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.

86. The Water of Sallabrum of Paracels. Libro de reductione Metallorum in Argentum vi∣vum, sive Tractatu. 4. Rosarii novi Olympici Be∣ned. Figuli, pag. 24.

TAke notice there is no shorter Method of reducing Metals into Mercury, known to us, than that which we used in our Book de putrefactione quatuor Salium, which we there called Sallabrum, as thus; each of those (Salts, as lower) must be converted into a pure Water or Oyl (per deliquium) which being mixed in equal weight, are called Lac Veterum, or Milk of the Ancients: Which Philosophical Milk put into a strong Receiver, and distil the Spirits of calcined Vitriol, cal∣cined Alume, and the best Niter, ana, five times upon it, and the mixture will be called Flying Eagle, carrying Metals in its Talons aloft; such a Metal, being sublim'd, grind to powder, from which draw the Spirit of strong Wine being poured to it the height of a Finger, three or four times gently in Balneo, and you will have a quick or running Metal as common Mer∣cury. Now the Eagle is made volatile thus: To the Philoso∣phers Milk acuated with the said Spirits, or Eagle, pour Wax, being very well liquefied and purged, about the thickness of a Finger, distil the Phlegms together with the Spirits by a Cu∣curbit in Balneo, which Matter must be cohobated so often, till they are all coagulated or well mixed; and you will have the Philosophers Borax, which we wrote of in our Book de vir∣tute Vitrioli, wherein the Volatile Eagle absconded it self with its Feathers, namely, Spirits. Now take the Calx of what Me∣tal you please, made of Aqua fortis, one part, of the Flying Eagle half a part, mix, putrefie nine days, the longer the bet∣ter, then sublime the Matter upon Sand in a Cucurbit well lu∣ted, and all the Metal you took will ascend, wherewith pro∣ceed as before. Sallabrum described in the Book mentioned, (de putrefactione quatuor Salium) Take Sal Niter, Sal Gemmoe,

common Salt, Pot-Ashes, an equal quantity of each, dissolve every one by it self, and purge it from all Terrestreity; out of all being mixed together, make a clear and transparent Wa∣ter, which again coagulate in a clean Vessel, and you will find the Salt of another colour, namely, yellow, penetrating, and sweetning, dissolving and fixing: Love and esteem this Salt, because there are many Secrets in it; for it fixeth the Volatile, and vivifieth the Spirit being dead; and mollifieth the hard and friable, and freeth from any Leprosie and Poyson, sixeth Arsenick, and moreover is the promoter of many famous works to a happy and desired End.

In the first place, let us admonish you to beware of this and such like Menstruums; for a Mystery lies in these Receipts, which to ob∣serve is necessary, lest you begin to doubt the Truth of them after many most dangerous Experiments tried in vain: for you Beginners let this suffice; that it is impossible for Wax, or any other oyley Matter to supply the place of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine. There would be no need of this Spirit in the whole Art, if crude oyley things could perform the same as this most pure and most un∣ctuous Liquor. No man but he that is expert in the Method of preparing the Spirit of Philosophical Wine, can make these Men∣struums, whereas all the rest may be made by any Ideot, if he hath but the Spirit of this Wine given him. The Adepts do in these Receipts both prepare and acuate this Spirit of Wine; no wonder therefore that they either wholly omitted the Mystery, or not suffi∣ciently express'd it in their Compositions; for which reason also these Menstruums do appertain to the preparation of the Spirit of Phi∣losophical Wine, rather than as all the rest to the Ʋse of this Spi∣rit, or compositions of these Menstruums; nor should I have re∣membred them here, had they not been detrimental to many men; and that to my own knowledge. The Name Sallabrum is given quasi Salis labrum, or Salt-Cellar, not that Salt is to be contained in this Vessel, as Candelabrum, or Candlestick is so called, because Candles are set in it, but rather because the Essence or Fire of some Metals, or some Chymcial Light is either to be reserved, or made in this Sallabrum, as Alume is by Isaacus in Man. Philosophor. pag. 28. called Lucerna, signifying a Lanthorn.

Concerning this Sallabrum, Thomas Aquinas in Lilio Benedicto, pag. 1085. Vol. 4. Th. Chym. Thus;

Adde labrum Salis quanta sit sexta duorum Conjunge pone{que} simul—

In the same place he calls this Sallabrum the Medium of joyning Tinctures, the middle between two Extreams, between hard and soft, between Luna and the Spirit, between the Body and Spirit: As the Menstrual Blood is the Medium between the Sperm of the Male and Female, so this our Salt, pag. 1085. Sallabrum he calls thundring Salt, illuminating Stone, and fatness of the Eagle, pag. 1087. Sal Alembrot, the Stone Bore (Borax) and fatness of the Eagle, pag. 1097. Tincar, Borax.

This Sallabrum or Saline Labrum is by Paracelsus made of these Salts, Niter, Sal gemme, common Salt, and Alcali.

Guido used these four following in his reduction of Metals into Mercury: Common Salt, Alcali, Sal armoniac, and Salt of Tar∣tar, pag. 23. Thes. Chym.

Thomas Aquinas took the same Salts as Guido, for his La∣brum Salis. The Affinity which I observe between the Salts of Paracelsus, Gemme and Common, I perceive also between the Salt of Tartar, and Alcali of Guido; but the foundation of the Re∣ceipt is not grounded upon these four Salts. Paracelsus was some∣times satisfied with Niter and common Salt fused and resolved to∣gether per deliquium. Nor does the Mystery of the Receipt lie in the Wax, in the room of which if you chose any oyley thing else, you will not err. Instead of the same, he sometimes used Linseed-Oyl in the Water of the sixth gradation; but of this hereafter.