Four books of Johannes Segerus Weidenfeld concerning the secrets of the adepts, or, of the use of Lully's spirit of wine : a practical work, with very great study collected out of the ancient as well as modern fathers of adept philosophy : reconciled together by comparing them one with another, otherwise disagreeing, and in the newest method so aptly digested, that even young practitioners may be able to discern the counterfeit or sophistical preparations of animals, vegetables and minerals, whether for medicines or metals, from true, and so avoid vagabound imposters, and imaginary processes, together with the ruine of estates.

10. The Mellifluous Heaven of Parisinus. In practica Elucid. p. 231. V. 6. Theat. Chym.

THe way of acuating this Celestial and Burning B (Spi∣rit of Philosophical Wine) is to take of the Substances declared to you what quantity you will: But we take the Substances of Flowers United (that is, the Substance of New Honey, pag. 269.) which we put in a Vessel to distill all the Aquosity through Y (Balneo Marioe. pag. 270.) Then we pour in three parts and more of B upon that Substance prepared af∣ter this manner; shutting the Vessel with its Cover, called Ante∣notorium, and put it in Putrefaction for the space of one Natural Day; then with three Distillations by Z. (Fire of Ashes, pag. 270.) we distill till we obtain all the Mercurial Part with the whole Juice of the Blessed Substance by that Method, then re∣peat the aforesaid Magistery with New Substance of Flow∣ers, and making this Regiment four times, at the end of which, you have reduced B solutive from Power into Act by Virtue of the Manna of the Flowers United.

Now take a strong Glass Vessel, able to hold as much Water,

as a common Pitcher, with a Neck one span and a half long, to which another Glass Vessel, containing a fourth part only of the Pitcher, must be joyned, and well luted: Into this Vessel put four Pounds of C (the said Menstruum made of Honey) to Circu∣late in Balneo, or Horse Dung, the space of thirty or forty Days, at the expiration of which time, you will have C converted in∣to D (into the Quintessence in its Perfection, drawn from excellent Wine, which is the Form of the Ʋniversal Body reduced into B, and B into C, and then Circulation to be made. This Quintessence is Vegetable, because, all the rest of the sharp Waters destroying Me∣tals, this alone doth by its Virtue vegetate, augment and multiply them. Wherefore this Water is the Mystery of Art, because it is Burning, Calcines, and dissolves Bodies, if it be perfectly rectified, pag. 269.) But the Sign of knowing, whether this Conversion be made, will be a sediment in the bottom of the Vessel, like that, which appears in the Urine of a sound Man. When the Glorious Body draws nigh, after thirty Days in the end of Per∣fection, then will you see D, or the Quintessence in greater cla∣rity and splendor than any Diamond. The clarity whereof surpasses all Precious Things, so as that it is difficult to judge, whether that Divine Liquor be in or out of the Vessel: Then you must separate our Heaven from its Sediment or Hypostasis with Industry, keeping it in a Vessel well luted in a cold place, that nothing may from thence expire. This Quintessence is by the Philosophers called Spiritus Vivus, because it gives Life to humane Bodies, and Metalls, as also Aqua Argenti vivi, Aqua Vi∣toe, Aqua Coelestis, Aqua Divina, Stella Dianoe, Anima, Spiritus Mercurii nostri Vegetabilis, Fumus, Ventus, Coelum Nostrum. To conclude, infinite Names have been given it, which notwith∣standing signifies one and the same thing.

Annotations.

THe antecedent acuition of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine with Oyly Vegetables, did not so well please Christopher Parisinus, and therefore instead thereof he substituted this, which he found better than the other. The great Mystery and Treasure (saith he) which we teach you in this Chapter, is, how you ought to make B (the Coelestial and Ardent Spirit) acute, which we signi∣fie by C, wherefore give Ear, for I know not how I ought to propound this Doctrine, lest this Secret should be prostituted to all Men: For all the Philosophers that ever have been, have ab∣sconded this Secret under divers Figures, because without all doubt this is the thing, which is the Principal, or one of the Principal Keys of this admirable Science. This I would have you certainly believe, that B hath no solutive Nature actually, but only potentially; for if B were not acuated by the way and means manifested to you, it would have no power of Dissolving: Some made it acute with Vitriol, which way is good enough: Some with Niter: Some with Cinnabar: Some with these two, and some with all three: Some with their Earth, which way displeaseth me, because this way thick Unctuosity and Pondero∣sity was introduced: Some have used Vegetables, as Herbs, Roots, Flowers, and Seeds known to you, which have powerful Mercuries in them; for this Reason it is, That they which handled it this way, augmented rather its Vegetable Form, than made it solutive: Some used Flowers United for acuition, which is the Principal Way, and of our Intention, which is found in the Alphabetum apertoriale: Some not knowing the true way of acuating this B, spent much time in preparing divers Waters, before they could put any Body into B, as happened to us in the beginning, seeking that Practice, which is now manifested to you by the Practice of our Summetta, which though it hath succeeded well, yet with very great Labour. The Mystery of this dissolutive part is difficult, and tedious, and therefore I will undertake the Repetition of it; for having made B acute by this Method, which we now manifest concerning the solution of Bodies, to be perfected without trouble in a little time, you will be certain. But I confess, when I was with you at that time,

wherein we made the first beginning of dissolving, we did not understand Raymund Lully in this dissolutive part; but having read him over again returning to our Studies, Practising, Pray∣ing, and Fasting, a perfect Illumination of Mind came to us: this way therefore will I manifest under the Seal of Silence, pag. 231. Vol. 6. Theat. Chym.

Parisinus doth by these Words make us more assured, that the Spi∣rit of Philosophical Wine hath no power of dissolving any but Oyly things, because it is Oyl it self; but in order to dissolve dry things also, it is necessary for it to be acuated, that is, so tempered, as to be made homogeneous also to dry things, and so dissolve them, which to be a Work difficult and tedious, his own Experience proveth; out of many acuators therefore of the Adepts, he chooseth Hony before the rest, whose principal acuating faculty, he calls the great Mystery and Treasure of the Art. For according to Lully, the Spirit of Philo∣sophical Wine in Honey hath two free Operations, that is, this Ʋncti∣ous Spirit is easily Ʋnited to the Ʋnctuosity of Honey, and by the same means also easily tempered with the aridity of Honey. In a Word, there are other indeed, yea all the following Menstruums stronger than this, but none more easie to be prepared, and better for a young Beginner. Lully made the same Menstruum after this manner.