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.

41. The Ignis Gehennoe of Trismosinus made of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine, and Mercury Sublimed. Pag. 7. Aurei Velleris Germ.

TAke of Alum calcined, Nitre, of each two parts, of Salt decrepitated, one part, mix, take of this mixture and Mer∣cury sublimed, of each one pound, sublime by the Law of Art, mix the sublimation with new mixture of Salts, and sublime, and that repeat three times: To this Mercury thus sublimed and pulverized pour the Spirit of (Philosophical) Wine, and draw it off in Balneo to an oleity, cohobate sometimes, and the fourth time will ascend the Mercury together with the Spirit of VVine, rectify the distillation till it leaves no Faeces, and it will be a VVater burning like Hell-Fire: This VVater rectify again in Ashes, till it ascends without leaving any Sediment; lastly, di∣stil through a Paper seven times double in Balneo, and you will have a VVater truly Spiritual, which keep in a Vessel close stop∣ed, by reason it is very Volatile.

Annotations.

THe Kind immediately antecedent is indeed computed in the number of the greater Circulatums, or Vegetable Menstru∣ums compounded, because the Menstruums of that Kind do in the power of dissolving excell the other Simple Menstruums, but not in

Tincture, which that as well as those do want; but we will now offer those which shall be better; they will not only dissolve, but in dissol∣ving moreover tinge the things dissolved in them, and so make them better; they will not only extract the Essences of things, but trans∣mute whole Bodies into Magisteries: Amongst these, the Vegetable Mercurial Waters, made of common Argent vive, and simple Vegeta∣ble Menstruums have priority; for many of the Adepts being so taught by Experience, have called common Argent vive the open Metal, for it is sooner dissolved than the other Metals, and does by its aridity more temper the unctuosity of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine, than the individuals hitherto used in the antecedent Kinds of Menstruums: As concerning this matter, hear the Philosophers, and above the rest the great Paracelsus, Prince, without question, of all the Adepts, who saith, If you intend to convert Metals into a Magi∣stery, and tinge the whole Body altogether into an Essence, you must take the chief and open Metal, to which all the rest have affinity in Nature, and putrify it in its own Matrix, which is situated in VVater, and is call'd the Mother of all Metals, (Pa∣racelsus his Circulatum minus made of common Salt) purge it from superfluities, and reduce it into its liquid first being, that is, the Metallick Acetum acerrimum, the primum Ens of Mercury. Lib. 10. Arch. Cap. 3. pag. 37. As a temperate Essence (he goes on) is drawn out of Herbs (as out of a Vine, for example) by which very Essence, the like Essence may be extracted out of all sorts of Herbs and Roots, so, as that the Mercury of VVine shews not its own Nature, but the Nature of that with which it is essentia∣ted; for the like reason out of Metals and Minerals, the like Mer∣cury or Spirit is extracted out of the open and middle Metal Mer∣cury. Lib. 10. Arch. pag. 39. Mercury vive is the Mother of all the seven Metals, and ought deservedly to be called the Mo∣ther of Metals, for it is an open Metal. Libro de rebus naturalibus, pag. 87. VVherefore call to mind those things which have been said before of half perfect Natural Things, among which Mercury vive is one, which is not brought into compaction, but left in liquidity: Besides you must know, that every generated thing which is open, as Argent vive, is like an open House, into which every Man that will may enter, for so lies Mercury open, that every Physitian may take what he will from it, but it is not so with Gold, Silver, Tin, &c. for that Gate is shut by coagu∣lation,

till opened, dissolved, and reduced into the first matter by Art, which Metals have indeed many impediments, such as are not in Mercury, for it is open, and wants nothing but the di∣rection of preparation. Tract. 2. lib. 2. de morbis metallicis. 723.

Basilius agrees with Paracelsus, saying: In the beginning of Ge∣neration the first of all is Argent vive, being open, and loosely co∣agulated, because it hath little Salt communicated to it, and therefore is more Spiritual than Corporeal: the rest of the Me∣tals being derived from its Essence, have more Salt, and there∣fore are made more Corporeal. Lib. de rebus natural. & super∣nat. Cap. 2.

Chortalassaeus affirms the same saying: Argent vive is of divers Colours, white, skyish, ash, blackish, one slow, another swift, yet in it self an open Metal, and hath a Body easily transmuta∣ble. Cap. pag. 359. Volum. sexti Theat. Chym.

In searching for Sulphur, despair not, saith Sendivogius, I tell you by all that's sacred, it is in Gold and Silver most perfect, but in Argent vive most easy. Pag. 213. lib. de Sulphure. Of the antient Philosophers I will add Arnold, who in Lib. 1. Cap. 7. Ro∣sarii, saith: The Medicine is as well in Metallick Bodies, as al∣so in Argent vive, as to Nature, because they are found to be of one Nature, but indeed in these Bodies harder, in the Argent vive nearer, but not more perfectly. In Argent vive alone it is found more easily and more nearly, not more perfectly, it being the Father of both those Luminaries, and all things fusible, for they are all derived from it, and therefore are they all resolv'd into it, because Nature embraceth its own Nature more amica∣bly, and rejoyceth with it more, than with that which is Hete∣rogeneous. For in it is the facility of extracting that subtil substance.

Among the Metals there is none that sooner mixeth with the Spi∣rit of Philosophical Wine, and is more easily altered, than Argent vive, wherefore the Adepts esteemed it as an open Metal; all other Metals and Mineral Bodies are with very great difficulty dissolved by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine, but being once counited with this Spirit, they are as well as Mercury, converted into a third substance, never to be divided into their constitutives, that is, Metal and Spi∣rit; This open Metal they made more open sometimes by the acidity of Salts; so Trismosinus did sometimes sublime common Mercury for

his Hell Fire: yet principal care must be taken, that such Menstru∣ums as these made of Mercury sublimate, be by being dulcify'd with longer than ordinary circulation, or repeated cohobations, freed from all the acidity of the Salts; but this operation being full of danger, yea contrary to the Rule of Vegetable Menstruums, which excludes every Acid whatsoever, we have therefore thought good to advise young Beginners to use crude Mercury, as safer than sublimate. Instead of these we will therefore commend the Menstruums made of crude Argent vive.