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.

The Ninth KIND. Vegetable Compounded Menstruums made of Simple Vegetable Menstruums, and Things tinging, being first fixed. (Book 9)

51. The Circulatum majus, or Metallick Acetum acerrimum of Paracelsus. Lib. 10. Arch. pag. 38.

IF common Mercury ought to be reduced into the first li∣quid Being, then is it first to be mortify'd, and deprived of its Form, and that is done by several sublimations with Vi∣triol and common Salt, that at last it may be made like sixed Cristal: Then dissolve it in its Matrix, namely, in the primum Ens of Salt, (the Circulatum minus made of Salt, or the Water of Salt circulated described above in Numb. 27.) putrify a Month; add to it new Arcanum of Salt (Circulatum minus) that the im∣pure may be precipitated to the bottom, but the pure turn'd into Cristals: sublime the same in a close Reverberatory, being sub∣limed, turn it up continually, till it comes to a redness; this sub∣limation extract with the Spirit of Wine rectifyed to the high∣est (Philosophical Wine) seperate the Spirit of Wine (by distillati∣on) the remainder (the dry Tincture or Crocus of Mercury) dissolve upon a Marble, (per deliquium) and digest for a Month, pour new Spirit of Wine to it, digest for a time, and distil; Then will the Arcanum of the primum Ens, or first being of Mercury rise over in a liquid substance, which is by the Philosophers cal∣led Metallick Acetum acerrimum, and in our Archidoxyes Circu∣latum majus: And the same is to be understood of Antimony, Gemms, and all other Metals.

Annotations.

THere is a great difference between this and the precedent Kind, though they both treat of Mercurial Waters: The antecedent were made of crude Mercury: This Circulatum of Paracelsus, is indeed made of Mercury, but first fixed: The precedent were most clear; these greater Circulatums are indeed most clear, but also most red, and so much better in their Tinctures than the precedent. The Receipt we will consider as divided into its parts, in the first of which Paracelsus sublimes Argent vive so often, till it be made like fixed Cristal, that is, like mineral or common Cristal, clear and transpa∣rent: As this part is common, so it less needs explaining. In his Book, De Renovat & Restaur. he takes only Mineral Gold or Anti∣mony for the same Work, which Bodies notwithstanding are more bound up than the open Metal, Mercury; and for this reason it may seem to be fit enough for dissolution in Circulated Salt without subli∣mation: For the illustration of the Receipt, we will add the Descri∣ption of the said Book.

Take of mineral Gold or Antimony most finely ground one Pound, of Salt Circulated four Pounds, being mixed, digest them together in Horse-Dung for a Month; from thence will spring a Water, wherefore the pure must be separated from the impure, coagulate it into a Stone, which calcine with Wine cenificated (lenificated) and separate again, and dissolve upon a Marble: Let this Water be putrified for a Month, from it will be produ∣ced a Liquor, wherein are all such Signs, as in the primum Ens of Gold or Antimony, wherefore we deservedly call it the primum Ens of those things: It is no otherwise to be understood of Mer∣cury, and other things also.

In the second part, he dissolves Mercury being so sublimed, in Salt Circulated, the primum Ens of Salt, the Arcanum of Salt, the Water of Salt Circulated, (Synonima's of Paracelsus his Circula∣tum minus) putrifies or digests, precipitates with new Circulated Salt, filters, and lastly reduceth it into Cristals, or Philosophical Vi∣triol. In the Receipt of Lib. de Renov. he adds the weights of things: Take, saith he, of mineral Gold or Antimony one Pound, of Salt Circulated four Pounds, and then digests, and separates

the impure from the pure, and coagulates into Cristals. Some∣times he dissolves Bodies by some mineral Menstruum, which he draws off two or three times from them, and sweetens them again by taking away all the acidity so far as he is able with common Water: Thus he dissolves common Sulphur in the strongest Aqua fortis (Pa∣racelsus his Aqua regis, to be described in the eighteenth Kind) co∣hobates three times into a black Matter, which he sweetens with di∣stilled Water, Libro de morte rerum.

For it is much at one, whether Gold or Antimony be dissolved by the Circulatum minus only, and reduced into a Philosophical Vi∣triol; or whether Argent vive, for the abbreviation of time, be in the sublimation of it first impregnated with the acidity of Salts, and so made more open for the Work, and then mixed with the Circulatum minus, purified by digestion and precipitation, and lastly reduced into a Philosophical Vitriol; or whether to make the time yet shorter, Sulphur be mixed with a mineral Menstruum, that is, an acid, and the Circulatum minus mixed together, and then freed from the acid, so as with the Circulatum minus to be made the same Philo∣sophical Vitriol; for which way soever Philosophical Vitriol is made, it comes to one and the same effect: but of these Vitriols hereafter in the Receipts of mineral Menstruums.

In the third part, he sublimes the Stones or Cristals of the Mercu∣ry in a close Reverberatory (that is, a Philosophical Egg) always turning it up, till the Vitriol of the Mercury is at length fixed into a most red Precipitate. This part the Sublimations of Sulphur and An∣timony in a close Reverberatory will illustrate. The strongest Aqua fortis being often drawn off from the Sulphur, the remaining matter being made thereby black, and then sweetned, he reverberates, that is, sublimes in a close Reverberatory, and being sublimed, turns up the close Reverberatory, or Philosophical Egg so oft, and continually till it comes to a redness, as Antimony, saith he, which will become first white (sublimate) then yellow, thirdly red, (precipitate) as Cinnabar; which being obtained, you ought to rejoyce, for it is the beginning of your Riches: This reverberated Sulphur gives a most deep tincture to any Luna, reducing it into most excellent Gold, and preserves a Man's Body in most perfect Health: This reverberated fixed Sulphur (observe) is of so great Virtue, as is not fitting to declare. Libro. de morte rerum. pag. 95.

The Reverberation of Antimony is in pag. 67. Chyr. majoris.

hus: Take of Antimony reduced into a most fine Alcool, (into Philosophical Vitriol with the Circulatum minus, by the way of Mercury in the Circulatum majus; or again into a black and sweet∣ned matter by the way of Sulphur,) what quantity you will, let it be reverberated in a close Reverberatory for the space of one Month (continually turning up the Reverberatory, till the matter will be no more sublimed) and it will be Volatile and Light, first White, then Yellow, then Red, lastly of a Purple or Violet Co∣lour: The Antimony being thus fixed by sublimation, he extracts the tincture, by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine, which tincture he calls the most Noble, most Precious, and only not Divine Essence of Lily.

In the fourth part he dissolves Mercury being precipitated, and ex∣tracted by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine, per deliquium, and digests with new Spirit of Philosophical Wine, and cohobates, till it ascends through the Alembick into the primum Ens or Essence of Mercury, Mercury Circulated, the Circulatum majus prepared from Mercury, &c.

In the Receipt we observe,

1. That Argent vive, Antimony, Sulphur, yea Gold, Silver, and all the other Metals, being dissolved in some simple Vegetable Men∣struum, then reverberated, or by sublimation fixed, dissolved per deliquium, and distill'd into a liquid substance, are Argent vive, An∣timony, Sulphur, Gold, Silver, &c. Circulated, or the Circulatum majus made of Mercury, Antimony, Sulphur, &c.

2. That these Menstruums are called Circulatums, because they were by the ancient Philosophers Circulated for the space of thirty or forty, sometimes sixty Days.

3. That these are called the greater Circulatums, to be distin∣guished from the less Circulatums, being less excellent, the greater having greater strength, and communicating tincture to things that are dissolved in them.

4. That these Circulatums are the first Beings, or graduated Essences of Metals and Minerals, and amongst things Volatile no∣thing can be more excellent than they, they being exalted from a fixed Essence or Astrum, into a much more Noble Essence, called an Arca∣num.

5. That these Circulatums are Medicines, or Medicinal Arca∣nums.

6. That these Circulatums ore most red. Sublime the Stones, saith Paracelsus, till they come to redness. He extracts the tin∣cture of Lily out of Antimony reverberated to a Purple or Violet Colour; but makes the Soul of Metals out of Sulphur reverberated, of which thus: What Hermes said, that the Soul alone is the means of joyning the Spirit to the Body, was not impertinently spoken: For Sulphur being that Soul, and maturing and excoct∣ing all things, as Fire, it will be also able to bind the Spirit with the Body, and incorporate and unite them together, so as from thence to produce a very Noble Body: The vulgar combusti∣ble Sulphur is not to be reputed the Soul of Metals, but the Soul is something more than a combustible and corruptible Body, and therefore: cannot be burned by any Fire, being all Fire it self, and indeed it is nothing else but the Quintessence of Sul∣phur, which is extracted out of Sulphur reverberated by the Spirit of (Philosophical) Wine, and is of a red Colour, and clear as a Ruby: Which is indeed a great and notable Arcanum to transmute white Bodies, and to coagulate running Mercury in∣to fixed and tested Gold: Accept this as commended to you to make you Rich, and you have reason to be content with this only Secret for the transmutation of Metals. Lib. 1. de gener. rerum, Nat. pag. 87. If Mercury, Antimony, and Sulphur fixed by reverberation, and the Spirit of Philosophical Wine drawn off, be red, and diaphanous as a Ruby, it follows that the same Bodies, vo∣latilized with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine, do become more red. From hence we observe, that the Menstruums of Diana are of divers Colours, sometimes white, milky and opake; sometimes most clear, sometimes again most red and most transparent; so that the Arguments of Bernhard, denying the diaphaneity of Menstruums, may be easily resolved: Where Fools, saith he, do out of the less Minerals extract corrosive Waters, into which they put any sort of Metals, and corrode them: for they think that therefore they are dissolved by a Natural solution, which solution indeed re∣quires permanence together, that is, of the dissolvent, and the dissolved, that from both, as from the Masculine and Feminine Seed a new Species may result: I tell you truly, no Water dis∣solves a Metallick Species by Natural Reduction, but that wh……

remains with it in matter and form, and which the dissolved Metals are able to recongeal; which happens not in any sort of Aqua fortis, but is rather a defiling of the Composition, that is, the Body that is to be dissolved: Nor is that Water pertinent to Bodies in solution, which remains not with them in congelati∣ons; Mercury is of this sort, and not Aqua fortis, or that which Fools esteem Mercurial Water, clear and diaphanous: For if they divide and obstruct the Homogeneity of Mercury, how will the first proportion of the Feminine Seed stand and be pre∣served? Pag. 60. Epist. ad Thomam. The Elixir and Azoth (he goes on) that is, the Vital Spirit (Spirit of Life, Philosophical Aqua vitae) and fugitive Soul (animated Spirit) are not diapha∣nous nor transparent, nor clear as the Tear of ones Eye, nor any dissolving Spirit. Pag. 94. Ejusd. Epist. Which cannot be done in a diaphanous, clear and transparent Liquor: because, if the aforesaid Elixir and Azoth, that is, Spirit and Soul had or could shew any diaphaneity, the Earth would now in proportion have dismissed the Water, and separated it self from it, whereas other∣wise it would have inspissated and coagulated the parts of it, caused an opacity in the Elixir and Azoth, and made the Me∣tallick Form to stand congelable: For in restringing fixed Me∣tallick Species, the restringer must of necessity act upon the re∣stringible, and the congealer upon the congelable, which can∣not be done in the aforesaid diaphanous and clear Water: other∣wise it is in Vegetables, in which a simple and diaphanous Water is by decoction inspissated in those Vegetables, which notwith∣standing vanisheth and evaporates at length by the Tryal of Fire, because it is not permanent and fixed in the Composition, not having an Earth Naturally Homogeneous to it in Composi∣tion with it, as Argent vive has; which Earth is indeed the cause of permanent fixion in things Homogeneous; wherefore simple Water cannot by congelation be fixed with Vegetables, as Mer∣cury with Metals: If therefore Mercury hath received diapha∣neity in the Philosophers Work, it will remain in the quality of an irrestringible substance, and will not be congealed upon La∣ton as to a Metallick Form, Species, and Proportion, which car∣ries the congelation of it self neither with it, nor in it, as Water does Earth, which Earth, as aforesaid, is indeed Mercurial, and the first cause of inspissation, coagulation, and fixation: If there∣fore

that Water remains not in Metallick Proportion, how can the like Species be produced from this Composition? They therefore, that think so to extract a clear transparent Water out of Mercury, and work many wonders by it, are in an Error; for suppose they can make such a Water, yet would it be of no advantage to the Work, nor to the Nature and Proportion of it, nor could it restore or erect a perfect Metallick Species; for so soon as Mercury is altered from its first Nature, so soon is it ex∣cluded from being an ingredient to our Philosophical Work, be∣cause it hath lost its Spermatick and Metallick Nature: By these things therefore it is known, what Truth your Opinion con∣tains, and wherein it is contrary and absurd, you asserting it to be necessary, in order to perfect the great Elixir, to have a Gum, in which are all things necessary to it, containing the four Ele∣ments, and is a most clear Water as the Tear of an Eye, made Spiritual, which causeth Gold to be a meer Spirit: For one Bo∣dy penetrates not another, but a pure Spiritual substance con∣gealed, is that which penetrates and tingeth a Body. Be it, as you say, my Honoured Doctor! that Natures are not joyn'd without a Gum, or Oyly Matter, &c.

Had Bernhard disputed only against every Mercurial Water not permanent, made diaphanous with Aqua fortis, or any other vulgar Menstruum, and not also against the most clear Mercurial Water of Thomas de Bononia, then the Arguments aforesaid had been of great strength; but now the objections against the limpidity of Menstruums as well of this as other Adepts, are of no validity. The same Earth, which being less than well dissolved, is the cause of opacity in Bern∣hard's permanent Menstruum, the very same exactly dissolved is the cause of limpidity with Thomas, inspissating and coagulating the Water, as well, if not better, than if it had been less dissolved. The diaphaneity of Menstruums is defended by Lully, Parisinus, and most of the Adepts: Lully proclaims his Coelum Vinosum to be clear, bright, and resplendent as the Stars of Heaven. In Test. novis. pag. 8. Of which very Menstruum Parisinus thus, in Appen∣dice Elucidarii, pag. 273. Vol. 6. Theat. Chym. Then will you see a Quintessence brighter and clearer than a Diamond, which exceeds the splendor of the Stars, so as to be doubted, whether it be contained in the Glass, or no.