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.

OF Mineral MENSTRUUMS. The Thirteenth KIND. Simple Mineral Menstruums made of the Matter of Philosophical Wine only. (Book 13)

59. The Green Lyon of Ripley. Libro Accurt. Pag. 383.

TAke the Green Lyon without dissolution in Vinegar (as sometime the Custom is) put it in a large Earthen Re∣tort, which can endure the Fire, and distil it the same way as you distil Aqua fortis, putting a Receiver under it, and luting the Joynts well, that it may not respire; then distil first with a gentle Fire, till you see white fumes appear, then change the Receiver, stopping it well, and distil with a great Fire so, as Aqua fortis is distilled, thus continuing twenty four Hours, and if you continue the Fire the space of eight Days, you will see the Receiver always full of white fumes, and so you will have the Blood of the Green Lyon, which we call Secret Water, and Ace∣tum acerrimum, by which all Bodies are reduced to their first Matter, and the Body of Man preserved from all infirmities. This is our Fire, burning continually in one Form within the Glass Vessel, and not without: Our Dunghill, our Aqua Vitoe, our Balneo, our Vindemia, our Horse-Belly, which effects wonder∣ful things in the Works of Nature, and is the Examen of all Bo∣dies dissolved, and not dissolved; and is a sharp Water, carrying Fire in its Belly, as a Fiery Water, for otherwise it would not

have the power of dissolving Bodies into their first Matter. Be∣hold! this is our Mercury, our Sol and Luna, which we use in our Work. Then will you find in the bottom of the Vessel Fae∣ces black as Coals, which you must for the space of eight Days calcine with a gentle Fire, &c.

Annotations.

HItherto we have mix'd or tempered the unctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine with things Oyly, Dry-oyly, Oyly-dry, and purely Dry, and reduced them to divers Kinds of Vege∣table Menstruums; in which we have exhibited Menstruums every way absolute and perfect, in Smell, Taste, and Colour incomparable, dissolving without hissing or effervescence, and permanent with things dissolved: Now follow in order, those which are called Mineral Men∣struums, which though they be of a stinking Smell, of an acid or cor∣rosive Taste, and for the most part of a milky and opake Colour; and dissolve Bodies with very great violence and corrosion, yet neverthe∣less having the same Spirit of Philosophical Wine, as the Vegetable Menstruums for their Foundation, are therefore as permanent as they, yea better than they as to the abbreviation of time; for the acidity of Mineral Salts (for which corrosive or acid Menstruums are cal∣led Minera) lcannot destroy the Nature of the Spirit of Wine, nor the Nature of the Vegetable Menstruum, but by corroding makes the particles of dry Bodies more apt to unite themselves with the Oyly Spirit of Philosophical Wine; but if that acidity be taken away, it becomes that which it was before, namely, either the Spirit of Philo∣sophical Wine, or a Vegetable Menstruum.

The method which we used in the Vegetable Menstruums, we will as near as we can observe also in these Mineral Menstruums: In the Vegetable we extracted from the Philosophical Wine an Aqua ar∣dens, from which we did by Circulation separate an Oyl or Essence of Wine, which is our Spirit of Wine, which then by acuating divers ways we reduced into the precedent Kinds of Vegetable Menstruums; but in the Mineral we will begin with Philosophical Grapes, the Matter it self of Philosophical Wine, which is elsewhere called Green Lyon, Adrop, &c. Though the Discourse of this Matter appertains not to this place, yet if any thing presents it self to us either in the

Receipts themselves, or elsewhere, which may tend to a more clear manifestation of it, we will not conceal it; but on the contrary have de∣termined to illustrate and explain things so, as not only to make you more assured of the use and necessity of this Spirit promised to you, but moreover also, that you may have some certain notions beforehand of its Conception, Substance, Nativity, &c.

For the elucidation of this Receipt, we will propound some other Receipts of the same Matter, that being compared together, they may be made the plainer: In the first place we will propose a Menstruum made indeed not of the Green Lyon it self, but of the Green Lyon dissolved with an acid, and reduced into a certain Gum.

60. A Menstruum made of the Gum Adrop of Ripley. Libro accurtationum, Pag. 381.

TAke Adrop, that is, the Green Lyon, which we spoke of before, and dissolve it in distilled Vinegar for the space of seven Days, shaking well the Vessel which the Matter is in, three times dayly, then empty the dissolved Liquor, and distil through a Filtre three times from its Faeces, till it be clear as Cristal, and evaporate the Vinegar with a gentle Fire, till it be thick as Bird-Lime, which you cannot stir by reason of its Vis∣cosity, and being cold, take it out of the Vessel, and keep it; and again make more of it, and this do, till you have twelve Pounds of this Green Lyon or Adrop reduced to the Form of a Gum, then have you the Earth extracted from the Earth, and the Brother of the Earth. Then take a Pound of that Gum, and put it in a Glass Vessel of the bigness of a Bottle, well lu∣ring the Joynts of the Alembick with Glew made of the white of Eggs and Filings well mix'd together.

This Receipt in the Treatise of the Philosophical Adrop (which is in the sixth Volume of Theatrum Chymicum, and inscribed to an anonimous Disciple of the great Guido de monte, but differs not from the Books of Ripley, namely, the present de Accurtationibus, and the Clavisaureae portae, the greatest part of which is ascribed to the Famous Dunstun, Archbishop of Canterbury) is altogether the same as to the Sense, though these Words run better in the Translation

thus: Now take three Pounds of the aforesaid Gum, put it into a Distillatory able to hold about two Measures, and putting on an Alembick, lute the Joynts with luting made of Ale, the white of an Egg, and Wheat-Flower, Pag. 552. Volum. 6. Theat. Chym. Which is confirmed with the Process or Receipt of the Cla∣vis aureae portae, were thus: Put three Pounds of this Milk (thick∣ned or Gumn'd) into a Glass Pag. 257. Clavis aureoe portoe: and di∣stil in a Sand Furnace, and let the Sand be the thickness of two Fingers under the Vessel, and so round about even to the middle of the Vessel, or till the Matter be covered: put a Receiver to it, making at first a gentle Fire, but not luting the Receiver, till the Phlegm be gone over, and this continue, till you see fumes appear in the Receiver white as Milk; then increasing the Fire change the Receiver, stopping it well, that it may not evaporate, and so continually angment the Fire, and you will have an Oyl most red as Blood, which is airy Gold, the Menstruum foetens, the Philosophers Sol, our Tincture Aqua ardens, the Blood of the Green Lyon, our unctious Humor, which is the last consolation of Man's Body in this Life, the Philosophers Mercury, Aqua soluti∣va, which dissolves Gold with the preservation of its Species, and it hath a great many other Names: And when first the white fumes appear, continue your Fire twelve Hours, in which space if the Fire be strong, will all the Oyl be distilled, which keep well stopp'd to prevent respiring.

This Menstruum differs from the precedent, for asmuch as in this, the Green Lyon is dissolved in Vinegar, but in that, it is all distilled alive, but they are both clearly enough described in themselves; yet the Matter of the Menstruum remaining more obscure, and less in∣telligible to the Reader, we have found out four Reasons in Ripley, why it is called Green Lyon.

First, saith he, by Green Lyon, the Philosophers means the Sun, which by its attractive Virtue makes things Green, and go∣verns the whole World. Tract. de. Adrop. Phil. Pag. 547. Vo∣lum. sexti Theat. Chym. and else where: The Green Lyon is that, by which all things became Green, and grow out of the Bowels of the Earth by its attractive Virtue, elevated out of the Winter Caverns, whose Son is most acceptable to us, and sufficient for all the Elixirs, which are to be made of it; for from it may be had the power of the white and red Sulphur not burning, which

is the best thing, saith Avicenne, that Alchymists can take, there∣by to make Gold and Silver. But these Words may suffice a Wise Man to know and obtain the Green Lyon. Medulla Phil. Pag. 139.

Secondly, It is moreover also called Green, because that Mat∣ter is as yet sharp and unripe, that is, not yet fixed or perfected by Nature, as common Gold. The Philosophers Green Lyon therefore is green Gold, Gold vive, which is not as yet fixed, but left imperfect by Nature, and for this reason hath it the Virtue of reducing all Bodies into their first Matter, and ma∣king those Bodies which are fixed Spiritual and Volatile. Tract. de Adrop. Pag. 547.

Thirdly, It may also be called Lyon, because as all other Ani∣mals give place to a Lyon, so all Bodies yield to the power of Gold vive, which is our Mercury. Tract. Adrop. Pag. 548.

Fourthly, This Noble Infant is called Green Lyon, because when it is dissolved, it is cloathed with a Green Garment. Yet out of the Green Lyon of Fools (Vitriol) is with a violent Fire ex∣tracted that which we call Aqua fortis, in which the said Lyon ought to be elixirated. Medulla Philos. Pag. 139.

These things spoken of the Green Lyon, are also to be understood of Adrop, being a Synonymous term of the same Matter: Take, saith Ripley, Adrop, that is, the Green Lyon. Now as to Adrop he declared as followeth: Adrop, saith he, is Gold and Silver in power but not in sight, as Rhasis saith, and our Gold and Silver, according to the Philosophers, is not common Gold and Silver, for our Gold and Silver are airy, which in order to be well fer∣mented, ought to be joyned with the beloved (common Gold,) Forasmuch as the Philosopher saith, That Adrop in its prosun∣dity is airy Gold, and Adrop it self is called Leprous Gold. And to these Sayings seems to assent Guido, the Greek Philosopher, speaking of the Mercurial or Menstrual Spirit (the Spirit or Blood of the Green Lyon) which is extracted out of the Natural Adrop by Art, where he writes: And that Spirit is Sol extracted out of the Philosophers Solary Water, Arsenick, and Luna: And in the same place presently adds; The Body is the ferment of the Spirit, and the Spirit the ferment of the Body, and the Earth, wherein lies the Fire, dries, imbibes, and fixeth the Water; and the Air, wherein lies the Water, (the Air which lies in the Water,

it ought to be read according to the Doctrine of separating the Ele∣ments) washeth, tingeth, and perfecteth the Earth and Fire; and so Guido's Saying, that they tinge and perfect, ought to be un∣derstood, that the Stone (the Menstruum drawn from Adrop, or the Green Lyon) is sufficient for the compleating of it self into an Elixir, and that no Exotick or Heterogeneous Matter, as he affirms, is or ought to be introduced to it, but all the parts of it are co-essential and concrete, because the Philosophers meaning was to compleat that work in a short space above the Earth, which Nature scarce perfecteth in a thousand Years under the Earth: Unskilfully therefore according to the Opinion of the Philosophers, as Guido saith, do they proceed, that seek to obtain a ferment from common Silver and Gold for our select Body: For that Matter, in which is Argent vive clean and pure, not (most, is ill read) throughly brought to perfection by Nature, is, as Guido affirms, after compleat purification, a thousand times better than the Bodies of Sol and Luna vulgarly decocted by the Natural heat of the Sun. Concord. Lully & Guidon. Pag. 323. A certain Philosopher saith, He goes on Discoursing of the same A∣drop; A fume (white) is drawn from its own Mines, which if rightly gathered, and again sprinkled upon its own Mines, will there make a fixation, and so the true Elixir will in a short space of time be produced from it: And certainly without those Liquors or Spirits, that is, the Water and Oyl of Mercury (Men∣struum) this Alchymical Body which is Neutral or Adrop, is not purged: And that is the Alchymical Body, which is called Le∣prous Body, that is, black (at the beginning of the Work) in which, as saith Vincentius in his Speculum Naturale, are Gold and Silver in power, and not in aspect; which in the Bowels of it is also airy Gold, to which no Man can attain, except the unclean Bo∣dy be first cleansed, which is without doubt after its compleat dealbation, and then it is a thousand times better than are the Bodies of common Gold and Silver decocted by Natural heat: The first Matter of this Leprous Body is a viscous Water inspissa∣ted in the Bowels of the Earth: Of this Body, according to the Judgment of Vincentius, is made the great Elixir for the red and white, the Name whereof is Adrop, otherwise called the Philosophers black Lead, out which Raymund commands us to extract an Oyl of a Golden Colour, or such like: Raymund adds,

But this Oyl is not necessary in the Vegetable Work (namely, for the inceration of the Vegetable Stone) because solutions and co∣agulations are there soon made; and if you can separate it from its Phlegm, and after that ingeniously find out the Secrets of it, you will in thirty Days be able to perfect the Philosophers Stone: For this Oyl makes Medecines (Tinctures) penetrable, sociable, and amicable to all Bodies, and in the World there is not a great∣er Secret. Medul. Phil. Chym. pag. 131.

Ripley hath here recited various Synonima's of this Adrop: We for a time will follow the Green Lyon by the way of Philosophical Lead, as we are directed by Ripley in these very Words: First, un∣derstand, when Avecenn saith, that Gold and Silver are in Lead by Power, and not by sight, and they are left by Nature crude and half cocted, and therefore that ought to be perfectly supplyed by Art, which is left imperfect by Nature, and by way of a fer∣ment digesting and cocting that which is left crude: For a fer∣ment therefore take perfect Gold, for a little (paululum, not paula∣tim) of their fixed substance (those fixed Bodies) will draw and convert much of Bodies not fixed to the perfection of Gold and Silver. And thus will Art help Nature, that in a little space of time that may be done above the Earth, which is not in a thou∣sand Years done under the Earth: And by this means you will understand, how Lead contains in it the greatest Secrets of this Art: For it hath in it Argent vive, clean, pure, odoriferous, not brought by Nature to perfection: And this Argent vive is the Basis and Ground-Work of our pretious Medicine, as well for Metallick as Humane Bodies, so as to be the Elixir of Life, cu∣ring all infirmities: Which the Philosopher meant, saying, There is in Mercury whatsoever Wise Men seek: From this are the Soul, Body, Spirit, and Tincture drawn: Moreover also in this Mercury is the Philosophers Fire, always burning equally with∣in the Vessel, and not without: It hath also a great attractive Virtue and Power in dissolving Sol and Luna, and reducing the same into their first Matter: With this Mercury are to be dis∣solved the Calxes of the perfect Bodies in congealing the afore∣said Mercurial Spirit, &c. Pupilla, Pag. 295. But have a care that you operate not with (common) Saturn, because commonly it is said, Eat not of the Son, whose Mother is corrupted, and believe, that many Men err in Saturn. Hear what Avicenn saith,

Saturn will be always Saturn; yea operate not with the Earth of (Philosoph.) Saturn, which the Spirit of it has despised, and relinquished for the worst Sulphur: Operate only with the fume of it to congeal Mercury, yet not as Fools, but as the Philoso∣phers do, and you will have a very good Work. Phil. Cap. 2. Pag. 188. The whole composition we call our Lead; the qua∣lity of the splendor proceeds from Sol and Luna, and in short, these are our Menstruums wherewith we calcine perfect Bodies naturally, but no unclean Body is an Ingredient, one excepted, which is by the Philosophers commonly called Green Lyon, which is the means of joyning the Tinctures between Sol and Luna with perfection, as Geber himself attesteth, Libro. 42. por∣tar. Pag. 12. To manifest this thing to you, you must know, that it is one of those, which are of the seven Days (Planets) and the meanest of the same, out of whose Body is artificially ex∣tracted Blood, and a vaporous Humor, which is called the Blood of the Green Lyon, from which is produced a Water, called White of an Egg, and Aqua Vitoe, May-Dew, and by many other Names, which to avoid prolixity, we now omit. Phil. Cap. 3. Pag. 190.

The method of extracting the Blood of the Green Lyon out of cal∣cined Lead, or Philosophical Minium is this that followeth.

61. A Menstruum made of the red Lead of Ripley. In pupilla Alchym. pag. 303.

TAke of Lead calcined or rubifyed, or the best Minium, that is, Mineral Antimony, prepared, what quantity you please, yet with this consideration, that you must have so many quarts of distill'd Vinegar, as you have pounds of the aforesaid calcined Lead: To this Vinegar pour the aforesaid Lead in a large Earth∣en Vessel well glazed, then for the space of three Days stir the Matter strongly with a Wooden Spatula six or seven times a Day, cover it well from Dust, and let it not be put to the Fire by any means during all this time, after which separate all that is clear and cristalline by a Filtre into another Vessel, then put it into a Brass Skillet to a gentle Fire, that all the Phlegmatick

Water may evaporate, till a very thick Oyl is left in the bottom of the Vessel, which suffer to cool; which being done, the Matter will become like Gum, so as to be cut with a Knife, hereof put four Pounds into a Glass Cucurbit with an Alembick, the Joynt being well luted with a Paste made of the Scales of Iron, Flower, and the whites of Eggs well beaten together: put the Vessel in a Furnace of Sand, and not in Ashes, and let the Vessel be buried in the Sand even to the middle of it, and let the Sand be two Fingers thick under the bottom of the Vessel; then put a Receiver to it, but not luted, till you have drawn out all the Phlegmatick Water with a most gentle Fire, which Wa∣ter throw away: When you see a white fume appear, then lute the Receiver, which must be two foot long; which being drawn out, strengthen the Fire as much as you can, and continue it till you have distilled all that can be extracted in twelve Hours, and so will you have the Blood of the Red Lyon, most red as Blood, which is our Mercury, and our Tincture now prepared, to be poured upon its ferment, that is, upon the Calxes of most pure Gold, &c. But if you would use it for the white Work, you must distil your Mercury three times with a slow Fire, always reserving the Faeces apart in every distillation, and then will you have your Mercury most white as Milk: And this is our Vir∣gins Milk, whitened Menstruum, and our Argent vive Philosophi∣cally exuberated; with which by Circulation make an Oyl out of the Calxes of Luna, and proceed in all things, as you did with the red Mercury upon the Calxes of Gold, and you will have a white Elixir, which will convert any Metal into perfect Luna: But the Golden Oyl ought to be perfected and tempered, and well united with artifical Balsom, by the way of Circulation, till out of them is made a most clear and resplendent Golden Liquor, which is the true Aurum potabile, and Elixir of Life more pretious for Mens Bodies, then any other Medicine of the World.

The like Menstruum Ripley hath in his Medulla Philosophiae Chymicae.

62. The Simple stinking Menstruum of Ripley. Medulla Phil. Chym. pag. 170.

TAke the sharpest Juice of Grapes, and being distilled, dissolve into a clear Cristalline Water, the Body being well Calcined to a Redness, which is by the Philosophers called Sericon; of which make a Gum, which is like Allum in taste, and is by Raymund called Azoquean Vitriol. Out of this Gum with a slow Fire is drawn first a weak Water, which hath its taste no sharpness, no more than Spring-water: And when a white Fume begins to appear, then change the Receiver, and Lute strongly, that it may no way expire; and so you will have your Aqua ardens, Aqua vitoe, and a resolvitive Menstruum, which before was resolvible: This is the Potential Vapour, a∣ble to dissolve, putrifie, and also purifie Bodies, divide the Ele∣ments,, and by its attractive Virtue exalt its own Earth into a wonderful Salt: And they that think there is any other Water, besides this which we speak of, are mistaken in this Work: this Water hath a most sharp taste, and partly also a stinking smell, and therefore is called stinking Menstruum; and it being a very Airy Water, it therefore ought to be put upon its Calxes in less then an Hour after it is distilled or rectified; but when it is poured upon the aforesaid Calxes, it begins to boyl up, and then if the Vessel be well stopp'd it will not leave working, though no Fire be administred to it from without, till it be dryed up in the Calx; wherefore you must apply no greater quantity of it than scarce to cover the Calxes, then proceed to the full compleating of it, as in the work of the compounded Water. And when the Elixir is reduced to a purple Colour, let it be dissolved in the same Menstruum, being first rectified in∣to a thin Oyl, upon which fix the Spirit of our Water by Cir∣culation, and then hath it the Power of converting all Bodies into most pure Gold, and to heal all Infirmities of man's Body, more than all the Potions of Hippocrates and Galen, for this is the true Aurum Potabile, and no other, which is made of Artificial Gold Elemented, turned about by the Wheel of Philosophy, &c▪

The same Menstruum is had in the Vade Mecum of Ripley.

63. The Menstruum of Sericon of Ripley. In Vade Mecum, commonly called the Bosom-Book.

TAke of Sericon or Antimony thirty Pounds, out of which you will have twenty Pounds or thereabout of Gum, if the Vinegar be good; dissolve each pound of that Sericon in two measures (a Gallon) of Vinegar twice distilled, and having stood a little while in digestion, stir the matter often every day, the oftner the better, with a clean stick, filtre the Liquor three times, throw away the Faeces, to be taken away as superfluous, being no Ingredient to the Magistery, for it is the damned Earth: Then evaporate the filtred Liquors in Balneo Marioe with a temperate heat, and our Sericon will be coagulated into a Green Gum, call'd our Green Lyon, dry that Gum well, yet with care, lest you burn the Flowers, or destroy the Greens of it: Then take the said Gum, put it in a strong Glass Retort well luted, and with a moderate Fire distil a weak Water to be cast away: But when first you perceive a white fume ascending, put to it a Glass Receiver large, and of sufficient capacity, whose Mouth is exactly joyned to the Neck of the Retort, which must be very well luted, lest any of the fume be lost or evaporate out of the Receiver: Then increase the Fire by degrees, till a red fume as∣cends, and continue a stronger Fire, till bloody drops come, or no more fume appears: Then abate the Fire by degrees, and all being cold, take away the Receiver, and forthwith stop it, that the Spirits may not exhale, because this Liquor is called our blessed Liquor, to be kept in a Glass Vessel very close stop∣ped: Then examine the Neck of the Retort, where you will find a white and hard Ice, in the form of a congealed Vapour, or Mercury sublimate, which gather carefully, and keep, be∣cause it contains great Secrets, of which lower: Then take the Faeces out of the Retort, being black as Soot, which are called our Dragon, whereof calcine one Pound, or more, if you please, in a Potters, Glass-makers, or Philosophical Furnace, into a white Snowy Calx, which keep pure by it self, it being called the Basis and Foundation of the Work, Mars, our white fixed Earth, or Philosophers Iron: Now take the residue of the

Faeces, or black Dragon, and sift it on a Marble, or any other Stone, and at one of the ends light it with a live Coal, and in the space of half an Hour the Fire will run over all the Faeces, which it will calcine into a very Glorious citrine Colour; these citrine Faeces dissolve with distilled Vinegar, after the aforesaid manner, filtre also three times as before, then evaporate the dis∣solution into a Gum, and distil the Menstruum, which is now cal∣led Sanguis Draconis, or Dragons Blood, and repeat this Work in all things as before, till you have reduced all, or the greater part of the Faeces into our Natural or Blessed Liquor, all which Li∣quors pour to the first Liquor or Menstruum, called the Blood of the Green Lyon; the Liquor being thus mix'd, putrefie it in a Glass Vessel the space of fourteen Days: Then proceed to the separation of the Elements, because in this Blessed Liquor you have now all the Fire of the Stone, hidden before in the Faeces; which Secret has been hitherto kept wonderfully close by the Philosophers: Now take all the Menstruum being putrifyed, put it in a Venice Glass of a fit size, put an Alembick to it, and lute with Linnen Rags dipp'd in the white of Eggs; the Receiver must be very spacious, to keep in the respiring Spirit, and with a temperate heat separate the Elements one from another, and the Element of Air, which is the Oyl (ardent Spirit, containing a little white Oyl at the top) will first ascend: The first Element be∣ing distilled, rectifie it in another Vessel fit for it, that is, distil seven times, till it burns a Linnen Cloath, being dipp'd in it and kindled; then is it called our rectify'd Aqua ardens, which keep very well stopp'd, for otherwise the most subtil Spirit of it will vanish away: In the rectifications of the Aqua ardens the Air will ascend in the form of a white Oyl, swimming upon the Aqua (ardens) and a citrine Oyl will remain, which is distilled with a stronger Fire: Mercury being sublimed, and reduced into Powder dissolv'd per deliquium, upon Iron Plates in a cold place, pour a little of the Aqua ardens to the Liquor being filtred, and it will extract the Mercury in the form of a Green Oyl swim∣ming a-top, which separate and distil by a Retort, and there will ascend first a Water, and then a thick Oyl, which is the Oyl of Mercury: Then distil the Flood or Water of the Stone into another Receiver, the Liquor will be whitish, which draw off in Balneo with a moderate heat, till there remains in the bottom of

the Cucurbit a thick Oyly substance, like melted Pitch, keep this Water by it self in a Glass well stopp'd. Take notice, when first the Liquor riseth white, another Receiver must be put to, because that Element is wholly distilled: Two or three drops of that black liquid Oyl being given in the Spirit of Wine, do Cure any Poyson: Now to this black and liquid Matter pour our Aqua ardens, mix them well together, and let the mixture settle three Hours, then decant, and filtre the Liquor, pour on new Aqua ardens, and repeat the operation three times, then di∣stil again in Balneo with a gentle heat, and this reiterate thrice, and it will come under the denomination of the rectify'd Blood of Man, which Operators search for in the Secrets of Nature: Thus have you exalted the two Elements, Water, and Air, to the Virtue of a Quintessence; keep this Blood for occasion: Now to the black and liquid Matter or Earth, pour the Flood or Water of the Stone, mix them well together, and distil the whole, till the Earth remains very dry and black, which is the Earth of the Stone; keep the Oyl with the Water for occasion: Reduce the black Earth to a Powder, to which pour the afore∣said Man's Blood, digest three Hours, then distil in Ashes with a Fire sufficiently strong, repeat this Work three times, and it will be call'd the rectify'd Water of Fire, and so have you exalted the three Elements, namely, Water, Air, and Fire, into the Virtue of a Quintessence: Then calcine the Earth being black and dry, in the bottom of the Reverberatory, into a most white Calx, with which mix the Fiery Water, and distil with a strong Fire as be∣fore; the remaining Earth calcine again, and distil, and that se∣ven times, or till the whole substance of the Calx be pass'd through the Alembick, and then have you the rectify'd and truly Spiritu∣al Water of Life, and the four Elements, exalted to the Virtue of a Quintessence; this Water will dissolve all Bodies, putrefie and purge them: This is our Mercury, our Lunary, but who∣soever thinks of any other Water besides this, is ignorant and foolish, never attaining to the desired effects.

This Menstruum is made of the same Matter as the precedent Menstruums. For Green Lyon, Adrop, Philosophical Lead, Mi∣neral Antimony, Airy Gold, Mercury, &c. are Synonima's of one and the same Matter: This Matter being dissolved in distill'd Vinegar, and again inspissated into a Gum, in taste like Alum, is by

Ripley in the Description of the antecedent Menstruum in Numb. 62. called Lully's Vitriol of Azoth, or Vitriolum Azoqueum: Lully in practica Testamenti, Cap. 9. Pag. 159. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. makes a Menstruum of B. C. D. By B. he meant the said Green Lyon, or common Argent vive, which as he says elsewhere, is more common to Men, than vulgar Argent vive, B. saith he, Pag. 153. of the said practica, signifies Argent vive, which is a com∣mon substance consisting in every corruptible Body, as appears by the property of it, &c. By C. he intended common Niter. C. saith he, signifies Salt Peter, which hath a common (acid) Na∣ture, and like Argent vive by the property of its strong (acid) Nature, Pag. 154.4. Volum. aforesaid. By D. he understood Gum Adrop, made of the Green Lyon. D. saith he, signifies Azoquean Vitriol, which corrupts and confounds all that is of the Nature and Being of common Argent vive. In the same place, Both C. and D. he calls the purer mediums. Cap. 58. Theor. Test. pag. 96. You must know Son! saith he, our Bath, you may wash the Nature of (Phil) Argent vive so, as Nature could never do, that is, to make Argent vive a compleat Elixir. But (Phil.) Ar∣gent vive and Metals being both in Nature, and in your Work, extreams, and extreams not being able to joyn themselves, with∣out the Virtue of a middle disposition, which is between the softness of Argent vive, and the hardness of Metal, because there is by reason of that middle disposition a Natural complyance, which is the cause of Conjunction between Body and Spirit, as it is in every thing generated, or in capacity of being generated: In Nature are many mediums, whereof two are more pure, and more viscous, the Green Azoquean Vitriols, with the stony Na∣ture, which is the Salt and Nature of Stones. By the help my Son! of this contemptible Matter is our Stone, which we have so much sought for, procreated, &c.

With the other of these mediums, C, the stony Nature, Salt Pe∣ter, Salt of Peter, or Niter, we have no business at present; but be∣ing solicitous of D. Gum Adrop, or the Azoquean Vitriol of Lully, it will be worth while to consult Lully himself: Of which the Phi∣losopher, Cap. 59. Theor. Testamenti, thus: Son! saith he, the Azoquean Lyon, which is called (Azoquean) Vitriol, is by Nature made of the peculiar substance of common Argent vive, which is the Natural Root, from whence Metal is procreated in its own

Mine. By common Argent vive, he meant not the Vulgar but Philosophical Argent vive, the natural Root as well of Metals as Minerals. When we say common Mercury, saith he, we speak of that, which the Philosophers understand; and when we name the Vulgar, we speak of that which is known to the Country∣men, and sold in Shops. Cap. 1. Lib. Mercuriorum, which the following Synonyma's of this Mercury, namely, Chaos, Nature, Origo, Green Lyon, Argent vive, Unguent, Oyl, Pasture and Liquor of great Value, do also testifie in Cap. 45. Theor. Test. pag. 75. Vol. 4. Th. Chym.

This common Argent vive, or Green Lyon, must be purged from its Superfluities, before the Aroquean Vitriol of Lully, or the Gum Adrop of Ripley can be made of it. You must saith he, my Son! being a Student of this Science, be stedfast, and not search after this or that, because this Art is not perfected with many things, and therfore we tell you, there is but one only Stone, that is Sulphur, and one only Medicine, namely, the composition of Sulphur, to which nothing is to be added, only the Terrestrial and Phlegmatick Superfluities taken away, because they are and ought to be separated from our Argent vi∣ve, which is more common to men, than Vulgar Argent vive, and is of greater Price, Merit, and stronger Union of Nature, from which and the first forms of it, it is necessary to separate, by the known degrees of separation, all that belongs not to the Sal Armoniack of Metals, &c. Cap. 18. Theor. Test. pag. 33. Volum 4. Th. Chym. We say there is but one only Philo∣sophical Stone (volatile not yet fixed, or matter of a Menstru∣um) extracted from the things aforesaid by our Magistery. And therefore when it comes newly into the World, you must not add any other Powder, or any other Water, nor anything incongruous to it, more than that, which is born in it, being radical to its own Nature, and the Mother of it, which feeds and carryed it, that is Sulphur, which formed the Stone in a Celestial Colour: But before you extract (distil) it (the Stone) throughly, purge, and cleanse it from all its Phlegma∣matick, Terrestrial, and corruptible Infirmities, which are contrary to its Nature, because they are the death of it, with which it is surrounded, which do mortifie its vivificative Spirit. Cap. 7. Theor. Test. pag. 20, of the said Volum. It is to be di∣ligently

noted, that one of the two aforesaid Natural Principles (Sulphur and Argent vive) is more truly Natural in the whole, and through the whole substance of it, as well within as with∣out, and that is the pure Sulphur, hot and dry, introducing its form, that is, according to which the form of a Metal pur∣sues a pure effect: But the other (Argent vive) is unnatural, that is inwardly natural, and outwardly against Nature; but the internal natural part is made proper and also con-natural to it self, because it comes by its own Nature, but the external part is added to it by accident, and is to be naturally separated from it after the corruption (Putrifaction) of it; wherefore it is manifest that such Argent vive is not in the whole substance of it natural, in the first reception of it, nor is depurated to the full, unless it be depurated by the Ingenuity of Art. C. 5. p. 10. Codicilli.

As to this Purification of Argent vive, or the Green Lyon, Rip∣ley thus: Wherefore saith he, this Mercury (the corrosive Spi∣rit of common Vitriol) is by Raymond called, Our Fire against Nature: Nevertheless the same thing happens in some mea∣sure to this Mercury (the acidity of Vitriol) as also to the o∣ther (Vegetable Mercury, or Green Lyon) which is our natural Fire: For both of them are hidden in the middle or center of their Bodies, that is, between the Phlegmatick Water on one side, and Terrestrial Crassitude on the other side, nor are they obtained without the great Industry of Philosophy, and so those parts can avail us nothing, except only their middle sub∣stance: For saith Raymond, We take neither of the first Prin∣ciples, because they are too simple, nor of the last, because they are too gross and feculent, but only of the middle; wherein is the Tincture, and true Oyl, separated from unclean Terre∣streity, and Phlegmatick Water: Therefore saith Raymond thus; The unctious Moisture, is the near Matter of our Physical Argent vive, pag. 289. Pupilloe Alchym.

Argent vive, or the Green Lyon, is purified by common Vitriol, as thus: When the Argent vive is put in a dry Vitriolated Vapour (Spirit of Vitriol) which is a sharp Water, it is pre∣sently dissolved by the Incision and Penetration, caused by the sharpness, being manifestly strong, and in dissolving, is converted into the Nature of Terrestrial Vitriol, not taking a Metalick, nor a clear Coelestial Form, as appears after the evaporation of

the said Water, and the congelation of it in the form of Yel∣low Cristals, which Yellowness proceeds from the sharp Sul∣phurous Terrestreity, which was beyond measure mixed in the said Water by Atoms, with an Homogeneous Universality and simplicity, which simplicity was taken and bound by the said Terrestreity, with the alteration of the Light, Clarity, and Lucidity into Obscurity, &c. Cap. 89. Theor. Test. 141. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. Son! the thick Vitriolated Vapours from which Vitriol is produced, is very sharp and pontick, and therefore penetrates the parts of the Sulphur, and Argent vive being de∣purated, and penetrating, tingeth that purify'd Matter, con∣gealing it into the Form of that Vitriolated and yellow Ter∣restrial Vapour, which is mixed with them. Wherefore what we have said is manifest, that is, This is the great Gate, name∣ly, that the Terrestrial Virtues must not excel the Coelestial, but on the contrary, if you will have the thing desired, Cap. 85. Theor. Test. pag. 137. of the same Volume. You may re∣member that you would put nothing with the Menstrual (the Matter of the Menstruum) but that which proceeded from it at the beginning of its mixtion; for if you add an incongruous thing, it will presently be corrupted by the incongruous Nature, nor will you ever have that which you would have. Gold and Silver, and Mercury are dissolved in our Menstrual, because it participates with them in proximity and vicinity of the first Nature, and from hence will you extract a white Fume, which is our Sulphur, and the Green Lyon, which is your Unguent, and the stinking Water, which is our Argent vive: But it is requesite for the Green Lyon to be throughly dissolved in the Aqua Foetens, or stinking VVater, before you can have the said Fume, which is our Sulphur, which Sulphur is indeed the same way dissolved from the Body, congealing the Spirit in the form of a dry Water, which we call Stone, and the highest Me∣dium of all our Work, which is the connexion and aggregation of both Natures, that is, of Body and Spirit. Son! This Wa∣ter is called Aqua ignis, or if you had rather Ignisaqua, that undeclinable Word, because it burns Gold and Silver better than Elementary Fire can do, and because it contains in it heat of a Terrestrial Nature, which dissolves without Violence, which common Fire cannot do. Wherfore we enjoyn you to make the

Magistery of the hottest things you can get in Nature, and you will have a hot Water, which dissolveth all things, Cap. 59. Theor. Test. Pag. 98. Of the same Volume.

These Sayings Ripley comprehends in short, thus: These Words, saith he, may serve a Wise Man in order to know and acquire the Green Lyon: But this Noble Infant is called Green Lyon, be∣cause being dissolved it is Cloathed in a Green Garment. Yet out of the Green Lyon of Fools (Vitriol) is extracted by a violent Fire, that Water which we call Aqua fortis (Spirit of Vitriol) in which the said Lyon ought to be Elixirated. For all Alchymi∣cal Gold is made of Corrosives, &c. Pag. 139. Medulla Phil.

This Argent vive, Green Lyon, Philosophers Lead, &c. being purifyed with Vitriol, must be further matured or calcined into a red Colour, Minium, Lead calcined, Sericon, &c. E. (that is, Vitrio∣lated Azoth, Pag. 15. Theor. Test.) the fourth (Medium or Prin∣ciple) is a substance produced from its Mine, and in it, more near to the Nature of Metals, which is by some called Calcantis, and Azoth Vitreus (Mercury Vitriolated, or Azoquean Vitriol) which is the Earth and Mine of Metals, and is by another Name called Ʋrisius, of shining white and red within Black and Green open∣ly, having the Colour of a Venomous Lizard, immediately ge∣nerated out of Argent vive, the Matter aforesaid impregnated with the said hot and dry sulphurous Vapour (of common Vitri∣ol) in its resolution congealed into a Lizard, in which (Azoth Vitriolated) is the form and species of the stinking Spirit in its mixtion, the Mineral heat of which is multiplyed, which is the Life of Metal, and is signified by E. Cap. 3. Theor. Testam. Pag. 12. Volume. 4. Theat. Chym. And a little after: In the Work of Nature is Argent vive, but not such as is found upon the Earth, nor will be, till it be first turned into an apostemated and veno∣mous Blood. In the same place: You must know Son! that by Art and Nature Argent vive is congealed by an acute Water, understand therefore Philosophically, because if it were not sharp and acute, it could not penetrate, which is the first action in dissolution, after which dissolution it is returned into an aposte∣mated Blood, by the mutation of its own Nature into another. Son! there are two things, which ought to stick together by the agreement of contrariety, one pure, the other impure; the im∣pure recedes, Fire being an Enemy, by reason of its Corruption;

the other remains in Fire, because of its purity, being transmu∣ted into Blood, and this is our Argent vive, and our whole Se∣cret, cloathed with a tripartite Garment, that is, black, white, and red, and that alone we want for the purpose of our Magi∣stery, Argent vive containing all that is necessary for a Quintes∣sence. There is in Mercury whatsoever Wise Men seek; for under the shadow of it lies a fifth substance; for the substance of it is pure and incombustible; and all of it is nothing else but Gold and Silver (not common Metals, but airy, being in Mercury, or the Green Lyon) melted and fused within and without by Virtue of the Fire (against Nature) and afterwards purify'd and separated from all its Original Blemish and Pollution; for that Gold which is incombustible, remains fused and liquid, and im∣parts its Golden Nature in the said Mercury, &c. Cap. 62. Theor. Test. Pag. 103. Volume, 4. Th. Chym.

Out of this Philosophical Minium, calcined Lead, or Sericon only, the Adepts sometimes distilled their Menstruums; for Exam∣ple, the first of this Kind in Numb. 59. Sometimes they dissolved this Minium in distilled Vinegar, which being drawn off, they reduced it into Gum Adrop, or Lully's Azoquean Vitriol, out of which they then distilled the stinking Menstruum, or Menstruum foetens, in Numb. 60. Sometimes they dissolved Gum Adrop per deliquium first, and then distilled it. The thirteenth way of practising, saith Ripley, as it here appears, is very curious, and that is in Sa∣turn, (Philosophical) rubified in a Glass Vessel stopp'd, to prevent respiration, with a strong and continual Fire, till it becomes red: Take therefore that rubified Saturn, and pour a good quantity of distilled Vinegar upon it, and shake it very often every Day for a Month (a Week) then separate the Vinegar by a Filtre, and take only that which is clear without Faeces, and put it in Balneo to distil, and after the separation of the Vinegar, you will find at the bottom of the Vessel a white or sky-Coloured Water, which take, and being put in a Bladder five double, to keep out the Water, dissolve it in Balneo into a cristalline Water; put that Water in a Distillatory, and if you will, separate the Elements from it, or distil the dissolved Water, which rectifie in a Circulatory, and the Earth which remained in the bottom (in the distillation) calcine, till it grows like a Sponge, and then is it very sit to reassume its Mercury separated from it, that a new

Generation may be made, and a Son brought forth, which is called King of Fire, and which is so great in the Love of all the Philosophers, Cap. 17. Philos. Pag. 220. Of this Work Ripley made mention: Cap. 4. of the same Book, Pag. 194. Saying, There is moreover another Work in Gum produced by Vinegar from red Saturn, out of which is the separation of the Elements made, af∣ter it is dissolved in Bladders: The Menstruums of Gum Adrop, which way soever made, were called stinking Menstruums, be∣cause of the stinking smell: This Water, saith Ripley, hath a most sharp taste, and partly also a stinking smell, and therefore is called stinking Menstruum. Assa foetida also is so called from the smell, which our Mercury hath when it is newly extracted out of its polluted Body, because that smell is like Assa foetida, ac∣cording to the Philosopher, who saith; That stink is worst be∣fore the preparation of this Water, which after the circulating of it into a Quintessence, and good preparation, it is pleasant and very delectable, and becomes a Medicine against the Leprosie, and all other Diseases, without which Gold vive, you can never make the true potable Gold, which is the Elixir of Life and Me∣tals, Adrop. Phil. Pag. 548. Volum. 6. Theat. Chym.

These Menstruums they called White Fume, because of their white and opake Colour. It is also called White Fume, saith Ripley, nor without cause, for in distillation a white fume goeth out first, before the red Tincture, which ascending into the Alem∣bick, makes the Glass white as Milk, from whence it is also cal∣led Lac Virginis, or Virgins Milk. In the same place: Out of the red Fume or red Tincture, otherwise call'd the Blood of the Green Lyon, the Adepts did by rectification alone prepare two Mercuries, namely, red and white: Upon this occasion, saith Ripley, I will teach you a general Rule: If you would make the white Elixir, you must of necessity divide your Tincture (the Blood of the Green Lyon) into two parts, whereof one must be kept for the red Work, but the other distill'd with a gentle Fire; and you will obtain a white Water, which is our white Tincture, our Eagle, our Mercury and Virgins Milk: When you have these two Tinctures, or the white and red Mercury, you will be able to practise upon their own Earth, or upon the Calx of Metals; for the Philosophers say, we need not care what substance the Earth is of, &c. Adr. Phil. p. 554. Vol. 6. Theat. Chy. Roger Bacon made a two-fold Mercury thus:

64. The Green Lyon of Roger Bacon. A Raymundo Ganfrido in verbo abbreviato de Leone Viridi. Pag. 264. Thesauri Chymici Baconis.

THe abbreviated most true and approved Word of hidden things being manifested, I have in a short Discourse abre∣viated to you in the Work of Luna and Sol; in the first place earnestly requiring the Readers not to expose so Noble a Pearl to be trodden upon by Dogs or Swine; for this is the Secret of all the Philosophers Secrets, the Garden of Delights, Spices, and all Treasures, into which he that hath once entred, will want no more: Now that Word, not without cause desired by many Men, was first declared by our eminent Doctor Roger Bacon; afterwards J. Fryer Raymund Jeffery, Minister General of the Order of the Fryers Minors, took care to explain the Word, with as much brevity as I could, to the Sons of Philosophy. In the Name of Christ then, take a great quantity of the strongest Vi∣negar diligently distilled through an Alembick, in which dissolve a good quantity of the Green Lyon, being dissolved, distil through a Filtre, and keep it in Glass Cucurbits well stopp'd: If any re∣markable part of the Lyon remains undissolved, dissolve it with the aforesaid Vinegar, and distil through a Filtre, and being dis∣solved, joyn it with the other Waters before reserved in the Cucurbits, then take the reserved Waters (dissolutions) and distil them all in Balneo Marioe, applying Alembicks to them well luted, that the Cucurbits may not respire, put Fire under, and receive all the Waters, which will be distilled, but have a care that the dissolved Lyon be not altogether congealed in the Cucur∣bits, but that it may remain liquid or soft; then take all the Cu∣curbits, and put all that is in them into one Cucurbit, which lute well with its Alembick, and put it in a Furnace of Ashes, as is fitting, and put a gentle Fire under, because of the temper of the Glass, and because of the Heterogeneous moisture, which is in the Lyon to be rooted out: And take notice, that must be

always done with a gentle Fire, but when the Heterogeneous moisture is gone over, strengthen the Fire by little and little, and have an Eye continually to the Beak of the Alembick, if a red Liquor begins to go over, but if it does not yet go over, con∣tinue the aforesaid Fire till it doth; but when you see the red Li∣quor distil, change the Receiver forthwith, and lute it well to the Beak of the Alembick, and then strengthen the Fire, and you will have the Blood of the Lyon exceeding red, containing the four Elements, very odoriferous and fragrant (after due putre∣faction) keep it therefore in a good Phial well stopp'd: Then take the Blood, and put it in a Phial close stopp'd to putrefie and digest, in hot Dung, changing the Dung every five Days, there to be digested for the space of fifteen or sixteen Days, and this is done, that the Elementary parts may be dissolved, and be fitter to be divided into the four Elements, and that by distillation; being putrify'd fifteen or sixteen Days, take it out, and put it into a sit Cucurbit, to be distilled with a gentle Fire in Balneo Marioe; but it is enough for the Water to boyl with the Fire, take the Water (distilled) and the Faeces, which you find at the bottom of the Cucurbit, keep carefully the Water which you distilled, distil seven times, always reserving the Faeces which it makes, with the other Faeces reserved before; and so you will have a splendid Water, clear and white as Cristal, and very ponderous, which is said to be the Philosophers Mercury hidden by all the Philosophers, and cleansed and purified from all its superfluities, most choice, and most pretious; keep it therefore warily and wisely in a Phial well stopp'd: Then take all the Faeces of the Mercury, as I have said, before reserved, grind them well on a Marble (with the Phlegm of distill'd Vinegar) dry them in the Sun, and grind again, from time to time imbibing them with the Water of distill'd Vinegar upon the Marble, and drying in the Sun, and repeat the operations of grinding, imbibing, and drying, till all the blackness and superfluity is driven out of the Faeces, which you will know thus: If the Faeces be red, or red∣dish, or citrine by the aforesaid imbibitions and ablutions, then it is well done; but if they be yet black, repeat the contritions, imbibitions, and desiccations, till you have the sign aforesaid, and then keep them▪ Then take a Glass Cucurbit, wherein put the aforesaid Faeces above prepared, with a good quantity of distill'd

Vinegar, and set it in a Furnace, that is, in Balneo Marioe, put Fire under, and continue it in course, till the Faeces aforesaid be throughly dissolved by Virtue of the Vinegar and Fire, and being well dissolved, take the Cucurbit from the Fire, and distil them through a Filtre as is fitting, all that Water (dissolution of the Foeces) being thus distilled (filtred) put it in a new Cucurbit, well stopp'd; but if any considerable part remains in the Filtre to be dissolved, take that part, and set it again upon the Fire, as you did the first Faeces, in Balneo Marioe, till it be dissolved, that you may dissolve those Faeces which remained with the Vinegar, as you dissolved the first Faeces in Balneo with Vinegar in a Cu∣curbit, then distil through a Filtre as before, and put it with the other Water distill'd before, which you reserved; then take that new Cucurbit, in which you put the aforesaid Faeces dissolved and distilled before, and lute it well with its Alembick, set it on a Furnace in Balneo, give Fire, and distil as is fitting; but have a care that the Faeces be not throughly dryed, but let them be moist or liquid: Then take down the Cucurbit from the Fur∣nace, put it upon Ashes sifted and well press'd, and give it a gen∣tle Fire for the tempering of the Glass, and extracting the He∣terogeneous moisture, which it hath from the Vinegar, and see often to the Beak of the Alembick, if a Golden or Ruddy Liquor distills, if not, continue the Fire till it does; being distilled, pre∣sently change the Glass being very clean, and lute it very well to the Beak of the Alembick, then strengthen the Fire, receive the Ruddy Oyl, and thus continue the Fire, till all the Liquor be di∣still'd, and save the Faeces because they are the Fire, but the Oyl aforesaid the Philosophers us'd to call their occult Sulphur; which you must rectifie thus: put it again in a Cucurbit, put on an Alembick well luted, then set it on a Furnace in Ashes, ad∣minister a gentle Fire, till it distils, receive the Liquor which di∣stills in a Bottle well stopp'd with the Beak of the Alembick, and the remaining Faeces save, because they are the Fire: joyn that Fire with the other Fire reserv'd, and so putrefie by distilling it seven times, and reserving the Faeces, it makes, as I said before, and so you will have your Air or Sulphur well depurated, clear, bright, and perfectly purified, and of a Gold Colour, &c.

The Blood of the Green Lyon being Fifteen Days putrify'd, Ba∣con cohobated Seven times by Balneo, into a clear and ponderous Wa∣ter,

which he call'd the Philosophers Mercury; out of the Foeces left in the rectifications of this Mercury, dissolved in distilled Vine∣gar, he made a new Gum, out of which he then distilled a Golden Liquor, or ruddy Oyl, which after the Seventh rectification he would have be the Philosophers Air, or Sulphur well depurated, clear and bright: But Ripley used two ways in rectifying the stinking Men∣struum, or Green Lyon, for either he divided the fresh Blood of the Green Lyon into two parts, distilling only one half; the distil∣led part he called, white Mercury, white Tincture, Virgins∣milk, &c. The other remaining part he calls the red Mercury, red Tincture, &c. as it may be seen in his Book called Adrop Phil. in the place before alleadged; or putrify'd the whole Menstruum, the Blood together with the white Fume the space of Fourteen Days, which after that he divided into three Substances, a burning Wa∣ter, a Water thick and white, and an Oyl, of which at length he made a Vegetable Menstruum, which is described by Lully in Potestate Divitiarum, and by Ripley (above in Numb. 35.) in his Vade Mecum.

Concerning these three Substances of the stinking Menstruum, Rip∣ley hath these following Sayings, in his Book named Terra Terrae Philosoph. pag. 319. where thus: When therefore you have ex∣tracted all the Mercury out of the Gum, know, that in this Mercury are contained three Liquors, whereof the first is a burning Aqua vitae, which is extracted by a most temperate Balneo: This Water being kindled, flames immediatly, as com∣mon Aqua vitae, and is called our attractive Mercury, with which is made a Cristalline Earth, with all Metallick Calxes also, of which I will say no more, because in this Operation we want it not: After that there follows another Water thick and white as Milk, in a small quantity, which is the Sperm of our Stone, sought by many men; for the Sperm is the Origi∣nal of men and all living Creatures; whereupon we do not undeservedly call it our Mercury, because it is found in all things and all places; for without it no man whatsoever lives: and therefore it is said to be in every thing. This Liquor, which now you ought to esteem most dear, is that Mercury, which we call Vegetable, Mineral, and Animal, our Argent vivo, and Virgins-milk, and our permanent Water: VVith this Mercurial Water we wash away the Original Sin, and pollution of our

Earth, till it becomes white, as Gum, soon slowing; but after the distillation of this aforesaid VVater, will appear an Oyl by a strong Fire; with this Oyl we take a red Gum, which is our Tincture, and our Sulphur vive, which is otherwise called the Soul of Saturn, and Living Gold, our pretious Tincture, and our most beloved Gold, of which never man spoke so plainly; God forgive me therefore, if I have any way offended him, be∣ing constrained to gratifie your will.

Some great Mystery of Art is here discovered by Ripley, for the revealing of which he fears the displeasure of not only the Adepts, but of God himself: Lully, and others have indeed plainly enough declared to their Disciples, though perhaps it may not appear to us being less instructed in the matter, what our Green Lyon is, what common Mercury more common to us than common Argent vive, what the Azoquean Vitriol is, and the Menstruum made thereof; but Rip∣ley affirms that no man ever spoke so plainly of the present Secret. The Adepts have indeed in their Practicks described the use of (Philosophical) Wine without any veyl of Philosophy; and amongst them Raymond and Arnold with some others have attained to the knowledge of the same, but (to use Ripley's expression in Medulla) how it might be obtained they said not: Wherefore they being silent, Ripley the first, and indeed the only man of all, declares to us, that the Key of all the more secret Chymy lyes in the Milk and Blood of the Green Lyon, that is, that the stinking Menstruum (or the parts of it, Mercury and Sulphur, Virgins Milk, and the Lyons Blood, white and red Mercury) being fourteen Days digested gently, is the white and red Wine of Lully, and other A∣depts: Nor was he satisfied in declaring this freely to us, but adds Strength and Light to his Words, in making a Vegetable Menstru∣um the Rectify'd Aqua vitae (described by Lully in Potestate Divitiarum, and by us in Numb. 31.) of the said stinking and corrosive Menstruum, by which one only example he was pleased to teach us, that all Vegetable Menstruums may be made of the said stinking Menstruum: Lully's rectify'd Aqua vitae is made by divers Coho∣bations upon its own Caput Mortuum: We may if we please proceed by another way or method: Distil the Menstruum Foetens, being fourteen Days digested, and first will ascend the Aqua ardens, then the Phlegm, and in the bottom will remain a Matter thick as melted Pitch, which are the Constitutive Principles of all Vegeta∣ble Menstruums.

Let us therefore desist from further pursuit of the said Green Lyon, which we have pursued through the Meads and Forrest of Diana, through the way of (Philosophical) Saturn, even to the Vineyards of Philosophy. This most pleasant place is allowed the Disciples of this Art, to recreate themselves here, after so much Pains and Sweat, dangers of Fortune and Life, excercising the work of Women, and the sports of Children, being content with the most red Blood of the Lyon, and eating the white or red Grapes of Diana, the VVine of which being purified, is the most secret Se∣cret, of all the more secret Chymy; as being the white or red Wine of Lully, the Nectar of the Ancients, and their only desire, the pecu∣liar refreshment of the Adopted Sons; but the Heart-breaking, and Stumbling-block of the Scornful and Ignorant.

But before we depart hence, I will present you (Paracelsians) with another Dish, and that not unsavory, which is, that the Virgins-milk, or white Mercury (otherwise the white Wine of Lully) extracted out of the Green Lyon is by Paracelsus that Glue of the Eagle, or Green Lyon, so carefully sought for: For Eagle and Green Lyon are to the Adepts Synonyma's of the same thing: For thus Ripley before: You will obtain the white Water, which is our white Tincture, our Eagle, our Mercury and Virgins-milk. Consequently therefore, red Mercury (or the red Wine of Lully) is the Blood of the Red or Green Lyon: For the same Ly∣on is called sometimes Green (in his Youthful Estate) sometimes red (in his more grown Estate) and therefore the Blood is sometimes said to be of the Green Lyon, sometimes of the Red: So Ripley (in the Menstruum described in Numb. 61.) saith; Take the Blood of the Red Lyon being most Red, as Blood, which is our Mercury, and our Tincture now prepared to be poured up∣on its Ferment, that is upon the Calxes of the purest Gold: also elsewhere; The Blood of the Lyon of a Rosey Colour. But let us hear Paracelsus himself.

65. The Green Lyon of Paracelsus. Aurei Velleris Germ. p. 41.

TAke distill'd Vinegar, wherein dissolve the Green Lyon, putrefie, filtre the Solution, draw off the Liquor in Bal∣neo to an Oyliness; this Oyl or Residue put in a Retort, distil away the moisture in Sand with a gentle Fire: Then increase the Fire, and the Green Lyon, being compelled by the strength of the Fire will yield his Glue, or Air; To the Caput mortuum, pour its Phlegm (the moisture drawn off) putrefie in Dung (or Balneo) and distil, as before, and again will ascend the Spirits; force it strongly, and there will come a tenacious Oyl of a Ci∣trine Colour: Upon the Caput mortuum pour again the first di∣still'd VVater, putrefie, filtre, and distil, as before: Lastly with a most strong open Fire, and there will come over a Bloody Oyl, which is otherwise called Fire: The remaining Earth re∣verberate into whiteness, &c.

Hitherto we have had the stinking Menstruums made of Azoquean Vitriol only, yet sometimes the Adepts have added common Vitriol to it, thus.

66. The stinking Menstruum made of the Gum Adrop, and Common Vitriol of Ripley. Pag. 357. Viatici.

TAke and Grind the Gum made of Sericon with distill'd Vinegar, and as much of Vitriol evaporated, and first distil the VVater with a gentle Fire, then with a strong; receive the Oyl (blood of the Lyon) which separate from the VVater, till you have the pure Oyl by it self.

Sometimes instead of common Vitriol, they added common Nitre to the Azoquean Vitriol; thus Lully in Practica Testamenti made his stinking Menstruum.

67. The stinking Menstruum made of Azoquean Vitriol, and Nitre of Lully. Cap. 9. Pract. Testam. p. 159. Vol. 4. The. Chym.

TAke one part of D, (D, signifies Azoquean Vitriol, which destroys and confounds all that is of the Nature and Being of common Argent vive, pag. 154.) and half a part of C, (C, signi∣fies Salt Peter or Nitre, pag. 154.) of the same Volume) which being very well ground, fifted, and mixed together, put in a Glass Cucurbit in a Furnace, and putting on an Alembick, in which the Spirits are by resolution distilled and condensed; lute the joynts of the Vessels with linnen Cloath, impasted and steep∣ed in luting, made of VVheat-flower, and the whites of Eggs, that the united properties of the three Mercuries, namely, Salt∣ish, Vitriolick, and VVatry, being joyn'd and united together, may be preserved: And observe, that the said Powders put in∣to the Cucurbit exceed not the weight of eight Ounces; and to abbreviate the time, put of the like Powder into two other Cu∣curbits, according to the weight of eight Ounces in every Cu∣curbit, and place them upon little long Furnaces, so as I shall declare in the Chapter of Furnaces; put not above three Cu∣curbits upon one Furnace, for the Fire cannot administer equal heat to more, as the mixtion of Nature requires; and let the said Cucurbits be placed the distance of five or six Fingers one from another, and let the bottoms of the Cucurbits be luted with Potters Clay mix'd well with hair; put fine Ashes well sifted and pressed the thickness of five Fingers under them, and to the Beak of every Alembick put a Glass Phial with a long Neck at the end, because the Receiver of those Phials must not feel the heat of the Furnace, nor the Water of the Phials flow back, nor the Spirits recede or fly away: Then must you provide a good quantity of Saw-dust, whereof take two parts, and half a part of the husks of Grapes, or the powder of dry Fire, and mix it with the said Saw-dust, and with this Composition fill your Furnace, then light your Fire at both ends, and let it burn; for

you must make no other Fire, till you see six, or ten, or fifteen; or twenty drops of Water distil, and when twenty have distill'd, make your Fire with small Wood dry, and so by little and little make the Fire flame directly to the Matter; and see when it di∣stils, that the Water be clear, and when it is at fifteen Points, and the Water clear, and the fumes subtil, continue that Fire equally: And if you see it returned from fifteen to twelve Points, or less, strengthen the Fire, and continue it according to the Point of its distillation, and then thirdly, strengthen your Fire one Point further, and continue it till nothing more distills, and then let the Fire go out, stop your Furnace, and let the Matter cool; and if the Water be clear, without any disturbed Colour, or without muddiness, take and keep it, and stop the Phial with warm Wax, that nothing may respire, nor the Air enter, because the Spirits which are subtil, would presently be corrupted by the Air. Re∣member, when you begin to make the Fire of dry Wood, that your Vessels must be covered with the aforesaid Paste, and wrap∣ped about with Linnen Cloaths, and the Phials well luted to the Beaks of the Alembicks with the same luting, putting a Quill between the Beak of the Alembick and the Phial; for whilst the Fire operates, the Air will for the most part go out and re∣spire, when it hath not a Receiver to retain it, for it is hot, and the subject which retains it, is not able to endure an exceeding heat, and therefore it requires some place wherein it may re∣spire; when therefore you hear it blow, open the Quill-hole for it. O Father! how have you made the practice thus tedious! Son! That you may be acquainted with all things both small and great, and that you may have both a general and particular knowledge of Fires, and other operations, as also of all sorts of luting; because it is not our intention to speak any more of them, there being nothing difficult to the wise, circumspect, and intel∣ligent, and that you may hereafter say, that the stinking Men∣struum is at your command, which is a mean thing, by which all Bodies are in a short time converted into their first Nature, and it is the pure and proper Original of a wonderful and most com∣modious thing, but you must know how to apprehend it with a clear understanding, &c.

The like Menstruum hath Lully in his Magia Naturalis, which is called

68. The Water calcining all Bodies of Lully Magioe Naturalis. Pag. 359.

TAke of the Earth, that is, D. (of Azoquean Vitriol) five Ounces and a half, and of the Water, that is C. (of Salt Peter and Niter) two Ounces and a half, the Sum of which is the weight of eight Ounces, and being all mix'd, grind the Mat∣ter fine upon a Marble, then put it in a glass Vessel with an Alembick upon it, and distil the whole substance, first making a gentle Fire of Saw-Dust, taking two parts of it, and one part and a half of Coals small or ground, and a little dry Bran, and light the Fire, and let it kindle of it self, till it begins to distil from one Point to twelve (twenty) Points, and then you must begin to strengthen the Fire with small Wood, making the Fire of the Flame right under the Matter, and so continue the Fire till it be returned to twelve or fifteen Points, or also to fewer, and then continue the whole Fire according to the Points of its distillation, and after that strengthen the Fire one Point further, and continue it till the Alembick loseth its Colour, or no more distils; then cease, and let it cool, gather the Water, keep it in a hot and moist place, and have a care that it respires not: And remember to have a Quill in the luting of the Beak of the Alem∣bick, and the Neck of the Receiver, that you may sometimes draw it out, that the Receiver may have vent, for the heat is there so quick, that the Vessel containing the Matter cannot en∣dure it, wherefore it is requisite sometimes to be opened and sometimes shut: Take notice, that this Water, though made of a contemptible thing, hath the power of converting Bodies into their first Matter, which being joyn'd to the Vegetable Virtue is of much perfection, and must be put into practice presently after it is distill'd, that the Spirit which is subtil and of a strange Nature, may not be lost by the Air.

The same Menstruum is described in Lully's Clavicula under this Title,

69. The Stinking Menstruum for the dissolution of the Calx of Gold and Silver, in order to the reducing them into Argent vive. Cap. 15. Clav. Pag. 299. Vol. 3. Th. Chym.

TAke of Vitriol two Pounds, of Salt Peter one Pound, of Cinabar three Ounces (I do not understand by what Error Cinabar has crept in among the other Ingredients of this Menstru∣um, for it is a constitutive not of this, but of the following Menstruum for the dissolving of the Philosophers Stone; especially Lully himself, in Cap. 20. Claviculae, speaking of the extracting of Mercury from a perfect Body, having made no mention of Cinabar, whereas notwith∣standing in the same place he gave a Description of this Menstruum in these few Words, saying: Put of our stinking Menstrual, made of two parts of red Vitriol, and one of Salt Peter, and let the aforesaid Menstruum be first distilled seven times, and well recti∣fy'd) let the Vitriol be rubified and pulverized, then put in the Salt Peter and Cinabar, and grind all together, then put the Matter in fit Vessels well luted to be distill'd; let it be distill'd first with a gentle Fire as the Work requires, and as they know how that have done it: Let this Water be distill'd very often, casting away the Faeces which remain at the bottom of the Cu∣curbit, and so it will be your best distilled Menstruum.

Sometimes they added common Vitriol to the Azoquean Vitriol and Nitre: It is thus done.

70. The Stinking Menstruum made of Azoquean Vitriol, common Vitriol, and Niter of Ripley. Cap. 1. Pag. 143. Medul. Phil. Chym.

TAke Vitriol made of the sowrest Juice of Grapes, with the Fire of Nature and Sericon (Azoquean Vitriol) joyn'd together in one mass with Natural (common) Vitriol a little dry∣ed, together with the Sol Niter, and out of these distil a Water, which will first be weak and phlegmatick, not colouring the Vessel, which throw away: Then will ascend a white Fume,

which will make the Vessel look like Milk, which must be ga∣thered, till it ceaseth, and the Vessel is returned to its former colour: For that Water is the Stinking Menstruum, wherein is our Quintessence, that is, the white Fume, which is called the Fire against Nature, without which our Natural Fire could not subsist, whereof we will say more in its proper place: And these, namely, the Mineral and Vegetable Water, being mix'd toge∣ther, and made one Water, do operate contraries, which is a thing to be admired; for this one dissolves and congeals, moi∣steneth and dryeth, putrefies and purifies, dissipates and joyns, separates and compounds, mortifies and vivifies, destroyeth and restoreth, attenuates and inspissates, makes black and white, burneth and cooleth, begins and ends. These are the two Dragons fighting in the Gulf of Sathalia, this is the white and red Fume, whereof one will devour the other: And here the dissolving Vessels are not to be luted, but onely stopp'd slightly with a Linnen Cloth and Mastick, or common Wax: For this Water is a Fire and a Bath within the Vessel, and not without, which, if it feels any other strong Fire, will be presently ele∣vated to the top of the Vessel, and if it finds no rest there, the Vessel will be broken, and so the composition will be left frustrated. So much as this compounded Water dissolves, so much it congeals and elevates (is congealed and elevated) into a glorious Earth: And so it is the secret dissolution of our Stone, which is alwayes done with the congelation of its own Water: And because this Fire of Nature is added to the Water against Nature, so much therefore as it lost of its Form by the Fire a∣gainst Nature, so much it recovers by the Water of Nature, that our work by the Fire against Nature, may not be destroyed or annihilated.

From the Receipts we observe.

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.