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.

133 The Oyl of Mars and Venus, acuated with the Sulphur and Salt of Sol of Basilius. In Supplemento.

TAke of the Purple Coloured Gold (the Crocus of Sol, des Konings Purpur Mantel) half an ounce, of the Philosophers Oyl of Mercury (the Oyl of Mars and Venus) one ounce and half, dissolve, to which add of the Salt of Sol two drachms; all being resolved into an Oyl, rectifie it by a Retort, that it may be clear and pellucid.

For the Spirit of Universal Mercury, Basilius took Copper dissolved in Philosophical Vinegar, and cristallized into gra∣duated Vitriol, and with gentle calcination, reduced it into the true Crocus, or Red Powder of Venus: But the Iron he dis∣solved in the Oyl of Venus (distilled out of the said Crocus of Venus) cristallized and calcined into the Crocus of Mars. For the present Menstruum he requireth Gold dissolved in Balneo Regis (described in Numb. 89.) and reduced into a volatile graduated Vitriol, which then being dissolved in Distil'd Wa∣ter, he precipitates with three times as much of Argent Vive, out of the Menstruum but the amalgame from thence produced, he gently calcines under a Tyle, into a Purple Powder or Crocus; as to the making of which here only by the by, but in the fol∣lowing second and third Books, we shall treat more fully of it. The way of making the Salt of Sol, he has thus in Libro particul. in particulari Solis, described: Take the White Body of Sol left in the extracting of its Soul, (the Essence extracted out of the Crocus of Sol, with the sweet Spirit of Salt described in Numb. 28.) reverberate it gently for half an hour, that it may be made corporal, then pour to it the Corrosive Water of Honey well rectified, which in a gentle heat will extract the Salt in the space of ten days: All the Salt being extracted, draw off the Menstruum from it in Balneo, edulcorate the Salt, by repeating Cohobations in common Distilled Water; and lastly, Clarify it with the Spirit of (Philosophical) Wine, and you will have the Salt of Gold.

Concerning this Water of Honey, Basilius in Curra triumphali Antimonii, Pag. 77. thus: Out of sweet Honey may be made the strongest Corrosive and Poyson, which is to most men a thing incredible. The same affirms Paracelsus, saying: The like is to be understood in Honey, which by its elevations is made much sharper than any Aqua Fortis and Corrosive, and more penetrative than any Sublimate; such a property of sharpness it hath not Naturally, but by elevation, which changeth this Honey into a Corrosive. Libro 5. Archid. Pag. 18. and elsewhere, Cap. 14. de Morbis Tartar. Pag. 319. Honey of it self is innocent, but in the third elevation be∣comes mortal.

The way of making this Water, is not indeed in the Writings, which we have either of Basilius or Paracelsus; yet easily will a diligent Disciple learn the same, by the Principles of his Art, for either the Coelum Mellifluum of Parisinus must be dissolved in distilled Vinegar, or some stronger acid, or crude Honey coho∣bated in Philosophical Vinegar, that is, common, mix'd with the Spirit of Philosophical Wine, and the Process will be shorter and better. But this Salt of Gold may be also made without the said Water of Honey, provided the Menstruum be so corrosive as to dissolve the remaining Body of the Gold, thus in Labore tertio Revelat. he reverberates the Caput mortuum of Gold, the space of three days, then calcines it with an equal weight of the Salt of Tartar, which he washeth off with Distilled Water, and extracts the Salt out of the dried Powder with Vinegar, which drawing off the Vinegar, he clarifies with the Spirit of Wine, that is, he dissolves, filters, draws off, and cristallizeth it into the true Salt of Sol. In another place, he extracts the Salt of Gold by the Spirit of Ʋniversal Mercury, as in Elucidatione 12. Clavium, where he affirms, that the Philosophers Stone cannot be coagulated or fixed without this Salt; and that he hath taught the way of making it in the fourth Key. By the Philosophers Oyl of Mercury, he means the Oyl of Mars and Venus, not yet reduced into the Spirit of Ʋniver∣sal Mercury, or acuated with its own Salt, and the more fix∣ed part indeed of this Menstruum, which he calls the Philo∣sophers Sulphur, not the more volatile part, which is call'd the Philosophers Mercury: With this Sulphur he dissolves the

Soul or Crocus of Sol, and converts it into potable Gold. Libro de supernaturali Medicina. Yet sometimes he would have us take the same Oyl of Mercury for the Oyl of Roman Vi∣triol, the Menstruum described in Numb. 98. So in Libro de particular. in particulari Solis, he reduceth the white Body of the King (Gold, left in the extraction of the Soul or Cro∣cus of Sol) with Philosophical Sulphur, which is the second Principle in order; and the Spirit of Mercury (a little before call'd the White Spirit of Vitriol) into pure and malleable Gold, as it was before, not in the least defective in colour and vir∣tue.

Sometimes he acuates the Spirit of Ʋniversal Mercury, with the Sulphur and Salt of other Metals: Thus,