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GOld being prepared by the spirit of the Phi∣losophers lead, is easily dissolued into liquor, and deserueth then to bee called Potable gold▪ this must néedes be more conuenient for medicine in the stomack of man, then leafe gold. For how can leafe gold benefit the stomack, or in any sort be profitable for the sicke, when the secret kernell is so fast inclosed in the shell,
which is so indigestible, that it will not be dissolued in the body of the Ostrich. The body of any thing profiteth little or nothing without the spirit.
It cannot be denied, but that all actions come from the spirit, for a body deuoyd of spirits, is empty, rotten, and dead. If the spi∣rits be they which are agents, the body is desired in vaine.
And contrariwise, when the body is an impediment to the spirit, that it cannot vtter his force and strength (as appeareth by the working of nature it selfe, which without the destroying and obiecting of the body, cannot change the spirit, that is to say, the nourishment of meate into flesh) then of necessitie, the spirit must be deliuered from all his impediments, that it may shewe it selfe powerfull, and not bee hindered from his working.
This appeareth plaine by daily experience. For what good doth that thing in the body, which is neither profitable for the nourishment, nor yet for the health thereof?
Nay, what annoyance doth it not bring to our faculties, which lyeth in the stomack vndigested, much better then wée shall prouide for our body, if in time of sicknesse we take that to nourish and sustaine vs, which is well concocted and digested by art, and purged from all grosse superfluitie. For so nature is no maner of way hindred from distributing the same to all the parts, neither hath it any burden in concocting the same, albeit as yet it is requisite for nature to haue a more subtill worke, that it may turne to the profit of the body. For how much more auaile∣able to helpe the sicke which are weake of nature is the spiritu∣ous substance of a medicine, if it be giuen, tryed and seperated from grosse impurity, then to be administered with such impuri∣tie, which oftentimes cloyeth and ouerlayeth the strength of the body. He is more blinde then any ••••oule which seeth not this. For the spirit whether it be of meat or of medicine, is giuen in such small quantitie, that it bringeth no detriment, but spéedy profit in a moment.
But yet these spirits cannot be giuen, nor prepared without bodies, for the which cause we prescribe broathes & Iellies, to be the chariots of the spirits: and we clense the bodies, that they being made pure, the spirit may more firmely cleane vnto them.
And that they are not dispoyled of their first naturall humour, it hereby appeareth, because that naturall humour is the body of his spirit. But when by our art, the spirits are extracted, wée must haue diligent care, that none of thē flye away into the aier and so be lost. For this cause we must looke that our vessels be sure, and nothing breake out, by violence of the fier: the which spirits, if we can retaine, much lesse can their bodies escape.
Spirits then are in bodies, and bodies passe into spirits, in such wise that they are corporeat spirits, and spiritual bodies, so as we can giue both body and spirit together.
Furthermore, that the most dry calpes, doe still retaine their humour and moysture in them, in so much that they may be turned into liquor, daily experience showeth. For glasse brought into ashes, and gold brought into a caix, may be restored to the formes of glasse and gold againe, through the force of fire.
But here it may be obiected (as it is by some) that gold hath no force in it to prolong life, or to corroborate the same, because it is prolonged by onely heate remaining in moysture and is al∣so conserued by the reparation of natural moysture. But these faculties or essences (say some) are not in gold, but rather in those things which haue liued, as in plants and liuing things, from whom that force to prolong and preserue life, is to be taken, ra∣ther then from gold. And hereupon it is inferred, that there is no life in metalls and minerals, but that they are plainly dead.
I presume no man will denie, that gold is the fruite of his e∣lement, or some thing elementated: if a thing elementated, then doth it consist of elements: therefore also of forme. For elements doe not want their beginnings, which are formall beginnings, giuing being, or that which it is, to a thing. For so much as there∣fore gold is a body elemētated, it consisteth of matter and forme, by the mixture whereof there ariseth a certaine temperature, or some thing of likenesse, which is the life of things. Therefore gold and other metalls haue life.
Furthermore, whatsoeuer the eye can sée and behold, that hath matter and Forme. For forme is the external, arising from the internal, which offereth it selfe to the sence of the eye: if it
haue forme and matter, then hath it also life. Death is said so be the destruction of things, which séemeth to bring the subiect to nothing. But for so much as metalls are the obiects of the sen∣ces, it shal be thought amisse that they are brought to destructi∣on. They liue therfore because they subsist. And the things which subsist cannot be said to be brought to nothing therfore not dead.
By these reasons it doth plainly appeare, that there is life in metalls, because they subsist, and because they consist of Matter and Forme, whose mixture and co••iunction is nothing, but by the bond of a certaine kind of life, which is drawen from the ele∣ments and beginnings, in the which consisteth the life of things. Furthermore, that cannot be said to be without life, which is in∣dued with power of acting. For actions (as we haue said) pro∣ceede from spirits. In the spirits is life, or else they themselues are life. And wonderful actions doe proceed and come from gold, when it is spiritual and seperated from the waight of his body: finally, who is he that dare denie life to be in metalls which are indued with so many tastes, with so many odours, with so many colours, and with other vertues. Therfore gold is vitall. For so Marcilius Ficinus a most witty Phylosopher, and a famous Physitian, writeth of gold, saying:
We know that all liuing things, as well plants as animals, doe liue and are generated by a certaine spirit like vnto this, and is alwaies moued, as if it were liuing, and doth most spee∣dily generate among the elements, because it is most spiritu∣all. But thou wilt say vnto me, if the elements and liuing things doe generate and beget, why doe not stones and met∣talls beget, which are meane things, betwéene the elements & liuing things? I answere, because the spirit which is in them is restrained and hindered by a more grosse matter, the which if at any time it be rightly seperated, & being seperated, if it be conserued as the seminary of one thing, it is able to beget vn∣to it selfe the like: if so be, there be put to it a certaine matter of the same kind: the which spirit diligent Physitians, or na∣turalists seperating from gold, at the fier, by a certaine subli∣mation, they wil put the same to any kind of metall, and make it quick.
Thus it is plaine by the authority of this learned author, that there is a vitall spirit in gold, and a vertue to procreate the like to it selfe: as also it is confirmed by the testimony of Virgil in the sixt of his Aeneidos: where the Poet saith, that gold doth mount and arise by his vertue into a trée, whose golden boughes doe spread far and wide.
If the mineral corall trée by his life natural, doe growe and increase, why is it not as like that gold and other metals do grow by the same life? Séeing metals doe draw their beginnings from minerals minerals, from waters, and waters from the sea. Now if fishes shels, pearles, and corall, receiue life from their element, which is the sea, why may it not giue vital spirits vnto gold? There are sundry sorts of life: yea, things which haue neither motion nor sense, haue life. Our daily foode, doth teach vs this, from the vertue wherof, we drawe sustenance and preserue life, albeit the flesh of beastes and fowles whereof we féede, be first depriued of life and motion. So that there is nothing vtterly de∣uoid of life (as we said before) but that which is vtterly brought to nothing. For out of the very rottennesse of wood, which doth shewe and threaten the final destruction thereof, wormes of di∣uers sorts, are bred and ingendered. What néede many wordes, when as Phylosophy teacheth vs, that out of the corruption of one thing, commeth the generation of another. And why then may not the generation of a vital metall be brought forth out of the corruption of a metallick body, and which is brought into his first matter: when as life in the body, is the last that dyeth, if it may dye? It is plaine then, that there is life in metals.
But now let vs see, whether this life which is in metals may be made fit to preserue our life, in such sort that it may not be ex∣tinguished by diseases. The which I wil briefly handle and de∣clare. Those things which continue longest in their being, haue a more constant and permanent life, then haue those things which dye in a moment. This is in plants, the other in metals: for plants and hearbes, doe wyther and vanish away in a mo∣ment: but metalls wil continue a thousand yeares and more. Now how can hearbs promise long life, & helpe of continuance, which they themselues doe want? Contrariwise, for so much as
metalls doe so long preserue themselues by their long life, why shuld they not performe the same, being taken into mens bodies?
The Phylosophers say, that gold, of all other metalls is most temperat, by the temperatures wherof, the balsam which is in vs waxing sicke, that is to say degenerating from his temperature by the force of sicknesses, is restored & holpen, in such wise, that the vertue of his medicine doth recall him to his temper, and doth so increase him with strength, that he easily ouercōmeth sicknesse. Gold is consecrated to the Sunne for his colour and brightnesse, and to Iupiter for his temperature, & therefore it can wonderfully temper the natural heate with moysture, preserue the humours from corruption, and bring the Solary and Iouial vertue to the spirits and members.
The best way to make potable gold, is without mixture of a∣ny other thing. The next vnto potable gold, is that which is bea∣ten into thin leaues, which for want of the other, may be vsed in medicine cordial, to comfort the heart. The tincture of gold being extracted, doth clense and restore the blood. So that hereby the homogenial and kindly parts are gathered together, and the Heterogenial or vnkindly are seperated. For ther is nothing vn∣der heauen to be found more homogenial, or simular, of more thinne substance, of more temperate nature, & lesse subiect to cor∣ruption, or putrifaction, then the very pure substance of metalls, or quick-siluer. What therefore can be more fit for our Balsam then that spirituall medicine, purged from all impuritie, and brought to exquisite subtiltie. Doth not a spirituall nature re∣ioyce and imbrace a spirituall nature? Why is not gold impay∣red in the fier, but doth rather ioy therein, and is made more pure? Is it not because it is fier? For fier is not thrust out with fier, but they imbrace one the other as being of one kind. So in like manner, for so much as our Balsam of life is most pure, and resembleth the nature of fier, why should it not receiue his like, and be strengthened thereby? For Geber saith, that gold is a medicine, which maketh the heart merry, & preserut••h the body in youth: the which medicine is no other thing, but a na∣tural heat, multiplyed in ye fixed substance of Mercury: the vertue of which heat is to gather together (as it is said afore) y• kindly, & to
disceuer and put away all things that are vnkindly, conser∣uing the spirits and humours in a man sooner then in the nature of metalls, because a man by his proper natural heat doth sepe∣rate the vnkindly superfluities, which metalls by their vnnatu∣ral heat cannot seperate.
But let the reader vnderstand, that our meaning is not to pre∣scribe this Aurum potabile, for continual foode, but for medicine onely in time of néede. For it will suffice, if it be taken once or twise in the yeare, to prolong our dayes to Nestorian yeares, without the yrkesomnesse of sicknesse.
The Phylosophers haue not onely called this medicine Au∣rum potabile, but also the water of life, the Tincture, the preti∣ous stone, the medicine which worketh wonderfully vpon thrée sorts of things, namely vpon the animal, vegetable, and mine∣rall: for the which cause it is called the Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral Stone: and the Arabian Astrologians call it the great Elixir.
Wonderful is the vertue of this medicine: for herewith the body of man being sick, is restored to health, imperfect metals are turned into gold or siluer, and vegetables, albeit they are dry and withered, being moystened with this liquor, doe waxe fresh and greene againe. This Medicine being a quintessence is almost incorruptible and immortal, temperate, purified by the elements themselues, and seperated from the dregs and grosse matter of the fower elements, which are the most chiefe cause of corruption, as the Phylosophers affirme: which therefore ma∣keth a temperate and sound body, because it is, as it were the spi∣rit of life, by whose force and helpe, nature doth digest all that is indigested, or expulse the superfluous and offending humours: it suppresseth their qualities, it quickeneth the spirit, it maketh the soft hard, and the hard soft: the thick, thinne, and the thinne thick: the leane fat, and the fat leane: it maketh the cold, hote, and the hote cold: it moysteneth the dry, and drieth the moyst: to conclude, it confirmeth and strengtheneth the natural heate & moysture. And as all Phylosopers doe write with one consent, it is an vni∣uersal medicinable body, whereunto all the particularities of me∣dicines, are reduced and infused.
For this cause, it is as it were a fineth nature, or essence▪ a most thinne soule, most purgatiue, much resisting for a very long time, putrifaction or corruption, freed from al mortal concreti∣on, a celestial and simple substance of the Elements, brought to to this spiritual nature, by Chymical sublimation.
And yet for al this, we affirme not that this medicine is al∣together incorruptible, for as much as it is made and consisteth of natural things. Neuerthelesse, it is brought to that subtiltie, thinnesse and simplicitie spiritual, that it séemeth to containe no∣thing in it that is Heterogenial, or vnkindely, whereby it may be corrupted: whereby also it commeth to passe, that being gi∣uen to the sicke, it preserueth them a long time in health.
And for this cause the Philosophers haue had this in so great estéeme, and haue wholy addicted themselues to seeke and search out the same, not to make themselues rich, by turning imperfect metals into gold and siluer, when as many of them willingly embraced pouertie, but rather to heale the diseases and sicknes∣ses of men, and to defende and preserue their liues in long health without griefe, vnto the time which God hath appointed,
But leauing this great mysterie, which very fewe attaine vn∣to, I wil in charitie and good wil deliuer here vnto thee, an easie prescription how to make certaine waters, of great vertue, which I found written in the Latine tongue, in an auncient coppy: seruing to kéepe the body in health, and to deliuer it from many infirmities, which I thought good here to insert, as very perti∣nent so this Treatise, which concerneth (as you haue heard) the vertue of Minerals.
Take of Aqua vitae, distilled with red Wine, lib. 4. Of burnt Salt, lib. 2. Of dead Sulphur, lib. 2. Of white Tartar. z. 2. Of the coales of Flaxe which groweth in Abella, a Towne of Cam∣pania in Italie; z. 3. Of Salt Peter, z. 4. Beate al these into fine pouder, & seare them: and being mingled together, powre on them the aforesaid Aqua vitae, and so put the whole masse to distillation.
THe first Distilation, hath vertue of a Balsam to conserue both flesh and Fish, from putrifaction. It clenseth the face from all freckles and spots, clearing the skinne, and making if fairer. It cleanseth the body from Itch and Scabbes, and dryeth vp the teares, and watrinesse of the eyes.
The second distillation expelleth impostumations, and super∣fluities of the body, fasteneth the téeth which are loose, and taketh away the windinesse of the Liuer.
The third taketh away a stinking breath, and purgeth tough flegme out of the Stomach, and whatsoeuer is not wel di∣gested.
The fourth expelleth blood which is congealed in the body.
The fifth healeth and taketh away from man the faling sick∣nesse.
The sixt distillation helpeth al paines about the throate.
The seuenth cureth the paine of the Goute.
The eight is an excellent Balsam, which sée thou kéepe well.
The ninth distillation comforteth and preserueth the Liuer, if a little gold be dissolued therein.
After euery of the former distillations, the feces must be bea∣ten, and searced as in the beginning.
TAke the fylings of Siluer, of Brasse, of Iron, of Leade, of Steele, of Gold, the summe or froth of Golde, and of Sil∣uer, and of Storax: so much of all these as the abilitie of the man can wel affoorde: put these the first day in the vrine of se∣uen yeares of age: the second day, in white Wine, made hote: the third day, into the Iuice of Fennel: the fourth day, into the white of an Egge: the fifth day, into womans milke which gi∣ueth a boy sucke: the sixth day, into red wine: the seuenth day, in seuen whites of Egges. Then put all this into a cupel, and
distil it with a soft and gentle fyer. That which is distilled kéepe in a Siluer or golden vessel. There cannot bée spoken enough in the praise of this water. It cureth all sortes of Leprosie, and wonderfully clenseth the body. It maketh youth to continue long. Vse it to thy comfort, and to the good of thy neighbour.