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.

126. The Circulatum Majus of Isaacus. Cap. 70. 2. Oper. Min. Pag. 474. Vol. 3. Th. Chym

TAke this Mercury (the Metals sublimed in the Philoso∣phical Menstruums aforegoing) Dissolve it in Aqua Fortis, with an equal quantity of Vitriol and Niter, being Dissolved, put the Solution in a Glass Vessel, put on an Alembick, set it in Sifted Ashes, give first a gentle Fire, Distil the Aqua Fortis from it, then the Mercury will sublime upwards into the Alembick, when it will sublime no more, take it away; take the Mercury out of the Alembick, put it in a Glass with a long neck, as you did with the Vitriol, put it in a Vessel with Sifted Ashes, light your Lamp under it, so leave it, till it be perfectly red, as hath been taught of Vitriol; Dissolve, Congeal, being clean, Distil it into a red Oyl, as hath been said of Vitriol, but all the Mercury distils into Oyl, so as to leave no Earth.

The Menstruum immediately antecedent in Numb. 125, is in all things clear, except the first Branch of it, wherein is o∣mitted the necessary Dissolution of Vitriol in Philosophical Vinegar, before the Calcination of it into redness or fixation. The first Menstruum of this Kind is imperfect, not indeed in this, but in another Branch, insomuch as it is not therein de∣clared, that Vitriol must after the Calcination of it, be again Dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar. In this present third, Tho it be said, that it ought to be made according to the rule of the precedent Menstruums, there is no mention at all made of Philosophical Vinegar, yet without it, Vitriol can neither be fixed into redness, nor when fixed, be again Volatalized or Di∣stilled. The Receipts therefore must be compared as often as the Adepts have either through too much fear or envy left us them imperfect: It is enough, if by comparing them together, we can pick out their meaning or intention, being not fully enough ex∣pressed in every circumstance, the terms being either too obscure, or altogether omitted. Bodies in this Kind are to be fixed, and then volatilized by Mineral Menstruums, as Mercury and

Antimony, in the Ninth Kind, are first fixed, and then di∣stilled in the greater Circulatums by vegetable Menstruums: This light borrow'd from the said Ninth Kind, will dispel all the Obscurities and Doubts of this Kind. Vitriol therefore purged with common Water by Solutions and Coagulations, must first be graduated, that is several times dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar and coagulated according to the Receipt in Numb. 125, as Mercury is dissolved in the Water of Salt, circulated in the Circulatum majus of Mercury. This Vitriol being graduated in a close Vessel, must be fixed into a most red Powder, and being fixed, then dissolved and coagulated in Philosophical Vinegar, that it may again become volatile, as Mercury being fixed in its own Circulatum, is again made volatile by virtue of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine. At last the Vitriol is to be Distilled into its Spirits. Now by know∣ing the method, it is manifest that the mystery of the Receipts consists in the Vinegar, but to remove all scruple from these most excellent Menstruums, we will prove by the very words of Isaacus himself, that he meant not a common but Philosophical Menstruum. Have not I taught you, saith he, how to draw all Metals through the Alembick, so as to Distil wholly into Oyl, leaving nothing; but that alone does the strong Spirit of Vinegar, and makes them (Metals) to be perfectly separated and rectified from their Feces, within and without, as I taught you, and that the inside should be outward, and the outside inward, and then they are so resolved and sub∣til, that the Elements cannot be separated one from another; if you sought all the means in the world, you would not be able to separate these Elements, by reason of their subtility, cleanness and resolution; and when they have the subtil pe∣netrating Vinegar with them, they pass all together through the Alembick with the Vinegar; but if you should put them to fire, and any Spirit of Vinegar (in sufficient quantity) was present, they (the Metal and Vinegar) would be forth∣with fixed together; and because the Vinegar is copiously in their clean, open, subtil Body, they distil into Oyl, and the Spirits of the Vinegar are fixed with the Body: Now you must know thdt the Spirit of Vinegar is more Subtil than all things in the World, yea, a thousand times more subtil than

the Quintessence of Aqua Vitae, it cannot be contained in any Vessels, but it is easily half fixed, and therefore it easily fixeth the thing to which it is applied, as it is demonstrated in the Vegetable (Work) where the Discourse is of Wine, and the Nature of it, where you will be sufficiently instruct∣ed what Vinegar is, and the Spirit of it, how all things are dissolved and ascend. Cap. 77. 78. 2. Oper. Miner. Pag. 477. Vol. 3. Theat. Chym. You must know, saith he elsewhere, this is the greatest Secret in this Art, for the middle parts of Vinegar are of so great Virtue as to be incredible, by reason of their great Subtility, for every thing they are mixed with, becomes exceeding subtil and penetrable, wherefore they make the (Philosophers) Stone a thousand times more subtil than it was before, and more penetrable, and the subtil parts mix themselves with the Stone, for they are of one Nature, and are both clean and subtil, and are mixed together, as Water with Water, and it is a Medicine of that Nature, as to make every thing fixed which it is mixed with, and of its own Nature wherein it is; and thus are the subtil parts (of Philosophical Vinegar) fixed in the (Philosophical) Stone, and are made of one Nature with the Stone, and they make the Stone as fusible, as an Artist can wish, as he oftentimes dissolves the Stone in Vinegar, and congeals it, for as many or few Spirits remain in the Stone, the more fusible is the Medicine: Wherefore I have taught my Son how to make his Stone so fusible, as thereby to bring Mercury to Sol and Luna; and it is a great Secret, known to few, peruse this Lecture diligently, what vertue there is in Vinegar, and what with the middle matter of Vinegar may be made. Cap. 51. 1. Oper. Min. Pag. 337. Vol. 3. Th. Chym.

That Vinegar, which is a thousand times more subtil than the Quintessence of Aqua Vitae, or Spirit of Philosophical Wine: The Spirits of which makes the Philosophers Stone a thousand times more Subtil: That is of one Nature with it; and fixeth every thing it is mixed with; you your selves will say is no common Menstruum, but another of more excellent quali∣ty. Isaacus moreover dissolves and coagulates the Stone in this Vinegar, so oft, till it is converted into Oyl, which will be no

more congealed. Cap. 51, 59, 107. of the same Book. With the same Vinegar also he made Metals fat, and transmuted them into Oyls, thus he dissolved and coagulated Gold so often continually in New Vinegar, till an Oyl was made thereof as red as blood, as Cap. 54. of the same Book. Sometimes also he did with the same Vinegar reduce Gold to the consistence of an excellent White Oyl, out of which he then distilled a White Spirit, and a Red Oyl apart, and not immixible to∣gether, so subtil, as that he advised the Artist to have a care, lest these Oyls should condense again by too much Rectification, for then being forced with too strong a Fire, the greatest part of them would by reason of their great Subtility penetrate the Glass, and so be lost. Cap. 126, 128, 1. Oper. Min. Pag. 406. Vol. 3. Th. Chym. Who can expect such and so great things from Common Vinegar? The same Vinegar, that dissolved the fix'd Metal Gold, and divided it into Spirit and Oyl, the Consti∣tutives of the Stone out of Sol alone; the same also is required to dissolve fixed Vitriol, and distil it into Spirit and Oyl, the constitutives of the Stone out of Vitriol alone, of the making of which in the Third Book of Alchymical Tinctures.

That this Oyl of Vitriol, shews light by night, affirms Tris∣mosinus, who hath described the said Oyl thus.