Hermetic and Alchemical Writings (Coelum Philosophorum, Aurora of the Philosophers, Concerning the Nature of Things, ...)

Given by the Grace of God. Take Oxide of Vitriol \ Flos Aeris J- \ part each. Ematite i. oz. Boil in a glass vessel and dry to a powder. Place in dung or a cellarium, that it may be dissolved to water. Coagulate this water to a powder. Then take i. part of gold, ii. or iii. of silver. Dissolve and project \ oz. of this over viii. oz. projected in a state of flux. The more it is burnt, the better it will be. A Very Good Cement in Sol. Take calcined Venus, vitriol calcined to a gray colour, and use a common salt. Let Sol be cemented in it 12 or 6 or 8, and it will then be graduated to the highest point. Fixed Oil. Take equal parts of salt, of nitre, and of quick lime. Burn it well for one hour, then dissolve and filter it, and it will be coagulated. Do the same with oil of tartar. Take equal parts of both. Dissolve in dung or in a bath. " Solution of Gold by Marcasites. Take Antimony x. parts. Common Sulphur / ... ( iij- parts each. Crude Tartar ; Common Salt fused ij.

Let them flow together into a black mass. Put them at the same time to be melted with the marcasites. Pour in the regulus, and purify in a cinder fire. The Projection of Luna. Take of golden marcasite and of stibium equal parts. Pour them together into a fusorium 27. From the fusorium it is extinguished in strong alcali. Project in succession, and you will find much Sol in the separation of the strong waters. The Fixation of Antimony. Take Antimony i. lb. Saltpetre \\h. Put them to melt together in a tigillum, and the mixture will become fixed. It no longer consumes gold or silver, nor is evaporated by fire, and is of a red colour. Water giving Weight to Sol and Luna. [Also if you wish to give weight to a silver or gold cup.] A Great Secret. Take Calx of egg-shells Sij. Sal Ammoniac 2\ ozs. Let these be mixed by impastation. Leave the mixture in a damp place that it may be dissolved. Distil by a filter. Then dip gold or silver therein, and they will acquire three times their original weight. A Good Mode of Whitening, which will stand the Fire, and the Take Sublimated Mercury ^iv.

Sublimated Arsenic) , ... each ^ij. Sal Ammoniac Sviij. Sublimate three or four times, and afterwards add the clear part of eggs, cooked quant, suff. Pound the whole together until it be dissolved Attervvards distil in an alembic and congeal. If it be then dissolved in a bath, it will have more strength, and let there be placed therein one part in 100 of purified copper, tin, or mercury. For Minerals not Fixed. Take the unfixed mineral Common Salt Flour in equal parts. Let them be pounded together and moistened, so as to become a thick mass. Let it be dried by the fire, afterwards pounded, washed, and fulminated. Method of Calcining Mercury and the Preparation of Mercury Take Salt of Nitre Calcined Alum I lb. each. Take aquafortis, neither more nor less in quantity. Take the marcasite in powder, and place it in a phial with three ounces of Mercury. Pour upon it the aquafortis aforesaid, and let the phial be closed with sealingwax. When the mercury ceases to move and to leap about, then wash it well, dry it, with it take equal parts of litharge and calcined tartar. Mix all, reduce to a fluid together, afterwards by ash fire.

From the golden marcasite is made Sol, and from the silver, Luna. A Test for the said Work over Marcasite. Take marcasite, and place it in a tigillum with Mercury over the coals. Thus the Mercury becomes hard and red, and the marcasite fluid. Then it Another Method for the above. Place it in lead previously washed. If the lead renders it hard as Luna, and divisible when struck, it is good. Lord Leonhardus Sems (gave) the Note. Take of Cinnabar i. lb. of Arsenical Sulphur ) equal quantities, viz., of Calcinated Tartar ) i. quartal. of Alcohol of Soot of Twice-prepared Salt ( ^ of Saltpetre to the weight of all. Let them be mixed, pounded, and imbibed several times with water of eggs or albumen of tartar. Let them stand in flux for three hours. Then kindle. After this liquefy the mixture for four hours in a very strong fire. Proceed to wash and purge by cineritium, and you will have the Treasure of the World. Of Zinc. Take aquafortis in which Luna is dissolved ; afterwards imbibe with zinc ; next by means of the cineritium. Also imbibe and fulminate the dross in the glass. For Minerals which do not readily Melt. Extract alcali out of the caput morhnim, with which alcali every mineral is forcibly dissolved.

Concerning Minerals out of Arsenic. Take, pound well, and lute into slime by vicediam. Afterwards burn in the fire till the smoke ceases. Then it will be sublimated. Another Method. Take equal quantities of slime and of minera. Make a small pellet about the size of a bean. Let it be imbibed successively into Saturn, and afterwards fulminated. Another Method for Augmenting Minerals. Take of minera and of slime equal quantities. Let them be mingled, placed in ajar, and well luted. Burn three days and nights. After this it will be fulminated and augmented. For Sulphurous Antimoniacal Minerals. Take of minera i. lb., of saltpetre \ lb. Burn for an hour. Afterwards wash. Reduce to lead with litharge, and afterwards by means of the Take of filings of Venus twelve parts ; of laminated Jupiter one part. Next make the following powder : — Take xxxij. lb. of Sulphur Sand iij. lb. of Caput Mortuum i. lb. of Sulphur Pound them with the said filings. Make two layers of this powder. Distil in a wind furnace. Let it become a black powder. Next smelt it with half a part fz. Pour the regulus. Join to it three ounces of Luna in a cineritium

of light. Then you will have your Luna and 7^ oz. in cineritium. Reduction of the Minera. Take of minera i lb., of minium lb. i. Cause them to stand in flux half an hour. Then infrigidate. Combine in equal quantities with litharge. Imbibe in Saturn and fulminate. You will then find one dram of Luna and more than half an ounce of pure gold. Dross makes up the larger proportion. Digestion of the Moon. Take of Alum v. lb. of Saltpetre ) ,, of Vitriol I ^^^^ '"J- •''• of Verdigris iij. oz. ,, , . . of Cinnabar ij. oz. Afterwards take of Cinnabar \ crude Mercury \ xv. lb. each Let the aquafortis above-mentioned be poured over these recipes. Distil and at length purge. Also take iij. lb. of this water. Let there be dissolved therein two marcs of Luna. Afterwards let it stand on the cinders thirty days. You will then find iii. oz. of good gold. Water Fixing Mercury— A True Recipe. Take of Sal Ammoniac ] Alcali \ equal quantities. Imbibe them with burnt wine and distil. This water fixes Mercury. Digestion of Luna. Dissolve four ounces of lead, and as it melts a little, inject four ounces of quicksilver. Pulverise, imbibe with oil of tartar into a paste. Pulverise again. Then put the whole aforesaid amalgam in the tigillum. Place above viij. oz. of fixed sulphur. Dissolve thoroughly, mix, afterwards pour out and pulverise. Imbibe thrice with oil of tartar. Dissolve as before. Then take one ounce of purged Luna. Sprinkle gradually over it one ounce of the said powder. You will then find the weight of two grains of good gold.

Separation of Gold from the Cup. Take of white calcined Tartar i. oz. Sal Ammoniac ij. oz. Let an oil be produced in the cellarium. Then boil the roots of pyrethrum in vinegar for a long time. Take of oil and water equal quantities. Put them into the cup. Note, of sublimated sulphur see elsewhere. For the Cineritium. Take of Cinder three parts of Brick pounded and strained, two parts Also take again three parts of cinders, with one part of melted salt boiled with one part 27 oz. of small nails. It produces the equivalent of one talent. To render Iron unusually Hard. Distil water from radish and maw worms. Extinguish twice or thrice, and gems can be cut with it. To make Light without Fire. Take cantharides, putrefy it in dung, and distil it. Put this water into a hollow crystal, and there will be sufficient light to read by. For the White and Red. Take Vitriol Rom. lb. j. Saltpetre lb. vj. Cinnabar oz. iij. Distil as aquafortis. But collect the second water, which is saffron-coloured ; divide it into two parts, and in the first part dissolve i. oz. of sublimated mercury, in the other part i. oz. of silver filings. Let it dissolve and close it carefully. Having done this, let it distil over a very slow fire by means of an alembic until only a third part of it remains.

Afterwards put it into a good vessel of glass, and place this in cold, damp earth for fifteen days. Then the aforesaid matter falls to the bottom like a small, clear, and crystalline stone. Next, by means of a filter extract the water, so that the stones may remain, and place these, in a well-closed glass vessel, thoroughly luted, for five days in dung, and let them be dissolved into water. Take this water, put it in another vessel, and place the vessel In some other earth with a moderate light. Make a very slow fire underneath, scarcely more than the light of a lamp, for the space of three days, and that water will be hardened to the consistence of a stone. Take that stone once more and pulverise it on cleansed marble. Then place it in a glass vessel in dung for 30 days. Let it be again dissolved into water and hardened once more by fire in the manner aforesaid. Then once more dissolve it under dung as before, and keep on dissolving and congealing it until it is dissolved in one day. Then you will be better able to congeal and dissolve it. And it will be a water which congeals mercury into true Luna at every trial. One part of Luna is deposited for every thousand parts of mercury.

And if you wish to Multiply. Take the aforesaid aqua fortis in such quantity that you can dissolve in it 40 oz. of Luna in plates. Put it in a vessel by itself, and the same quantity of sublimated mercury by itself in another vessel. Leave it until it is dissolved in the water mentioned above. Into the water named before put one ounce of the elixir already described, which has stood for 12 days, while being made. Put all these ingredients, in a well-closed glass vessel, under the earth, in a cold, damp spot, for nine days ; then all will descend to the bottom of the vessel in the form of a crystalline stone. Extract the water by means of an alembic in the method described above, and place the stones in warm -dung for nine days as before. They will then be dissolved into water. Then know that this is the water of Luna and Mercurius, and that one ounce of the medicine should be viij. And the saffron medicine which falls will be one on a thousand. For Sol it is made thus : — • Take Vitriol Rom. lb. i. Cinnabar lb. \ Distil, as before, a second prepared water. In one part dissolve quick mercury, as much as you will. Then draw off the water by an alembic, and the calcined mercury will remain at the bottom. Burn this in the fire, as you know how, and it will be like blood.

It may be dissolved perhaps in aqua fortis and make this red. Having done this, take viij. oz. of the red water itself and i. oz. of the aforesaid medicine. What you have placed therein will descend to the bottom, in the shape of a crystalline stone. Then draw off the water by means of a filter, as before, and the stones will remain at the bottom. Then take the aforesaid stones, put them in a well-closed glass vessel, under warm dung for nine days, and it will be dissolved into a water. This medicine gives one part for every one thousand parts of quick mercury.

Make an amalgam of best mercury, carefully washed, iii. parts, and of good Luna i. part. Then wash very carefully with salt and acetum, until all blackness disappears. Pound the amalgam on a stone, and dry it. Steep it in urine after wrapping in linen rag. Take an alembic placed on ashes in a furnace, and make a moderate fire of coals, so that you can touch the top of the urine with the hand. Keep on thus decocting and pounding until it is thoroughly black, for this is a good sign. Then wash it in the water of common salt, thoroughly pure, until no blackness appears. Then once more pound, decoct, wash, and dry on linen rag until all blackness has disappeared. Put it then in a glass vessel for sublimation, when it ascends to the sides of the glass, and the Luna with it. Leave it to cool, and again mix all together ; pound and decoct twelve times in succession. Then place it in a vesica with a long neck, together with sublimated sal ammoniac. Pound it with the said amalgam, and let the sal ammoniac be dissolved in warm water, or, better still, in aqua vitas. Afterwards let the vesica be luted and dissolve in warm dung, changing the dung every week so that the matter shall be thoroughly dissolved, and it then becomes an elixir. Afterwards put it in urine to evaporate, and when the water is evaporated increase the fire, so that all the sal ammoniac may ascend, and the medicine may remain fixed in the bottom. Then remove the sal ammoniac, and congeal the medicine with a slow fire, as if it were Sol, for several days, and the thing is done.

If you wish to multiply this elixir, place one part with loo parts of quick mercury, purified and heated in a crucible. Melt it completely over a slow fire and it becomes friable Luna. If you put one part of this to loo parts of quick mercury it will become purest Sol. Red Oil which fixes Luna and Sol, and from which the Carbuncle Red Calcined Tin, iij. oz. each Red Sublimated Calx, lbs. ij. each Saltpetre, distilled and rectified with distilled Red Animal Oil, lb. j. each. Let these ingredients be covered with wax, and, when they have been thus treated twice, put the mixture to dissolve, until a pure red water is produced. Then let it be distilled in an alembic ; and with this water imbibe the quicksilver aforesaid. Then dissolve and distil it as before, and waxen with it the sulphur and the arsenic. Leave it to dissolve and to distil until it be clear and red, and coagulates of its own accord in the vessel of coagulation. When it has been coagulated, waxen it as above. Reduce it over a slow fire with the addition of animal oil until it will pour out like wax. Project one ounce of it on 100 parts of Luna or Jupiter. If there be mercury or anything else therein, tinge it, and it will be coagulated, producing gold better than that of Nature. Hereby also carbuncles can be made out of crystals.

The Gradation of Luna. Take Sal Ammoniac, oz. i. Alumen Jameni, oz. i. Flos .^ris, oz. ij. Vitriol Rom., oz. ^ Saltpetre, oz. i Tuchia, oz. i. Make an aqua fortis. Then pulverise thoroughly the dregs. Dissolve i. part of Sol and i. part of Luna, and project }^ a dram thereupon. Afterwards granulate per sturbam in the aforesaid strong water, and thus, beyond any doubt, you will have gold that will answer any test up to xxiiij. degrees. Perpetual Water. Take the calx of eggs. Dissolve it with the white of eggs for three weeks. This water placed on a brass plate heated to redness will acquire perpetual whiteness. Dissolve the calx of eggs with alumen jamenum, sugar, and common salt. Distil once in an alembic, and it serves for Luna. Take Salt of Nitre . . Sal Ammoniac Honey, cooked and skimmed, v. oz. Boy's Urine, xv. oz. Let these be mixed ; place them in a furnace for two days. Then congeal for one day and dissolve ; and it will be perfect water, which congeals mercury that has been purified and heated. It will also transmute brass into good Luna. The Strong Water called the Oil of the Philosophers. Take one part each of Vitriol Rom., and salt of nitre. Pulverise them and mix with charcoal made from linden wood. Moisten with acetum ; then pound, dissolve, and distil, when it will become an ardent water.

For Sol. Dissolve cinnabar with water of sal ammoniac, vitriol, and salt of nitre until it is perfectly fixed and becomes red, which will be after three or four dissolutions. Put this for sublimation with the same quantity of sal ammoniac. Repeat the sublimations until it be poured forth. Then dissolve in acetum, having previously dissolved plumose alum in the bath. Continue until it be as fluid as wax, and part of it tinges prepared Luna. Corporal Mercuries. Take arsenic and dissolve it in aqua fortis. Then take Luna, and dissolve that. Join them together, and strain them as you know hovr. Sublimate the arsenic from the body, and it will become a sort of mass. Put it into a damp place, and it will be dissolved into mercury. Corporal Mercury. Take any body you will and two parts of arsenic. Pulverise, and then sublimate them. Place in hot water and it will come forth as mercury. Corporal Mercury from the Metals. Take of any metal one part and of purified white arsenic another part. Make thin plates, place them one over the other in layers, and let them be regulated first of all in a slow fire, successively made stronger until it begins to smoke. Then pour quickly into cold water, and you will find mercury.

Mercury from Jupiter and Saturn. Put layer for layer of quicklime and metal, and place them in a sublimatory. Set on the fire, and sublimate as you know how. The mercury ascends, adhering to the alembic, and is quickened. Corporal Mercury from Saturn. Dissolve Saturn and put salt upon it. Shake it until it turns to a powder. Then wash it with warm water and dry it. Afterwards put it in a glass vessel and pour upon it the white of eggs and water of sal ammoniac. Lute it, put it in horse dung for two days, then take it out, and you will have what you require. The Mercury of Saturn according to the Experiment of Hamelius. Take thin plates of Saturn, placed layer by layer with common salt in a vessel. Bury it for eight days in the ground. Dilute with common water, and then a part of the mercury will be found at once. Repeat the process with the rest. Mercury of all the Metals. Take some sal ammoniac, flos aris, vitriol, and plates of any kind of metal. Put them in layers, and sublimate them. Place the sublimated portion in acetum, and you will find Mercurius vivus. Do this until all the plates are turned into mercury.

Mercury from all Bodies. Take the calx of any metal and place it in acetum, in which there are two parts of the calx of the body and one part of sal ammoniac. Place these in dung for seven days, and the body becomes mercury. If an amalgam is made from it, together with Sol and Luna, by degrees natural mercury is fixed with it. Take Saturn, and dissolve it in a tigillum. When it is dissolved, scatter over it sal ammoniac, and stir it with a spatula until it becomes a powder. Afterwards project the powder in boiling water, and the salt will be dissolved in the water. Then desiccate pulverised lead in the bottom, and put it with white of eggs into a glass vessel for 62 days. Afterwards remove the water, and you will find the mercury in a fluid state at the bottom. Another Method. Take a sufficient quantity of sulphur and linseed oil. Boil the mixture until it comes to the form of a vapour. Put in it plates of Saturn, and it is converted into Mercury in three days. Corporal Mercury from Luna. Take plates of fulminated Luna ; dissolve in aquafortis. Extract the aquafortis by means of an alembic, and wash the calx with fresh water. Mix with it sal ammoniac, alcali, and oil of tartar. Blend all together on marble and pound thoroughly for three or four hours. Then the body gains a soul. Collect this soul carefully, and the four elements.

This is the Foundation about which all the Philosophers have Written. If you cannot pound them so long on marble, then after you have done so for two days, and the soul does not shew any desire for the body, place all together in a glass vessel, and put it in dung for four weeks. Afterwards set the glass vessel in a capella and abstract the water until all moisture has disappeared. Strengthen the fire, and the blessed water ascends. Collect this carefully, and if any remains in the alembic, remove it with a feather. If the body is not totally abstracted, add more oil of tartar, put it in a glass vessel with other simples, as before, pound it well, and set it in dung for eight days. Thus the whole will be extracted. Corporal Mercury from Saturn. Take Saturn, put it in a patella, and when it is slightly dissolved, stir it well with an iron spatula. Afterwards let it be divided into minute parts and salted with salt. When this is done let it be again dissolved. Pour warm water over it, and it attracts the water to itself. Then take calx of marble, put it in a closed glass vessel, well luted ; set it in horse dung, let it stand for a month, renewing the dung each week, and it is transmuted into Mercury.

To Convert White Sol into Aloth. Take oil of vitriol by descent, calcined oil of tartar, and sal ammoniac in equal parts. Mix them, adding calx of Luna, and place in a phial. Set this in horse dung or in a bath of Mary for four weeks, that it may putrefy. Open the vessel and put equal weights of pounded sal ammoniac and salt of alcali, with oil of vitriol. Putrefy as before for four weeks, and the body will be entirely converted into Aloth. Corporal Mercury. Take vitriol, saltpetre, and alum. Make aquafortis as you know. Then take caput mortuum and extract its salt with common water. Reverberate the caput mortuum a second time, again extracting the salt. Repeat this process, the oftener the better. Afterwards take the earth that remains. Pour over it aquafortis. Leave it to stand for one day. Then force it through the alembic in that aquafortis. Dissolve the moon. Abstract the phlegm through the alembic in the bath. Afterwards take good sal alcali, reverberate it, and dissolve in oil. Then take good oil of tartar, and afterwards dissolved sal ammoniac, which has been six times sublimated. Take equal quantities of these three oils. Pound away the calx therewith, put in a cupel. Pour the oils over to the height of a finger. Place in horse dung fifteen days. Then set over cinders. Drive at first gently, afterwards violently. Then there ascends a white powder, which proves from a marc to two ounces of Luna. This makes living with brandy or sunst.

Receipt of the Bishop of Strasburg. Take of filings of Luna two ounces. Dissolve in aquafortis. Then abstract thence into the third part of the water through the alembic. Put in a cold place, where white pebbles collect ; take them and weigh them. Then take so much of salt of tartar, and half as much of sublimated sal ammoniac, and putrefy them in dung, whereupon the pebbles will become mercury. Dry it by means of fustian (?) cloth. If it does not become Mercury, sublimate it, whereupon you will have Mercury out of Luna. Take of aquafortis one part out of two parts of vitriol, and one part of alumen. In it dissolve Luna, then excoct the calx. Then take of the burnt salt of tartar two parts, common salt one part, salt alcali, salt of urine one part each. Pound these salts together with the calx ot the moon, and let the quantity of the salts of the moon be as much as of all the salts. Dissolve it all in water ; next put therein wheat meal and a little brandy. Let it become dry as glass (?). Then sublimate it. Thus Luna Mercurius is produced. Take leaves of Luna beaten extremely thin, a finger's length and the breadth of a creutzer, put it into a mortar (?) and reverberate it nine consecutive days, purify it from the sulphur which then comes forth, and i;everberate it five or six times, or until Luna yields no more sulphur. This takes place when the leaves become black.

Impaste this sulphur with quintessence of wine, and there will be quicksilver. Reverberate it with wood of oak or birch. The Original has. Dissolve tartar in aquafortis, then let it evaporate and be coagulated. Then dissolve it out of a stone into an oil. Pour it upon sulphur of the moon. Stir it in a vessel with a hard wooden spoon, and you have Mercury of the body. Mercury of the Body. Take of sal ammoniac one part, of Mercury sublimated one part, of calx of lime one part. Pound the sal ammoniac and mercury well together; let them melt gently. Put in the Luna, speedily take it out again (and place) on a dish with water, and stir it. Then dry it with a towel or leather. You will then have Mercury of the Moon, true and good. Another Method. Take saltpetre which has been well purified. Pound it well and put it into a cucurbit. Set it among warm ashes, whereupon the saltpetre will boil like water. Then take the calcined Luna and put it into water. Let it stand thus, care being taken lest the ashes be too hot. Then mercury of silver will be produced. Strain through a cloth and collect the mercury.

Corporal Mercury. Vitriol also, if it be distilled alone into water and a quantity of filings be placed therein, will in the course of time become Mercury. With Mercury sublimate seven times, pound calx or cinder of every metal; add flour and water. It will descend, for it will turn into living Mercury. Reduce to a cinder after solution and repercussion, cleansing it thoroughly of saltness and spirits of aquafortis. Take filings of Luna. Afterwards take Mercury, which you must wash with salt and vinegar. Cook Mercury with vinegar and salt. Take three parts of this and of filings of Luna one. Make an amalgam and pound well for two hours on a smooth stone. Then let the Mercury evaporate. Afterwards remove the vinegar and salt with warm water. Calcine that calx of Luna twenty hours, and there will be a woolly Luna. After which calcination put in the distilled vinegar. Then make the remaining calx, working as above. Then take the extracted Luna, pound it with some tartar, and it will be live Mercury. Dissolve filings of Luna in aquafortis, draw the third part through the alembic and put it in a cold place, where crystals collect. Take it and weigh it; add the same quantity of sulphur and half that quantity of sal ammoniac, etc., as see above, in the Bishop's art.

Another. Take the calx of any metal, place it in vinegar, wherein let there be distilled two parts of sulphur, of sal ammoniac one part, and of Mercury sublimate one part. Let it be placed in dung or in the bath eight or ten days, then let it be distilled among the cinders, and Mercury will ascend. With this there is an amalgam of Luna or of Sol, and you will tinge all bodies. Take of sublimated Mercury, which see, pound it with steel filings, out of sal ammoniac, put it into a wet place, and let it be dissolved into oil without water. Take of Mercury of the sun one part, and of crude Mercury. Put it into a phial and seal. Give it, from the first, four or five gentle fires, increasing the heat gradually until you perceive the red powder. It tinges Mercury and all bodies. Treat the white similarly. Take of Mercury of Luna two parts, of crude Mercury one part. Possibly the red process should have been treated in the same manner. Take an equal quantity of salt and sulphur, and of water of arsenic. Take as much as you like of calx of Luna, well sweetened. Put it in a cupel, pour

water over to the height of three fingers. Let it stay three weeks in dung or in the bath. Let it be well luted. Then place in sand. First distil the water slowly, then drive away the spirits. Afterwards strengthen, whereupon the Mercury ascends; let it become cold and you have it potent. Another Method. Make aquafortis of equal quantities of saltpetre, of vitriol, and alumen. Of this water take one part, in which dissolve 4 c. of sal ammoniac and 12 of sublimated mercury. Leave it to putrefy fourteen days. Distil slowly through the alembic in the cinders ; then take calx of the Moon, well sweetened, pour this extracted aquafortis over, so that it may stand three inches high ; let it remain three or four days in a tepid heat, and it will be changed into Mercury. Take of soap one part, of living calx one part. Pound them together, distil like an aqua fortis. Then take of ceruse two parts, and of oil of soap one part. Impaste well, let it stand one month in the bath, afterwards pour warm water over it, move with the finger, and you will have the mercury of the bodies.

Mercury of the Bodies. Take one pound of sal ammoniac, purified with p calcined and prepared. Then place two pounds of rock {petra) in the middle of that sal ammoniac sublimated, below, above, and around, to the thickness of one finger ; let it be compressed and placed in a glass vessel, and then set amid the sand in a jar, which has the lid well luted, and give for four days the fire of a candle, at first with one light, afterwards with two, thirdly with three, and, finally, with four lights. There will then be a black matter. Subsequently, press through the bag. A tincture must be made after the manner in which oil is extracted from vitriol. Let it come over a slow fire. Then take a quantity of sublimed mercury, and prepare it over a similar fire, till it shall have become white. Take one part of the filings of the body of Luna, with two parts of the Eagle and of sal ammoniac. Mix them well in a crucible, which seal, and set over a good coal fire. When the contents are completely melted remove them, let them cool, and then press through a cloth. Then take mercury ; let it remain in

the cloth ; expel thoroughly by means of Saturn, take a portion of mercurial water and a portion of running Mercury. On account of the low temperature, take care to cover the body produced. Its formation must take place in the water. Afterwards effect its digestion, sealing well, until a powder results. Dissolve this in the cold and coagulate it in the warmth. Perform this twice at least, and you will have a powder which is potent for tinging. Take vitriol, and pound it thoroughly. Place it in a glass vase, well covered so as to prevent exhalation. Set it above the furnace and keep up a slow fire below for a whole day, and you will find it turned into water. Then take filings of Mars, well washed in sweet water until all the vitriol depart; after which pound heavily in the mortar. Sprinkle the said filings with water of vitriol, then leave to dissolve for two or three days, whereupon there will result a calx of those filings, but at the bottom of the vessel you will discover Mercury of the Body. Of Vitriol i. lb. Of Salt Nitre i. lb. Of Calcinated Alumen ^ lb. And if the alembic becomes red, take the red spirits separately ; in it dissolve the body of the sun and moon, so far as they are capable of dissolution. Of the same take one part, and four parts of extracted tartar, with quintessence of wine as aforesaid.

Or, put the hot tartar into the quintessence to the extent that the quintessence will receive it. Of the same quintessence, together with the extracted tartar, take, as said above, four parts. Then pour the aquafortis, with the body, into the quintessence, for the first time by drops, and set it in the bath for eight days. Then boil it clear, that no dross may remain with it. Extract this once, and again pour on (the aquafortis), until it becomes a transparent oil. Then it is genuine. Next take the earth previously stirred, and extract its phlegm into the sand. Then give a subliming fire, whereupon the body will arise. Cleanse it and make it living in vinegar or boiling wine. Place in the same Mercury the aforesaid oil separately until it is all brought over ; then it will tinge.

Mercury of the Body. Take of Sublimated Mercury four parts, Sal Ammoniac two parts, Mercury of Venus, or preferably Salts of Urine, two parts, Calx of Luna pounded with the salts. Let them remain in putrefaction for eight days. Another Method. Take of calx of Luna pounded with the same quantity of sal ammoniac. Sublimate three or four times. Then wash the sal ammoniac from it. Drive the calx through a retort with a small fire, and you will have mercury. Augment. Take of corporal mercury four parts, and of fine Sol or Luna one part. Make an amalgam in a copper vessel, with an ordinary bath. Then leave it to digest eight days. When it is fixed, augment it with common mercury again, about three times. Afterwards augment it with crude mercury (but perhaps mercury sublimated and rectified is the best). Do this continually, and in eight days it will also be fixed. Or, dissolve Mercury in aquafortis, then let it drive over, and you will again vivify it with that augment. To MAKE FIXED AUGMENT. Dissolve Luna in aquafortis, permit half of the water to evaporate ; if crystals collect, place them in a glass cup m a cellar, and an oil will be produced. Imbibe it with a small augment. Place for eight days on hot cinders with little heat, the glass being open. Afterwards subject it to a powerful fire and pulverise well.

Reduction. Take of Minium one part. Ceruse (otherwise litharge) one part. The Fixed Augment one part. Pound the three things well together. Put into a well-luted crucible, and smelt thoroughly for an hour. Then cool and clear away the regulus. Mercury of the Bodies. Take equal quantities of tartar and of vinegar. Put them in a phial, with long neck, into oil of vitriol. Inject calx of any metal. Stir, and leave to .stand eight days. Next inject sal alkali and sal ammoniac in the same quantity as in the previous recipes. Place on dung thirty days, and you will find at the bottom calx converted into Quicksilver. Note. Take of Mercury sublimate half a pound, of Sal ammoniac an equal quantity. Pound well and put them together in a glass. Let it be well luted. Put it in carellen, in warm sand. Kindle a mild fire beneath. Thus it will become one (solid) mass. Remove this ; pound it small ; and put in a damp compartment to dissolve. Afterwards take of filings of Luna one marc. Put it in water. This also becomes water. Coagulate on soft ashes, and reduce to powder, of which inject one part upon ten of Mercury, of purged Jupiter, or of crude Mercury.

Mercury of Jupiter. Liquefy Jupiter. Then inject the same quantity of Mercury, and thus make an amalgam. Next let them be well pulverised and thoroughly incorporated with water of sal ammoniac, tartar, salt of urine, and the same quantity of common salt. Place in a flask, well sealed up, and set in dung for twenty days, when it will be converted into Mercury. Augment on Mercury of Saturn. Take of Mercury of Saturn §i. of Sol §8. The amalgam, if kept at a moderate temperature for eight days, changes into a brown powder, which becomes the finest gold. Add to it half-an-ounce of common Mercury. Again let it stand for eight days, when again it becomes a brown or a red powder, and so on with common Mercury. The case is the same for Luna, and for Mercury of Jupiter with Luna. The whole process must occupy eight days. Dissolve Luna in any quantity of aquafortis, and in vinegar dissolve calcined tartar. Then pour the two solutions properly together, in such a manner that none may run over. Afterwards pour it into a phial, which must be well luted at the top. Set it in horse dung to putrefy for fourteen days. Afterwards put in an (earthen) pan till it becomes inodorous. Precipitate to the bottom whatsoever adheres to the upper part of the pan, and let it cook thus until it becomes as thick as a pottage. Then let it become cold, and stir it under the tartar. If mercury collects, remove it. Then take a measure of water and gradually wash off the tartar, whereupon all the mercury will collect.

Take of Luna out of sweetened aquafortis §i. of Sal ammoniac §s. Mix. Pour over them oil of tartar, which must stand over them to the height of two fingers. Put into a glass well luted, and leave to putrefy four weeks. Extract the humidity from it. Sublimate the remainder. Whatsoever ascends is to be put in warm water, vinegar, or oil of tartar, and thus you will have Mercury. Oil of Tartar is Produced as Follows. Take of calcined tartar. Pour upon it the quintessence. Allow it to stand for twenty-four hours. Pour out again until at last no more oil remains in the faeces. Mercury of the Body. Take sal alkali, and pour upon it pure urine of youths, so that it may be dissolved therein. Distil through the filter, and coagulate. Afterwards take some sal ammoniac and twice that quantity of Mercury sublimate. Pound them together, and place them over a glass slab to dissolve. Afterwards take the water thus dissolved, and pour it into a glass. Place the glass in the bath of Mary, that the aquosity may be consumed and vanish. You must then test it by means of the blade of a knife, as you know. Afterwards place therein leaves of Sol, Luna, Venus, Jupiter, or Saturn, for the space of an ordinary day. It will then be converted into Mercury.

Take of Sal ammoniac half-an-ounce. of Calcined Saturn two ounces. of Sal manipulum ) , . _, , . , , > one ounce each, of Calcmed alumen ) Mix all together. Put into a glass with a narrow neck, and underneath, at the bottom, put a quantity of genuine mercury. Afterwards place the matter on the top. Close the glass securely. Set in horse dung for four weeks. Then it will become Mercury. Another Method. Take of calcined Saturn, smear with sap of henbane, dry it, and smear it until it resembles a paste. Then set over a slow fire until the humidity departs. Subsequently, increase the fire, and Quicksilver will come forth. Salt of Urine for Mercury of the Body. Take of the urine of a man who continually drinks wine, and distil it through the bath. Completely dry the faeces. Then you will have the salt of urine. Then take two ounces of the water of life, four times rectified. In this dissolve half-an-ounce of salt of urine and half-an-ounce of calcined Luna. Pound the calx subtly with burnt salt, the more the better. Cleanse that calx with hot water. Then you must put it into the aforesaid water of life. Let it putrefy fourteen days in dung. Afterwards distil the water of life from the calx. Pound with a little oil of tartar, and it will become Quicksilver.

Mercury of the Moon. Dissolve Luna in aquafortis. Pour in sal ammoniac. Thus Luna is sent down to the bottom. Take one part of this calx. Take an equal part of Mercury sublimate and sal ammoniac. Place in hot cinders, and in three days there will be Mercury of the Moon. To Convert Metals into Mercury. Take Mercury sublimated seven times, and add to it the same quantity of the purest flour of wheat. Pound them together and saturate the matter with a little pure water. Place in a vessel and subject them to a slow fire, that the moisture may evaporate. This having been done, put the matter into a circular furnace (retort) with the neck of the glass downward. Drive it by descent, and the Mercury will descend. And that Mercury being heated devours all metals, until they are reduced to Mercury. Mercury out of Bodies. Take of Salt of Tartar gii. Sal Ammoniac .^i. Calcined Saturn §i. Luna or Sol §i. Mix all these together and pour over them good vinegar, and let it be distilled. However, let it swim on the top (the height of) one palm or thereabouts. Seal A Manual of Paracelsus the Great. 2i^g

the vessel hermetically. Set in a warm place for a month. Afterwards place in hot cinders, and thence distil the vinegar. Next make a strong fire, whereupon the Mercury will ascend. Collect it, and use it as you will. Mercury of the Moon. Dissolve Luna in aquafortis. Extract the moisture, even to the spirits. Pour fresh aquafortis upon it. Do this thrice. Then let it dry. Put it with the same weight of four salts in a cellar to dissolve until it will not melt any more. Then put in a glass. Leave it to putrefy for four weeks. Then strain it oif, like an aquafortis. Whatever remains behind dissolve again on the stone, putrefy, and strain as before ; reduce the residue, and then take the following salts — Oil of Salt Alkali > Oil of Common Salt ( '" ^1"^^ proportions. Oil of Sal Ammoniac Pour all together. Then it is prepared as above. Mercury of the Body. Let an amalgam of any body be cooked in very strong vinegar and fixed by sal ammoniac for fourteen days, when it will become Mercury ; or let it be decocted in water of eggs and sal ammoniac, and it will become Mercury in

Take Luna or Sol, calcined or otherwise, and dissolve in aquafortis made out of one part of Mercury, one part of saltpetre, and half a part of $ . Then cause the water in the bath to evaporate, whereupon Luna or Sol will remain at the bottom like an oil. However, to dissolve the Sun add to the aquafortis one part of sal ammoniac. Next add to the said Sol or Luna, thus dissolved, tartar and distilled water of life. When it has been seven times imbibed and dried at the same time, dilute it, and let the water of life be distilled, so that it may float on the top to the height of three fingers. Afterwards leave to putrefy for eight days in dung or in a bath. Then the water being evaporated over the fire, let an alembic be placed above and set on a good subliming fire. The living and running Mercury will ascend into the receptacle. Augment in Luna by Count William in Sager. To make Sol out of Luna. Take one ounce of S, of n , and of sal ammoniac. Make a powder out of them. Put into a cucurbite, close it up with a small cloth. Set it in warm sand, so that it (the sand) may melt. Add a part of the calx of Luna. Stir to and fro, whereupon there will settle a liquid matter at the bottom. Cleanse the same from its impurity with warm water. Then take the §, wash it clean, and although a little silver may still be present, make no mistake in the work. Thus out of every metal you may make S. Take of ^ one marc. Put it in

a glass. Pour upon it three ounces of the hereafter to be described aquafortis. Put it in the bath of Mary for six days and nights. Then extract the water and preserve the matter at the bottom. Afterwards take two parts of sulphur and three parts [the original leaves a blank], and impaste over a fire, as cinnabar is made. Pound this very small, then boil it in oil of tartar, according to the process described above, until all the sulphur be excocted hard, and do not burn. Of cinnabar add one marc to the above S, which is to remain in the water. Pound it together. Put it into a glass, but pour six parts of the said aquafortis upon it. Let it stand, however, in the bath of Mary, or in hot sand, for seven days, to digest. Then excoct the water and pound the matter to powder. Fix the powder by the fixation to be described hereafter. Take thin plates of Saturn and place in alternate layers with the powder. Take vitriol, saltpetre, and verdigris in equal quantities. Perlute well. Set it to glow in a fire of calcination, that is, of circulation, for sixteen days, that it may always glow gently. Then reduce it and refine it, whereupon you will have and find a great augment in the Luna, and there will be much Sol therein. To pour on the aquafortis, do as follows : —

Take of Saltpetre "j r ., J o 1 A • \ each one pound, of Alumen and Sal Ammoniac > ^ of Alumen Plumosum, half a pound. Make aquafortis and extract its moisture. The Oil of Tartar. Take of oil of tartar two pounds, and of oil of vitriol, extracted by descent, or of oil of calcinated vitriol, two pounds. In this excoct the cinnabar, as explained above. Mercury of the Body. Take Luna and dissolve in aquafortis. Then dissolve salt in ordinary water, so that it may become thoroughly salt. Pour such a quantity of this salt water as to look like milk upon the aquafortis. Leave for a day and a night ; thereupon the sweet moon descends and will be dried. Take §viij. of boiling wine. Inject giiij. of calcined tartar and two of sal ammoniac. Distil through the alembic, and the crystals will pass over into the wine ; dissolve about eight parts of sal alcali ; pour this solution over the h- ), which must go over. Leave for eight days to putrefy. Take it out and extract the moisture. Afterwards lute the glass, and put it in ashes. Give it a vehement fire. Then the Luna will ascend in the form of a powder. Clear this out of the glass, and put it in oil of tartar. Thus in a single night, without fail, there will be produced Quicksilver.

Mercury of Sol or Luna. Take tartar, dissolve, filter, and coagulate again. Place by the fire, that the aquosity may be perfectly removed. Afterwards imbibe with the quintessence four times. Let it stand twenty-four hours. After this pour away the fifth essence again and add another. Repeat the process four times. Then cause the quintessence to evaporate in the fire, and into this oil place calx of the Sun or Moon. Then the Quicksilver, in twelve hours, will be produced, as Maulperger has told us. Make an aquafortis out of two pounds of vitriol, two pounds of salnitre, and one pound of alum. Take one pound of this aquafortis. Dissolve therein two ounces of sal ammoniac. When this has been effected, next take twelve parts of sublimated mercury. Then dissolve it in aquafortis. After this put the aquafortis into a cucurbite, which must be well sealed up. Leave it to putrefy for fourteen days. Next distil it, as you know. Place the calx of the Sun or Moon in the water. Then you must imbibe the -1-) three or four times in the oil of tartar, and thoroughly dry it again. Afterwards place it in the said water. Leave it to digest for several days, and the calx will be Quicsllver.

Mercury of the Body. Dissolve Luna in aquafortis, sweeten with sweet water, next place the calx, when washed in sal ammoniac (fixed), and suffer to flow in the glass. Stir vigorously with a skewer until it becomes somewhat black. Next place it in hot water, and let the salt be dissolved, whereupon the calx will remain at the bottom. Then distil the water, and afterwards the calx and sal ammoniac. Next imbibe the calx in oil of tartar, dry it, and imbibe again. Repeat the process thrice. Afterwards pour over it the oil of tartar, that it may float on the top to the height of two fingers. Let it stand for a natural day. Then pour out the black oil of tartar, and pour another above. Do as before, and repeat the process until the oil of tartar becomes clear. Pour out the oil, and place the calx of Luna in a glass with a long neck. Pour over it equal quantities of sal ammoniac, oil of tartar, and vinegar. Leave them to putrefy for fifteen days. Afterwards place the alembic above. Distil the vinegar from the matter ; then sublime the sal ammoniac. Thus there will remain at the bottom tartar, with salt of the Moon. Then take the matter,

wash it with vinegar until the blackness no longer appears. Dry the matter and cover it. Place it in layers in the tigillum, with leaves of pure silver, until the tigillum be filled. Next set the box on a jar wherein is water, as explained below. Also, when you have found the extracted Mercury, imbibe it with vinegar and salt, and wash the same extracted Mercury even as Make an amalgam with extracted Mercury, by the addition of Mercury, sublimated and revivified. Let it stand by a slow fire over the cinders, and you will see Mercury ascending. Make it descend by turning the fixatory until it is fixed and remains with the extracted Mercury at the bottom. Then add another sublimated and revivified Mercury. Fix it, and again add fresh sublimated Mercury, and so multiply infinitely. Invariably place a little dissolved Luna between the extracted Mercury and revivified Mercury. Mercury of the Body. Take of Vitriol and of Saltpetre equal quantities ; of Calcined alum half a pound. Make aqua fortis. Dissolve in it filings of Luna, as much as you like. Inject a little salt, and Luna is precipitated. Dry the calx. Place in a cucurbite. If there be five ounces, add two ounces of sal ammoniac and one of calcined tartar. Pour upon these strong vinegar. Let it stand on the top more than the height of two fingers. Place it in horse-dung for four weeks. Afterwards distil as aqua fortis.

Then vinegar will ascend first, and afterwards Mercury of the Moon. Collect it with the hare's foot, and you will have Mercury. Take as much hereof as you wish, and put it into the s.%^ of the Philosophers. Close perfectly. Place in a cupel of the wood of the ash. Subject it to a slow fire until a black powder emerges. Afterwards increase the fire until a white powder follows. Add to it half the quantity you require of the corporal Mercury, and the third part of reverberated calx of the Sun. Digest it until it becomes a red powder. Then you will obtain what you desire.

Extraction of Mercury of the Moon. Take of calx of Luna one mark ; of oil of Tartar and sal ammoniac two drams each (or six drams). Mix in a well-closed glass. Put the glass into cold water. Then the calx of Luna becomes solid like a cheese. Next let it stand a day and a night. Then leave it in horse-dung for three weeks. Afterwards take it out, and place it in the bath of Mary for fourteen days. Next set it for three days on cinders, that the water may evaporate, and the matter be completely dried. Then take the matter from the glass. Pour fiercely boiling water over it. Pound it about some time. Thus it will become living Mercury, and there will be scarce four parts out of one marc. That which remains reduce again. Take Luna dissolved in aqua fortis. Then dissolve tartar into vinegar in the same quantity as Luna. Pour the two solutions together by drops, lest it should crackle. Gently extract the moisture. Then extract from it a strong Mercury of the Moon. Thereupon, a greyish powder attaches itself thereto. Take it, and rub with oil of tartar in your fingers, and it becomes living Mercury.

Take dissolved Luna, and dissolve tartar in the quintessence of wine. Let the quintessence be four times as much as the aqua fortis. Unite these solutions and there is a ready union, without any commotion. They combine like an adhesive tincture. Take them out, dry, and sublimate. Then the living Mercury comes forth and is produced. Mercury. Take Mercury seven times sublimated and revivified, as you know, and place in a warm stove-bath. Supply the same with leaves of Luna to devour. When they have thus been arranged in the stove-bath, you will perceive that the said Luna has been totally transformed into powder, which is the medicine over the Mercury 3. [ ? to the third grade.] Then having thus collocated the said Mercury, you are to nourish it with common purged Mercury, so that it may digest well in its hot bath. Thus, also, common purged Mercury is converted into a powder which is a Mercury over other Mercury 3. You may cause it to revert into a body, as you know. Also, you must know that the above mentioned Mercury, if placed in dung, will for a time be converted into oil. Congelate and waxen this with incombustible oil, and its virtue will be infinitely augmented.

Make the attempt, and you will see Marvels. The process of congealing it without medicine consists in filling a strong vessel to the top therewith, the head of the vessel being closed with salt, lime, and yolk of Q%%. Let it be permitted to dry, and underneath let a fire be kindled from morning till night. Afterwards examine it, and should you find it fluxible, kindle a fire underneath it for another day. Then extract it, and you will have the same stone, which melts like lead, and is white as silver, nor does it differ therefrom, except that it melts quickly. Melt it again and project it into dissolved salt, until it hardens and becomes silver. Mercury out of Luna. Dissolve Luna in aquafortis. Then entirely distil the water from it. Dissolve in this water the same quantity of sal ammoniac, and afterwards an equal amount of Mercury sublimate. Let it be distilled through an alembic. This is the qualified water. Place the same over calx of Sol or Luna, etc., wherein there must be dissolved sal ammoniac and oil of tartar. Mingle these together in a long-necked vessel. Let the same stand in dung or the bath, and it will be turned into Mercury.

Mercury of Jupiter. Take of Mercury subl. Jij. Mercury crude, 3J. Jupiter §ij. Pound together for five or six hours. The crude will then be converted into water, and Jupiter into Mercury. Preserve all these. Take of Luna j. part. Common Mercury ^ Body of Jupiter \ iiij. parts each. Mercury subl. ) Make an augment, as you know ; place in the glass vessel. Apply at first a slow fire. Afterwards increase it. Oil of Arcanum. Take some honey with juniper and celandine. Distil thrice (ten times) oil of flax with sulphur, also distilled thrice (water caudi magnse mirandse. Distil thrice oil of yolks of eggs, with the calx of eggs. Let lb. j. each of them be mixed together, and let these species be added : Take of Lime Calx ^ Alum 1- Ib.s. each. Distil and renew the prescription thrice. Afterwards take of this oil Ib.j., of oil of tartar and antimony, with boiling wine extracted and precipitated to the bottom, Ib.ij.; of oil of antimony, sublimated, distilled, and red, xiiij parts of a lb.(j.quartale); of red species of aquafortis lb j. Let all these be mixed together into one vessel of good glass. Afterwards take j. quartal of sal ammoniac, of salt petre, of fused salt, all thrice prepared by the calx of cementation, with continual dissolution in red vinegar, and by distillation through a filter, and coagulation with crocus of Mars congealed and five times fused. Of alcali of corrected tartar, and of alcali of corrected soot Ib.s Of red arsenic sublimated, dissolved, and congealed, Ib.j.; and of the aforesaid oil as much as there is. Let all these be mingled together and dissolved into a glass, and let it become a red and very thick oil, gilding all things, and everywhere making marvellous ingress and tincture of the Sun. But this is not yet perfected. In order to strengthen it, dry into it by the distillation of the alembic these spirits :

Take of Antimony, j. quart. Salpetre \ lb. j. each. Calcined Alum ) Do this thrice ; next remove the moisture by means of the bath, and an oil will remain, which it will be lawful to call the arcanum of Christ. Water of Mercury — A Very Great Arcanum. Take of Mercury from salt of tartar, as often as it does not ascend, this takes place the seventh time ; likewise, take sublimated arsenic and sublimated sal ammoniac, Ib.j. of each. Let them be imbibed frequently with oil of the salt of alcali of tartar. Afterwards dissolve over marble into water. Then take as much as there is of this water, and of sublimated sal ammoniac as before. Of Mercury and arsenic take Ib.j. Again dissolve into water. In this water dissolve ij. ounces of Luna and one quartal of alcali of soot and of best prepared salt. Mix them together, and coagulate them, by means of an exceedingly gentle fire, into a stone. Imbibe this with water of eggs. Correct and fix very many times. Dissolve again, and coagulate. Imbibe again, and do this eight times or more, when you will have the miraculous stone of tincture. Also let it be imbibed to the red with the oil of the

arcanum, so that it may become red ; for this is an arcanum not known to all, because it coagulates and fixes Mercury into genuine Luna. Notable Elixir. Take Ib.s. of dragon's blood and Ib.j. of most white sal peregrinum. Dissolve it seven times in water of pomegranates. Let the calx be imbibed, and then frequently dry and desiccate. Afterwards dissolve sal ammoniac in water of atrament. With this water pound the calx. Dissolve for three days. Afterwards congeal in ashes to the elixir. One part changes thousands of prepared Saturn into best Sol, which will be better than the mineral. Elixir at the White. Take of fixed sublimated Mercury j. part, and of white sublimated arsenic half a part. Imbibe both with water of eggs, and desiccate five times. Pound as many times, and as often again desiccate, when it will ultimately be converted into a white crystal plate. Take of the same one part. Take one part of this recipe, and project over xxx. parts of Venus, or iron burnt through arsenic, and reduced to a solid substance, when it will become silver, perfect under any test. Take of Fixed Mercury sublimate Ib.j. e 1 -I Ib.s. each.

Imbibe all these with water of eggs, afterwards place in a glass, and on the top as much of the water as floats above. Close up the glass vessel with wax. Place it in warm horse-dung for fifteen days. Afterwards take it out, and you will find the whole dissolved into water. Take this water and distil through the alembic, Next put the water thus purified in a small vessel. Then devitreate and place over cool ashes ; leave it there till it is converted into a plate, which plate does not fear the force of fire. It is upright and deep, tinging and permanent ; j. part changes 100 parts of every body into Water of eggs distilled seven times, and sulphur imbibed therewith over the stone make it fixed and fluxible ; thereby Mercury will be congealed. Take some calx of eggs, calcined tartar, and alumen lamenum. Dissolve them in boys' urine. Then take that powder and dissolve at the bottom of a crucible. Over that powder set Mercury sublimate, so as to completely close it. This having been effected, perfectly close the glass crucible with another crucible by luting it so that the smoke may not escape. Then place by the fire for one hour, and it becomes beautiful Mercury of Luna, which then undergoes increment.

Concerning Luna and Venus. Place them in layers and layers with sal ammoniac and laminated Venus. Also lute the tigillum thoroughly, and place on the furnace for three hours. Afterwards wash the plates with water, and distil by descent ; that is, let them be granulated per scobam, if not sufficiently whitened. Repeat the process as before ; after, add two parts and a half of Luna, and it will stand any test. 1 here is a very great secret m particularibus, in which every one may recover their outlay. Take of Mercury ij. ounces. Sal ammoniac , ,. I one half ounce. Common salt Pound each separately and mix. Set in layers, first the powders, and the Mercury on the top. Let the tigillum be in such a manner luted and placed to digest that the $ does not escape. Arrange coals above and beneath. Afterwards take and place on the cineritium ; then purge, and you will have Take of Oil of tartar ) Place over fire in the cinders in a glass vessel, so that they may become one mass. Pound it, and dissolve it over marble into water. If there be Ib.j. of this water, inject j. of white and blind arsenic. Congeal in a glass vessel with

a slow fire, of which elixir j. part whitens vj. of copper, and as much of Luna, whence you will rejoice. Note concerning Sulphur. Take very strong lixivium in any quantity. Distil through a filter. Place in devitreated matter with gallow-stone. Add as much sulphur as you like, and it will be a thin pottage. Leave it to stand for two days. Afterwards cause it to boil for two days, when it will become blood. Distil through the alembic, and you will find at the bottom the sacred divinity. It converts Venus into Sol. Mix it with natural Sol. N.B. Malleable Mercury. Cause sulphur to boil in oil ; then pour in Mercury. Immediately take it out, and you will find a mass which a hammer will flatten. It does not fear the fire, and you will be able to mingle it with Sol and Luna, with a third part — [lacuna]. Fixation of Mercury. Take equal quantities of sal alcali, ammoniac, and nitre. Let them be imbibed well with boiling wine and water distilled through the alembic. This compound fixes Mercury. Note concerning a Pyxis. Construct a pyxis of iron. Inject Mercury with the sap of gladiolus. It will then audibly groan. When it ceases to cry out, put j. lb. of Mercury into

A Manual of Paracelsus the Great. ■i>n the tigillum, j. lb. of pure tin, and half an ounce of pure Saturn ; let them be dissolved together. This silver stands all tests. Elixir Making an Incredible Quantity of Gold. Take Biij. of new Saturn and §.j. of pure Sol. Melt them together. Place on the cineritium in a cask, with Saturn, from morning till evening, until you have expended iij. lbs. of living sulphur, and you will see the same. Out of this project two parts of aqua fortis, and you will have the matter from gold of the usual colour and frangible. This is the medicine, and is called the elixir for the sun. Place j. part over x. of Luna, and it will be 0. Should you place the first part over two of Luna, there will be aurum florenorum transcending credibility. Place iij. parts of Mercury subl. and iiij. parts of sal ammoniac in a luted glass vessel. Let it become a mass and dissolve this in oil. Take that water and close well ; also add j. part of filings of Luna. Dissolve the whole together in water. Then take that water and congeal. One part changes at

least Ixvj. parts of Jupiter or crude Mercury, which will be the best Luna, Take lb. ij. of purged Jupiter and Ib.j. of purged Mercury. Dissolve Jupiter, and put in Ib.s. of Mercury and arsenic sublimated. Afterwards pound them with Ib.s. of sal ammoniac. Place in cucurbit with the addition of the strongest vinegar. Keep that which is distilled. Afterwards increase the fire until it be sublimated. Also pour vinegar over them again, and proceed as above seven times, or until nothing more be sublimated. Then leave to decalcine. Dissolve in vinegar and distil. That which remains at the bottom pound and dissolve into water over the stone, and coagulate in due fashion, j. part changes xxx. parts of Venus, which passes through every test. For Luna. Take of Arsenic ) ih ' h Living calx ■\ Prepared salt ) Let them be pulverised and placed in a luted vessel over a slow fire. Afterwards break and collect the powder. Next dissolve j. lb. each of Luna and Venus. Also project gs. of this powder, and it will be good Luna. Tincture for Luna. Take of Salt thrice sublimated Mercury six times sublimated Calcined Luna r I'^-J- Water of Sal ammoniac

compounded and rubified Imbibe altogether in a glass vessel. Afterwards place in cucurbit and distil at first with a slow fire, next with a moderate one, for the space of three days. Then if it shall have cooled, extract, and when it has thus been distilled, add another pound of water of sal ammoniac, again dissolving as before, restoring to it its water, which had been distilled from the fseces, so that it may be thrice imbibed or distilled, or till iij.lb. of sal ammoniac be consumed. Afterwards you will find at the bottom of the vessel a crystal plate which tinges and is stable and permanent. One part of it tinges 1,000 of Venus into Luna. To REMOVE Venus. Take iiij. parts of oil of tartar, and j. part of white arsenic. Imbibe them repeatedly until the oil has been consumed. Afterwards dissolve vj. parts of purged Venus with glass and of elixir part j. Make Luna. Let there be added afterwards iij. parts of Luna. Luna out of Mercury. Take of Living Mercury ^ Salt fixed by calx and dissolved eight times \ part j. each. Pound, mingle, and burn. Mix after combustion. Place in layers, and let them

melt for four hours. Then Mercury will yield Luna, and it will be perfect Take a tigillum well luted, and at the bottom place sulphur. Also suspend Mercury in a hempen bag above ; next let it be everywhere luted. Afterwards set on the fire for one day, or until moisture ceases to appear. The smoke of sulphur then passes into Mercury ; next repeat the process and make ij. (sic). Afterwards take of this Mercury one half ounce, and project overlb.j. of purged Venus, when it will be natural Luna. Elixir for Sol. Take Vitriol \ Crocus of Mars > j. part each. Flower of Copper ) Prepared sal ammoniac. Prepared heematite. Let them be pulverised and mixed together. Dissolve in a tigillum until the aquosity is consumed, and it becomes a powder. Afterwards set in a glass vessel on horse dung for several days, or in a damp cellar. Let water be produced. Congeal it with a slow fire. Afterwards take j. part of Sol and ij. or iij. of Luna. Melt, and over xvj. parts of this Luna project one part of Elixir. Thus, the more it is burnt the better. It will be perfect and most beautiful gold.

Cement. Take of Antimony, Ib.j. Salpetre, Ib.ij. Calcined tartar, Ib.j. Melt together, and inject Ib.j. of pounded >|< (otherwise tin), and immediately let it be melted. Dissolve again, as above, and melt, until it is very red, one part over two parts of Mercury in flux (of Venus perhaps). Antimony converted into oil in a very strong lixivium out of clavellated Fixation of Mercury into Red. Take equal quantities of salt tartar and sal nitre. Make a strong lixivium. Inject sublimated Mercury. Make it boil, and when it has dried up, pour lixivium in again until it is rubified. Waxen it with calx of Luna. To Permanently Rectify Mercury. Take saltpetre, sal alkali, cinnabar, alum, flower of copper, and sulphur. Let it be imbibed with water of life. Afterwards let it become aquafortis. This water dissolves Mercury, and all bodies with Mercury will remain in the form of a crocus colour ; if it has been calcined half a day, it will be redder than cinnabar ; it does not diminish in weight, and is dissolved into extremely red water. Afterwards coagulate and, when coagulated, reduce with saltpetre ; it thus becomes gold. If further coagulated and dissolved, one part tinges parts (number omitted) of Luna permanently.

Projection of Luna. Take of Cadmia \ Salpetre > §j. each. Calcined alum > Melt in luted tigillum one hour, and you will find Jj. of Sol. Note. Oil of iron colours citrine, the oil of chalybs red, and that of lead red. Best Borax. Take Alum \ Calcined tartar ; equal quantities. Let them boil in water together ; afterwards let them be strained through a tightened bag. Then let them boil in alcali. You will subsequently have Borax, which dissolves all metals. Take j.lb. of Luna, cemented and purged by means of salt, and iiij.lb. of Mercury purged with salt. Make an amalgam, place in a phial over cinders in a cupel on a slow fire (and avoid closing) for one day, that the vapour may evaporate. Afterwards place over the amalgam as much as there is of fixed saltpetre with yolk of eggs ; imbibe thrice or more times over the fire ;" cook until it is dried up. Imbibe again as before until it be fixed. Afterwards lute it well, and suff'er it to stand in a slow fire for eight days. Take out the matter, when you will find it white and hard as crystal. Pound this well ; add

half the weight of purged gold ; place again in glass vessel, as above, and once more superpose the same quantity of fixed saltpetre ; permit the moisture to evaporate, as before, and set it to stand for six days. So the process goes on for ever. Reduction to the Same. Take the matter and imbibe the same with oil of albumen of eggs, for the white stage, but for the red with yolk of eggs. Add the same quantity of borax to the tigillum. Melt, afterwards cement. Note to the Same. Cinnabar distilled by descent is the best Mercury. Another. To reduce it with raw albumen of eggs, pound and let it become a hard paste. Cause this to melt with borax, as above. Water of Nitre. This retains Mercury. Fixation. Take White Tartar White Arsenic Fused Salt Boil well in vinegar ; add the same quantity of pounded Venetian glass. Let it become a powder. Take one part of it, and of the amalgam two ounces. Place in a luted tigillum, and let it melt for one hour, afterwards proceed by cineritium. Permanent Elixir for the White by Cineritium. Take of Sal Ammoniac Sublimated Mercury Live Calx, loz. Mix together, place in a glass vessel, and permit evaporation. Afterwards lute and increase the fire, so that it is kindled, and you will find Mercury over the calx with sal ammoniac ; also pour over warm water. Next, cause evaporation ;

again pour on warm water, and it will be possible for the tartar to dissolve. The calx will then arise from the Mercury, and the Mercury will remain at the bottom like snow. Perform this operation twice, and let the sal ammoniac and Mercury be fixed. Afterwards take half an ounce of calx of Luna out of aquafortis, and half an ounce of this powder. Dissolve each of these by itself in aquafortis, and afterwards abstract the aquafortis. Place the matter in a glass pitcher. Pour over a strong alkaline lixivium and coagulate, and so again, etc. Do this four or five tiriies. Afterwards put the matter in a glass vessel, and again pour over it aquafortis and abstract. Do this three times or more, and it will be a hard stone. Also afterwards add Luna ; then it preserves the white copper in the lead over the capella. Also, over Mars take half an ounce of white powder of copper. Let it be projected in flux. Also that powder fixes Mercury which has been coagulated without metal.

Note. Take Saltpetre , Alum I in equal quantities. Sal Ammoniac ' Make a powder and a pottage, so to speak, with water, and unge clinodisa, which are mixed with gold and silver, and it will be a gold colour. Projection of Luna. Take of Burnt Alum -i Sal Ammoniac \ eight ounces. of Red Jaspis, giiij. Cause them to melt together and become a powder. Take gs. of this over eight ounces of Luna, and you will have much gold in eight ounces of Luna. Fixation of Cinnabar. Take Cinnabar \ Litharge \ jj. each. Antimony i Place in an iron pan to boil with strong vinegar. Arrange in layers with Luna. Let a tigillum be luted. Place it by a slow fire for two hours, and the cinnabar will be fixed into gold ; but finally make a fire in a wind furnace. Production. Take Good Gold -\ Granulated Venus j- j. part each. Red Sulphur, sublimated by Crocus of Mars J Melt the gold and copper. Project one part of sulphur, and when it is consumed in the fusibilum, take the regulus and add again the same quantity of Venus. Once more pour on three parts of sulphur. Melt again. Take the regulus and add copper, as before. Do this thirty times, and it will be perfect gold, and of the best colour.

Note. I have written as many praises of this powder as I could. Also. Grade together with Sol white and red melted together. Pars cum Parte of Master Thomas. Take equal quantities of Sol and Luna. Make plates of them. Take Haematite "> Sal Ammoniac / Evaporated Vitriol r 3iij-each. Saltpetre ' Make a most subtle powder. Afterwards take lb. j. of vitriol. Distil it. Imbibe the powders in a thrice-devitreated jar. Afterwards take powders and make a layer in the tigillum as thick as a coulter, after having saturated the Luna in the aforesaid water. Thus arrange layer over layer. Perlute the tigillum and set in a circular fire for three hours. Make this cement thrice, and you will have the Sun in all your operations Then take this gold with three parts of Luna well weighed. Place in aquafortis, and it will be converted in the following manner. Aquafortis, wherein Luna, When placed, becomes Gold. Take Vitriol ) „ ^ , r Ib.s. Precipitate aquafortis with crude Mercury. It afterwards converts Luna into Take any quantity of Jupiter, and the same of living Mercury. Make an amalgam. Then take sulphur if for the red stage, or arsenic if for the white,

and sal ammoniac, all in equal quantities. Pound thoroughly. Place in a well-luted vessel. Sublime for half a day with a slow fire, afterwards with a fiercer fire for a whole day, next with an exceedingly strong one for two days. Then take what is sublimated, and set apart. Let that which has not been sublimated undergo a further process. Then sublime the same from salt well prepared, twice or thrice, until it becomes as snow Take two parts of these species and one part of filings of Luna. Arrange in layers in a glass vessel, which must afterwards be luted. Burn with a fierce fire, so that they may be melted together. Afterwards pound, dissolve, and coagulate, at least three times, and it will be an Elixir of which one part tinges eight parts of purged Venus into best Luna. Arsenic Sublimed becomes as Luna. Sublimate it from calx of eggs, and it becomes just like silver. Note. Sublime Mercury sublimated from Saturn ; it makes lead like Luna. Fixation of Luna. Imbibe cinnabar with oil of tartar, afterwards cement Luna, melt it with borax, and immediately in coloritio. [This process seems to be unfinished.] Sublimation of Mercury. Take aquafortis, in which dissolve as much Mercury as you please. Then add the same quantity of common salt. Abstract aquafortis through the alembic. Then increase the fire, so that the Mercury may be sublimed ; an exceedingly fierce fire must then be employed, arrange in layers with that Mercury and plates of Jupiter on a humid place, when the Mercury will become water

Fixed Luna. Let Luna be cemented for six days in crocus of Mars. Let it not be further affected by aquafortis, and it will take the tincture. Fixation of Mercury out of R. Take Mercury par. vj. Borax ?iiij. Impaste properly together until the Mercury is completely invisible. Pound and sublimate until ascension altogether ceases, repeating the process till this takes place ; then cool. Break the sublimatory. Fulminate that which is found at the bottom thereof. You will then have the best Luna ; also in the first eight ounces of this Luna you will have 2\ ounces of best Sol. Note of Master Albertus. Prepare salt by frequent dissolution in fire, melting and congealing. Repeat this until it melts like wax, fifteen times employing a filter, etc. Also afterwards take iiij. parts of borax, and pound it with well-calcined alum. Pound it again, even seven times. Then take the said salt and white borax in equal quantities. Put it in a glass vessel moderately warm. Then a tincture is produced from this. One part of it is projected over 30 of Mercury, and the same becomes Luna, commencing to flow immediately with the tincture. Blow strongly so that the Mercury may make its way through. Melt, and you will have Luna. Notice carefully.

Dissolve eight ounces of Luna in aquafortis. Afterwards congeal. Add. to this calx the same quantity of Mercury sublimated. Sublime 15 times, as frequently imbibing and drying, until all that is there is imbibed. Afterwards reduce the dross into a body with oil of tartar, and you will have Luna to the weight of the gold, and it stands in cement. Take a globule of earth and fill it with Mercury. Put it into Saturn for three or four hours. Afterwards Saturn attracts Mercury to itself. Over this Saturn and Mercury project fixed borax with saltpetre into the tigillum. Next fulminate in a furnace of wind. This will test the Luna. Take equal parts of tartar and mercury, sublimate thrice, and pound on marble. Then dissolve. The metal is dissolved in that water in one hour, but the matter is to be distilled in water. Afterwards take of pure gold and pure Luna equal parts. Dissolve in the aforesaid water. Then take one part each of borax and camphor. Reverberate one-half of these, distil the water from them and keep it. Next take one drop of this water and project it in the water wherein the body has been dissolved. Place it on a slow fire for seven days, and it will become milk. Replace this, and make in turn two or three drops. Repeat this process until it no longer grows white, but another red liquid remains. Coagiilate this ; then take one part of the white powder and

project it over thirty parts of Venus, when it is rendered white, and answers every test. Finally, take the red powder, project it over the above-mentioned white, and the whole will become red. Secret Note. Take filings of Venus and put them in wax for three days and nights. Take one pound thereof, four of vitriol, and five of sulphur. Mix ; lute between two bricks in a carefully watched furnace, and note the result. In the Distillation of Vitriol for Fixation. Place camphor in a glass vessel containing oil, and it will become fixed. Note on Pars cum Parte. Pour pars cum parte several times into blessed oil. It gains in grade and acquires great softness. Take vitriol and pound it small on marble. Imbibe it with wine to the consistence of a paste. Then take two stone dishes, one somewhat larger than the other. Place therein imbibed vitriol, and lute with a material composed of dung and gravel. Put it in a furnace for the space of a natural day, and the thing is done. The Purification of Tin. Project three or four times over oil of tartar. Note. Oil of tartar is that which is made for common use ; but if a plate of copper be frequently placed in it, it becomes white.

For Broken Coins. Take sal ammoniac, place it in the crack and the lesion disappears over a coal fire. Sal Ammoniac is made thus. Take twenty parts of urine passed by a wine-drinker. Skim and let it cool. Add one pound of sublimated dung and two pounds of salt. Mix these and let it stand for three days ; then boil until coagulated. For Reddening Crystal. Take olive oil and quicklime in any quantity, and shake them well together. Then take two parts of salt alkali and one part of common salt. Mix these so that the oil shall float on the top to the depth of one finger. Distil over a slow fire and let it cool. Set a light to it, and, if it burns, the process is not complete. Repeat until it no longer kindles, and then it is made ready for rubifying the crystal. Fixation of Mercury. Sublimate with quicklime until complete. For Gilding. Distil the yolk of eggs. It is converted into a red oil which gilds money and lasts for ever. Take one pound of sal ammoniac, pour on it acetum and wine, distil by means of a filter, and add ten pounds of sublimated dung. Set it to boil, when it will be desiccated. Pour urine on it again until a twentieth part of it is consumed. Then add pure water and dissolve. Take the clear water and lay aside the dregs. Boil and dry, either in the sun or in shade.

Take calcined tartar. Pour on it warm water. Pass this through a straining-bag until the upper part is clarified. Then take common salt dissolved in water, add one part of this, and afterwards boil in an iron dish until it is thickened. Then place in a vessel and desiccate until it becomes friable. Thus you will have borax, which place in glass. Another Method. Take one-third part of crude tartar. Sift thoroughly, and add six parts of prepared common salt. Boil for a day, until it is converted into water. Set to cool, and distil by means of a filter, afterwards let it boil until hardened, and you will have the very best borax. Sal Borax for Goldsmiths. Take one part each of starch mastic and sulphur. Of this mixture take two parts, pulverise and boil until thickened. Set it in a glass vessel to putrefy for four weeks, and you will have borax. Take Calcined Tartar, lb. \. Quick Lime, lb. ij. Wood Ashes, lb. j. Crude Tartar, lb. i\. Prepared Common Salt, lb. vj. Boil all together, distil in a filter, and coagulate. Thus is obtained excellent Take one part of sal ammoniac, two parts of sulphur, and two of

mercury. Mix, and proceed as directed above with cinnabar, until a purple smoke ascends ; then leave off. Another and Better Method. Take lapis lazuli. Heat and pound it. Then take two and a half parts of pitch, goat suet, and oil of laurel. Dissolve these together. Take sal ammoniac and pulverize it. Amalgamate this with four parts of mercury, and place it in a glass vessel closely luted. Sublimate for one hour. Then gradually increase it to the smoke of citron wood ; afterwards diminish. Finally, you will discover lazurium at the bottom. Take sulphur and mercury. Amalgamate as above, and sublimate. Flos Aeris. Take filings of Venus, urine, and sal ammoniac. Mix them together, desiccate, and imbibe a second time. Take sulphur, dissolve one part thereof and two parts of mercury. Cool them, place them in a glazed vessel, and sublimate. First of all a purple smoke ascends, and afterwards a red one. Then cease. Take quicklime and extract the lixivium with wine. With this is imbibed calcined and pounded flint. Forthwith it is susceptible of colour. Corals are made thus : Take of minium one part and of cinnabar half a part, but of quicklime and lime of flint five parts each, with a sufficient quantity of the above-mentioned

lixivium and the white of eggs. Add as much salt as you please, and finally boil in linseed oil. Take of good gypsum two parts, pure lime half a part, minium and cinnabar half a part each, white of ^%% quant, suff. Form and dry. Put chalk in the fire until it is friable. Mix with white of eggs and shape. Then harden, and afterwards moisten with spittle. Whiten with silver tablets and again harden with fine powder, either in the sun or over a coal fire, as To make Pearls better than Natural Ones. Take mother of pearl and pulverize it very small, afterwards adding fine flour. Mix and temper this with Maydew. Shape according to pleasure. Then give them to hungry pigeons to eat. Wash their dung, and you will discover very fine pearls. But notice that the pigeons s-hould be kept for three days without anything to eat. Take mother of pearl, boil and wash it well. Then take the same quantity of crystal, pound it small and mix with the white of eggs. Shape and dry. Afterwards boil thoroughly in linseed oil, and wash with white wine. Afterwards dry in the sun, or over a fire.

Note for Luna. Take of arsenic and of sublimated mercury one part each, and sublimate them by themselves. Add an equal weight of quick lime. Imbibe with water of fixed sal ammoniac, then cover with wax and "place on the fire. Sublimate thrice, and keep in a closed vessel. Afterwards desiccate it, and project one part over twenty-five of purified Venus. Thus Luna will be produced. Ruby. Take 4lb. of strongest acetum, not distilled, and in it put one H of atramentum. Distil this after the manner of aquafortis, and at last with a very strong fire, so that the spirit may ascend. Take four parts of this acetum, and place it in a glass vessel, into which put one part of filing of Mars. Stir it with a rod, and the mixture begins to boil without fire. Set it apart to stand and you will see a pellicle form and float on the surface. Collect this and put it on one side. Then stir the mixture again for an hour, and once more collect the pellicle. Do this as often as necessary, and put this matter, which is yellow, like gold, into a firmly luted crucible, to be calcined for twelve hours. Then take it again, pound, and dissolve it in fresh acetum as before. Collect once more, as directed, the pellicle floating on the surface ; again dissolve and calcine as above, and repeat this process three times. Afterwards dissolve in aquafortis, which dissolves gold, and reduce the water three times. Then it becomes a medicament which tinges Luna to Sol. One part thereof fall upon two hundred parts of Luna.

Aqua Ardens : or Water of Mercury. Take half a pound of sal ammoniac, a sufficient quantity of tartar and live sulphur, with one pound of common salt, and a quart of good white wine. Place all these in a well-luted vessel and submit to the fire, perhaps somewhat severely. Then keep the water well away from the wind. This purifies metals and converts mercury into pure Luna. Water of Sulphur. Take \ lb. of sulphur and 4I lb. of saltpetre. Place these in a well-luted vessel, and put in the ashes for twenty-four hours. Remove and pulverise. Then mix one-fourth of this with 3 oz. of pure water ; whereupon the water is turned to a red colour, and money can be coloured therewith into the semblance of most beautiful Sol. Take of tin and of sulphur each one-third part, amalgamate, and pulverise. Afterwards wash, first with lixivium and then with pure water, until no dirt comes off". Then dry. Next take two pounds of Mercurius vivus and the same quantity of sal ammoniac. Mortify the mercurius with acetum, and at the same time wash it, as before. Then place it in a well-luted phial, so that the glass vessel be half full. Heat it in sand for four hours until you see a golden smoke ascend.

Take antimony and purify it with calcined tartar. Afterwards make aquafortis. Dissolve it in the water, and congelate, either in the aquafortis or by itself Then it will be an oil incapable of mixture — oil or stone— in the proportion of one part on three parts of Saturn ; and it will be silver answering perfectly to every test. Take old red wine ; and put in a glazed vessel one part of auripigment, half of quick sulphur, and a fourth of quicklime. Mix together ; afterwards distil by means of a rose alembic and the thing is done. The Virtues of this Water. Whoever places his finger in it is burnt as by a light. In like manner, a rag placed in it burns like a candle, and is not extinguished by water. Augmentation. Make an amalgam of mercury and Luna. Then fill a vessel with quicklime. Take equal parts of salt of alkali and of litharge. Put layer on layer and let it stand for a day and a night. Afterwards let it dissolve. Take equal parts of crushed beans and of crude tartar, together with a quantity of tutia exceeding one of those parts. Mix all well together and place layer upon layer with plates of Venus which have been laid all night in acetum. Pour it over the layer, and let it shape wherever it can be poured. You will see the result.

Calcination of Jove and Saturn to White. Make layer upon layer with quicklime and the above-mentioned metals. Cement by night, then take again, dissolve, and pour into a lixivium of quicklime, acetum, and vine-ashes. It will then be as Luna. To Reduce Calcined Bodies to their Original Matter. Take one-fifth of the metal and two pounds of borax of tartar. Pour together, and place in an iron vessel. It will be as Luna, and can easily become Sol and Luna if first imbibed with oil of tartar. Calcination of Sol and Luna. Take filing of Sol and place it in acetum for nine days. Then put it in water of sal ammoniac. Imbibe well ; then desiccate, and continue the process as long as you please. The Devil in Alchemy. Dissolve, fix, coagulate, and reiterate. Water of Salt of Alcali. Take alkali, sal ammoniac, and egg-shell. Pound together with good acetum, and dissolve at the same time. Purification of Sulphur. Take pounded sulphur, pour on it acetum and wine, let it boil for a day, and skim it. Then pour in urine and boil for two hours. Do this until it ceases to froth. Whatever body there is does not float in the urine, but the urine is clear and sufficient for the purpose.

The Sublimation and Fixation of Sulphur, so that it becomes White. Take of sulphur as much as you will, and pound it. Pour acetum upon it. Heat it until all fatness is removed, and then lay it aside. Secondly heat it as before in boys' urine, and draw off the fatness. Next, pound it with prepared alum, place it in a sublimatory and sublimate for three hours. Then the white sulphur ascends like snow, and flows down upon the coals just as a snow storm. Oil of Vitriol. Take as much vitriol as you will, and distil it by descent. It renders a bright green oil, and is called milk of mercury. But it must have a large fire ; it is like in its nature to balsam. Another Method. Distil vitriol with an alembic over a very strong fire for three days and nights. Let it be imbibed thrice with its dregs, and be distilled from them. Afterwards distil five or six times, and thus a great arcanum is produced. Correction of this Process. After the third distillation mix with it a half portion of vinum ardens, and Another very Expeditious Mode. Take vitriol and distil it vigorously by descent, afterwards by an alembic, and then by a balneum Mariae. Finally, do this twice or thrice by means of a retort, and the method is subtle. Some say they have seen the oil of vitriol distilled until a whiteness like milk supervened.

Preparation of Common Salt. Make layer on layer with quicklime. Let it be cemented well, distil by a Take urine, quicklime, and salt ; reduce to water and boil. Then put them in a vessel, project to water, and coagulate. Place again in the vessel, do as before, and it is ignited at length whether it suffice or not. Fusion of a Marchasite. Take three-tenths of the Marchasite, \ of Saturn, iij.3 of Venus, and iiij.n of Scoria of Iron. At the same time it is poured upon iiij. of Luna, H of Saturn, and II of Venus. Alkali is made thus : Take wood ashes, quicklime, and the ash of beans. Extract the lixivium The Sublimation of Sal Ammoniac. Take of the salt itself and of pulverised Mars, equal parts, and sublimate. Crocus of Mars. Take aquafortis, not too strong. Place it on filings of Mars ; let it stand for some days. Then heat it over a coal fire and it is made red. Another Method. Take Antimony, filings of Mars, and crude tartar. Dissolve them together, and a good crocus is produced. Sal Borax of the Philosophers in which all Metals and Glass ARE Fused. Take lac tauri purified by a filter, alkali, borax, gem-salt, and goat's blood, equal parts of each. Mix with water, put in a phial, and desiccate. Then Venus or any other substance, whether metal or glass, is fused therein.

Saltpetre. Take quicklime and warm water. Stir for six days and distil by means of a filter. Place it in until it is consumed and you will have saltpetre. The Solution of Sol from Silver. Take one part of calcined tartar with two parts of sal ammoniac. Place them on marble and then in a glass vessel. Then take the root of pellitory, pound it with acetum and strain it oif. Mix this in the above mentioned water, and put the water in a gilded cup. The Sol is dissolved from the silver and is again reduced with borax. The Softening of Iron and all Metals. Take of alum, sal ammoniac, and tartar, equal parts. Put in good acetum over a fire and extinguish the metal. Solution without Antimony. Take Venus which has gold in it, and sprinkle on it the following powder: put it over a fire and let it melt. Then pour into a fusibulum and you will find gold or Luna. Purify over ashes. Item. Take one part of saltpetre with three parts of sulphur and do with copper as above. Take two parts of vitriol, one part of alum, and half a part of antimony. Distil.

Fixation of Mercury. Take a vessel, in which put quicklime quant, suff., and in the middle of this lime place coagulated mercury. Heat for five hours, and it will be fixed. Ready Method of Coagulation. Take the pounded root and portions of the herb hermodactyl. Heat mercury, pour it over, and it will be coagulated. The Fixation of Arsenic. Take of tartar, quicklime, glass, and arsenic equal parts. Imbibe with oil of tartar, and sublimate in a vessel after the usual method. When the whiteness ascends, leave oiF. Gilding. Stamped money is entirely gilded in the juice of the aurearia and remains for some time. Cement. Take Vitriol, j. part. Sal Ammoniac, '\ Verdigris, \ ij. parts each. Saltpetre, J part. Pound in an iron mortar. Mix over coals and a black powder will result. It gives a great smoke ; and when the powder is desiccated, make layer on layer with Sol. It is graduated to twenty-four degrees. Fixation of Saltpetre. Take the purest saltpetre. Distil by means of an alembic and a portion of the saltpetre will remain at the bottom. Take one part of this and two parts of quicklime. Dissolve on stone, coagulate, and the thing is done.

Perfect Fixation of Luna. Take of this saltpetre two parts and of Luna one part. Let them melt. When the saltpetre becomes like glass, increase the fire until the saltpetre is consumed. Add crocus of Mars and let it be consumed as before. Afterwards pour it through antimony as is necessary, and let it be fulminated. Then it will be Luna fixed and white. The Coagulation of Mercury, producing Venus. Take equal parts of Mercury and Venus as much as you like. Boil them in water for three hours and stir continually Afterwards take the Mercury, put it into a linen rag, let it stand for a night, and it will be coagulated as Venus. Another Coagulation of Mercury. Take an egg-shaped crucible, and fill it with Mercury. Lute it, place it in a patella, pour lead over it, and let it cool. Then take it out, and you have coagulated Mercury. Purification of Metals. Take two parts of antimony, and two parts each of vitriol and saltpetre. Pound well a moderate weight of filings from the metal, and cement over a slow fire for about an hour. Then let it be heated for 15 hours, and afterwards fulminated. It will be diminished one-third part.

Cement from above. Take equal parts of saltpetre, sal ammoniac, verdigris, common salt, and alum. Pound them together and imbibe them three times with urine. Afterwards with a portion of this make layer on layer for six hours, in the end with a strong fire. Then you will have a golden regulus, but it will not stand in the cineritium. Oil which tinges Luna into Sol. Take antimony 5. j., with Vo.\ of sublimated Mercury. From this proceeds a red oil which has the property of gilding. Oil tinging Brass into Gold of 24 degrees. Take the very strongest lixivium and distil by means of a rose alembic. Then place it in a glass vessel and add saltpetre, sulphur, and crocus of Mars j. 3. or more, etc., so that the lixivium may float on the surface to the depth of one finger. Let it stand until it sinks to the bottom. This is done over a coal fire and it will become red like blood. Afterwards take it from the fire and let it cool. Place it again in an alembic and distil it until whiteness supervenes. What remains at the bottom is a tincture, and is a most wonderful production, possessing the virtue of natural gold.

Perfect Fixation of Luna. Take cinnabar, gem-salt, and common salt. Pound them well with plates of Luna. Lute them layer on layer, place on a fire of cement for six hours, then purify by cineritium and repeat this process thrice. Afterwards place in cement for i8 hours and you have fixed Luna. Take of this Luna three parts, of pure Sol one part, and dissolve them together. Its colour is not diminished in aqua fortis, but remains there. Glorious Oil of Sol. Take very strong lixivium and distil it in an alembic with sulphur, colcothar, and crocus of Mars, equal parts of each. Dissolve in the lixivium, and afterwards place it on the fire, making it boil until it grows red. Next distil it twelve times, or oftener, until whiteness comes forth. What remains in the bottom is a fixed oil and tinges everything to Sol. St. Thomas Aquinas. I have very often sublimated Mercury until it became fixed. I afterwards dissolved it in water into its primal matter. In this water I placed calx of Luna and fixed arsenic. This I now dissolved in horsedung and coagulated, whereupon it became a stone of tincture. Water of Mercury. Take of fixed Mercury 3J. 5., with the same quantity of saltpetre. Pulverise them together. Then place them in a linen cloth in horsedung, with glass below. Above all this put a cloth as a covering, setting the horsedung on all sides above and below. Let it remain for two weeks, and then pound it until quite white. It will be sufficient for Luna.

Water of Sal Ammoniac. Take sal ammoniac, the same quantity of &%^ shell, and a little acetum. Pound these together. Dissolve them afterwards on marble and you will have water of sal ammoniac. Take pulverised litharge, together with a sufficient quantity of acetum. Let them boil well. Afterwards distil with a white filter. Pour it on again, and distil until the water grows clear. Then take some sal ammoniac and anatron. Treat these in the same way, and afterwards mix them together. Then is produced lac virginis. Purgation of Venus after the Greek Method. Dissolve Venus and project on it some purified sulphur or arsenic, until it no longer emits any smoke. For Recovering Luna in Antimony. Take of Antimony j. H , of Tartar ij. H . Pound together with Sulphur IIj. Pulverise, and melt. Aqua Fortis. Take equal parts of vitriol, sulphur, and alum. Distil first with a gentle and at last a very strong fire. If you wish to have it stronger, substitute calcined alum for the alum, and citrine colcothar for the vitriol. Then you will have very strong aquafortis. Aquafortis also made from vitriol alone has a wonderful odour as pleasant as musk. This aquafortis dissolves all metals except Sol. If it be desired to dissolve Sol, let there be added to the distilled ■ aquafortis a little sal ammoniac, or common salt. Let these be dissolved together, and then it converts all metals into water.

The Operation Boni Thematis. Take of sublimated fixed Mercury two parts, of calx Lunse one part. Pound these with water of sal ammoniac, and desiccate seven times ; then dissolve. After this distil the water by a balneum Marias and place this water in a glass vessel. Set it in the ashes of a sublimatory furnace until the water is entirely consumed, when the tincture will remain. Take one part to a hundred parts of purged Venus, or of Mars for Luna. For Sol. Take Calx Solis and Crocus of Mars in place of the water of sal ammoniac. The Operation Bon^ Rapacis. Take 5 vivus, warm it, and in human blood 7. Thereupon it will be hardened. Boil in white of eggs, and you will have excellent Luna. For the Same. Take Mercurius vivus and put it in menstrual blood, with an equal quantity of juice from cornflowers and a little euphorbium. Let it stand for four days, and it will coagulate for working. Calx Peregrinorum, or Marine Calx. Take the bones of large fishes, or signum peregrinorum, or cockle shells. Reduce to a calx, and when it has acquired whiteness you will have the Calx Peregrinorum. Take of vinum ardens quantum suff., and of pounded antimony as much as you will. Wash in the usual way. Take the more subtle portion, and project on dissolved Luna. It becomes in some part Sol, as I myself have seen.

The Work of the Noble Canon in Alchemy. We have seen when we cemented pars cum parte, and the golden regulus was placed in the cement, that the result was, as it were, the best gold. But it did not remain in the cineritium as pars cum parte. Nevertheless it did remain in aquafortis. Thus we made a cement on fixed Luna, and placed that Luna in aquafortis, when it deposited for us a large residuum. When, however, this was fulminated, it grew white again as Luna. Once more we placed it in aquafortis, and not the least thing remained for us in that aquafortis. We believe that the matter in the cementations is either nothing at all, or is not cemented sufficiently, or its realgar is not fixed enough. Calcination of all Gems. Take any quantity you like of each gem. Pulverise it and mix with sulphur. Set fire to it ; thus it burns, and you have the calx of that gem. If it be necessary, wash it, and the powder will be white. How Bones may be Cut. Take wood ashes and quicklime in equal parts, quant, stiff. Boil the bones herein until they are softened. Softening of Metals and Ivory. Take the strongest lixivium of alkali and place in it the metal for fourteen days, when it will be softened. Take it out again, cool it in water, and it will once more become hard. Place ivory in the same way, having previously added the strongest acetum.

To Gild Metals. Smear the metal with varnish, and then place upon it a plate of Sol. To Whiten Venus. Take aquafortis and dissolve Luna in it. Then with pounded tartar and common salt make a pulp and desiccate it. Thus it can be used with acetum. Some add sal ammoniac, smear the Venus, and heat it, continuing the process until the result is satisfactory. Light Shining without Fire. Take the eye of a goat, put it in water, and place a mirror above it. Another. Take some lixivium made out of the best quicklime. Place therein alum and camphor. Put it in a glass vessel with live Mercury and set a mirror above. Water of Common Salt and Water of Saltpetre. Take some of this with tile and distil it. This water is said to have a marvellous power of fixation. If Luna is melted in it and common salt, it can be distilled with honey. White. Take alcalum, with juice of white onions. Steep Mars therein, and it becomes Luna. Method of Quartation. Take one part of Sol, and let two or three parts of Luna be made into plates and put into aquafortis. This is the most consummate and excellent test of gold.

Colouring. Take a little flos seris and sal ammoniac. Make them into a paste with acetum. It is one method of testing and colouring gold. How A Cloth cannot be Burnt in the Fire. Moisten the cloth with salt water. Let it dry of itself. Prepare it carefully with white of &g%. Afterwards desiccate it, and the effect is produced. When Glass is Destroyed by Fire. Take a half portion of minium, quicklime, and flour. Mix with white of eggs. Apply a cloth moistened with it, and place it for a short time on the fire. Lute. Take ten parts of well-prepared lute, three parts of cows' hair, five parts of horse-dung, three parts of goat's blood, three parts each of quicklime and common salt, six parts of iron filings, and of white of ^g^ and gypsum a sufficient quantity. Thus is made a lute. Another for Luting Broken Glass. Take equal parts of calcined flint, quicklime, common salt, and white of eggs. Mix these together, and then take a cloth, place it therein, and smear the glass or fracture. Let it harden ; then smear it in water with linseed oil, and a better lute could scarcely be found.

A VERY strong Lute, which is proof against Fire. This is made out of bullock's blood, quicklime, and salt. It is indestructible in fire. An Excellent Method of Luting Glass. Take sufficient quantities of Venetian glass, finely pounded, and oil of tartar. Make a pulp ; lute the fracture and place it before the fire to melt. Take of Saturn as much as you please, dissolve it to ashes and it becomes citron-coloured. Afterwards pound it, place it in a vessel over a moderate fire, and it will be coloured red. The Process of Sulphur. Take of this powder 5. j. Pour over it linseed oil, place it in an iron pan, and let it boil. It gives a red froth and grows thick. Pour it out and it becomes a red substance as thick as hepar. Put the particles into which it is divided into an iron pan with laterine oil and boil it thoroughly for two hours. Afterwards place it in a glass vessel on ashes for three days. Then the sulphur is converted into an oil. Take the glass vessel again and put it in cold water for three days and three nights. Then distil it, first of all over a slow fire, but increasing the heat until it is sufficient. Thoroughly calcine the dregs, which are called the caput mortuum. Imbibe with the first water. Then distil for seven hours. Do this again until the redness of the oil is changed to white, which will take place in three hours. Finally, take again the aforesaid oil ; distil it by itself for seven hours, and the process is complete.

Then take a plate of Venus and dip it in the said oil. If it is transmuted into Luna, well and good. If not, distil again until this takes place vs^ith the said calcined faeces. Or: Imbibe the faces frequently with the said oil. Let it flow over a copper plate and it becomes white. Afterwards take one part of the faeces, and five parts of Mercury. Place these together in a crucible well luted and set it in the fire. Then cool, and you will find a not very hard substance. Take the crucible and repeat the process with the aforesaid fseces. Proceed as above, and you will find an elixir of which one part is projected on looo of purified Mercury, and there is produced perfect Luna. Of this take one part and fuse it with ten parts of calcined and white Venus. Then will be attained a perfection with which none can find fault. Of this elixir take j. 3. and of Mercury 4. j. Let them boil, and good Luna is produced. If, however, you wish to transmute the above-mentioned Elixir into Sol : Then take the element of fire, place it in a large glass vessel, and desiccate in the sun. After this imbibe with pure water. Then take some of this powder on a silver plate, and it will melt like wax. If not, imbibe it again, until it suffices. Next take one part with two parts of live Mercury.

Lute them together, place them for half-a-day over a fire, and do as I before directed. Then take and add of the fire spoken of above the same quantity as the Mercury, and proceed as above. Once more it becomes citron-coloured and as hard as Sol. Of this Elixir take one part to 1000 parts of the Luna which has been made from the said Mercury. Then it becomes gold better than that of Nature, and by separating the said Luna 5. ij. with j. 4.* Mix and then it has admirable power, so that people say this is the most consummate Elixir of all Alchemy.

Operation for the Preceding Work. Take prepared purified sulphur and put it into a vessel so that the vessel may be four parts empty. Place over it a cloth folded double, underneath which is live Mercury. Lute it closely, put it on a fire for three days, when it will harden and become as Luna. If this does not take place, treat it with fresh Mercury, then add one part of that Luna with five of purified Venus, when the whole will become good and pure Luna. For Sol Boni Thematis. Take Mercury, iij. 5. Crude Atramentum, j. 5. Pour over these Salt Water, ij. 5. Jamen Alum, j. 5. Mix these ingredients together, and place in the sun until the mercury dies and is converted into water. Put in a box thoroughly luted with lead, arsenic, and sulphur, and let it stand in a steady heat for one day. Open the box and you will find the Mercury coagulated. Pound this together with the above-mentioned water made of atramentum and alum. After this desiccate, place it once more in the box, and proceed as before for three hours. Once again for the fourth time imbibe with the aforesaid water, and place in dung for putrefaction during five days. Then desiccate in ashes, and take of this tincture one part to a hundred parts of Venus. Take one part of the

• The translation is liLeral, though the sense is not intelligible. aforesaid elixir and of calx peregrinorum. Pound these two together and imbibe with water of mercury ; desiccate, imbibe frequently, and it will coagulate. Finally take one part of this to two hundred parts of Venus, and you will have the best Sol that can be found. Mode of further increasing this augmentation Boni Thematis. Take white of eggs with the same quantity of quicklime. Pound with orpiment water, imbibe, and coagulate. Add water of sal ammoniac, and putrefy in dung for five days. Strain through a cloth and desiccate. This elixir tinges Venus into Sol. Take some of this elixir, &^g shell, and peahen's eggs calcined. Once more imbibe with orpiment water for ten hours. Desiccate, pound with water of prepared salt, and putrefy for one day. Desiccate again, and one part tinges a hundred parts of Venus to Sol. A Tincture most Effectual for the White and Red. Take of calcined sulphur, white and fixed, two parts, of fixed sublimated mercury ten parts. Take also some water of sal ammoniac and imbibe frequently. Then put it in a glass vessel into horse-dung for fifteen days. Place a little on heated iron and it will melt like wax. Coagulate with a slow fire. Next take one part of this elixir to a hundred parts of Venus purified for Sol. Imbibe with water of sal ammoniac, adding continually a little crocus of Mars until the powder grows red, whereupon putrefy it in dung. Then melt in iron. Take one part to one hundred parts of purified Mars, and it becomes gold better than that of Nature.

Operation for Sol. Take Live Mercury, viij. parts. Sublimated and Fixed (? Mercury), iiij. parts. Calcined Luna, ij. parts White Arsenic, j. part. Pulverise, put in a silver box, lute well, place in a vessel, and pdur over it Saturn for five days in one solution. Then take out the box and you will find a white powder. Pound this with water of sal ammoniac, desiccate, and putrefy for fifteen days until it melts like wax over red hot iron. Take 3.J. of it to one mark of purified Venus. Pour together and it will be true Luna. For Sol. Then redden the sulphur with crocus of Mars. Instead of the calx Lunae take calx of Sol, and place it in the box. The substance must afterwards be more carefully strained and putrefied for a longer time. White. Take Luna, 3 3. Jove, ij.g. Saturn, iij.g. Fuse these until they are thoroughly melted. Let them cool a little ; then project gs., or somewhat more, of warm Mercury, and you will have the white. Take a silver phial of any capacity you like, and place In it Mercury until it is a third or half full. Close it up with bread, salt, and white of egg. Then place it among burning coals. Heat it, and then immediately plunge it into hot water. Continue to do this for an hour, when it will give a sound like the hissing of a goose. Then it is sufficient. Take it out, and it will be silver.

Make an amalgam of Jove and Mercury, mix it with pounded salt, and wash it until no blackness appears. Take this amalgam, put it in a sublimatory, and sublimate the Mercury from the Jove. Then take of the Mercury thus sublimated four loth. Dissolve in aquafortis 2 1 (sic) crocus of Luna, 216 {sic) loth, of Venus, and dissolve each separately by itself. When all are dissolved mix the whole in one glass vessel, distil the water from the dregs, pour over it fresh aquafortis as before, re-distil the water from the dregs, and afterwards wash with fresh water. Next, dissolve sal ammoniac in acetum, pour this on the dregs, and let it stand throughout the night. Then distil it once more from the dregs by means of an alembic, and reduce the faeces with sal alkali and common salt. Purify the body you have in the cineritium, and you will find six loth, of most excellent Luna. Make aquafortis out of one part of vitriol, one part of saltpetre, and four parts of alum. Into the water so made put four loth, of sal ammoniac. Re-distil. In the same water dissolve an amalgam of Mercury and Sol, as the goldsmiths are accustomed to form amalgams. Let this stand for eight or fifteen days. Let the water boil down to one-third of its volume. When you wish to gild dip a pencil into that water, stir it briskly, and paint over whatever you please. Then let it dry, and afterwards burn it, as the goldsmiths do.

To Blot Out Writing. Take Roman Vitriol, j. 5. Usifur, 54. Jamen Alum, -^Ib. Distil a strong water from these. At first it is white ; and this you must collect by itself. When you wish to erase any writing, moisten a cloth with this water, touch the letters, and they are obliterated. Cement. Take Reddened Vitriol Verdigris Burnt Brass [ Each one part. Alum, to make ilb. weight of all. Make layer on layer for eight hours in a closed vessel, and afterwards dip it in urine. To Make Precious Stones. Take very white silex, calcined and pulverised, one part, and three parts of minium. Place within a crucible in a brisk fire. Then let it cool of itself, and you will have a precious stone. It is coloured as an emerald by ashes of Venus. Cement as Pars Cum Parte. Take of Bloodstone ) . ,, . r Ti , A > J-lb. 15. each, of Bolus Armenus ) of Vitriol, a quarter, j. 2. Pulverise. Then take half a part of the Sun or the Moon. Make plates. Then arrange in layers, as you know, and remove by smoke. Take from the fire, when you will have the best Hungarian Sun. It has been tested by me.

White. Take of Venus, Ib.j. of Luna, Ib.s. Melt. Afterwards sprinkle Ib.ij. of salt ammoniac and Ib.ij. of pure salt. Project upon it j. quartal. Let it stand for one hour ; repeat until eight hours have passed and it is made. Out of that Luna you can make anything you desire. Beautiful Mercury brought over from Mercury. Take Luna and Mercury equal parts. Dissolve in aquafortis : then abstract the water so that it may remain as a thick pottage. Dissolve this pottage again for eight days, and it will be converted into water. Abstract as before and again resolve four times, when you will ultimately have water which persists through all tests, and makes out of Mercury a Luna which remains everywhere. A drop or -i.\ to 2 oz. of Mercury heated to evaporation. Note the Sulphurous Work. Boil sulphur well in vinegar or urine. Wash it well. Afterwards dissolve it over the fire and project as much as possible over the fire. Place it in a luted instrument and burn gently in a slow fire for 30 days, when you will have at the bottom a Mercury which is not very red. Dissolve in an open glass vessel into oil. This oil tinges in a marvellous manner. Good and Proved Lazurium. Take of Live Mercury, any quantity, of Sulphur, a third part, of Sal Amm6niac, one part. Mix. Burn like cinnabar, and when you see a purple smoke, take out and mollify the lazurium with boiling water.

Water which makes Mars fluid and also boils in Air. Take Camphor, Salt of Glass, Vitriol, Boiling Wine, Distil, as you know, and keep well. Water which makes Luna into Sol. Take red vinegar, sublimated, and live calx. Boil. Then put in that vinegar sal ammoniac and vitriol, dissolve and distil through the alembic. Extinguish plates of Luna therein and it will be converted within and without into the Sun. Extinguish Mercury twelve times in human blood, and it will be hardened. Afterwards boil it in the yolk of eggs for one hour, when it will become good Luna. Take Ib.j. of sal alkali, the same quantity of calx of eggs, two parts of clavellated cinder, also four parts of the dew of heaven. Decoct all these to the third part. Afterwards thrice distil through the alembic. Perform this diligently and you will have very strong water, with which Mercury and all bodies of metals are dissolved. Take of the above water, Ib.j. of Foliated Luna, Jj. Place in cinders for three days, and the Luna will be converted into water. Place Mercury, sublimated and well pulverized, in a phial among the ashes. Pour over some of the said water made from Luna, and it will be congealed. Continue this process, imbibing and desiccating until half part of the water is consumed Ib.s. Afterwards place powder from Mercury into the fixatory. Digest slowly. On the third day augment the fire, making it exceedingly fierce, and you will find an everlasting tincture, one part of which falls over 100 parts of crude Mercury, when it will be good Luna standing every weighing and hammering, and lasting for ever.

Concerning the Oil of Sulphur. Take of Oil, one-fourth, of Sulphur, Ib.ij. Make a hepar. Boil it in lixivium so that the oil may be abstracted ; afterwards that which remains at the bottom must be distilled through the retort, secundario per lateres. Make sufficient oil. Pars Cum Parte. Take Antimony prepared in Oil of Tartar, §j. Prepared Salt of Nitre, '\ Prepared Common Salt, \ §s. each. Plumose Alum, ] Let these ingredients be well mixed twice or thrice and imbibed in oil of tartar, whence will be formed a powder, which place layer by layer with Luna in a cementing fire for six hours ; and, when this has been done, let it be sublimated. Then take one ounce of this and half an ounce of pure Sol. Let these be pounded together and formed into plates ; and then make layer on layer with the following powder : Saltpetre, } j-S each. Pound these together and let them be imbibed with oleum laudis ten times or more, when they form a powder. Place them layer by layer in the fire for twelve hours. Afterwards take the regulus, sublimate, add three parts of Venus, and place in the following water of gradation : —

Saltpetre, > j.lb. each. Distil twice, that is, once from the caput mortuum and from the residuum which is found at the bottom. Fulminate ; and you will have Sol so good as to answer every test. Take oil of tartar boiled in best lixivium, and distil through filter. Next boil till it attains to an oily consistency, and place in a good glass. Take of the said Lixivium, one pocale. of Salmiax, five times sublimated, one pound. of Mercury, sublimated seven times, Ib.j. of very strong Water of the Fount, half a pocale. Let them be mixed together in a Venetian vase. Allow them to stand for a day, so that the boiling may cease. Inject upon the oil Jiij- of Luna in horse dung for a month, and the whole will be converted into oil. This oil tinges all things into Luna, can be coagulated into a stone, and is the water of Of Common Prepared Salt, Crocus of Mars, gj. Make a powder which is to be imbibed with oil of antimony and 'i.2Xt2LX (and urine) of Mercury ten times. Project over them gij. of Luna and giij. Dissolve for six hours. Afterwards let it be fulminated and placed in aquafortis, or cemented as you know.

Preparation of Salts. Make it with quicklime, and by means of a lixivium, as you know. Let it be twice or thrice imbibed with oil of tartar, but the other in oil of tartar. Concerning Talc. Let it be cemented a whole day with common salt. Afterwards let the talc be collected from the salt and most subtly pounded. Let it be put in a bag-. Let there be poured over it a very strong lixivium. Let it be poured over again, until the calx is dissolved. Then it falls in the lixivium to the bottom. Dry previously very well. Afterwards let it be dissolved into oil. It coagulates Mercury into Luna, and similarly Jupiter. Digestion of Luna. Take Saltpetre, \ Vitriol, ) Ib.j. each. Cinnabar, §iiij. Make a strong water. Let this water be divided. In one part let there be Luna, in the other cinnabar. Let them be dissolved by the addition of sal ammoniac and then joined together. Let them be digested for fourteen days and the matter distilled. Then let it be reduced, and you will have a double quantity of Luna. Each loto of the salt will have a loto and a half. Concerning Talc. Let it be cemented with common salt a whole day in aquafortis. Afterwards the talc must be collected, most subtly pounded, and put in a bag. Let it be melted over a very strong lye, and let the process be repeated until the talc is dissolved. It then falls in the lye to the bottom. Dry previously well, then dissolve into an oil. It coagulates Mercury into Luna, and Jupiter

Separation of Sol and Luna. Filings of Mars, 5VJ. Common Salt prepared in fluxion, giiij. Pound all together and fuse in a tigillum. Then there will be a black substance, which also grind to a powder. Take equal parts of this and of Luna. Fuse the Luna until it appears bright and clear, that is, with the powder. Place in cupel with lead, and the antimony entirely evaporates. Afterwards purge by means of a cineritium. Concerning Scoria of Luna. Take scorias and powders in equal quantities. Melt until you have cocted the silver. Let this process be thoroughly carried out, then refine. The Fixation of Cinnabar in one day. Take of beechen ashes viij. parts, of quick lime j. part. Make a lixivium, in which dissolve of salt nitre, salt of vitriol, and verdigris, each j. part; of flower of alum and calcined tartar, \ part each. Dissolve these ; boil the cinnabar therein for a whole day, and it will be fixed. On Antimony. Imbibe the mineral in Saturn. Afterwards scatter sand upon it. Then the sand attracts the antimony to itself. When it becomes scoria, remove it with a spatula and sprinkle sand again, as before, until it will no longer evaporate. Then fulminate.

Concerning the Solution of Magnesia. Take one part thereof, and of sublimated Mercury ij. parts. Grind, mix together, and distil by an alembic. Then a thick and fat water, like linseed oil, is distilled. This tinges Mercury in itself. Then it tinges all bodies Take Salt of Alkali, ij. oz. Salt of Nitre, j. oz. Melt together, then let them stand to cool, and the antimony will be fixed. Oil of Antimony and Mercury, fixing Spirits and of itself dissolving Bodies. Take Mercury, iv. lbs. Antimony, j. lb. Dissolve as you know how. This oil dissolves metals. Oil of Borax. Put borax into a glass vessel and dissolve it. Let it be pulverised, hardened, and placed inside another glass vessel, in a balneum Marise. It is converted into an oil which fixes all spirits. Oil of Gold. Take Sulphur, j. part. Quick Lime, viij. parts. Let these be decocted in water and the decoction becomes red. Distil by an alembic, and there remains at the bottom the redness of sulphur. This is called the oil of gold. Water by which all Spirits are fixed. Take sal ammoniac, Jamenus, and vitriol. Distil by alembic. Then take any spirit, dissolve it in water, abstract it, imbibe it thrice, and it will be

Take Antimony, ) . ^ , ' , , [1. part each. Crocus of Sulphur, ; Sal Ammoniac, iiij. parts. Imbibe with strong acetum ; at last dry it, and then mix with water of fixed sal ammoniac. Abstract, and distil. Fixation of Sulphur. Grind it with salt of tartar or crude tartar, together with common salt and salt of nitre in equal parts. Dissolve with the water of common salt and congeal. Put it in a vessel, lute, and set it in the fire. Let it get red-hot, afterwards dissolve in fresh water, distil with a filter ; congeal a second and third time, and the sulphur will become capable of being melted like wax. Sublimation to Sol with Sulphur. Take Live Sulphur "j Roman Vitriol \ equal parts. Verdigris j Imbibe with the water of common salt. Sublimate thrice. Or, take equal parts of Sulphur, Honey, and Alkali. Let them boil for one day. This mixture makes Sol out of Luna. Water of Antimony (Sulphur) for Sol. Grind it, and take thereof iij. parts, with one part of sal ammoniac. Place it within a glass vessel, well luted, on ashes for one day. Then pound it in hot water, and it will become like blood. If it were boiled in a lixivium perhaps it would be better.

Fixation of Sulphur. Take sulphur and honey. Imbibe and dry over a slow fire. Then let it boil well in a strong lixivium. Wash the substance until the water appears clear. Renew this process seven times, and you will find the sulphur white like crystal. Afterwards take prepared common salt and the same quantity of sal ammoniac and sulphur. Let these be well ground together twice. Then dissolve with white of e.gg, and congeal. Distil by means of a filter, and cool. Repeat this three times, and j. part changes xxx. parts of warmed mercury into permanent Luna. Fixed Oil of Sulphur. Take it, let it boil in alkali for one day, and be sublimated over a slow fire. Having done this, moisten it with acetum four times, abstract by means of a filter, and again moisten three times. It is afterwards abstracted by means of an alembic, and will then be fixed. Let it be dissolved into an oil on marble. Then take the body of the sulphur, dissolve it with oil, and congeal. One part tinges three parts to Luna, and that Luna has many of the properties of gold. The Whitening and Fixation of Cinobrium. Take it, together with calcined alum and prepared common salt. Pound together with vinum ardens, dry, and sublimate. Then it is whitened and fixed.