pounds of Matter Gold or Silver if otherwise the Work will be insufficient For it is not the Work of poor men except the Stone given us by God freely might happily be obtained then other Charge is not necessary more than Vessels Coals and Food till we have prepared the Stone And the two Stones which God hath given us freely for the White and Red Work require but half the time as the Matter which is to be taken for preparation sake for before we come to Sublimation the Stone given us freely is already almost brought to fixation Cap. 17.1 Oper. Mineral Pag. 313. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. The same thing is affirmed by Basilius saying There is no moisture in Gold unless it be reduced into graduated Vitriol which would be a Work indeed of no Profit but much Charge because of the great quantity of Vitriol required to the making of the Philosophers Stone and though there is in Vitriol the desired Spirit of Gold of a white quality and a Soul and Salt of a glorious Essence but how many Countreys Estates and Riches have been thus consumed I will not reckon but this Admonition I give my Disciples to follow the shorter way of Nature that they may not also fall into extream and inextricable Poverty If you intend therefore he goes on to make the Philosophers Stone out of the Vitriol of Sol as many men indeed endeavour consult
desired Oyls may be drawn from them the reason why Vitriols alone made of Copper should be deprived of the said Priviledge cannot easily be apprehended It matters not whether Vitriol be graduated according to the method given in Numb 113. or according to the prescription of the present Receipt for the same Spirit and Oyl is produced either way Now this Oyl of Venus being made and diluted in common Water Iron is reduced into graduated Vitriol which must like the Vitriol of Venus be also calcined into a Red Colour and then distilled tnto a White Spirit and Red Oyl The Method of this Process is in Libro particul in particulari Martis thus Take off the Red Oyl of Vitriol one part of Spring-water two parts mix wherein dissolve the Filings of Steel filter the Solution warm then evaporate it gently to the comsumption of a third part and in a cold place you shall find Cristals sweet as Sugar the true that is graduated Vitriol of Mars from which decant the Solution then draw it off a little and in a cold place you will have New Cristals which gently calcine under a Tyle stirring them continually with an Iron Spatula into a Powder of a Purple Colour to which pour Philosophical distil'd Vinegar extract the Soul Tincture or Essence of Mars draw off the Vinegar and edulcorate the Soul This is that Soul of Mars which being dissolved in the Spirit of Mercury and united with the Soul of Sol tingeth Luna into Sol. But of these below The Vitriol of Mars being graduated and calcined into a Purple Powder in our Receipt is without the extraction of its Soul distilled into the Philosophers Mercury and Philosophical Sulphur the true Oyl of Mars and Venus the Menstruum next fore-going in Numb 131. Out of which to make the present Spirit of Mercury the Salt must be extracted out of the Caput mortuum with Philosophical Vinegar which Salt being mix'd with the Oyl of Mars and Venus and distil'd together through an Alembick is call'd the first Matter of Metals Basilius sometimes used the Salt and Sulphur of Sol instead of the said Salt extracted out of the Caput mortuum Thus 133 The Oyl of Mars and Venus acuated with the Sulphur and Salt of Sol of Basilius In Supplemento TAke of the Purple Coloured Gold the Crocus of Sol des Konings Purpur Mantel half an ounce of the Philosophers Oyl of Mercury the Oyl of Mars and Venus one ounce and half dissolve to which add of the Salt of Sol two drachms all being resolved into an Oyl rectifie it by a Retort that it may be clear and pellucid For the Spirit of Universal Mercury Basilius took Copper dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar and cristallized into graduated Vitriol and with gentle calcination reduced it into the true Crocus or Red Powder of Venus But the Iron he dissolved in the Oyl of Venus distilled out of the said Crocus of Venus cristallized and calcined into the Crocus of Mars For the present Menstruum he requireth Gold dissolved in Balneo Regis described in Numb 89. and reduced into a volatile graduated Vitriol which then being dissolved in Distil'd Water he precipitates with three times as much of Argent Vive out of the Menstruum but the amalgame from thence produced he gently calcines under a Tyle into a Purple Powder or Crocus as to the making of which here only by the by but in the following second and third Books we shall treat more fully of it The way of making the Salt of Sol he has thus in Libro particul in particulari Solis described Take the White Body of Sol left in the extracting of its Soul the Essence extracted out of the Crocus of Sol with the sweet Spirit of Salt described in Numb 28. reverberate it gently for half an hour that it may be made corporal then pour to it the Corrosive Water of Honey well rectified which in a gentle heat will extract the Salt in the space of ten days All the Salt being extracted draw off the Menstruum from it in Balneo edulcorate the Salt by repeating Cohobations in common Distilled Water and lastly Clarify it with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and you will have the Salt of Gold Concerning this Water of Honey Basilius in Curra triumphali Antimonii Pag. 77. thus Out of sweet Honey may be made the strongest Corrosive and Poyson which is to most men a thing incredible The same affirms Paracelsus saying The like is to be understood in Honey which by its elevations is made much sharper than any Aqua Fortis and Corrosive and more penetrative than any Sublimate such a property of sharpness it hath not Naturally but by elevation which changeth this Honey into a Corrosive Libro 5. Archid. Pag. 18. and elsewhere Cap. 14. de Morbis Tartar Pag. 319. Honey of it self is innocent but in the third elevation becomes mortal The way of making this Water is not indeed in the Writings which we have either of Basilius or Paracelsus yet easily will a diligent Disciple learn the same by the Principles of his Art for either the Coelum Mellifluum of Parisinus must be dissolved in distilled Vinegar or some stronger acid or crude Honey cohobated in Philosophical Vinegar that is common mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine and the Process will be shorter and better But this Salt of Gold may be also made without the said Water of Honey provided the Menstruum be so corrosive as to dissolve the remaining Body of the Gold thus in Labore tertio Revelat. he reverberates the Caput mortuum of Gold the space of three days then calcines it with an equal weight of the Salt of Tartar which he washeth off with Distilled Water and extracts the Salt out of the dried Powder with Vinegar which drawing off the Vinegar he clarifies with the Spirit of Wine that is he dissolves filters draws off and cristallizeth it into the true Salt of Sol. In another place he extracts the Salt of Gold by the Spirit of Vniversal Mercury as in Elucidatione 12. Clavium where he affirms that the Philosophers Stone cannot be coagulated or fixed without this Salt and that he hath taught the way of making it in the fourth Key By the Philosophers Oyl of Mercury he means the Oyl of Mars and Venus not yet reduced into the Spirit of Vniversal Mercury or acuated with its own Salt and the more fixed part indeed of this Menstruum which he calls the Philosophers Sulphur not the more volatile part which is call'd the Philosophers Mercury With this Sulphur he dissolves the Soul or Crocus of Sol and converts it into potable Gold Libro de supernaturali Medicina Yet sometimes he would have us take the same Oyl of Mercury for the Oyl of Roman Vitriol the Menstruum described in Numb 98. So in Libro de particular in particulari Solis he reduceth the white Body of the King Gold left in the extraction of the Soul or Crocus