Some Treatises by

George Ripley

Transcribed from a manuscript

by
Beat Krummenacher

Revised
by
Juan Perez

Copyrights
B. Krummenacher und Juan D. Perez
2003

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 Of the Mercury &
Stones of the Philosophers by
George Ripley.
1 Most dear son, I will instruct thee in this blessed science, the
2 which the ancient wise men have hidden, to whom the Lord hath
3 vouchsafed so great grace by the mediation of their good
4 works of piety, & frequent prayers made to God, in
5 whose name we begin to reveal unto thee this secret.
6 Thou art therefore to understand that our matter is the supreme
7 of all things which are in the earth, & of the least estimation
8 or price as shall hereafter more clearly appear. For if
9 water incorporate with earth it will be the basest of all
10 things. & if it be fixed with the fire it will ascend more
11 high, & thus mayst thou see how water will be both the high-
12 est & the lowest of things. And whereas we have said afore,
13 that it is of the least or meanest esteem, it is true; for in our
14 earth is water, & in that filthy earth thou shall find a pure
15 & clear water, which is our sperm and quintessence. But then
16 that foul earth is good for nothing more, nor is it of any
17 account or estimation. And whereas I said the water is the
18 supreme of all things, it will appear sundry ways, understand
19 (my son) that whithout water we cannot make bread nor

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1 any thing else, that God hath created in the nature of things.
2 And from hence thou maist easily perceive, that water is the
3 first matter of all things which are born or generated
4 in the world. For certainly it will evidently appear unto
5 thee, that nothing grows or encreaseth without the four elements &
6 therefore whatsoever is elementated, it is necessarily made by the
7 virtue of the four elements that the original of all things born
8 or growing or encreasing may be made of water. But yet you must
9 not understand me as speaking this off common water, but
10 of that water which is the matter of all things, out of which
11 all natural things are produced in their kind; understand
12 therefore that first of all air is generated of the water, & fire
13 of the air, & earth of the fire, and now that I may speak
14 onto thee more familiarly & friendly I will farther manifest
15 unto thee this magistery by little & little, least that by making
16 overmuch haste it happen to us according to the proverb viz.
17 he that makes much hast doth oftentimes come late
18 home: And now then that I may satisfy thy desire, I will speak
19 of the first matter, which the philosophers call a quintessence, & by
20 many other names thereby the more to hide it, verily in this,
21 there are four elements pure in their exaltation. And there-
22 fore know that if thou wouldst have the quintessence of a
23 man, thou must first have a man, & out of that matter
24 thou shall have no other thing, & see that thou doest

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1 advisedly consider it for I say unto thee that if thou desirest to
2 have the philosopher's stone it is necessary that thou first have the quint-
3 essence of the stone, whether it be mineral, vegetable or ani-
4 mal, conjoin therefore species with species & kind with kind
5 nor let one be without another, nor join any contrary thing
6 which is without the species or proper kind. Beware therefore
7 of all peregrine & extraneous things, for of bones stones are
8 not made; nor are geese generated of cranes. The which if
9 thou doest well consider thou shall find success by the grace
10 of God, by whose help we will go on yet further to speak
11 of the blessed water, which is called the water of the sun & moon
12 hidden in the concavity of the belly of our earth. Of which
13 earth thou art also to understand, that every thing that is gene-
14 rated should necessarily have a male & female, from whom
15 action & passion may arise without which generation is
16 never made. But thou canst never have any profit from
17 such things as differ in kind, yet notwithstanding if thou hast
18 this water of the sun & moon, it will attract to its kind
19 other bodies & humours by the mediation of the virtue & heat
20 of the sun & moon & will make them perfect, even as an
21 infant in the mother's womb by the mediation of the decoction of
22 a temperate heat doth convert the menstruum into his own
23 nature & kind, that is into flesh, blood, bones & life, with the
24 other properties of a living body, about the which we need
25 not say any more.

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1 And hence it shall be given thee to understand, that our water will
2 convert itself into a perfect kind with things of its own kind,
3 for it will congeal itself first of all into a substance like oil,
4 then that oil by the mediation of a temperate will be burned into
5 a gum, & hastly by the mediation of the perfect heat of the sun
6 into a stone. Now therefore understand, that out of one
7 thing thou hast three, that is, oil, gum & a stone. Moreover
8 understand, that when the water is turned into oil then hast
9 thou a perfect spirit; but when the oil is burned into an hard
10 gum, then hast thou a perfect spirit & soul; & when
11 that perfect spirit & soul are turned into a stone, then
12 thou hast a perfect body, soul & spirit together, the which is
13 then called the stone of the philosophers, & elixir, & a perfect
14 medicine for the body of man, so that it may be fermented with
15 its own kind & its own quintessence. My son thou art
16 to understand that there are divers quintessences, whereof
17 one is for human bodies, but the other for elixir, for the im-
18 perfect bodies of metals. For thou must consider that the ge-
19 neration & increase of metals is not like the increasing
20 of the body of man, for kind agrees with its kind, & species
21 with its species. But understand further, that the first
22 matter of man which generates flesh, blood, bones & life is a
23 spermatic humour the which an included vital spirit
24 causeth generation. And when the matter is generated & con-
25 gealed into a body, extract thence the quintessence of that

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1 body, with which quintessence thou shall nourish the body. But yet
2 my son I will tell thee farther, that the water or the matter or
3 sperm of which man was generated is not the augmentor of the body.
4 Understand my son, that if the body shall be well fed with its own
5 natural nourishment, then the first matter thereof & also the body
6 will be increased viz. the first matter in quality & the body in
7 quantity. The first matter is that which is called a quintessence.
8 But yet understand my son that the quintessence is one thing
9 & the matter of augmentation another. And as I have said
10 afore, the increasing of metals is not like the increasing of the
11 body of man. Albeit the quintessence which causeth the augmen-
12 tation of metals may be made a medicine fit for the bodies of
13 men, as also a quintessence which causeth the augmentation of
14 human bodies may be made a medicine fit for the
15 bodies of metals. & therefore as is aforesaid the quintessence is
16 one thing & the augmentation another. Thou seest therefore
17 on what account our water is called prima materia & sperm of
18 metals, vize because all metals are generated of it, & therefore
19 thou wilt need it in the beginning, middle & end, for that it is the
20 cause of all generation, for it is converted into all species & kinds of met-
21 als by the congelation of itself, viz. into the first matter of
22 the species or kinds, from whence it is called the sperm of metals
23 & a metalline aqua vita, because it affords life & health to
24 the sick & dead metals & conjoins in matrimony the red man
25 with the white woman, that is sol & lune: It is also called

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1 lac virginis, for as long as it is not conjoined with sol or luna
2 nor with any other those things only excepted which are
3 of its own kind, so long it may be called a maid. But when
4 it is conjoined with the male & female & makes a matrimony
5 with them, then will it no longer be a virgin, because it ad-
6 heres to these & is made one with those whom it is joi-
7 ned unto, that is with sol & lune, whom it doth conjoin
8 & is conjoined to generation. But as long as it shall
9 remain a maid it is called lac virginis, a blessed wa-
10 ter, a water of life & by many other names.
11 And now my son, that I may speak unto thee somewhat of
12 the mercury of philosophers, understand it when thou
13 hast put thy aqua vite to the red man, which is our magnesia
14 & to the white woman whose name is albifica, & they shall
15 be all collected into one then thou truly hast the mer-
16 cury of the philosophers. For after that it is on this wise con-
17 joined with the male & female, it is then called the mercury
18 of the philosophers, the aqua vite of the philosophers, the blood of the red
19 man, his flesh, his body & bones. Understand therefore
20 that there are many kinds of milk viz. the milk of a virgin, the
21 milk of a woman & also the milk of a man; for when at
22 first they are conjoined into one, & the woman shall be
23 made great by conception, then is the infant to be nourished

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1 with milk; but then thou shall understand, that this milk
2 is not lac virginis, but rather the milk of the man & woman
3 with which he is to be always nourished until he shall (being
4 made more strong) be educated & brought up with more strong
5 & fuller food. That food which I understand is his fermentation
6 the which gives him his form to make him a manly work.
7 For until the infant, that is, our stone be informed & fermented with
8 his own like, that is with the white blood of the green dragon &
9 the red blood of the red dragon, be the stone either white or
10 red it will never make a perfect work. Therefore my son
11 understand that the first water is that water & milk which god
12 made of nature & is the cause of generation as I have sayd a-
13 fore. But then after that conjunction, which is made by ma-
14 trimony they generate an aqua vite & lac philosophorum
15 with (quo) which, or with (quibus) whom thou shall augment & feed
16 thy stone for ever (in perpetuum).
17 My son I could say much more unto thee concerning this
18 first matter, but let these suffice, & to omit more word
19 we will now at length proceed to the practice of the philoso-
20 phers stone by the divine grace & assistance. See therefore my
21 son that thou doest diligently put all these matters (which al-
22 though they are three yet are but only one) in a glass vessel
23 & there let it quietly putrefy, then at length put the alembick
24 upon thy vessel, & extract by distillation all the water

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1 which can thence distill. And this is to be first of all to be
2 attempted in a balneum Mariae. Then thou must place the vessel in
3 ashes & make a gentle fire for 12 hours, then take the
4 matter from out of the vessel, & grind it well per se without
5 the aforesaid water, then put in the vessel with the water &
6 shut the vessel well. Place it in balneum for 3 days, & then di-
7 still the water in balneum as aforesaid, & it will be more black
8 than it was afore. Repeat this 3 times, & then grind it
9 no more, but always (afterwards) as oft as thou distillest
10 the water off, so often put it on again. But between
11 every distillation thou shalt give thereunto for 6 hours
12 or more so great a fire until it become mainly dry.
13 Then again pour on the water & again dissolve in balneum with
14 a blind head; likewise in each distillation separate the
15 phlegm, casting away 6 or 7 drops of water in the begin-
16 ning of every distillation; & observe this order until it
17 hath drunk in seven times his weight of his own pro-
18 per water. But then it will be of a white colour, & by
19 how much the more it drinks of his own water so much the
20 whiter will it be, & this is the white elixir.
21 Moreover this our water is called homogen & by many
22 other names; understand also that this water & matter does
23 generate as well the red stone as the white, & also that when
24 this first matter is brought to a complete whiteness, then the

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1 end of one thing is the beginning of another that is of the red stone
2 which is our red magnesia, & aes virginis, as we said in the be-
3 ginning. My son so that thou understand these things, our aes
4 virginis is our gold, yet I do not say that all aes is gold: likewise our
5 aes is our sulphur wine, but all sulphur wine is not our sulphur
6 wine. Likewise our argent vive is mercury. But I do not say that
7 the common argent vive is our argent vive. But as I have said
8 afore that aqua vite which is our sperm & first matter is our mercury
9 & our spirit of life, which is extracted out of that blessed earth of
10 ethiopia, & is called magnesia & by many other names.
11 But my son understand also that there is no perfect
12 generation without corruption; for corruption causeth cleanness,
13 & cleanness corruption, consider therefore our poison (my son)
14 tinging, which tingeth & is tinged perpetually. And this is
15 our body, our soul, & our spirit, when they are conjoined into
16 one, & one thing is made of them, the which thing with its
17 parts ariseth out of one thing, besides the which thing there nei-
18 ther is, nor will there be any other. Wherefore my son
19 yet is not at all wise who believes that any other medicine
20 can be converted into gold or silver. Which medicine indeed
21 will be of small profit unto thee of itself, except it be
22 thoroughly mixed with a body, for then will it perfect its
23 work according to its form whereto it is bound. For it was
24 never born, that to be made a body solely of itself.

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1 Moreover know that there is as great a difference between
2 the first matter which is called the sperm of metals, & medicine,
3 as is between medicine & gold. For the sperm will never be
4 medicine without a body, nor will medicine be a metal without
5 a body. There's also much difference between elixir &
6 medicine, as there is between the masculine sperm & the fe-
7 minine & also the infant, which is generated of these in the
8 matrix. Behold now mayst thou see that the sperm is one
9 thing and the infant another, although they are one & the same
10 in kind, one thing, one operation & finally one vessel,
11 although it may be called by divers names. For of a man
12 & woman is an infant born, whereas notwithstanding the man
13 is one thing & the woman is another, although they are one & the
14 same in kind, the which thing thou art to understand even in
15 our stone. And whereas I sayd before that corruption is the cause
16 of generation, it is true, for thou must know that every thing in
17 its own first matter is corrupt & bitter, the which corruption and
18 bitterness is indeed called a tinging virtue, which corruption &
19 bitterness is the cause of life in all living things, which will evidently
20 enough appear unto thee if thou doest rightly weigh & con-
21 sider of the nature of things. O son! consider well that when
22 lucifer the angel of pride did first rebel against God & broke
23 the command of the most high, be assured that this was made
24 to him, corrupt, bitter & acerb or sourish; neither any other
25 wise then so was the carry fall & disobedience of our first pa-
26 rents Adam & Eve (when death & condemnation followed)
27 made a corruption & a bitterness unto them & in like sort

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1 to us, in whom the same corruption is propagated. Many more
2 examples like these could be recited if need required. But
3 omitting these, let us proceed nearer, consider well that, of all the
4 precious fruits born of the earth the first matter of them is bitter & acerb
5 retaining as it were. Some footsteps of a precedent corruption & pu-
6 trefaction, which bitterness notwithstanding by the mediation of a con-
7 tinual action of natural heat is turned into a sweetness with
8 great virtue; now therefore my son if thou beest ingenious,
9 these few things may suffice thee, whereby thou mayst find out
10 much more & perceive my meaning. Consider well therefore my
11 son that according to the old proverb: He that hath not tasted bitter
12 things, deserves not sweet things.
13 But now that we may speak something farther of our aes, you
14 are to understand that aes signifies permanence & a permanent
15 water. And as to the further considerableness of the nature of
16 our aes, thou mayst easily perceive from its name of 4 letters in
17 the English tongue viz BRAS. Which in Latin signifies aes:
18 First of all therefore by B is signified the first body of our work
19 which is our sweet & bitter olive & our aes remaining or permanent
20 in its own form. But by R is signified the root of our work
21 & the spring or fountain of the radical permanent moisture which
22 our red tincture & red rose, which putrefies & purefies all things
23 to generation in its own kind. And by A is signified our father
24 Adam, who was the first man out of whom the first woman
25 eye was born; from where thou maist understand that there is
26 the male & female. Know therefore that our aes is the beginning

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1 of our work, our gold & our olive: For it is the first matter of
2 metals, even as also a man is the first of man & woman. But
3 S signifies the soul of our life & the spirit of life, which God inspi-
4 red into Adam, & into all creatures, the which spirit is indeed
5 called a quintessence.
6 Moreover my son, by these 4 letters we understand the 4 e-
7 lements without which nothing is generated in the nature of things.
8 They also signify the sun & moon which are the cause of all life
9 germination & augmentation of all things that grow in the world.
10 Therefore in this name of 4 letters, all the whole work consists.
11 For in our aes is male & female, out of whom he ariseth that is
12 called, begotten. Consider therefore my son, advisedly, what is
13 signified by our sweet aes which is called our sandiver, or the salt of
14 our nitre. Also what the sanguis draconis, what the sol & lune, what
15 our mercury & our aqua vite are, & many other
16 things, of which the philosophers have spoken obscurely &
17 enigmatically. Understand therefore my son that our first matter
18 is neither common gold nor silver, nor is it of corrosives or such like
19 extraneous things, which such as wander in the dark do use
20 at this day. Beware therefore my son that thou admitst not
21 at any rate any thing contrary in kind, for be sure, that what
22 a man sows that shall he also reap. Farther, understand that
23 when our stone is completed in his own proper kind, then it will
24 be an hard stone which will not easily be dissolved. But yet if
25 thou addest his wife thereto, it will be dissolved into oil
26 which is called the oil of the philosophers, an incombustible oil
27 & by many other names.

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1 Understand also my son that there are diverse fermentations as
2 well corporal as spiritual, viz the corporal in quantity & the spi-
3 ritual in quality. The corporal fermentation doth increase the
4 weight & quantity of the medicine, but yet it is not of so great
5 potency as is the medicine itself, or as the spiritual fermentation is.
6 For it only augments the medicine in quantity, but not in virtue,
7 but the spiritual fermentation augments it in both, & where the
8 corporal bears rule (or projects) upon a hundred the spiritual bears
9 rule upon a thousand. But farther, as long as the medicine is
10 fermented with spiritual qualities so long is it called medicine.
11 But when it is fermented with a corporal substance, it is called elixir.
12 There is therefore a diverse manner of fermenting & a difference
13 between medicine & elixir, for the one is spiritual, & the other is
14 corporal. Understand also that as long as the ferment shall be
15 spiritual it is a liquid oil & a gum, that cannot be conveniently
16 carried about from place to place. But when it shall be a corpo-
17 ral ferment then it will be a stone, which thou mayst carry a-
18 bout thee in thy purse. Now then thou seest that there is a difference
19 between medicine & elixir, nor is there less difference between
20 elixir & gold & silver; for gold & silver are of difficult fusion
21 but the elixir not so, for it viz the elixir presently melts at the
22 flame of a candle, from whence thou mayst easily perceive how
23 various the differences of our composition & temperature are.
24 But last of all that we may speak somewhat of the meal & drink.
25 Understand that the food of them is of the aerial stones & their
26 drink is extracted out of two perfect bodies viz of sol & lune.

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1 But the drink which is extracted out of the sun is called aurum potabile
2 & that of the moon is called lac virginis. And now my son we
3 have spoken unto thee open enough, if the divine grace be
4 not wanting unto thee, for the drink which is extracted out of
5 the sun is red, but that out of the moon is white, & therefore
6 one of them is called aurum potabile, & the other lac virginis,
7 one also is masculine & the other is feminine, but yet both of
8 them have their original of one image & one kind.
9 Consider, my son, what I say, or otherwise if thou wander in the
10 dark. Some evil may betide thee for want of the light, & so
11 beware, that thou be diligent in the gyration or turning about of
12 the philosophical wheel, that thou make water of earth, air
13 of water, fire of air, & earth of fire. And all these of one
14 image & root, that is of their own proper race or kind, &
15 natural food, wherewith new life thereof may be cherished
16 without end. He that hath understanding let him understand
17 for it is not allowable to speak more. And verily if thyself
18 understandest these things I doubt not, but that thou wilt
19 never divulge such great secrets.

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 The Philortium
1 After that I George Ripley by nation an English man had a long
2 time exercised myself in the study of natural philosophy, it came
3 in length in my mind to search out the secret of the alchimical
4 science, wherein after three years study, God vouchsafed to
5 enlighten me with a spark of truth, merely of his own bene-
6 volence & not for my proper merits. The which being gotten in
7 flesh & blood my mind was not therefore at rest, but would
8 search out higher things. And whereas I could not meet with any
9 English man instructed or skilled as vague or readily in this sci-
10 ence, I proposed to myself to leave my country & to betake my-
11 self to the Teutonik & Italian coasts as soon as possible I
12 could; for it was the common opinion of my countrymen that the
13 Italians & Teutonik nations did excell all the others in this sci-
14 ence. Affecting therefore as much as in me lay with all mine endeavours
15 to finish my purpose the which I received from God the bestower of
16 all good things, least that the draf & ignorant posterity should
17 neglect any thing thereof, I presently deliberated with my-
18 self to collect all those things which I have learned in the Italian
19 & Teutonick partes & such as myself have tried & proved
20 together with certain conclusions formerly experimented & tried in
21 England. I say to collect them into as it were one bundle & to

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 1 make a special tract, the which I would have always by me.
2 And this tract I have thought good to call (& as I suppose not
3 inconveniently) the Philorcium of the alchymists. For even as
4 4 every Philorcium or 1 is to be singularely accompanied
5 of & delighted in by the proper lover so is this tract (by
6 a certain prerogative of lovingness) to be esteemed by the
7 sons of learning, that they betake themselves ardently to the
8 contemplation thereof studiously & considerably adhearing
9 thereunto alone, in which alone the conclusions of all the an-
10 cients, which they have dictated enigmatically (to lay aside
11 the plurality of those tracts) may be found & experienced
12 & tryed by reason & though in a unusual stile, plain &
13 without a metaphor. And because many authors have
14 variously written of the science, & some having arrived at
15 the city or their journeys end by the kings highway others
16 by a pathway others by a compass about, did not so much
17 heed the divers entrances or passages, so hence that they all
18 tend to & end in one bound or mark & have left divers
19 conclusions to their posterity; I have reserved them all in this
20 small work, that so the artist may not be to seek in any
21 of them, & have clearly & capitulabely dispached them not in
22 fine rhetorical expressions but in plain country words.

1
gap in the text
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1 And therefore I do supplicate all & every of you, as well pro-
2 ficients as students in this tract that as devoutly as you can you
3 would pray unto god the author of all true & supernatural physic
4 for the author of this treatise & be so much the more instant
5 in thy prayers by how much the more evidently he shall find
6 herein than in other treatises all the things that are requisite for the
7 perfection of this science; & with the same charity as lead me to
8 reveal so great secrets; yea I do on the behalf of god
9 distinctly adjure you & admonish you upon pain of an a-
10 nathema, that ye do not communicate the secrets of this
11 science to dissolute & indiscreet men, who are wont to make
12 sale of it for gain, for such as offend herein provoke god
13 the bestower thereof, unto anger: For he that shall discover
14 things worthy to such as are unworthy will commit a great
15 wickedness, & deserve the wrath of god, he shall herein
16 go contrary to all the admonitions of the philosophers who ever he
17 be that shall scatter as it were pearls before swine in communi-
18 cating those things to dissolute persons which god alone vouch-
19 safeth to bestow upon the just. Whoever therefore shall read
20 or look upon this small treatise, take thou from me the
21 secret which I reveal unto thee, not for thy monies sake, but
22 from an unfeigned charity; that so thou mayst not say
23 (if I should come at it) that I am sluggish or envious.

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1 And deliberate well with thyself that thou reveal not this
2 so great & admirable gift of god to any but such as are just
3 & have god before their eyes; but to him who is catechisated
4 thou mayst communicate it to him verbatim concealing
5 nothing: Now then if thou dost either out of fear or envy
6 walk contrary to these counsels & precepts, know that thou
7 shall incur the dreadfull horror of an anathema. Contrarily
8 if thou shall conserve this so great a treasure committed
9 unto thee & which are in this part commended unto thee & /
doest dispence all these things to all the faithfull
10 as thou oughtest to
11 the praise & glory of god, then this science will tend to the
12 assistance & help of thee & thy neighbour without fraud, will
13 heap up thy merits in the church militant & bring thee to the
14 wished for honour of the celestial top or apex, in the church trium-
15 phant, whereto god who hath created & governs all things
16 vouchsafe to bring & conduct us Amen.

1 Chapter I
2 Of the Possibility of the Science

3 As to the possibility & truth of alchymy, the first & princi-

4 pal question is, whether it be or not. Answer: Some natur-
5 als say there is no alchymie, whence in 4 metheor.
6 Lett artificers know etc. But Aristotle & the greatest
7 part of philosophers do testify that alchemy hath a being, because
8 that that which heat concocts in the belly of the earth in the

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 1 space of 100 years, the fire will do here in a short time &
2 haply in an hour, on which thou seing that every metal according
3 to Avicen is compounded of sulphur & mercury, we may con-
4 coct them into a metal, the which shall be in the degree of nature
5 as is the sulphur & mercury that you chose, pure or impure,
6 perfect or imperfect: And that individuals are changed is e-
7 vident by manifold reasons, & first of all in glass, which is made
8 of earth & ashes by decoction, secondly: It is also evident in the
9 worms that are generated of dungs humour, the like is done in
10 hayes. Thirdly: It is evident also in the centipedes which are generated
11 of the spine of a certain fish put for a months time under alga.
12 Fourthly: It is also evident in copper changed by tutia into leton or
13 13 aurichalckum & by capillos or 1into gold, the which we have
14 also seen with our eyes, & the body so tinged will loose his first
15 qualities & hold the second as appears in glass, which is not
16 of the colour weight or sapor of the earth, But that the species of
17 metals may be made permanent in the fire. & may endure the
18 utmost fiery trial, it is necessary that the mixtion be made even
19 per minima, the which can’t be done between the tinging & what is
20 to be tinged unless that which is to be tinged be reduced into its
21 first matter, as we have seen it done with our eyes & appears in
22 salt reduced into mercury as the goldsmithes do. And he that
23 will understand this reduction he hath the magistry of the
24 whole science.

1
gap in the text
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1 Chapter II
2 Of the errors of certain practises in this Art:

3 Many there are who thrust themselves into the secrets of alchimy
4 & wander from the path of truth, & have venal practises
5 agreeable to neither truth nor reason & they commonly call
6 them by the name of multiplications, but it is by diminution
7 as if it could never happen to such kind of people to be
8 either imprisoned for their circumventions or to be plagued
9 with the loss of all their goods, or to be banished, or to be
10 justly condemned to suffer for their false coining of money
11 or false mixtion of metals, & for the upmost of their
12 honour to ascend the gallows; such as with Judas covet to
13 be rich though wickedly, who thirsting after gain
14 came to an halter, an heapen small rope of an halfpenny
15 price. Such men as these have (in their cavernes or more
16 secret places in which they secretly exercise the works of
17 their deceit) many wonderful or rather (& that more truely)
18 detestable things, there you shall see their furnaces, billows
19 broken pots, sulphur, arsenick, salts, crucibles, tests, calxes
20 hammers, & tongs, lutes & stones, their fires of divers degrees
21 for sublimations & fixations. But as to the artists them-
22 selves (& hee’s the best sight of all) you shall see them in

21
1 tottered garments, with eyes almost blind, & partly out, their
2 faces discoloured, their breath stinking, hands filthy,
3 pockets empty; all their promises & expectations falsified.
4 Many are the Arckana they are very solicitous about but
5 worth nothing, foolish & indiscreet. They err therefore that
6 operate in common spirits, salts, or alums, or with imperfect bodies
7 or precisely perfect, or with waters not metalick, but they especi-
8 aly who seeks their magistry in common mercury. But thou
9 o son of our science, keep all these sayings in thy heart & thou
10 shall not err nor shall thou be at more cost than is the value of
11 one aurei & search after the roots of natures in things
12 homogeneal with gold & silver, that so thou maist truely come
13 to the red & white tincture, the which tinctures forsooth the
14 radix contained in a vile thing & not precious as to sight.
15 But beware that thou doest not operate with saturn, because it is
16 a common saying; eat not of the son whose mother is corrupt
17 & believe me that many err in saturn. Hear what Avicen
18 saith, saturn will always be saturn, yea rather work
19 in the earth of saturn which his spirit hath despised &
20 left as the worst sulphur; operate only with the odor of it
21 to congeale mercury; yet not as fools do but as the philosophers
22 & thou shall have a very good work. But yet beware in that
23 work that thou drawest not in the saturnine odour for it is poy-
24 sonous, & of the common sublimated mercury & do not put

22
1 in thy work, for ferment, of common sol or luna: also let no
2 corrosiv waters enter into thy operations. But take that which is
3 argent vive, of argent vive; extract a water of earth
4 & earth of water, the first feces being always cast away,
5 because our earth is created of grossities or [missing word].
6 & that water is mercury. & the earth there created is our
7 sulphur, nor are those the vulgar. One thing, & one glass
8 & one fire sufficeth us as to the highest work.

9 Chapter III
10 How error arising from the interpretation of
11 hard words may be avoided

12 My pity of the ignorance of the younger sort, whose necks

13 have not been as yet mollified with alchymical ointment
14 & having promised divers practises in this art I shall here
15 begin (for the more simple & naked verity) to expound the
16 signification of certain obscure words. You are therefore
17 to note that the philosophers have placed many & various
18 names in their works that they mought not be understood
19 by fools, & so their knowledge be made vile & that it
20 mought not be indifferently common to all, as well to
21 the unworthy as the worthy. But the philosophers themselves
22 have not so much minded the names as the truth of
23 the names, for by what name sooner our stone is nominated that
24 it is but one thing, which were it but known, it could
25 not be permitted to be so common as it is, as well to the

23
1 poor as to the rich, nor would it ly in the streets to be trod on
2 by human feet. And that I may open unto thee this thing, know
3 by god that it is one of those things, which are of the seven days, & the
4 viler of them. Out of whose body blood is artificialy extrac-
5 ted, & a vaporous humour, which is called the blood of the green
6 lion, out of which is made a water which is called the white of an egg
7 & the water of life, of maydew, & by many other names, the
8 which to avoid prolixity we shall at present omit. But out
9 of the said water an earth is created, which is called sulphur
10 vive, the calx of the body of the sun & moon & of other bo-
11 dies, calcined eggshells, ceruse, saltpetre, arsenick & by
12 innumerable other names; And know that in that earth is a fire
13 & in that water is Air, & the earth putrefied with his own
14 water, until the 4 elements may be separated from them, if
15 the artist will copiously & without negligence proceed on in the
16 rule of distilling them. Yet it sufficeth for the complement
17 of the elixir to separate the water from the earth & to
18 deal with the earth by calcination, & to rectify the water by
19 circulation & again to conjoyne it as is permitted within
20 24 ways of practising: On which account: When thou hadest
21 a philosopher saying take this or that, always understand it
22 of this stone, or of the parts thereof separated, as if when he
23 sayth, take arsenick, understand the fire of the stone, for sul-
24 phur the air, oil & sometimes the fire, & for armoniack the
25 air; & for armoniack not dissolved the earth, & for mercury

24
1 water, & sometimes mercury per se; now understand these things
2 & remember them. For mercury sublimate understand a water ex-
3 alted with his own calx, which must be congealed into salt, the which
4 is called salpetre & the sulphur of Bacon, the which congeales every
5 argent vive, because it is not the sulphur of the vulgar. Therefore
6 as often as at any time thou findest in any philosophical work
7 thus written in their recipes take mercury, beware of the
8 argent vive of the vulgar; where they mencion sulphur & arse-
9 nick, beware of common sulphur & arsenick, either prepared
10 or not prepared, where of saturn beware of vermilion,
11 where the green lion beware of vitriol & copper, where
12 sol beware of gold, where the lune there beware of common
13 silver. In ablution beware of salts, & all corrosiv waters
14 not metallick. In sublimations beware that thou mix no ex-
15 traneous thing with the stone, in distillation beware that thou
16 receive no drops; in calcination see that thou extract no
17 moisture: in projection see that thou eat not of a thing unclean:
18 In thy work, shut thy vessel once what one is more
19 is of evil. Beware that thou inmitt not thy stone into an heap
20 of mercury the which Solomon reproved in the book of proverbs,
21 for the stone is one, hid under innumerable names, the work one,
22 the regiment one, the medicin one manifoldly varied, the which
23 if thou hast, see that thou sell it not, but operate in a secret
24 place that it may not come to any ones knowledge, least perhaps
25 thou beest scandalized, & suffer judgment from men & revenge

25
1 from god; for if any one make the art saleable, he will not long
2 prosper in this life; for it is rather divine (if it be lawful so to
3 speak) than human, this elixir; the which god will not suffer to be
4 communicated but to the worthy. Therefore o artist observe my
5 doctrine that so thou mayst mow solar & lunar handfuls; & mayst
6 eat of the work of thy hands, & mayst lead an happy life to the
7 praise & honour of god & thine own profit, always remembering the
8 psalmists saying if riches abound set not thine heart thereon, but
9 let thy heart be placed in god, who is more than all the goods that
10 are in the whole world; & let thy riches be in treasures that wax not
11 old, but abide unto eternal life, the which may it please him to grant
12 who lives for ever & ever without end Amen.

13 Chapter IV
14 The praxis of the philorcium of the virtue of
15 the philosophick water.

16 My son, take the aforesaid maydew & well circulated the

17 which put upon one part of gold well calcined to make aurum
18 potabile. But aurum potabile of the red earth of the elixir is
19 better then all others. Moreover there is another work in the
20 gum created by acetum of red saturn, of which is made a separation
21 of the elements after it hath been dissolved in vesicis or
22 some there are that say that there is yet another work & it is in
23 mercurie amalgamated, with mercury sol & luna amalgamated
24 together for a ferment, but yet it will be more acurate if

26
 1 the whole amalgama be dissolved with the water of may dew
2 wherein the whole may putrefy. And verily that water doth
3 perfect & consummate the whole magistry, & is truely metalline
4 but who is seeking any other, doth err, nor will he be
5 sucessful in the work.

6 Chapter V
7 Of the first way of practising in the
8 work of rebis

9 The first way is thus: Take the stone of rebis & draw by
10 Balneum a thick water to a great quantity in a receiver.
11 Then upon the prepared ceruse of that stone put two parts
12 of that water, to one part of earth, & put it to putrefy, until the whole
13 become like thin milk, the which coagulate, fix & calcine, then again
14 dissolve it with another quantity of the former water, & again congeal
15 & fix it, & project it upon the feces or 1 of mercury
16 heated at the fire, & it will coagulate it like the coagulum of milk, &
17 let it be well dryed under the coales & be powdered, because that
18 powder is a great elixir, project one weight of that upon 100 of
19 mercury heated as aforesaid, & it will be all elixir. One part whereof
20 will turn 100 parts of venus into lune; But that thou mayst have
21 an elixir both to white & red in the same stone take antimony
22 which is called rebis & grind it into powder, & with two parts
23 of that antimony lett be put one part of medcine in a philosophick
24 egg at a Balneum until it first grows black, then secondly

1
gap in the text
27
1 white & then afterwards in a fire of ashes in a gentle heat it
2 be all coagulated into a powder, the which lett be afterwards calcined
3 with a fire of calcination, until it be turned into minium & red lead,
4 which lett be again dissolved with its own water & be coagulated
5 and lett it be projected upon one part of mercury pregnant with
6 sol & the whole will be medicine. Likewise if the white elixir
7 be projected upon mercury pregnant with lune it will be med-
8 cine to the white: But if thou wilt thou maist separate the elements
9 from the aforesaid water because the earth is created of the grossities
10 or [gap] thereof, in which is fire but in the water is air. But
11 above all things I admonish thee to beware of the odour of that water
12 because it kills suddainly.

13 Chapter VI
14 Of the second way of congealing mer-
15 cury with the odour of rebis

16 Dissolve one pound of mercury with a corrosive water until it

17 be like milky to sight. Then evaporate the water with a most
18 gentle fire in an open vessel. Take the earth remayning in the bot-
19 tom, & put it in a philosophical egg with two parts of the afore-
20 said water, which we call the odour of saturn, & proceed in all re-
21 spects as was shown in the first way. And know that with the solution
22 of that after it so have been once coagulated, fixed & calcined
23 it doth fix mercury sublimate, if it be often dropped upon it

28
1 being posited in a glazed crucible upon a gentle fire in a furnace
2 of ashes; but the same fix mercury must be calcined & again dis-
3 solved with the said water, & again coagulated & fixt. But if it be
4 handled for the third time, it will be a medcin corrosive, of all bo-
5 dies into true lune. And this way is very subtile & gainful.
6 And you are to note that out of mercury dissolved in a corro-
7 sive & putrefied for a long time the elements may be separated
8 & be made a medcine without addition, except that the matter
9 after its coagulation is to be fermented with the water of
10 lune. Even after putrefaction of the said matter
11 the water being thence separated: And it is called Aqua fort
12 the which being rectifyed with a small portion of salarmoniack
13 sublimed per se from its own feces, doth dissolve every body
14 and that thou mayst also proceed to the solar work in this
15 second way, take for earth the putrefyed powder of mer-
16 cury precipitate rubefyed by benefit of a corrosive & then when
17 the said water shall so superfused in a quantity of the sayd
18 water as was foreshown in the white work, proceed as is there
19 said, & so with the solution of it after it so have been fixed
20 & calcined, fix for the solar work mercury sublimate.

21 Chapter VII
22 Of the third way in the green lyon.
23 The third way is with the stillicide or droppings of copper

29
1 & you are to proceed thus, take that stone, grind it & put it in a
2 philosophical egg & proceed by the way of putrefaction thereupon,
3 as was said in the work of rebis, & continue the stone over the fire
4 until having past black & white it be turned into a red pow-
5 der, the which many call vitriol rubifyed, & that is one way.
6 Another way of practising upon the same stone is this. Draw
7 water from the same stone by an alembick & with that water
8 dissolve the stone infinitum. But dissolve it by our medium little & little
9 & thou shall not suffocate it with water incontinently, because if it be
10 rightly regulated or governed, thou mayst with one pint of water
11 make if you please an infinite quantity of water: When therefore
12 thou hast a bottle of water thus made, put it at a Balneum for 15 days,
13 & afterwards with a gentle fire of a Balneum separate the water from the
14 earth by an alembick, then will three elements remain in the
15 bottom viz. Earth, fire & air, the which thou shall thus approve.
16 Put back the water upon the feces, & put it in a stupha for fifteen
17 days, and after extract the water even to the feces, with a gentle
18 heat in a fire of ashes & the air will ascend with the water which
19 thou shall thus approve; put the water to distill in Balneum & the clear
20 water will ascend & a glaucous or blewish oyl will remain in the
21 bottom which is air, the which keep apart in a little glass vial
22 shut with red wax. But now with the earth in the bottom remains
23 the fire, the which thou shall thus govern. Put the water alone
24 thereupon & let it putrefy as afore and then with a most
25 violent fire distill it in a furnace of ashes, & the water will

30
1 ascend with the fire the which must be separated as was afore shewed in the
2 oyl, & keep each element apart per se. But the earth which remains
3 in the bottom handle by calcination until it be perfect in its colour.
4 And that is the preparation of the elements by the way of the separation
5 of them in every thing out of which thou maist white
6 earth extracted out of the water & air, but the red earth
7 out of the air & fire, until after iterated incineration they
8 will flow upon an hot plate like wax: Then hast thou an elixir
9 to convert mercury into a fix powder, the which according to its
10 proper quality will transmute all bodies into gold or silver.

11 Chapter VIII
12 Of the fourth manner which is of glass made
13 of its body & spirit

14 As to the fourth manner, concerning the work of little stones cre-

15 ated of the body & spirit, by the benefit of acute water; you
16 are thus to proceed first make a water on this wise.
17 Grind together two parts of roman vitriol, & one part of
18 saltpetre & being ground, put them to distill, first with a gentl
19 fire until the phlegmatick water shall be separated; then
20 remove the receiver with the water & keep it apart for it is
21 available to ablutions, & to take away dead flesh from
22 wounds, & incontinently adjoyn thereunto another recei-
23 ver, wherin let be mercury with a little of salt armoniak
24 sublimed & lute it most strongly, that it breath not out &

31
1 with a most strong fire by the space of 24 hours continualy
2 receive the red spirit into the aqua fort the which dissolves mer-
3 cury & all bodies, except gold, but by the adding of sal ammon-
4 iack it dissolves gold. But let the bottom of the receiver
5 stand in cold water. And this distillation being made put
6 the receiver with the water apart, & being strongly luted let
7 it be put in warm water, until the mercury be dissolved into
8 the shape of milk & lett it stand there a while. Then make ano-
9 ther corrosive & distill it upon the fileings of venus to the quantity
10 of one ounce of the said fileings the which let be of a pure
11 & new body, that was never in work, & when it shall be
12 dissolved into a green bluish water, put both the solutions toge-
13 ther into one receiver & let it be firmly luted; & put
14 the receiver, half its height in a pot of cold water & there let it
15 stand for a month. But at the months end, look to
16 the matter, & thou shall see in the bottom a small stone or stony
17 residing clear & transparent like glass the which (having
18 poured out the corrosive) take very subtilely & dry with a linnen
19 cloth, & grind it into powder, the which put in that work
20 of the philosophers, & presently when it comes to the heat of
21 a Balneum, in which let them putrefy they will be dissolved into a
22 water, the which let cook by circulating itself in balneum
23 until the matter be whitened into a dry powder, the which
24 ferment to the white with the water of the little stones made

32
1 in like manner of silver & mercury: & of gold to the red, the which
2 by the like water may be both multiplyed in infinitum.

3 Chapter 9
4 Of the fifth work which is of the precipi-
5 tation of mercury with gold

6 The manner of practising in the 5th way is in the pre-

7 cipitation of mercury impregnated with common gold: & there
8 must be 100 parts of the spirit to one of the body, & yet the
9 body must be subtilized before precipitation, that it may be
10 constringed together & past through a cloth or skin.
11 But being on this manner subtilized, let the whole be
12 put in a vessel of precipitation & first of all for a weeks
13 time operate with a gentle fire, then with a more violent, al-
14 ways precipitating the mercury, & that which ariseth at the ori-
15 fice of the vessel let be brushed off from the sides with a little
16 small rod with a linnen cloth or a little wool tyed on the top
17 thereof, that so the mercury may not stick thereto but be
18 totally brushed down to the bottom of the vessel. & let
19 this work be so long continued until it be precipita-
20 ted into a powder red like minium. Then let the most
21 strongest corrosive be distilled upon it in a receiver,
22 and when the powder shall be dissolved into the colour of
23 water, like to a red rose, let half of the corrosive be

33
 1 separated therefrom by distillation in a balneum. But let the
2 remaining part be coagulated into a dry powder & let
3 there be made a fixation & calcination of the whole compound
4 which done let it be again dissolved with the like corrosive,
5 & be distilled off to half as afore, coagulated, & fixed.
6 This work is to be reiterated ten times in all
7 & after the tenth ablution, the powder will transmute all im-
8 perfect bodies & mercury itself heated into pure gold. But
9 the powder will be multiplyed in infinitum by the spirit
10 of the corrosive water.

11 Chapter 10
12 Of the sixth manner which is with the solution
13 of rebis upon mercury sublimate

14 The sixth way of practising in the work of rebis is sufficiently

15 premised, but yet you are to know further, the mercury sub-
16 limate may be fixed by inceration with the oil of sol & luna, & so
17 by that way may copper be converted into silver: but yet for the
18 more beautifying thereof, we will give the best sublimation of
19 mercury as followeth.
20 Take therefore mercury, washed with salt & vinegar & incor-
21 porate one part thereof with 3 parts of roman vitriol, &
22 3 ounces of common salt well combust, incorporating it with
23 acetum until there appears no candor1 in the mercury

1
Latin = candescence
34
1 Then put the whole in an earthen pot having a broad orifice
2 & let it be placed at a tripod & let be put thereunder
3 some live coals & let the matter be stirred always
4 with a little spatula until the powder be deprived of all
5 the humidity, then let the powder be put upon a stone &
6 be ground of most small. Such part thereof as adheres to
7 the pot, let be shaved off with a knife; As for that powder
8 let it be put into a sublimatory, & let it not be luted until
9 the humidity evaporate with a gentle fire the which being done
10 let the orifice of the vessel be luted & let the fire be increase
11 for 24 hours, & the mercury will ascend by the sides of the
12 vessel even to the top of the vessel, & will there gather it-
13 self into an hard & pellucid mass like to rock alum.
14 The which take & again grind it per se & sublime it, re-
15 peating the same work upon it the third time; which done
16 let it be ground into powder & be placed in a crucible
17 glazed, upon a furnace of ashes, & let be dropped upon
18 it from hour to hour & by little & little of the odour
19 of saturn rectified as aforesaid, or with the oil of gold and silver:
20 or with the solution of the calx of tin, dissolved with the
21 water of mercury, as I shall demonstrate in the following
22 things, & thou shall have by that way a gainful
23 work.

35
1 Chapter 11:
2 Of calces & a water made of two spirits

3 The seventh way of practising is on this wise: Take mer-

4 cury once sublimed & grind it into powder upon a porphyry or
5 marble, with twice its weight of sal armoniack, & let
6 the sublimation be so often iterated until the mercury reside
7 in the bottom very black, the which is to be taken & ground
8 into powder & exposed to the air upon a stone, until it be
9 dissolved into a cristalline water the which is to be gathered in
10 a glass & kept, for it is called the water of mercury: But
11 thus shall thou operate therewith.
12 Take a calx of any body what thou wilt, let it be prepared &
13 put in a philosophical egg, with twice its quantity of the afore-
14 said mercury water, & there let it putrefy in a balneum until
15 the calx be attenuated into the species or shape of a cristalline water,
16 the which is to be afterwards coagulated in a fire of ashes, & after-
17 wards to be fixed until it emitts no fume upon the fire.
18 The which done let be again iterated & then it is perfected.
19 The solution of that will fix mercury sublimate & is a good
20 work.

21 Chapter 12
22 Of the 8th work which differs but little from
23 the aforegoing: But not the same as for the mercury water

36
1 The 8th way of practising is almost the same except that with
2 the aforesaid water of mercury we operate upon perfect
3 bodies dissolved in a corrosive water & artificially separa-
4 ted, but for the more graceing of the sayd chapter we will
5 give an egregious compendium of a mercurial water:
6 Take black, blacker than black, & distill the water & for-
7 tify it with pepper, squils, pelletory, euphorbium, solatrum
8 or anacard or granes of paradise,
9 stanefacre, & such like sharp acute things; But this is a
10 great secret & let be taken the water of a fifth fortifica-
11 tion & be distilled & put upon mercury that it may over-
12 top it by the space of two or three fingers, & shut the vessel that it
13 breath not out; let the mercury be put in a vessel balneum to
14 dissolve for a month, but that which shall be dissolved thereof
15 let be evacuated into another vessel & be kept; and
16 let new water be poured thereupon on the mercury which is not
17 dissolved, & proceed as afore, so continuing until you have
18 one pound of mercury dissolved. Then put the whole that
19 is dissolved together in a balneum for 15 days, & after this
20 distill it, & that which ascends keep apart in a vessel that it
21 breath not forth, & pour on new water upon the re-
22 maining feces, & proceed as afore in balneum & continue this
23 work until all the mercury be exalted. But this is not

37
1 a work for such as are slothful & sluggish; And that water
2 which is exalted is called by the philosophers by many names.
3 For it is lac virginis; the water of maydew, & the water of
4 mercury; with this water shall thou operate upon the aforesaid
5 calces & thou shall effect wonders in the work of alchymy.
6 A water of mercury is made also another way, let it
7 be put per se in a powder, & let the powder be taken which in
8 length of time ascends; and that is a physic or a natural way;
9 it is also made another way by a corrosive as is afore
10 promised.

11 Chapter 13
12 Of the ninth way by a vegetable water
13 & the calx of bodies perfect or imperfect

14 The ninth way of proceeding is by a vegetable water as

15 followeth. Take the calces of whatsoever body, thou will, either
16 perfect or imperfect, made by the means of the most acute water
17 of the philosophers, & put thereupon of the vegetable water &
18 proceed after the same manner in all respects as is forementioned
19 in the work of the solution of mercury, the solution of which is
20 taught by the vegetable water, & when all the calx shall be
21 dissolved & exalted by an alembick into a clear water, which is
22 called a sulphurous water & the water of eggs, & water

38
1 exuberated, & the soul of metals, & the water of may dew
2 & aqua vita of the philosophers, & water of fix mercury, the which
3 doth fix mercury sublimate: coagulate the whole into salt by
4 circulation & thou shall have a great elixir. But yet if the
5 calx shall be of an imperfect body, let it be fermented with
6 a water exuberated of the calx of a perfect body.
7 As to the ornefying of this chapter I will give a special
8 composition of a vegetable water. Take of tartar calcined
9 white as snow, & grind it upon a marble & incerate it
10 with aqua vite fortifyed with his own species, as is premised,
11 until it be as a thin paste; then put it in a circulatory vessel
12 & circulate or wheel the water until it be throughly dryed
13 up in the tartar, then reiterate the same work & so continue
14 until the tartar hath drunk in of the water, twice its weight
15 & quantity; which done, let the tartar be ground & put
16 upon a stone, or hanged up in a linnen bag & let a glass
17 be put thereunder to receive its droppings, & let this
18 be done in a place under the earth, until all the tartar be
19 distilled to a clear water, from which or of which after
20 destillation & coagulation is made a wonderful salt,
21 & a salt of nature, the which the philosophers call saltpetre &
22 sulphur incombustible, the which doth fix every argent vive,
23 but that thou mayst have a perfect aqua vita, put coins in
24 a circulatory for 300 days, that it may be circulated with

39
1 its fortified species & then extract from thence an Aq.
2 vite, the which exceeds in degree of goodness, all the waters of the
3 world. Operate therewith upon tartar as is sayd, & the water
4 created from thence is called an infernal fire, because if thou put
5 thereto as much of sal armoniack sublimate as is of the tartar
6 one stillicide or dropping thereof after its perfection, suddenly
7 kills the cancer in the flesh of a man; & if it be dropped upon
8 the hand it penetrates it & dissolves every body; without this
9 water we profit but little in this art & he that hath this
10 water, need not at all doubt of the compleat or perfection of the
11 art, But this water is doubly fortifyed if an equal portion
12 of the mineral spirit be thereto added, which is the acute water
13 of the philosophers, & be afterwards circulated upon the
14 tartar & upon salarmoniack even to a thickness or spissi-
15 tude, & be afterwards dissolved into a clear water. The
16 which if it be effected, that water will be more incomparable
17 than any gold, & will be one of the wonders of the world.

18 Chapter XIV
19 Of the tenth way (which is not physical or na-
20 tural), in the lesser tincture.

21 As to the tenth way of practising though it is not physical or

22 natural, yet is it necessary & very gainful especially to those, that
23 would make themselves a small tincture without labor &

40
1 expences, which doth easily transmute copper into silver, which will
2 sufficently serve to the making of corallium.
3 Take therefore alum calcined & twice its weight of the eagle
4 which is metalline arsenick & let them be ground together to a
5 mixtion made with distilled vinegar, & afterwards let them be
6 dryed at a gentle fire at a gentle fire or strong solar heat,
7 & let them be pulverized, & put to sublime, & let the vessel
8 stand open until all the humidity be exhaled. Then let it be
9 well luted, fortifying the fire until all the matter ascends into
10 a snowy white sublimate. This done, take the sublimed
11 arsenick & with an equal portion of mercury once sublimed
12 let it be ground into a powder without any liquor, & let
13 it be so often sublimed until they are fixed; But let them
14 be sublimed in a glass made in the fashion of a barrel,
15 having an hole in the side, so that the matter sublimed into
16 one end thereof, when the vessel shall be cool in the furnace,
17 the said vessel may be turned upside down, & that part
18 which was in the bottom may be made the top; & thus go
19 on in that way of circulation continuing thy work until
20 thy matter be fixed so as not to ascend from the bottom
21 of the vessel by any violence of fire. This being done
22 the whole is to be dissolved in an acute mineral water
23 or in the infernal fire & unto it being dissolved is to be

41
 1 added one fourth part of pure silver & afterwards the water
2 is to be evaporated or to be distilled in a gentle fire, & the
3 matter will be congealed in the bottom of the vessel, the which
4 is to be well fixed, & to be again dissolved, & again coagu-
5 lated, & to be thus done three times. Or let the matter be
6 imbibed or dropped upon after it hath been sublimed & fixed
7 with the solution of silver made by a water created of two spirits, or species
8 as was aforetaught, & so continue it until it will melt upon
9 a live coal without fume; Then project one part upon ten
10 parts of copper purged, & thou shall have good silver to endure
11 all trials, & this work will suffice thee to become rich.

12 Chapter 15:
13 Of the 11th way which is of vermillion
14 & is unknown by many.

15 The eleventh way of practising is in vermillion, &

16 is a very subtile way. I do believe that to this day that
17 work hath not at all come to the knowledge of any artist;
18 Thus therefore shall thou proceed with effect. Take a good
19 & whole petra1 or piece of vermillion pellucid to the quantity of
20 one pound, & let it be decocted between two gentle fires in saltpetre
21 dissolved in red vinegar put it for three days & nights to

1
= stone

42
1 fix with a gentle decoction in a pot shut & fortify the fire from month to month.
But let the mass
2 of vermillion be in an earthen pot well glazed fitted to
3 this with its cover & let it be well luted, & let it stand
4 to fix until no part thereof will fume upon the fire, & the
5 mass will become wonderfully hardend the which break in
6 pieces & grind most small, & dissolve it in the acute water
7 of the philosophers & proceed on by ablution as is taught in
8 the work of mercury precipitated upon gold: & adjoyn
9 thereto the ferment of the gold dissolved & it will transmute
10 silver into good gold.

11 Chapter 16
12 Of the 12th way by the vegetable & mineral
13 water.

14 We have more durably practised in the 12th way than that in the
15 others. Thus therefore shall thou proceed. Commix the infer-
16 nal fire with the mineral water, or for aurum potabile, the
17 vegetable water simply fortifyed with its spe-
18 cies as is aforesayd; But indeed for alchymical gold simply
19 to be had by the first way, because the water by the second way or
20 manner by reason of the corrosive water would break in pieces as it
21 were. & consume the body of man if it should be drunck.
22 Put that water, or what other waters thou wilt upon the
23 Calx of gold made on this wise.

43
1 Calcine gold with the odour of saturn or by precipitation with mercury, the
2 which mercury thus precipitated prevails against the leapry, & is very
3 amiable & acceptable amongst the philosophers. Upon it therefore
4 & sol, put of the aforesayd water, ten ounces of water to one
5 ounce of ferment, & put it to circulate, until the whole be thick-
6 end like oyl, the which deal with by the work of iterated so-
7 lution & congelation many times repeated until it will no
8 more dissolve upon a balneum. Then let it be dryed into a powder
9 for the elixir of a metal. But for aurum potabile let it remain
10 in the form of an oyl, & this is an excellent way for accurta-
11 tion. The calx we make this way also, dissolve foliated
12 gold in a corrosive, a little sublimed salarmoniack being adjoyned
13 thereunto, & so operate the water & the calx will descend to the
14 bottom, the which take & wash many times in sweet warm water
15 until the whole saltness of the corrosive be gone. Then let
16 it be put to calcine, frist with a gentle fire for 8 days,
17 then with a stronger afterwards with a most strong fire for a
18 day & a night, until it grows like a sponge & then it is done.
19 But if thou proceedest with both waters viz. = vegetal and
20 mineral for alchymical gold, extract or draw a tincture
21 from venus with [unidentified symbol] mineral spirit on this wise. Dissolve the
22 body of venus, that was as yet newer used in work, & put
23 it in balneum for 16 days. Then distill it, first with a gentle
24 fire, than with a stronger, so augmenting it until the whole

44
1 humidity be distilled into a circulatory upon the vegetable
2 water & yet prepared ferment & circulate it as afore, because
3 by this way thou shall convert all bodies into sol, & this
4 ingeniation I never saw in any book.

5 Chapter 17:
6 Of the 13th way, in the philosophers saturn,
7 the which way is wonderful.

8 The 13th manner of practising is very curious as is here

9 evident, and it is in saturn rubefyed in a vessel of glass shut
10 that it breath not out, by a strong fire & continual until it grows
11 red; Take therefore that rubefyed & put upon it distilled
12 vinacre in a good quantity, & stirr it often times every day
13 for a months time, then separate the vinacre by filtre, & take
14 only that which is clear without feces, & put it in a balneum to
15 distill, & thou shall find in the bottom of the vessel after
16 the separation of the vinacre, some thing white or skycoloured
17 the which take, & put in a finefold bladder that the water
18 enter not in, dissolve it in a balneum into a crystalline water,
19 put that water into a stillatory, & separate if you will the ele-
20 ments or dissolved water therefrom, the which rectify in a
21 circulatory, & the earth which remains in the bottom, deal
22 with by calcination until it grows like a sponge, & then
23 is it very fit to drink again its own mercury separated

45
1 therefrom, that there may be made a new generation, & a son
2 may be brought forth which is called the king of the fire. & is so
3 much beloved by all the philosophers. Let the earth be fed with
4 half a part of its own water, until it hath drunk it up. &
5 be fixed into a dry powder, the which is to be again calcined
6 & after calcination is again to be dissolved with the other part
7 of its own water, that the fix may become volatile & again the
8 volatile fixt; the which if it be done the third time, it wil be an
9 elixir to convert all mercury into true silver. This powder
10 therefore by continuation of the fire thereupon grows red like
11 minium & then it is an elixir to the sun. And if this powder
12 be dealt with all by circulation in the vegetable water will be
13 made aurum potabile; or much more excellent for chymical
14 gold if it be handled with the compound water as above.

15 Chapter 18
16 Of the 14th work which is of venus and mercury:

17 The 14th work is in copper amalgamated with mercury on this

18 wise. Take one part of copper & 24 parts of mercury: Amalgame
19 it & wash it with salt & vinegar many times, that the blackness
20 may be removed from both. Then dissolve it in the vegetable
21 water by little & little, & keep the solution always apart in
22 a new glass, then put the whole to putrefy, until it grows
23 black in the superficies like liquid pitch, & let it be so

46
1 continued in a balneum until it be thoroughly whitened into
2 a crystalline water. Then coagulate it into a white salt
3 The which fix with a fire on, in this manner prepared into
4 a perfect elixir white & red.
5 I add & say, that without the vegetable water the body
6 of venus, putrefyed in mercury is dissolved by little & little
7 into blackness, & by dissolving itself doth consume the
8 superfluous moisture of the mercury & both do at last come together
9 into a black powder, because the solution of the one in our body
10 is the congelation of the other: So when the body is dissolved
11 the spirit is congealed; and the powder afterwards in a fire
12 of the second degree for 40 days will grow white, & this is
13 to give a red ferment but let pass the citrine fallacious,
14 & take the true red, project the powder upon mercury & thou shall
15 have an elixir to the sun. Keep thou of the white powder if thou
16 wouldst have for the white elixir. For the approbation of that
17 praxis read the saying of the philosophers viz. Assume or take it in
18 the lesser work but not at all in the greater. For it is the medium
19 between gold & silver. Elsewhere whiten copper & thou hast the magistry.
20 The which god grant unto thee, who lives & reigns eter-
21 nally. Amen.

47
 The Key of the Golden Gate:
by G. Ripley.
As far of the translator.
1 I have judged it expedient to admonish god, before
2 thou seest on the reading of the following tract, that it is as
3 yet a doubt, who is the true author of this book. I find
4 it attributed unto Ripley by many, under this title, the key
5 of the golden gate; & under this name I found it translated
6 out of English by Edward Kelley. But yet a great part thereof
7 (viz. from you are chiefly to understand, &...) in another
8 exemplary name for that gate a different inscription, & as
9 followes, viz. a tract of the great mast. Dunstane arch
10 bishop of Canterbury, (a true philosoph) of the philosophers
11 stone; although in this both the beginning & the ending of the
12 book attributed to Ripley, be wanting. But yet there is
13 on both parts the same tone, & the same words excepting
14 a very few, changed in the key & all which things I gave
15 by some certain notes distinguished in this tract, that
16 so thou maist know, what is to be adscribed to this or that author.

48
1 The key of the golden gate by George Ripley

2 Whereas the way of the truth of the alchymistical magistery, is

3 shut up, I George Ripley will, out of divers & many philosophical books
4 & their writings of alchymical knowledge, gather one bundle
5 viz. out of the books of Hermes, Morienus, Calid, Turba philosophorum
6 & others that treat of this art, and considering that the whole philo-
7 sophical intention declare that metals are generated out of mercury
8 & sulphur, & those things from which the sayd metalls are, from those
9 also their medicine is to be extracted, we are therefore to take
10 argent vive & sulphur for the matter of our stone, and yet metals
11 are not generated of argent vive alone, nor of sulphur alone but
12 of the commixtion of them both, & thence from both must our matter
13 therefore be chosen. But it is expedient that the artificer of this sci-
14 ence be of a subtile ingenuity & that he know & know again
15 the nature of metals & their infinite generations in their mines.
16 It is therefore a worthy thing to imitate the natures of those things
17 which do not visibly appear, but potentialy abide & last (without
18 the help of any thing extraneous, or that is not of affinity with it & of
19 its own nature,) without any diminution of its body. The philosophers
20 sayth, that the proper operation of everything & the proper good
21 according to the species or kind wherein it is formed is perfected
22 in its own natural being, nor doth the body let go
23 its own soul, but by the adjoyning of its own compeer

49
1 or fellow, in the nearness or propinquity of its own simple
2 nature. Whence then is it that any build their intention upon ve-
3 getables or animals, which are remote from nature, or to compose
4 metals after some new regiment, another order then they are in
5 nature, it is therefore expedient & needful for them that we
6 inlighten some obscurities of words, that so they may be diver-
7 ted the more easily from out of their indirect paths into the
8 way of prosperity. But I (by reason of that great error which hath
9 a long time continued & lyes as yet hidden) intend to explain
10 one of these ways mor clearly, if the most high shall infuse
11 into me his grace, who alone works things wonderful therein
12 & none besides him. But I fear least my explanation should come
13 unto the hands of the unworthy, viz. of those who boastingly
14 walk in the world, affirming themselves to be the masters of this
15 art, which they have never as yet found out & so may spoil it
16 in the world with a lying deceit, & themselves with honour which
17 they are greedy of. Many also are deprived of their lives because
18 they desired not to labour without deceit, nor to search after the
19 way of truth. Now therefore pitting the multitude, & those
20 faythful seekers, who are dayly labouring in the aforesayd work
21 & consume their time & money in vain, for their sake I will
22 nakedly here unfold & lay open these divine mysteries.
23 It is written in the Turba of the philosophers that

50
1 the whole truth of the art of alchymy consists in joyning the moist
2 with the dry, & this all the philosophers grant. For the moist, understand a
3 liquid spirit purged from all dross; & for the dry understand a perfect
4 body, pure & calcined, and nobly as to the conjunction of those
5 two, all the labour doth wholy consist in dissolution & coagulation.
6 Now to dissolve is (according to the philosophers) to reduce or turn a body into
7 the nature of a spirit; and to coagulate is to convert a spirit
8 or turn it into a body, that the body may be made spiritual
9 & contrarywise the spirit may be made corporeal, and so the
10 sayings of the philosophers are fulfilled, where they say, make the fix
11 volatile & the volatile fix: And so by the grace of god thou shall
12 obtain the whole magistry. And god knows that that dissolution can
13 never be done without the transmutation of the elements: From whence it is
14 sayd in the Turba of the philosophers: Convert the elements & thou
15 shall find what thou seekest. And certainly the conversion of the ele-
16 ments is no other thing, but the conversion or turning of the
17 nature of one element into anothers nature. The philosophers
18 say, that in every thing created under heaven, there are four elements
19 in essence but not in appearance, & they say that without the four
20 elements there can arise nothing. Yet in diverse things, divers
21 elements bear rule as in the philosophic stone, for our stone
22 as the philosophers say, is composed of a body & a spirit. But the
23 bodies which appertain to the composition of the stone are gold
24 & silver; and it is certain that in those bodies the fire & earth
25 do more abound than the air & the water. But in gold

51
1 the fire predominates beyond the other elements: therefore it con-
2 tains in itself a redness or citrinity, & it is a body hot &
3 dry, but yet not too hot, because the earth is the second abound-
4 ing element in gold & that is cold & dry. And therefore gold is
5 contemperated, otherwise the citrinity of the gold would be wholy
6 turned into redness & it would be a red body. But in silver
7 the earth bear sway above the other elements & therefore contains
8 in itself a whiteness & is a body somewhat cold & somewhat
9 dry, because the fire & the earth are as it were equally propor-
10 tionated in silver, but only the earth doth a little abound.
11 Therefore silver is esteemed by the philosophers to be a cold and
12 a dry body, and if the earth in the body of the silver did
13 not super abound or a little exceed the fire, then certainely
14 the whiteness of the silver would be converted into citrinity
15 & that would be nearer to the nature of gold than to the
16 nature of silver. Now of these four elements: Two have
17 a visible activity, the body & virtue of which is known, and
18 they are the earth & the water, the other elements are not
19 seen or touched, nor is their place seen, nor their work
20 or virtue, but in the more turbid elements water & earth.
21 Moreover even in the spirit of our stone we see that air & water
22 do bear rule about the other elements. Yet the water doth superabound
23 or exceed the air, therefore the spirit cannot by its own

52
1 proper virtue rest in the sharpness of the fire, because it is well
2 known that the water is always contrary to the fire. And this is the
3 cause thereof, for that they are in every respect different in kind.
4 For the fire is hot & dry, but the water is moist & cold, & thus it evi-
5 dently appears that two elements bear rule in the body of our stone,
6 viz the water & the air. & therefore let alchymists know that it is
7 impossible to procreate our medicine out of a body alone without a spi-
8 rit, & also as impossible to procreate the medicine out of a spirit alone
9 without a body, and the reason is this: Let a body
10 be prepared how you will per se, it cannot of its own proper
11 virtue attain a fluxibility, nor can a spirit per se, howsoever pre-
12 pared, be perfectly altered from its own nature nor be per-
13 fectly fixed without the intermediation of a body; and it is necessa-
14 rily expedient that a medicine be fusil, living, tinging, remaining
15 or permanent, which can never be without the temperation of the
16 elements; & thus it can never happen without the conjunction of
17 body & spirit. Because by their conjunction the defect of
18 the elements is supplied, as well on the behalf of the body, as
19 of the spirit, & the body is made spiritual & the spirit cor-
20 poreal.
21 Having afore spoken, & evidently demonstrated, concerning
22 the defects of the elements as well on the behalf of the body as
23 on behalf of the spirit, that so therein ought be obtained
24 a due effect for the composition of true medicine. We

53
1 will now see about the transmutation of the elements how that
2 is to be done, that so that which is corporeal may be made
3 spiritual, & that which is spiritual may be made corporeal, &
4 verily the whole intention of alchymie labours about that in-
5 tention. It is therefore necessary for everyone that is willing to
6 operate, to know all these things, because the greatest expedition
7 of the whole art doth without doubt consist on the transmuta-
8 tion of the elements. There are four elements viz water,
9 earth, air & fire. The water is cold & moist, the earth
10 is cold & dry, the air is hot & moist, the fire is hot & dry; and
11 each of these hath a place in one another, & each element also
12 is contrary to another either in part, or in the whole; for the
13 earth hath no place but in the water, and the water hath
14 no place but in the earth, because they agree in one kind
15 but not in the others, of moisture & dryness, for the earth is
16 cold & dry & the water is cold & moist. The fire hath no
17 proper place but in the air & so contrarywise and
18 those elements do agree only in heat, but do disagree in
19 dryness & moisture, because the air is hot & moist, & the fire
20 is hot & dry. Therefore as it is apparent as sayth Morien(us)
21 that the earth lives of the water, & the fire lives of the air, verily
22 it is evident, that the water partakes with the earth in one quality
23 viz in coldness, & with the air in another vize in moisture. There-
24 fore it is apparent that the water intermediates between the

54
1 earth & the air. It is also evident that the air participates
2 with the water in moisture, & with the fire in heat, therefore
3 the air intermediates between the water & the fire, likewise it is
4 apparent that the fire participates with the air in heat, & with
5 the earth in dryness. Therefore the fire is the medium between
6 the air & the earth, we also see that the earth participate
7 with the fire in dryness & with the water in coldness. There-
8 fore is it the medium between the fire & the water. And so
9 its openly manifest that every element is a medium to another,
10 & that no element can be converted into the nature of another
11 which is its contrary, unless it be first converted into such
12 an element as is the medium between itself & its contrary.
13 For example: If any one would make fire of water (by ascending)
14 these now are wholy contrary, for the water is an element cold
15 & moist, & the fire is an element hot & dry. It is needfull that
16 the water be first made air, the which is an element intermediate be-
17 tween the water & the fire: because as soon as the coldness of
18 the water is converted into heat, then immediately the water is
19 converted into air, furthermore it is necessary that the moisture
20 of the water be converted into dryness, & then the water is
21 converted into an element which was its contrary, viz. the fire
22 so also must be done if one would (by descending) make
23 water of fire, because the heat of the fire must be turned

55
1 into the coldness of the water, the fire must therefore be made
2 earth, which is the intermediate element betwixt the fire & the wa-
3 ter on that part (descending). Then also the dryness of the
4 fire must be turned into moisture, & thus will the element of fire
5 pass into the element of water, which is its contrary. And if any one
6 have a desire artificially to turn earth into air (ascendingly)
7 or the air into earth (descendingly) it is expedient that the earth
8 be first made fire (descendingly): And so by the power of an
9 intermediating element each element may be turned into
10 another. And certainly not such author is to be found as
11 is here had. Because those authors who speak more openly
12 of the transmutation of the elements as Geber, Morienus, Senior,
13 Calid, Albertus & Arnoldus de Villanova; & they say
14 if any one desires artificially to make air of earth which is a
15 contrary element - let him first make the moist to act upon the
16 dry & then the earth is first turned into the nature of water
17 which is an element intermediate between the earth & air by
18 the ascending degree. Thou make the heat to act upon the
19 cold so that the cold may be made hot, & the dry moist
20 as is said afore, & thus the earth which is cold & dry turned
21 into air, which is hot & moist. And if anyone desires to make earth
22 of air, by the descending degree, it is first of all expedient
23 that the dry do work or act upon the moist, & then the air

56
1 is converted into fire, the which is an intermediate element between
2 the air & the earth (circularly transcending on the one side). Then
3 also it is expedient that the cold act upon the heat, & the air will
4 be turned into earth, the which is an element wholy its contrary.
5 Thus also you are to understand concerning the other two
6 elements, viz the water & the fire. But when the water is to be
7 turned into the nature of fire, then it is behooveful that first of all
8 the heat do act upon the cold & so the water passeth into the
9 nature of fire. But if the fire is to be turned into water, it is
10 fit that the cold do act upon the heat, & so the fire will be
11 converted into earth, the which is an intermediate element be-
12 twixt the fire & the fire and the water, by the descending de-
13 grees. Then also the moyst must act upon the dry, that the dry
14 may be rendered moist, & so the fire will pass into the nature of
15 water, which is it’s contrary element. Therefore it is wholy expedient
16 that it pass by an element which mediates between itself & its
17 contrary. It is therefore evident that every element hath in itself
18 two qualities, active & passive. Therefore every element by its
19 active quality can act upon its contrary, viz if it be an element
20 cold & dry as is the earth, then it hath to act upon the hot
21 & moist as upon the air. On the otherside, by its passive quality
22 it hath to suffer the activity of its contrary, upon itself
23 viz that which is hot, which may act upon another that is cold & dry
24 & so circularly must it be understood of the other ele-

57
1 ments, & without doubt, that is the true intention of the philosophers
2 & it seemed to them to have been sayd enough; because they wrote
3 not their books but for their children, & deerest friends, nor
4 did they care, whether or no their sayings were made more
5 open. (A.) For the more ancient & learned philosophers
6 did herein most of all labour that those things which nature
7 is perfecting under the earth in many years, may viz. the most
8 perfect & most pretious metals gold & silver, be artificially com-
9 posed above the earth in a most short space of time as it ever.
10 In which the nature be.

11 B. From this place it begins otherwise in a manuscript

12 of a tract of the most great master Dunstan, Arch-
13 bishop of Canterbury a true philosopher, of the phi-
14 losophers stone, even to the following sign or mark.

15 E:)
16 But it is chiefest of all to be understood that the more ancient
17 philosophers did herein strine with all their powers, that
18 these things which are perfected by nature under the earth in
19 many years, may be made upon the earth as it were in a
20 most short space of time, viz gold & silver, most perfect &
21 most precious; In which the footsteps of nature were by them
22 imitated, choosing to themselves the most pure earths

58
1 white & red, the which they called their gold & silver, con-
2 joyning them (even as nature doth in the bowels of the earth)
3 without any repugnancy, until at last they obtain fixation
4 & fusibility. My son it is altogether necessary that thou
5 accomplish this very thing, if thou would attain thy de-
6 sired end in this science; for gold & silver are nothing
7 else but a red & white earth, whereto nature hath coupled
8 throughout a pure subtile, white & red argent vive, & so
9 hath produced of them gold & silver: Now for thee that seekes
10 this science it is necessary that first of all you get those
11 earths, white & red, subtile, pure, fix, & in them two
12 mercuries, white in the white earth, & red in the red whithout
13 any division, & fix them throughout, that they may indure
14 any tryall by fire, & may at length attain a fusibility; that
15 (as we see a great quantity of water to be tinged with
16 a little saffron; so they may tinge abundantly (in the least
17 quantity of it) every metal, & may most perfectly & most
18 plenarily attract any metallick spirits that are not fix (so
19 that they be of the same kind & nature) to their quality
20 altogether. And with all that they may be infinitely multiply
21 in themselves & may free the bodies of men from the worst &
22 deadly deseases. The which properties verely, are not to
23 be found in common gold & silver without a great deal

59
1 of labour & that but in part neither; because that the vegetative
2 virtue & mother of all increase is for the great part) long
3 ago extinct in them. My son if thou knowest but how to effect
4 this, & to imitate the condition of more inferiour nature
5 in frameing metals, thou mayst deservedly be named
6 a philosopher well experienced in natural things. But it is
7 to be considered that the more ancient philosophers did not use
8 common gold & silver in this work, & for that cause, said that
9 those labour needed not much costs, & mought as well be
10 accomplished by the poor & countryman, as by the rich man &
11 citizen; the which saying would be wholy untrue, if it could
12 not be finished without common gold & silver, for they are
13 very precious & rare, & not gotten by the poor without a
14 great deal of labour. Many indeed have reduced by this
15 art a great quantity of gold & silver into nothing & have
16 spent their time & labour exceedingly unprofitably to
17 the destruction both of body & soul & these (I judge) well de-
18 serving pity: Besides in these our times we seldom find
19 any (or none at all) seriously & truely searching after
20 the tinctures of the philosopheres, but most men do absurdly
21 & vainly labour & broil in common mercury & common gold
22 & silver, & therefore most few they are to whom this grace
23 happens, whereas contrarywise we have seen men who

60
1 have boyled away all their estates. & therefore beware
2 for although gold & silver may be mixed & subtilized
3 tinctures, & so be brought into lesser elixirs & that with gain,
4 yet the true way (according to the intention of the philosophers)
5 is not in them for their gold & silver are two chief tinctures
6 red & white, buryed in one & the same body the which never by
7 nature, arrived unto their perfect complement or ripeness.
8 Yet are they separable from their earthy lutosity or slimi-
9 ness & their accidental dross, in which they ly hid, & are so
10 commixtible according to their proper nature, with pure earth
11 of white & red, & are accounted such fit ferments
12 thereof that they cannot be at all sayd to want any other strange
13 thing. For the whole work is one, & the thing itself one,
14 & the whole hath its derivation from one image. For the parts
15 of our stone are in it, coëssential & concrete, the which would be
16 altogether absurd if there wanted common gold & silver to
17 the composition thereof. For the philosophers say take a body in which
18 is argent vive, pure, bright, unspotted, & uncompleated by nature.
19 & such a body (after its compleat & perfect mundification is
20 much more excellent than the body of gold & silver of the mine.
21 As concerning this body of the matter of this stone, there are
22 three things most chiefly spoken, & it is called, the green
23 lyon, asa foetida, & the white fume. But yet this is so con-
24 trived by the philosophers that they may deceive fooles, and that by

61
1 reason of the multitude & diversities of the names they may be
2 blinded & mistaken. But see, that thou doest understand
3 & know that one thing is always & really signifyed although there
4 are three named & accidental for the green lyon, asa foetida
5 & the white fume, are denominated from one & the self same
6 subject, in the which they do altogether & always ly hid until
7 they are manifested by art. But by the green lyon we mean
8 & denote green multiplyable & spermatick gold, which is
9 as yet unfinished by nature, having power to reduce bodies
10 to their first matter, & making them fix, spiritual, & fugitive,
11 & is therefore deservedly called a lyon. For even as e-
12 very brute beast subjects itself to the lyon, so every
13 metallick body is overcome by the power of that our living mer-
14 cury. This is born together with a certain water which we call
15 argent & white mercury. Therefore this water white & red
16 supply us with two tinctures, white & red, the which we always call our
17 mercuries, & after due conjunction, decoction & digestion
18 we call them our stones white & red.
19 By asa foetida we mean that fetid odour, which exhales
20 out of the unclean body in the first distillation, the which is in
21 all respects likened unto stinking asa foetida, but with a kind
22 of sweetness, of which it is said, before its preparation, the
23 odour thereof is stincking, the which thing is most certain.

62
1 But after that it shall be prepared after a due manner & be
2 circulated into a quintessence, that dignifyed matter of
3 philosophers. Abound with an unexpressable fragrancy & a
4 power of taking away the leprosy & other most grievous deseases
5 without the which viz this our living gold it is impossible to make
6 aurum potabile curative, the which the philosophers call the elixir
7 of life & of metals. Yet I do not deny but that the philosophers
8 can exceedingly well dissolve mineral gold & silver with thing
9 radicall of their own kind, & not as yet compleated by nature
10 in any wise, & so arrive to the ultimate term of this art.
11 But certainly this is too high for every bodies ingenuities
12 & besides it is a work agreeable to princes who abound with
13 gold & silver. But this way (of our) is used by & agreeable
14 to the philosophers, but chiefly for the poor whose estate is
15 but small.
16 The reason why it is called the white fume is this:
17 In the first distillation before the red tincture ascends, there
18 riseth a fume truely white, whereby the receiver becomes
19 thickened with a certain milky shadow & frequent humidity
20 (or store of moisture) on which account it is also called lac virginis.
21 Therefore wheresoever thou seest a substance adorned with
22 these three properties, know that that is the true matter of the
23 philosophers stone.
24 But now in the first place here ariseth a very difficult

63
1 question (as it is accompted) the which doth very often strongly pos-
2 sess the frantick braines of mortal men, vize our stone placeth
3 itself as to figure very basely; because it is in every thing &
4 in every place. Now what means this many a one enter-
5 taining this conception do assume to themselves various &
6 most filthily stinking things, the which they distill, calcine &
7 conjoyn with much sweat & paines. But let such listen
8 to the sayings of the philosophers, if thou seekest after the
9 secret of the philosophers in turds, thou loosest thy labour
10 & will in the end find thyself deceived; besides there
11 is yet another thing, which drives the ignorant artless
12 broylers even to a madness & raving as it were, viz
13 our stone is born between two little mountaines, is cast
14 out into the dunghill is trodden on, is defiled with mens feet.
15 Is esteemed for a most vile & despicable thing; it is generated
16 between male & female, is in me & in thee & is to be had
17 in our likes. And on the other hand, our stone cannot be in
18 such things as are divers from its own kind or stock, viz in
19 things different from the nature of gold & silver; for no-
20 thing gives what it hath not; a nettle doth not produce a rose,
21 a woman doth not bring forth a whelp. For it is evident that
22 nothing in this world, whether animal vegetable or mineral
23 can be generated without a natural heat & specifick
24 appetite or lust; Therefore according to the doctrine of

64
1 the philosophers, (the which doth wholy inform us by examples)
2 it is to be understood, that the stone may be in every thing &
3 every where, seeing that it is nothing else but the virtue & specific
4 quality conjoyned unto or adjoyned with a natural heat
5 with the which every compound is brought to a perfect & necess-
6 ary term & end. Things generally spoken are to be
7 always generally interpreted, for what of earthy
8 things can be in every place & thing, excepting a specifick ap-
9 petite, & natural heat, for these are the immediate & neere
10 caused, without the which the stone cannot be. Whosoever therefore
11 desires to understand the stone, let him not depart from the speci-
12 fical quality & original, for from a man is a man born,
13 and from a rose a rose, so from out of a metal doth arise
14 multitude of metalline tincture & perfection. Yet this
15 doth not suffice, unless there be taken a metal living
16 hot, & moyst mixt with natural heat; to germinate its
17 like. For the stone is a most pure matter, that is of the nature
18 of gold, containing in itself a vegetable heat, by which
19 it hath a power of multiplying itself in its own spe-
20 cifick & natural form, & is therefore called the secret fire
21 of nature, exciting the compound & perfecting it in our
22 glass unto a stone, altogether after the same manner as the
23 seed by reason of its own proper natural heat
24 & radical humidity of the earth putrefyes to generate

65
1 and wonderful multiplication. Whosoever therefore is igno-
2 rant of this our heat, our fire, our bath, our invisible most tem-
3 perate flame, & of one only regiment, always burning in
4 our glass with the same quality; whosoever I say, doth not
5 understand this dunghill, this moyst horsebelly, will labour
6 in vain, & will never obtain this science. Thou seest
7 now, that the radical moisture, vize the vegetative virtue is
8 the chiefe cause of the multiplication of every thing in its
9 own kind. Let us therefore take to the composition of our
10 aqua ardens, gold & silver, that aqua vitae (the which such as are
11 ignorant of this science, do imagine, but falsly, to be extract-
12 ed out of wine oil, & such liquor), such (I say) a green
13 gold & silver, in which the vegetable virtue is not extinct, but
14 such as are living, hot & moyst & have a power of re-
15 ducing all bodies to a natural vegetability. Hence
16 therefore by the help of god, bodies extinct & not multiplyable
17 can the more easily acquire an habit & virtue of germina-
18 tion; the which thing is called by the philosophers the beginning
19 & the end from which the stone is generated. Mary the Pro-
20 phetess writes in a certain epistle to Aaron, that the body
21 taken out of the little mountains is a white body, clear, &
22 not suffering putrefaction, nor motion; & this is that which
23 is generated between male & female: By those two
24 little mountains is to be understood gold & silver, both which

66
1 are in our active mercury, & in our passive earth. Whence ari-
2 seth this inference, that the water & mineral earth agent & passiv
3 is the matter of the philosophers stone; hence that community for the
4 poor as well as the rich is evident, sithence the stone can be
5 made of one thing without visible gold & silver; but here
6 I do admonish thee, & inform thee, that this is the difference
7 between the stone & the elixir, that the stone delights in unity
8 & simplicity, but the elixir in plurality. The stone therefore
9 is one only thing, our mercury, our sol & our lune, our tincture
10 white & red, the which being seperate is excellently well
11 conjoyned with its own proper body or with any earth
12 of the little mountains, & is most easily to be gotten by all.
13 But the elixir is the same vegetable mercury, but yet by
14 reason of its fixation it is said to be not common; but
15 consisting of more things, not of unity, the which is absolute-
16 ly fixed in the earth of the common gold & silver, & is therefore
17 always made of two viz vegetable mercury & a strange
18 earth; the which is not so common unto nor so fit for
19 the poor. But yet as to the earth there need no (or
20 at all, of what substance it is, so it be fix. For Alphidius
21 is of the same mind & opinion when he sayth, the feces
22 out of which this water came forth, seeing that they are of no
23 value are to be utterly cast away, & the mercury is to
24 be planted in another subtile earth, for it is very

67
1 seldom that the proper or own earth enters in the composition
2 of an elixir well & neatly natural. Yet I will teach
3 thee friendly, that Aristotle did not denote the best earth by its
4 proper name, when he said: I will name it by its own
5 name; by which even the common people name it & it is the bound
6 of an egg; from which we understand the nature of metals,
7 viz mercury rightly mixt by nature with its own
8 sulphur, naturally inclined to putrefaction. Now in an
9 egg there are 3 things to be considered by us, the yolk,
10 the white & the shell, the which shell indeed is wholy &
11 only necessary for the philosophers. For this is called the
12 bound or term of the egg, & is the ultimate part delight-
13 ing in perfection, having the likeness of a little mountain
14 generated between male & female; the which being perfectly
15 calcined doth exceed any other sort of earth in whiteness &
16 subtility, & endures a most strong fire, embracing tinct-
17 ure, & covetting a metalline nature. The which thing
18 seems hard of belief to a man that labour in this science,
19 unless being overcome by experience he be enforced to
20 admire & confess the truth. But any other earth wherin
21 is any mercurial humidity cannot be so fit to swallow
22 up or drink in our mercury, because it sufficiently enough a-
23 bounds with its own proper & natural moisture. But
24 in this earth is no such thing to be found, because that

68
1 the moisture was naturally transferred to the generation of the
2 white & the yolk. In the which we deny not but that there
3 is a certain oyl for the health of mans body & conservation of
4 nature; so that it be mixed with the elixir of life. & we know that
5 it abounds with the same virtue & power altogether as mans blood
6 doth, but not at all for metalline tincture. This earth is
7 utterly cast of & disesteemed, when the included matter putrefies
8 & is therefore cast out to the dunghill, it is also trodden upon by mens
9 feet everywhere; when it is spoiled of its inward part it lies
10 about unfit for any use as it were, & neglected in the streets.
11 Sometimes when I was willing to try whether or no it would
12 drinck up our unctuous humidity I put it thereto, & it was
13 forthwith converted into a sponge & most fat coagulum,
14 from which when I had separated the mercury it remained most
15 finely citrine; But let us now descend & come to the
16 practick, whereby we may understand what is & how it may
17 be the easyer made.

18 Of the operative part.

19 Take
20 in the name of god adrop, the green lyon, which I have
21 afore mentioned, & dissolve it in aq. vite for the space of three
22 days, stirring it well thrice every day & let it be well
23 mixed, then separate the feces thrice by balneum. Afterwards
24 evaporate the aq. vite with a gentle fire until it be as

69
1 thick as milk, the which then pour out & keep. On this wise
2 must thou dissolve 12 pounds of the green lyon. Then hast
3 thou the earth of earth, the earths brother, of which the philosophers
4 have made so much mention. Put 3 pounds of this milk into a
5 glass the form whereof is here described in the margin. Then
6 put it half ways in a furnace filled with most fine sand, yet
7 with this caution, that the glass be two fingers distant from the
8 bottom & the sides. Then kindle at first a most gentle fire,
9 put too a receiver, the which you must not as yet lute on, &
10 after some few hours there will distill over a certain mild in-
11 sipid water; now when there ascends a certain white fume,
12 adjoin a new receiver, most long & most large, lute it on
13 with the very best wax or lute thou canst get, or otherwise
14 the spirits will pass out, the which spirits are most of all necess-
15 ary for us in this work; The fume will tinge the receiver
16 with a certain thick & milkysh moisture, the which is called
17 argent vive, wherewith also ascends a most red oil, the
18 wich also is called by the philosophers aëreal gold, a stinking
19 menstruum, the gold of the philosophers our tincture, aqua ardens,
20 the blood of the green lyon, our unctuous humidity, the which is
21 the ultimate consolation of the body of man in this life, the
22 mercury of philosophers, the solutive water, the which dissolves
23 gold with the conservation of its species & hath many
24 other innumerable names. This distillation thou shall

70
 1 continue, from the first appearance of the white fume, even unto 12
2 hours time, & then cease. Then take off the receiver & shut
3 it firmely with wax artificial, that for the spirits breath not forth &
4 be lost. & thus shall thou have the blood of the green lyon, the which
5 we call our secret water & most sharp vinacre, whereby all bodies
6 may be reduced into their first matter, & also the bodies of many
7 men may be purged from many infirmities. This is our fire burn-
8 ing always equally & with one measure within the glass & not without.
9 This is our dunghill, our aqua vite, our balneum, our belly of an horse
10 which operates & produceth many wonderful things in the secret
11 workmanship of its nature. For it is the examination of all bodies
12 dissolved, & not dissolved; & hot and moyst viz. a most sharp wa-
13 ter, carrying fire in its belly Senior saith. When anyone
14 would extract this divine water, which is fire, let him heat it
15 with its own fire, the which fire is water, the which water they
16 have mensurated even to an end, & have hidden by reason
17 of the indiscretion of fools. And all the philosophers have sworn
18 concerning this thing, that they will not write it clearly in
19 any place. But they have attributed the glorie unto god omnipo-
20 tent, who reveals to whom he wills, & forbids it from whom
21 he will, because that in it lies a great sophisme & obscurity.
22 This therefore doth not operate actually nor potentialy, but in
23 pulsance or power unto ao1; the which notwithstanding is to be assist-
24 ed with its own like, & this is said to be natural, and thus
25 hast thou the philosophical key to open every metal by

1
vague

71
1 1 (B:) But now as to the feces which remain in the bottom, when they
2 are cold take them out, for they are the beak of the crow, more black
3 than pitch: the which thou maist kindle with a fiery coal, that so they
4 may be calcined of their own accord into a most yellow earth.
5 This calcination is not sufficient, but thou must calcine it in a
6 reverberatory eight days; first with a gentle fire, then with a
7 stronger, until it becomes as white as snow. Now having
8 this white earth, thou maist take it per se, or the calces of other
9 metals as thou shall be informed in the following directions,
10 & putrefy them & alter them according to thy pleasure into a new
11 whiteness or redness, by the mediation of our lunaria or
12 mercury, the which putrefies with them to generation & germination,
13 the which properties, they were afore destitute off.

14 In Ripleys copy here are somethings

15 changed from the mark B: to C:

16 But now to the feces which are in the bottom, when they shall
17 be cool, take them out, for they are the crows beak more
18 black than pitch, these shall thou calcine in a reverbe-
19 ratory for eight days, first with a gentle fire, then with a
20 stronger, or if thou wilt, take the earth of venus, the
21 which calcine in a reverberatory until it be as im-
22 palpable as crocus martis. Then pour our mercury
23 thereupon that it may attract all the humidities of

72
 1 the venus to itself and this to be often repeated, until all cast
2 it be deprived of the moisture, that it may appear dry, as
3 a sponge, because the earth of venus & mars is good enough, &
4 fit to produce 1 the tincture of sol, & is equalled to the earth
5 of silver & sol; therefore shall thou have a resplended
6 earth, & white as snow, fix & not fusible, because azoth that
7 is water, & fire do wash laton that is earth, & take away
8 obscurity therefrom. The which preparation of the earth is all-
9 ways made with the quintessence of wine, and as is the clarity
10 of the water, so also will be the clarity of the earth, and
11 by so much the oftener it shall be washed so much the
12 whiter & more resplendent will it be. And so shall
13 you have a philosophicall wherewith to open every
14 metal. The which being had; take one ounce of
15 most pure gold, & most finely laminated, & put it in
16 a pelican, whereon pour 3 ounces of our dissolving water
17 the which will presently attract unto itself the matter of
18 the gold, & then shall so the son grow pure, & the water to
19 become citrine the which let stand for 3 natural days.
20 Now then when thou seest it coloured, pour it by inclina-
21 tion into another vessel, and distill therefrom all
22 the aq. vita by balneum Mariae even unto the thickness of honey,
23 and pour it again upon the said gold, observing
24 the aforesaid powder, and this water hath with itself the
25 soul that is the tincture dissolved & depurated in a

1
unclear

73
1 spirit, & extracted from the body; hence it is evident that in the XXX
2 extraction of the soul from the earth it is more purifyed,
3 subtilized, fortifyed & [ ] in quality, colour & virtue.
4 And then distill all the water therefrom, and then shall
5 have a third matter like honey, the which is called by the philo-
6 sophers aurum potabile, which thou mayst use for all desea-
7 ses almost incurable applying it according to the doctrines
8 of the philosophers. But when thou hast separated the water
9 from the red oil, circulate the red oil, either in dung or
10 in a vaporatory, for twenty days, & then distill it in
11 ashes, & so shall thou have the solar tincture prepared to
12 a(?)th thy work. This therefore is our mercury, our
13 gold, our argent, which we use in our ultimate work,
14 but now for the feces, that are in the bottom.
15 Hermes saith that the earth is the parent & gener(?) or beget-
16 ter of metals, the which carry the metals in its belly as
17 a great bellied woman doth the child in the womb. He saith
18 that the earth is the mother, & the heaven the father, & that from
19 the heaven, the earth is impregnated in the mountains,
20 plains, waters, & in every places. Therefore when thou
21 hast this white calx or the calxes of other metals, as I
22 shall teach thee in that which follows, then maist putrefy and
23 alter them according as pleaseth thee into anew whiteness
24 & redness by the mediation of our mercuries, &

74
 1 thus together with the others, will putrefy to generation &
2 germination, which properties1 thou wilt verily be delighted
3 with for the philosophers say: first calcine &.
4 see. c:
5 c: For the philosophers say, first calcine, then putrefy &
6 dissolve, distill, sublime by descending & fixing very often with
7 our aq. vite, wash & dry by turnes, & make a marriage
8 between the body & the spirit. The which if thou canst by ingenu-
9 ity and natural commixtion accomplish, the water will be congealed
10 in the dissolution of the body, then the body will perish with the dysentery
11 pouring out his own blood, & putting on admirable colours. The
12 third day being past, it will ascend in Bus & Nubi, first
13 to the lune, then to the sun, through the or by the ocean round sea,
14 setting sailing in a very little ship, & the voyage being ended
15 the palm will be immediatly obtained; to the doing of which
16 there will not need any great expences, & if during the time
17 thou shall patiently expect & wait for the harvest, thou shall
18 be filled with joy & riches. Now for putrefaction:
19 Take 1 ounce of that calx, put it in a philosophical glass, which is
20 called the egg of the griphon, & then pour in the red tincture
21 (or the white according to thy intention) until it be drowned the
22 depth of 2 fingers; then seal it & let it stand in putrefaction
23 for 8 days, which done it will be very dry; pour in there-
24 fore again as much tincture & let it stand as afore for

1
reference to page 63
75
1 8 days, on this wise continuing imbibition & time, until the
2 earth hath drunk up all the tincture, or as much as it can.
3 Then do not cease from this work (or, then let it remain in the
4 cold until or) until it shall become more black than pitch, which
5 seen, put it in a natural balneum that the moisture together with its own
6 earth may be fixed, & be digested into a snowy & candid white-
7 ness, the which whiteness when its clad withal, then apply one part
8 thereof to the white stone, & the other part to the red; The which
9 if thou wouldest perfect, ferment one part with the oil of lune,
10 but the other with the oil of sol; & so by a greater digestion and
11 heat it will be turned into a powder most red, like the blood of
12 a dragon. But of this powder make an oil by circulation, ad-
13 joyning a part of our mercury. This is called aurum potabile,
14 an elixir of life & of metals, converting mercury & all metals
15 into most perfect gold. In the meanseason do thou observe
16 this, if thou wouldest destinate or appoint that elixier only for
17 the white king, thou shall keep one part for the red, & di-
18 still the other with a gentle fire, receiving a white water the
19 which we call the white tincture, the eagle & our mercury,
20 lac virginis; having therefore those two mercuries white &
21 red, thou shall practise with them; either upon their proper
22 earth, or upon the calces of prepared metals, as is aforesayd
23 for there need not care to be taken of the earth, so it be
24 fixt. Take therefore either of which thou pleasest

76
1 doing altered into a whiteness & ferment it thus
2 first for the white work. Take the calx of lune, & the altered
3 earth in an equal proportion, grind them together, & temper
4 them with the white mercury, the which we call lac virginis, &
5 keep it exceeding well; then for the rest that is not fix, as
6 much vize. as ascends white, & sticking to the parts of the
7 glass like mercury sublimate, gather carefully, for
8 this is that our mercury made by sublimation out of a white
9 alterated earth. The earth of the bodies is made so fix
10 by the nature & help of the water that it riseth difficultly.
11 But grind this mercury again upon his own proper calxes temperating
12 it with lac virginis distilling & subliming, until it be wholy
13 fix, so as not to move by any means from the fire; this
14 is mercury sublimate & fixt; for the which, such as are fools
15 do take to themselves that common sublimate made of common vitriol &
16 salt sublimed, wherein they most extremely err. This,
17 when it shall be fixed into a white earth, let be calcined
18 & put in a circulatory, & let lac virginis be poured thereon
19 until it be covered; then circulate it until it be thickened
20 like to oil, dry it into powder, & fix it, & after calcine it,
21 & so repeat it all thy pleasure as often as thou wilt;
22 for on this wise thou mayst augment it infinitely so
23 that thou feed it with the aforesaid meat & milk.
24 (Here Ripleys clavis breaks off & passeth to

77
1 But if thou wouldst that thy work & see: p 91
2 see the sign D: p 91 p: 40: x

3 But before thou makest projection let it be coagulated into an

4 oleaginous powder; one part of this converts a thousand, yea
5 ten thousand parts of argent vive, & the other metals into most
6 pure silver, enduring every tryall & examination. After the same
7 manner shall thou operate with the red water upon the calces of metals
8 by fermentation, by sublimation upon the calxes of gold alterated,
9 & note that thou canst have nor perfect ferment until it be altered
10 with our mercury, from its first qualities into a new whiteness by
11 the means of putrefaction & alteration which it afore wanted.
12 But when after putrefaction it shall be reduced into a whiteness.
13 Then doth it wholy put on a spirituality & promptitude, where-
14 by it is far better conjoyneable with our mercury sublimed na-
15 turally, & will be fixed in all points without any division or se-
16 paration, yea even in the least attomes as it were, & that perpetualy.
17 The which could not be so naturally done, if one part enjoyed
18 or delighted with fixation, & the other with division, besides when
19 spirits have not virtue of penetrating bodies, nor bodies appe-
20 tite of embracing spirits; it is impossible that they should be
21 perfectly & throughout coagulated. But contrarily, when ferments
22 are made spiritual, the spirit is associated to spirits, & the body
23 which once delighted with perfect fixation, is drawn by a natu-
24 ral disposition & desire of recovering its former fixation, the

78
1 which doubtlesly cannot be in bodies that were never afore perfect-
2 ly fixt. But a body formerly fixed, coveting a solid habit &
3 fixation, doth draw with itself & into its own disposition
4 all such spirits whatsoever are associated unto it, & not degenerating
5 as sulphur vive, arsenick sublimed, bol armenick & such like.
6 But common sublimate mercury can be excellently well coupled
7 with spiritual ferments the which mercury will be never perfectly conjoyned
8 with the calx of ferments not alterated. Therefore this part of
9 natural philosophy doth plainly exclude all citrinations, and de-
10 albations, which did not arise from a perfect alteration, before that the
11 tinctures were conjoyned with their bodies & spirits; for there
12 is nothing that can be made an elixir until it hath passed through
13 the philosophical wheel; the which wheel if unknown, all the labour
14 leads to nothing.

15 Of the abbreviation of the work,

16 wherein almost all elixirs are contained,
17 & the ways of making them.
18 The first abbreviation.

19 Take vitriol calcined into ashes, grind it into a most subtile powder.
20 Put it in a urinal, pour upon it lac virginis, until it be covered
21 therewith, shut the urinal with a linnen cloath & let it stand
22 for 8 days. Then again add as much of the former milk,
23 repeating it from 8 days to 8 days; but when it will

79
1 drinck up no more, let it lie still & quiet in a cold place well shut,
2 until a certain cristalline earth like to the eyes of fishes shall
3 appear in the superficies thereof. This earth must thou separate
4 from the more gross parts residing in the bottom & put it in a phi-
5 losophical egg, discreetly to digest, until it be perfectly fixt.
6 Then augment the fire, until it be perfectly citrinated, & a-
7 gain yet increase it that it may grow red in the manner & colour
8 of dragons blood, hereto add a part of the red mercury, that
9 it may be covered over. Coagulate it by circulation into an
10 oil, & afterwards into a powder & this do thrice. Project
11 one part of this powder upon forty parts of most pure silver
12 fused with one part of most pure gold, & it will be turned into
13 most pure gold, or if it be done upon an amalgama of mer-
14 cury & sol, or mercury & lune, the projection will be the more
15 certain & more copious.
16 But if thou wouldst have most perfect & most high gold,
17 take out the elixir out of its egg & put it in a urinal, pour-
18 ing thereupon of the aforesaid red mercury equally com-
19 pounded & mixed with a most strong corrosive made of vitriol
20 & salt petre, the which thou shall evaporate from the elixir with a
21 most gentle fire. By this means the tincture of the one & the
22 other water will be fixed with the elixir, augmenting it in
23 quantity & colour, the which being often reïterated the elixir
24 will be converted into the form of oil, wherein if thou ex-

80
1 tinguishest or quenchest red hot silver plates, it will be tinged into
2 most perfect gold throughout, the which if it be melted with a tenth part
3 of most pure gold, it will be more pure then any common gold.
4 But if thou will take as much of the white earth of mars alterated
5 as there was afore of the vitriol, & fix it upon the calx of gold
6 alterated, & afterwards rubefyed; & then convert it with the
7 aforesaid compound water into an oil as above; thou shalt have
8 a great elixir to convert every metal into most perfect gold.
9 This work may be done in twelve weeks, but it helps not
10 the body of man to health. After the same manner, with the
11 ferment of argent alterated fix the white earth of vitriol &
12 mars alterated, reducing them into an oil with the aforesaid
13 lac virginis equally compounded with a water of common mer-
14 cury sublimed, fixed & calcined; & thus will be obtained a
15 most excellent elixir to convert all bodies into most perfect silver.

16 The second abbreviation:

17 If thou doest artificially acuate the aforesaid white & red water,
18 thou mayst much sooner arrive to the complement of the work.
19 First of all therefore fix mercury sublimate, & calcine it, & then
20 dissolve it in the other mercury white, or red, until they be made
21 one water. This water will putrefy & alterate the calxes of
22 any metal in 3 weeks. For in this work is a double fire con-
23 joyned, vize. natural, & against nature.
24 The manner of making mercury sublimate is this:
25 First of all sublime the mercury, if it be half a pound, add
26 thereto half a pound of saltpeter & as much of vitriol,

(written on the left margin: "To make mercury sublimate")

81
1 grind it & in the mixtion temper it with vinacre, until it be
2 made a most white past. Now when they are thus incorporated
3 sublime it 7 times, that it may of its own accord become clear.
4 Then fix it on this wise: Put 2 or 3 parts in a long receiver, shut
5 the mouth of the vessel, place it in ashes that the globe may be wholy
6 covered; the first work add a gentle fire, the second work add
7 a stronger, the third work a most strong. This done it will be
8 exceeding well fixed; let it be resolved in lac virginis, after
9 the way & manner aforesaid. If thou wantest moneys, thou
10 maist obtain a branch as it were or a particular thing in
11 a far shorter time.
12 Take the aforesaid white mercury & fix it by circulation
13 upon the calx of silver not alterated; & when one part is fixed,
14 add more, repeating it often, until that calx melts of its own
15 accord, upon a fiery coal, after the manner of butter.
16 One part of this projected upon ten parts of purged copper
17 yields most excellent silver for elenedis & vessels and also
18 domestick ornaments. After this self same manner mayst
19 thou deal with our red mercury, making a composition as afore
20 with the said water extracted out of mercury, sublimed, fixed,
21 calcined & dissolved in the sayd red water; only then let it
22 be calcined upon the calx of gold not alterated; & thence
23 wilt thou have a most excellent tincture to convert lune
24 into sol wherewith rings, & many other instruments may be
25 very handsomely framed.

82
1 The third abbreviation

2 Put an ounce of the calx of eggshells exceeding well calcined,

3 reverberated into a circulatory & pour thereupon of our
4 red or white mercury, that it may be covered. Then either
5 seal it up, or lute it (with a lute made of iron powder,
6 vitriol, & honey excellently well boyled) & circulate in a
7 Balneum until it be dryed into powder. This done pour in
8 more, observing the same order until it be made an oil.
9 This will convert mercury, & the other metals into most
10 perfect gold, or silver, according to the nature & disposition
11 of the elixir; after the same manner also, maist thou make
12 a circulation with our mercury upon the calces of metals.
13 There cannot be a shorter way then this; for if thou puttest
14 or takest an ounce of the calx of gold first equally fixed with mer-
15 cury, & then hereupon doest put so much red mercury
16 as may cover the calx the breadth of two fingers, & then firmly
17 shuttest it (with a past made of honey, bol armenick &
18 powder of iron, commixt together, tempered, & strongly
19 boiled to a tenacity & blackness) & then placest the
20 circulatory in a furnace & a most gentle heat, & digestest
21 the red mercury into a red & fixed calx; & then puttest
22 on again as much mercury, circulating & drying it as afore
23 until the calx hath drunck up all the mercury & converted it-
24 self into a thick oil & a little blackish, thou shall
25 then have an elixir, which transmutes or turnes ten ounces
26 of purged mercury (in warm ashes) into a most red powder

83
1 dry & fixed; the which if then together with the encrease (or if thou
2 wouldst encrease) put into a circulatory & digest with the aforesaid
3 imbibition & coagulation & it will be augmented in quantity.
4 And by this means maist thou multiply this elixir infinitely.
5 One ounce of this will congeal an hundred ounces of crude mercury
6 into a powder; of which powder also, one ounce will turn two
7 hundred ounces of any metal whatsoever into most pure gold.
8 After this self same manner mayst thou handle the calx of
9 lune & mercury conjoyned, only let be made an evaporation, by
10 circulation, adding a little of our natural & white mercury
11 until it be reduced into an oil. In all respects proceeding
12 therewith all as you did afore with the red mercury upon the
13 calx of gold, & so shall thou have a white elixir which
14 transmutes all bodies into most pure & most perfect
15 lune.

16 The fourth abbreviation

17 Take one ounce of the earth of a most sweet smelling

18 quintessence, & another ounce of the mercury of lac virginis,
19 powder the earth & conjoyn it with the mercury. By this means
20 will be made a perfect composition in the first order to the white e-
21 lixir, the which by a longer time & greater fire will be reduced
22 into a red elixir. Put that composition therefore in a urinal
23 excellently well shut, & let be digested in dung, equally for
24 fifteen days. Then take it out & shut it in a philosophical

84
1 egg, and then digest it with a most gentle dry heat into a
2 blackness. This we call the white elixir, the which in due time
3 by the augmentation of the fire, will arrive unto a redness. One
4 ounce whereof will turn 200 ounces of mercury into gold. But if thou
5 wilt multiply, take a part & conjoyn after the aforesaid
6 manner with lac virginis, digesting it as afore to a whiteness
7 & then to a redness. In this second repetition the pro-
8 jection will be of one upon 10 parts; with this incera-
9 tion mayst thou multiply the medicine as thou pleasest.

10 The fifth abbreviation

11 Dissolve the red calx of gold & mercury with a pure most
12 strong corrosive, made of vitriol & salt petre after the usual
13 way. Being dissolved put it in a pelican in a balneum, let half
14 a part exhale, then let it be firmly shut, & dryed with
15 a most easy fire; afterwards add more corrosive, & observe
16 the aforesaid order, of dissolving, evaporating, & fixing
17 ten times, until it ceaseth to suck in any more corrosive,
18 which is then done, when no fire can fix it into a
19 powder, but it remains like a liquid & thick oil. This
20 elixir converts mercury & every metal into most perfect
21 gold. This work must be done in a circulatory placed in
22 an earthen pot in which pot it must be covered with horse-
23 dung to the middle or half way. This pot must be perfora-
24 ted in the bottom very much, & then placed upon the
25 mouth of a copper pot or kettle, filled half full with

85
 1 seething water, the which kettle must also be fastened in a furnace
2 after the common manner, wherein fire is to be put, that the di-
3 gestion may be discreetly cherished; this is called a rustical
4 experiment.

5 Of the mineral stone: see p. 172

6 Wonderful is the Lord God in all his works, who is a

7 truth teaching virtue. In this name, take white or red
8 mercury, simple or compound, & dissolve therein the five stones1
9 of the seas, doing in all things as with vitriol & thou shall have
10 a great elixir. By the same manner of putrefaction all mine-
11 rals & salts may be alterated & so off every fix thing (a due matter being
12 adhibited) may an elixir be made. For our white & red
13 mercury is to be sowed or planted in things fix, & wanting
14 or void of mercury. And by this means may bodies not metal-
15 line be translated into a form not metalline, viz into a glassy
16 powder. Eggshells also when they are perfectly calcined, will
17 endure a far better fire than gold. There is not in the whole
18 universe a more subtle & more fix earth then this, the which
19 most philosophers have made, & of it well & artificially tinged
20 have made a metal in a days space, the which nature could
21 not do in the bowels of the earth in a thousand years. It is
22 a thing hard & incredible to the unlearned, yet notwithstanding
23 true & most certain & confirmed by the testimonies of many
24 men. And therefore take no great thought for the earth

1
written at the bottom of "five stones" is "stein Salz" = "stone salt”
86
1 so it be of a metallick nature & abiding the fire. Hence glass
2 is made malleable & is converted by the mediation of this same
3 tincture into a transparent & fixt metal. By which it appears
4 that this science is possible, some earth there is which doth more em-
5 brace the spirituality of our mercury than that which is most of all
6 deprived of mercury & humidity. The which privation thou
7 will not find in other bodies albeit they are never so much
8 calcined. It is therefore evidently manifest, that (seeing the gold
9 & silver are no other thing than a white & a red earth,
10 wherein a most pure mercury is fixed & coupled even throughout)
11 that the philosophers (having the self same elements) are able to
12 imitate nature artificially in the production of the same effects as
13 she in the subterrane compositions. For it is certain that the earth
14 is the ferment of the water, so it be fixt, & the water the ferment
15 of the earth if on the other part it be perfected & depurated.
16 And this without any help of common gold & silver. And therefore the
17 philosophers have taught in their writings that the stone is equally
18 common for both poor & rich. These things being considered
19 thou maist understand that our stone is hidden, & lyes secret in
20 things & places that are no wise suspected, yea are rather accoun-
21 ted worth nothing, whose matter & propinquity were it known,
22 there would much danger arise therefrom.
23 It is to be noted that the philosophers have found out divers
24 ways of handling this one thing, but I answer for them all
25 & do briefly conclude, that our earth swallows up & fixeth our
26 mercury, & that this mercury washeth & tingeth our earth.

87
1 & so compleats it into a stone without any strange alien (or unlike)
2 ferment. For the white mercury gives a most perfect tincture of
3 silver, & the red mercury of gold: And therefore when they
4 are fixed in convenient earths they make gold & silver without
5 the help of common gold & silver: Behold now, thou understandest
6 this tincture which we affirm to arise from a thing vile & without
7 price. But yet note, that he who is wise can ferment this tincture
8 with common gold & thereby get incomparable riches, but there is
9 required much ingenuity, mighty cost, & not without danger. For
10 of gold alone, by the mediation of this our tincture viz burning
11 wine, is made a white & red elixir most perfect & most precious.
12 For gold delights in the plenitute & fulness of a white & red
13 sulphur, out of which may be made most perfect silver. This
14 work I have written more largely of in the 7th book, in which is
15 a tract of the manifold plenty of gold, & of the greatest elixir
16 of life. But I will here also summarily repeat it.
17 Understand therefore that is needful to alterate the calxes of gold
18 with the aforesayd stone equally mixt with the water of mercury sub-
19 limate & perfectly fixt into a most white & fix sulphur. Then
20 calcine it well, that the force & venom of the fire against nature,
21 put thereto to accelerate the putrefaction & alteration, may be
22 totally destroyed. Then imbibe it with the aforesaid simple milk,
23 until the calx hath drunck up a reasonable quantity thereof, &
24 be made fix. Dissolve it again with the same milk & make it

88
1 volatile, afterwards fix it, & then furthermore make oil by cir-
2 culation with some very small particle (as' ittwere) thereof, & with
3 lac virginis; & so will it become a perfect elixir, converting
4 mercury & every imperfect metal into most perfect silver.
5 After the same manner mayst thou rubefy the remaining part
6 thereof, with our red mercury, fixing & calcining it & after-
7 wards dissolving it with the same red menstruum, & then
8 circulating it into a thick oil, the which we call aurum
9 potabile curative & preservative, an elixir of life & of
10 metals.
11 Know also that if our red mercury equally mixt with mercury
12 sublimed & fixed, be circulated with tutia, vitriol or iron
13 before & after rubefaction & be digested into an oil, it will
14 convert the thin plates of silver heated red hot & cast thereinto,
15 into pure gold. The which plate if thou doest after this,
16 melt with most pure gold, it will serve for any occasion.
17 This ist a general rule, that if thou wouldst be a master in
18 this art, it is necessary that thou makest all thy medicines gummy,
19 & fusible as wax, melting of their own accord upon a
20 red hot plate, without fume; for by means hereof in pro-
21 jection every part will follow each other & will joyntly dilate
22 themselves through the pores of the metal without any disjoyning,
23 whereas if any part were pulverized it would dissipate the parts
24 of the metal & make it frangible. Therefore a medicine

89
1 is to be very often subtilized, after that it is perfectly fixed
2 that so at length it may be an incombustible oil, the which is no other
3 thing than a tincture & fixed colour. If thou canst (observing
4 these things) prepare a medicine, thou shall make a fair &
5 malleable metal, else not. And here understand, that of bodies to
6 be dissolved with the natural menstruum, the second calx is always
7 to be taken & not the first. And therefore it is behoveful to dissolve
8 the calx of metals with compound mercury as is taught afore, that
9 so they may the sooner putrefy & be alterated into a second
10 calx, which we call the sulphur of nature & foliated earth, the
11 which furthermore we dissolve & circulate into an oil with
12 the simple menstruum vize. the natural; and so much for
13 these things.

14 The calcination of bodies (see p. 181)

15 Now shall thou be taught the calcination of metals. Know there-

16 fore that ' & & are calcined one way, viz thus. Put the
17 metal into an iron ladle, into the fire that the flame may slide over
18 the metal as it were, & draw the scum or spume with an iron to
19 the sides of the ladle, often stirring it about till it grow white,
20 then sift it, & gather the most easy fine powder. One only ounce
21 will suffice thee.
22 Mars & venus are to be sprinkled with the best vinacre, & well
23 distilled; that it may contract rust the which burn with a

90
1 most strong fire in an iron dish or pan, when it is red hot,
2 cool it or quench it in the best vinegar, & evaporate the acetum,
3 & thou shall have a most red earth the which thou must dry &
4 keep from dust.
5 Sol & lune are to be exceedingly well amalgamated & to
6 be ground upon a marble with powdered prepared salt
7 without any moisture until there's no mercury
8 seen. Then sublime or evaporate the mercury with a most
9 strong fire & keep it. That which remains in the bottom
10 grind into a most subtile powder & then sublime it, until
11 there be no more mercury left, wash the calx with fair
12 water that it may be freed from the salt, then dry it, and
13 so shall thou have a calx more subtile than flower or
14 14 meale. see p: 182
15 There is also another way, & is this: Take thin plates
16 of gold heat them red hot, then cast them into mercury
17 heated in warm ashes, & so the mercury will swallow up
18 the gold and note, that every ounce of gold requires 24
19 ounces of mercury. Let this amalgama be put into a glass suffi-
20 ciently large, then give fire by little & little, that after the
21 sixth hour it may be vehement, continue this heat for
22 five days & nights, & every hour put down, the mercury
23 which ascends with a little iron rod having a linnen cloath
24 fastened to the end thereof; & shut the glass with cotton

91
1 until at last it becomes a powder more red than blood, the
2 which we then call a first good calx & perfect, with the which
3 if thou mix the fire of nature, even as it ought, thou canst
4 hardly err in this science.

5 Finis:
6 The tract of Dunstane Archbishop
7 of Canterbury in the days of king Edgar
8 and Etheldred his son about the year 946:
9 see p. 77

10 10 The remainder of Ripley. D p. 77

11 If thou wouldst that thy work be abbreviated, take one

12 ounce of the oil of sol, & 12 ounces of the calx of any other
13 metal, & let stand in a furnace, in a gentle fire for some
14 days, & then in a stronger fire until it be wholy dry & fix.
15 Then take it out & melt it & thou shall find most pure
16 gold, abiding every tryall, if god pleaseth.
17 Here follows a table of the planets, from whence as it
18 were from a fountain (if thou beest ingenious) thou mayst
19 draw out the weights of metals. & know the confection of
20 our lunaria & its animation.
21 Saturn is cold & dry & therefore contains no more

92
1 than 4 ounces of mercury, & 12 ounces of sulphur in itself, & is easily
2 dissolved, & out of him is extracted a living water & lac vir-
3 ginis.
4 Jupiter is hot & moist, & is good to animate our lunaria, & hath
5 in itself 4 ounces of sulphur, & 12 ounces of mercury.
6 Mars is hot & dry & therefore hath no more than 2 ounces of
7 mercury, & 14 ounces of sulphur.
8 Sol is the most temperate of all the planets, & its complexion is
9 of equal quality & clear, & in him the natures of the four
10 elements are compleat, & without excrescence or diminution; &
11 from him is to be had a great elixir, & he is hot & moist,
12 & as the sun is amongst the planets so also is gold amongst
13 the metals, & of 24 parts there are but 3 of sulphur, the
14 rest is mercury.
15 Venus is of an hot & dry nature, yet not so much as mars,
16 & with it is our lunaria bettered; its earth is pure enough &
17 is of equal proportions & contains in itself 8 parts of
18 mercury & 8 of sulphur.
19 Luna is of a moist & cold nature, & of her is made a
20 tincture to the white. It contains in itself a pure &
21 a bright earth, & hath 2 parts of sulphur & 14 of
22 mercury.
23 From these things arise 3 considerations, vize

93
1 latitude, profundity or depth, & longitude.
2 Latitude is said to open a metal, that is, to prepare it for disso-
3 lution.
4 Profundity is said to reduce it into its first matter, that is to separate
5 the volatile from the fix & tincture from the earth.
6 Longitude is said to extend & multiply our tincture & its virtue
7 even to infinity, from whence also are 3 other things deri-
8 ved solution, dissolution, resolution.
9 The solution is to reduce a dry matter into a moist, for
10 by solution the sulphur is separated from the mercury that is the moist from the
dry.
11 Dissolution is to make a gross body subtile or to extend it, that
12 is to extenuate that which is dissolved, & to reduce it into a more
13 subtile substance.
14 Resolution is this, viz that which was formerly dissolved &
15 again coagulated to dissolve again, for example, if salt be
16 put upon a stone it will be resolved into water, because it was
17 water afore.
18 It dissolves the dissolveable that is, that which is of its own nature,
19 so that the dissolveable doth not overcome the dissolver, for eve-
20 ry metal is dissolved by its own proper mercury. The
21 hot place is by solution, dissolution & fixation. But the cold place
22 is by resolution, & congelation. For salt if it be put in a bladder
23 & be in warm water, it doth not represent a solution but
24 dissolution.

94
1 Of colours
2 Blackness is attributed to the earth, for we know that in the
3 earth all the other elements ly hid.
4 Whiteness is assigned to the water, because the whiteness is crystalline,
5 & the water also is crystalline.
6 Citrinity is attributed to the air, for we see in the superficies of
7 the fire a certain citrinity or yellowness proceeding from the air.
8 Redness is attributed to the fire, & therefore the angels were (as they
9 say) created of the pure element of the fire, & have power to penetrate all
10 things. So also the stone of the philosophers which consists of the fire;
11 merely, & hath a power of fixing, penetrating & tinging all
12 bodies. For we see that in the red a citrine colour is contained, in a
13 citrine a white, in a white a black; & so contrarywise in a
14 black a white, in a white a citrine, in a citrine a red,
15 so there hast thou the philosophers rota.
16 The end of the tract of George Ripley the which bears the
17 inscription, of the key of the golden gate, the which Ed. Kelly
18 translated out of English into Latin, but omitted the basilisk
19 carpio saith, that he understood by his report, that Ripley meant
20 this by the basilisk. If the stone finished, be imbibed with new
21 red mercury, being the remaining of the residence of the spirit of
22 saturn, after rectification, & be put in a close vessel
23 & buried for two years in a wine cellar, it will then tinge
24 mercury into sol or silver in the turn of a hand.

95
 The Pupilla or Light
of
Alchimie
by George
Ripley, Englishman
The Preface

1 1 You are in the first place to understand that Avicen(na)

2 saith that in lead is gold & silver potentially though not
3 visibly, & that these things are left crude and but half
4 cocted by nature. And therefore [ ] not must a perfect
5 supreme or compleating be made of that which nature left
6 imperfect & this is to be done through the gate of a fer-
7 ment which digests & so cooks the remaining crudities. Therefore
8 for ferment take perfect gold, for it will draw from the fix
9 substance of them by [ ] & let & will convert much of the
10 unfixed bodies to the perfection of gold & silver, and on
11 this manner art helps nature, so that in a very short
12 space of time, that which is done under the earth in many
13 yea a thousand years, may be done above the earth.
14 And by this means must thou understand how lead

96
1 1 contains in itself the greatest secrets of this art. For it
2 hath in itself an argent vive, clean, pure & odoriferous, not
3 brought to perfection by nature. & this argent vive is the basis
4 of our precious medicine as well for metalline bodies, as for the bodies
5 of men, that it may be made an elixir to life to treat all in-
6 firmities; the which the philosophers understood & meant, saying
7 there is in mercury whatsoever a wise man seaks. The body
8 soul, spirit, tincture are drawn from this. Moreover in
9 this mercury also is the philosoph(ical) fire burning always
10 equally within the glass & not without. It hath moreover a
11 great attractive virtue & power to dissolve gold (sol) & silver (luna) & to
12 reduce them into their prima materia. With this mercury
13 the calxs of the perfect bodies are to be dissolved in the
14 congelation of the aforesaid mercurial spirit; for if thou
15 would dissolve philosophically, then, when the body is
16 dissolved the spirit is congealed and these things Raymund
17 seems to confirm, where he saith, we dissolve the gold & silver
18 with things radical, of its own kind, the which are not
19 as yet perfectly finished by nature but are imperfect.
20 But whereas he said with things artifical (In plural & not
21 in the singular number), it is to be understood that there are more
22 mercuries of dissolution than one, and thereby so it is.
23 Yet these two mercuries are of a diverse condition although
24 in kind or stock they are both one. For the first mercury

97
1 1 is a medicine purging every impurity and defilement as well of
2 metalline as humans bodies. But the other mercury is mortal
3 and deadly, to men, but healthful enough for unclean metals,
4 for it alters them into gold & silver. And this mercury (as Ray-
5 mund saith in his Accurtatory epistle) is a thing hidden in
6 the inmost parts & center of the body of the green lyon:
7 Whose alone spirit (as he saith) multiplies the tincture of the
8 ferment, & enlargeth it after a wonderful manner. This is
9 the mercury he means when he saith; that all alchimical
10 gold is made of corrosives & therefore doth destroy nature.
11 On which account this mercury is called by Raymund our
12 fire against nature, but yet in same respect & part the
13 same happens to this mercury as doth to the other; which is
14 our natural fire. For both of them are hidden in the middle
15 or center of their body, that is, between phlegmatical
16 water on the one part an earthly grossness on the other,
17 Nor are they to be obtained without the great industry of the
18 philosophy. And therefore those parts cannot profit us
19 excepting only their middle substance; for Raymund saith
20 We take not either of the first principles, because they are too
21 simple, nor of the last because they are gross & feculent but -
22 only of the middles in the which is a tincture & a true oil -
23 separated from the unctuous terrestrity & the phlegmatick water

98
1 1 Therefore Raymund saith on this wise, the unctuous humidity
2 is the near matter of our argent vive physical or natural;
3 And although it be so, that these bodies (in the which these mer-
4 curies are hidden) are openly sold by the apothecaries at a
5 vile rate; (According to the saying of the philosopher, on this
6 wise, our sulphurs are to be bought from the apothecaries
7 at a vile rate or price) yet unless thou doest understand
8 the art of the separation of the elements (according to the doctrines
9 of Aristotle in his epistle to Alexandre in the book of the
10 secret of secrets, where he saith, separate the subtle from the
11 gross, the thin from the thick, and when thou hast water out
12 of air, air out of fire, & fire out of earth then hast thou
13 the full & whole art) unless I say that thou understandst
14 this, thou will effect very little or nothing at all in my
15 work. Now there fore diligently heed the things which
16 I am about to tell thee. For I will manifestly disclose to
17 thee, the whole mystery of this science & how thou oughtest
18 to proceed to practise with these two mercuries; as well to
19 have an alchemical elixir for metals only, and also to
20 have a natural one, as well for metals as for the health of man
21 whereby our bodies may be preserved from every accidental corruption
22 to the time ordained by god, beyond the which we can yield no help.
23 For it is written, thou hast appointed our limits, beyond the which
24 we cannot pass. And thus much for the theroretical preface.

99
1 The Practise

2 Now then we are come to the practick part, it is thus.

3 Take (as anotherwise said afore) our sulphurs prepared by the
4 apothecaries, this the sulphurs out of which we artificialy
5 extracted two mercuries very necessary for this work.
6 Although there are more mercuries then these two aforesaid
7 vize mercury vegetable & animal; both of which may be
8 extracted out of certain liquors as blood & eggs, and
9 both these as well the animal as vegetable are a medicine ex-
10 alting, for human bodies; yet we have these two, for the
11 time to come, & let us consider the reason wherefore we rather
12 take these two sulphurs prepared for us by the apothecaries, than
13 other sulphurs, this is, the Red Lyon & the Green Lyon.
14 The signification of both which we will manifestly
15 declare for they are red lead or the mineral of lead, that is,
16 mineral antimony prepared & Roman Vitriol, that is mercury
17 sublimate, both which are of a vile price; and that I might speak
18 of more largely of the dissolution, thou art to understand that
19 must be done by the mediation of our vegetable
20 menstruum or something mediating that is vegetable & by its operation
21 making more subtle the body shall be, so much the easier
22 dissolution will be made. And this vegetable

100
1 1 mercury cannot penetrate into a body so as to perfect the
2 dissolution thereof unless the body be first made spongious.
3 But no lead is so spongy or so subtil as red lead or
4 minium is. Therefore if we would not be frustrated of our hope
5 to necessity that we take red lead viz. antimonii prepared, the which
6 is more spongy & subtil then any other lead; for the water will
7 presently penetrate thereinto & will make a dissolution of the most
8 subtle parts thereof. And now that we may speak somewhat
9 of the second body which is Roman vitriol, you must understand
10 that it is easier to make a separation of the elements in a complexiona-
11 ted thing, which was never afore blown or melted into an
12 hard & compact substance, than to perfect it in a substance
13 melted into an hard mass; or in a metalline or stony sub-
14 stance in the which the congelative virtue is extinguished.
15 Therefore in respect of others, it is made intractable & too soft
16 & unctuous, & consequently less obedient to solution & sepera-
17 tions. For vitriol is nothing else but the stillicide of copper
18 in the mine, where copper is generated as Bartholomeus saith,
19 And although it has an admirable tincture of redness.
20 The lead(?) is the tincture infected with an unclean terrestricity;
21 the which is called its original spott or blemish, & is that which
22 exhibits gold & silver to be made thereof. Therefore Ray-
23 mund sayth, cause that the earthly virtues are not more power-
24 ful than the celestial & thou shall have a good thing

101
1 in vitriol, because nature hath chosen two things, that are more
2 viscous then others, viz. a green vitriol, & an azoquean
3 vitriol; lett’s therefore proceed to the practise of these two, the
4 which are most of all profitable for us in this art beyond all the
5 other sulphurs. Especially whereas there are two bodies well
6 known unto us of such a tincture & for greater price.
7 Therefore first of all we will speak of the first.
8 Rx. Lead calcined, rubefyed; or the best minium that is of
9 the mineral of antimony prepared, as much as you will;
10 & thus stands the case, that as many pounds as you have of
11 the aforesaid calcined lead so many bottles of distilled
12 vinegar must you have. This, you must pour upon the
13 said lead in a great earthen vessel well glazed. Then for
14 the space of 3 days (or 3 weeks) strongly stirr it every day
15 six or seven times with a wooden stick. Shut or cover it well from dust
16 & lett it not be put to the fire by any means, all this while.
17 This done & the time over, so put all that thereof which is clear.
18 & cristalline by filtering it into another vessel, afterwards
19 put it in a brass pan at a gentle fire, that all the phlegmatick
20 water may evaporate, until there be left in the bottom of
21 the vessel a very thick oyl, the which lett cool. This done
22 the matter will become gummy so as to be cut with a knife,

102
1 1 Take 3 pounds of this, put it in a glass cucurbit with an a-
2 lembick, the joint let be well luted with a paste made of, the
3 scaleings of iron, meal, & the whites of eggs well ground to-
4 gether. Place the vessel in a furnace of sand, & not with ashes
5 & lett the vessel be buried half way in sand, & lett the sand
6 be two fingers thick at the bottom of the vessel; Then adjoine
7 thereto a receiver, but not luted, until thou hast extracted
8 all the phlegmatick water with a most gentle fire, the which water
9 throw away. And when thou seest the white fume appear,
10 then lute the receiver the which lett be two feet long. The
11 which being extracted fortify the fire as much as thou canst, &
12 so continue it for 12 hours space until the whole be di-
13 stilled the which will be done in 12 hours, & so thou hast
14 received the blood of the red lyon, most red like blood; the
15 which is our mercury to our tincture. [?] now prepared, so as to
16 be poured upon its own ferment, that is upon the calx
17 of most pure gold. Take therefore one ounce of most
18 pure gold the which thou shall calcine with mercury in this
19 wise: Make it into most thin plates, & put the mercury in
20 a crucible upon a fire of ashes until it begins to fume.
21 Then take thy plates heated red hott in the fire, dip them into
22 the sayd warmed mercury, & presently the mercury will
23 drink them in, so as that it will make them most soft to the
24 touch. And to every ounce of gold & silver, you must

103
1 1 have 24 ounces of crude mercury the which being well & uni-
2 formly commixt, put the whole in a round glass vessel, with a
3 long neck. & lett the vessel be most strong & well luted, the
4 which place in a furnace of sand & give a strong fire
5 for that the matter may always boil; & lett this fire be con-
6 tinued five days & nights, & always the mercury that ascends to
7 the sides of the vessel, lett be again put down to the bottom
8 of the vessel with a small rod or stick with a piece of linnen
9 fastend to the end thereof. This violent fire must be
10 continued until the whole be converted into a powder, most
11 subtile, & most red like the blood of a dragon, or until
12 there appears no more crude mercury, then lett the fire go
13 out, & lett the vessel cool, which take warily out of the sand,
14 & then take out that dust made of gold & mercury, & then
15 hast thou calxes well prepared for the work of the red elixier.
16 Put these calxes in a circulatory & pour thereon as much of
17 the red mercury which thou extracted out of red lead, that is,
18 out of the mineral of antimony well prepaired; so much as may
19 overtop it viz. the calxes three fingers, & shut the mouth of the
20 circulatory very well, with a stopper made of glass, luted on
21 with a lute made of honey, bol-armenick & the scaleings of iron
22 powdered. All being well commixed well put together, & boiled
23 until the matter become very thick & black; for this lute if it
24 be well made doth not permit the spirits to exhale. Then place

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1 1 the circulatory in a furnace with a gentle fire, & there lett it
2 remain until all the red mercury be turned (by circulation) into
3 the nature of a red calx dry & fine. Then lett it be again circu-
4 lated with so much of the aforesaid mercury as afore,
5 until it be made very thick like to a most thick oil, some-
6 thing blackish, so as that it will not more be dryed up.
7 Then take 3(?) ounces of the elixirated oil & project upon ten ounces
8 of crude mercury excellently well purged; the which place
9 upon warm ashes until it begins to boil & fume, & it
10 will forthwith be turned into a most red dry powder, The
11 which put in a circulatory & make thereof a thick oyl,
12 as aforesaid, with the refined part of the red mercury
13 & thou shall have thine elixir so far multiplyed; the
14 which thou maist thus multiply after the manner aforesaid
15 even to infinity.
16 One ounce of this medicine will congeal 10 ounces of crude mer-
17 cury into a powder, one ounce of which will convert 10 ounces of
18 any metal into perfect gold,
19 But if thou wouldest make aso(?) thereof for the white
20 work, then thou must evaporate at a gentle fire the
21 crude mercury from the calx of silver, stirring it always
22 with a wooden stick until the calx remains white & subtle
23 then shall thou distill thy mercury 3 times with a

105
1 1 gentle fire, always keeping the feces apart, in every distilla-
2 tion & then shall thou have thy mercury, most white like
3 milk. And this is our lac virginis, our beloved menstruum &
4 our argent vive philosophically elaborated; Of which by cir-
5 culation make an oyl; of calx of silver (lune), & proceed in all
6 respects as thou didst afore with the red mercury upon the
7 calxes of gold (sol). & then shall have a phil. Elixir, the which con-
8 verts every metal into perfect silver. But it is expedieal
9 that the golden oil be perfected & improved & well united
10 with the artificial balsam by the way of circulation, until
11 there be made of them a most clear, a resplendent & gold
12 liquor, the which is true aurum potabile & an elixir of life
13 more precious for the bodies of men then any other medicine
14 of the whole world. And here is finished the manner & way
15 of making the first mercury, the which is the blood of the red lion
16 for the white & red stone.

17 The green lyon:

18 Take therefore mercury sublimed from vitriol & common

19 salt to the quantities of 20 or 40 pounds, that so thou mayst
20 have enough to suffice thee for altogether. Grind it well
21 into powder & put it in a very large & strong glass vessel
22 whereto pourest many pounds of most strong water as are
23 pounds of mercury. Stirr them strongly together & the vessel

106
1 1 will become so hot that it can scarse be touched with the hands;
2 shut it well & lett it stand in a cold place for nine days,
3 strongly stirring it 3 or 4 times every day. This done put
4 the vessel in a furnace of ashes. & with a most gentle fire
5 distill all the aqua vite, & keep it well by itself, then incon(?)-
6 tinently(?) adjoin another receiver well luted. Kindle
7 a most vehement fire, & continue it until all the golden
8 liquor be wholy distilled. This done seperate then the
9 crude mercury, that ascends therewith, the which you may again
10 sublime as before, for nothing can extract out of Roman
11 vitriol its red tincture from it’s two extremes, (which are
12 earth & water) excepting mercury alone. [?] nor ani-
13 mal can extract honey out of flowers excepting only bees.
14 But in the access or addition hereof it is invisibly conjoyned
15 with the mercury & coagulates it, & congealed & hid(den)
16 therein, outwardly it doth not show or demonstrate either
17 any splendid tincture, or any humidity, until it be again
18 resolved by the vegetable water (which is aqua vita extracted
19 out of wine or by the oil of Lombardi. This mercury is
20 very strong & much more corrosive then the first mercury, whereof
21 we spoke afore. & therefore we use it not for human bodies.
22 But yet it makes most perfect gold & of supreme tincture,
23 for all goldsmiths operations, & to make coin with all.

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1 1 wherefore it is needful that thou doest with this, as we have
2 afore taught thou to do with the first mercury upon the calx
3 of gold in all respects. And thou shall have the second
4 elixir which converts every metal into most perfect gold;
5 The augmentation & multiplication of the which elixir is done
6 with the help & assistance of its own proper blood as we
7 spoke afore in the former.

8 Another Way

9 And now we will speak of the second way Raymund

10 writes to King Robert in his accurtatory epistle on this wise
11 dissolve the red calces of gold & mercury aforesaid in a most strong
12 corrosive water made of vitriol & salt petre after the usual manner,
13 which being dissolved, lett be put in a circulatory & placed in
14 a b(ath) in an open vessel, until half a part of the water be e-
15 vaporated, & the matter be condensed in the bottom of the vessel.
16 Then close well the circulatory with a most firm closure
17 or lute, then with a gentle fire in ashes, let the remaining part
18 of the corrosive water be fixed into a dry powder, this manner
19 of operation shall thou repeat of dissolution, evaporation, &
20 fixation even to ten times, but then will thou have
21 an oleaginous matter, which will attract no more of the corro-
22 sive water, nor will bee any more fixed into a powder

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1 1 but will remain like a thick oil the which fixeth mercury & all
2 the other metalline bodies into most perfect gold fit for
3 all the operations of the goldsmiths, but not for the bodies of men.
4 (as for multiplication, see Lully in magic). Project this thick
5 oil upon ten parts of purged mercury & it will be a powder.
6 And as to what appertains to this work I have not known
7 more true operations then these are which we here have
8 declared. Let these suffice thou therefore; to the praise &
9 glory of god, to whom be honor & glory for
10 ever & evermore. Amen

109
 Earth of Philosophi-
cal earth.
By
George Ripley
1 Take earth of earth, & the brother of the earth, the which is no
2 other thing than the water & fire of an earth most precious,
3 And in the choosing of this earth see that thou be wise. If
4 therefore thou do desirest to make a true elixir, see that of the
5 Earth thereof, thou extractest of our subtile earth
6 fayr & good. Moysten or put this with the water of the forrest, for
7 in this water the Earth is to be dissoluted for 3 days & that
8 without fire. The which being done separate the subtile from the
9 gross, & evaporate it into a gum, into the likeness of pitch, out of
10 which thou must distill a water, which is our aqua vitae, & our menstruum.
11 After the extraction thereof comes the fire, red as blood &
12 full of facy(perhaps jucy?) The which also being extracted there will
13 remayn in the bottom an earth black as ferment, & ponderous
14 as a metal, in the which earth indeed is hidden a great secret
15 & arcanum, for it is the mother of all things; afterwards

110
1 it must pass into purgatory, that there it may undergo the pain
2 or punishment convenient for it, untill it be shining like the
3 sun, & then the magistry is obtained, that which is done in three
4 hours, & certainly it is a thing miraculous, which being done,
5 thou shall give to this earth water to drink, that it may be
6 made most white. Afterwards thou shall in like so give
7 thereto fire (oyl) until it be as red as blood, but
8 then thou must feed it as is expedient & necessary, with
9 milk & food convenient, until it grows unto a riper age.
10 For then will it be very strong & powerful to convert all
11 lucid bodies into its own power & dignity & this is the confection of
12 our stone. Even as I have truly in all thing told thee,
13 for verily that I may speak truth unto thee whithout any feigning.
14 There is not any thing also to be sought for, but a body of
15 a body & a light of a light, whereas nevertheless erring
16 fools serch after unprofitable things & such as are against
17 nature for they do endeaver (but all in vain) to extract metals
18 out of those things out of which never mortal man extracted
19 them. For of all things is there nothing to be chosen, in
20 kind or stock, but the 4 elements; Sol & Lune; Earth & water;
21 the which finally are all things, of the which many speak many
22 things, & fools do vainly probe(?) about them: For our gold &
23 silver are not those things of which are commonly made
24 vessels for rich & noble men. But they are a sperm

111
1 extracted out of a certain body wherein are all sol & luna,
2 water & earth, fire & air all which things do arise
3 out of one image; but the water of them makes a matrimony
4 in arsenick duely sublimed with nine parts of its own mercury
5 calcined. And so lett them be ground together with the afore-
6 said most potent water, the which affords & yields, ingress, life
7 & light: for presently as soon as they are conjoyned together
8 all will be reduced into a bright & shining water, the which
9 will over the fire grow together & congeal until they become fix &
10 no more volatile. But then thou must further feed it with
11 milk & food, until they shall become strong & then shall thou
12 have a good stone, one only ounce whereof, being projected
13 upon 40 ounces of venus & mercury, the contemplation
14 whereof will exceedingly exhilarate thy mind.
15 I have a beloved daughter & dear unto me named sa-
16 turn, of the which daughter verily the elixirs, as well white
17 as red are made from her therefore must thou extract a
18 clear water if thou desirest to have this science. This water
19 reduceth all things to a softness & fixation; it causeth also
20 germination & growth, it yields fruit & light with the in-
21 gress to life & with everlasting splendor. Finally that I may
22 briefly speak, it assists, helps & reduceth all bodies into the
23 right way; for it is a most worthy water, the which is called a water
24 most perfect & the flower of the world. All the learned

112
1 philosophers make this water white & delicate, bright & shining
2 like silver; of this water is mention made in human prayers,
3 & in the psaltery of David it is openly described, & it is read
4 by the priest at the altar. This oyl also is admirable, for
5 it reduceth all things to a redness & citrinity very intense
6 whereto no other thing is to be compared; moreover in the
7 earth are admirable secrets hidden; for as much as all the first
8 its black & a little after red, & than in 3 hours space, on
9 which acuation will may it be called the secret of god. But then the
10 earth will be burned into a red as blood, our citrine gold
11 & natural elixir. But further; The red oyl is to be put
12 thereonto, also the red ferment & the red mercury, that they
13 may grow together for seven weaks. Therefore blessed be
14 god, by whose virtue, one ounce of this red medicin, projected
15 upon 200 ounces of mercury converts it into most pure gold (sol),
16 perpetually durable. Now thou hast heard the composition
17 of our stone, whose beginning & end is the same. But as to
18 what belongs to this medicine, I have decreed to answer
19 thee this, that thou mayst lodge it in thy closet & secret of
20 thy breast(?) & not lay it open or reveal it to friends or foes.
21 The earth is intrinsically most subtile, the water of the forrest is
22 the vinegar of wine, whosoever can extract that out of the
23 moisture of the grapes, can therewith also perfect our magistry.
24 But here beware that thou beest not deceived & so thy labour
25 perish. When therefore thou hast extracted all the mercury

113
1 out of the gum, understand, that in this mercury are contained
2 3 liquors. The first whereof is a burning aqua vitae, the which
3 is to be extracted with a most temperate bath. This water is
4 kindled & inflamed most speedily, as common aqua vitae. And it
5 is called our attractive mercury, wherewith is made a cristalline
6 earth with all the metalline calxes, of which we will say no more,
7 because we need it not in this operation. But afterwards
8 follows another thick water & white as milk, in a little
9 quantity, the which is the sperm of our stone, & is sought for by
10 many, for a sperm is the beginning of all living creatures,
11 both man & beast. Wherefore we do not undeservedly call
12 it our mercury, the which is to be found throughout all things
13 & every where; for without it nothing ever lived, & it is
14 therefore sayd to be in everything. This humidity, which now
15 must be verry dear & pretious unto thee, is that mercury
16 which we call vegetable mineral, & animal, our argent
17 vive & lac virginis, & our permanent water. With this mer-
18 curial water we wash the original sin, & pollutions of
19 our earth, until it becomes white & flowing like a gum.
20 But after the extraction of this water aforesaid, will an oil
21 come, by a dry fire; with this oyl we make the red gum
22 which is our tincture, & our sulphur vive, which is otherwise called
23 the soul of saturn, & living gold, & precious tincture and

114
1 gold to us most dear, of the which things nobody did ever
2 yet speak so openly & manifestly. I pray god therefore to
3 pardon me if in any thing I have offended him, whilest
4 I am compelled as it were to satisfy thy will.
5 Now therefore all the elements are divided & with this our oil
6 shall thou rubefy the stone. Now also hast thou our two gums,
7 without the which no elixir can be made perfected: They are
8 the mediator between the body & the spirit that intercead &
9 mediate, without the which it cannot be fixed, & thereof doth it
10 make in a short time two elixirs, whereby all metalline
11 bodies are truely altered into a better state, & are made
12 equal in dignity to gold (sol) & luna (silver), that so they may in likewise
13 assist us in our necessities. Now therefore blessed be the
14 omnipotent god who hath revealed this secret unto us,
15 & may it please him, together therewith to bestow upon
16 us his grace, for our soules health. Now then I will briefly
17 repeat the order of this work & this as follows. Take the wind,
18 the white water & the green & from them, draw lac vir-
19 ginis; the which is by some called a clear water which hath
20 not its like. But when the white fume begins to appear,
21 then encrease the fire & thou shall see the fire come,
22 red as blood & fraught with fiery & is called a stinking menstruum
23 & the sun of the philosophers with the which is made our dissolution, congela-
24 tion, sublimation, attraction & also fixation, & the creation of our
25 sulphur or foliated earth. Glory to god. Amen.

115
 The
Concordancy or Agreem(ent)
of
Raymund Lully & Guido
A Greek Philosopher
1 Raymund speaking of the ferment of the stone, saith, that with-
2 out ferment neither gold (sol) or silver (luna) can be produced; for as much
3 as that these bodies are the forms of the stone; because our vegetable
4 mercury is not sufficient in itself to form & effect the stone
5 neither indeed can it be granted, that the same property is appro-
6 priate to our vegetable mercury, which is in gold & silver naturally
7 but Adrop is gold & silver potentially but not visible gold as sayth
8 Rhasis. And our gold & silver (according to the philosophers) is no
9 common gold & silver, but our gold & silver are aerial, that which
10 that they may be well fermented must be conjoined with a beloved.

116
1 And for as much as the philosopher saith, that Adrop in its pro-
2 funditio is aerial gold & Adrop itself is called leprous gold.
3 From these sayings it seems that Guido the Greek philosopher,
4 also assents, speaking of the mercurial or menstrual spirit,
5 which is extracted out of natural Adrop by art, but thus
6 Guido writes and says that it is the sun of the philosophers solar
7 water, arsenick & lune [or: lunar gold?]; & he adds in the same place, following
8 the body is the ferment of the spirit & the spirit the ferment
9 of the body, and the earth in which the fire lies hidden dries up, im-
10 bibes & fixeth the water of the fire in which the water lies hidden,
11 doth wash, ting & perfect the earth & fire, and whereas
12 Guido saith that they do ting & perfect this to be understood
13 that the stone is sufficient for its own compleating or advancing to
14 an elixir. And that our extraneous(?) thing (as he affirms) or
15 the thing itself is introduced or to be introduced there-
16 into. But all the parts thereof are coessential & concrete,
17 because the philosophers intention was to complete the work
18 about the earth in a shorty time, which nature doth scarcely per-
19 fect under the earth in a thousand years; unskillfully
20 therefore do they go according to the opinion of the philoso-
21 phers (as saith Guido) who seek a ferment for our elect
22 bodies, from common gold & silver. Show the matter in which is
23 argent vive, clean & pure, & most exeeding well brought to
24 a complete perfection by nature, in this complete mundifica-
25 tion (as Guido affirms) is a thousand times better than the bo-

117
1 dies of gold & silver are, vulgarly decocted by the natural heat
2 of the sun:
3 But Raymund several [added: times] affirms the contrary, saying, our
4 tincture is extracted out of a vile thing & is adorned with a
5 noble thing more noble for we ferment it with common gold.
6 The which assertion of Raymund must be understood of
7 gold alterated which is more perfect(?) than common gold. And
8 his other assertion must be understood of common argent
9 vive, of which he speaks elsewhere saying, when I speak
10 of mercury, understand a mercury more common than the
11 commonst. Or it may be true, that our tincture which is extracted
12 out of the mineral stone not that which is extracted out of na-
13 tural Adrop of which our mercury vegetable is extracted,
14 ought to be fermented with common gold. But that I may
15 cut off all doubting, know this for certain & believe me,
16 that the stone is perfected [?] into white & red,
17 both that which do proceed from our root without common gold.
18 But the elixir of the stone can never be effected without the addi-
19 tion of common gold & silver, that which ought to be altered
20 with the mercury of the stone & revivified, & elevated into a
21 cristalline sulphur, & to be fixed & the sulphur of the gold ought
22 to be partly rubified, & partly by the oil of silver & sulphur
23 to be calcined to a whiteness & both the sulphurs of gold (sol) & silver (luna)

118
1 be brought into an oil, with that which two oils the sulphurs
2 of our bodies, which stand as mineral medium between the mercu-
3 ry & the ferment, ought to be fermented, until they have
4 an easy melting of a gummy nature, making the during two
5 elixirs; white & red. The tinged ferment of which cannot
6 be called the vulgar, but philosophical, the ferment of ferments,
7 that which may not be understood of a common ferment but that
8 philosophically altered into two new qualities; in which point
9 all almost are deceived; fermenting with waters & oils,
10 extracted out of bodies in no sort altered; in which they
11 do not at all observe Raymund’s doctrine, who sayth,
12 the white or red elixir ought not, nor cannot be
13 extracted from any created thing either white or red
14 until it hath past the philosophical rota; & so the
15 first qualitites being destroyed, the second may be brought
16 forth by our artifice. And so the philosophers ought to
17 be understood, who in the opinion of ignorant men seem
18 to disagree. When they say, our gold is not the gold of the
19 vulgar, & that with common gold we ferment the tincture,
20 neither gold (sol) nor silver (luna) can be produced without gold & silver,
21 and the spirit of our mercury sayth Guido is the sun of the
22 philosophers & their water is a solar water, sophical & lunar,
23 But on the contrary Raymund saith, mercury vegetable cannot bring

119
1 an elixir to a perfect form without gold & silver, in as much
2 as that it is our intention in this philosophical art to make
3 gold & silver, and these authors seem to clash as it were
4 & seemingly disagree, whereas notwithstanding in very truth
5 they agree in the thing itself, for that they denote that gold (sol) &
6 silver (luna) ought to be altered before they are used for ferment,
7 and that the spiritual gold (sol) & silver (luna) of the philosophers, which lye hidden
8 in our vegetable mercury (even as the tincture of the red &
9 white stone) ought to be fixed & fermented (according to
10 Raymund) with common gold, not as it is common, but as
11 it is altered. And in likewise it is alterated with silver (luna) to the white
12 vitriol work both which before alteration are to be reputed vulgar
13 but not afterwards. And therefore Raymund said, we
14 ferment with common gold; to declare from what thing true
15 ferment must be taken. And Guido saith, our gold is
16 not common gold; to signify that gold alterated ought to
17 be taken for the ferment. Guido saith also: The spirit of our
18 mercury is the sun of the Philosophers to declare the subject of
19 the elixir, with whose tincture white & red common gold
20 altered ought to be augmented in tincture. For Avicenna
21 saith, that gold doth not ting exept it be tinged, but
22 how gold is first tinged is a secret & will for ever be
23 and observe by these things afore spoken in what sort, this

120
1 saying of the philosophers is to be understood; fire & azoth
2 are sufficient for you, if thou knowest the manner of the fire, viz
3 azoth is common argent vive, & fire is our natural menstru-
4 al heat, the which fire are sufficient for thee, if thou knowest
5 the manner of the fire, & that by the slow attractive virtue
6 of the natural heat, which lies hidden in that water, our sulphur is crea-
7 ted, that which is the matter to every(?) form. Or we may in-
8 terpret it in this(?) wise, in the alchemical or lesser work,
9 azoth, that is common argent vive; & fire, that is the spirit of
10 vitriol, are sufficient for thee. If thou knowest the manner
11 of the fire, that is if thou knowest with what fire thou shall per-
12 fect the magistry, because without the attractive virtue of the fire
13 of nature it is never to be perfected. Therefore ano-
14 ther philosopher speaks conveniently to this assertion,
15 take fire & put fire in fire until the fire melt in the fire,
16 that is. Take argent vive sublimated in that which lies hidden
17 the fire against nature, & let it be fixed in an element-
18 al fire, & when it is fixed, put it in the fire of nature
19 that is in our water, until the fire melt in the fire, that is until
20 the fire against nature melt in the menstrual fire, that is, until
21 it be brought to a certain fluxible substance liquefacting & taken which is received
22 from the menstruum, that which it received from the natural menstruum
23 which it had not afore by reason of its siccitie.

121
1 But this fire against nature is not the virtue & operation
2 of our magistry, but the fire, that is our burning wine, which is
3 purely natural & therefore is the chiefest medicine for the bodies
4 of men, & heals every disease better than all the medicins
5 of Galen & Hypocrates.

6 The Composition of a most sharp Acetum

7 vegetable, by George Ripley

8 Take the tartar of most strong wine & calcine it into

9 a colourness. Take of this calcined tartar one pound, that
10 being powdered put it in a great glass-cucurbit, where-
11 upon pour half a cup of spirit of wine or somewhat
12 more, close the mouth well, & let them stand in cold water
13 24 hours. Then put to a receiver & distill in Balneum with a gentle
14 fire, that so that it will distillate & then will ascend a
15 certain phlegma, that which you must distinguish by taste. Then
16 let it cool. And again put to the aforesaid tartar new
17 sprit of wine in the same quantity as afore, doing in all
18 respects as before. The whole work thou must repeat 15
19 times, & if thou will an hundreds. But when you open the
20 glass in the severall imbibitions above all things beware
21 of the sudden odour of this adept fire.

122
1 This work having done fifteen times. Put 3 ounces of
2 this fiery tartar apart; to multiply the mercurial oil,
3 shall bee underneath described. Take the remaining part
4 of this fiery tartar, distill it in sand with a most strong fire;
5 That with fire thus distilled hath a white colour & is of a fiery
6 nature, our Lunaria, our mercury, our aqua vita. & finally the
7 key of the whole science. Take of this distilled water as much
8 as shall suffice & put the leaves of gold & silver in diverse
9 vessels, whereupon pour the aforesaid water & presently the
10 bodies will be dissolved in a thin oil without any ele-
11 mental fire; then circulate both the dissolved bodies, until
12 they come to a fix & thick oil & then hast thou gold
13 & silver made potable, wherewith every infirmity is healed
14 & youth renewed.

15 The composition of alchymical

16 mercury by George Ripley

17 Take in the name of god one ounce of crude mercury well purged
18 3 ounces of our fiery tartar or vegetable salt (afore referred) &
19 grind them both together very well upon a marble until
20 they be incorporated. Then put them in a warm bath and the
21 whole will be dissolved into a certain white milk. And that
22 which put upon one pound of crude mercury & the whole
23 will be dissolved into the like milk & so mayst thou

123
1 do to infinity. This mercury dissolved in Balneum let putrefy
2 & afterwards let it be distilled in ashes; first with a gentle
3 fire, then will ascend a certain insipid water which is to be cast
4 away. Then encrease the fire more, & there will ascend another
5 water more thick; that which water doth dissolve all bodies,
6 putrefies, mundifies & fixeth them. Lastly with a more vehe-
7 ment fire, there will ascend an oil of a golden colour, that
8 which is to be kept for to dissolve the red ferment & to multiply
9 the red elixir; for it is our singular gold not as yet fixed
10 by nature. But thou art to understand that the ferment
11 together with an imperfect body ought to be alterated, that which
12 imperfect body is Venus the mistress of love.
13 & take therefore in the name of god for the white work
14 one pound of copper (Venus) nicely extracted from the mine &
15 melt it with one ounce of cupellated silver (Lune). And for the red work
16 use the same proportion of copper (Venus) & gold (Sol), as thou diddest of
17 copper (Venus) & silver (Lune). Bring it into thin plates & put the silver
18 & copper into the thick water, the gold and copper into the red oil
19 & both of them will be dissolved (in Balneum) into a green colour
20 like oil-olive as Merlin affirmes. And so let these two
21 be circulated in a temperate fire until they appear like
22 molten pitch, & afterwards dry up, & so it passes from colour
23 to colour into innumerable colours, until they appear like the

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1 Eyes of fishes or pearls. And then multiply the earth, with
2 the thick water, in the white works until they flow like
3 wax, & then hast thou a power of transmuting imper-
4 fect bodies into pure silver.
5 But in the other vessel, in that which is Venus & Sol, continue
6 the fire with a greater heat, until it comes to the highest redness
7 or to a purple color, & then with the red oil or golden
8 mercury (which we mentioned afore) multiply the earth
9 until it flows like wax. And so will thou have a medicin
10 which transmutes mercury & all imperfect metals into better
11 more excellent & pure gold & of an higher tincture
12 than the natural; that which may it please the divine majesty
13 to grant unto thee, whose name be blessed for evermore.

14 Another Practice

15 Dissolute mercury with the secret salt into a milky liquor

16 being dissolved, put it in a philosophical egg, seal it
17 hermetically, & circulate the liquor into an earth, shining
18 like a cristal, ferment the earth with silver dissolved in
19 the white mercurial liquor, or with gold dissolved in the
20 red oil, and this elixir may be projected upon
21 quicksilver, lead & tin: And this medicine is to be
22 multiplied with the aforesaid water, & oil of mercury.

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 The Viaticum
or
Various Practicks
by
George Ripley.
1 Take Jupiter calcined & put it in a
2 glass cucurbit, whereupon pour a convenient quantity
3 of the vegetable menstruum; when it is brought to luna-
4 ria, distill the lunaria from the calces & again put it on, &
5 cohobate it so long until the calx be turned into oil, or be
6 made so subtile that it will flow like wax upon a red hot plate,
7 & will not fly away. This medicine will convert venus into most
8 perfect lune.
9 Calcine jupiter as you know, with fire alone into a white calx & very
10 subtile, the which done, dissolve it as thou knowest in its own
11 corrosive, & make thereof a pure oil, the which extract from the
12 corrosive with Aq. ardens, & then let it be mixed with oil
13 made of lune & mercury, together, & separately or apart.
14 Then let it be fixed into a tangible stone like a marcasite, after ma-
15 ny days in a gentle fire, & one part thereof will certainly

126
1 convert ten parts of venus into lune fit for any work.
2 And thou are to know two things, first of all that Jupiter is a
3 body wherein is argent vive pure & clean, not brought to perfection
4 by nature; secondly that by the oil of lune (as saith the philosopher)
5 tin is easely hardened, & the oil of lune fixeth all spirits. There-
6 fore it fixeth it viz jupiter into a fixed spirit, which is in jupiter, &
7 ceaseth its mollity or softness & crackling noyse. Operate with
8 tin saith the philosopher until thou beest rich, because in it is
9 a work of an easy handling & of light cost.

10 The Menstruum

11 The menstruum being distilled from the first feces, make a cir-
12 culation thereof, with most hot species, such as are black
13 pepper, euphorbium, pellitory of Spain, Anacard or
14 [empty space], granes of paradise & such like, for 100 days in Balneum
15 and afterwards let only the half thereof be distilled &
16 therewith make thy putrefaction, because by its attractive vir-
17 tue, all bodies putrefy, & are purifyed & divided into elements. &
18 the earth is exalted into a wonderful salt, the which is a fit
19 matter to make any form of sol or lune. Therefore sol &
20 lune thus altered ought to be elevated with the menstruum
21 & to be afterwards circulated into a thick oil; this is
22 a ferment & a great elixir. But this process is scarce fi-
23 nished in two years.
24 Moreover this is to be noted that the stone is made but

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1 of one thing only, vize. of argent vive, as the ancient
2 philosophers have said, this is to be understood of argent vive
3 vegetable & mineral; because these are made one
4 water by our art, & is called a stinking menstruum, the which doth
5 partly arise from wine: & partly from sericon; & of the
6 grossity of that water, we have a congealed earth, the which
7 after the first rectification remaining in the bottom most black.
8 This therefore must be taken & with the residing or rest
9 feces of seven rectifications, be calcined into a cristalline
10 earth which is very light. But that earth must be purged from
11 its original defilement, by fire & then it is a fit matter to
12 receive any form, after that it hath drunk up all its
13 own water, because then it is a stone, which must again be
14 sublimed with new philosophical menstruum, as a stone of the
15 second order. This is confirmed by Raymund, saying it
16 carries with it in its own belly, its own secret sulphur, by
17 the means whereof it is congealed into the stone of the philosophers.
18 But it is to be elixerated with ferment & the tincture of
19 redness will be augmented therin with the fire of the stone,
20 if it pleaseth thee. And so it appears by what is afore said,
21 that the stone is one thing because it dissolves itself & fixeth
22 itself; with the said water also is made an elixir of life
23 & aurum potabile to heal the leprosy & every other infirmity.

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1 And that water may be so often distilled, until it be almost
2 all converted into earth, the so thou maist have a great
3 quantity of earth, which is the ferment of its own water.
4 And after the separation of the elements of the bodies putrefyed
5 & alterated into a foliated earth by the exuberation of the
6 water in the earth; doth remain a body combust with the
7 salfatnar(?) of its own burning sulphur, the which did come by the
8 original blemish or defilement of our menstrual, the which is the
9 corruption of our stone. And therefore it is necessary that
10 bodies after the extraction of the air from the combustible sul-
11 phurities be calcined & purified, because except that
12 there had been placed a matter corruptible for the corruption
13 of the stone, it would never have needed to be purged.
14 And this appears in the earth of the second water it-
15 self, the which is our body. The water is the dragon, the body
16 is the tail of the dragon, the which the dragon itself then di-
17 vours when he carries or bears it dissolved, with the congelation of
18 itself into sulphur. But yet that self same sulphur
19 must therefore be fermented, because the mercury which
20 it hath exhausted, is not of form sufficient
21 to make gold or silver, which were it so, then would
22 it from there follow that the very self same proprie-
23 ty would be in our mercury which is appropriated to gold

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1 & silver, which is false. And therefore there are 4 fires
2 in our art, viz. natural which is the menstruum of sericon,
3 unnatural, & that is horse dung or the grape shells, & such like.
4 Elemental, & that is which is cherished with woods & other
5 combustible things, and against nature, & that is all corro-
6 sive waters made of vitriol salts, & such like. And there
7 are 3 principle processes in the work vize. of dissolution, that
8 the bodies may be dissolved in the menstruum of sublimation,
9 that the elements may be separated of conjunction that being se-
10 parated they may be again conjoyned & fixed into a
11 gummous substance.

12 The Making of a menstruum

13 which congeals argent vive into the best
14 silver and is a secret of all secrets

15 Let most strong red wine be circulated with known vegetables

16 for 100 days in a continued rotation in Balneum & afterwards
17 let the most pure spirit only be drawn by distillation,
18 whereto put on the oil of most pure silver made with any a corro-
19 sive & let them be circulated together for another 100
20 days, & then to a water of the nature of a basilisk
21 because even as the basilisk suddenly kills a man with his
22 alone aspect, so the water doth as it were suddenly congeal

130
1 argent vive put thereto (without any other fire) into the best
2 silver. And note that if the fire of celendine be put to
3 it, or the fire of the flowers of thyme after the first circulation
4 & circulated together ten days without the oil of lune it will
5 much better convert argent vive into a stony substance, the
6 which per se without either it or argent vive so congealed is perfectly
7 fixed as thou knowest.

8 The Elixir of the mercury

9 of the Philosophers

10 Put a body which is more ponderous, in a distillatory, &

11 draw its sweat with a little breathing hole & put back
12 that sweat upon the part not dissolved until in length of
13 time all the mercury be dissolved by a most gentle
14 heat into a virgin milk, the which putrefy for 75 days
15 & distill even to the feces, the which being dryed, imbibe with a
16 little of its own water & congeal it together & fix it,
17 so imbibe & congeal & so continue until thou hast a
18 great quantity of water fixed with its own earth. Then
19 with a part of the water reserved & not fixed dissolve the
20 earth into a pure cristalline watery substance & again
21 congeal it into an elixir. Thou mayst also with the
22 matter, clearly or fairly dissolved (which is then called

131
1 a permanent water) imbibe & wash all the calces of imperfect
2 bodies, & whiten the salts(?) & melt them into pure lune. But
3 one part of the congealed elixir runs upon 100 parts of
4 crude mercury & one part of that upon ten at the least of
5 any imperfect body to make it purest lune.
6 There is in mercury whatsoever the wise men seek, from
7 where body, soul, spirit & tincture are drawn.
8 Then also with the lac virginis dissolved & distilled, thou
9 maist dissolve sol & lune, & congeal & fix the sayd water
10 with them & make of that body & spirit, a pure & secure elix-
11 ir. And the water will be rubifyed with sol, & fixed with it
12 because it is convertible into any colour, & friendly & con-
13 conjoyneable with all bodies, & doth not depart from what it is mixt
14 with, while time lasts.

15 A compound Water

16 There is also a mercurial water made by Raymund,

17 of which many the prophetes speaketh: So(?) make thy water
18 like running water derived or laborated out of two rays(?) both mineral & vege-
19 table, that is circulated together into one cristalline water
20 which hath a constrictive ponderosity, & afterwards vitrify
21 it or kill it upon a fix body which is of the heart of saturn

132
1 that is upon sol, & make of them an elixir, because as
2 saith Raymund, whereas there is in mercury a point
3 of fieryness by the power of which dissolution is made.
4 It is necessary that it be animated with the water of
5 mercury vegetable because otherwise it can dissolve no-
6 thing. And this is a water having all those things which
7 thou doest wants & by the vertue thereof margarites are
8 reformed. And this vegetable water compounded, by
9 reason of the mercury doth presently dissolve every bo-
10 dy, & by reason of its vegetability doth revivify every
11 body. And by reason of its attractive virtue doth make
12 oil of every body & mercury attracts to itself its
13 own like viz the mercury of a body. Of this watery
14 Raymund saith in his compendium of the transmutatory art,
15 to King Robert: Thou art to know ô most serene king
16 that our stone is compounded of argent vive only vize of the
17 vegetable & mineral. And therefore the ancient philo-
18 sophers have said that the stone is not compounded of but
19 of one only thing, that is argent vive, and understand
20 that for the conjoining of two extremes it is necessary that
21 there be a thing savoring or having the nature of two
22 extremes. & that is our pure & natural fire,

133
1 because the dissolved spirit of a fixed body is coagulated into
2 glorious earth.
3 Take the body which is more ponderous, that is, an alchymi-
4 cal body & draw its sweat with a little breathing hole,
5 until the oil begins to ascend, then keep the water per se &
6 change the receiver & draw a red fire, that is a thick oil,
7 as long as any thing will come by the violence of the fire; Then
8 see that thou hast much of the oil & much of the water
9 because the multitude of tincture will be as much as is
10 of the oil. Then make the earth drink up a greater
11 quantity of the water by circulation, & after sublime it
12 with a strong fire & keep that which ascends by the sides of the
13 vessel & fix it per se without feces, & rubefy it being
14 fixed with its own fire rectifyed, & let an oil be
15 made which let be fermented with the oil of sol & it will
16 be a true elixir.
17 Likewise this oil fixeth an amalgama of mercury & sol, but
18 if thou wouldst operate to the white, dissolve the said white
19 sublimate mercury & fixed with its own proper water
20 & afterwards congeal it into a stone, the which fixeth an
21 amalgama of mercury & lune, one part whereof converts many parts
22 into gold & silver, & so is the saying of the philosophers

134
1 evidenced to be true vize. There is in mercury whatsoever
2 the wise men seeks. Therefore Raymund saith, that argent
3 vive is never congealed without a sulphur congelative
4 congealed of itself. Also with the vegetable water or
5 oil is drawn from Roman vitriol a little evaporated
6 an oil, that is a tincture of which Raymund saith: our tinct-
7 ure is drawn out of a vile thing & is endued with another
8 much more noble, because we ferment it with common
9 gold.

10 Oil of sol let be thus made:

11 Make a corrosive of saltpetre & armoniak & put
12 no more than 4 ounces in the distillatory & draw a water
13 with a gentle fire, in the which dissolve & make oil.
14 Combine that oil with oil of the tincture & make of them
15 a gum which Mary call the gum of Eliphania.
16 Whence she saith, with two gums the fugitive fly
17 to the bottom. Nor let any one wonder, that, of vegetable
18 NB. & of animals & middle minerals our stone may be extracted
19 when the philosopher saith, that they who think the stone
20 of the philosophers to be made of wine, blood, eggs & the
21 like, do imagine falsely. When as he consequently
22 adds that its possible & true, so that it be made of

135
1 the elements, because the elements having an excellency in their
2 highest rectification are commixed & make a stone together
3 the ferment, without the which our stone can neither be had
4 nor give a species or shape of gold & silver: On which air.
5 This is to be held for a truth, that the elements extracted
6 out of such like things neither do enter or can have in-
7 gress into the work of elixirs but only by virtue
8 of commixtion with the elements extracted out of the spirits &
9 bodies of metals. And the elements ought to be separated
10 by their contraries & the elements highly rectified are not
11 contestable but either fly away or abide. But as to the
12 earth there's no great care to be taken about it, what
13 substance it be of, so it be fixed. And this is to be known
14 that the earth & the fire do dry up the water & the air, imbibe
15 or drink it up & fix it; the water & the air do wash,
16 tinge & perfect the earth & the fire. Therefore the first
17 work is the dissolution of the stone, by the decoction of the ele-
18 ments. The second work is the separation of the stone, by the
19 rectification of the elements. The third work is the feeding
20 of the stone by the imbibition of its own water, the fourth
21 work is the desponsation or betrothing of the stone, by the
22 connexion of its own first body & the body is the ferment
23 of the spirit & so contrarily. That spirit is the sun

136
1 of the philosophers & proceeds forth of the stone, whose
2 shadowing or covering is the water, in the which it is carried.
3 The first matter of the stone is a viscous water in the bowels
4 of the earth, inspissated or thickened by sulphur & mer-
5 cury, proportionated by water: from per(?) hence our stone is
6 made. The first matter of our stone is a sulphurous
7 & mercurial water, our vessel is to be shut after the phi-
8 losophical manner, in the time of the dissolution & it is to be
9 governed in humido or moist way even to a whiteness.
10 That which is subtle & thin ascends upwards in the vessel,
11 but that which is thick & gross remains behind, or below, the
12 decoction of the stone dures for 150 days at the least;
13 and it is necessary that you have, as to the part of the water
14 not fix, a great quantity for sublimation, or purgation.
15 The first feces from the which this water is extracted, in
16 the beginning of the work, are to be cast away, and our
17 water which being put on; calx begins to boil is to be
18 planted in another earth more subile; our sulphurs
19 are prepared for us by the apothecaries at a vile price.
20 That body is to be chosen, for matter, in which is an
21 argent vive clean & pure, not as yet brought by nat-
22 ture to perfection, because such a body after its
23 complete mundification is a thousand times better than
24 the bodies of common gold & silver are; which are decocted

137
1 by a natural heat. There are three species in our work
2 viz. asa foetida, the green lyon & the white fume,
3 that is a spirit, soul & body; and in our work we make
4 the fugitive fix. The stone perfectly prepared hath virtue
5 to heal all infirmities above all the potions of Hippocrates
6 & Galen. The whole benefit of the stone is made by the
7 virtue of the fire of nature. In the blackness is the tincture
8 hidden, even as the soul in the body of men. Before the
9 whiteness, there appears as it were the peacocks tail, &
10 then afterwards the eyes of fishes. Hide thy vessel in
11 horse dung; and the stone & elixir differ by crudity & coction.
12 As well the poor as the rich may have the stone. Our argent
13 vive is more common, than that which is common, & of a more
14 strong utility. Every thing which is bought for a great price
15 is false & unprofitable for our work. Nature propounds
16 & intends to make sol: That wisdom is not given
17 by the Lord, but to persons well disposed: Nor strange
18 thing is introduced into our stone neither first nor last.
19 The stone is a vile thing & is cast out in the streets, but is
20 made more pretious afterwards. Our vessel is made like the
21 egg of a gryphon. Philosophical gold is adrop, & adrop
22 is our matter, & our matter is a body, & our body is our stone
23 & our stone is our lune & our lune is our mercury & our

138
1 mercury is our sulphur vive, & our sulphur vive is our iron
2 & our iron is our salt, wherein are male & female. These
3 two thou shall order or dispose together & thou shalt have the
4 whole magistery; nor do thou imagine or understand that
5 our gold is the vulgar gold or lune the silver of the vulgar. This
6 secret I commend to God, to whom be praise for ever.

7 Notable things taken out of the book

8 of Guido a greek philosopher.

9 Note that the black earth left in the bottom of the vessel after
10 the finishing of the first distillation, is again to be dissolved
11 as afore without any combustion, & again the elements to be thence
12 drawn, so continuing until the earth be consumed &
13 elevated. Then of the grossities of that elevated water
14 make earth (white). And note that although argent
15 vive may be fixed & become a tincture of a most exu-
16 berate in reflection, & bright splendor. Yet it is not our medi-
17 cine in your nature thereof: lead in its pro-
18 fundity is aerial gold; of which is made minium which by
19 the masters is called sericon.

20 A practick with the tincture

21 of vitriol.

22 Rx: Let Roman vitriol be evaporated upon the coals

139
1 until it be of a red color. Then let it be dissolved in
2 a menstruum & putrefied, until from thence, be made
3 crystalline sulphur. This is to be done philosophically;
4 in the second way let it be dissolved with a common disso-
5 lution in a menstruum perfectly rectified & all the moisture
6 be drawn, with a strong fire that can come; the which, the
7 tincture of vitriol will hide, with the menstruum, which tinct-
8 ture if you place a candle on the other side of the vessel &
9 look upon it, thou shall see a fiery color swimming at the
10 top of the menstruum so that thou wilt admire & praise god.
11 Let it be fixed upon first or second calx prepared
12 as you please, the first is vulgar the second philosophical.
13 Make therefore of mars a second calx by the mediation
14 of the menstruum, & rubefy it conveniently with the said
15 tincture. & then let it be vulgarly dissolved in the
16 menstruum. Let silver also be dissolved in a strong corrosive
17 & let the solutions be mixed together, & let it be fused
18 with the admixtion of a very little pure gold, & the whole
19 will be good gold. Or let the calx of silver made as you
20 know be incerated with the said tincture of vitriol, ex-
21 tracted by the menstruum, until it be sufficiently red & let
22 it be fused with half the quantity of pure gold. That
23 way is easy, good & gainful. But let the calx of silver

140
1 be made on this manner, though Raymund saith the contrary.
2 Let silver be dissolved in a most strong corrosive, & to that solution
3 put in fountain water & the calx will settle to the bottom like
4 that of the gold: the which take & calcine with a gentle fire until it is
5 growing & be augmented like a sponge, & that is done in 8
6 days. Then let it be powdered & rubefyed, with the said lima-
7 ture or filements sufficient & afterwards let it be melted
8 with most pure sol.

9 For the Red.

10 Rx: Let the powder of gold & mercury precipitated be incerated
11 oftentimes with the said tincture of vitriol until it becomes
12 fix gold fusible. Then let it be projected upon silver fused, & it
13 will be transmuted into gold, & this way is a courtlike way.
14 Rx: Likewise the menstrual earth calcined is to be rubifyed with the
15 said tincture & afterwards to be fermented with the oyle
16 of gold alterated that it may be a great elixir of ad-
17 mirable redness. And so it's evident by the menstruum that
18 there is a medium between our sulphurs & the stone vize.
19 vitriol, from the which all other mediums are derived.

20 A secret citrine oil:

21 Rx: Grind the gum made of sericon by the means of distilled
22 vinagre with as much of vitriol evaporated, & first with a
23 gentle fire evacuate the water, then with a strong fire receive

141
1 the oil, the which separate from the water, until thou hast the
2 oil pure per se, the which fix upon an amalgama made of one
3 part of sol, & seven parts of mercury, & sulphur the weight
4 of all (& sulhpur). These words are not extant in the other
5 exemplary manuscript of Nick may.

6 The Congelation of Mercury:

7 Take of saltpetre, sal gemmae & alumen flaciri. ana. &
8 of each a little, afterwards grind it & powder the whole to-
9 gether & put it in a glazed vessel & pour thereon of
10 turpentine & afterwards put there azoth congealed in
11 calx vive, or by a corrosive with silver. Then let the oil be put
12 thereto & so let it be decocted or boiled for a whole
13 day & in another day thou shall find azoth perfectly fixed
14 & disposited to fit in order hereto, because it is a medicine
15 in respect of the other, as is aforesaid in the foregoing experi-
16 ment as the nephew of Bacon saith.

17 A noble Work.
18 Fix mercury in the vegetable menstruum the said mercury being con-
19 gealed with the oil of silver; then calcine it, then dissolve
20 all that which is calcined in a corrosive & make thence an oil
21 the which wash in boiling hot fiery water, that the corrosive may be
22 separated, & the powder will settle or descend white, of the

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1 which make an oil by a strong aqua vite, the which congeals
2 argent vive into medicine & good lune. Note this of verdigris:
3 When thou wouldst operate any thing with verdigris, let
4 it be separated from the feces by distilled vinegar & be joyned
5 with the things that are to be joyned therewith.

6 An Elixir of Life.
7 Make a pelican of the height of a cubit & fill a fourth
8 part with the vegetable menstruum well rectifyed, & put there-
9 in some spices well beaten & let them be most precious that
10 can be found; seal the vessel hermetically, place the pelican
11 in a Balneum with such a degree of heat that only the vegetable
12 spirit may be circulated & continue this circu-
13 lation with this temperate degree of fire until our wine be rendered
14 like a thick oil; so that the spirits ascend no more. And so
15 thou hast a quintessence fixed in its own heaven more pre-
16 cious for the health of man than any gold & silver. This
17 work requires a long time. If it be accelerated with
18 too much heat it can never be brought to a due end.

19 The virtues of this quintessence

20 may be proved on this wise:
21 1) Open thy vessel & thou never didst smell so sweet an
22 odour in this life.

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1 2) Make a circle of this quintessence upon a table & put a
2 poisonous animal within the circle & he will swell big & die,
3 nor will ever be able to pass the limits of the circle.
4 3) It heals every infirmity & renews youth.
5 4) If thou fixest the quintessence of gold with this elixir thou wilt
6 make a precious aurum potabile, which heals the leprosy & the plague.
7 5) When gold & mercury are fixed by the way of precipitation,
8 take the precipitate & fix it into a quintessence with this wine.
9 6) But that the work may succeed the better, if in the place of pre-
10 cipitate we take sericon. & fix it with this wine, it
11 will then be an elixir of life & metals, for it will
12 congeal mercury into perfect sol, in the twinkling of the eye.
13 7) But the quintessence for metals will be better, if it be done
14 with the spirit of vitriol alone in the stead of wine.
15 8) One drop of this elixir of life, cast into a pint of water,
16 makes a most excellent potable liquor for them who journey in
17 the summer in hot regions.

18 Here follows another work:

19 Take the five stones of the sea, & make an oil of them,
20 with a stincking menstruum, pouring on & distilling until
21 thou bringst it to an oiliness. Circulate this oil with
22 the aforesaid spirits by evacuation. Until it be made,

144
1 then put it in a pelican or a circulatory well shut, & let
2 it be digested in a most hot balneum or horse dung for 20
3 days. Afterwards put it in a retort, & distill it by a
4 most hot vapour, & that which is gone forth pour back again
5 into the retort, by this means at last all that whole substance
6 for the greater part will be brought into a cristalline oil,
7 the which oil will scarce touch or stick to the finger by reason of
8 its lubricity or slipperiness. Circulate this oil until it
9 begins to be like red wine, & then again distill it in a vaporatory
10 & so a most clear spirit will come forth, & a few feces will be
11 left. This is a water for the white, which is called the full moon: &
12 the mediatrix of whiteness: But now for the feces or that middle
13 halfpart of the substance remaining in the bottom: pour thereupon
14 this white oil, & distill & again put on, & then remove it by
15 inclination (not by distillation), & distill it: But when it leaves
16 a red oil in the bottom, repeat the white water upon the feces, and
17 afterwards take it away by inclination sometimes, & distill it as
18 afore. This do so often, until it comes off most
19 clear from the feces, & so shalt thou have a red oil
20 for sol. But when thou hast separated the white water from the
21 red oil, circulate the red oil, either in dung or in a vaporatory
22 for 20 days, & then distill it in ashes & put the feces to the
23 former; calcine those feces with a gentle fire & then with a
24 greater until they become like snow & so hast thou all

145
1 things prepared to the following work. Take then one ounce
2 of the earth, & put it in an egg & pour thereon a little white
3 water & digest it in a furnace in a dry, gentle & continu-
4 al fire until the earth hath drunk up all that moisture.
5 Then pour on more, & keep the same proportion until thou seest
6 that the earth will swallow up no more; then go on, & thou shall see
7 various colors after putrefaction. But when it shall arrive to
8 the highest whiteness, multiply it with the aforesaid white water,
9 & thy elixir will grow, both in quantity & virtue. But if thou
10 wouldst have it for the red, imbibe it (as afore) with the red oil.
11 Observe that order, & digest it with a stronger fire until it
12 grows red; multiply it in the same proportion.

13 Now follows the multiplication

14 of the aforesaid oil.

15 Take one part of a body well washed & of the aforesaid

16 oil 24 parts, & dissolve, putrefy & distill, having
17 finished the distillation, pour on again until thou hast ex-
18 tracted all the salt & the earth remains dead. & for so maist
19 thou multiply it infinitely.
20 After that thou shall have of that oil so augmented, 20 parts.
21 Take 1 part thereof & 4 ounces of most pure sol, dissolve & digest
22 & then distill, repeating it often, until thou seest the

146
1 earth wholy exanimated & dead, reverberate it until it
2 appears unto then as white as snow. And so hast an earth
3 fit enough, of the which earth take as much as thou wilt, &
4 imbibe it with the aforesaid oil, drop by drop, & repeat it often
5 until thou seest the earth impregnated, that is when it will
6 drink no more. But the fire must be every where equal, &
7 encompass the glass, for if it be not circular the matter will
8 not be fixed, but ascend in the upper part of the vessel. Now
9 when thou hast brought thy work to an end, multiply it with the
10 aforesaid oil even to infiniteness. And thou shall have an
11 elixir to the red. But if thou wouldst make it for the white,
12 dissolve lune in the stead of sol and proceed with her as with sol,
13 & so shall thou have a white medicine.
14 But if thou wouldst abbreviate thy work, proceed after
15 the same order as is spoken in the former tract, then at
16 length thou shall see a philosophical medicine, if thou doest
17 proceed according to this my direction, & if God infuse his
18 grace into thee, whose name be praised & glorifyed for
19 ever & ever Amen.

147
 The
Accurtations & Raymundine
Practicks.
by George Ripley Englishman.
To the Prayses of God & his eternal honour
& Glories. Amen.
1 You are chiefly & principally to know, that all the ancient philoso-
2 phers did herein agree, that by art they intend or aim at the
3 making of gold & silver in a short time above the earth, which nature
4 is a long while during under the earth. On which account they imitated
5 the works of nature by their artifice, choosing a most clean
6 earth, viz. white & red, the which is their gold & silver; & they
7 conjoined them together as nature doth, without repugnancy, until
8 they all become fix & fluxible. So must we do, if we would
9 perfect any thing in this science; wherefore if gold & silver are
10 nothing else but a red & white earth, in the which nature hath
11 throughout fixed & conjoined argent vive, subtile, & pure, white
12 & red, & so of them are made two metals viz. gold & silver, where-
13 fore it is expedient that we find out two earths viz. white & red,
14 which are most clean, most subtile, & fix: in the which earth it is be-
15 hooveful to fix two mercuries, viz. the white in the white earth &
16 the red in the red, & so to join all together, (without division),
17 throughout, until they will endure all the trials of the fire

148
1 and are so fusil that they can tinge metals, even as saffron tingeth
2 water into a citrinity; & in a great quantity of tincture.
3 So also, if thou projectest a little of them upon a molten metal,
4 they are able to convert all bodies & spirits of their kind,
5 which are not fix, into a fix nature. They can also be multiplied
6 infinitely, & heal all the infirmities of the body of man, the which pro-
7 prieties are not to be found in common gold or silver without
8 great art & labour, because the vegetative virtue of our gold &
9 silver is living, which is the cause of the life & multiplication of all
10 things in their nature. And if thou knowest how to make that
11 above the earth which nature makes under the earth thou shalt
12 be worthy to be called a natural philosopher. But thou art
13 to know that the ancient philosophers did not mean common gold &
14 silver, & therefore wrote in their books, that the art is to be per-
15 fected without any great expences, & that the poor as well as the
16 rich may have it, the which would be false if we need common
17 gold & silver, because they are not always in the power of the poor.
18 Whence it is that many not understanding the sense of the philosophers
19 & labouring in common gold & silver do loose their time, expences
20 & labour without any profit, & with detriment both of soul &
21 body, which thing is to be pitied. And I never knew any
22 one seeking the tincture in common mercury (which is the de-
23 ceiver of all alchymists) & in common gold & silver, but
24 are deceived in this science. For many have lost all their
25 goods, seeking in a thing that which is not therein, & therefore

149
1 beware of these. For although they may be so subtilized &
2 mixed with tinctures & that a sweet elixir may be made with
3 them, which may be good, yet the worth of this science according
4 to the intention of all the philosophers doth not consist in them, be-
5 cause their gold & silver are two tinctures, red & white, co-
6 veted in one body; not as yet compleated into gold & silver by
7 nature, the which tinctures are separable from the dirty & fecu-
8 lent substance of the body itself; & not mixt with their
9 own clean earths white & red, as it is in its own nature; &
10 those waters are fermented in the earths, so that they need
11 not the ferment of gold or silver of the vulgar, because all
12 these things are but one thing risen from one image. & all the
13 parts of our stone are concrete & coëssential, the which would
14 not be if we did take the gold & silver of the vulgar. And
15 therefore Guido of Montanor, writing to a certain Greek,
16 bishop, saith: Take a body not as yet completed by na-
17 ture, in the which is an argent vive pure clean & undefiled,
18 the which after its true mundification is, far better than the
19 gold & silver of the vulgar; and the philosophers also say, that there
20 are 3 species which we need for our work, viz. the green
21 lion, asa fetida, & the white fume. & this they said to
22 deceive the ignorant, because our thing is always one & the
23 same essential; although also they have spoken this figurati-
24 vely in reference to the 3 properties thereof, which it hath.

150
1 For by the green lion is understood, (in a similitude) sol; because
2 he, by reason of his attractiveness makes all the things of
3 this world to germinate & grow green. But our green lion
4 is gold, which is not as yet mature or ripe because it is not as
5 yet fixt, nor perfected by nature as common gold is, because
6 the green lion itself is a green & living gold, not fixed
7 nor (as I have afore said) completed by nature.
8 Wherefore it hath a power of reducing all bodies to their
9 first matter & of making fix bodies spiritual & flying from
10 the fire; but they may well & rightly call it a lion, because
11 as all animals do obey the lion, so all bodies yield to the
12 power of this our living gold, which is our mercury, & the water
13 in which the tincture is carried is our silver, so that in our
14 mercury there are two divisible tinctures. And
15 when they call it asa fetida, it is done so for this reason,
16 because when our mercury is newly extracted from its im-
17 pure body it hath an odour like to asa fetida, and
18 therefore Morien saith: Before its preparation the odour
19 is heavy or grievous, but afterwards by circulation, being
20 reduced into a quintessence & artificially prepared it will
21 be of a most fragrant odour, & a medicine to heal the
22 leprosy & all the infirmities of man's body, & without our living
23 gold, aurum potabile can never be made, which is an elixir
24 of life & metals. Raymund therefore saith, we

151
1 dissolve gold & silver with radical things of its own kind,
2 which are not as yet completed by nature. And although
3 that Raymund fixed these tinctures upon the calxes of
4 common gold & silver with much labour & expences, because
5 so it pleased him to do, & he made a good & perfect
6 work, yet this is convenient only for princes & prelates,
7 who have riches enough; & for the poor there is
8 found another way much more convenient, and when
9 they said the white fumes, they say thus, because in the di-
10 stillation before the red tincture appears, there first of all
11 ascends a white fume, which makes the receiver white
12 as milk, & on this account they have called it our lac virginis.
13 Therefore wheresoever thou seest the philosophers in their
14 bodies speaking of those 3 spirits or species, understand al-
15 ways one thing, & no more; viz. a thing having those 3
16 properties, as I have declared unto thee without a figure.
17 But here will a doubt arise which causeth fooles to err.
18 Raymund saith that the stone doth put itself messily or filthily in
19 figure or form, because it is in every thing & in every place;
20 & many understand it literally only & hearing the philosophers
21 say, that our stone is found in every thing & in all places, they
22 have taken divers matters, & also unclean, & have pre-
23 pared them by distillations, calcinations, conjunctions with a
24 great deal of labour, but yet without profit, & all this

152
1 because they knew not our green & living gold, on which account
2 the philosopher reproves them & saith, if thou seekest
3 for the secret of the philosophers out of turds, then loosest thy
4 labour & are deceived in the end of thy working.
5 The philosophers also say that our stone is generated between
6 two little mountains, & between male & female, & it is to be
7 found in the dunghills, & is cast out in the streets, as vile and
8 unclean, & therefore men do disesteem it, & hate it, &
9 many such sayings are spoken of it. But it is not in such
10 things as are not of the nature of gold & silver, because
11 none gives that which it hath not; but for the resolution of this
12 doubt, hear what Rhasis saith, who rightly understand-
13 ing the sayings of the philosophers, declares it unto us
14 saying, our stone is found in every place & thing, the
15 which you are to understand thus, vize that upon a
16 natural consideration, there is nothing in the world, either
17 animal, vegetable or mineral, that can have a natural
18 generation, without a natural heat, & verily nature
19 teacheth & discovereth unto us by dayly experience, that
20 without a natural heat we have not so much as grass.
21 And so in like sort, our stone is the matter that is the nature
22 of pure gold, having in itself a natural vegetable
23 heat, by the which it grows & is multiplied naturally
24 & this heat is our fire & a secret of nature, with the which
25 our stone operates within the glass vessel, even as

153
1 the natural heat operates with the humid radical in the
2 bowels of the earth, first putrefying it then afterwards by
3 increase & augmentation. & he that is ignorant of the natur-
4 al heat of our fire, & our bath (which always operates
5 within the glass vessel, & with our temperate & continual
6 fire, & not without) & our dunghill, & our horse belly,
7 & our moist fire, shall never find our very amiable & precious
8 stone, nor our science which excels all the sciences of the whole
9 world; also it is our aqua ardens, & our aqua vite, which ma-
10 ny ignorant men understand of common aqua vite extracted
11 out of wine or oil or some other liquor. Now then
12 seeing that vegetation is the cause of multiplication, in all
13 things in their kind, therefore we are to take such a gold
14 & silver, for to make gold & silver, which have not lost their
15 vegetabilities, but are living, hot & moist, & such as have a
16 power to reduce all bodies to their own vegetable nature,
17 & by their help or assistance, all bodies of the same kind, which
18 are dead & cannot be multiplied by themselves, may be natu-
19 rally vivified, by the grace of god. But when they say that
20 our stone is generated between male & female, & betwixt two
21 mountains, I have not as yet declared to thee this secret, &
22 yet I will open it unto thee; Mary the philosopher in her e-
23 pistle to Aaron speaks thus, saying, the body taken out
24 of the mountains is a white clear body, not abiding or

154
1 suffering putrefaction nor motion, & it is generated between
2 male & female & between two mountains, & this is to be
3 understood for sol & luna, because they are most distant
4 from us, & the highest of all mountains, by whose influen-
5 ces the gold & silver which are in our mercury do arise &
6 are begotten; & as for the male & female, you are to under-
7 stand the agent & patient, which are viz. agent in our mercury
8 and patient in our earth; the which stone if thou wouldest have,
9 thou mayst exceeding well, because it is in the power of all,
10 as well with the poor as the rich & therein many err.
11 But here I would willingly know, whether or no the
12 stone differs from a perfect elixir, & in this it certainly
13 differs without doubt, for thou must know that our stone is no
14 other thing than our mercury, which is our sol & our lune, our
15 tincture white & red, & as well the poor as the rich can have
16 it. But the elixir is our fixed mercury, that is, which can be fixed
17 upon its own earth or upon the earth of other metals,
18 which then will be an elixir as well for the poor as for the
19 rich. & thou maist also fix it upon the earth of the
20 gold & silver of the vulgar, the which are not at all times
21 to be had by the poor. And that thou maist the better
22 understand me I say that our stone in the beginning is but
23 one thing, only, & common, but before it be made a perfect
24 elixir, it is compounded of more & diverse things, &
25 therefore Raymund saith, that, seldom is its own

155
1 proper earth well of sufficiently natural, and therefore Guido
2 of Montanor, a philosopher, writing to a certain bishop saith,
3 as for the earth, there needs no great care to be taken, what
4 substance it be of. Only let it be fix. And Alphidius saith, that
5 the feces out of which this water came are, seeing that they are of
6 no value, are to be wholy or utterly cast away, & the mer-
7 cury is to be planted in another subtile & more convenient
8 earth; but that the poor may be comforted, I will declare what
9 earth is better, that our eagle may rest there upon. Aristoteles
10 saith, I will name it thee by a name which the vulgar call
11 it by, & it is the term or bound of an egg, & this is
12 understood by the nature of metals, which is mercury & its
13 own sulphur rightly proportionated by nature, & naturally
14 putrefying & increasing. But of that egg, there arise 3
15 things, vize. the yolk, the white, & the shell; of the which one only
16 is needful for us, vize. the shell, which is the bound of the egg & the
17 ultimate part, which nature perfected, & is generated in the likeness of
18 a mountain between male & female, & it will be a
19 white & most subtile earth, when it shall be perfectly calci-
20 ned, enduring & abiding in the fire more than any other
21 earth of this world, apt to receive tincture, & by art
22 is transmutable into the nature of a metal, which amongst
23 ignorant men seems impossible, but the wise men have known
24 it true by experience. But as for other earthes which have a

156
1 mercurial humidity whithin them, they are not so convenient to
2 drink up our mercury; as this, because they have
3 moisture enough of themselves; but this earth hath none, be-
4 cause the moisture which it ought to have, was multiplied by
5 nature in the white & the yolk, in which is a water & oil
6 divisible, & commixtible to make an elixir of life, & medicine
7 to heal all the infirmities of man's body, the like is also in
8 blood; but it is not for tincture to metals. And this earth
9 men do despise & abhor when the inward matter is putrefied
10 or the interior substance is eaten. Then it is thrown unto the
11 dunghill, because it is disesteemed. And this is a sign
12 whether or no the earth will drink the mercury. Put
13 the mercury thereupon, & thou shall see the earth as
14 it were a crude fattiness, & when the mercury shall be
15 evaporated therefrom, thou shall see the earth to become
16 citrine, by reason of the mercury's tincture. But when
17 thou beginnest to practice, take heed that thou beest not
18 deceived, because many are deceived in this science.
19 And know that of every thing fix upon the fire an e-
20 lixir may be made, because thou maist plant our white &
21 red mercury therein.

22 The Practice of the aforesaid work

23 or Theory.

157
1 Therefore in the name of God take adrop that is the green
2 lion of which we have afore spoken, & dissolve him in distilled
3 vinegar by the space of 7 days, & thrice every day stir or shake well the
4 vessel wherein the matter is; afterwards evacuate the dissolved liquor
5 & distill it thrice by a filter from its feces, until it shall be as
6 clear as crystal, & evaporate the vinegar with a gentle fire until
7 it be as thick as birdlime & that thou canst hardly stir it by
8 reason of its viscosity, & after that it is cold extract it out of the
9 vessel & keep it, and thou again make more thereof, & thus
10 do until thou hast 12 pound of this green lion or adrop &
11 reduced to the manner of a gum. Then thou hast earth extracted
12 from earth, & hast the brother of the earth.
13 Then take 1 pound of that gum, & put it in a glass vessel, which
14 must be of the bigness of a bottle, well luting the joints of the a-
15 lembick with lute made of the white of eggs & filedust well
16 mixed together, & put it in a little furnace to distill in sand,
17 & let the sand be two fingers thick under the vessel, & so round
18 about it even up half the vessel, or untill the matter be covered.
19 Put thereto a receiver, & at first make a gentle fire, but
20 lute not on the receiver until the phlegm be come forth, thus
21 continue until thou seest white fumes to appear in the receiver,
22 like milk, then augment the fire & change the receiver, & shut
23 it well that it breath not forth, & so continually encrease the

158
1 fire, & thou shalt have a most red oil like blood, the which is
2 aerial gold a stinking menstruum, the gold of the philosophers, our
3 tincture, aqua ardens, the blood of the green lion, our
4 unctuous humidity, which the ultimate consolation of the body of
5 man in this life, the mercury of the philosophers, the solutive
6 water, which dissolves gold with the conservation of its species,
7 & it hath very many other names. And when the
8 white fumes first appear, continue thy fire for 12 hours, in
9 which space of time all the oil will be distilled, if the fire be
10 strong enough; the which keep well shut that it breathes not out.

11 Another Way or form

12 of distillation.

13 By another way & practise do thus. Take the green

14 lion, without distillation in vinegar & put him in a great
15 earthen retort which can endure the fire & put it to distill after
16 the same way & manner as they distill aqua fort, putting thereto
17 a receiver & luting well the joints, that it breath not forth.
18 Then first distill with a gentle fire, until thou seest white
19 fumes appear, then change the receiver closing it well
20 & so distill with a great fire as they distill aqua fortis, & so
21 continue it for 24 hours. If thou continuest thy fire
22 for 8 days, thou shall always see the receiver full of
23 white fumes, & so shall thou have the blood of the green

159
1 lion, which we call a secret water, & most sharp vinegar, by the
2 which all bodies are reduced to their first matter, & all infirmi-
3 ties are driven away from the bodies of men, & it is our fire burn-
4 ing always in one continued manner whithin the glass vessel &
5 not without, & our dunghill, our aqua vite; our balneum; our grape-
6 shell, our horse belly, the which operates wonderful things in
7 the works of nature & is the examen or trial of all bodies
8 dissolved, & not dissolved; & is an acute water carrying the fire
9 in its belly, as a fiery water, else it would not have power to
10 dissolve bodies into the first matter. Also it is our mercury,
11 our sol, our lune which we use in our work. Their earth may
12 thou shall find in the bottom of the vessel, black feces like coals
13 the which thou shall calcine with a gentle fire for the space of
14 eight days, & in a stronger & more acute fire, other
15 eight days. & so continue until they come to the whiteness
16 of snow; or calcine them thrice in a potter's furnace in the
17 hottest place of the furnace even to a whiteness, & so keep
18 all things apart, therefore now, when thou hast thy calx
19 altogether nor wholy apart or separately, or also thou maist make
20 a calx of any of the metalline bodies as I shall speak of now.
21 Then it is expedient to putrefy & alter one or other of them (which
22 thou pleasest into a new whiteness or redness by the help of
23 putrefaction with our mercury), which they never had afore.

160
1 Because the philosophers say thus, first calcine, afterwards pu-
2 trefy, dissolve, distill, sublime, ascend & fix, with aqua vite
3 wash the one with the other very often, & dry up, taking a
4 matrimony between the body & the spirit; the which if thou
5 knowest how to do & to mix naturally; then in the dissolu-
6 tion of the body the spirit will be congealed, & the body will dye
7 with a flux, & change into many colors as thou shall see, and
8 after the third day it will rise in clouds & will ascend to the
9 lune, & afterwards to the sun by the means of the ocean sea,
10 which is round without end; sailing in a very little ship,
11 & when it comes there, the whole magistery is perfected, con-
12 cerning which voyage thou wilt not need great expences, & thy
13 heart will rejoice; thou must begin thy work always with
14 patience & so thou shall prosper. But the manner & way
15 of putrefaction & alteration is thus: Put one ounce
16 of thy calx in the egg of the Gryphon, & put thereupon as much
17 of the tincture as it may be as it were covered, & shut the
18 vessel & so let it stand for the space of 8 days in a cold place,
19 & at the end of the time it will be thirsty, then give it more
20 drink as afore, & do as was aforesaid by the space of 8 days
21 & so continue from 8 days to 8 days until it will
22 drink up no more of its tincture, letting it thus stand in a
23 cold place until it becomes as black as pitch, then put
24 it in a natural balneum; & let it so stand until the humi-

161
1 dity be fixed with the earth, the which will become as white
2 as snow. This done, thou maist divide it into two parts, keep-
3 ing one part for the white work, & the other part for the red
4 work, & ferment the one part with the oil of lune, & the red
5 with the oil of sol, & by digestion with a stronger fire, it is made
6 a red powder, like sanguis draconis; which powder if thou
7 circulatest with our menstruum is dissolved into an oil, the
8 which is aurum potabile and an elixir of life & metals,
9 which will fix mercury & will convert all metals into perfect
10 gold. And if thou wouldst operate to the white, it is expe-
11 dient to divide the red tincture afore named into two
12 parts, keeping one part for the red work, & put the o-
13 ther to distill with a gentle fire & thou shall receive
14 a white water, which we call our white tincture, our eagle,
15 our mercury, our lac virginis, & when thou hast these two
16 mercuries viz the white & the red; then practise with them
17 upon their own proper earths, or upon the prepared calxes
18 of other metals; because the philosophers say, that there must not care be
19 taken of the earth from what substance it is of, so it be fixed.
20 Then take the calx of whatsoever body thou wouldst alter into
21 a whiteness, as is said, & so ferment for the white work
22 thus. Take the calx of lune & of the alterated earth of
23 each alike, & grind them together mixing & tempering

162
1 them with our white mercury the which is called lac virginis, that it may
2 become like a paste, & put it in a glass stillatory to distill
3 lac virginis with a gentle fire, which keep well; then give
4 a fire of sublimation, & that which is not fixed will ascend &
5 sublime to the sides of the vessel like mercury sublimate, which is
6 our mercury made of the white alterated earth of bodies, which
7 by means of our water is made volatile, & this is wonderful.
8 But again put back the sublimate upon the feces residing in the
9 bottom & temper them with virgin's milk as afore, distill &
10 sublime as above, & so continue until all become fixed,
11 & that the fire can separate it no farther. & then it is called our
12 mercury sublimate & fixt, instead of which ignorant men
13 & such as know it not, do take common mercury sublimed
14 with vitriol & salt, & so are deceived. And when it
15 shall be fixed (as I have said) in the form of a white earth,
16 then calcine it, & make thereof an elixir on this wise.
17 Put it in a circulatory, putting thereto as much lac
18 virginis as that it may be covered & circulate it til it be
19 as thick as oil, then dry it that it may be a powder, fix
20 & calcine it, & so reiterate the feeding of it with the
21 said lac virginis, so by so doing thou wilt multi-
22 ply it infinitely; and last of all, when thou wouldst
23 make projection, coagulate it into an oleaginous powder, &
24 project one part upon an hundred parts of crude

163
1 mercury, or any other metal. And it will be perfect
2 silver in every trial; and as thou madest the elixir for the
3 white with the white water upon the calx of lune, so maist
4 thou in like manner make the red elixir, with the red wa-
5 ter, upon the calx of metals, viz upon the calx of sol al-
6 terated, fermenting it, as was said of the white upon the calx
7 of lune: And thou art to know that thou shall never have a
8 true ferment of the sol or the lune, until they are alterated with
9 our mercury from the first qualities, & a new whitness
10 & redness made, by the virtue of right putrefaction & true
11 alterations, the which they never had afore, and when after
12 putrefaction they are brought to a whiteness, then will
13 they become fugitive & spiritual & fit for a natural
14 conjunction with our mercury sublimate. Even throughout,
15 & there will be a perpetual fixation together, without di-
16 vision; the which would not be natural, if one part were
17 fixed & the other not, for then they could not be so
18 perfectly or throughout joined, for the spirit could not
19 enter the body or penetrate it. And as often as the ferment
20 is made spiritual, then do the spirits agree very well each
21 with the other, & that body, that was once perfectly fixed
22 hath always an appetite & natural disposition to be returned
23 to its fixation, more than any other body which was never
24 perfectly fixed, & by its reversion or returning it turns

164
1 into its own fix natural spirits of a nature not extraneous
2 as is sulphur vive, arsenic sublimed, salt armoniack & the like.
3 And as likewise may common mercury sublimate be conjoined
4 with a spiritual ferment, which would never be perfectly conjoined
5 with the calx of a ferment not altered; & therefore all such dealba-
6 tions & citrinations are hence excluded, the which do not proceed
7 of a perfect & true alteration, before that the tinctures are conjoin-
8 ed with their bodies & spirits, on which account Raymund con-
9 cludes saying, my son know that no white thing or red, which na-
10 ture hath created can be made an elixir upon white or red
11 earth, until they pass the philosopher's rota. When you
12 are to know, that it is the fixed calx & not the first of bodies that
13 are to be dissolved with the natural menstruum, & that because
14 the first calx is to be always altered with the menstruum against
15 nature, that is with compound mercury, as is aforesaid. Which
16 mercury indeed viz white & red are our natural men-
17 struum white & red. The composition of which if unknown,
18 the whole magistery also is unknown.
19 Now will I show thee another way of alteration & accurtation
20 & another experiment of Raymund as followeth: Take vitriol
21 & calcine it until it be ashes, & powder it subtilely &
22 put it in a urinal & pour therto as much lac virginis as
23 will cover it, & shut the urinal with a linnen cloth, &
24 so let it stand for the space of 8 days, & again

165
1 imbibe it, as afore, continuing on from 8 days to 8 days
2 as is said afore, & when it will drink no more let it
3 so stand in a cold place well shut, until thou seest to
4 appear in the superficies of the matter a white crystalline earth shining
5 like the eyes of fishes, the which separate diligently from the gross
6 parts remaining below; & put it in the egg of a gryphon, &
7 seal it, administering thereto first a gentle fire until it
8 be fixed, then let the fire be augmented & continued until it
9 become citrine & then red like the blood of a dragon.
10 Then upon that red powder put so much red mercury
11 as may cover it, & coagulate it by circulation until it
12 be like an oil; the which by afterwards drying let be made
13 a powder, one part whereof project upon 40 parts of
14 fine silver, molten with one part of fine gold & it will
15 be most fine gold. Or project it upon an amalgama made
16 with mercury & sol or with mercury & lune which will be better, and if
17 thou wouldst have gold so coloured as much as it can be extracted
18 or take forth thy elixir from the egg of the gryphon & put it
19 in an urinal, & temper that mercury with as much strong
20 corrosive aqua fortis, extracted from vitriol & saltpetre, &
21 evaporate the water with a gentle fire & the tinctures of both
22 waters will remain in the elixir, & it will be augmented in

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1 quantity & colour, & if thou doest this so often until the
2 elixir will be oil, a plate of silver heated red hot & 3
3 times extinguished therein will be perfectly citrine within &
4 without the which gold if thou doest fuse with a tenth part
5 of pure gold, it will be perfect gold by every trial.
6 But if thou takest so much of the white earth of mars, or
7 of sol alterated as thou didst with vitriol alterated & canst
8 fix it upon the calx of gold alterated, & afterwards
9 perfectly rubefy, & thou dissolvest it with the aforesaid
10 corrosive water into an oil as is afore spoken of the vitriol, thou
11 shall then have a perfect elixir to transmute lead, tin, mercury
12 & all bodies into perfect gold, & this maist thou do in the
13 space of three weeks; but this gold will not be medicinal for
14 the body of man. & after the same manner with the ferment of
15 silver alterated maist thou fix the white
16 alterated earth of vitriol, & iron; dissolving it with the said
17 virgin's milk compounded with water of common mercury sub-
18 limate fixed & calcined, & thou shall have a great elixir
19 for the transmutation of all bodies & of mercury into perfect silver.

20 The accurtations follow;

21 The time of true putrefaction & alteration is done in six

22 weeks space, yet it may be done in a shorter time; & be
23 shortened by half the time, & this, by the acuition of our

167
1 mercurial waters, that is of the white water & the red with common
2 mercury sublimate, which are thus:
3 Fix & calcine mercury sublimate & dissolve it in our mercury white
4 or red, so that the whole may be one true water, which water
5 thus acuated, hath power of putrefying & altering every
6 calx of metals in 3 week's span, & for this reason, because
7 in the water, there are two fires conjoined, vize of nature,
8 & against nature, together, the composition & fixation of which
9 mercury sublimate is thus done.
10 Take 1 part of mercury, & 1 part of saltpetre, & 1 part of
11 vitriol, grind them together & mix them & temper them with
12 vinegar until they be like a white paste, & when they shall
13 be well incorporated, put it to sublime as thou knowest, & this
14 do 3 times, till it be clear by itself.
15 Then let it be thus fixed: Put 2 or 3 parts thereof in a long re-
16 ceiver two cubits high, & shut the vessel, placing it in ashes
17 or sand, & give a gentle fire for 2 weeks, then augment the
18 fire for a week more, & in the third week make as strong a
19 fire as thou canst, & it will be fixed; which done dissolve
20 it in lac virginis, & do as is said afore. And in a short
21 time thou wouldst make a small elixir. Take the said com-
22 pounded mercury & by the means of circulation fix it upon
23 the calx of silver, not alterated, and when one part

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1 shall be fix, again put more thereof, & so continue doing
2 until the calx melt like butter upon a fiery coal; then project
3 one part thereof upon ten of purged copper & thou shalt have
4 good silver to make vessels; and in like manner maist thou
5 do with red mercury compounded with the said sublimate
6 fix, & calcined mercury, dissolving it in the said red water
7 & circulate it upon the calx of gold not alterated, and so
8 shall thou have a good tincture upon silver, to make
9 rings & such like.

10 Another short accurta-

11 tion, & of less expense.

12 Put one ounce of the calx of egg shells in a circulatory

13 vessel & pour thereupon as much of our white or red
14 mercury, that the calx may be covered & close it with a
15 glass stopper, & lute it with a lute made of the calx of
16 iron, & of the powder of glass, well boiling it with
17 honey & circulate it in a balneum untill it be redu-
18 ced unto dry powder, which done, give it more mercury
19 and do as is said afore, thus continuing untill it be
20 like an oil; the which project upon crude mercury or
21 upon other metals, & they will be converted into per-
22 fect gold or silver, according to the preparation of the
23 elixir. And on this wise maist thou make thy circulation
24 with our mercury upon the calx of metals, & there is
25 not a shorter way to be found.

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1 And if thou puttest in a circulatory one ounce of the calx of gold
2 & mercury fixed together mixt, putting thereupon as
3 much of the red mercury as may overtop it two fingers,
4 shutting the vessel well with a glass stopple, & luting it with
5 a lute made of honey & bole armeniack & the powder of the
6 scalings of iron, which being well mixed, must boil until
7 they be thickened & be made black, which will be very
8 good if it be well boiled. Then circulate it with a gentle fire
9 & so let stand untill the red mercury be dryed up that is
10 be congealed into a fix & dry powder, & again put on more
11 mercury, as afore & do as is afore said, continually imbi-
12 bing & drying untill it be like an oil a little black, &
13 will drink no more of the mercury. Then project one
14 ounce of the oleaginous mixture upon ten of mercury well
15 purged & when it begins to fume upon a gentle heat,
16 as it is upon the coals, the whole will be reduced to a red
17 powder fix & dry. Then take it out, & thou shall have 11
18 ounces of elixir multiplied, the which put in a circulatory and do
19 as thou didst before, & thy elixir will be so much multiplied
20 & thus maist thou multiply it in infinity. And one ounce
21 of that will congeal one hundred ounces of crude mercury into a
22 powder, one part of which will transmute ten parts of any
23 imperfect metal into perfect gold, & thus maist thou
24 also do with the calx of lune & common mercury when

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1 it shall be evaporated by circulation with our white natural
2 menstruum until it shall be like an oil; proceeding as thou
3 didst afore with the calx of gold & thou shall have an elixir to the
4 white which will convert mercury & all metals into perfect lune.

5 Another accurtation.

6 Dissolve the red calx of gold & mercury with a strong corrosive
7 water made of vitriol & saltpetre the common way, & when
8 they shall be dissolved put them in a circulatory in balneum &
9 shut not the vessel, & evaporate half the water away, then
10 put on more corrosive water, & evaporate it as afore, & thus
11 dissolve, evaporate & fix for ten times; then shall thou
12 find thy matter so cocted & digested that it will drink no
13 more of the corrosive water, not be dried into a powder,
14 but will stand like a thick oil, the which will fix mercury
15 & will convert all metals into perfect gold, abiding all trials
16 but it avails not for the bodies of men. And if thou canst not
17 have a circulatory made of one piece make a glass vessel
18 with arms made of silver, as thou shalt see here deciphered,
19 whereinto put thy matter, the which glass place in an
20 earthen pot full of horse dung & it must be perforated
21 with many holes at the bottom, & the vessel must be half
22 its depth in length in the horse dung, & place the bottom of the
23 perforated pot upon another copper vessel half full
24 of boiling water, the which vessel must be placed securely
25 as thou seest here described.

171
1 And when, by boiling the water shall be consumed, always
2 add more warm water, which have continually in a readiness.

3 Another accurtation.

4 Take one ounce of the earth of an odoriferous quintessence,

5 & another ounce of the mercury of lac virginis, & first powder
6 the earth, & mix them together, because in the first work they
7 avail to the white, & afterwards by the increase of the fire & a
8 longer decocting they avail to the red. Therefore after that
9 thou hast compounded all things together, place it in a
10 blind urinal well shut, & put it to digest in dung for 15
11 days. This done take out thy matter, & put it in the philo-
12 sopher's egg, & shut it well, & put it in a dry stove with

172
1 a gentle heat until the matter be congealed in a
2 black colour. Then by little & little augment the fire until it comes
3 to a perfect whiteness, the which is an elixir to the white, &
4 may be converted into an elixir for the red by augment-
5 ing of the fire, one part whereof will transmute 200
6 parts of crude mercury. And if thou wouldst multiply
7 the said medicine that one part may pass upon four hund-
8 red parts, then take a part of that mercury & with lac virgi-
9 nis do as thou didst afore, until thou shalt come to the
10 white and afterwards to the red, & so by the mediation
11 of a new creation continue thy quintessence, the which being
12 thus done, thou maist at last mutliply infinitely.

13 Of the mineral stone.

14 And likewise maist thou operate with the white or red

15 mercury simple or compound, upon the sea stone, that
16 is, those which are near the sea, as thou didst upon vitriol,
17 & thou shalt have a great elixir, & mayst alter all mi-
18 neral by the mediation of our putrefaction, on which account
19 the philosopher says that of every thing fixed upon the fire
20 is an elixir made, because in every fix thing maist thou
21 plant our white or red mercury, that is when they want
22 mercury, & some bodies maist thou convert into the form
23 of a metal, which never was a metal; such bodies as are

173
1 the powder of glass, the powder of egg shells, the which are the
2 earth of little mountains, cast out to the dunghill; because
3 when the egg shells are perfectly calcined they will abide the fire
4 better than gold or silver, nor is there found an earth so
5 fix, in the whole world; and this was the intention of the
6 philosophers to make metals upon the earth in one day
7 which nature doth not make under the earth in a thousand
8 years, the which seems impossible to many & especially to the igno-
9 rant. But those philosophers which have planted their elixir
10 upon glass, have said, that there needs not care to be ta-
11 ken of the earth, so it be fix, be it of what substance it will
12 & by reason of this, glass may be made malleable, & be
13 turned into a transparent metal, & fix by the mediation of its
14 tinctures; & therefore it is not to be doubted, but that the science is
15 true, yeh most true, because there is not found an earth, which
16 can retain the flight of our mercury, but that earth which hath
17 not mercury in itself, & is void of all humidities or moisture.
18 The which thou shalt never find in bodies though perfectly cal-
19 cined; seeing therefore that gold & silver is no other thing but
20 a white & red earth, in which is a mercury fixed, & conjoined even
21 throughout, therefore also may the artist artificially make a-
22 bove or upon the earth that which nature makes naturally under
23 the earth. And therefore we conclude that the earth is the

174
1 ferment of our water, when it shall be naturally fixt in itself
2 & our water the ferment of the earth so that it be pure & clean
3 in the white & red tincture, without fermentation of common
4 gold & silver, on which account the philosophers say that their stone is
5 common both to the poor & the rich, the which would be false if it
6 were necessary to have gold & silver of the vulgar for fer-
7 mentation, the which are dear & precious and are rarely found
8 with the poor. But you are to know that our stone is found, where
9 men scarse think or believe it to be; the which secret were it
10 but known & divulged, many would be the evils that mought
11 ensue thereon. & therefore diverse philosophers have found
12 out many & diverse ways.
13 But for a conclusion I say, that all have said that our earth
14 doth drink, & fix our mercury, & our mercury doth wash &
15 tinge our earth & that each of them is the ferment of
16 the other, because the white mercury doth perfectly tinge
17 into silver, & the red into gold, & therefore when they shall be
18 fix, then do they make gold & silver without the gold &
19 silver of the vulgar, not denying but Raymund (as himself
20 saith) hath fixed the tinctures upon gold & silver, saying
21 we draw our tincture out of a vile thing, that is without
22 price as it were & we ferment it with common gold. But
23 the work thereof was dear & precious, because he planted
24 his elixir upon gold, the which he altered in the space

175
1 of two years, & of it made a white elixir & a red, as I will
2 show thee, & he brought his elixir to operate as if it were a white
3 sulphur, without any other argent vive. & so mayst thou
4 make it when thou will to operate upon an earth so dear,
5 & of a great price, & it will not be for metals only, but
6 also to make a great elixir of life, upon which you must
7 circulate our red mercruy into a quintessence & it must be
8 done thus.
9 Mix with our lac virginis, as much water of mercury sublimate
10 & perfectly fixt, & alterate the calx of gold in white
11 sulphur, by well fixing & calcining, that the quality of the
12 fire against nature may be destroyed, the which was there
13 placed for putrefaction & alteration, and afterwards feed
14 it with simple lac virginis, until thou hast fixed a good
15 quantity thereof with the calx. Then again dissolve it &
16 make it spiritual & fugitive, alone with the said lac virginis.
17 Then fix & calcine it, and afterwards take a part thereof
18 & by circulation dissolve it into an oil with the said
19 lac virginis, & then it will be a perfect elixir to congeal
20 argent vive, & to transmute all bodies into perfect silver.
21 Afterwards rubify the other part with the red mercury, &
22 fix & calcine it, & again dissolve it with the said red menstruum.
23 Then circulate it into an oil, the which is aurum potabile,

176
1 an elixir of life & metals. Then maist thou ferment
2 that red tincture with species, & make a great elixir
3 of life. And know that if red mercury, mixt with mercury
4 sublimate be sublimed upon tutia, vitriol or iron
5 rubefied until it be reduced into an oil. If thou doest therein
6 quench thin plates of silver, they will be perfectly citrinated
7 & if it be melted with a little gold it will be perfect gold to make
8 rings etc.
9 This is a general rule for all such as operate in this science,
10 viz. that their medicines be made gummy & so be of an easy
11 fusion, so as to melt upon an iron plate most speedily & without
12 fume. Because then in projection it will soon penetrate, dilating
13 itself through the pores of the metals, upon which thou
14 maist make projection without definition. But now if any part
15 of thy medicine should be pulverisable, so that it can not
16 penetrate through the pores of the metal, then the metal will
17 be frangible, & therefore it is expedient to subtilize the
18 medicine often times, after the first fixation, viz. by solution,
19 fixation, coagulation & making of oil, the which is oil
20 incombustible. And then thou maist conveniently call it a
21 medicine, in the which the species or shape or appearance itself is the start or
22 beginning of the birth; for that it is no other thing than a
23 tincture fixt in colour; & if thou knowest how to make this
24 medicine, then maist thou also make a fair metal in

177
1 colour & malleation. On which account thus saith Raymund, that of
2 bodies to be dissolved with the natural menstruum, the second
3 calx is always & not the first is to be taken, & for this wise
4 because the first calx of metals must be always altered with
5 the menstruum against nature made as aforesaid, & this is
6 to abbreviate the putrefaction, & alteration of them in the second
7 calx, which is called the sulphur of nature & a white foliated
8 earth, the which is to be dissolved into an oil, with the simple
9 natural menstruum as is said, the which mercuries viz. the
10 white & the red are our natural white & red menstruums,
11 the composition of which if unknown, the whole magistery
12 also is under a veil, wherefore let us now bring or
13 decline our mind to practice which with the help of god doth
14 begin thus. Son! Thou art to understand etc.

15 The work of the basilisk,

16 or composition of margaritos.

17 Take an alterated calx, & pour thereupon so

18 much of our aqua ardens as may overtop it two fingers
19 & let them resolve for five days in balneum. Then exalt the
20 water that was put thereto, by an alembick, & part of the oil
21 of the calx will exalt itself with the water the which keep &
22 then put the water to the remaining earth & do as afore

178
1 until the white shall be exalted with the water into an oil,
2 the which is an exalterated water, lac virginis, and a perma-
3 nent water, the which water, thus collected thou must rectify
4 until it be a crystalline water, & so exalt the feces which
5 remain after every rectification with new water, until that
6 the whole shall be exalted into a crystalline water,
7 the which put in a vessel with a long neck of 3 feet long,
8 well shut with wax, the which vessel set half up or to its
9 middle in subtle earth, so that the stones may not touch
10 it, & there let it stand for a whole year, in which time
11 the matter will be congealed into a transparent stone, which
12 we call a basilisk, because as the basilisk by its alone
13 aspect kills a man, so that stone kills common mercury with-
14 out common fire, if it be dissolved in a balneum, it will be
15 congealed afterwards in frigido, & will be dissolved in calido.
16 & it may be made of any calx of metals, but if it shall
17 be the calx of sol or lune, then when it is dissolved it doth
18 ferment all elixirs, which can be made & doth congeal in the
19 twinkling of the eye every argent vive etc.
20 And after the same manner maist thou make an exuberatium
21 upon pearls, & commix both waters together, & afterwards
22 put it into little furnaces to congeal into the most splendid
23 & most rich pearls of the world, & as you make argent vive

179
1 or silverish pearls, so also may you make golden pearls
2 & transparent rubies, most fulgent & dazzling to the sight, &
3 a true elixir of life & metals. And in like manner may
4 yet thicken the aforesaid water into an oil, being 7
5 times rectified in a circulatory & then it is aurum pota-
6 bile, ferment, & an elixir of life. But if also our golden
7 oil be tempered & circulated with any artificial balsam
8 whatsoever, the whole will be made one liquor, clear &
9 golden, & then it is the best aurum potabile, & an elixir of
10 life, more precious for the body of man, than any other medi-
11 cine, and in like wise maist thou circulate the red oil fermented
12 with species, that it may be a great elixir of life, on which
13 account the philosopher saith, that out of the lead of the philosophers
14 is extracted a certain oil of a golden colour, or as it were
15 golden, with the which if thou shall sublime, either the mine-
16 ral stone mixt or the animal, after the first fixation, 3 or
17 4 times, it will excuse thee from all the labour of subli-
18 mations, & coagulations, & the reason is this, because it
19 is an occult oil, which makes the medicine penetrate & con-
20 joineable with all things, & the effect thereof will be aug-
21 mented, even above measure, so that in the whole world there
22 is not a more secret thing than this is.

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1 The body of a volatile spirit, fixt by the fire against nature,
2 is by the virtue of the fire of nature, reverted or made again
3 vegetable, & is resolved not into the nature of a cloud but into
4 the water of the philosophers. And as the fire against nature
5 doth dissolve the spirit of a fix body into the water of a cloud,
6 so by a contrary operation it congeals the body of a volatile
7 spirit into a crystalline earth, & the spirit of a fix body,
8 dissolved by the fire of nature is congealed with the same
9 fire of nature into a glorious earth.
10 Gold is a fix body, the which is to be dissolved with a corro-
11 sive water into a clear water, & this corrosive water is
12 our fire against nature, & contrarily when the gold is dissolved
13 with the water, adrop, which is our natural menstruum, is
14 turned by virtue of that water into a glorious & crystalline
15 earth, & when our mercury is sublimed & fixt by the virtue
16 of the fire against nature which ascends without vitriol, then
17 it is again dissolved in the natural fire, not into the water of a
18 cloud but into the water of the philosophers, the which is called
19 a mineral water, which water must be concocted in the phi-
20 losophers egg until it be a red perfect oil, that is, then
21 maist congeal the oil itself into earth, & this must be
22 done with our red mercury compounded with spirit of vitriol
23 ana. And that oil is a mineral elixir & metalline, &

181
1 most excellent, but it is not available for medicine for human
2 bodies, as is said afore.

3 Now followeth the calcinations

4 of bodies & first
5 of
6 Saturn & Jupiter

7 Saturn & Jupiter are to be calcined after one way &

8 is thus done: Put which of them thou wilt into an iron vessel
9 with a long manica & put it in a furnace so that the flame of
10 the fire may reverberate & beat upon the metal & with an
11 iron instrument made for that purpose gather the spume or skin
12 appearing in the superficies to the sides of the vessel, the which will be
13 white as meal by the means of the fire, & when thou hast one
14 ounce of each of these it is sufficient.

15 Of Mars & Venus.

16 Mars & Venus are calcined after one manner. First of all you
17 must besprinkle them with most strong vinegar, & so let them
18 stand, until they be like a crust, then powder them & afterwards
19 put in an iron vessel in a strong fire until it be well fixed & red, the
20 which quench in strong distilled vinegar. Then put the vinegar in an earthen
21 pot & evaporate the vinegar with a gentle fire & thou shalt find

182
1 a red earth in the bottom, the which dry well & keep.

2 Of sol & lune:

3 Sol & Lune are otherwise calcined which do thus. Make an amalgama
4 like butter, of which thou wilt of them, as the goldsmiths are wont to
5 do, when they would gild any thing. Then grind it upon a
6 marble with prepared salt & some liquor until there appears
7 no more mercury, then sublime the mercury with a strong fire,
8 & that which remains in the bottom grind again, & sublime again
9 until all the crude mercury be sublimed, then extinguish or
10 put it in warm water until all the salt be separated, & separate
11 the water by inclination, & so wash it until all the saltness
12 be gone. Then dry it, & it is done.

13 Another Calcination of gold.

14 Make thin plates of gold, & quench them one after another
15 in hot fuming mercury, set over a gentle fire, or put the
16 mercury in a crucible upon a gentle fire upon coals, &
17 when it begins to boil & fume, cast in the red hot plates of gold
18 as I have said, & if there be one ounce of gold, you must have
19 24 ounces of mercury, & then the gold will be perfectly amal-
20 gamated, the which put in a glass vessel with a long neck
21 & make thereunder a good fire, so as the mercury may
22 continually boil, & this continue for the space of five days

183
1 & when the mercury ascends by the sides of the vessel make it
2 descend again, with a little piece of linnen cloth fastened onto
3 the top of an hazel stick, & thus continue thy fire until the whole
4 be turned into a most red powder, like dragon blood, so that
5 nothing of the mercury appear, & so shalt thou have a perfect
6 calx of the red; and certainly if thou doest patiently attend
7 & wait, that thy natural fire may have its course, in naturally
8 dissolving it, according to the suitableness of its nature,
9 thou shalt not err in that science, thus far: p. 90.
10 Now I have taught thee all, & have declared unto thee viz.
11 the making of the white & red mercury of the philosophers
12 and its acuation, & the manner of making calxes, & their
13 putrefactions, & alterations into a new whiteness, (which is
14 our mercury sublimate), & also the abbreviation of the time of
15 putrefaction, & alteration, also fixation, & the dissolution
16 of them again, & to make with them a perfect elixir white
17 & red, & how by the imbibitions of their own proper waters
18 white & red, thou maist multiply infinitely, & this way is
19 long, but yet it requires no great costs, & it is a right way,
20 by which all the philosophers have arrived to their wished end.
21 And now having opened & manifested all the secrets of the
22 science unto thee, so thou patiently bear all things,

184
1 if not, do not thrust thyself into our work. & love the
2 lord our God, from whom all good things come, giving
3 him thanks, and I have written all things right the which
4 if thou doest understand thou wilt be glad of the science
5 & knowledge thereof.

185
1 Of the mercury and stone of the philosophers by
2 George Ripley 2
3 The Philortium 16
4 Of the possibility of the stone 19
5 Of the error of certain practices in this art 21
6 How errors arising from the interpretation of
7 hand woods may be avoided 23
8 Of the praxis of the Philortium of the virtue of
9 the philosophic water 26
10 Of the first way of practising in the work of rebis 27
11 Of the second way of congealing mercury with the
12 use of rebis 28
13 Of the third way in the green lion 29
14 Of the fourth manner which is of glass made of
15 body and spirit 31
16 Of the fifth work which is of the precipitation
17 of mercury with gold 33
18 Of the sixth manner which is with the solution
19 of rebis upon mercury sublimate 34
20 Of calxes and a water made with two spirits 36
21 Of the eighth work which differs but little from the
22 aforegoing but not the same as to the mercury water 36
23 Of the ninth way by a vegetable water and the
24 calx of bodies perfect or imperfect 38
25 Of the tenth way which is not physical or natural
26 in the lesser tincture 40
27 Of the eleventh way which is of vermilion and
28 is unknown by many 42
29 Of the twelfth way by the vegetable and per
30 mineral water 43

186
1 Of the 13th eay in the philosophers Saturno the
2 which way is wonderful 45
3 Of the 14th work which is of Venus and Mars
4 way 46
5 The Key of the golden gate by G. Ripley a prac-
6 tice of the translator 48
7 The Key of the golden gate 49
8 Of degression from A to E 58
9 Of the operator's part 69
10 Another degression from B to C 72
11 The first abbreviation of the making of all elixirs 79
12 The second abbreviation 81
13 The third abbreviation 83
14 The fourth abbreviation 84
15 The fifth abbreviation 85
16 Of the mineral stone 86
17 The calcination of Ripley 90
18 The reaminder of Ripley 92
19 Of colours 95
20 The Pupilla or light of Alchemy the preface 96
21 The Practice 100
22 The green lion 106
23 Another way 108
24 Earth of philosophical earth 110
25 The concordance or agreem. of Ray. Lully & Guido a Greek
26 philosopher 116
27 The composition of a most sharp acetum vegeta-
28 ble by George Ripley 122
29 The composition of alchymical mercury by George
30 Ripley 123

187
1 Another practick 125
2 The viaticum for various practicks by G. R. 126
3 The menstruum 127
4 The making a menstruum which congeals argent
5 vive into the best silver and is the secret of all secrets 130
6 The elixir of the mercury of the philosophers 131
7 Of compound water 132
8 Oil of sol let it be made as possible 135
9 Notable things taken out of Guido a Greek Philos. 139
10 A practics with the tincture of vitriol ib.
11 For the red 141
12 A rarest citrine oil ib.
13 The congelation of mercury 142
14 A noble work 142
15 An elixir of life 143
16 The virtues of the quintessence 143
17 An other work 144
18 The multiplication of the aforesaid oil 146
19 The accurtations and Ramundino practise by George Ripley 148
20 The practise of the aforesaid theory 157
21 Another way of distillation 159
22 The accurtations follow 167
23 Another short accurtation and of less expense 169
24 Another accurtation 171
25 Another accurtation 172
26 Of the mineral stone 173
27 The work of the basilisk or the composition of margaritos 178
28 The calcination of the bodies Saturn and Jupiter 182
29 Second of Mars and Venus 182
30 Of Sol and Luna 183
31 Another calcination of Gold 183

188