To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
1. That the Menstruums of this kind, being made of the very matter of Philosophical Wine, or Philosophical Grapes, are the first of all other Menstruums, either Mineral or Vegetable.
2. That the milky Liquor or Spirit, Virgins Milk, white Mercury, the White Wine of Lully, and the Glew of the Green Lyon, called by Paracelsus the Glew of the Eagle, are terms
synonymous; and that the Red Liquor, Blood of the Green Lyon, Red Mercury, the Philosophers Sulphur, and the Red Wine of Lully, otherwise by Paracelsus, the Blood of the Red Lyon, are likewise Synonyma's.
3. That the acid Mineral Menstruums, are by digestion or fur∣ther elaboration, transmuted either into a simple Vegetable Men∣struum, or into the Heaven or Spirit of Philosophical Wine.
4. That these acid Menstruums are to be distilled with very great caution, by reason of the excessive effervescence of the Azoque∣an Vitriol, or rather Spirit of Philosophical Wine, which is in this Vitriol caused by the Acids.
5. That Mineral Menstruums are the Heaven, or Essence of Philosophical Wine dissolved in an Acid, so that having acquired this Spirit, you may make them ex tempore by simple dissolution.
6. That the Menstruums even now prepared, are presently to be used, lest they perish.
7. That Menstruums are by dissolving Bodies coagulated.
8. That Metallick Bodies are by these Menstruums reduced in∣to running Mercury.
9. That these are called Stinking Menstruums, because of their stinking smell. By the smell alone we easily distinguish these from those fragrant Menstruums called Vegetable. Thus the unsavoury smell of the Menstruum it self proves that Morienus used the Stinking Menstruum. What is the smell of it, saith King Calid, by way of Question, before and after the making of it? Morienus answereth, Before it is made, the sent of it is strong and unsa∣voury; but after the preparation of it, it has a good sent, ac∣cording to that which the wise man saith: This Water resem∣bles the unpleasant smell of a Body dead, and void of life; for the smell of it is ill, and not unlike to the smell of Graves: He that can whiten the Soul, and cause it to ascend again, and keep the Body well, and take away all obscurity from it, and extract the ill savour out of it, will be able to infuse it into the Body, and in the hour of conjunction exceeding Miracles will appear, Morien. de Trans. Metal. p. 33. Geber also acknowledgeth himself to have operated with a mineral Menstruum, Cap. 25. Sum∣moe perfect. The first natural Principles, saith he, out of which Metals are procreated, are the Stinking Spirit, that is, Sulphur, and Water Vive, which also we allow to be called dry Water.
And in another Place at the end of his Book de Investigat. he goes on; We do by plain and open proof conclude our Stone to be nothing else but a Stinking Spirit, and living Water, which we also call dry Water, being cleansed by natural decoction and true proportion with such an Union, that nothing can be ad∣ded or taken from it, to which a third thing ought to be added for the abbreviation of the Work, that is, a perfect Body attenuated.
10. That Adrop, the Name of the Matter of these Menstruums, signifies the Philosophers Saturn, or Lead. The first Matter of this leprous Body, saith Ripley, is a viscous Water inspissated in the Bowels of the Earth. The great Elixir for the Red and for the White, saith Vincentius, is made of this Body, whose Name is Adrop, otherwise called Philosophical Lead, pag. 132. Medul. Phil. Chym.
Our Stone, saith Arnold, in Speculo Alchym. is called Adrop, which is in Latine Saturnus, in English Lead, and according to the Trojans Dragon or Topum, that is, Poyson, Septima Dispos. Speculi, pag. 596. Vol. 4. Theatr. Chym. I have shewed that the Philosophers gave it divers Names, because of the diversity of Colours; but as to their Intention, they had one peculiar Name, that is, Roman Gold, or Adrop, or Stone above all the Stones of this world, Quarta dispositio Speculi, pag. 594. of the same Vo∣lume. Laton and Azoth are together, and never asunder, but remain always joyned together, but because of the diversity of Colours, the Philosophers call'd them by many Names; and as the Colours are varied and changed, they imposed so many Names; because Azoth among the Indians is Gold; among the Hermians Silver; among the Alexandrians and Macedonians Iron; with the Greeks Mercury; with the Hebrews Tin; with the Tartars Brass; with the Arabians Saturn; and among the Latines, and especially among the Romans Ognividon, (by an Anagram Dono G vini, G signifying Philosophical Mercury, or Sulphur aqueum;) But that none may err, I say it hath one proper Name, and is commonly called by men; and every one knows the Stone, Tertia dispos. Specul. p. 593. of the same Vo∣lume.
Some of the Adepts write not Adrop, but Atrop; by which Name they have been pleas'd to signifie the Matter of these Men∣struums to be as it were the Gate of all the most secret Chymy:
for Atrop, by the inversion of the Letters is read Porta, a Gate: Thus Robertus Valensis in Gloria Mundi, pag. 305. That you may attain (saith he) to the true foundation, I will once again repeat it to you, and call it the first Hyle, that is, the beginning of all things; it is also called the only Holy; appre∣hend what Elements are in it by those which are repugnant; the Stone of the Philosophers, of the Sun, of Metals, the fugi∣tive Servant, the airy Stone, the Thernian Stone, Magnesia, or the corporal Stone, Marcasite, the Stone of Sal Gemmoe, the Stone of Children, the golden Stone, the Original of worldly things, Xelis, also by inversion Silex, a Flint, Xidar, by the same inversion Radix, Atrop, by inversion, Porta, a Gate; and it hath also as many other Names, yet is but one only thing.
To Robertus Lully seems to incline, who has been pleased to call every alteration of the Azoquean Vitriol, or Matter of the Men∣struums of this Kind, the first Porta or Gate of the Work; thus he call'd the dissolution of the Matter the first Gate. In our whole Magistery, saith he, there are three principal Spirits necessary, which cannot without the consummation of their resolution be manifested, and they are otherwise called, three Argent vives. And because Resolution is so often used for the First Gate of our Magistery which we will declare; the said Reso∣lution is divided into three principal parts: The first is Corpo∣ral, and is called in the Latine Tongue Recfage (that is, Ana∣grammatically sacere G; but by G, he means Sulphur aqueum, Cap. 5. The. Test. pag. 115. Vol. 4. Theat. Chym. or our Mercury, Cap. 20. Pract. Test. pag. 170. of the same Volume.) The second is spiritual, and called Agazoph. The third is spiritual and cor∣poral, and called Ʋbridrugat. &c.
When the Matter in the Resolution of it appears black, this Black∣ness (for which some have call'd it Lead) he would have to be a sign of the first Gate. In the first Resolution, saith he, lies all the danger, and therefore I give you notice, that you must have the Sulphurs of simple Argent vives destroyed by heat, in such manner and form, as that their active property may not be expelled by extraneous heat, and that it may not be sepa∣rated from its moist Subject, which appears wholly black, full of a noble Spirit: That Blackness demonstrates the sign of the first Gate leading into our Magistery, and without it can no∣thing
be done, because it is the Fire of Nature, which is to create the Stone, and which cannot be manifested without the corruption of its Body, Cap. 28. Theor. Test. pag. 51. Vol. 4. Th. Chym.
Lastly, He calls the Destillation of this Matter the first Gate also. The way of preparing the Stony, and fermentable Spi∣rit is, to take the Juice of Lunary, and extract the sweat of it with a small and gentle fire, and you will have in your power one of our Argent vives in Liquor, in the form of a white water, which is the ablution and purgation of our Stone, and its whole Nature: And that is one of the most principal Secrets, and is the first Gate, as you may understand by the Reasons aforesaid, &c. Cap. 9. Theor. Test. pag. 21. of the same Volume,
Being perswaded by these and the like Quotations, I may affirm, that Atrop is to be written rather than Adrop, because besides the Blackness or Philosophical Lead, Atrop signifies the beginning or first Gate of the Work.
11. That in the Adeptical Chymy are many Green Lyons, to be necessarily distinguished one from another.
By the first the Adepts meant the Coelestial Sun, governing the whole World.
The second is Argent vive, more common to us than common Ar∣gent vive.
The third is called Argent vive dissolved into a Green Colour.
The fourth is Adrop, Azoquean Vitriol, Philosophers Lead, &c.
A fifth is the Stinking Menstruum, otherwise called the Blood of the Green Lyon.
A sixth is the Green Lyon of Fools, Roman Vitriol, Verdi∣greece, &c.
The seventh is extraordinary, namely, common Mercury sublimed.
12. That there are also many Saturns.
The first is common Lead, the impurest of Metals, and consequently the most remote of all in our Art; which to prove by the Sentiments of the Adepts is a thing superfluous, finding almost every where amongst the Adepts a solemn caution for us to beware of this devour∣er of Metals and Minerals, Saturn. Have a care, saith Ripley, (to bring one Witness for all) of operating with Saturn, because it is commonly said, Eat not of the Son, whose Mother is defiled, and believe me, many Men err in Saturn. Hear what Avicenne
saith, Saturn will be always Saturn, yea operate not with the Earth of (Philosophical) Saturn, which the Spirit of it has despised, and left for the worst Sulphur, &c. Cap. 2. Philorcii. pag. 188.
The second is Adrop, or Azoquean Vitriol, whereof before.
A third is the first Colour or blackness of the first Work; of which lower.
The fourth is Copper, the first of Metals; of which Arnold in Spe∣culo Alchym. disp. 8. Pag. 605. Volum. 4. Theat. Chym. thus: There were, saith he, Philosophers that placed our Science in the seven Planets; and our first Planet is called Venus, the second Saturn, the third Mercury, the fourth Mars, the fifth Jupiter, the sixth Luna, the seventh Sol: The Generation of Copper hath the first place after (the universal) Mercury, saith Basilius, Libro de rebus nat. & supernat. Cap. 4. Of all those things, saith Paracel∣sus, which proceed from Salts, there is none more nearly allyed to the Mineral Virtue, than Vitriol; the reason is, because Salts are Minerals, and all Minerals lie in one Mass and Ares. Now Vitriol in the separation of Minerals, is the last thing, to which is immediately subsequent the generation of Metals, whereof Venus is the first, Lib. 4. Philos. de Element Aquoe, pag. 279. And a little after he saith, The Marcasites and Cachymys being thus separated from the first Matter of Metals, then fol∣lows the first Generation, which is of Venus, &c. Besides, by the separation, whereby the nature of the Marcasites and Ca∣chymys are expelled, the generations of Copper do immediately concur, imprint themselves, and are coagulated together, be∣cause it is the first Metal after the separation of the Marcasites and Cachymys. in the same Book, pag. 281.
The Vitriol of Venus being the first of all things added or joyned to the Vegetable Mercury in the making of Adrop, is called by Lully the first Male. This Fire, saith he, is that Property of the Mercury, which you must endeavour to preserve from burn∣ing, being the Tincture of Vitriol, with which (the Vegetable) Mercury ought to be sublimed, because it is the first Male of it, and is the augmentation of our Tincture, which is a great addi∣tion in virtue and power, when it is joyned with the Tincture of Sol; for if you know how to extract the Property of Mer∣cury from Vitriol and Salt, and make them friendly by con∣junction, which is done by gentle sublimations, you will know
one of the greatest Secrets of Nature, and the true principal perfection. Codicil. cap. 92. pag. 202. So in many places of his The∣oriae Testamenti majoris, he means Vitriol by his Male; in these especially: The Fire of our Male, pag. 50. The Virtue of the Male, pag. 94. The Virtue of the Sperm of the Male, pag. 108. The Heat of the Male, pag. 72. The Female (Venus) is in this case the Male, and is not so hot as the true (second) Male, Gold, Pag. 73. Vol. 4. Theat. Chym. This Male also Espanietus men∣tioneth in the making of his Menstruum. Take, saith he, the winged Virgin compleatly washed and cleansed, impregnated with the spiritual Seed of the first Male, &c. Sect. 58. Arcani Hermet. Phil.
Paracelsus, the better to express the Masculine Nature of Ve∣nus, calls it Metallus, a Noun of the Masculine Gender, as Me∣tallus primus. Take, saith he, the Coralline Liquor, I mean that which is very diaphanous, to which add a fifth part of the Vitriol of Venus, digest them in Balneo for a month; for by this means the Wine of the first Metal separates it self aloft, but the feculent part of (this) Wine, the Vitriol of Venus re∣tains (he means the residue left in the extraction of Vitriol) and so that first Metal (Metallus primus) is made a perspicuous, di∣aphanous, and truly red Wine, &c. Cap. 12. Lib. 3. De Vita longa, Pag. 65. As the Adepts call'd Venus the first Metal (Me∣tallus primus) in the Masculine Gender, so also they changed Sa∣turnus (Saturn) a Noun of the Masculine Gender, into Saturna, a Noun of the Feminine Gender, to signifie not common Lead, but Venus, being a Feminine Noun, of Copper. I have, saith Ripley, a dear and beloved Daughter, named Saturna, from which Daughter are both the white and red Elixirs assuredly procrea∣ted; if therefore you desire this Science, you must extract a clear water from her, &c.
Sometimes to describe by Saturn, not only Venus, but also the Philosophical preparation of Copper (that is, to be performed by a Vegetable Menstruum) they made it a Vegetable or Herb, that so they might distinguish that which was, from that which was not prepared; Thus Flamel in his Summary: Some unskilful men, and unlearnest Chymists take common Gold, Silver, and Mer∣cury, and handle them so ill, till they vanish away by fume, and thereby endeavour to make the Philosophers Mercury; but
they do not attain to that, which is the first Matter and true Myne of the Stone: But if they would attain to that, and reap any good, they must betake themselves to the seventh Moun∣tain, where there is no Plain, and from the top downward be∣hold the other six, which they will see at great distance. At the top of this Mountain you will find a triumphant Royal Herb, which some Philosophers call a Mineral, some a Vege∣table, and if pure and clean Broth be made thereof, the better part of the work will be hereby accomplished, and this right and subtil Philosophical Mercury must you take. This Place is thus read in Chortalassaeus, pag. 313. Vol. 6. Theat. Chym. Ascend therefore the Mountain, that you may see the Vegetable, Sa∣turnine, Plumbeous and Royal, likewise also Mineral Root, or Herb, take only the Juice of it, and throw away the Husks.