Cleidophorus MYSTAGOGUS Trifertes Sagani

Or

Immortal Dissolvent
[ Produced by RAMS (Restoration of Alche ical Manuscripts Society!" #$%& '

Being a Brief but Candid Discourse of the Matter and Manner of Preparing the Liquor Alkahest of Helmont, the great Hilech of Paracelsus, the Sal Circulatum Minus of Ludo icus de Comitibus! or "ur #ier$ Spirit of the #our %lements& 'ogether (ith its )se in Preparing Magisteries, Arcanas, *uintessences, and other Secret Medicines of the Adepts from the Animal, +egetable or Mineral ,ingdoms

Trifertes Sagani
Or

Immortal Dissolvent
(y

Cleidophorus Mysta)o)us

Table of Contents
An *pistle to the Reader Chapter + Concernin) the Mista,e of those -ho sou)ht this .i/uor in -ron) Sub0ects and by -ron) 1ays2 Chapter ++ Of the True Sub0ect Matter of this 3issol4ent Chapter +++ The True 1ay and Manner of Preparin) the .i/uor Al,ahest Chapter +5 The 3ifference bet-een this .i/uor and the Mercury of the Philosophers

Chapter 5 The Use of the .i/uor Al,ahest" Circulatu Paracelsus

Minus or Great 6ilech of 6el ont and

An *pistle to the Reader

Various have been the Opinions (Courteous Reader) concerning the Basis and Foundation of this general Dissolvent, commonly no!n by the name of the "i#uor $l ahest% some imagining it to be &ercury prepared% others, that 'tis in (rine, Blood and the li e% !hich has been the reason of so many and difficult labors made use of, and all in vain) for that the "i#uor remains at this day as great a *ecret in the +orld as ever, and 'tis li e so to continue !hile Chemical authors Deliver the sub,ect in such tropes and &etaphors, !hich horrible and -ne.tricable labyrinth the young /yros are so entangled in, that it must be by more than an ordinary 0rovidence, that he can be disentangled and set free1 On this account it may be properly said, that these Chemical +riters had as good to have been silent% nay, it !ould have been better2 For then so many !ould not have engaged in a search, !here so little li elihood of obtaining !as seen !hereby a great deal of 0recious /ime and &oney might have been saved, and that 0erple.ity of mind !hich follo!s vain Chemical 0rocesses might have been prevented% for this Reason it is but ,ust in $uthors in all their discourses, tending to the instruction of others, to direct to that *ub,ect !hich is the true ob,ect of that discourse% and though - must ac no!ledge that it is not fit to be delivered or disclosed so plainly, as that every 3og that may come to the 3oney 0ot, yet - say that it maybe clothed !ith such a decent habit, as to preserve it abstruse enough, yet by this a certain and harmonious Concord to be seen% as for e.ample, the Ob,ect of this discourse is the $l ahest1 &an and all creatures have it, for there is no being in 4ature, that is rightly and genuinely dissolved, but !hat may properly and truly be said to be done by this "i#uor, but particularly in man after a more evident manner in all Chylifications !hatever, but in this $ct &an suc s the 5uintessence of all things so dissolved for his o!n 4utrition and being /ransmuted into 3uman *pecies, the Recrements are cast off by the common 6munctories, far more gross and imperfect, than the *pecies themselves !ere in their first Reception, conse#uently they are of no fit ob,ect to ground the discourse of so pure and -mmortal a dissolvent on% not indeed &an himself, though !e grant that it is plentiful in him, but it is that *alt or "ife in him !hich Concentrates all other *alts in his o!n 6ssence as a Catholic Fountain for all the Rivulets to be supplied from1 *o that there is no ta ing of it from him but by a violent brea ing of the 7lass and a /ransplanting of the Fountain bac again to that -ne.haustible Ocean from !hence it first received its being1 /herefore, man cannot be the Ob,ect of any discourse appertaining to demonstrate the *ub,ect of this Dissolvent% for the pure in him, as already said, cannot be obtained !ithout Death, !hich is abominable even to thin on% but if it !ere obtained, it !ould not ans!er the end% for !hat is sufficient to dissolve in the Vegetable 8ingdom is too !ea for the $nimal% and that !hich is strong enough in the $nimal is too !ea for the &inerals1 /herefore, see it in that and from that, !hich is the Fountain, that supplies all Creatures and beings !ith it% for had it not a *ource, 4ature !ould soon cease, for as she e.hausts by the acts of &otion and $gitation of 0arts in 7eneration, so is she on the other hand -mmediately *upplied, not only in the 7reat +orld, but also in every -ndividual 0art !here "ife is) Receiving the same through the $ir, as the true Vehicle, conse#uently this Catholic Fountain is the Right ob,ect to ground this discourse on, as the true *ub,ect of the said dissolving "i#uor% this is a standing /ruth, it !as /ruth in the beginning, and !ill remain so to the end of /ime1 /he Reason and 0hilosophy of it - can by &echanical Demonstration ma e clear to a person !orthy of such inspection) therefore by all Clouds, Dar Veils and metaphors, genuinely declare that the matter of this Dissolvent is one and the same in 6ssence !ith that &atter from !hence all the !ise $ncients obtained the (niversal &edicine, one being the +or of $rt, the other 4ature1 One gentle, the other violent) so that by the difference of Operation they are brought to different effects1 4o! therefore the *ub,ect of this discourse being the "i#uor $l ahest, the Ob,ect must be the (niversal *pirit% for it is from this grand Fountain of 4ature that our Chaos doth proceed% therefore thrice happy is he, that no!s those &agnets that attract and ma e a species of this general 7enus) for he is assured that

there is something more than 6lements in all Created Beings, even an -ncorruptible and 5uintessential *pirit, !hich is the very "ife of 6lements themselves% !hich being ta en appears in &ist, Vapor or +ater, even that out of !hich the $ncients say all things !ere 7enerated1 3o!ever, the right 8no!ledge of this &atter is sufficiently abstruse, and the Operations thereof yet more abstruse% for - !ith many others no! by e.perience, that the &atter may be no!n and many do no! it, yet are !holly to see in the matter and &odus of Operating thereon% and !hatever some Foppish and Conceited ones may thin , vi91 that if they had the 8no!ledge of the true matter all difficulty is over% this may prove a grand &ista e, for - have been -ntimately ac#uainted !ith some, that have had a true no!ledge of the matter, and have !rought thereon% yet to the day of their Death, have been to see of the &agistery1 /hese difficulties have been those sharp *tones that have hindered by "egal 0rogression in :; years travel to!ards the &ount 3elicon of $rt% so that my labor of Body has been e.cessive, and that of the mind much more1 - have passed through the drought and scorching heat of the Day, and also through the cold and chilling Frost of the 4ight through a multitude of !ants and difficulties even often to the 3a9ard of "ife itself1 3o!soever easy such, as aforesaid, may thin it) - have had no other door to come in at, but hard labor and great 6.pense, for Coals and 7lasses have been my -nterpreters, and shall be so to every true *on of the $rt to the end of time1 For Conscience<s sa e, -<ll !rite the /ruth as !ell no!ing that there are too many *ophistical and false 0rocesses in the !orld, !hich !ill not bear the /ouchstone of 6.perience% but vanishes li e a reprobate &etal upon the /est1 But passing by all this, and much more that might be said of the li e 4ature% - shall no! address myself to the desirers of +isdom, and let them no!, that - have, as in a 7lass, sho!ed them the true manner, in !hich and by !hich this Dissolvent is to be obtained1 - shall no! come to spea concerning its (se, and (tility !hen obtained !hich !ill abundantly re!ard the 0ossessor for all his Costs and 0ains besto!ed about it% for as it hath been delivered, that the *ub,ect of this &enstruum is (niversal, so are the $cts of it the same !hen prepared, !hich plainly demonstrates from !hat Fountain it might flo!1 /his "i#uor, as an (niversal Fire, dissolves and opens the /e.tures of all Beings, in the Vegetable, $nimal and &ineral 8ingdoms, not their nearest matter, !hich is *aline, *ulphureous, $#ueous and 0otable, diffusive in any "i#uor, and so comes immediately to 4ature<s Relief, and by the *pecific Virtue manifested from 0o!er into $ct, Diseases though never so deplorable, may be overcome and cut do!n, as 7rass or +eeds !ith a *cythe in the 3and of a &o!er% especially by those of the &ineral 8ingdom, !hich may be ,ustly esteemed the 0hysician<s Cro!n and 0hilosophers< Diadem1 /his is the "i#uor<s Virtue in 7eneral1 -n particular, as it (niversally acts !ithout "imitation on all *ub,ects in the +orld, so in this $ction there is something remar able to be observed in every *ub,ect% for it fi.es Volatile *pirits, and Volatili9es Fi.ed ones1 -t ma es *alts sulphureous, and *ulphurs saline1 4ay, it macerates the 7ummosities of Resinous and 7ummy things, !hich the Ferment of our *tomachs could never do% for it being distilled from $mber and /urpentine leaves them in a salt of e.cellent Virtue) from the latter - have observed it almost as s!eet as 3oney, and a po!erful *pecific in the *tone% therefore by the help of this "i#uor of Fire a fe! &edicines being prepared !ill ans!er in deplorable Cases all that the 0atient can hope for and the true 0hysician e.pected to perform1 For instance, /urpentine, so dissolved, infallibly Cures the *tone in the Bladder% $mber and 3ellebore 3ysteric Fits, 3ypochondriac, &elancholy and &adness1 Cinnamon, (nicorn<s 3orn and the liver of an 6el, for the speedy delivery of +omen in Childbirth% the sulphur of Venus is an (niversal nepenthes, !ithout Opium in all diseases) the lily of $ntimony for Dropsies and all $gues% the &agistery of 7old for &alignant Fevers, 0estilential 0alsies and 0lagues) as also the also the glorified *ulphur of the &etallus &asculus, by 0aracelsus called Vinum Vitae and &embrorum 6ssentia, !hich also cures Consumption, fi.t &ercury or the $rcanum Coralinum and 3ori9ontal 7old in "eprosies, 7out, 0alsy, 6pilepsy, Cancers, +olves, *corbute, 8ing<s 6vil, all sorts of Venereal Disease !ithout *alivation or detaining the patient from business% it !ould be too long to enumerate all those &edicines prepared by this Fire or "i#uor% therefore let these suffice, and the re!ard that may accrue here from, because by this !ay of 0ractice, the 0hysician may ,ustly and Conscientiously gain honor and riches% and the 0atients be freed from all those cruel Barbarities, !hich are the $de#uate 0arts of Common 0ractice% as if the 0ain and /error of Death !ere not enough, but there must be an additional Cruelty, vi91 of Blistering, !hich to some may e.ceed the former1

/hus having given you a short *cheme of the Rise, 0reparation and (se of this "i#uor, - shall conclude this 0reface in Consideration of a 0erson rightly #ualified for the 0ossession hereof) the first and most necessary 5ualifications is to be rightly -nformed in Religious things so as to no! 7od for themselves savingly, by passing through the 3oly River of Regeneration, for to !al in the ne!ness of the *pirit, !hich Divine gift of the 3oly 7host enables every true Christian to !al !ith that Circumspection, as to be acceptable in the sight of 7od, to such it is a sure 7uide and safe Conductor in this +orld to!ards the desired 3aven of rest1 -t is also to them a mouth and +isdom, and that by !hich their /ongues are bridled and the !hole &an sealed to the Day of his Redemption, giving an earnest of the 6ternal -nheritance, and after!ards a full 0ossession, !hen our &ortal shall put on -mmortality% this being the Fountain, all others that are true, flo! as Rivulets from it, and so give a right 5ualification for the 8no!ledge of 4ature and 4atural things as also a Constancy of mind to !or upon the one thing alone, and an -ndustrious hand to effect the same1 3ere a Blessing and *uccess may be hope for, and those -ncredible Re!ards for all such as !ander in the Circumference, and have never been admitted to the Center of things% but to the Vigilant hidden things, even those hid from the foundation of the +orld, shall be revealed) and that this may be the 0ortion of every true laborer in $rt is the sincere Desire of him, !ho !ishes the 7eneral 0rosperity of &an ind every !ay1

Chapter + Concernin) the Mista,e of those -ho sou)ht this .i/uor in -ron) Sub0ects and by -ron) 1ays2
-t is a *aying !orthy of Observation, that the -ndustrious 3and ma es Rich% so is it in all manner of /rades and Convers in the +orld% so it is in $rt% but this -ndustry must be upon a tight Foundation, and, set in the Chymical $rt, from a Fore no!ledge of $de#uate Causes% unto !hich it is impossible to attain !ithout !e are enlightened by that +isdom, !hich comes from above, as a Ray from the 3oly 3eavens and /hrone of the Divine 7lory% for it is she, that must Conduct us in all out "abors to ma e them $cceptable to the 7reat 7od% !ell therefore might the !ise &an esteem of her before Riches, and 0ri9es (nderstanding above the &erchandise of *ilver, 7old, and 0recious *tones, because she is the true Conductor to the !ays o 0eace and 0leasantness% nay even to that /ree of "ife, !here *ubstance is to be -nherited) For that she opens the Door of 6ntrance to all &ysteries Divine and 4atural% and conse#uently !ithout her &en grope, as it !ere, in the dar , even as a Blind &an does at 4oon=day% for 4ature<s 3and= maid !as Created by him, and >ob says, that 7od by his *pirit has garnished the 3eavens, 3is 3and has formed the croo ed *erpent% and though there is a *pirit in &an, yet it is the -nspiration of the $lmighty that gives (nderstanding, !hence !e may readily Conceive, that 3uman Reason is too short to Comprehend the Dignity of any true &ystery !ithout the $id of 7od<s *pirit1 /his great Defect is too evidently apparent from the deplorable Case of the Chymical *earchers, concerning the *ub,ect &atter of this Discourse% seeing they no! not !here to ground or fi. their -ntentions in the choice of a proper *ub,ect, but frames each to himself a different Basis, and so ma e an -nnumerable 4umber of 6rrors concerning the same) /his -maginary &atter, !hich 0hantasy only has given Birth to, they defend !ith all the eagerness imaginable, concluding it to be the 7enuine Offspring of /ruth% !hen, alas2 -t is but a Bastard brat of their o!n !andering -maginations and ungrounded /houghts, as in the Conclusion proves too 6vident) /his is an $bsurdity so great, so common, that amongst the many 0retenders, - have never met !ith more than three that have escaped it) 3o! then can it possibly be e.pected, tat such should ever $rrive at the !ished for 3aven of Rest, !hen -gnorant both of the !ay and means by !hich they must come thither% for the Door of 6ntrance must not only be no!n, but also the 8ey !hich opens the same, !ithout !hich they may never e.pect $dmittance into nature<s /reasury) /herefore conse#uently must still remain in the horrible &ist of 6rrors% the most principal that have come $th!art me - shall here lay do!n and rec on for Convincing of the 7iddy= headed and Rash *earcher, but more 0rincipally for the 6difying and Building up of a *on of $rt1 - shall begin first !ith an 6rror, !hich is almost (niversally received, vi91, that &ercury Vulgar is the Foundation or Basis of this "i#uor% this is an 6rror that the $uthors of some 6.positors are guilty of,

!hich the -gnorant *earcher has not been a!are of, but hath gone to !or as confidently on &ercury for the obtaining of the 0hilosophers, by several and various 0reparations, as endeavoring to brea its Body by *pittle, &ay De!, Vinegar, and such li e soppish 0roceedings% also by *ublimation !ith *alts, and Distillation, and other such li e Operation, endeavoring to ma e it run per deli#1 to obtain an $iry and (niversal 4ature and radical dissolution, even that they call the &agnetic *alt, or Foliated 6arth, and &ercurial Chalybs% but all in vain% for that &ercury so prepared is still all one !ith common &ercury) $nd so li e!ise is that, prepared by Regulus of $ntimony, *ilver, etc1, for Vulgar &ercury is unripe Fruit fallen too soon from the /ree, therefore it must return to its First Fountain or Catholic "i#uor% for the 0hilosophers introduce Fire, not +ater, into &ercury, to ma e her &edicinal, both in the 0articular, and also in the 7eneral% by !hich it is brought to be forever irreducible to mercury1 $nother 6rror is in those, !ho see for this Dissolvent in De! and Rain +ater, not considering, that this !as designed only as 4ourishment for the Vegetable, having but such a 0ortion of the (niversal Fire in it, as might serve to dissolve the *alt 4itre of the 6arth, and then the Vegetable *eed in order to a ne! 0roduction% this Fire or dissolver being far remiss to that of $nimals, as that of $nimals is to &inerals, cannot be the 0hilosophers *ub,ect of this Dissolvent, for "ife !ould be too short to e.tract it1 $nother 6rror is that many allo! the &atter to be (niversal, but is dra!n by certain &agical magnets at select times in the ?ear% but this is a grand 6rror, for the &atter is to be found 0lentifully at all *easons of the ?ear, especially in such places, as are mostly enriched by &ineral Fumes, and the manner of its $ttraction is rather for the 4ecessity of 3uman "ife, than any 0oint in $rt% so that the $rtist must not be too curious in endeavoring to perform that !hich 4ature hath already done to his 3and1 $nother 6rror is in those that see for this Dissolvent by attracting the $ir !ith $l ani9ated *alts, as /artar, and not considering, that all $l ali9ed *alts do only attract a *aline $#uosity, !hich by often Cohobations may be turned !holly into an 6lementary +ater, !hereas the true 0hilosopher (as already said) does by his magnets attract a Fire, may a Fiery *pirit stronger than any Fire in the +orld) -t is true $l ali9ated *alts are noble *ub,ects, and deservedly claim 0reeminence, being Contradistinct to all $cids, and therefore ma e a Dissolvent ne.t to the great "i#uor% but these can never be Volatili9ed !ithout the (niversal &edium, or 0hilosophers< Diploma, together !ith 6ssential Oils and Vinous *pirits, and being so Volatili9ed, they become noble *pirits, yet do not!ithstanding spend their Virtue in Dissolving Bodies, and Coagulate upon them into a *alt, retaining their Volatility% so that conse#uently those are e.cluded from being the *ub,ect of this -mmortal Dissolvent1 $nother 6rror is in see ing for the &atter of this "i#uor in he $nimal 8ingdom, vi91 in &an% and indeed a greater in those, !ho assume to teach others, by their $ssertion, that it is there% but having already detected such +riters (in the 0reface) and also clearly she!n, that from &an, the *ub,ect &atter of this "i#uor can never be attained, although - no! that this my $ssertion does much th!art the general received Opinion, that (rine is the Basis, and that Van 3elmont, 0hilalethes, *tar ey, etc1, have in their +ritings asserted the same, so that - do Contradict the /estimony of these +orthies) -nstance 3elmont, !here he spea s of the dissolution of the *tone "udus, seems to assert that it is performed by a *econd dra!n from (rine) $nd 0hilalethes, in his /reatise e.tant, has grounded the Basis of the -mmortal Dissolvent on (rine and Blood% and 7eorge *tar ey in his /reatise of this "i#uor seems to ground the sub,ect thereof on (rine% nay, an -ntimate $c#uaintance of his did affirm the very 0rocess to me, !hich he made use of, vi91, the (rine of sound &en, unfermented, !hich, as soon as it !as made, !as by 6vaporation brought t a Consistence, in order to unite the t!o *alts, Volatile and Fi.ed, and so by Distillation and Cohobation till the !hole !as brought over, and then being digested and dephlegmed the $l ahest is prepared1 Dr1 Bacon !as, as - have been told, much of this Opinion% but all these are short of (nderstanding the /ruth of the *ub,ect, or of the $uthors before mentioned% for it is easy to be collected from 3elmont, 0hilalethes, etc1, that they never depended upon 3uman (rine as the *ub,ect of this -mmortal Dissolvent for then they !ould not have directed you to the Chaos of the $ncients% as the true *ub,ect, describing it Figuratively, and analogi9ing it !ith &an% because &an subsists by and from the (niversal *pirit, !hich is the true *ub,ect of this Dissolvent !hich they for some secret Reasons !ould not be so Candid to deliver) the li e has $lipili in his Boo entitled Centrum 4aturae Concentratum,

!hich very /itle sho!s, that it is not &an there meant, but the (niversal *pirit that being the very "ife and Center of all Centers) /herefore !ho ever shall assert, that &an is the Basis from !hence this "i#uor is obtained, let him be respected of 6nvy or -gnorance% because there is no *ub,ect to be dra!n from &an, that !ill act on &inerals @;; or a thousand /imes, and retain the same Virtue, #uantity and #uality, as if it had not acted at all) /herefore - regard not such Fops or such others, that dote upon highly rectified *pirit of (rine, mi.ed !ith the true *pirit of +ine, until both Coagulate into a *alt, !hich is Distilled and *ublimed by the $ddition of fresh *pirit of +ine, until they come over in Form of a Fiery "i#uor) /here are others also that dote on the strong *pirit of (rine united !ith the *pirit of Vinegar, and Distilled into a 4eutral *pirit) but 6.perience the &istress of all true $rt sho!s that these are all greatly mista en, and many others, too long here to 6numerate) /herefore shall pass them by, and only insist on some fe! others that remain1 /hose are also mista en, that depend on $cid *pirits, as the *ub,ect of the "i#uor, as 4itre, Vitriol, common *alt, *alt 7en, or the &other "i#uors of any of these, or any other *alts gro!ing in or e.tracted from the 6arth% for all of them, none e.cepted, !ill by Distillation yield an $cid *pirit, and our "i#uor being no $cid, but Contradistinct thereunto, these of Course are all to be re,ected, and ought so to be in the (se of the "i#uor !hen prepared) others, that thin themselves more prudent dote much on the *pirit of Verdigris, and more especially if it is First often dissolved in *pirit of Vinegar, and made transparently 0ure, and then shot in *pirit of +ine and so Distilled, they then put as great a 0rice or Value on it, as in Reason can be set upon the -mmortal Dissolvent itself% but this &enstruum being 0ublished by A!elfer, and long before by Basil Valentine, !hom - ta e to be the right and true $uthor of it, and being easy to be prepared, it follo!s that the "i#uor $l ahest !ould be no uncommon or un no!n *ecret% but that remaining still as the greatest of *ecrets, plainly demonstrates, that these are not the *ub,ect, !hence that is obtained1 /hey are also misled, !ho depend on &ineral *ulphurs, or the Vitriols of &etals or that of Venus, described by 0olemanus% because there<s none of these1 But !hat are sluggish in themselves, and unactive Beings, and can<t be radically opened and separated from their &ercury<s, !ithout the "i#uor<s help, and then they become 0assive &edicines not an $ctive &enstruum, so of Course are to be e.cluded from being the *ub,ect &atter of this Dissolvent1 $nother great &ista e and grand 6rror is in those, that depend upon the 6ssential Oils, as +orm!ood, &int, /hyme% or the Oils of 7ums, as $mber, Ben,amin, /urpentine, and these being Chaosed do!n and devoured by Corrosives, as Oil of Vitriol, $#uafortis, and being again revived, then becoming (as they say) the Regenerated *pirit of +ine of the 0hilosophers% !hich being Distilled from /artar, *al $rmoniac and &ercury, each distinctly, till their Bodies are brought over, they are then the &agi<s three distinctly, till their Bodies are brought over, they are then the magi<s three (niversal &enstruums, vi91, &inimum, &inus, and &a,us) But this mista e has proved too evidently false, to the great 6.pense and Disappointment of many !orthy 0ersons in this 8ingdom, and indeed no better can be e.pected from such 3eterogeneous and unnatural &i.tures, as being farther $lienated from the (niversal *pirit, than some others already 4amed, and conse#uently the more remote from being the *ub,ect of this "i#uor1 /o be short, - do on an 6.perimental 7round e.clude $nimals, Vegetables and &inerals in all and every particular Class and part thereof from being the *ub,ect of this "i#uor% therefore shall omit any farther Discourse of this ind and come nearer to the &atter in hand, !hich is to detect the 6rrors of those, !ho confound this "i#uor !ith the &ercury of the 0hilosophers, saying they are the same in the *ub,ect &atter, -dentity and Operation% it is true, the &ercury of the 0hilosophers is a natural Dissolvent, but it dissolves in the !ay of 7eneration, !hen as this Circulated *alt or $l ahest dissolves it by !ay of separation and destruction% so that they differ in Operation, as much as "ove and +rath% the one in "ove preserved, the other in +rath destroys the "ife and &otion1 /here are also other -gnorant Boasters, !ho confound them together, yet no! neither the one nor the other, yet say, they are both the same in Composition and Digestion, but near the Birth of the Royal babe, the &atter divides itself into t!o distinct 0arts, the one a Body 0ermanent, the other a &enstruous "i#uor

or Blood, !hich being Distilled is the $l ahest, this sho!s their great -gnorance, for the same that is a Body is a *pirit, and the Blood is 3omogeneous !ith both the &ercury of the 0hilosophers and "i#uor $l ahest% for the mercury can never be prepared !ithout its $id, as being one of the three *prings% neither can the *pirit of the Body subsist !ithout the Blood, as every true 0hilosopher does, !ith me, no!, and that at this *tate there is no division to be admitted, !ithout a Death to the !hole Compound% for the !hole &atter in the 0roduction of each being diversely !rought on produces the different 6ffect% the one is a &ercury 3omogeneous, the other a 0onderous *aline "i#uor and in the 0roduction of both there are superfluous Oils separated, !hich though &edicinal, are not in the least 3omogeneous to either% !hich clearly 6vinces their -gnorance in the 0rocess of 4ature, !hich is to ma e Bodies *pirits, and *pirits Bodies again, and that this &enstruous "i#uor or Blood is the "ife !hich is so!n in his o!n +omb of &ercury for the 6.altation of both% for there the 3eterogeneous Feces are cast off, and so it is #ualified and united !ith the *pirit in order to Redeem the Body% and so is a principal -ngredient of the *tone, !hen as the $l ahest is not) -t !ould be too long to enumerate the vain and false Conceptions of &en concerning this -mmortal "i#uor, and seeing these distinctions do better become that Chapter, !here the difference sho!s bet!een the "i#uor $l ahest and &ercury of 0hilosophers, - shall omit spea ing of it any farther in this, and come to sho! the *ub,ect of the Dissolvent in the ne.t Chapter, and so Conclude this1

Chapter ++ Of the True Sub0ect Matter of this 3issol4ent

-n the former Chapter, - have laid do!n the &ista es concerning the &atter of this -mmortal Dissolvent, !hich 3elmont describes in the +ord "ate., !hich properly imports a hidden *ource or Fountain, so hidden indeed, that he himself says, !hen this !as found Religion stood ama9ed, that he himself says, !hen this !as found Religion stood ama9ed, and !ell may the Religious &an be so indeed, !hen their Descriptions are so Occult% for from the +ord "ate., !hich in Vulgar Reception signified "i#uors, !hich may be properly conceived to be $#ueous and *piritual, he presently comes to tell you, that the &asterpiece at !hich $rt is leveled, is to find out a Body% !hich may play !ith us in such a *ymphony or consenting 3armony, by Reason of its e.#uisite 0urity, that no Corruptive 0rinciple can find in it any 3eterogeneities by !hich to !or in it a Dissipation of 0arts% here he immediately calls it a Body% hence !e must for certain conclude that this *ource or Fountain, though li#uid, does contain a Body in it, or else it !ould have been vain in him to have directed us to such a Body in it, or else it !ould have been vain in him to have directed us to such a Body for the Ob,ect, and that so circumspectly and diligently, as to find it by hard "abor and -ndustry, saying you must be careful, or sedulously -ndustrious about finding out such a Body, !hich by 6.amen and 0roof is very difficult to be found, because the +ords import, that there is no such Body in all 4atural Beings, that does $ns!er !hat this great 0hilosopher describes of his, therefore !e must conclude, that these +ords also import $id% for that -ndustry is also recommended, !hich is as much as if he had said you must see for the hidden source or Fountain of 4ature, and (niversal *pirit, !hich $rt must form into a Body% but this *on of +isdom doubtless !as afraid to spea after this plain blunt manner, as a /yro does, for fear of e.posing the *ecret too plain% but it is clear, that this !as the meaning, because nothing is so hidden in 4ature as the *ource of this (niversal Fountain, and nothing in 4ature has 0o!er to reduce Bodies by *ymphony or consenting 3armony but !hat does arise here from% for in these latter !ords he also described the nature and 5uality of the &atter to have t!o Faces% for that !ithout there had been a composition, the !ord 3armony needed not to have been used% so that in these +ords abundance of &atter is couched in little room, every !ord being a full *entence% ho! lightly or slightly soever the Reader may pass them over) -t is true *tar ey does very learnedly stri e the &ar in his 6.position upon them, yet his Comment is so !isely Regulated as to be ept as obscure, as the /e.t itself% by this means and method - find, that the Basis of this "i#uor !as by this 0hilosopher designed to remain a *ecret to the end of time) /herefore for the Benefit of the true desires of $rt, - shall deliver the *ub,ect &atter of this -mmortal "i#uor !ith much clearness and

candidness, yet hope that my *tyle and +ords !ill be such, as to clothe it by such a &edium, as that it may give "ight to the chosen *ons of +isdom, yet at the same time cast a &ist before the 6yes of the (n!orthy) /his &ethod being agreeable to divine +isdom itself% for !e find, that !hat !as a "ight to the 3osts to the Children of -srael, !as a Cloud of Dar ness of that of the 6gyptians1 /hese /hings being stated, - shall no! come to the Consideration and -llustration of that *ub,ect &atter they point forth, vi91, the hidden Fountain must be of a double 4ature, or !hat if - should say it must be a Body of *alt appearing under t!o Faces, !hich being united ma es *ymphony or Consenting 3armony% the Reason of !hich is she!s% for then it is a "i#uor of that e.cellent 0urity, as to admit of no division of 0arts% therefore as - said before, "abor couched in 3elmont<s +ords) /he Business of 4ature in affording such an universal Fountain to the $rtist, that is the Basis of the said -mmortal "i#uor% and the Business of $rt is to no! ho! to ma e it Corporeal, and !hen so Corporified to contain t!o Faces, !hich Faces 0hilalethes figures forth by (rine and Blood% the first Face is a Body, yet nevertheless may be distilled into a *pirit, nay so 3omogenous as not to leave one 7rain or fi.edness or *alt behind it, !hich he describes to Distill over in Veins li e *pirit of +ine, and spea ing very great of its $ctive 5ualities in dissolving Bodies% the 5uery is put, !hether it is not the $l ahest, the $ns!er is in the negative, saying, it could not *ubsist !ithout Blood, and then presently comes to the $ffirmative concerning the *ub,ect= &atters of the $l ahest, and says, it is contained in Blood and (rine% these things may grabble and amuse the /houghts of the (n!ary concerning the Reality and 0ossibility of these $ssertion, yet nevertheless they are as clear and perspicacious to the 6ye of the +ise, as the *un in his "uster upon the &eridian% for the (niversal *pirit being Concreted becomes a &ist, Vapor or Chaos, or rather an (nctuous and Viscous +ater, !hich is the true &atter of all the $ncient 0hilosophers, concerning !hich Chaos - have !ritten largely in &ercury<s Caduceus, and have there sho!n, tat in its +omb is contained the first 6ssence of all Forms, yet unspecificated, and so conse#uently it contains these t!o of (rine and Blood !hich indeed are the (rine and Blood of the great +orld, and not of &an% but more noble% !hich my 6yes have seen and my hands have handled made Corporeal% therefore - !ould not have you spend your time in vain, ga9ing on 3us s or the outside *hell of things but 0ress for the 8ernel, or that e.cellent *!eetness !hich is placed on the Center of Beings, !hich can<t be e.tracted but by profound &editation, and hard "abors, !hich must be thy -nterpreters% for it is not re#uisite that &atters should be discovered more plainly, it is but ,ust and fitting that 7od should be the sole Dispenser of it, till the fullness of time, !hen according to the 0romise, hidden things shall be made manifest even such as have lain hidden from the Foundation of the +orld) /herefore, O *on of $rt2 /hou must pray to 7od, but use the means, and put thy 3and top the 0lo!, not loo ing bac % then these -nstructions !ill be as Fundamental Rules to begin thy "abors by !hich to obtain this 4oble *ecret, !hich is not so much a 0roduct of 4ature but of $rt) For - have in these *heets endeavored to clear up the &atter, so as to #ualify thee !ith /heory, thence to >udge of *ophistical $uthors, and the better to enable thee to !ithdra! thy &ind from their 6ntanglement, that thou might build upon that sure Roc , !hich !ill remain in the *torm of /rials% this - have done in Bo!els of "ove as !ell no!ing the great 7rief and /orture of &ind undergone in my un!earied *earch after this *ecret, even !hen the true *ub,ect &atter !as no!n% !hich said &atter is also the &atter of the 7rand *ecret of the $ncients% but diversified into different 4atures by the different Operations, and so far distinct the one from the other, and therefore he that is a Complete &aster of both, is properly styled $deptus Duplicatus1 /o the /ruth of this my $ffirmation, - have not only 6.perience, but also the Concurring /estimony of that reno!ned 0hilosopher "udovicus de Comitibus !ho says that the &atter of the "i#uor $l ahest and 0hilosophers< mercury do both proceed from the same Chaos, but by different Operations are brought to different 6ffects% therefore before thou proceed to the 0reparation of this "i#uor, thou must learn to understand this general matter, &ass or rude Chaos, !hich is the *ource or Fountain of so many &ysteries% for this "i#uor does not only proceed from it, but also it is the +ellspring of the &ineral "ife, and !hile this +orld hath a being, !ill be an ine.haustible Fountain to all those &ysteries, so hiddenly delivered by the $ncients% for once again - say, that not only the *tone, the great 6li.ir, but also this hidden Fire does proceed therefrom) But here you must (nderstand the first Chaos, before the 0hilosophical &ercury is produced therefrom1

/herefore a Body and not Bodies must be sought for, !hich being found is the Center of the (niversal -nfluences Concentrated and the Blood of the said Body to be One in 6ssence !ith the Body, though it appears to *ight in a t!ofold diversity, yet distinct in 5uality or Completion, but agrees so Fundamentally, !hich being (nited by the hand of an $rtist !ill ma e the *ymphony or Consenting 3armony before spo en of% for in this Case it may be said of it, as in another place is spo en o the &ercury of 0hilosophers, that !hich is above is as that !hich is beneath, and so Vice Versa% for that the 6ssence and "ife of the Blood can<t be obtained !ithout the Fermentative *pirit of the 6arth, or *aturn<s (rine% neither can this *pirit of the 6arth be 3omogeneous and -mmortal, !ithout it e.tracts the "ife of the Blood) 7eorge *tar ey a Disciple of 4ature does in his /reatise of the said "i#uor in a 0arabolical !ay deliver himself concerning these t!o Faces, thus, that most acute, subtle and penetrating *pirit of &an<s (rine by the help of another &edium, not of divers Ferment to itself, but centrally One !ith it, must be united !ith an $cid, not Corrosive, sed 4aturae sua 7ratissimum this $cid must be e#ually Volatile !ith the *alt of (rine before it can be &arried or (nited intimately !ith it% then by often Circulations it attains that height of 0urity to be entitled 6ns *aliu *ummum *alium et Felicissum1 4o! that !hich is centrally one !ith this 0hilosophical (rine is Blood% for the Blood is the (niversal Form, as the Body is the (niversal matter, but these being (nited by Force is called a Violent +ay% for it is a different thing to so! 7old in his o!n &atri. of (niversal mercury, and so ferment it and bring it into *pirit% for then it becomes unfit for the !or of &ultiplication, the *eminal Virtue being then totally destroyed and annihilated, !hich is the very &atter and case of the Difference of the &ercury of 0hilosophers and $l ahest1 - have sho!n you not only the &atter, but also the &anner and apparition of the &atter in the 3and of the $rtist% - shall no! come to sho! you the 4ature and internal 0roperty of the same, !hen the 8no!ledge thereof is obtained) - say it is !holly of a *aline 4ature, !hich is a middle 0roperty held up in the $rms of 4ature, and is contradistinct to either $cid or $l ali so that neither of those, as already sho!n in the former, have any right to be the &atter or Foundation of this Dissolvent, but this *aline 5uality is the Central One, so that conse#uently this pure *pirit hath some 7arment or a *hell, by !hich it is covered and in !hich it is hatched and brought to &aturation% and to spea plainly, candidly and honestly it is a Combust *ulphur, so !holly combust that the *pirit being dra!n from the 6arth the Feces !ill burn !ithout the least *mo e, !hich sho!s that there is neither any &ercurial or *aline part remaining% this is a Reduction of the 0ure from the -mpure, or a Clean from an (nclean, by the *erpents devouring himself, and then renovating into that, over !hich Death has no 0o!er) Observe, he first begins by biting his o!n /ail, and so by Degrees devours himself, and last of all his 3ead, !hich sho!s that the 6arth or /ail is first to be Dissolved, !hich then Dissolves the 3ead or Blood% and that these are the t!o 0rinciples spo en of by 0hilalethes is very plain% for in his *ecrets Revealed, he calls it the first 6ns of *alts, saying the true 0hilosophers re,ected all *alts, one *alt only e.cepted, !hich dissolves all &etals, and by the same +or coagulates &ercury% but this is not done but by a Violent !ay and therefore that id of $gent is again separated both entirely in its !eight and Virtue from the thing it is put to) $nd in his 6.position upon Ripley<s 6pistle, spea ing of the *eparation of the *ulphur from the &ercury of Bodies, he says, it is performed by the help of a "i#uor dra!n from the first 6ns of *alt% and 3elmont and *tar ey say as much calling it 6ns *alium, *ummum *alium Felicissum !hich is the very same, that - do here assert it of it) +hat shall - say, must - in every !ord transgress the *ilence of 0ythagoras% 4o, be than ful for this, for it had never come to thy 3and, had - not made a *olemn Resolution in the time of my hard "abors, *!eats and $gony of Body and *pirit, that if ever the $lmighty Being should bless me !ith the 8no!ledge of this "i#uor, - !ould then deliver it so Candid, as that my !ritings should be a sure "andmar to the undaunted Coaster in his intended Voyage to the 3aven of Rest% !hich 0romise - have here fully accomplished in sho!ing the (niversal *ource or Fountain, from !hence this "i#uor and the great 6li.ir do arise, is one, so that more needs not to be said as to this 0oint, therefore shall conclude this Chapter1

Chapter +++ The True 1ay and Manner of Preparin) the .i/uor Al,ahest

/he &ista es and also the true &atter being sho!n, - shall no! come to sho! the true manner of the 0reparation of this great Dissolvent !hich is very difficult% for as 0hilalethes in his 6.position on Ripley<s 7ates, says the "i#uor $l ahest is B;; times more difficult to 0repare than the great 6li.ir% and that upon good 7round has this !orthy $uthor thus delivered it% for the 6li.ir is a !or of 4ature, and the &ercurial 0o!er doth 0urge off the Dregs naturally, and it is called 6li.ir, so long as it is +ater, for as Count /revisan says, $9oth is dra!n out of the 6li.ir, as Oil out of +ater% therefore as the 6li.ir is natural, the "i#uor $l ahest is artificial, and as "udovicus de Comitibus says, very difficult to be searched into% for it may be variously thought of, being artificial% for the *ub,ect as it tends to 7eneration and Corruption in order to a more e.cellent Birth, is then vile and mutable, 0roteus li e puts on all *hapes% and !hat !e search for must be pure and clear, and above all things immutable% so that here is Chymical Faith re#uired to believe beforehand and after sight !ill astonish Reason to contemplate it, crying out !ith 3oly $dmiration, O "ord2 3o! !onderful art thou in all thy +or s1 Ready2 -f you !ould consider the !or of Creation it !as the very same% for out of the rude &ass or Chaos !as not only produced the most despicable Ob,ect !e behold, but also the most 7lorious Creature that ever !as Created, not only 0aradise, but also the transcendant 7lorious $ngels, so that from this the difficulties do arise, ho! to proceed by $rt in separation of this Chaos, as also the due !ay and manner of ,oining due $gents and patients by the separating of things ad,oined, for it is not sufficient to understand the $#ua Vitae of the +ise, but you must also no!, ho! to preserve it from its Compeer or +ater, but you must also no!, no! to preserve it from its Compeer or +ater% for being separated from the strict /ie it had in the 6lements, it !ould rather pass over than come again to Coagulation) $gain, it is easy to be destroyed, if you ta e it unripe, by the violent Fire of *eparation) /hese Difficulties did so amuse and pu99le me as to eep me bac from the 0ossession of the said "i#uor many ?ears, !hich 8no!ledge - then vained abundantly more than the 0ossession of great /reasures% but ho!ever blessed be 7od - have great Reason to say, that one *ecret seldom discovers itself alone, for the 8no!ledge of one is a large step of 6ntrance into the other% for that in this *ub,ect both of them lie, invisibly hidden, as it !ere, under the strong folds of a &ineral 6ns, !hich the -ndustrious hand must labor to ma e &anifest% !hich being effected, his time !ill be little enough, to contemplate and admire at the sight of the Operation its !onderful 6ffects1 Observe, in the &anifestation it is reduced to the smallest $toms imaginable, through !hich it arises to the 6minent Dignity spo en of% for as 3elmont and *tar ey have it, $d minimos reductus $tomos in 4atura possibiles, etc1, dignius de Corpus non reperiens cui 4uberet% /his "ate., !hich is vile and contemptible, is advanced to the transcendent height of 0urity and 0erfection, !hich +ords, says the latter, are soon said, but not so soon understood, and hardest of all to be done% !hich is the Reason of the many difficulties mentioned in this Chapter, concerning its 0reparation1 '/is true, this Operation is in fe! +ords taught by 0aracelsus, !here he says in his /reatise, De viribus &embrorum Cap1 de 3epate, the 0rocess of the $l ahest is ((t a Coagulatione sua resolvatur, ac deinde Coaguletur in Formam transmutatum, sicut 0rocessus Coagulandi et Resolvendi docet), !hich 0rocess is the greatest "ight that acute 0hilosophers gives concerning this &ystery% no marvel then if the Doctrine of its 0reparation remains so obscure in the +orld% for *tar ey allo!s, that 3elmont<s Doctrine is e#ually as obscure, as that of 0aracelsus, and - say that *tar ey<s is as obscure as either of them, and indeed that of "udovicus de Comitibus not much clearer% for that *olution and -ntervening Coagulation is the greatest "ight, that any of the 0hilosophers have given concerning the 0reparation of this "i#uor% for there is this Reason of such an Obscuration, the 0rocess by the given is 7eneral, and common and ali e to most or all Chymical &ysteries, but more especially to the t!o 7rand $rcana<s, vi91 the "i#uor $l ahest and the 0hilosophers< 6li.ir1

But the manner of *olution and Coagulation is #uite different, the one is 4atural, as already said, the other $rtificial, and therefore very difficult, because it is not easily searched out, and that it may be variously conceived of% but that !hich has been hitherto no!n and demonstrated by all true $rtists is *olution and Coagulation% !e shall a little consider the difference and manner of this *olution in both these &agisteries1 /he Dissolution re#uisite in order to obtain the $l ahest is a dissolving of the Body into a *pirit that !ill never Coagulate into a Body again, but the Dissolution in order to obtain the &ercury of the 0hilosophers is a Dissolution, !herein the 6ssence of the Body is so Congealed, as to become a Ferment to the mercury, to Congeal the Body again% for as the +orthy /revisan says concerning the 0reparation of the &ercury of the 0hilosophers, the same matter must abide that the same Form may follo!, and that nothing is to be added to it, nor ta en from it, but a *uperfluous 0hlegm and red 6arth% for !hen Bodies are to be Renovated it must be done by things in ind% therefore /revisan ma es it a great 6rror to alter &ercury from its &etallic *pecies% !e may ground, that the 7reat +or is performed by the dissolution of the Body and Congelation of the *pirit, but the !or of the Circulated *alt is a *olution into *econdary 0rinciples, but not into 6lements% for nothing of 0rofit can be e.pected from thence, yet this *olution ought not to be into every distinct 0rinciple, but into one *aline "i#uor, 3omogenous and -mmortal1 3ere this Body of t!o faces, or that of old *aturn<s (rine and the Blood o the 7reat +orld are reduced to one, ad that you may no! it !hen so reduced, it is a Fire, yet in the form of +ater% 'tis an $ir, yet Condensed% 'tis no Corrosive, yet the most sharp and perpetual Corrosive% 'tis not &edicinal yet the Cro!n of all true &edicine, being a Cleanser and 0urifier in nature, a Destroyer and Con#ueror of Bodies% 'tis called the Fire of 3ell, because the *pirit that comes from the Center is united to the Blood !ithout the -ntermediation of the 3eavenly Rays of &ercury, yet acts !ith that 0urity, as that it finds no Body more noble than itself to ,oin !ithal, therefore is not Commiscible !ith any Ferment, and so not capable of /ransmutation1 /hese things being considered - shall no! come to give you a short scheme of !hat 3elmont says concerning this "i#uor, the first is !hat the $rtist desires, and is Comprehended in these !ords, $rt is solicitous in finding out a Body, !hich may play !ith us in such a *ymphony or consenting 3armony by reason of its e.#uisite 0urity, that no Corruptive 0rinciple can find in it any 3eterogenities, by !hich to !or in it a Dissipation of 0arts) /his is the *um of !hat the $rtist !ould attain, and is the Chief of all !hich can be by $rt sought for1 /he *econd is, !hat $rt by -ndustry doth find, Comprehended in these +ords, Religion then stood ama9ed, the "ate. being found, !hich reduced to the smallest $toms possible in 4ature despises the +edloc of every Ferment, in vain therefore is its /ransmutation sought for, not finding a Body more !orthy than itself !hereunto it may be ,oined1 /he /hird discovers the $nomaly of this 0roduction, in these +ords% But the $rt of "abor of 0hilosophy hath brought forth an $nomalous 0roduct in 4ature, !hich too its being !ithout &i.ture of any Ferment, divers or 3eterogeneous to itself and the Fourth contains a short $dumbration of the 0rocess, the *erpent bit himself, revived from the 0oison into a pure 6ssence, over !hich Death hath no 0o!er1 $ll !hich to a *on of +isdom - have !ith much Candidness already e.plained% but for the benefit of /yros - shall no! come to give a farther -llustration by !ay of &echanic Demonstration1 -f $rt !ill from the late. obtain a Body, it must be begun !ith Coagulation, and !ith such magnetical 6arth, as $ttracts the Celestial Rays and (niversal *pirit, and Concentrates them in the Center, for that in the Center the pure 0arts of the *tarry Fire is digested, and in the Center all the -nfluences meet, and from the Center dos the living Ferch proceed% for 'tis the Central $rchaeus that *ublimes the &ineral Vapor or those pure *pirits that are of a dissolving 4ature% this is the Body !hich $rt is -ndustrious about and desirous to no!, even the Body of the (niversal *alt and *ulphur of the great +orld% for in the &echanical Demonstration from thence proceeds such a *pirit !hich in all 4ature has not its Compeer% but before 'tis brought to that 3armony, as to admit of no Dissipation of parts, it must have time to maturate, and to form to itself some pure 7arments or a Complete Coagulation, !hich is done by *uccessive $nimations, so as to bring the *pirit of the 6arth to permanency before it is ta en out of its 4est, and that is done by successive Retrogradations, or repeated Coagulations to being this /ransverse +or of the 6arth the nearer to its purity, for then only it is, that it admits no dissipation of 0arts1

/he Body being found and thus purified, and its *pirit produced from the small -nvisible 0utrified $toms of the same doth cause a Religious $stonishment% that from so dry a Body as the 6arth should proceed the Central "ate. or the most hidden Rivulet of the great Ocean itself, nothing in the +orld being so pure it despises to Contract +edloc !ith every specificated Form !hatsoever, and so its /ransmutation is impossible, and indeed the oftener this (niversal *pirit passes through the entrails of the 6lements, the greater is its 0urity and the fitter for $ction% for on the other hand matter could not *ubsist, but by the continual additional Rays of its (niversality% therefore, Reader, retain thy $musement for a time, and thou shalt hear the 0hilosophical /rumpet calling thee to behold a !onderful rarity, even the -ndian Brahman<s Famous +ater +or s, Contradistinct to all others, as it is a !ell compacted Body of Fire burning in +ater, and in full "uster and not e.tinguished% for in the Decoction the Blood and (rine is Centrally One, but in the Coagulation they appear under t!o Faces% 0hilalethes says as much, spea ing of the ne.t &atter of the $l ahest, says 'tis a *alt and the Fire surrounds the *alt, and the +ater s!allo!s up the Fire, and yet overcomes it not, and so is made the 0hilosophers< Fire, of !hich they spea , the Vulgar burn !ith Fire, ad !e !ith +ater) it being so transcendentally pure then scorns to be ,oined !ith any Compeer, and so admits of no +edloc 1 3erein consists the 6.cellency of this "i#uor that $rt and "abor conspire together to produce this 6ns or being !ithout any mi.ture of any ferment Diverse or 3eterogeneous to itself% for indeed its Composition is !holly from (niversal 0rinciples, or Virgin 6lements, and -nvisible ones too, for the earth and the +ater of this Fountain is as -nvisible to the 6ye of the Vulgar as the Fire and $ir, but being made &anifest to the $rtist do Conspire together to bring forth one $nomalous Birth% therefore be assured, from these +ords this 7reat 0hilosopher !ould point forth, that this "i#uor is not Compounded of t!o things of different 4atures, for then it !ould be *ub,ect to Death, but of one thing alone even the most (niversal *alt of 4ature, !hich is divided into t!o, and returns to one again, so conse#uently is one in 4ature and 6ssence1 But no! the $dumbration of the 0rocess doth also she! the (niversality and (ncomprehendingness of this 6ns, it is represented by a *erpent biting himself and reviving from the 0oison into a pure 6ssence, over !hich Death has no 0o!er% observe the $ncient 6gyptians al!ays by a *erpent understood this (niversal *pirit% because of the *ubtlety of its 0arts, and that Creature of all others is the most *ubtle, and therefore !ell may it figure forth by the holding its /ail in its &outh 4ature<s Circulation from one (niversal 6lement to another, till all the 6lementary 5ualities are unbanded, and the pure 6ssence of all e.tracted, !hich moves upon an -mmortal 3inge and therefore !ill admit of no Dissipation of 0arts or 6vaporation of &oisture% for as it is 3omogene, 'tis of an e#ual Volatility, and being the Celestial Fire made /errestrial by its o!n 0o!er can<t be destroyed by any specificated Body !hatever, therefore !ell might 3elmont say, as there is but one Fire in the +orld, so there is but one "i#uor, none other parta ing in 5uality !ith it, as the $depti do no! and can testify) +hich "i#uor is that !hich !ill, *amson li e, ma e sport for the $rtist, and do ore than ever the "ords of the 0hilistines could have e.pected from him, pluc ing do!n and destroying as he did not 3ouses, but the most Compact and *olid Bodies of &inerals, and li e a Valiant Con#ueror maintains his 7round against all opposing 6nemies) but fe! are the 8ings, "ords or 4obles, that have been so happy to see the battle fought by this $nomalous Combatant, not only for the Reasons afore rendered, but also for the tediousness of the 0reparation, !hich !e shall no! come to spea of and so Conclude this Chapter1 $s to the time of preparing this "i#uor 'tis long and tedious, !hich 3elmont also Complains of, but *tar ey e.plains this to be more upon the $ccount of the *tin in the first 0reparation, than of the tediousness or length of time% for he limits it to a fe! certain Days, !hich - no! is impossible to be 6ffected, unless he begins to Calculate from the time that the Body is ripe and fit to be bro e by Violence, and to be distilled over into a *pirit, then to (nite the Blood or other Face may be accomplished in his time) But for my part - do comprehend from 3elmont !hat 6.perience sho!s, vi91, that the time is long and tedious, and attended !ith many difficulties, !hich 3elmont also ne!, or else he !ould not have Complained so much for the loss of his Bottle% Crying out, O that - had removed my Receiver% from !hence !e may readily Conceive, that he suffered "oss) "udovicus de Comitibus puts the #uestion beyond doubt concerning the tediousness of the time !here spea s of the Reduction and Retrogradation

saying, it can<t be performed by common "abor% but re#uires both $rt and /ime, !hich, he says, is long and therefore !hoever thin s to obtain it by Violence and in a short time shall find himself much deceived, for he can never bring it to any final Complement, and conse#uently !ill never be able to no! !hat virtue 'tis -mpo!ered !ithal, even that Fiery and Vital one% for that it is destroyed by force by his Compeer, !hich 3elmont and *tar ey do allo!, but tell not !hat the Compeer is% but that e.cellent *on of $rt "udovicus aforesaid, says 'tis +ater, therefore -<ll attribute to him the 0raise, his +ritings giving me the first "ight of discovery, !hat this Compeer !as1 O Reader, thou must of necessity allo! that it is a time of /ediousness as !ell as difficulty to Concentrate the benignant *pirit of the +orld, to ma e such a strong *ulphureous and *aline "i#uor of it, as !ill dissolve the hardest &etals, even those, that oppose Common Fire, are by this "i#uor radically opened, it being as !e may call it, the very 6ssence of the 6lements 3eavenly and 6arthly% and !hat /ypifies the Fire of the last >udgment, !hich is permanent over the elements in a 5uintessential 4ature, so that the Degrees of its purity are not to be !ondered at% the $rtist hath great Cause to Bless and 0raise the "ord his 7od, !ho hath made him an -nstrument to produce a clean thing out of an unclean, !hich that 7od man >ob so much 5uestioned saying, !ho can bring a Clean thing out of an (nclean, surely none but 7od alone% so that !e see the best of &en spea but according to that no!ledge, !hich the $lmighty thin s fit to reveal unto them% for he disposes of 8no!ledge as of Rivers, communicating it for the use of all) /herefore 0aul<s $dvice !as *ound and Candid, >udge not -gnorantly of things thou understands not) For indeed if !e loo upon the thing aright 'tis properly the +or of 7od% for as /revisan says concerning the 6.altation of the +or in the 7reat 6li.ir, 'tis done Christi Cratia, -mporting that &an can<t alter the ordained Course of 4ature, but as an -nstrument in the 3and of 7od stands still to see a mighty deliverance% but !e are spea ing of that !here $rt must lend her help, because 4ature is altered from her usual Course, and a Clean thing is also re#uired% but this is a /alent not Committed to every one<s /rust1 4o! this clean thing can never be 0roduced but by a Radical (nion of the foresaid 0rinciples, not only by a bare $ssociation or $pposition of 0arts, so that the same may be said of this, as is of that (nion of *ulphur and mercury in the 7reat +or , vi91 they can never more be separated, neither in "ove nor +oe, this Radical (nion is as 0rincipally re#uired in this "i#uor, as it is in $9oth, !hich is a Volatile /ender *pirit for +hitening "aton) 4o! this being separated from many 3eterogeneities hath no 6minent smell, but is a 0onderous, subtle "i#uor, !hich !ill not stand over but in a considerable Degree of heat in *and, vi91 the /hird Degree, and admits of its 0hlegm to be distilled off first, as other 0onderous *pirits do) 0hilalethes spea ing of the *ubstance and 0reparation of this "i#uor delivers himself thus) '/is a 4oble Circulated *alt prepared !ith !onderful $rt, till it ans!ers the desires of an -ngenious $rtist% yet 'tis not any Corporeal *alt made li#uid by a bare *olution, but is a *aline *pirit, !hich 3eat cannot Coagulate by evaporation of the &oisture, but is of a *piritual (niform *ubstance, Volatile% !hich in a gentle 3eat !ill Distill over, leaving nothing behind% that is to be understood in a Re#uisite 3eat of *and% so is there an 6.altation made far above !hat 4ature !as able ever to perform1 /hus - have delivered the difficulties and also touched at the Fire and given you the right !ay of its 0reparation from 0oint to 0oint, - have declared the /ruth !ithout Defect or $mbiguity of +ords% and have as formerly mentioned, sho!s thou that no strange ferments are used, the 0rinciples being Centrally contained in the Original Chaos, !hich being separated and brought again to an -ndissoluble (nion, is, the *erpent devouring his o!n /ail and so renovating into that, upon !hich Death can have no 0o!er) but this cannot be performed, but by the help of Fires of divers sorts, Convenient Vessels, fit Furnaces and 7lasses, and a considerable time to boot, !ithout all !hich it !ill be impossible for the $rtist to obtain his desired end, being as - have delivered, much easier to no! the &atter, than to find out the true manner of its 0reparation, !hich is chiefly and principally to be sought for at the hand of the $lmighty% these are *ecrets !hich belong to the Divine /reasury, and therefore the $id or free leave of the /riune 0o!er must be implored, to open the Door of 6ntrance, !hich may other!ise forever remain shut to thee1 ?et - have not been !anting in these *heets to Communicate my 6.perience, and Candidly to sho! the 0reparation of this -mmortal "i#uor, so far as !as la!ful for me !ithout e.posing it to the hands of debauched 0erson and -mpostors, and he that can<t gather it from !hat is here delivered !ill scarcely

obtain it from the Voluminous Circumlocutions of other +riters% !ho have so -ntermi.ed the 0reparation and entangled it !ith the 0hilosophical &ercury, that the $rtist stands in need of $riadne<s Clue to lead him out of that "abyrinth% in !hich &a9e that the -ngenious may be no longer be!ildered, - shall in the follo!ing Chapter distinctly and clearly discover the difference bet!een the "i#uor $l ahest and &ercury of the 0hilosophers1

Chapter +5 The 3ifference (et-een This .i/uor and the Mercury of the Philosophers

/he "abor of the Candid and honest hearted is the until those difficult 8nots, !hich the envious have al!ays been endeavoring to tie, and to bring the -ndustrious out of the "abyrinth, !here they have been entangled and be!ildered, so as to loose the right 0ath, and for this end - an !illing to lend my 3and to conduct the searcher through this +ood !here many an honest hearted and laborious &an - am !ell satisfied have lost their +ay, as not being able to distinguish the different 0ath of the "i#uor $l ahest and &ercury of the 0hilosophers, designing this Chapter as a 0lain and no!ing 0ilot in this Case1 - hope that nothing but -gnorance itself !ill #uestion the Verity of !hat - have here delivered concerning the Foundation of the $l ahest and &ercury of 0hilosophers to be one, seeing - have on my side not only 6.perience, but also the /estimony of !orthy *ons of the $rt, that they do both proceed from the first Chaos, before $rt hath underta en to !or upon it) But here the difference comes, one is prepared in a !ay agreeable to 4ature, the other $rtificial% and conse#uently really divested from the 7enerative 0o!er, being dra!n beyond the 0redestination of its 4atural *eed% the e.act 6.ample of !hich may be seen in a 7rain of +heat, !hen it is $rtificially 0repared and Fermented, and so dra!n into *pirit, in !hich +or the *eminal and 7enerative Virtue is !holly destroyed) For here there is made an $rtificial *olution of the *eed not into 6lements but *econdary 0rinciples% and by this violent !ay of Dissolution 'tis divested of its &etallic *eed, and Conse#uently made unfit for the $ct of 7eneration, as !as sho!ed ,ust no! in the 6.ample of the 7rain of +heat) *o by conse#uence must being a considerable Difference at their Respective 6nds1 ?et nevertheless both these as they arise from one (niversal Fountain there may be some li eness in them and for this Reason the Description dos in some *ense resemble the one and the other, that fe! have been able to distinguish the true difference, and the more by the shifting *peeches of +riters, !ho confound the one !ith the other, that so the $rtist may be easily entangled, because they have not so much as differenced them in 4ame, nature or Operation% for Van 3elmont says, that the li#uor $l ahest dissolves every Visible and /angible &atter into the first 6ns, preserving its po!er, !hich +ords preserving its 0o!er is also attributed to the &ercury of the 0hilosophers% other 0hilosophers say, Our +ater is a Fire, and stronger than any Fire for it reduces the Body of 7old into a mere *pirit, !hich the Common Fire could never be able to do% the li e also says $rtephius% the very same thing is by others attributes to the $l ahest) 3elmont says that as there is but one Fire in the +orld, so there is but one "i#uor in the +orld, no other parta ing in 5uality !ith it% and 7eber says, the most high hath given us the 8no!ledge of this +ater, !hich light the Candle, gives "ight to 3ouses and yields abundance of Riches) -t !ould be too tedious to enumerate the 0arallels of this ind concerning the $l ahest and &ercury of the 0hilosophers) so that 'tis very difficult for the uns illful and un!ary to distinguish their true differences, !hich is mostly to be Comprehended from those +ords, !here 'tis said, the one is a !or of 4ature, the other of $rt% so are they different in appearance, for as a late $uthor says, that - may prevent a Common 6rror, vi91 the confounding our 4atural Dissolvent !ith our Circulated *alt or $l ahest some -gnorant Boasters !ho neither no! the one, nor the other, having taught that they are both the same, - shall go so far as to sho! the Difference, that no /yro but may effectually distinguish them in his /heory1 8no! therefrom and 4ote !ell this short distinction, there is no $ffinity bet!een them either in &atter or Operation) /hey differ in &atter, as much as one *pecies forth from another, the one being &etalline, the other *aline)

/hey differ in their Operation, as much as "ove and +rath% the one in "ove 0reserving, the other in +rath Destroying, "ife and &otion1 /his $uthor by his good leave spea s right in the Operation, but strains the *tring too far concerning the matter, and so cause errors on the other 3and, e#ual to those they !ould Reform, thereby ma ing many to grope for the Door of 6ntrance, or middle !ay, !hich leads directly to the 0ath of /ruth) For be sure as they proceed from one &atter, both (niversal, there is something of $ssimilation in them% for as much as they are both performed by !ay of *olution and Coagulation, both tedious and difficult in searching out% and the *ub,ect &atter so far e.alted from its former state, as that it becomes a +or of +onder% and for certain they must have something of li eness, or else those $rtists !ere very ignorant, !ho gave them one Demonstration, calling them by the li e name, as Fiery +ater and +atery Fire, -mmortal and 3omogeneous 6ssences, $l ahest, !hich is all 7host or *pirit, the first 6nd of *alts, and have attributed *upernatural Virtue to both% and from these and such li e (niversal /erms and 4ames, 'tis very easy for the *earcher to be deceived1 +herefore - shall no! come to give you a clear and general $ccount, !herein they agree, and !herein they disagree, and then sho! you the Reason, !hy they are thus described, and then give you the true and proper signification of the !ord $l ahest, and !hy 3elmont gave the "i#uor this 4ame% for - have ta en some pains after the -n#uiry thereof, so that - am able to render a *atisfactory Reason) First of all - shall -nstance in some particulars, !herein they agree) First, the &ercury of the 0hilosophers and this Circulated *alt agrees, in that they are both (niversal, one for the 7raduation and 6.altation of &etals, the other for Dissolving all Bodies) *econdly, /hey agree in this, that as one preserved the *eed in order to &ultiplication by 7eneration, so the other preserves the Crasis and &edicinal Virtue of *pecies in order for healing% for in the Dissolution it admits of 4othing to fly a!ay in Fume) /hirdly, /hey agree in this, the one is the 6mblem of &an<s Regeneration and eternal *alvation, the other of &an<s Dissolution and Destruction% for in the 0reparation they are both to be seen) Fourthly, /hey both agree in the 0enetration of Bodies% the one enters to the very Central "ife of them in order to the &ultiplication, the other pierces to their very Center in order to their separation and Division% for it separates bet!een their Central &ercury and *ulphur) Fifthly, they agree in the &atter and &anner of 0reparation, so as to the matter they both 0roceed from the first 6ns of *alts, and as to the manner, 'tis by *olution and -ntervening Coagulation, till brought to an e.alted 0erfection) *i.thly and "astly, /hey agree in that they are both made from the (niversal Chaos, as also in the manner of their Composition% for the &ercury of the 0hilosophers is Compounded of *ulphur and &ercury% but the "i#uor $l ahest of *alt and Fire and Blood% and both brought to such an -ndissoluble Bond of "ove and (nity, as never to be separated either in "ove or +oe% both 3omogeneous and -mmortal, and both (niversal Dissolvents) 3aving sho!n !herein they agree, - shall no! come to spea of that !herein they disagree1 First, /hey differ in this, !hereas the +or of the 0hilosophers< &ercury is purely 4atural, so the process of the -mmortal Dissolvent is merely $rtificial) For as in this +or the *ulphur or 7old is e.alted to the highest 0itch and Degree of 0erfection so in the preparation of the great 3ilech of 0aracelsus, it is reduced from a 4atural to a Contranatural *tate1 *econdly, /hey disagree in this, !here the &ercury of the 0hilosophers is an 3omogeneous &etallic 6ns Coessential in all its parts, true &ercury, of a middle *ubstance clear li e pure *ilver, being bright Celestial and *hining, and not so 6ssential to any thing as 7old, it being its (niversal &other does radically congeal upon it% therefore as /revisan says, no &enstruum is profitable in the 0hilosophic +or , but that !hich dissolves the Body in a 7enerative !ay, and then recongeals upon the Body dissolved, so the 0hilosophers< *olution of the Body is a Congelation of the *pirit% and upon this $ccount they have re,ected all those *olutions, as *ophistical, !here the Dissolvent and Dissolved remain not 0ermanent together) +hereas the $l ahest or *al Circulatum is a *aline "i#uor, and therefore by 0aracelsus sometimes called the "i#uor of *alts and doth Dissolve Bodies, but remains not !ith them, being as easy separable from them, as the *pirit of *ulphur is from Oil1 /hirdly, /here is a Disagreement bet!een the &ercury of the 0hilosophers and "i#uor $l ahest in the manner of their Operation and $ction on Bodies, for the &ercury dissolves 7old and all 0recious *tones and 0earls by !ay of 7eneration, and 6.altation, for the "ife and Virtue is &ultiplied, and they

may be reduced to their first Form in greater Virtue and Beauty, and of more Value to the &etallurgist and >e!eler, but the "i#uor $l ahest dissolves not only 7old, but also all the other &etals, by !ay of Destruction, so that the 7enerative Virtue is defaced and !holly obliterated, and in this Reduction into their First &atter it gives a certain /estimony of their Diversity, as &etals into *ulphur and &ercury, *tones into a *aline "i#uor, and 0earls into a &il y >uice1 Fourthly, /hey disagree in this, the &ercury of 0hilosophers at the end of its 0reparation !ill become fi.ed and 0ermanent abiding all the fiery /rial, in the form of a Cal., yet as fusible as +a. 0enetrating &ercury, and other Volatile Bodies before their Flight and fi.es them% !hereas the "i#uor $l ahest at its respective end of 0reparation is a 0onderous *aline "i#uor in the form of +ater, !hich !ill moisten the 3and and everything else, and as it is !holly *aline and Volatile it !ill not endure the Fire, but !ill remain in its form Distilling over in a *aline "i#uor being altogether -ncapable of Coagulation, and by that means dissolves all fi.ed Bodies !hatsoever, not into 6lements but into more simple 0arts1 Fifthly, their Difference consists in this, !hereas the &ercury of 0hilosophers is made by a remiss Fire of 7eneration, even the $erial "ife and "unar Fire being the medium in perfecting it by gentle Decoction from 0oint to 0oint, !hich Regimen of the Fire has been carefully hid by all $rtists, in that 'tis called the Vessel of nature, or &ercurial Vessel, 0ondus 4aturae% +hereas the "i#uor $l ahest is made by the most violent Fire of separation, for the *pirit is by Violence not only Distilled from the 6arth in Fiery form% but that is (nited to the Blood, !hich produces that 3ellish Fire that brings all -mperfect &etals to a greater -mperfectness, though not!ithstanding it ma es them the more 0o!erful and 6fficacious for the e.pelling and rooting out of Diseases and -nfirmities, for being brought to their first 6ns they dissolve and circulate !ith our >uices, as being then thin and *pirituous, and so perform that in the curing Diseases, !hich in their hard and gross 4atures could never be e.pected from them1 *i.thly and "astly, /he 0hilosophers< &ercury and "i#uor $l ahest differ in this, the one may be brought to an (niversal medicine, the other has no &edicinal Virtues in it) For as 0hilalethes says, this &ercury the renovated or ne!born, may by the 0hilosopher be diversely handled% for he may ta e it from the Fire, ad Circulate and Cohobate this &ercury by a 0eculiar Operation, !hich is partly &echanical, till he have a most admirable, pure, subtle *pirit, in !hich he may dissolve pearls and all 7ems, and &ultiply them or his Red *tone, before it be united !ith a metal in 0ro,ection, for the ma ing of $urum 0otabile) and in this mercury, thus Circulated, is doubtless the &ystery of the never fading "ight, !hich - have actually seen, but yet not 0ractically made1 -n a !ord, every one !ho hath this e.uberate &ercury hath indeed at Command the sub,ect of +onders, !hich he may employ himself in many !ays, both admirably and pleasantly1 $nd certainly, he that hath this, needs so -nformation from another% himself no! standing in the Center, he may easily vie! the Circumference, and then Operation !ill be, ne.t the *pirit of 7od the best 7uide) *o that the &ercury of 0hilosophers, being brought to fi.ity, may be made an (niversal &edicine, but a &enstruum, !hich is a 0roper help or &edium to prepare &edicines by, and in itself still remains unchangeable, being as *tar ey says, endued !ith these #ualities% vi91 '/is a 0onderous "i#uor, being indeed all *alt, !ithout and +atery 0hlegm% it is all Volatile being !holly a *pirit, !ithout and Corporeity left in it, of no eminent Odor, for all things !hich send out a considerable odor, are for the most part of a very Volatile 4ature, or consist of many 3eterogeneities1 -t is not therefore Volatile after the manner of *pirit of +ine, (rine, or the li e, !hich fly at the smallest degree of heat, but (li e unto a ponderous *pirit, !hich yields its 0helgm in the first place) this !hen it hath dissolved any Vegetable Concrete, and made it Volatile, !ill suffer the same by a gentle heat of Balneum &aria, to be all separated from itself, etc1 From !hat has been here said, concerning the $greement and Disagreement of these t!o, - hope, the diligent -n#uirer after $rt !ill receive god satisfaction, and for the future be freed from those doubts and 6rrors, !hich might before occasion much /rouble and 0erple.ity of mind) /his !as the end - proposed to myself, throughout the !hole of my discourse% this therefore may suffice as to this 0oint% - shall no! proceed to spea of the 0roper 4ames of this Dissolvent1 But by the !ay (reader) observe, that the -nvention of this "i#uor,, in these 0arts of the +orld is o!ing to 0aracelsus% thus 0hilalethes, and also adds, that among the &oors and $rabians, it hath been, and is at this day, commonly no!n to the $cuter sort of Chymists, then conse#uently !e must depend, that 0aracelsus did give the most significant and 0roper 4ames to it, and 'tis plain from 3elmont<s o!n +ritings, that he diligently *tudied and /raced his +or s, and at length through labor came to understand them, and

amongst other things, obtained the 8no!ledge of such a dissolving &enstruum, as 0aracelsus often !rites of% and seeing this "i#uor to contain an homogeneous 4ature, spiritually acting, and after almost innumerable $ctions still remaining the same, *pirits being immortal) and this "i#uor proving so, he therefore not improperly called it $l ahest% although, as - shall sho! by and by, this 4ame doth more properly belong to the &ercury of 0hilosophers, and that, this !as the design of 0aracelsus in it% ho!ever, by the !ay, - shall e.amine the derivation or Root, of this +ord, !hich is from the Belgian or rather 3igh Dutch "anguage% in 3olland or Flanders, !here Van 3elmont lived (7eest) is as much as to say in 6nglish (*pirit) and in the 7erman /ongue, 'tis much higher and 7uttural, being e.pressed ($lchahest) !hich signifies ($ll *pirits or all *piritual)) !hich +ord ($lchahest) 0aracelsus ma es mention of in the /enth Boo of his $rchido.ies1 Chapter C !here treating of the Virtue of the members, says that the "i#uor $lchahest, has a great po!er of Conserving and Comforting the "iver, and conse#uently of 0reserving it from the Dropsy, and all such as arise from the defect of the "iver, and if the "iver is dissolved or bro en, it stands in the 0lace of a ne! "iver) /he 0rocess thereof is this, it must be resolved from its Coagulated state, and Coagulated again into a /ransmuted Form, as the 0rocess, of Coagulation and Dissolution /eaches1 /his 0assage is the only 0lace, !herein 0aracelsus has made use of this 4ame, it being not to be found else!here in all his +ritings, so that 'tis plain to us that 3elmont has borro!ed this 4ame from him, therefore !e must according to Reason and 6.perience consider, !hether 0aracelsus meant this "i#uor or not% because the 0rocess set do!n, vi9t1 *olution and Coagulation are ali e and Common, (as hath already been touched at), not only to 0reparation of both these but li e!ise to most Chymical &agisteries1 4o! the "iver is the Fountain of the Blood, and is the seat of "ife ne.t the heart, the Blood being there 0repared for a further 6laboration and 0urification, in order to give the Body, its 4ourishment for the 0roduction of *eed, and Conse#uently for the maintaining of "ife, etc1 $nd 'tis plain by e.perience% that this "i#uor !ill by greater length of time, dissolve all mi.t Beings by its $ctive, /hin, *pirituous 0enetrative, Dissolving and 3omegeneous 4ature, in a 4atural degree of 3eat e#ual to that of the "iver, and separate them into their distinct *ubstances, suffering not any thing to fly a!ay in $ir or Fume% so that to me here arises the difficulty to thin , ho! this should !or that different 6ffect, of healing and restoring the "iver, and not rather dissolve it, as it does other mi.ed beings) /he doubt is beyond my reason at present to give an $ns!er to, and - suppose !ill remain so forever for - do not so much as once intend to do an 6.periment, to try its Virtues in this Case% having, besides !hat is already offered, t!o *ubstantial Reasons against it% the First is, that this "i#uor being difficult to be prepared, !ould be too costly to be administered by !ay of &edicine% for a Reasonable 0ractice !ould soon diminish a considerable 5uantity, so that this great /reasure !ould in little time, be e.hausted and come to nothing, if given by !ay of &edicine, !hereas 'tis perpetual by !ay of &enstruum) /he *econd is, that the 0hilosophers give no direction for the 6.hibition of the +hite *tone in!ardly, but in 6pilepsies and 0alsies, and other Diseases of the Brain, !hich is under the dominion of the &oon, much less its +hite Oil but for 6.ternals, as "eprosies, *cabs, Virulent (lcers, Fistulas, Cancers, 4oli me /angere, etc1, and the li e% ho! they should then dare to e.hibit a *pirit so $ctive and Fiery, yet much more Crude than these, - no! not% neither indeed can - be made to believe, that ever 3elmont or any other of the $depts, did ever once so much as ma e use of it by !ay of &edicine, and Conse#uently could not be this "i#uor, !hich 0aracelsus meant, !here he spea s of the Cure of the "iver, but rather of the 7rand 6li.ir1 But 'tis abundantly more probable, that they served themselves there!ith in the 0reparations, of Drugs and all ind of species, in order to bring them to &agisteries, $rcana<s, 6ssences, and 5uintessences, !hich have a superlative Virtue, especially from the &etalline and &ineral 8ingdom% because !hat is resolved by it retains their healing Faculty% so from these Considerations - can<t Conceive that 0aracelsus, !here he spea s of the Restoring of the "iver, that he meant the Circulatum &inus, or this "i#uor, so that 'tis altogether undemonstrable, that this single Dissolving &enstruum should be a safe and good &edicine, and conse#uently should Cure the Dropsy as is easy to be gathered from the foregoing +ords of 0aracelsus, that his $l ahest really !as &edicinal% for he e.pressly says, of the "iver !ere bro en or destroyed, it !ould be in place of a ne! "iver% no! from the foregoing Considerations, this "i#uor can<t be said to be a safe and good &edicine, 'tis therefore abundantly more probable that 0aracelsus by the +ord $lcahest meant the great 6li.ir, that being all *pirits, a 5uintessence, divested of all the 6lements,

and conse#uently of all 6arthly and Corporal 5ualities% for if the 7rand 6li.ir !ere not *piritual it !ould never /ransmute% for by this *piritual $ct, it !or s three 6ffects, first 0enetration and Dilation% secondly by Fermentation and Contraction% thirdly by the $cts of the t!o former, the combustible *ulphurs are separated, the pure ones manifested !ith additional /incture and 0ermanency so 3elmont finding his dissolving &enstruum *piritual might easily mista e the +ords of 0aracelsus, and call it $l ahest, and indeed the 4ame is no !ays -mproper, although not used for this "i#uor by 0aracelsus, unless 0aracelsus !as guilty of spea ing one thing and meaning another, as 3elmont himself sometimes is% as - can prove from these follo!ing +ords1 /he "i#uor $lchahest (says he) Reduces all sensible and /angible bodies into their first matter, 0reserving the 0o!er of their *eed% !hich as you have all along heard it doth not% but their &edicinal Virtue of his $lchahest, as 0aracelsus does of his1 From hence it may be clearly Conceived, !hat - have inserted in my former Doctrine, that the 0hilosophers !ere many of them guilty of inter!eaving these secrets together, and calling them, by one 4ame, for 'tis clear, that 3elmont called this dissolving &enstruum the "i#uor $lchahest, yet says it preserves the seminal Virtue, !hen as 0aracelsus by this 0assage meant the 7rand 6li.ir% and the more evident in this, in that he has given other names to this dissolving &enstruum, and those mostly used by him are the great 3ilech and *al Circulatum% for these are generally to be traced through his +ritings, and 'tis easy to be discerned, that he puts a great distinction bet!een this dissolving "i#uor and the &ercury of 0hilosophers% for the "i#uor, he calls Circulatum &inus and &ercury of 0hilosophers Circulatum &a,us as is plainly to be 0roved from the 0rocess given, !here he saith, thou must e.tract the first 6ns of &ercury by *pirit of +ine, and it !ill come over in a "i#uid substance !hich (says he) is called by the 0hilosophers a most sharp &etalline $cetum, and by us in our $rchido.es Circulatum &a,us1 $rchido. "ib1 B;, Chapter D1 /his Distinction and 0rocess cannot be rightly understood by any, but an $deptus Duplicatus for to the obtaining of this *pirit of +ine the +or is one, and is 0erformed by the concurring help of an $ssistant% other!ise 't!ill be impossible to be obtained but being gotten, the difference Consists in the Forcible !ay of dissolving the Body and the 4atural by the *pirit of +ine, to e.tract the first 6ns of &ercury, in !hich the Blood is united and Cleansed, and so brought to the gentle or Benignent Fire of 4ature, !hich is one !ith Central *alt 4itre and also the &agical *ol% for it unites to the Center !ith a !onderful Fermentive 0o!er) 4o! this *pirit of &ercury, or &ercurial Fire and Oil, is by $rtephius not improperly called the Vinegar of the &ountains, and by 0aracelsus the most sharp &etalline $cetum% for it performs that !hich common Fire could never do, vi9t1 Dissolves the Body in 0reservation of the Form, and brings it to a *pirit, to be e.alted aloft in the $ir, !here Celestial 0urity, and the strengthening &ultiplicative Virtue is% that *pirit, !ill again return to and unite !ith the Body, !hich Circulation is continued till the (niversal &ercury, has e.tracted the (niversal *ulphur, and then is it truly and properly called the Circulatum &a,us, or $lchahest, as thou pleaseth, the 4ame being proper to the 6li.ir itself, as may be plainly discerned from the foregoing 0assage of the same $uthor, !here he tells you, that !hen it has overcome its "i e, it becomes a &edicine for the "iver, e.celling all other &edicines% and to!ards the end $dds, Verily should the "iver itself be bro en or dissolved yet this stands in the place of the !hole "iver, no other!ise than of it had never been bro en or dissolved as aforehinted) *o that the &edicine (from the $uthors o!n +ords), by !hich the "iver is cured is no other than &ercury 0repared, *ublimed, Vivified into a ne! "ife% and having passed the gates of Death comes to be united into a t!ofold "ife, /errestrial and Celestial, and so becomes that &edicinal /incture, !hich is a true 6mblem of &an<s *piritual Restoration, and is in a far higher degree of perfection than this Circulated *alt can be conceived to be% seeing it may be so highly e.alted, as to be brought to an 6li.ir of *pirits, !hich in a &inute penetrates the Center of Bodies, being a 0erfect Concatenation of an -ncombustible fire and light, !hich !ill admit of an endless &ultiplication, being each time advanced in Virtue, 0o!er and *pirituality% so that it becomes a &edicine not only for &an, but also for metals, ma ing them both 0erfect and 0ermanent, the !hich this !rathful "i#uor cannot perform1 For this great &agistery hath in it the 6.alted Virtue and (niversality of "ight, a 5uintessence or &edicine of the highest 0urity in the three 8ingdoms of 4ature, $nimal, Vegetable or &ineral% therefore may be properly said to be a &edicine for the "iver, this being a &ember or 0art% !hich so much

concerns the "ife of man) 4o! this !ill manifest itself here a &edicine above all &edicines in order to restore firm *anity) $nd that it may be yet more plainly conceived, that 0aracelsus spo e concerning the 0hilosophers /incture, - !ill #uote the +ords of the famous $rabian 0rince 7eber in his Dth Boo , Chapter BB1 /here is a &edicine (says he) of a t!ofold 4ature of the third order, yet but one in 6ssence and manner of !or ing (after!ards cunningly added) there is not!ithstanding an $ddition of a Citrine Colored *ulphur, !hich is perfected by a most clean substance if fi.ed *ulphur) Behold ho! its li e is overcome after the first 0reparation1 /his plainly sho!s that the li e, !hich is to be overcome, is the very same, that 0aracelsus spo e of, as - have e.perimental Reason to believe) /his from the /estimony of Dornaeus and "udovicus de Comitibus, is also confirmed to be that of the 7reat 6li.ir1 Concerning its *pirituality, - shall add a 0assage or t!o more for the greater Confirmation of !hat is here said) Basil Valentine (in his "as +ill and /estament and $llegorical 6.pressions bet!een the 3oly /rinity and the 0hilosophers< *tone), Compares his &ercury to 7od the Father, as being a *piritual Body% and the 0hilosophers< *ulphur or 7old to 7od the *on, !ho is 7od and man, !hich *ulphur must dye and rise again for its Brothers< and *isters< sa e, being then a glorious Body, redeeming and /inging them to 6ternal "ife) and !hen these t!o come together saith he, they are called &ercury Duplicate% from !hence proceeds our third *ubstance, !hich is our 7lorified and fi.ed *ol, the 0hilosophers *tone, or *piritual 6ssence of the 0hilosophers, called the /riune *tone, proceeding from /!o, +ater and *pirit, $nimal and Vegetable in the mercury and the &ineral living *ulphur of *ol, !hich are /hree, /!o, and yet but One1 4o! observe, this $uthor<s &ercury Duplicate is the same ("i e) !ith that of 7eber and 0aracelsus, !hich the &ercury !ill overcome, and then it becomes the &edicine or $lchahest spo en of1 /hus having given you some $ccount and Reason, of the 4ames imposed by $uthors on this "i#uor, shall no! come to give you some Reason for our $dditional 4ame, vi91 /rifertes *agani, !hich is as 0roper a 4ame for this "i#uor, as any given by the $depts, it being *pirits born in and 0redominant over the fire, nay it inhabits the fire, even that fire that hath po!er to dissolve the four 6lements and Reduce them to its o!n 4ature of (niversality1 4o! this "i#uor being thus 0repared is a Compleat 8ey to the &edicinal $rt, and doth open the /reasury of &edicines in the three 8ingdoms of 4ature, in a !ay succedeanous to nothing but the great 6li.ir1 But seeing the use of this "i#uor is manifold and various and !ill re#uire a !hole Chapter, - shall omit spea ing of it here and refer you to the ne.t% !here its virtues are fully sho!n% and come a little to consider the 6.ercise of a laborious *earcher, !hich he meets !ithal in his search) the first 6.ercise is to come to the no!ledge of a true *ub,ect &atter !hich is very difficult) for the 0hilosophers +ords concerning it are so obscure and hidden, and the &atter involved in such /ropes and &etaphors, that it re#uires a more than ordinary help to come to a right understanding to distinguish rightly and truly and genuinely !hat the &atter is, !hich beyond all Control is candidly done in these *heets1 /he second Difficulty that the "aborer meets !ithal, is to distinguish bet!een true Boo s and those !hich are false and *ophistically +ritten, !hich indeed is a "abyrinth, e#ually as difficult as the former concerning the &atter% For a false $uthor is li e a !rong 7uide upon a >ourney, for if in the beginning of the same, 3e goes but a fe! steps in a !rong 0ath, and then follo!s the same, may in the Conclusion be led clear contrary to his designed end, and indeed it is of greater Conse#uence in search, because there are fe! or none to be met !ith in all our Course, that can direct to the right !ay) 4o! there is in *cripture a Curse pronounced on all those, !ho put the Blind out of his !ay, !hich Curse !ill ta e hold on all those *ophistical +riters, in that there is no Blindness greater than the *piritual Blindness, !hether in things 4atural or Divine, and therefore 'tis a very great difficulty to distinguish them asunder, !hich being done the false are to be shunned as much as the Devil himself, !ho is the $uthor of all -mposture1 $ /hird Difficulty is after you distinguish $uthors, to come to some no!ledge and (nderstanding of the true, concerning the *cope and -ntention of their +riting, both as to /heory and 0ractice% !hich indeed is a Difficulty surmounting the former, for these Reasons) /he first is their Circumlocutions and large Descriptions of things !hen as indeed it may be comprehended in little Compass% the second is their &ultiplicity of Repetitions of one and the same thing, only !ith some variation of +ords, only to amuse

the Reader) /he third is by such voluminous +ritings they have the more room and "iberty to Confound their Operations, spea ing of one thing !here they ought to spea of another% by !hich 0reposterous manner of +riting the *earcher can<t fail of being be!ildered% this is not a Fault about the Operations only, but also about the time of the Operation, !hich causes $bundance of difficult /houghts in the Operator, and ma es him many times thin those things concerning /ime, !hich are neither 0robable in 4ature, nor possible for $rt to 0erform) For !hat is to be gathered from the most concurring +ritings of them all is, that the &atter can<t pass the first Dissolution in less than five &onths and the riper and higher &atters are carried, the sooner and shorter !ill an Operation be, for in Conclusion it may be brought to the +or of a &onth, then of a +ee , and lastly of a day, !hich Operations being misplaced cause this 6rror% for there is great difference bet!een that Operation, !here there is ripe ferment and that !here there is not% for 'tis very difficult to bring bread to rise !ithout ?east1 4o! the last and most 0rincipal difficulty of all is, the !ant of *ubstance or &oney of your o!n to carry on your search and "abors% for though you have never so much no!ledge and have overcome all the other difficulties, yet !ithout money to build Furnaces, buy 7lasses and Convenient Vessels, and Coals, you can<t go for!ard !ith your Operations% - ma e no doubt but this !as the state of the Cleine Boer, and of that +orthy and famous Count Bernard 6arl of /revisan, to detain him three years from the 0ossession of the magistery after he had the true 8no!ledge of it, and it has been the Case of many a +orthy $rtist, - am sure it has been very often mine, !hich is the most difficult and deplorable Case of all, having a large Family and their subsisting !hile you are in search, for it re#uires the !hole man, and so ta es him from all other business, and if he ma es a Friend, he is obtained !ith the greatest of all difficulties% for you must first discover your *ub,ect% secondly your Operations% thirdly the /ime% as to the t!o former, let him be never so ignorant, he must be the >udge, and if he does not li e it, you then loose both your Friend and your $rt to boot% and indeed 'tis very difficult !hen a man goes about such a thing to no! !ho is 5ualified for it, or !hat use he !ill ma e of it !hen obtained) $nd as to the time, he is very nice in it, if he do e.cept of your 0roposals, and to have an Operation performed to every 0unctilio% and if it is not you must e.pect Reprimands, and sometimes the loss of your Friend, !ho, lying as it !ere, on a Bed of ease, little no!s the hardship, Fatigues, labors, "osses and Disappointment, !hich the $rtist sustained and is sub,ect to% neither indeed dares he to open the same for fear lest they should become his 6nemies% these things being rightly Considered may be reason sufficient to deter many a +orthy "aborer from his *earch, to the great loss and Detriment of $rt) /hat none of these, or such li e difficulties may be thy 0ortion, O Reader2 -s the desire of him, !ho shall Conclude this Chapter !ith his +ell=!ishes to every *incere *earcher after $rt1

Chapter 5 The Use of the .i/uor Al,ahest" Circulatu or

Minus

Great 6ilech of 6el ont and Parcelsus

-n this Chapter, - shall come to sho! you the (se of the Circulatum &inus, "i#uor $l ahest, or *al Circulatum of 3elmont and 0aracelsus in dissolving (niversally all sublunary Concretes into their first &atter, none e.cepted, for nothing opposes it, but its Compeer or +ater, and the Central heart, or &ercury% the one destroys it, and the other remains untouched by its $ctivity% for all other Beings are so 6ssentially dissolved, as that they may be brought over the 3elm EdistilledF, in their true 6ssences% nay by Cohobation they may be reduced to an 6lementary +ater% therefore for the good and Benefit of &an ind, - could be heartily glad that the e.cellency and (tility of this &enstruum, !ere better no!n, since 3elmont, 0aracelsus and *tar ey, put such 4oble 6ncomiums on it) for as the first of these says, -n 4ature there is but one Fire, !hich is our consuming Vulcan, none other parta ing in Virtue and 5uality !ith it, all the true $depti have an undeniable 0roof of, !hich indeed is far more po!erful% than any

Common Fire, for !hat !ill remain there, as uncon#uerable, is by this "i#uor destroyed and $ltered radically and fundamentally% the &echanical 0ractice !ith it is thus1 "et this "i#uor or Fire be distilled from any &etal soft and -mperfect, and it doth at first or second time leave them in a fusible *ubstance li e +a., of !hich the *ulphur or Rincture is dissolvable in the best *pirit of +ine, and from the residue (being ept three days in a vaporating heat) &ercury #uic and running may be separated, the same may be done in harder &etals, yea, in 0erfect metals, in a longer time, by oftener reiterated Cohobations1 But this Fire being once distilled from &ercury Vulgar, it leaves it Coagulated and Fi.ed, so then it !ill endure the /est of *aturn% -t<s left spongious li e to a 0umice=stone but heavy li e /urbith &inerals, brittle and therefore !ithout difficulty 0ulveri9able, !hich then Cohobated !ith +ater, distilled from +hites of 6ggs it causes that distilled +ater to stin , but becomes of the Color of the best Coral, !hence it is denominated $rcanum Coralinum1 /his Fire if it be distilled from any 7em or *tone subtly 0ulveri9ed, it turns into a mere *alt of e#ual +eight to the 7em or *tone% 0earls it resolves into a &il , !hich is their first 6ns% so also Crabs 6yes (as they are Vulgarly called, being other!ise no 6yes, but *tones found in the head of the Crab), and all Vegetable *tones, as 0each=stones, Date=stones, or the li e1 -n a +ord, this Fire or "i#uor resolves all Vegetables, $nimals and &inerals, into their first 6ns, and in such Concretes as Contain in them 3eterogenities, it doth discover and sever (that it ma es separable) the same1 But observe, this dissolution is not performed li e that, !hich is made !ith the &ercury of the 0hilosophers for that dissolves Bodies by !ay of 7eneration, but this by !ay of Destruction, in that it separates bet!een the Central &ercury, and *ulphur of Bodies, and although they are very prevalent as to &edicines, yet are they totally bereaved and divested from any generative 0o!er% so that it !ill be in vain fir any to e.pect, 7eneration therefrom, seeing the "i#uor itself is prepared by the !ay of +rath% and so it dissolves Bodies% therefore called -gnis 7ehenna% the Fire of hell% but the medicines prepared by it surpassing others, - shall give you some 0articular 6.amples of it, first of such, as are of an -nferior Rand, as to 0reparation, and then of those more difficult and 4oble1 4o! for small 6.periments and for the more ready use of the $lchahest, 'tis good to provide yourself of Convenient Vessels, as small as 6gg=glasses, thic and strong, !ith short 4ec s, !ide mouths, and 7round stopper e.actly fitted% also small Retorts !ith 7round stoppers, !hich may serve both for Digestion and Distillation% but for great 6.periments and larger #uantities - advise you to use my hard &etal >ugs made si9able !ith very long 4ec s, !ell tried !hich is by putting them into a 0ail or /ub of +ater !ithin t!o inches up to the mouth and then blo! your Breath% if there be any $ir hole, the +ater !ill bubble, then not fit for use) /hese serve for Digestion, Dissolution, and also Distillation, because you may !or them either standing upright, or lying do!n, as your occasion shall re#uire% being thus provided !ith Vessels you may begin your *olutions first on Vegetables% !hich it does Resolve into their first li#uid &atter, distinguishing in them all the 3eterogenities by several Colors, and distinct places, one above another,% in !hich Resolution there al!ays seats itself in a Distinct place a small "i#uor, 6minently distinguishable from the rest in Color, in !hich the Crasis of the !hole 3erb, /ree or *eed, doth reside) in !hich no less of Virtue, but an 6.alting of the same by many degrees, only !hatever virulency is in the Crude Concrete, by this Operation is !holly e.tinct, !ith a 0reservation noth!ithstanding of all the specific Virtue, appertaining to the Concrete in its simplicity1 $nd furthermore 'tis to be observed, you may dissolve all 3erbs into their 0rinciples, li#uid !ithout *ediment, of !hich part !ill be unctuous and fat, especially in /rees, 7ums, *eeds and many Roots% and part $#ueous in !hich the Volatile *alt of the Concrete !ill appear to the taste, the "i#uor !ith its o!n Oil you may Circulate into an 6ssential *alt, !hich is indeed the firs 6ns of the Concrete% but if you !ould have things done in a lesser time, ma e your Dissolutions in a stronger heat, and distill over your

"i#uor !ith the dissolved Body in a stronger heat, and distill over your "i#uor !ith the dissolved Body in a due fire, so !ill the Oiliness be !holly turned into a *aline *pirit, !hich in a distillation by Bath !ill come over in various Colors the Crasis separating itself from the 0hlegm (both by Color, /aste and *mell, as also by its /ime of Coming over the helm distinguishable) and your "i#uor left behind at bottom, as much in #uantity, and as 6ffectual in virtue, as before% as, for e.ample, /his +or does happily succeed !ith Balm, or any other vegetable !hich is better dry than 7reen) !hich being only &acerated some hours in a gentle !armth, you !ill see it so dissolved in such a !onderful manner, that you cannot sufficiently admire the 6ffect% the $l ahest being separated from it (or brought over according to the former direction) out of Balm you have a 4oble specific against the 7out, 3ypochondriac &elancholy, Claenture, and Deleria in Fevers) out of Colcocynthida an e.cellent Febrifuge% and out of Cedar an 6ns for long life) For !hich ta e +ood Cedar G iii, of the Dissolvent and an e#ual 0roportion and digest :D hours, and it !ill be !holly dissolved in the Conservation of even the very same odor, he "i#uor being separated, it !ill freely dissolve in *pirit of +ine, or if you first dissolve them in *pirit of +ine, the "i#uor !ill dissolve !ith it% digest and dra! off the *pirit of +ine, and then you may distill off the $l ahest !ith the 6ssence of the Concrete, and separate the, as you have been directed) Observe the Dissolution of this for long "ife, must be in a gentle heat li e that of the *un in he *pring and after that digested in a li e heat till the Oyl and +ater be united into an 6ssential *alt) - should advise all Vegetables to be prepared in the li e nature, if you desire, to have their eminent Virtue, !ithout losing those peculiar 6.cellencies, !hich depend on the Vita (ltima of the Concrete, other!ise a speedier 0reparation ma es the &edicine no less 6ffectual for Curing Diseases, though less po!erful as to long "ife, must be in a gentle heat li e that of the *un in the *pring and after that digested in a li e heat till the Oil and +ater be united into an 6ssential *alt% - should advise all Vegetables to be prepared in the li e 4ature, if you desire, to have their 6minent Virtue, !ithout losing those peculiar 6.cellencies, !hich depend on the Vita (ltima of the Concrete, other!ise a speedier 0reparation ma es the medicine no less 6ffectual for Curing Diseases, though less po!erful as to long "ife) out of &yrrh, $loes and *affron, an 6.cellent $ntihectical &edicine, as also against "ypothymies, Deli#uias, Convulsions, and 0alsies1 /hus much for Vegetable, - shall no! give you a short *urvey of *tones, 0earl and Coral, and lastly of &inerals) /hough - must confess by the !ay, that if your "i#uor does radically dissolve a charcoal, it is a certain sign, that it is true, as if it did dissolve 7old itself% for according to 3elmont, the +or succeeds !ell upon Charcoal% but 'tis admirable to see ho! the Operations !ill be changed and varied according to the Degree of Fire, and diuturnity of digestion1 /a e of the *tone "udus, in *ubtle 0o!der, and of the Dissolvent 5V, digest :D hours then distill, and 't!ill be converted !holly into a *alt, !hich being Calcined !ill in a cold &oist $ir easily run per deli#1) !hich !ill certainly Cure the *tone !ith all its $ttendants1 /a e of 0earl, !hat #uantity you please% and of the "i#uor, e#ual 0roportion, !hich being therein immersed, 't!ill dissolve into a &ucilage (a gentle &aceration of some hours preceding) Resolvable in *pirits of +ine1 /he same may be done on Crabs 6yes, but sooner) '/is an e.cellent &edicine, for comforting the heart, giving strength to the very &arro! and Bones) Coral so dissolved is a &edicine that restores sense to those bereaved of it, Comforts the Brain, &emory and 3eart, e.pelling sadness and &elancholy, and ma ing a cheerful and healthy Constitution1 Observe !ith this "i#uor you must use no acid *pirit, or *alt, or Corrosive of !hatever sort1 For !herever such things are used, as &ediums !hether for &ercury, or any other, they must be !ell !ashed off and made s!eet before the $l ahest is put on% therefore in *ulphur fine Flo!ers are the best) Of these ta e !hat #uatity you please, of "i#uor 6#ual 0roportion Digest for the space of t!o days, and after!ards Cohobate t!ice or thrice1 /hey !ill come over the 3elm in form of a very Red Oil, separable from the "i#uor by a separating 7lass) 6.cellent in the Consumption, Coughs, and the li e% 'tis not only a 0reservative of &an<s body but also of Beer, +ines and other "i#ours1 -f you $bstract this "i#uor from the Cal. of "ead, :D hours digestion being premised% you !ill have the "ead so Reserated unloc ed or opened, as that in *pirit of +ine, 't!ill easily let go its *anguineous and

s!eet /incture) !hich is the &agistery of lead, and an 6.cellent &edicine for all burnings and -nflammations !hatsoever1 /a e of Flo!ers of $ntimony, sublimed !ith *al $rmoniac and dulcified, or of the $lcohol of $ntimony, !hich is better, one Ounce of the "i#uor $l ahest, three Ounces, oput them into a Retort, and digest si. hours, at furthest then still off the Dissolvent, and you !ill hve a true &edicine, !hich -nfallibly Cures the Dropsie1 /a e of 0recipitate very !ell edulcorated, made after !hat manner you please, one ounce, of the Dissolvent t!o Ounces, and having been digested :D hours Distill, and you<ll have a fi.ed 0recipitate, !or ing by stool, s!eat and (rine, a certain Remedy for the "eprosy, *curvy, 8ings< 6vil, 7out, and 0o.1 /a e of the Cal. of 7old one ounce, of the "i#uor t!o Ounces% digest in a Viol !ith a long 4ec ( or one of the 6gg=glasses, before described !hich is better) for three days, oruntil it !ill give forth no more /incture% the pour off all that is dissolved into a Retort, and !ith a gentle Fire dra! off the "i#uor, and you<ll find the 7old dissolved in the Bottom of the Retort, !hich you may either dissolve in *pirit of +ine, or let run in the $ir per deli#1% and you have a true $urum 0otabile) /he same 0rocess is to be observed in *ilver1 $nother% /a e 7old calcined into fine $toms, or "aminated into thin "eaves, one ounce, of the "i#uor $l ahest, three ounces% put them into a Retort !ith a ground stopper, and let them remain in the heat of a gentle Bath a fe! days, or until the 7old be dissolved !ithout *ediment, the "i#uor then being distilled from it, leaves it in the form of a *alt fusible !hich Cohobated often !ith the "i#uor, is made Volatile, and comes over in t!o "i#uors, +hite and Red% the Red is the 3emating /incture, and the +hite may be reduced into a +hite &ercurial Body, after the dissolving "i#uor is separated from the same) /hus 7old the 8ing of &etals, of 4ature most fi.ed in Corrosives, /est and Cupel enduring all inds of &artyrdoms !ithout the least diminution, even the most e.#uisite /rial of Vulcan is by this "i#uor or Fire, !holly mastered and Con#uered so as to be brought into its &ineral 6nds, !hich is the highest 0reparation of 7old, that can be made by means of this "i#uor, being its Fifth 6ssence, and is of 0o!er to cure the most deplorable Diseases, to !hich the nature of &an is sub,ect% but the &agistery of 7old, !hich is the first 0reparation of it, by means of this "i#uor, is a most eminent &edicine against all &alignant Fevers, the 0estilence, palsies, the 0lague, etc1 -n the li e manner you 0repared the Fifth 6ssence of *ilver% but this follo!ing &edicine, is e#ual if not superior to either1 /he *!eet Oil of Venus) /a e of the best Dan9ig or Roman Vitriol, and Calcine it till it be thoroughly !asted in the Fire !hat !ill !aste% then dulcify the Colcothar !ith Distilled Rain +ater and dry it very !ell, to the Vitriol thus prepared, add of the Fire or "i#uor, e#ual 0arts for it !ill be dissolved easily and Friendly, distill off your "i#uor, and pour it bac again% and thus Cohobate it at the least B: or B@ times, so !ill all the Body of the Colcothar be brought over the 3elm in the form of a 7reen "i#uor% digest this same in the gentle heat of a bath, for about a &onth and then distill it in a slo! Fire, so !ill the !hole metalline substance of the Venus, come over, leaving the "i#uor belo! in the Retort, in its entire 0ondus and Virtue) /o this "i#uor or *pirit put an e#ual #uantity of *al $rmoniac , dissolved in as much +ater as !ill dissolve it, so shall you separate the 7reen "i#uor from a +hite *ediment, !hich +hite *ediment, !ill give a +hite &etal, as fi.ed as *ilver and !ill abide the /est of *aturn, but yet formally distinct from *ilver !hich thou (if a 0hilosopher) shalt easily perceived ho!ever as good to a &etallurgist as the best *ilver% the green "i#uor dry up in a Viol 7lass, by evaporating all the &oisture, for it is the *ulphur of Venus mi.ed !ith the *al $rmoniac , by !hich (4ote that) it is fi.ed so that it !ill abide all Fire, this *ulphur e.tract !ith the most pure *pirit of +ine, !hich !ill dissolve it, leaving the *al $rmoniac % distil a!ay then from it (thus dissolved) your *pirit of +ine, and you have left a very fragrant green Oil of Venus, !hich is *ulphur 6ssensicated, by these Operations, as s!eet to taste as the best 3oney, than !hich 4ature hath not a more *overeign Remedy for most (not to say all) Diseases) this is the true 4epenthe of 0hilosophers, causing certain Rest, and assuaging all 0ains, but ever after sleep leaving the 0arty either sensibly amended (in more violent and diurnal Diseases) or #uite !ell in the less rigid

&aladies) /hus also from "apis 3ematitis and *pelter may be had 4oble &edicaments, also from the *ulphur of $ntimony, and more especially from Common &ercury% for if you Cohobate the "i#uor so long till its body is brought over and proceeding all things as in the *ulphur of Venus, you have a &edicine that !ill effect !hatever can be desired by either 0atient of Doctor1 /hus having given you a short "andscape (as it !ere) of this "i#uor, - shall here pass it by at present, and Conclude1 #inis&