12zrjjUXi

Metals so wonderfully; it is called our Basilisk, our Cockatrice, our TyrianPoison, though indeed it be an excellent Medicine, in which respect it iscalled our incomparable Elixir. But the denomination of Basilisk it retainsfrom its sudden operation upon Mercury; for it penetrates it in projection,as warm Oyl runs into sinking Paper, even to the profundity of it. Let thyMercury therefore be taken as it is crude bought at the Apothecaries, andthou shalt set it in a Crucible to the Fire, in such a heat as the Mercury maynot fume; and when it is so hot that it is ready to fly, which you shalldiscern by a spurtling noise, throw upon it of your Medicine as much aswill teyne it, and you see that in a moment it will enter it, and straightwaythe mercury loseth its flux, and stands congealed. Then it is to be melted bya Fire of fusion, and you shall find pure Gold or Silver, according to thequality of your Medicine. But if you cast your high Elixir in too great aquantity on Mercury, you shall find in the Crucible after projection, abrittle mass of the quality and colour of the first Medicine, only of a lowervirtue, which then you may project upon any inferiour Metal, and it willtransmute it into most perfect. This operation is not apparent or to sight, asis the work of Sophisters. But it is both inward and outward, for ittransmuteth into a perfect species, and not only to shew. This is the way ofprojection both of thy white and thy red Quintessences, first to cast themupon Sol or Luna, according as thy Medicine is, and after that to makeprojection on Mercury again and again, till you find the true extent of thevirtue of your Stone.Aurum Potabile thus is made,Of Gold not commonly calcinate.And now I come to the second reward that Wisdom doth bring with her,and that is length of days; and here I have transposed some few Verses ofRipleys concerning Aurum Potabile, that what he saith in this point may berepresented in view together, method inviting me to it. Some propound theMedicine of Aurum Potabile to be Extracted out of Sol pure, by corrodingwith Aqua Regia, and afterward levigating it by reiterate Calcination in theFire, and manual Contritions. This Calx so subtilized, some attempt toresolve by Menstrues (as they call them) but in vain, there being only oneMenstruum that hath the power to resolve both Gold, and all sublunaryBodies, to their first matter. Paracelsus the first Author of this, did namethis dissolving Water his Alkahest, his Ignis Gehenne, his CorrosivumSpecificum, with many other names. This Medicine thus made of Gold bythe Alkahest, as it is Philosophical and real, so it is very excellent, andknown only to the Adepti.Yet this is not our great medicine, for this being but a resolution of Gold inits unary simplicity, doth afford to us only the most exquisite Medicine that55