The wise-mans crown, or, The glory of the rosie-cross shewing the wonderful power of nature, with the full discovery of the true cœlum terræ, or first matter of metals, and their preparations into incredible medicines or elixirs that cure all diseases in young or old : with the regio lucis, and holy houshold of rosie crucian philosophers / communicated to the world by John Heydon, Gent. ...

CHAP. V.

The fourth Table of the Physical and Alchymical Tincture out of the red Lyon and Glue of the Eagle, drawn out from the Authors expe∣rience.

IT is chiefly to be remembred how we first taught you to dissolve Antimony with out acetum acerrimum, which may be also well done if you dissolve it in our calcinative water, and af∣ter that Antimony is calcined which we spoke of in the end of the second book; it is also to be remembred that in the end of the book I spoke of the Glue of the Eagle in the sixth Table of the first book; these being remembred, it is to be understood that we attribute no other beginning to this accurtation, except that where before we took the blood of the red Lyon and the Glue of the Eagle when they were both destroyed; we now joyn them sound and not hurt together, that they living may mortifie and dissolve themselves, which I have fitly called Corporeal Matrimony, or the Union, for in this wedlock they dye toge∣ther, that they may be vivified in the Celestial Matrimony; therefore it is not to be wondred if this Table differ from the other, for this pertain∣eth to the handling of spirits, the other way teacheth the manner of making the Elixir of bodies; therefore we now come to demonstrate the foregoing Table.

Therefore that I may plainly reveal all things

unto you, take Antimony well ground, half a pound, and as much Mercury sublimate, likewise ground, and grind them both togeth upon a mar∣ble, till you cannot know them one from another; then set them in a cold place, that the matter dissolving may drop into a Glass set underneath, for when the matters are well mixed together, then say, that they will both shortly be dissolved when the water is perfectly dissolved, it will be of a greenish colour and lothsome smell.

Put this water with the thick part with it into a Glass, and let it stand the space of three days in a fixatory under the fire, and in short time you shall see your dissolvedness of a brownish black colour, and after, that is to say, in the fore∣said time it will be red, something higher then red Lead.

Dissolve this calcined matter in Raymunds cal∣cinative water, and when you have dissolved it all into a red liquor or deep yelow, then is your mat∣ter brought well into its Chaos.

Put this liquor into a fit body with an Alim∣beck and receiver, and by distallation separate the red oyl or the red Mercury from the white body which remaineth in the earth; and if any matter ascend into the head of the Alimbeck, de∣spise it not, but trie if it be fixed; and if it be not fixed enough, sublime it till it be fixed.

Whereunto joyn equal weight of its soul, for the Celestial Matrimony, and always leave out the earth in the bottom if you have any sublimate fixed, if not, take the white earth remaining in the bottom, with which proceed as before is said, and joyn the white body with the soul; when

they are thus joyned or married, set them to im∣pregnate and revivifie in Bulneo, till it pass through all colours, and at last be converted into red, which then is the stone.

The manner of Fermentation, Augmentation, both in quantity and quality, and projection, is spoken of before in other works.

And thus Sons, Brethren and Reader, I have delivered and opened (and also have amended many things) all the secrets of the Ancient Phi∣losophers, whose writings were rather published to conceal the Art, then to make it manifest or teach it; although it pleased Hermes Trismegi∣stus, the first writer of this Art, both to say and protest that he had never revealed, taught, nor prophesied any thing of this Art to any, exept fearing the day of Judgement or the damnation of his Soul, for shuning the danger thereof, even as he received the gift of Faith from the Author of Faith, so he left it to the faithful; yet when you read his writings, either in his Smaragdine Table, or in his Apocalips, or his twelve Golden Gates, and shall find nothing plain or manifest, what will you think of such an Author? Believe me all the Ancients have concealed the secret of their preparations in the gross work, although they writ most famously of the Philosophical o∣peration; therefore I have used my endeavour to trye, for out of their writings I found that the Elixir might be made of the Planets or Mettals, and also of mean Minerals, which came more neer to a metallick nature, then reading more, I found a certain method amongst them all, as it were with one consent or voice on this wise.

First and principally, that bodies should be made incorporeal, that is to say, discorporated, or discompounded, which then is called the Hyle or Chaos.

Secondly, That out of this Chaodical sub∣stance, which is one thing, three Elements, should be separated and purified.

Thirdly, That the separated and purified ele∣ments should be joyned, the man and the wo∣man, the body and the soul, heaven and earth, with infinite other names so called, that the igno∣rant might think they were diverse, which one∣ly were nothing else but water and Salt, or the body and spirit or soul, that is to say, white Mercury and red, which they joyned together that a new and pure body might be created in putrefaction, that a Microcosmical infant might be created in imitation of the Creation, that is to say, Sulphur of Nature.

Fourthly, That it should be fed with Milk, that is to say, with its own proper Tincture, and after nourished by Fermentation, that it may grow to its perfect strength.

Having learned these, I begun to practice, and in the practice of every body and spirit, I found diverse errors; but reading more and trying more, at last I found the manner and true way of dissolving all bodies, separating and conjoyn∣ing them; finding the composition of their se∣cret of secrets, that is to say, Lac virginis, or Acetum acerrimum, and Raymunds calcining wa∣ter, wherewith I dissolved all bodies at pleasure, and perfected the gross work; wherefore I pur∣posed, contrary to the custome of the Philoso∣phers,

to reveal the whole work, lest I being en∣vious, should be the Author of error like them; therefore I have added their works to my own experiments and inventions, which are plainly and truely writ, that the Artist need to read no books but mine, for herein is almost all things contained, which are found plainly writ by the Philosophers; and also those things which are found true by my own experience.

Now you have all things methodically in this Art without error, with which by the help of God, you may attain to the end.

Alchymy revealeth and openeth unto us four o∣ther secrets.

The first is, the composition of Pearls, far greater and fairer then natural ones, which can∣not be perfectly done without the help of the Elixir.

The second is the manner of making precious Stones of ignoble ones, by the same Art which we taught before in malleable Glass.

The third is the manner of making artificial Carbunckles in imitation of natural ones, which few or none have spoken of.

The fourth is the manner of making Mineral Amber, of which Paracelsus hath onely writ in his book of vexations of Philosophers, and in the last Edition of his works in the six of his Archi∣doxes: but because they cannot be made without the help of the Elixirs, therefore they deserve a place amongst the Elixirs; of the fourth, that is to say, of the vertue or rather the vice of ma∣king Amber, I shall handle it coldly: I have re∣served the explanation of this Aenigma, till the last

place, wherefore it is said, that the Elixir is per∣fected in the Decimal number.