THE PRACTICE OF LIGHTS.

SUrely, without any falsehood, the Sci­ence of Alchemy is true and not to be mocked or scorned at, as many blind Asses do. Many men blunder about this blessed Tincture which have nei­ther Learning nor any sight in Philosophy, which causeth great slander and mocking to the great rebuke of this noble and glorious Science of Grace, which Science and cunning is contained only in natural moving or circu­lation and rotation of the Heavens above, as all natural things do in this World by pas­sing their circuit, which the high Creator of Nature keepeth in His marvellous Di­vine Power there as he beginneth and not else.

[Page 28]The saying of all the Philosophers is, that no man shall come to this Science by ha [...]e and heady strength, but by Patience, and long time, and true Governance of Fire.

First of all this noble Science they describe of Calcination which I have seen and done all manner of ways as Sophisters and Ignorants do write, unto this day (the more the pit­ty.) But truly I have found a Na [...]ural Calci­nation, which rather encreaseth moisture ra­dical than minisheth it: which Calx is of ☉ and ☿ without any o [...] her thing [...] as it is written, nihil demergeretur in Mercurio nisi solem, I have kept this compositum Solis & Mercurii one whole year in firing night and day and in my proportio [...] I lost my purpose, for I took, 24 to one and left off that Work, then I took 3 to 1: Which I kept in the Fire sea­ven Months standing in such a heat as the ☉ in the highest of ♌, in any part of the World, and my Glass was but luted, unto which I will never more trust, but only with nipping or closing of my Vessel or closing with Glass Molten, and at the seaven months end (the matter all molten) I did open my Glass and strongly did cast the matter up and down, and the Body so opened and melted with the cooling of the Glass and shaking, cleaved to the high of the Glass and to the sides, and would not descend, [Page 29] and that part that descended down to the bottom, was black and unciuous, and I did let it rest that night in the Fire still, and in the morning it was ascended up to the top again, and it was very Black, and cried as it had been fryed, and so I did let it stand stillin the Fire till on the next morrow, and then I found it ascended still, and I would have caused it to descend with Fire, and made a Fire on the top, and with the violence of the Fire (the Lute being stiff and strong) part passed through the Lute into the Ashes, and that which remained in the Glass was fair and clear cleaving to the Glass: Then turned I up the Glass, and there appeared a thousand sparks, like very crude ☿ bright and shi­ning, marvelous to sight, which I pickt out as subtilly as I could, and among them I found one that was black on the one side and bright as Pearl on the other side, and ano­ther like the colour of the Rainbow, and all the other were as bright as any thing might be, so that I thought they had been crude.

Then put I a part of them in a strong Fire, and they never blemished, but ever con­tinued white, then I would have quickned them with more quick Water, Regm. Lullii Test. cap. 56. Aqua viva est Argentum vivum congelatum in sulphur, sicut [...] menstruale quod [Page 30] congelatur in Substantiam Embrionis: but they would never mingle, neither joyn with them more together: For the impediment was that these sparks were corrupted among the Ashes in the drying and fixing.

Then I did melt them all together, and never man saw fairer Silver than that was.

Then I thought to prove a shorter way: I took Sol and our Omogeneum, sometimes 6 to 1, another 1 to 1. and 4 to 1 and 3 to 1. and within 40 days and less I have made Calces, R. Lullius ex metallorum limis vel ole­is factis de corporibus imperfectis, & in Aquam cristalinum deductis per Artem fit Aqua-Vitae. Menstrum nostrum resolutivum quo terrae oleorum purificantur a macula originali: Aliam Aquam nolite quaerere, quia haec Aqua trahit animas a corporibus, & facit eas visibiliter apparere, si scis hanc Aquam rectè disponere, habes totum: sed difficulter fit Aqua ista, & magno ingenio ex Luna fit Elixir cum Aqua illa, & ex Sole abs­que putrefactione: non sic ex aliis corporibus nisi post p [...]trefactionem. Stude ergò propter istam Aquam habendam sine qua nihil fit in hac Arte.

[Page 31]Chap 86. Hoc Argentum vivum cum corpore [...]onjunctum sunt duo spermata, de quibus facimus [...]asci Aquam-vivam: quae est Argentum vivum [...]ostrum, & Aqua-vitae quae corpora mortua re­suscitat.

Argentum vivum constructum & congelatum dat omnem calorem quo indigemus, fiat ergo oleum de ipso cum corrosiva & abhin [...] trabatur aqua quae dissolvit omnia: vel cum ipso oleo misceatur ole­um fermenti album vel rubrum & putrefiat totum per [...]alneum & fac inde Elixir, as red as the Ruby, and in likewise white calx with Luna; bright shining and as soft as Silk, which Calx I have examined and pro­ved oft times after this manner. I have put the Calce of Luna into one of our vegeta­ble Menstrues, and after I have put him into a Limbeck and have distilled from the said Calce the said Menstrue, and the said Calce hath been like a Sponge Spongeous and full of strange Colours, and shining white mar­vellous to see. Then have I taken this Sub­stance and put it in a clean Vessel and stop­ped it fast, and so have I sublimed out all the Spirit; and the Body remained beneath as soft as Oyl, and impalpable that no man can express the subtilness thereof: Upon the which Calce I gave, my whole Confi­dence: For what learned men soever had seen this Calce, would verily have known [Page 32] that it had been the very true and right calce after the teaching of wise Philosophers, for this Body is open and subtilizate, and his radical humidity saved by his Menstruum fa­tens.

And this Calce is apt to receive liquefacti­on and all other Operations to it naturally conserving. Now I perceive verily and without doubt how they declare one thing which is true, first of the putting to of the Earth and the Water together in the Philoso­phers Egg, which is likened to the Masculine and the Feminine, the which shall bring and gender betwixt them the Child of the Fire, which after shall never dread the Fire, for himself is the very Fire natural and retrograde to Water and Earth again, and after so nou­rished in the Fire till he be perfect white cal­led by his Name Magnesia. Magnesia est Aqua composita & congelata, quae repugnat Igni, & postea nunquam dubitat illum in aliquo, eoque ip­samet est Ignis & de Natura Ignis fit, & in Igne crevit, & suum intinctum fuit ignis. Reymund T. T. Cap. 63.

Jo. Dastin, Magnesia sanè est Aqua composita Igni repugnans, congelata, corpus totum redigens in cinerem. Note how here in this wonder­ful Preparation is hid all that ever the Wise­men had [...] in the which is the Menstruum fae­tens, or Ignis contra Naturam; it is the wonderful [Page 33] marvellous and secret life of the Stone, as by any Practice I have seen and approved; for in the beginning of the first corruption it smel­ [...]eth like foul Brass: and after that he chang­ [...]th from favor to favor, and in Colour [...]range, and at the last he is fragrant and sweet smelling.

This I have truly proved by the very expe­ [...]ience in making of my foresaid Calce not­withstanding the Preparations the Philoso­ [...]hers have hid and nothing else which I have [...]uly proved, for I have continued our Mercu­ [...]y and Sol in firing ten Months and more, [...]n the which process, I have seen the natu­ [...]l Acts with marvellous things incredible, [...]xcept to them that have seen the changing of them as in manner of other Vegetable [...]hings growing by their own radical moist­ [...]re and heat of the Sun, both in burnishing and in divers Colours, springing with leaves [...]ke an Hauthorn-tree with Flowers marvel­ [...]ous in sight to behold: and after this ten months I wearyed and hasted with Fire above, [...]nd my Body did melt and rise from the Ground and ascended, and the Spirit brake part out, and the other part of the work was marvellous to see; for part of the Sun was turned into Moon, and I assure all good [...]nd well disposed men; but not to Asses and foolish People: for I would not that they [Page 34] should see my Book. But note the Testament of Reymond, where be declareth in the 55 Chap­ter, and sheweth of the changing of common Mercury first ere he may change the Body, for he saith: The common Mercury may neue [...] change the Body but himself be first changed an [...] made pure Water, and as he is changed s [...] will he change the Body, and Preparation [...] never considered till now at the last labour Wherefore let never man labour, nor busie himsel [...] till his Mercury be turned into pure Water an [...] distilled, and every Element well rectified and the Earth well calcinated, and the same Earth from his original corruption well wi­shed, and that once well and truly done, tha [...] the Sun and Moon joyned together with thi [...] foresaid Mercury. And then beginning you [...] work, and then with the volatile matter thou shalt have both Earth and Water all [...] one thing and not of divers kinds, and whe [...] I thought to be at an end, there was but the beginning, and I never perceived it till I h [...] studied the 55 Chapter of Reymonds Testament for I never could find in all the Authors tha [...] ever I did read or see the Preparation s [...] plainly declared. Ye may read in the Book of Artephius, called clavis sapientiae majoris, where he writeth nihil occultaverunt praeter Praepara­tionem. And this is the very and true way to the Stone of the Philosophers: For all [Page 35] their wonderful writing is but one thing, and of one thing, and in one thing, which I have shewed you here afore. Notwithstan­ding with my Calce you may make right good Medicine both man and Venus. But the Royal Stone must be prepared as I have shewed thee: And after this Preparation done put the Man and the Woman in their Bed and keep them close, and in the Egg shall be brought forth a Child, and here is all that the Philo­sophers say that is but one thing, one work, one Vessel, one Furnace, though it change into many things after his natures, as ye may see in the Testament about the 67 Chap­ter, and there he [...]heweth of the four good Elements: and it is called in the Mastery the first solution, after depuration, and then reduction which cometh before Fixation. But I assure and certifie you, that I have seen with mine Eyes visible like as I have afore de­clared. And I take to witness Reymond in the 67 Chapter, where he maketh thereof an open certification to all his Friends that he and others have done and proved visible these Acts. Here I leave to write other ge­neral sayings of Philosophers, for I intend but only to proceed in this peculiar thing, which I know is possible to be done: But it is the hardest Science in the World to an un­knowing Man. And it is lightest after it is [Page 36] understood and known; as I have proved my self by Experience of my Calces divers ways, sometime with Blood of common Vitriol, and after I have decocted it in the Vegetable Mercury ten or twelve days, and of that Pow­der I have had fine Silver after the quantity. Also I have examined this Calce of Silver and O [...]ogeneum in common Aquafortis, and they have dryed and congealed therein marvellously bright shining like a Diamond which will melt in the Vegetable Mercury like Wax, and the Secret of this I have not concluded nor many other Secrets of the Calce for divers Considerations that I fear by the Enemies of the World. The second cause why I do not conclude, is part for Po­verty: for this Science requireth three things special to conclude it: One is great ingeny and a perfect reason in understanding and handling thereof: The second is many Books to lead a man from one dark saying to another that giveth Light; and the third is Wordly goods to maintain the Expences and Labour, the Substance of the two Lights which the Mercury must have to work upon, Sol and Luna for that Substance shall never be lost, though the Work-man do err in his work, but it shall be rather finer and better then it was at the beginning. Nevertheless, a man may labour against Nature and destroy and [Page 37] spoyl the good Bodyes. Wherefore I advise every man not to meddle with this Science unless they be well learned and practised. Many men do boldly meddle and clatter therein saying, it is a thing cast in the Street and costeth nought, and every man hath it, as well the Poor as the Rich, and every time and place, it is in every Hill and in every Dale, and the Value at the beginning costeth not past fifty pence. All these things be true to them that truly understand them. Also they say it is a Natural Mercury which cost no Money which is the privity and all the ground of our Wisdom: And all this is no [...]easing, but although it cost nought, yet it is not had of nought, and of a little substance for ye cannot have as much Wheat of a hand­ful as of a Bushel; then mark well this rea­son: If you will have much of this Natural Mercury or privy Corruption, which is the Root and Foundation of all these wonderful things, thou must have great quantity of their Ma­terials, I say to thee as a Friend: If you put 20 pound weight of the Body that Aristotle declareth with [...]stro [...], which Body is in Value 24 score pounds of currant Coyn, it is not of the price of the secret Stone that we mean of, and it cometh of the qualities of this one thing brought out by Art. And I say to thee in Charity if thou [Page 38] hadst seen the privity thereof, thou wouldest soon believe it, and thou wouldest marvel thereof it is so light and easie a thing, and rea­dy at thy hand if thou have Grace to under­stand that Corruption. But thou that labou­rest herein must understand of two manner of Corruptions after the definitions of the Philo­sophers: One is Corruption alterative, and the other is Corruption dissipative. And if you be a very true Philosopher then shalt thou know these two Corruptions, as well by the Theo­rick as by the Practick, and I say to thee of a Truth that of this Corruption is a new Ge­neration that bringeth forth this blessed Tin­cture, but corruptio dissipativa shall never be brought to natural kind again, and they that labour in this Corruption shall never lose but their time for lack of good understanding [...] for they may save their good Bodies ever­more. Now Corruptio alterativa is evermore in generation, as the Philosopher doth make mention de Generatione & Corruptione, unde Corruptio unius est Generatio alterius, &c. And if they err in this Corruption yet shall they save all their Substance of the Bodies that shall never be the worse in Comparison in quantity but the better rather in quality, as is aforesaid. Therefore if thou be a wiseman thou shalt have thy Substance, as surely as in thy Coffer, for as he standeth in the humidi­ty [Page 39] and Corruption, so long is he growing in his own natural kind. Therefore consider this Example, and understand well these Cor­ruptions: For that I have seen I testifie to you of Truth, I take God of Heaven to Witness, and advise ye well e're you begin to make thy Mercury Vegetable and flying; but first of all e're you begin I read ye know well thy Prin­ciples, and take them of Aristotle and Hermes, and of the fourth Book of Meteors of Aristotle, and there you shall find this Principle, where he sayeth, Sciant Artifices Alchymiae spes va­riae transmutari non po [...]unt nisi prius reducantur ad primam Materiam. Now note well what I say, I demand what is the first matter of Mankind? Forsooth, I tell ye Sperm of man. Then I ask what is the first matter or substance of Sperm? I say to thee Food; as Meat and Drink. Then it appeareth, that Meat and Drink is the first Substance of Sperm, and Sperm is the very true Sub­stance and matter to bring forth man: So likewise in Mercury of white matter, and of white Substance cometh that Mercury: For so he is of a pure subtil Earth, Sulphur most clear and most subtil commixed with pure Water and with Commixtion and heat, these two Elements digesteth with Temperance of heat and so turneth into Mercury the Sperm of Metals, therefore Water and Earth is the first [Page 40] matter of Mercury, and Mercury is the first mat­ter of all Mettals, and when they be put into that Water, they all melt and dissolve in him as the Ice doth in warm Water, and why do they so, because they were first Water coupled by cold, and now here is Aristotles's Principle as­soyled.

And although there were two things first, yet nevertheless when they be resolved into clear currant Mercury, and no palpable thing of the Body seen nor felt, but passeth through the Philter clean as Water, then is it, but one thing, upon the which all Philosophers accord and ground them, est una Sola res. And here now I have shewed you more plain­ly then it hath been shewed here before. And I say to thee for truth, this is the very true Key of this Science, for Merlin and ma­ny others write here of divers ways, as in the verse of Merlin, dissipare & leviter extracta, &c. and Albertus in the fifth Book de mineralibus de semine Metallorum, where he upon a little Gloss teacheth Solution, as there ye may see. But of all special Books that ever I could read or see, Stella Complexionis is the Father of Truth and Doctrine, shewing the clear light and the right way of the Preparation of this precious Treasure, and he expoundeth all the Figures of the Philosophers openly, where I doubt not but God hath his Soul in everlasting [Page 41] [...]iss: For by the space of thirty years I ever [...]udied and busied my self upon the Mystery, [...]arables, Figures and Sayings of old Phi [...]oso­ [...]hers, in the which I was marvellous blinded [...]nd overseen, and specially by one book which is called the 12 Chapters or 12 Gates [...]n Metre in English, which was made by a suf­ [...]cient Clerk and well learned, but I warn [...]very man to beware of him, for by him ye [...]hall never know the privity, but rather he [...]eadeth you out of the way, for he sayeth it is [...]ne Vessel, one thing, one furnace and no [...]ore.

True it is that it is but one thing, as I have before opened and shewed: It is one [...]orm of a Vessel as Stella Complexionis declareth, And I say to you this one thing in the which all [...]he Wise Philosophers have grounded themselves on, it is after the full putrefying and utter rot­ting of the Elements, then to be separate and every one of them well rectifyed, and then reduced again to the Body by Nature in mar­vellous Sulphur elect. And here I Counsel thee to Practise truly, and to remember and consider the saying of the great Philosopher Constantius Affricanus in the Book of Elements, where he [...] sheweth that man is made by in­gression of contrary things, which is to be [...]derstood of the four Elements and after this Body reverted to him simple, then all his [Page 42] humour is turned into Water, the Spirit into Air, the heat into Fire, and the Bones and Flesh into Earth; now mayest thou hea [...] and know by visible Experience, and in likewise with our Water one thing by rotting is turned again into his simple Elements and moisture, then separate them, and the first shall ascend as a Smoak and turn into Air as Water, keep that Treasure, and then thou shalt distil after that an Air more intentive and thicker, and one drop of this will swim and go above Water if thou mix it with Water, and in this Air is Fire; aud beneath in the bottom of your Cucurbit is your Earth as a dead Body corrupt and infect. Note well here be the four Elements reverted into their Simple, as before is said by the Authority of Constantius. And I assure you that this is as true as ever God made Gold and Silver and all things else and Heaven and Earth and the Sea, therefore believe me if thou wilt or chuse thee to thy own folly, and leave off true Do­ctrine of the Philosophers, and wander forth in the World as Mist in the Wind, and so thou shalt never come to thy purpose, but thou must first make the Bodyes water, after di­gest them not burning nor destroying their radical moisture, which is the life of Tincture of this precious Treasure, and utterly rot them, and after divide the Elements and well [Page 43] rectifie thy Earth by due Calcination, and with washing of his own Water, till it be pure, clear, bright and white shining, and then sublime up all the quintessence again, then thou hast the wonderful Earth called Terra foliata & Sulphur Elect of the Philosophers, more noble more precious then Gold or Sil­ver, if [...]hou wilt work it up as thou mayest at thy pleasure by continuance of Reiteration and Sublimation, then he will become clear as Heaven Christaline shining bright, as thou mayest see in the Rosary of the Secrets of all Philosophers in the last work. Therefore may you see and understand when your Tincture is perfect, which is in the fourth Gover­nance plainly in writing, and also mark o­ther Authors of this secret Science; for when he is perfect fixt and stable and will not fume, then he will run through a Plate of Copper, and make it perfect Silver or perfect Gold, better then ever was produced out of the Mine by Nature, and also the very truth of this Secret is more wo [...]th and richer then man can devise; for of his own sperm or seed he shall evermore encrease and multiply to the Worlds end, for as fire elemental burneth all and o­vercometh all things, and nothing can over­come him, even so this Magnesia the Child of Fire shall never be blemished nor va [...]qui­shed by the Fire, but ever standing and a­biding [Page 44] bright shining, clear, so that almost man cannot express the brightness which is incredible to any man except to them that have seen it with their Eyes. And thou that art a finder of this Book, I charge thee as thou wilt answer to God that thou never shew this but to a vertuous and wise, discreet and well disposed man, which is ever glad to help the Poor and needy People; for with this glorious Science ye may procure many glori­ous Gifts of the blessed Trinity both in Rich­es and Soul, which shall never fail you ever­lastingly. Da gloriam Deo, Amen.

Magnalium Dei,

Electum Minerale Immatu­rum (id est) Metallus primus est Minera Mer­curii.

TAKE of the best Argentum vivum, which you shall Distil from its own Minera, that is of the best Hungarian Minera which shall hold abundance of Argentum vivum, one pound will hold twelve, thirteen or fourteen ounces of Quicksilver, you shall distill this Minera, (first pulverized) in a Glass Retort with a Receiver, then you shall squeeze the Mercury divers times through Leather. If you cannot get any Minera Mercurii Hungari­ci, take Spanish Mercury, which is the best after the Hungarian, squeeze it through Lea­ther divers times. If you cannot get this Spa­nish Mercury, take of the best Argentum vi­vum, that is to say, if you put a little of it into a Silver Spoon, and hold the Spoon o­ver glowing Coals, and when the Mercury [Page 48] flyes away it leaves a yellow or white spot in the Spoon, this Mercury will serve, but if the Mercury leave a black spot, it is not good for any Work. Take the Mercury which leaves a yellow or white spot in the Spoon, wash it ten or twelve times with Salt and Vi­neger, and then squeeze it as many times through Leather, that it may be purged from its outward soulness, the Hungarian and Spanish Mercury are clean of themselves and need no washing.

Imprimis, you are to separate the Mercu­rium coagulatum from the Mercurius Vivus, without any corrosiveness, and that the Mer­curius Vivus shall be alive still, and so clear as a Venice Looking-gloss: Which Mercury coagulate Paracelsus, and Helmont calls Praeci­piolum or Mercurius Coagulatus, and that it shall be separated dead from its own Minera, and that the Mercury Vivus shall be still alive after that the Praecipiolum is separate from it, and that the Corpus Mercurii vivi is the Prae­cipiolum Minera, and that the Electrum Mine­rale immaturum, is the Mercurii vivi Minera. Item Helmont & Paracelsus mentions that when the Argentum Vivum or Mercurius Vivus shall come to his loca destinata, that then the Ar­gentum vivum shall leave his Praecipiolum behind him in the form of a coagulated Mercury, and the Mercurius Vivus will go away alive and remain a Mercurius Vivus.

[Page 49]The loca destinata, where the Argentum vi­ [...]um shall leave the Semen Mercurii, and the Prae­ [...]ipiolum is Gold and Silver, Gold is the best place, by reason of the Fixation and Purity, [...]nd next to Gold is Silver.

In this Praecipiolum lyeth hidden the whole Art of the true Chymistry. If a Chymist [...]now not how to make or separate that Prae­ [...]ipiolum from Mercurius vivus, he will fail of [...]he whole Art.

This Praecipiolum is the matter whereof [...]hall be made the Philosophers Mercury, that [...]s, when it is reduced to his first matter, that [...]s in a clear Water, like the Water which [...]uns out of our Eyes now and then, and is [...]ippery: This Water will eat and drink his [...]wn Flesh and Blood, and multiply it self with it ad infinitum, and this Water will [...]ring all Gold and Silver into their first mat­ [...]er, before Praecipiolum is brought into his [...]rst matter, (it is when it is prepared Phi­ [...]osophically without Corrosiveness) it will [...]ure triplicem Hydropem, podagram, morbum vene­ [...]ium and also many more sicknesses.

The Philosophers call Argentum vivum [...]heir Wine, and the Praecipiolum they call [...]heir Tartar, both maketh the Philosophers [...]piritum vini Philosophicum, which they call [...]ow and then, Astrum Mercurii, Spiritum Mercurii, their Fire their Sal Minerale & Sal [Page 50] Armoniacum, their Horse-dung their, Balneum Mariae, and an hundred more names to de­ceive the People.

Dr. Fr. Anthonie's Receit shewing the way to make his most Excellent Medi­cine called Aurum Po­tabile.

TAke Block-tinn, and burn it in an Iron Pan (making the Pan red-hot before you put it in (and keep­ing a continual Fire under it, and stirring it always till it be like unto Ashes, some will look red, it will be burning a day, or half a day at the least, it must be stirred with an Iron Cole-rake, a little one, the han­dle two Foot long.

G. H. M. Made an Iron Pan a Foot and half long, and a Foot broad, the Brims two Inches deep, and made an Oven in a Chim­ney with Bars of Iron in the bottom, where­on he placed the Pan, and [...] place under to make Fire, and it will after this manner soo­ner be burned (viz. half a day) the Smoak will not hurt it.

A Singular Treatise of Bern­hard Count Trevisan con­cerning the Philosophers Stone.

COnsidering the long Desires and Hopes of the Students in the Chymick Art, I will in the pre­sent Treatise briefly and openly declare this Art. First therefore the Subject of the Art is to be known, in the second place, the Foundation, in the third, the Progress, fourthly and lastly, the Extraction of the Elements: Which being known, eve­ry one may most easily attain the end of the Art.

The Subject of this admired Science is Sol and Luna, or rather Male and Female, the Male is hot and dry, the Female cold and moyst, and know for a certain that our Stone is not compounded of any other thing, although many Philosophers name several o­ther things, of which they speak Sophisti­cally.

[Page 84]Nevertheless by Scotus, Hortulanus, St. Thomas, and Christopher Parisiensis, and very many others, many other things for an other Cause are sophistically reckoned up, that Ig­norant Men may be deceived, because it is not fit for Fools to know our Secrets: And this is it, which I thought fit at this time to propound concerning the Subject of our Art.

The Foundation of this Art, is the Knowledge of the four Qualities, and that in the beginning of the work, Coldness and Moysture have the Dominion: For as Scotus saith, As the Sun dryeth up the a­bundance of Water in Fenny and Boggy Places, after the same manner our Sulphur when it is joyned with its Water or Mercury, doth by little and little consume and drink up the same by the help of the Fire, and that by the assistance of the only living God.

The Progress is nothing else than [...]a cer­tain contrary Action, for the Description of contrary things is one and the same, and if thou shalt have twice made this equality, thou shalt finish the whole Progress.

[Page 85]But now all skill consisteth in drawing forth the Elements, wherefore read over that which followeth so often, until thou canst conceive and understand it; and know that no one ever spoke so plainly as I in this Place, as thou wilt find by what followeth: Therefore give thanks to the great God, and be grateful to thy Friend who communica­ted to thee this Tractate: Live also accor­ding to God and reason, because Divine Wisdom will not enter into a wicked Soul, nor into a Body subjected to Sins.

The Extraction of the Elements is a cer­tain Composition of Blackness, Whiteness, Yellowness, and Redness: And know that Natures ought to be drawn from their Root. But the Root is a certain Congrega­tion of Elements, consisting in Sulphur and Mercury, which they call a confused Mass. But the Natures, which are drawn forth from the Root are Sulphur and Mercury, which when they are joyned together are separated, and purified, that they may be the better mingled afterwards, and united with the Body, out of which they are drawn. And after the Colours have passed, and that which is above, is made like that which is below, and that which is below like that above, then Miracles will from thence ap­pear. Which being done, thou hast a Trian­gle [Page 86] in a Quadrangle, and a fifth thing which is contained in four.

Now remaineth the Multiplication, in which this briefly is to be noted; That the Elixir ought to be nourished out of the same things, from which at first it had its Com­position. No Philosopher before now hath so openly declared this, as I have here done; and that for two Causes, first because from the beginning to the end of the work a long time is required, although some Philosophers do say, the Stone may be made in one day, and others in one month: But know that they speak Enigmatically, and that their words ought not thus to be understood.

Nevertheless I say with Scotus that the Stone or perfect work may be made in one year. Secondly, because Man's Life is short, and he groweth Old, before he comprehendeth and understandeth what is needful to be done in the Composition of the Stone. And therefore I have here so openly explained all things, least this, so noble a Science, should be lost and perish.

The Bosome-Book of Sir. George Ripley. The whole Work of the Com­position of the Philosophi­cal Stone, of the great Elixir, and of the first Solution of the gross Bo­dy.

FIrst take 30 pound weight of Sericon or Antimony, which will make 21 pound weight of Gum, or near thereabouts, if it be well dissolved, and the Vinegar very good, and dissolve each pound thereof in a Gallon of twice distilled Vinegar when cold again, and as it standeth in Dissolution in a fit Glass Vessel, stirr it about with a clean Stick very often every day, the oftner the better, and when it is well moulten to the bottom, then [Page 102] filter over the said Liquors three several times, which keep close covered, and cast away the Feces, for that is superfluous [...]ilth which must be removed, and entreth not into the Work but is called Terra damnata.

Speculum Alchymiae, The true Glass of Alchimy by Roger Bacon.

I Salute or greet unto thee, most dearly be­loved, the Glass of Alchemy, which in my heart I have figured or Printed, and out of the Books of wise-Men have drawn, in the which is contained fully all that they have gathered to the Perfection of Alchimy, I do give it unto your Person, and in the which all things which are required to this Art be here gathered together, and those which be in divers places dispersed: I shall thus answer unto your Prudence and Wis­dom, all things be created of the four Elements, and they be the Roots and matters of all things, and the diversity of things consisteth in three, that is to say, Colour, Tas [...]e and Smell. There is not to me but three viz. Di­versities of Elements, divers Proportions, divers Decoctions, and divers Mixtions. Wherefore if ye will one Metalline Body transform into another, ye must know the [Page 126] Nature of one contrary and of another in e­very diversity, and when you know this, then you may by Addition and Substraction, put to more of one Element, and the less of another, and [...]eeth them together well or evil, and also to mix them together well or evil unto your own will and desire. And that may a Man do well in Metalls if he might know without errour, how to separate the Ele­ments, that is to say, to reduce them to their first Matter and Root, which Root is Brim­stone and Quicksilver or Sulphur and ☿, and then that is the Root or Matter nearest or nearer; but because the separation of Ele­ments in Metalls is difficult and hard, the Masters did seek how to get the Roots nea­rest without any labour, from Brimstone and Quicksilver, and of these they made their Separation of Elements, which they used, and said that only the Elements did cleave in Metalls, and that strange Elements of o­ther things, as the blood, Eggs and Hair, do not enter but by Vertue or by Commixtion of them, with the aforesaid Elements, drawn of the Spirits and Bodies Metalline; but be­cause we cannot resolve or separate as Nature doth, for Nature separateth without Appo­sition of any strange thing in the space of a thousand years, and we cannot live a thou­sand years, therefore if we will make this [Page 127] Separation we must find the cunning or know­ledge by the which we may do it sooner; but this we cannot do by no ways except [...]e do put unto them things divers and con­trarious, for by his contraries ought ye to se­parate the Elements by our Knowledge and Mastery, therefore when two contrary things be mixed together one worketh in another, and so maketh him to give of his Complexi­on and Virtue, part thereof; for this cause ye must first learn to know the Complexion and Properties of all things, before you do enterprise to make commixtion together in their proper Natures, and it is needful that you know the works of Nature which you intend to do, and how much and what eve­ry thing doth give, of his Nature and Com­plexion, and how much, and what he lack­eth of another Complexion and Nature, by the means of the working which you do, and by the Nature of contrary things, which you do commix together, and if you do err in any of these, to know how much and in what; for if you know this, then you do know how to rectifie any thing of the World, and to reduce any thing unto his first Mat­ter or Complexion, or to any other thing ac­cording to your desire; then by the contrary, if you know not this you shall not enterprise to meddle, but by means of some things [Page 128] to attempt to make ingression or such like until you do know this, and this is in light or in light things, and the Philosophers do say that if any Man do know how to convert one Nature into another he knoweth all the whole Mastery: and Avicen doth say the same, that so it is, all your desire ought to be to this, for this which I have said be the beginnings or Roots of Alchemy Philosophical and Medicine. And without the Knowledge of these Roots (if you will do any work or Medicine, which is called the Elixir in this Art to transmute imperfect Bodies into Sol and Lune, of whatsoever the Medicine was in his Confection) you must think well of four things which I shall tell you.

The first is, that you do know how to prepare well all your things, and that you do know how to remove that which doth hurt most, and that which doth comfort your Intention, and that you know the sign when you have that which you desire to have, and that you know how to remove that which you ought to remove: For all that Man doth hath an end, and a certain Term, for according to Philosophers when Nature intendeth to destroy any thing, to ge­nerate another thing, worse or better, it in­tendeth to seek a certain degree which it doth not pass beyond and so standeth, and then [Page 129] another thing preparate, doth so provoke another special form which he had not be­fore.

The second is, that your things preparate you do know to commix them well toge­ther, and that is of sundry and divers things to make one Substance to be inseparable for ever; for if you know not how to mix your things well and naturally, so that every thing be destroyed, and so brought first unto their own primary being and proper species, and one new thing to be generated of them, it is worth nothing that you have done, and that you know the sign when your mixtion is compleated.

The third is, that you know the certain proportion, that is, the certain quantity of such things as thou oughtest to mix together, and also to know by reason why it should be so, that thereby you may be sure to find the thing that you look for: By the quantities that you know to have mixed upon your melted Bodies, it will away at the last slowly or quickly how well soever the things were prepared, without they were mixed together according to Knowledg and Nature thou hast lost all thy Labour as much as the final com­plement doth contain, and that shall be well perceived in the Examination thereof, when the Body transmuted is put to Examination in [Page 130] Ashes or the Test, for there he will consume and waste away according as there was too much or too little of his Proportion at the first; but if the Proportions were rightly mixed according to Knowledg and Reason, then it shall not do so. And Rasis saith, if thou knowest how to convert Lune into Sol, thou knowest the contrary, that is to say, Sol into Lune. But to know to do this, there is a certain Term and quantity hidden, which for to know thou oughtest not a little to study, that is to say, thou oughtest thereabout greatly to study, for Rasis saith, that the wise-Men did never hide any thing but quan­tity and weight, and we care not whether People do know it or no, for we have made and written our Books unto you that under­stand what we mean, and to our Sons and Children. And when you know that then may you well perceive that no Author or Book doth agree or accord with other in Weight and quantity, and therefore for lack of the Knowledg thereof riseth a great errour, and it is hidden for this Cause, that none but a wise-Man and learned may compass to ac­complish the same, which doth all his things with Knowledg and Reason, of the subtil Knowledg of Natural things; for if it might be had otherwise, Men which do meddle without Knowledg and reason; but only [Page 131] through Foolish boldness might have come to the end, they would no more have cared for the Learning and Wisdom of wise-Men, than for Dogs, if that their own proper Industry and Wit could have helped them to have found or gotten it.

The fourth thing which you ought to consider, is the greatest Secret of all and mighty Wisdom, that is, that you know how to fortifie your Medicine and multiply his Vertue, and this is a work of great Pru­dence and Wisdom, and if you understand this last, one part of your Medicine will not only convert ten parts of any Body melted but a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, ten thousand thousand, and much more without end, according to the several Circulations you shall make. And this which I have now said if you do understand, it sufficeth you, and I have touched all things that is need­ful, and they which do understand those things, they know the Art and none other, and to speak of this Art is to speak by means as we have spoken, and to work the Art of Alehemy is to work as we have said, and to teach the Art is to teach as we have taught, and he that teacheth any other teacheth no­thing, and he that wor [...]eth any otherwise worketh nothing. For who so desireth this Art, if he do err in any of the aforesaid Ar­ticles [Page 132] he shall never come to good end, until he knoweth the foresaid Articles, and the wise-Man saith that Glass purgeth Metalline Bodies Corrupt, and cleanseth them: For Glass maketh the Metalline Bodies of hard Fusion, soft in fusion, and this is a Secret. And with salt Bodies are calcined and dryed, for salt doth cleanse the Bodies in as much as he dryeth up the Sulphur which is in them, by the which humidity they stink and be black and burnable, for the Bodies calcined is clean suffering the Fire without stinking, and this is a great Secret; but know you that it is spoken for another Secret, which I will not show here, nor yet will write of it, for it is the Secret of all Secrets; for by that Secret, when it is well and perfectly known, a Man may come to the Secrets of all other kinds, and of this Secret, I have shewed you part, and if you know not that which resteth, I will declare no more neither by Tongue nor Pen. Now is ended the Glass of Alche­my which I have given for his Name worthy the same, for in that you may when you will, behold, and see as in a Glass contained all the Articles pertaining to this Art, which you should desire of wise-Men, I believe that the Roots were never so gathered together as they be here, for the which, understand you, and bear it in Memory according to [Page 133] knowledg, and that you do both hide and open according to reason, and as it ought to be, and not to shew it to every Rybald ac­cording to the lightness of the Mind, for then that shall be vile which now is precious. In all the aforesaid Articles I will make you Answer, if I have Life and Health, either by Mouth Writing or Words, so that you shall understand it if God will, and thus endeth the true Glass of Alchemy.

Vnum continet in se Masculinum & Femini­num ergò Hermophroditum. Duo continet Mas­culinum, Femininum & Spiritum, tres Corpus, Sol and Luna.

The admirable Efficacy, and almost incredible virtue of true Oyl which is made of SVLPHVR VIVE, set on fire, and called com­monly Oyl of SVLPHVR per Campanam.

OF this most noble Liquor, and not vulgar Medicine, the noble Helmont writeth thus in his ex­cellent Discourse concerning the Tree of Life.

In the year 1600. a certain man belonging to the Camp [...] whose Office was to keep ac­count of the Provision of Victuals which was made for the Army, being charged with a nu­merous Family of small Children, unable to shift for themselves, himself being then 58 years of Age [...] was very sen [...]ible of the great care and burden which lay upon him to pro­vide [Page 140] for them, while he lived, and concluded that should he dye, they must be inforced to beg their bread from door to door, whereup­on he came (saith Helmont) and desired o [...] me something for the preservation of his life I then (being a young man) pityed his sad condition, and thus thought with my self [...] the fume of burning Sulphur, is by experi­ence found powerfully effectual, to preserve Wines from corruption. Then I recollecting my thoughts, concluded, that the acid liquor or Oyl, which is made of Sulphur Vive, set on fi [...]e, doth of necessity contain in it self this fume, yea, and the whole odor of the Sulphur, in as much as it is indeed nothing else, but the very Sulphurous fume imbibed, or drunk up in its Mercurial Salt, and so becomes a con­densed liquor. Then I thought with my self [...] Our blood being (to us) no other then as it were the Wine of our life, that being preser­ved, if it prolong not the life, at least it will keep it sound from those many Diseases which proceed originally from corruption, by which means the life being sound, and free from dis­eases, and defended from pains and grief, might be in some sort spun out to a further length than otherwise. Upon which meditated resolu­tion, I gave him a Viol glass, with a small quantity of this Oyl, distilled from Sulphur Vive burning, and [...]aught him (moreover) [Page 141] how to make it as he should afterward need it; I advised him of this liquor, he should take two drops before each Meal in a small draught of Beer, and not ordinarily to exceed that Dose, nor to intermit the use of it, taking for granted, that two drops of that Oyl contain­ed a large quantity of the fume of Sulphur, the man took my advice, and at this day in the year 1641. he is lusty and in good health, walks the Streets at Brussels, without complaint, and is likely longer to live, and that which is most remarkable, in this whole space of forty one years, he was not so much as ill, so as to keep his Bed, yea, although (when of a great age) in the depth of Winter, he broke his Leg, near to his Ancle-Bone, by a fall upon the Ice, yet with the use of this Oyl, he recovered without the least Symptome of a Fever, and al­though in his old age, poverty had reduced him to great straits, and hardship, and made him feel much want of things necessary for the comfort and conveniency of Life; yet he lives healthy and sound, though spare and lean. The old mans name is Iohn Mass, who wait­ed upon Rithovius Bishop of Ypre, in his Cham­ber, where the Earls of Horne, and Egmondon were beheaded by the Duke of Alva, and he was then 25 years of age, so that now he is compleat 99 years of age, healthy and lusty, and still continues the use of that liquor daily.

[Page 142]Thus far Helmont, which relation as it is most remarkable, so it gives the Philosophical rea­son of his advice, on which it was grounded: And elsewhere the same Author relates how by this liquor he cured many dangerous deplo­rable Fevers, which by other Doctors had been given over for desperate. And in other places he commends it as a peerless remedy to asswage the insatiable thirst which accom­panies most Fevers.

To which relation and testimony of this most learned Doctor, and acute Philosopher, I shall add my own experience.

I find it a rare preservative against corrup­tion, not only in living Creatures, but even in dead flesh, Beer, Wine, Ale, &c. a recove­rer of dying Beer, and Wines that are decay­ed, a cure for Beer, when sick and roping; Flesh by this means may be preserved so in­corruptible, as no embalming in the World can go beyond it, for the keeping of a dead Carcase, nor Salting come near its effcacy, as to the conserving Meat, or Fowles, or Fish, which by this means, are not only kept from corruption, but made a mu [...]ial Balsome, which is it self a preservative from corruption, of such as shall eat thereof, which being a cu­rious rarity and too costly for to be made a [Page 143] vulgar experiment, I shall pass it over, and come to those uses which are most beneficial, and desirable.

It is an excellent cleanser of the Teeth, being scoured with it, they will become as white as the purest Ivory, and the mouth be­ing washed with Oyl dropped in water or white-Wine, so as to make it only of the sharpness of Vinegar, it prevents the growing of that yellow scale which usually adheres to the Teeth, and is the forerunner of their pu­ [...]refaction, it prevents their rottenness for fu­ture, and stops it (being begun) from going further, takes away the pain of the teeth, di­verts Rheums, and is a sure help for the strong savour of the Breath, making it very sweet: In a word, there is not a more desire­able thing can be found, for such who would have clean or sound Teeth, or sweet Breath, or to be free from Rheums: for which use let the water be made by dropping this Oyl into it, as sharp as Vinegar, as I said before.

Against a tickling cough and hoarsness, it is a rare remedy, not only taken two or three drops, twice a day inwardly, in the usual drink one useth before each meal, but also by gargling the Throat with it, and (so used) it is excellent against swelled Throats, Angi­na's, [Page 414] Struma's, Palates of the mouth in­flamed, or the Vvula of the Throat, or the Almonds of the Ears, which are (usually said then to be) fallen; It is excellent also against the Head-ach, and to divert Rheums from the Eyes, to wash the Temples there­with, likewise to take away Tetters, Morphew, Itch, or Scabs, this dropped in water is a pleasant, safe, and effectual remedy.

Besides which outward applications, it is a Lord internally taken, preventing corrup­tion, rooting out the seeds thereof, though never so deeply concealed in the body, and upon that score opening inveterate obstructi­ons, eradicating old pains, and preventing otherwise usual relapses into Stranguretical, Colical, or Arthritical pains: it is abstersive, cleansing all Excrementitian setlings in the Mesaraick or Mesenterial Vessels, and so cut­ting off the original sourse, and taking away the cause of putrefactive corruption, which is the productive beginner of very many dis­eases.

On this score it lengthens the life, and fress the body from many Pains and Ailes, to which otherwise it would be subject.

[Page 145]It is a pleasant remedy, having only a little sharpness, which to the Palate is most grate­full, and yet this Acidity is contradistinct from that Acidity which is the forerunner of putrefaction, which it kills and destroys, as the Acidity of Spirit of Vitriol is destroyed by the fixed Acrim [...]ny of its own Caput mor­tuum, or that of Vinegar, by the touch of Cerusse or Minium.

Praeternatural heat and thirst in Fevers, is no way allayed so speedily, and easily, as by this, nor is there any thing that for a constant continuance may be more safely and profita­bly taken; Spirit of Salt (such as the noble Helmont speaks of) alone may be joyned with this, for its safety, and continual use with profit, especially in Nephritical distem­pers, and the heat or sharpness of Urine.

Now as this is so noble a medicine, so there is none in the World more basely adulterated and counterfeited, our wise Doctors com­mending for it (quid pro quo) an adultera­ted mineral acidity of Vitriol, distilled in a Retort form vulgar Sulphur, which the Apo­state Chemists prepare, and sell for, and the Knavish Apothecarries use, and give to their Patients instead of this tru [...] Spirit, which if sincere is clear as water, ponderous, and ex­quisitely [Page 146] acide, made of Sulphur Vive only, set on Fire without any other mixture, and the sumes received in a broad Glass, fitted [...]or the purpose, vulgarly called a Campana or Bell, from its shape or likeness.

Most sottish is that Maxime of the Doct­ors, that Spirit of Sulphur and Vitriol are of one nature, when experience teacheth, that the meer Acetosity of Vitriol (which brings over nothing of its excellent vertue) will dissolve Argent Vive, which the strongest Spi­rit of Sulphur, truly, and not sophistically made, will not touch, nor will that recover Beer or Wines, or preserve them, as this will do, one therefore is an unripe Esurine Ace­tosity, of little vertue: the other a Balsom of an Antidotary vertue, a preservative against corruption, and upon that score nothing can be used more effectually as a preservative a­gainst, or a remedy in, Contagious Fevers, Small-Pox, Measles, or Pestilence than this, nor more ridiculously than the other, which being drawn from the vulgar Sulphur, that hath an infection of malignity mixed with it (which it took from the Arsenical nature of the Minerals from which it was melted) adds nothing of vertue to the crude vitriolate Spirits, but only [...]hat which was before of little vertue, to become a Medicine of more [Page 147] danger and hazard, but not a jot more good­ness, than it was, when first drawn from the Vitriol; which being of it self clear, and crude, is for to deceive the ignorant (by its Colour,) tincted with some Root or Bark; Thus the credulous world is imposed on, and cheated, while instead of most noble remedies (in name promised) adulterated trifles are produced, to the Disparagement of Art, and the scandal and reproach of the pro­sessors Medicine.

To discover which abuses, and vindicate true Art, I have made my Praeludium, con­cerning this Oyl or Spirit of Sulphur, the vertues of which (if truly and faithfully made) are so eminently remarkable, and almost incredibly efficatious, that I thought it not unworthy my pains, in a few lines to com­municate to the studious Reader, both what real benefit is to be expected from the true, and what injury is done to deluded (at least) if not destroyed Patients, by the Sophisticate Oyl of Sulphur.

THE Tomb of SEMIRAMIS Hermetically Sealed.