Mr. Culpepper's Treatise of aurum potabile Being a description of the three-fold world, viz. elementary celestial intellectual containing the knowledge necessary to the study of hermetick philosophy. Faithfully written by him in his life-time, and since his death, published by his wife.

TO THE READER.

Courteous Reader;

SO great are the Affli∣ctions wherewith our heavenly Father hath been pleased to exer∣cise me his poor hand∣maid, that I have not only lived to see my dear husband, the stay and solace of my life, taken from me: but it hath been my hard hap also to see his Reputation, and Memory (which will be dear to all Posterity, for the Works he hath written for the

common good of this Nation) blemish∣ed, and eclipsed, by the covetous and unjust forgeries of one, who though he calls himselfe Nathanael, is far from being an Israelite in whom there is no guile; who was not content to publish a hodge-podge of indigested Collecti∣ons, and Observations of my dear hus∣band deceased, under the Title of Cul∣pepper's last Legacy; but to make the deceit more taking, he steeled his fore∣head so far, and braised it so hard, as not to be ashamed to forge two Epistles, one in mine, and the other in my hus∣bands name; of the penning of which, he nor I never so much as dream't: And yet he impudently affirmeth in my name, that my husband

Layd a se∣vere Injunction on me to publish them for the generall good, after his de∣cease; and that they are his last Ex∣periences in Physick and Chyrurgery▪

And in the Title of his Book, he saith,

They are the choycest and most profi∣table Secrets, resolved never to be published till after his death.

All which expressions in the Title and Epi∣stles, are as false as the father of Lies; and every word in them forged and fai∣ned. And he knew well enough that no discreet honest man, that was a friend to my husband, or me, would ever have agreed to such infamous and dishonest practices; and therefore I desire all Courteous Readers of the writings of my husband, to take notice of this De∣ceit, and to assure themselves that it never entred into his head, to publish such an undigested Gallimoffery, un∣der the promising and solemne name of his Last Legacy, and that whereby he gained his reputation in the world, as the Imposter makes him speak in his forged Epistle. And I desire any indif∣ferent

Reader, that hath observed my husbands lofty, and Masculine manner of expressing himselfe in his Prefaces, and Epistles Dedicatory, whether in case he had been minded or disposed to take so solemne a farewell of the world, as the Forger makes him to doe; whe∣ther, I say, he would have done it in such a whining fashion, and so in the stile of a Ballade-maker, as to say,

And now if it shall please Heaven to put a period to my life, and studies, that I must bid all things under the Sun farewell: Farewell to my dear Wife and Child, farewell Arts and Sciences, farewell all worldly glo∣ries, adieu Readers.

Certainly my husband would have been far more se∣rious, and materiall, in such a case, as any discreet man will judge. Neither can it be thought, that in such a solemn valediction, he could possibly forget his

wonted respects to the Colledge of Doctours, to whom he did so frequent∣ly addresse himselfe, in divers of his Writings.

Courteous Readers, I shall say no more touching the abuse of the Book-sel∣ler, only to prevent (as much as concerns me) thy being abused for the future, know, That my husband left * seventy-nine Books of his own making, or Tran∣slating, in my hands, and

I have depo∣sited them into the hands of his and my much Honoured Friend, Mr. Peter Cole, Book-seller, at the Print∣ing Presse, near the Royal Exchange, (for the good of my Child) from whom thou mayest expect to receive in Print, such of them as shall be thought fit to serve thee in due season without any disguises or forgeries, unto which I do hereby give my atte∣station.

Also my husband left seven∣teen

Books compleatly perfected, in the hands of the said Mr. Cole, for which he paid my husband in his life-time.

In the mean time, to save thy long∣ing, accept herewith of one of the choy∣cest of his writings (as I am informed by a learned friend that ha's taken a view thereof) for sublimity of matter, and stile, being (it should seem) a Treatise touching Aurum Potabile, or rare Golden Liquor, the TRƲE LE∣GACY, which he left me, which Au∣rum Potabile, is a rare Cordiall, and Ʋniversall Medicine, the perfection whereof was studied out, and attained unto by the joynt endeavours of Dr. Freeman, and my husband: And as my husband sould it in his life-time, so hath he left it to me, of whom any that please, may have it, at the dwel∣ling-house of my deceased husband, where I yet remaine; the vertue where∣of

in his owne words Printed with the sixth Edition of the London Dispen∣satory, are as followeth.

The Vertues, Ʋse, and Vari∣eties of Operations of the true and Philosophicall Aurum Potabile. Now made and sold by Dr. Freeman, and by the Widow of Dr. Culpep∣per, in Spittle-fields, on the East side, next door to the red LYON.

IT Cures all Agues, whether Quo∣tidian, Tertian, or Quartain; also it cured divers people of that most horrid putrid Feaver, which so vio∣lently seized on mens bodies (both before and after Michaelmas, 1653.) to the great admiration of many. And

when the parties diseased, have been both senslesse and speechlesse, so that neither that, nor any other Medicine, or Panacea, though never so gentle, could safely be administred into the body, it hath beyond all hopes, by ex∣ternall application on the stomack, re∣vived them from death. It Cures the Gout, being fitly administrated, and the patient abstaining from the causes. It prevents Miscarriage in women sub∣ject thereunto, and being administred when their time is come, it causeth a speedy and easie delivery.

It is an universall Remedy for all Diseases, for its chief aime is to exhila∣rate the heart, and vitall spirits, which supply the Microcosme, as the Sun doth the Macrocosme: It binds and stops Fluxes, and yet purges; it provokes and stayes Vomiting: It causeth sweat, yet Cures praternaturall sweat∣ing,

and performes all its operations as Nature her self would have it, because it only fortifies her in her Centre, and then she is her selfe able to expell or correct and amend her enemy.

To conclude, It's an universall for∣tification for all Complexions, and A∣ges, against all sorts and degrees of Pe∣stilentiall and Contagious infections, both preventing before their possessi∣on, and extirpating of them after it.

I shall say no more at present, but refer you to a Treatise that shall shortly be published on this subject.

Jan. 1. 1653.

NIC: CULPEPPER.

And this is that Treatise (Courte∣ous Readers) which ha's hung long in the birth, but never saw the light till now, and that thou mayest not de∣lude thy selfe with thy owne imagina∣tions,

suffer me to tell thee before 〈◊〉〈◊〉 part, That thou mayest not expect 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this following Treatise, a plain descri••¦tion of my husbands Aurum Potabil•• so that all the world reading this Boo•• might make it: No, it had been in va•••• to leave me this Medicine as a Legac•• and to make it common to every bod•• His scope in this Sublime Treatise•• to convince the Incredulous, from pri••¦ciples of Nature,

That it is possib•••• to make such a Medicine of such ra•••• and generall Virtues: And witha•• To give such hints to the learned a•••• experienced Philosopher, as mig•••• direct him in the search of this exc••••¦lent Secret.

In a word, If thou sh•••••• expect the Mysteries of Nature layd ••¦pen after the method of Hermetic•••• Philosophers, in a more distinct mann•••• then perhaps ha's ever been Printed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the English tongue, peruse this follo••¦ing

Treatise, and (as a learned friend ha's assured me) thou shalt receive no small satisfaction.

Neither let the Name offend any man, as if there were some deceit couch∣ed therein, or as if we would have the world believe that it consists of no∣thing but Gold, reduced to a quintes∣sentiall Liquor; no, we are sure that it must then be sold at a far higher rate then we now afford it. Let it suffice the ingenious Reader to know, That it is the most precious of all Medicines (as Gold is of Mettalls) and worth its weight in Gold, for the Excellency thereof: And that there is in it of the substance of Gold reduced into its prin∣ciples, and made agreeable to mans con∣stitution, by Art, therefore it is called Aurum Potabile. Such as it is (Cour∣teous Readers) with all its excellent virtues, if you please to take the paines

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to come, or send to my house, you m•••• have of it for your use, and there I sha•••• be ready face to face, to assure any o•••• (that doubts) touching the truth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 what ha's been asserted in this Epistl•• by your well-wishing Friend

Ready to serve you Alice Culpepper.

From my House, next doore to the Red Lyon, in Spittle-fields, October 9. 1655.

M^ris Alice Culpepper subscribed this Epistle, the presence of nine Witnesses, who are ready to testifie the truth thereof, if n•• require.