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.

35. The rectified Aqua Vitae of Lully. In potestate Divitiarum.

TAke Wine, separate the Spirit warily, as soon and as purely as you can, because you will never separate it so warily, but that it will contain in it some of the purest part of this Phlegmatick Substance, or Water: this Spirit being once se∣parated, is called Mercury, that is, Aqua ardens, the sign of which is, that if you dip a Linnen Cloth in it, it will turn into a flame (if first kindled) and not be burned, but if you separate often times, (rectify) it is called Lunaria rectify'd, that is, Aqua ardens rectify'd, whereof the sign is, that a Linnen Cloth dipp'd in it, burns all away: Separate now all the superfluous Phlegm, till none at all remains, and at the bottom will reside a Pitch; then mix the Lunaria, that is, the Aqua ardens rectify'd, with that substance made like soft Pitch, shaking it well, till it be in∣corporated, and set it to distil, and that which goes over, is cal∣led Man's Blood rectify'd, which Alchymists seek for. That Blood is also called Air or Wind, and of this thing spake the Philosopher, when he said Wind carryed him in its Belly: from the remain∣der separate the superfluous Oyl (called above Vegetable) by di∣stilling it through a Glass Alembick, till nothing remains, which Oyl keep a part, till I shall tell you; but the residue will be a substance black and dry, which reduce to a fine powder, and mix by little and little with the rectify'd Man's Blood, and let them stand together for the space of three Hours, and then di∣stil,

and then this Water is called Aqua ignea rectificata, or Fiery Water rectify'd: then calcine the Caput mortuum in a Furnace of Reverberation, till it be made like Lime, and this Calx or Lime mix with the Fiery Water rectify'd, and distil seven times, and then is it called Aqua Vitoe rectify'd.

The same Menstruum hath Paracelsus in his Book, de Elixire Vi∣tae, and the Author of the Appendix of the third Volume of Thea∣trum Chymicum. These Menstruums differ not from the afore∣said made of Sal Armoniack, but only in preparation; in those the whole Earth of the Philosophical Wine is by its own Spirit redu∣ced into a liquid substance, with which is performed the same Work, but after another manner: Hitherto ought to be referred the Men∣struum of Guido, made thus: