CHAP. I. Teacheth, how to prepare the Salt for the white and red Elixir.

TAke, in the Name of God, great Bay-Salt as it is made out of the Sea; take a good quantity and stamp very small into a stone-Morter: then take Cucurbites of Glass, and pour your Salt therein: then take fair Well-water, and let your Salt resolve into cleer water; being all dissolved, then distil it by Fil∣ter; that is to say, hang a jag Felt or Woolen-cloath, in the Cucurbite; and let the other and hang in another Glass beside it, set as it were under it, that the Water may drop into Page  104 it, that the Felt or Cloath will draw out, and that shall be cleer as Silver: and when that all the water is dopped over, look to it if that it be very cleer; if it be not, filter it again into another Glass, till it be cleer or Christalline: and when it is so, put it into a Glasen Pan, set it upon a Sand-Oven, and let the Water vapour away, till that it do come above like unto white-Salt: then take stone-piss-Pots, or Pots made of Cullen-Earth, such as the drinking Pots be made of, and put the Water and the Salt that remains, therein, and set upon the said Oven, and let it vapour away; and while that it doth dry, stir it with a stick, till that it be very dry, otherwayes, it will come into a lump or mass: and this being well dried, beat it in a stone-Morter very fine, as you did before, and then put it into a melting Cruce, and set them into a glowing Oven, or Say-Oven, which is an Oven that the Gold-smiths do enamel their Rings in: the Oven being very hot, take the Cruses that be filled with Salt, and set them into the Oven, and let them stand until they be glowing hot; and see that they be no hotter behinde then before; if they be, then turn them round with a pair of Gold-smiths Tongs: put but one Pot in the Oven at a time, that you may do them the better; and when that Pot is red glowing hot, take it out, and put in another to be calcined.

And then, when cold, put it again into your Morter, and break it as small as you can, the third time, and then set it in the Fire of the Page  105 Oven to glow as aforesaid, Two or three times glowing, and breaking of it every time in a stone-Morter until seven times, and then put it into Well-water to dissolve, till it be all dissolved into cleer water.

Then distil it by Filter, until it be as cleer as Christal, then set it again upon your O∣ven to dry, and the Water to vapour until that it be Salt, and stir it with a stick as before-said.

And when that it is dry, set it to calcine a∣gain, as beforesaid, in the Sand-Oven; and when that all the Pots that have the Salt, be all glowing hot, then take them out, and beat them to Powder, as before; and again dis∣solve into Water.

Then distil it again by Filter, as before: this shalt thou do so many times, to say, dissolve into Water, and then distil by Filter, and then con∣geal it into dry Salt, glowing it by Fire: this do without resting until it come to be fat, and that it will melt upon a hot glowing Plate of Luna: and if it will not melt like Wax, you must dissolve, di∣stil, congeal, until that it will come to that point or perfection: and you must be careful, lest that it should melt in the Calcination; for then all your labour is lost. Keep this for a great secret: and such a preparation doth appertain to the Salt, that which is the Riches of this world.

For otherwise thou shalt never come to the perfect end of any Elixir, without such Salt prepared, as aforesaid, to say, to the white Page  106 Elixir, nor yet to the red.

Therefore, my beloved Son, he that doth know the Secrets of this Salt, (to say) his Solution, his Congealation, Distillation and Calcinati∣on, and can well understand, knoweth the whole Secrets of Natural Philosophy, and wise men also; that is to say, how and in what manner he ought to dissolve, distil, congeal, and cal∣cine. Therefore let not the labour in preparing of this Salt be grievous unto thee; for without great cost you may learn herein, to distil by Fil∣ter, dissolve, congeal, and calcine; and to form all the works that be needful unto thee in this Science.

So that you come to the principal work, you shall not be to seek or to learn: Therefore be patient, and leave not off to work, un∣til thou hast brought thy Salt to that pass as I have taught thee before, until it melt upon a hot glowing Plate of Silver, as Wax in the fire: for without this Salt thy labor is in vain; for it is the Key of this Science.

CHAP. II. Teacheth with this prepared Salt to make the Elixir to the white work.

TAke of Salt-Peter two parts, and one part of Allome, and distil thereof a strong Water.

Then take of your prepared Salt so much as you will set to work, and take as much fine Capel Luna as you have of your Salt.

Beat your Luna into thin Plates, and dissolve into the strong Water a part, in a Glass by it self.

Likewise your Salt you must dissolve in the said strong Water by it self.

And when your Luna and Salt is dissolved in both Glasses, put the two cleer Waters together, and note that you put no more Water to the dis∣solution of these two matters, then will dissolve them, and you shall see your Luna fall to the bottom of the Glass, white, like Milk: take the Glass properly, and shake it in your hand, and let it stand, and you shall see your Luna as a green Water to rise; above the which you shall pour properly off into another Viol of Glass: then pour upon it more strong Water, that hath not occupied, and do as aforesaid; putting the green Water off in the first green Water, shaking it, as aforesaid.

This do until all your Luna be dissolved into Page  108 green Water, that no Feces remains; otherwise, your work will not be perfected: and when you have all into cleer Water without Feces, put the same into a Cucurbite of Glass with a Helm and a Recipient, and Lute it strongly: and when your Lutement is dry, then set your Cucurbite in Balneo, and make fast to the bottom of your Glass a round Certel of Lead, like a Fol; and as your Lutement doth dry, so increase your fire a little to distil of the flame, that there shall re∣main no more strength in it then common wa∣ter: and to know this, put a clout in the mouth of the Alimbeck: and when the clout doth begin to look yellow, pull all the fire out of the Oven; for then the Spirits of the strong Water do be∣gin to come.

Therefore look well to your work, lest your fire be too hot, that no Spirits come out of your Water; otherwise you shall fail in your work. Then let your Glass and Oven stand and cool two hours long: then take off the Helm of your Cucurbite, and have a Cover of Glass that may pass just in the mouth of your Cucurbite, wherein your Medicine is in, fast luted to with Lutement, or with white Wax: then set it in your Sand-Oven, or warm Ashes, not very hot.

Then take fair Capel Luna beaten very thin into Plates and cut into small pieces, and put in a little at a time till it be dissolved; and when that is dissolved, put in more till it be dissolved also. And thus let your Glass stand in warm Ashes, and look that no Air go out of your Glass nor Cement.

Page  109This nourishing shall continue until it will dissolve no more, but lie in the Glass undis∣solved two or three days long: and then is your Medicine nourished like a Child in the Mothers Womb.

Then may you let your Glass wax cold, and you shall understand, without this nourishing the Medicine cannot ingender; and therefore it is needful that it be nourished, that it may get strength of Generation: and when your Glass is cold, lute your Glass well with good Lutement, that may indure against Water, the which I will learn thee in a Chapter apart, and let the Lute∣ment dry by it self; then set the Glass in Balneo Mariae, to putrefie fourty days long to hold it in such a heat, as the Sun in Summer: for great fire may destroy your Medicine. Therefore let your fire be alwayes of one heat: for in that there doth remain a great secret of the Me∣dicine.

And within the forty dayes your Medicine shall be dissolved; and if it be not dissolved in forty dayes, let it stand longer until it be dis∣solved: for this is the primest of all the work: for the dissolution is done by heat and moisture, and congealed by heat and drowth.

This Point being obtained, you have the Key of the Chamber, and he is blessed of God that hath this point.

For this is a token of goodness, for in every Dissolution and Congealation, you do augment your Medicine and Degree: for the first time it will do projection one ounce upon seven, and Page  110 dissolve and congeal again; one ounce will pro∣ject upon fourteen ounces, and the third time upon twenty eight ounces.

And so it goeth forth double in projection e∣very Dissolution and Congealation.

But you shall understand that the Congeala∣tion that cometh of warmth, is no perfect Con∣gealation; but it ought to congeal in the Glass or in the Ampule with heat, (to say) standing in warm Ashes: and therefore, whenas your Me∣dicine is dissolved in your Glass, let it cool; then take it out of your Balneo, and dry your Glass.

And look well to your Lutements that they be close, without any clefts to let out the Spirits; then set it in your Sand-Oven in Ashes: then put fire in your Oven, and let your fire be no greater, then that you may hold your finger in the Ashes: and so let it stand twenty four hours to congeal; if not congealed in that time, you may let it stand longer; and when you see that it is congealed, give God thanks, and rejoyce; for it is ready to do projection in this manner.

Take to project on,

Fair red Copper the best that you can get, and take from him his redness, which serveth not in the work: the which you shall do after this manner.

Beat your Venus into thin Plates, and cut it in small pieces, and anoint them with this paste or pap.

Take white Arsnick and grinde it on a Mar∣ble-stone with Oyl of Tartar, that it be thick Page  111 like Pap; and with this matter anoint your (Copper) Venus pieces: then take great Bay-salt, and put some part of it into a melting-Pot bottom, and lay your (Copper) Venus pieces upon that: and then Salt upon them, and (Copper) Ve∣nus pieces upon that, Stratum super Stratum, till all your Pot is full: and uppermost in your Pot, let there be a good quantity of Salt: take a tile-stone, and make a round Covet for the Pot, and lute it well too; and when the Lutement is dry, set it in an Oven in fire of Calcination for twenty four hours long.

Then let it cool; and then break your Pot open, and cast the matter that is in your Pot in warm Water, and stir them with your Hand, until the pieces be clean, and that the Water comes fresh from them. Then dry them, and beat them in an Iron Mor∣ter, so small as you can. Then put your Ve∣nus, so beaten, into a Canvas Bag that is sowed close up, and round like a Ball. Then take fat Clay that is mixed with hair, and there∣withal streak over your Bag, thinly, that it may dry; and when that it is dry, streak it over and over again, as it drieth, until your Clay be as thick as a Pot. Then, when your Clay is luted fast about your Canvas, take a small wooden Pin, and put through your Lute∣ment into the Bag, that the small end may re∣main within the (Copper) Venus.

Then put the round Ball of (Copper) Venus into another melting-Pot, the wooden Pin Page  112 downwards; but you must remember to put among your beaten Venus, Sandever, Verne, Salt-peter, (Ana.)

Then set this Pot in a wide Furnace to melt, and the Venus will melt and run out into the Pot, wherein it doth lie: and then the Venus shall be fair and white like Luna, and shall be profitable in this work: the which, without this work of Preparation, would not be as you should do your projection.

Take seven ounces of this prepared Venus, and put it into a melting-Pot, and slow it in the highest degree of fire that you can, in a wide Furnace: then put to it one ounce of fine Capel Luna; and when it is melten, as afore∣said, put to it one ounce of your Medicine or Elixir, and nimbly stir it with a wooden stick; but let no Iron come unto it: and when it is well corporated, then take it out, and cast it into an Ingot; so you have the best Luna in the World, to abide all Proofs and Examinations; and it is far more fine then that that comes out of the Earth. When you have finished this Work, give God thanks, and remember the poor.

CHAP. III. Of the Properties of the Salt, how it is the Key of this Science.

MY beloved Son, although our Salt be the principal Key of this Science, yet can he not do any good, although he were made melting as Butter, without joyning with his Sol or Luna; otherwise, there is no Generation: therefore he must be prepared by himself, and then joyn unto him Sol or Luna, before you do any projection upon any imperfect Metal, to make them perfect.

But when you have prepared him by himself, and after joyned fine Capel Luna with him, as afore written in the other Chapter; then must the Body that you will project upon, be made clean as aforesaid, and then made living with Luna joyned thereto.

For all unperfect Bodies be called dead, saving Sol and Luna: they be called living, and full made; and the same living Body that we cast on him, or projection withal, we call Featen or Fer∣ment, and that doth make our imperfect Body perfect; and therefore they must be all three joyned together, or else there will be no Trans∣mutation. Thus I do shut up the Composition of the white Elixir, and now will begin with the red Elixir.

CHAP. IV. Teacheth, The Composition of the red Elixir.

TAke, in the Name of God, as much of our prepared Salt as you think good, and dissolve it in this strong Water.

Take two parts of good Vitriol, and one part of fine Saltpeter; and put so much Salt into your Water as your Water will dissolve, that there be no Feces remaining, but that it be dis∣solved and turned into clear Water: then fine Sol, that is passed seven times through the Ce∣ment, which I will learn thee in the sixth Chap∣ter: take one part of the Sol that is so passed through the Cement, and two parts of your prepared infusible Salt; but let your Salt be first dissolved in the said Water, as foresaid: then put in your Sol, the which shall dissolve well in the said Water: and when your Sol is dis∣solved, then set your Glass upon warm Ashes; so shall it dissolve it the better into cleer Wa∣ter.

Then put of the cleer Water in another Glass apart, and put other of that strong Water upon your Sol: This do untill you have put it all over into clear Water in the other Glass apart; and that there doth not remain any sub∣stance in the bottom undissolved.

Then work therewith as you have done in Page  115 the white work, and draw the Phlegmate out with Balneo in such a heat that there go none of the Spirits out, or any strength or sharpness, and do it in all manner, as in the white work; and you must nourish the Medicine in his own matter, that is, with fine Sol, that you have pas∣sed seven times through the Cement, making it as thin as you can in Plates; and feed your Me∣dicine therewith, as much as it will eat; and then set it on warm Ashes to congeal.

Then set it to putrefie fifteen days in Balneo, not making your fire too great; for in the fifteen dayes it ought to be dissolved: then congeal it on warm Ashes; the which will be done in twenty four hours.

Do in all things as in the white Elixir afore∣said; for his first Dissolution and Congealation doth fall upon one ounce for twenty eight: and so for the doubling.

This Elixir ought not to be projected but upon fine Luna prepared, as heareafter shall be learn∣ed; to say, That he have weight of Sol, and deaf∣ness of sound, like Saturn; so that he shall lack nothing but Colour and Fixation, the which our Elixir shall give him, through the Grace of God.

CHAP. V. Teacheth thee to do projection with the red Elixir.

MY beloved Son, if thou wilt transmute Luna into Sol, take fine Capel Luna that is pre∣pared, in the Chapter hereafter written, being made without sounding or ringing, and heavy in weight: the which I shall learn thee.

Take seven ounces of this Luna, and melt it in a melting pot; and being well melten, put unto it one ounce of fine Sol that is passed seven times through the Cement, as I will learn thee here∣after: for there is no Sol in the World finer then this, to serve this Science.

Were it augmented in Colour by our Cement, and when it is well melten together with the Luna, stir it together with a wooden stick; but no Iron, for that will hurt the projection. These two being well mingled together, put into it one ounce of your red Elixir well stirred and mingled together, as aforesaid, with a wooden stick: then take it out, and cast it into an Ingot, and you shall finde it to be fine Sol of twenty four Char∣racts, to pass all proofs, more finer and better then any that comes from the Mines. Give praise to God for his wonderful works.

CHAP. VI. Doth teach the Composition of the Cement for the Sol.

TAke, in the name of God, of the finest Gold that you can get, one ounce; and melt with it the reddest Venus and fairest that you can get, one ounce: and when these two be well molten together, cast them into an Ingot; and when it is cold, beat it into thin Plates, no thicker then a Crown, and with a pair of Goldsmiths sheers cut them in pieces of the bigness of a Royal of Plate, and put them into strong red Wine-vinegar, twenty four hours long: then take old Tiles that have lain a long time in the Sun, and make them into subtil Powder, and sift them through a hairen sieve: then take common Salt that is once dissolved, distilled by Filter, and once well-glowed in the fire, and beaten into a Powder, and passed through a sieve: then take Romane Vitriol, and rubefie it as I shall shew thee hereafter: then take good red-wine-vi∣negar, distilled in a stillatory of Glass: and in that Vinegar, you shall dissolve your Vitriol: then distil it by Filter, very cleer: then set it on warm Ashes to congeal or dry, that the Water may vapor away, and you shall finde your Vi∣triol to rest very fair in the bottom: then take a new earthen Pot or Pan, and put your Vitriol therein, and set it on a cool fire, and stir it well Page  118 with a stick, and so it shall rubefie, and wax red as blood; then let it cool, and make it into Powder, and pass it through a Sieve: and in the same Water, you shall take Spanish Green, or Verdigreece, and dissolve it in distilled Vinegar: then vapor it, and dry it: then glow it in the fire, doing all things as the Vitriol aforesaid: then take as much Salt Armoniack, and dissolve it in red-wine-vinegar that is not distilled: then take of all these substances of Powder alike much, and sprinkle lightly over with the Vinegar, wherein the Salt Armoniack is dissolved; and let there be as much of the Salt Armoniack dis∣solved, as there is of any of the other parts: then take a melting-Pot, and lay in the bot∣tom of your Pot a good Ground of your Ce∣ment, and of your Sol-Venus Plates upon the Cement; so that the Plates do not touch one another: then put more of your Cement-pow∣der upon it, and so Stratum super Stratum, till that the Pot be full: let the uppermost lain be Cement.

Then take a Tile-stone, and make a Cover just for the mouth of the Pot, making a little hole in the Cover, or else the Salt Armoniack will break your Pot, or blow up the Cover: and when you have made this vent-hole, lute it fast together: and when your Lutement is dry, set it into your winde-Oven, and first give it a small fire two hours long, the next two hours more stronger; and thus still augment your fire, till that you see the Pot be glowing red; and so let it stand in the heat twenty four hours long: then let your O∣ven Page  119 cool; and take it out, and open your Pot, and you shall finde your Plates augmented in colour.

The first, my Son, if you will make this work in the Reverber Oven, so make your fire: the first half hour, small fire of coals; and the other time, of dry wood, that may be without smoke; and work in the high Ovens a yard from the ground: and in this manner you must cement your Gold seven times, every time new Pots, and new fresh Powder or Cement, every time melt∣ing your Sol with new Venus, and beating in Plates as aforesaid; for in every Cement your Venus shall be consumed, and in the Sol no more shall remain of the Venus, but the Tincture and Colour; and your Sol shall keep alwayes his first weight, but his colour shall be so high, that none shall judge it to be Sol; and you shall under∣stand, that if there were so much Luna, being made without sound, and augmented in weight, melted with the said Sol, it would seem to be fine Sol. But I counsel thee not to do it; for in divers meltings, it will lose its colour, and come white as afore, because your fixed Elixir, or me∣dium, is not put to it: therefore I counsel thee not to do it; for in the end it will shame his Master; and peradventure bring him in perill of his life, if he should sell it for fine Sol. There∣fore look well to thy self, and see that thou use no falshood.

CHAP. VII. Teacheth thee to make thy Luna deaf of sound, and heavy of weight, as Sol aforesaid.

MY beloved Son, Take Vitriol, and distil thereof a strong Water, and dissolve therein Salt Armoniack, as much as it can dis∣solve; then set it upon warm Ashes, and put into it as much living Sulphur, as there is Salt Armo∣niack; and then shake it together with your hands, stopping your Glass well, that no Spirits go out, and set it upon Ashes, and lute a Helm upon it with a recipient, and make a proper fire under it, till the Water be distilled forth of the Glass: then let it cool, and take away the Wa∣ter, and stop the pipe of the Helm fast, that no vent come forth, and make stronger fire: then shall the Sulphur and Salt Armoniack sublime up into the Helm; keep it well: then take fine Capel Luna, and melt it in a melting-Pot, and cast of that sublime upon your Luna three times, stirring it well together in the Pot with a wooden stick, but no Iron; and this shall make your Luna heavy of weight, and deaf of clank, like Sol: and you shall understand, that if you have ten Ounces of Luna, you shall cast one Ounce of this same Powder upon it, stirring it as aforesaid; and if your Luna be black, (as it will be) that is a good token: then cast it out in an Ingot, and quench it in Water; and it shall come blue: Page  121 then seeth it in Goldsmiths-water (that is made with Tartar and Salt-common) one hour long, and it shall come white as at first: and thus is your Luna prepared to receive your red Elixir.

CHAP. VIII. Teacheth thee the difference between the Elixir and the great Stone of the Philosophers.

MY beloved Son, Our Elixir white and red be called Stones and no Stones; for in manner to speak, there is no Stone so full made, as is our great Stone of the Philosophers, that is called Major: for the great Stone is full made, and a perfect work serving to all unperfect Me∣tals: for to transmute them into true fine Sol and Luna after the preparation hereof; for if he be prepared into Luna, so shall he ever set them into Luna: for every one of them doth engender his like: the which great Stone I will learn thee how thou shalt make it, in his place hereafter, if it please the Almighty God. The great Stone that doth serve for the red work, or to Sol, is called, Lapis Philosophorum major; and to the white, it is called Lunary; but the Elixirs be called, Stones and no Stones; but we call them, Elixirs de Sale, that is, Elixirs of Salt, because they be compounded of Salt, to say, of great Bay-Sea-Salt, that is clarified by dissolving and congealing, as is before learned; and also with another Salt that is called Saltpeter, the which Page  122 doth conjoyn himself to the Salt that is in the depth of the Body of Sol, when the Tincture is given him by the Cement. And if the people in times past, had well understood the meaning of this Salt, they had come to the end of their work: but for lack of understanding, they have changed the words of the Philosophers, that say, Our Stone is Stone and no Stone; for they have meant the Elixirs, the which the unlearned have not understood; and they have named it their salt, that is our Salt of Nature that we have spoken of before: our Salt of Wisdom, that is, when it is prepared: our Menstruum; for with the same our Medicine is nourished, as the Child is in the Mothers wombe. They call it also, A King, and that noble Salt, and that living Water, or Oyl of Grace, and the most precious Water of the most secrets, and the most coming, the which dissolveth Mercury; the same is the Mer∣cury of the Philosophers: and he dissolveth all Bodies of Metals, and it is a Medicine, and the first beginning of the Stone; and it is living Wa∣ter and living Sulphur; he is the Lord and Master of all Salts, and without him the other have no full power to make perfect any thing; he doth binde and unbinde; he doth joyn the Man with the Wife; he doth change one kinde with ano∣ther, and makes of Bodies, Spirits; and of Spi∣rits, Bodies: and this must all be compounded, and make perfect the Philosophers stone.

CHAP. IX. Teacheth, That our Sol and Luna is living, and the Sol and Luna of the Mines be dead.

MY Son, you shall understand, That our Sol and Luna be living, and these that are of the Mines are dead; and therefore the Sol of the Earth is not so good as our Sol that is made by this Science; for our Sol hath in him three things, (to say) a Soul, a Body, and a Spirit: without the which three things, there can no Transmutation be made, the which one alone cannot do; therefore they must be all three to∣gether, if any good should be done. And under∣stand, That no man can do any Transmutation with the corruption of the perfect Bodies, that is Sol and Luna: for we take the Spirit of the perfect Bodies, through our Sperm, or our strong Water, and this same Spirits is holden in our Water, that is, our dissolved Salt, which is our menstruum: for where the Mother hath re∣ceived the Seed, that is, the Sperm of the unper∣fect Bodies with her menstruum into her Body; so shall it receive no life before the Soul come into it: so do we as Nature doth ask, we conjoyn this together, till he come to cleer Water with∣out Feces, and then we draw out the simple Phlegmate in Balneo or Ashes; and after, that we put in the Soul, or nourish it with Sol or Luna, Page  124 according to the making of your Medicine, then be they ready to ingender her like; and then we do put them in putrefaction the time afore∣written: then is the Spirit and the Soul per∣fectly made, and the copulation is done; and then, when that we shall do projection upon any unperfect Body or Metal so called, then this Spirit or Medicine doth take to him a Body: and then it is called a Spirit, a Soul, and a Body, which is then living.

And this Instruction (my beloved Son) I give to thee, that thou maist know, that our Sol and Luna is living, and those in the Earth or Mines be dead: and also, that thou maist know, that our Elixir white or red, are not other then spiritual, or a Spirit: the which, when it is cast up∣on a dead body with the Soul, it is made living; that same then is multiplied and augmented in goodness and perfections; and in him is fulfil∣led that through accident, which in the Earth it did lack; (to say) that sickness which is got in the earth, is taken away through our Medicine or Elixir red or white: the which we do in this manner; We take, in the Name of God, our Earth or Metal, that is, an unperfect Body, and melt it with a perfect Body or Corpus, the which is our Leaven, with the which we do prepare our paste or dough; and then we cast upon it our Elixir, the which is our Spirit; the which then doth make it perfect, and a living Body or Metal: but the great Stone of the Philoso∣phers, the which I will learn thee hereafter to compound it, and perfectly to make it; the Page  125 which is of so great strength and power, that be he a dead Body or Metal, doth not onely make living and perfect, but also maketh of the same Metal Medicine, to transmute any other unper∣fect Metal into a perfect; and it doth the same in the twinckling of an eye: so that he may be called, and is, The Riches of the whole World. Herewithall do we conclude the first Part of this Book, to say, The Composition of the Elixirs white and red.