Paracelsus, his Archidoxis comprised in ten books : disclosing the genuine way of making quintessences, arcanums, magisteries, elixirs, &c : together with his books of renovation & restauration, of the tincture of the philsophers, of the manual of the philosophical medicinal stone, of the virtues of the members, of the three principles, and finally his seven books of the degrees and compositions, of receipts and natural things / faithfully and plainly Englished, and published by J.H., Oxon.

Of the Extraction of the Quintes∣sence from Marcasites.

THere are also to be sound, various ways as to the Ex∣traction of the Quintessence out of Marcasites, but yet we cannot in the least account them for true Quintessen∣ces. And although they be of a greater virtue then their Quintessence is, as we teach, & discover of Arcanaes, Ma∣gisteries and Elixers; Yet notwithstanding the way and manner that we here use, in extracting the Quintessence from all Metal••ne Marcasites, is like to the true extracti∣ons of the Metals. And whereas we said before, that the Quintessence is the most supream virtue of things, and do yet for all that aver the contrary in Arcanaes, viz. that they are greater then the Quintessences them∣selves are; the reason is this, because all Arcanaes con∣tain in them the Quintessences, and are reduced fur∣ther, to such an acuity and subtilty, that they do re∣ceive

thereby a far greater virtue then the Quin∣cessence.

The same comes also to be, by reason of their Ap∣propriate and Specisick faculty. The processe there∣fore of the Extraction of the Quintessence out of Marca∣sites is thus.

Take of a Marcasite ground most exceeding small, one pound; of the eating Water, two pound; being permixt together in a Pellican, let them remain in digestion two or three moneths, and they will be reduced into a li∣quor; distil this liquor by the Fire, wholly, and it will come over in an oyl, the which thou shalt putresie to∣gether in a Belly or Dung, sor a moneth, then distil it as you did the Metals, and there will likewise two colours ascend, as did from the Metals, one colour white, the other the true colour of the Quintessence; leave the white, except it be of Bismute, or a white Mar∣casite, and then you shall know them from each other by the thicknesse. Take the undermost and reduce it to its sweetnesse, as was afore spoken of the Metals. On this wise then hast thou Extracted the Quintessence out of Marcasites, without any corrupting of their powers and virtues.