Secrets of the Adepts - A Bardon Companion

dissolve dry things also, it is necessary for it to be acuated, that is, so tempered, as to be
made homogeneous also to dry things, and so dissolve them, which to be a Work difficult and
tedious, his own Experience proveth: out of many acuators therefore of the Adepts, he
chooseth Hony before the rest, whose principal acuating faculty, he calls the great Mystery
and Treasure of the Art. For according to Lully, the Spirit of Philosophical Wine in Honey
hath two free Operations, that is, this Unctious Spirit is easily United to the Unctuosity of
Honey, and by the same means also easily tempered with the aridity of Honey. In a Word,
there are other indeed, yea all the following Menstruums stronger than this, but none more
easie to be prepared, and better for a young Beginner. Lully made the same Menstruum after
this manner.
11. The Spirit of Honey of Lully.
Cap. 19. Lib. Mercur.
Take of Aqua Vitœ, and put into this Vegetable Humidity a third part of a Honey-Comb, with
all its Substance, Wax, and Honey together, ferment, or digest it in a gentle heat for three
Hours, and the longer it stands, the better it is: then let it be Distilled in Balneo, and repeat the
Distillation and Fermentation nine times, renewing the Comb every second Distillation.
Parisinus it seems to me learnt not only the Spirit of Philosophical Wine, but also the
preparation it self of this Menstruum, from his Master Lully, though the preparation he
corrected a little: Parisinus digests one Pound of Honey inspissated with three or four Pounds
of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine, for a Day in Balneo, then Distilling three times mixeth
them together. The Work he repeats three times, so as at these four times to have joyned four
Pounds of Honey together with so many Pounds of Spirit, and Circulates both each time.
Lully digests the Hony-Comb three Hours with three parts of Spirit, and in two Distillations
joyns both together: He repeats the Work four times, so as in eight Distillations to have
United four parts of Honey with three of Spirit; the Menstruum now joyned together, he
Distills once more, that in nine times or cohobations, he makes his Spirit of Honey. Parisinus
made choice of three Ingredients for his Medicine: The most High Creator created three
Mines; among Minerals, one, and that is of Sol and Luna: among Vegetables, the Wine;
among Animals, the Bee, pag 222. Elucid. Lully of these three thus, cap. 46. lib. Mercurior.
Amongst all Minerals, Vegetables, and Animals, fixed Gold is chosen for the making of
Medicines; and above all the Virtues among Vegetables and Animals, are the virtues of the
Juice, or Broth of Lunaria, and the Fly of Besena, which makes Honey.
Parisinus in his Alphabetum apertoriale hath indeed the same way of acuating the Spirit of
Wine; but he in the same place superadding the Salt of Honey, extracted out of the Caput
mortuum calcined to the Menstruum, this acuition is referred not to this, but to another Kind.
But the Honey seems to have this special Priviledge, as if Menstruums of this third Kind,
could be made of it alone; yet you must know that all Oyly Salts, (as are Sugar Cristallized,
Manna Cristallized, crude Tartar of common Wine, etc) do on one side prove their affinity
with Oyly things, but on the other side with dry, and so do by that their Oleosity, introduce
their own aridity into the Oyly Spirit of Philosophical Wine, but by their aridity temper the
Oleosity of that Spirit. Wherefore the same things are to be understood of Sugar and Manna,
as have been spoken of Honey; one Example or two we will add of crude Tartar, being dryer
then the things aforesaid.
12. The Spirit of Crude Tartar of Guido.
Pag. 51. Thesaur.
Take of crude Tartar two Pounds, of Spirit of Wine three Pounds, Distill and Cohobate ten
times upon its own Caput Mortuum.