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.

49. The Circulatum majus or Acetum acerri∣mum of Lully. In Experimento 25.

TAke the simple Vegetable Menstruum of three individuals, described before in Numb. 26.) then take Luna, calcine it with Mercury, then take principal care to remove all the Mer∣cury from the calcined Luna, and the same way calcine Sol with Mercury, then let all the Mercury be taken wholly from it: these two Bodies put into Glass Dishes each by it self apart, and to them each by it self apart pour clarifyed Honey, mixing the Calxes of the two Bodies very well with the Honey upon Ashes so as to boyl, then take the Honey from the Calxes, by washing them in hot distilled Water, and the Calxes will remain in the bottom of the Vessel, then mix the Calxes with the Honey again, boyling as before, and mixing with a Spoon as before, and thus repeat your Work three times as well in the Calx of Luna, as Sol: Then take these two Bodies being calcined and washed, and put them into a Vessel of solution severally, and pour upon them of the former coelificated Menstruum (of the three individuals) so much as will swim three Fingers above it, cover the Vessel with a blind Head, luting the Joynts well with wax gummed, that it may no way respire, set it in Balneo for a Natural Day, so as to boyl gently, then for two other Days put it upon Ashes, and let it boyl gently as before, then empty that part of Sol, which was dissolved into another Vessel by it self, which solution will be of a yellow Colour: So also take out the dissolution of Luna by it self apart, and pour it into another Vessel, each of which dissolutions keep in each Vessel as before in Balneo, but the disso∣lution of Luna will be of a Sea or Green Colour; the undissol∣ved Earth as well of Sol as Luna dry upon Ashes: Which done, pour again to each, of the new circulated Menstruums, and the Vessel being covered with a blind Head as before, set it in Bal∣neo, and make it boyl gently as before, and continue the same boyling upon Ashes, lastly decant the dissolution of each Body as before into its Vessel, wherein the other dissolutions above were kept by themselves apart: But this Magistery you must

repeat, till all the Sol, and all the Luna are dissolved; these dis∣solutions putrify by themselves apart the space of forty Days, after putrefaction put the dissolutions severally into two Urinals, with Alembicks and Receivers stopp'd, and the Joynts being well luted, distil first the whole Menstruum in Balneo, but the Bodies will remain in the form of an Oyl, then again pour upon them so much of their Water lately distill'd, as to swim three Fingers above the Matter, cover the Vessel with a blind Head, and putrify twenty four Hours, then take away the blind Head, and put on an Alembick with a Receiver, and luting the Joynts, distil with a gentle Fire in Ashes; lastly increase the Fire some∣what, that the air (the animated Spirit) may pass over into the Water, last of all likewise force it with a stronger degree of heat, till the Fire (the Soul being more viscous) ascends over into the air; the Vessels being cold, pour again the new reserved Water to the remaining Matter, the animated Spirit of each Body be∣ing first luted in its Receiver, to prevent respiring, cover the Urinal again with a H••nd Head, putrifying as before, and lastly distil in Ashes as before, last of all as before, increase the Fire; thus repeat the Magistery, till both the Bodies of Sol and Luna are by an airy revolution transmitted severally through the Alembick: But if these Bodies will not entirely come over by distillation (a little indeed will remain, which keep for the rest of the Experiments) then take the animated Spirit of Sol, recti∣fy it oftentimes by it self in Ashes, but be sure not to take away any of the Terrestreities, which will every rectification remain in the bottom of the Vessel, but rather pour back the distilled Water always to the same Faeces, till you have performed the Work seven times compleat: And observe the same order in recti∣fying the Water of animated Luna reserved before. This done, joyn these two Waters together, which Conjunction is called the Conjunction of Father and Mother, Male and Female, Man and Woman: And thus will you have the Menstruum majus, the Ani∣mal, Vegetable, and Mineral, being joyned together, and these three reduced into one substance you must circulate sixty Days in a Vessel so luted, as not to respire; Circulation being com∣pleated, you will have the Menstruum majus brought to action, the power of which is so great, as not to be related: This there∣fore is that admirable Menstruum which dissolves all Bodies, with

the preservation of their vegetative and transmutative Form: This, I say, is that Menstruum containing in it such odour and fragrancy, that nothing can be compared to it: This lastly is the resoluble Menstruum, which is by the Wise call'd by almost innumerable Names, the Acetum acerrimum, which converts Gold into a Spirit: This is the Aqua Sicca, Aqua Solis, and Aqua Vitoe; Parisinus made this Menstruum, (which he otherwise calls the greater Mercury, or compounded Menstruum) by this method.