A choice collection of rare secrets and experiments in philosophy as also rare and unheard-of medicines, menstruums and alkahests : with the true secret of volatilizing the fixt salt of tartar / collected and experimented by the honourable and truly learned Sir Kenelm Digby, Kt., Chancellour to Her Majesty the Queen-Mother ; hitherto kept secret since his decease, but now published for the good and benefit of the publick by George Hartman.

Monsieur Van Outer's Secret, Physician of Brussels, with ☉ and Butter of Anti∣mony.

TAke equal parts of {antimony} Mineral, and ☿ Sublimate, and a little Sal armoniac, make Butter thereof: Draw the Spirit from this Butter, which rectifie again. (Note, that this Butter, being exposed to the Air, draws from the same what it needeth in an hourts time, and thereby is much increased in quantity: That which it draws is the hid∣den Food of the Life of Man, and all the Beings in the World. And this Butter is the true Magnet which draws it in its purity.) Then put this Spirit into a Glass Cucurbite, of a convenient bigness, fit a Head to it with Limbec and Receiver; lute well all the junctures, and put it thus to putrifie in Ashes for two Months, in which time the Matter will become as red as Blood, and afterwards very black, sticking to the sides of the Ves∣sel like glutinous Soot, and the Ethereal Spi∣rit ascendeth and passeth into the Recipient in form of a Spirit, and in Body of fusible Salt, whereof you must also draw the Spirit, and separate them by Distillation with a very gentle fire, until you see a red and sparkling fire upon the Matter, which is a sign of its

Maturity, and that you have obtained the Philosophical ☿, which is the true Univer∣sal Dissolvent, then let it cool. That which resteth in the bottom of the Cucurbite, is the Terra damnata.

Take ℥vj. of this Menstruum, and put it upon ℥j. of ☉ in very thin plates, which will speedily as dissolved, and they will unite in∣timately, as being of the same Nature. You must take great care that you lose nothing of the Spirits; it must be done in a Matrass with a Glass stopper, exactly fitted; and being well sealed and luted, digest it with a Lamp fire, with a very gentle heat in the begin∣ning. After fifty days digestion, you must feed and imbibe your Matter with the said Menstruum, whereof you must have store, for to multiply your Work. So soon as you have put in the said Dissolvent, you must stop it again immediately, and seal it as be∣fore, then digest fifty days more, the heat a little increased; which time being ex∣pired, you must again feed your Matter with the Virginal Milk a little more than the first time, continuing the digestion, the heat a little stronger. Re••terate the Imbibition seven times, and your Matter will become more vigorous, and will be able to bear stronger Food from time to time, and to bear stronger heat, which nevertheless must

not be hastened, but well governed, after the Example of the Operation of the Rays of the Sun in the Spring and Summer, for the Nourishment and Maturation of Vege∣tables. But you must observe, that at the two last imbibitions, there must be but 35 days distance from the one to the other in∣stead of 50 before. At the five first imbi∣bitions you shall see from time to time the wonderful effects of Nature, by the internal vertue of the Matter, and by all the Signs written in Flammel, La Tourbe, Le Rosaire, or Iubilation of the Soul, and in all those Authors that have possessed this rare Know∣ledge, which will appear infallibly; to the proportion whereof you must increase the fire, and that is left to the discretion of the Operator. You must observe, that as the Matter multiplieth in vertue and quantity at each imbibition, and always more and more, it might become so fusible, that at last it might penetrate the Glass; so that if you judge convenient, you need not imbibe quite seven times, that you may run no hazard; for you may afterwards multiply the Pow∣der in the same manner, and carry it ad in∣finitum. And to perform all this, there needeth no more than about nine Months time, and without much trouble or care.