Archidoxis, Book X: the Key, part 1 of 2

THE KEY OR Tenth BOOK OF THE ARCHIDOXIS Taken out of a most Antient Germane Manuscript.

The Preface of the Author.

ALthough we were minded to Write our Archidoxis, and other our Books aptaining to Medicine, somewhat more plain and more cleer then is done; yet because the highest Medicinal Universal Arcanaes cannot be prepared without true Chymical Manual Operations, and be brought unto the desired Exaltation of Degrees; for 'tis well known to most, how the whole World is in a manner addicted to Riches and worldly Wealth, and doth only with all their might drive at Tinctures, and the Transmutations of Metals, to scrape together abundance of Gold and Silver; Now, for the attainment hereof, they do very much need true Chymical Preparations, the which they would willingly find in our Archidoxis, briefly and without labour.) Therefore, for this reason, viz. That we may meet with so great an evil as might arise from thence, and may crush their Malice; We even concealed our meaning in those Books, according to the Antient Philosophick Custome, and Cabalistical Form, and have yet neverthelesse made demonstration cleerly to the good and well accomplished, but obscurely enough to the Contemners and Impious men; And yet tis not only the Lacrymists, that gape on Gold, are the cause of our Cabalistical Philosophick Writing, but also that most great Troop of the Sect of Galen & Avicen, for they would very willingly make use of our Medicaments and Arcanaes, for the driving away of Chronical Diseases, (which are uncurable by their Galenical way) Provided, that they could find a brief, sure, and easie Method for the Preparation and Administration of them, without renouncing the old Error of the Ethnicks and false Christians, and could attribute the Honours, Fame, and Riches which they get thereby to the Galenical Writings, and to themselves only, and thereupon (out of an envious mind) suppress my Name and famous Deeds, and vindicate themselves by their Writings, and (because I say that that Art proceeds from me) affirm that they secretly possesse the very same thing.

For, whereas they are Ancient Doctors, they will not by any means seem (themselves being so Aged) to be, and publickly professe themselves Disciples of a more grosse Wit, and younger Schollar, (whom they all Envy because he subverteth their Foundations) Therefore, because of their Sloathfulness, Ambition, Envy, and Hatred, together with their Ingratitude, I have thus Taught and Reasoned in the Archidoxis, and my other Books; After the aforesaid manner, so well liking me, (the which I shall at the last day approve and justifie before God and my Conscience) that so those as would attain to the Foundation of my Archidoxis, may publickly call themselves Theophrastists, and acknowledge me to be their Monarch, may follow me as to Labouring, may frequent my School, and may contrariwise cast away their old Fathers under the stall: And although they may privily get some Experiment from some miserable simple Country Clown, or elsewhere, yet they shall not understand the great Arcanaes of Administring my Medicaments, and so consequently will purchase more Disgrace then Honour therefrom. And therefore although some Old Wi[…]e hath told them, That the Chicken, or the young of the Swallows that Cranium, & viscus Quercinus, &c. are a certain Cure for the Falling Sicknesse (as in very deed it is) yet shalt thou not herewith Cure it. But whence is it, or what is the Cause? 'Tis this, because thou understandest not the way of the Administration, nor the great Ilech, nor wilt thou be able to Learn it of thy Galen, unless thou frequentest my School, and learnest Philosophy according to Christ, and not according to Fiscus, or a Promoter. Now then seeing that Viscus Quercinus doth not afford thee Help, thou supposest it to be too weak by it self, and therefore thou Correctest it with other Herbs, and Composest a great Mixture of Sixty parts, or more; these thou dost Digest, and Purgest the Excrements by them; but thou canst not Expel the Disease therewith, because thou understandest not neither the Simple, nor the Compound, nor the Administration.

But, Would they have thankfully accepted of my Dostrine, and cast their Red Cap, or Fools Coat (that they have received of Galen) behind the Door, and would withal have submitted themselves under my Discipline, I would have put on them a better Cap, yea, the Cap of even Fortunatus himself, in the which doth lie more Art then in all the other Writings besides, insomuch, that they should not need to put it off in the Presence of any body, but be able to Cure Chronical Diseases equally as well as Fortunatus Restored the Kings Daughter.

But indeed, they are unworthy of any better, and are to be Accused (as culpable) of their own harm because they have known nothing of the Magnalia, and Misteries of Natures Sanctuary, nor of that Coelestial Treasury which is liberally Revealed to me from above in these last Times and Seasons of Grace; the which things do make a true Adam, and wonderful Physitian according to the Enochian dayes, in the understanding and preception of new Generation; But those Ignorant braggers have Refused it, and therefore I will no farther pitty them, but leave them in their Ignorance: But, because there's no doubt but that amongst such a great multitude of men (concerning whom there's mention made in the 4th. of Esdras) the Lord God will reserve some very smal number of some of his Elect; who will be desirous of faithfully following my Theophrastical Doctrine, and of loving the Truth, and of helping their Neighbours in their Necessities and Diseases, out of a true unfeigned Christian Love, and not for Gain and Ambition, but for the pure Love of God: And are also desirous, That the Wonderful Works of God may be made apparent by the Light of Nature, (albeit all men are not born under such a Constellation, as to apprehend the meaning of our Books (without the help of God) though they diligently study them) Because therefore of the sincere Intention and Love of such, and that they may comprehend the true Foundation of our chiefest Writings, and Arcanaes concerning Medicine, and may arrive to an happy end; And that the most precious Treasure of Nature that God hath Revealed unto me may not be wholly buried with me; We will therefore Write this little Book for them, and will therein cleerly shew the Foundation, or Basis of our Archidoxis, and Universalities, and will Teach the Preparation of the several Arcanaes, the Quintessences; the First Entities, and Magisteries.

But, that this Clear Light may not come to the Ungrateful and the Unworthy, I do exhort all such as have the Possession or Understanding of this Book, and do bind thee by the most great Sacrament, and the Oath thou hast made to God in thy Baptisme, that thou even Concealest all these things privily, and as the most noble Treasure of Nature; and that thou doest not admit any Unworthy Person thereunto, but that thou Honourest it as a most blessed Talent, and servest the Necessities of thy Neighbour therewithal.

The Lord God bestow his Blessing and Grace, that whosoever Partakes hereof, may rightly use it.

THE Tenth BOOK OF THE ARCHIDOXIS OF THEOPHRASTUS, Comprehended in Ten several Chapters.

CHAP. I. Of the Separation of the Elements.

THE four Elements are commixt with each other in all things, but yet (in every thing) one onely of those four is perfect and fix, and that Element is the Predestinated Element, wherein the Quintessence, Virtue and Quality doth lodge; but the rest are imperfect Elements, and as a bare Simple Element, wherein there's no more virtue then is another simple Element; and they all are as an habitation of the true, fix, and perfect Element; on which accompt also they are called, Things Qualified: And whereas some do imagine the body to be the true Element and Quality, and that it discovers in some sort the virtue of the true Element, the reason thereof is this, because the body (and likewise the three imperfect Elements) is tinged and Qualified (each according to its nature) by the fix, perfect, and Predestinated Element, or Quintessence, as with its Inhabitant.

For Example: In some things the Element of Water bears rule, in other bodies the Fire is chief, in others the Earth, and in othersome the Air, So then, if you would have the fix Predestinated Element Separated, tis expedient that the House thereof be broken open; But now this breaking up the House, or dissolution, is performed by several wayes, as is cleerly spoken of in my Metamorphosis, in the Book of the Death of Things: If the House be dissolved by Aqua Fortis, or Strong-Waters, Calcinations, and such like; this alwayes it to be observed, that the dissolved be separated from the fix by vulgar distillations, for then the body of the Quintessence comes over in the manner of Phlegme, but the fix Element abides in the bottom; But whereas we take no great Care about the House or Habitation, but diligendy Enquire for the Inhabitant only, tis needful that we find him in the fix Predestinate Element, and from thence extract him according to the manner of a Quintessence; and so consequently that fix Element is to be dissolved by other more powerful Artifices then by Calcinations, Sublimations, &c. and the Pure be Separated from the Impure.

The Pure is the Quintessence, but the Impure is the Tartareous Superfluity which is permixt in every Generation; Concerning which, see the Book of Tartarous Diseases.

But whereas my Theory is more largely Opened in my other Books of the Archidoxis, my Metamorphosis, and of the Generations mentioned in our Book Paramirum; therefore I will not be (in the least) tedious, but briefly disclose the Practick: Reduce a Metal (prepared according to the Process in the Book of the Death of Things) into a Liquid Substance with Aqua Fortis, according to the manner which we have Taught in the Book of the Separation of the Elements; and Separate the Three imperfect Elements by very many Cohobations and Putrefactions; then the fix Element (of what kind soever it be) remains in the bottom; and so those Four Elements are rightly Separated.

CHAP. II. Of the Quintessence.

ABstract the Volatile (which comes over in the Separation of the Elements) from the fix, oftentimes, that so the Quintessence which partly ascended with the Phlegm, may be again Co-united. Take then the fix Element that remained after the Separation of the Three Imperfect Elements (what kind soever it be of) and dissolve it in its appropriated Water; each according to its Nature, as we have spoken of in the Archidoxis concerning a Quintessence; keep it in the greatest puterefaction, distil it by Cohobation, the rest per Descensum; Putrifie it yet a little more, distil and conjoyn all, and distil it in B. M. even to an Oylinesse;

Then corrupt or break it with the Subtil Spirit of Wine by boiling, then the Impure will settle to the bottom, and the Pure will Swim at top, Separate it by a Tritory, or Separating Glass, and that it may therewithal loose the Nature of the Aqua Fortis, pour on a greater Quantity of the Spirit of Wine, the which abstract often until the Quintessence becomes Sweet; Lastly wash it off with Common Cold Water; After the like manner are you to conceive, of Marchasites, Stones, Rosins, Hearbs, Flesh, Excrements and Fix Things, viz. that (first of all) the three imperfect Elements be Separated, and that the fix Element be farther proceeded with according to the Doctrine of the Book of the Quintessence.

When we speak of an Eating or Coroding Water, understand Acetum mixed with the Spirit of Wine, and such a Spirit as being often abstracted from the Spirit of Salt Nitre, becomes an Acetum. The fix Elements of Marcasites are to be dissolved, therein to be putrefied and Elevated by an Alembick, and then at length be corrupted or broken with Spirit of Wine, that the Impure may fall to the bottom, and Separate it self from the Pure.

As concerning the Essence of Gems, where we speak of Radicated Vinegar, understand us thus, viz. that you have a sharp Acetum Corrected with Tiles or Bricks, and oftentimes Abstracted from the Tartarised Matrix of Acetum. Your Gems are to be first Calcined by Sulphur, then dissolve them therein, and Putrefy them, and then Separate the Pure from the Impure by breaking them with Spirit of Wine.

An Essence is easily perfected out of Fruits, Hearbs and Roots; so that you dissolve the Imperfect Elements, by the highest Secret Putrefaction of the highest heat. Then shalt thou putrefie them in Dung, and drive out per descensum, all that is able to go out, and from thence Abstract by a Destillation in a B. all the huttfull imperfect Body of the moisture, then will the Predestinated Element remain in the bottom; this must be not Separated from the Superfluous Impurity, by corrupting or breaking it with its own Spirit, or with the Spirit of Wine, the which Spirit draw off, and thou shalt have the Quintessence pure.

The Extraction of the Quintessence out of Salts, as Vitriol, Common Salt, Salt Nitre, Venus or Antimony, &c. is done thus, viz. Cohobate them with their own proper Liquor or Water, oftentimes Putrefie them with the Phlegm, and abstract the Body thencefrom in the manner of Phlegm, even to the fix Spirit. This then dislove in Water, or in their own proper Water, and (in the heat) Saparate the Pure from the Impure with Spirit of Wine.

CHAP. III. Of Magisteries.

MAgisteries do well deserve to be called Mysteries because of the great Tinctures they shew in an appropriated Menstruum, viz. in Acetum, in Wine, and as we there mentioned, so likewise do we here enjoyn, that respect is to be had onely to such concordances or uniformities as are commodious for the extraction of the Magisteries, for if you take Destilled Vinegar, you shall not tinge Water, but wine into Acetum, because the Tincture or Vinegar was made of Wine. Didst thou but well and rightly know the Magistery of Acetum, thou wouldst likewise well enough understand the Book of Magisteries.

In the Magistery of Vinegar this is to be considered, That first of all you make the Tincture, that is, the Vinegar out of Corrupted Wine by that serment that is allyed or a kin thereto naturally; as for Example, by Tartar; then with a small Quantity of that same Acetum may you tinge a most great Quantity of Wine, (first corrupted and putrefied) into the best Vinegar in a short time. If therefore you intend to convert Merals into a Magistery, and plainly to tinge the whole body into an Essence, tis expedient that you take a chief and Open Metal, to which all the other Metals are by Nature allyed; the which you must corrupt or break in its own Matrix which is placed in Water, and is termed the Mother of all Metals, and you must purge it from the superfluous Elements, and reduce it into its first liquid Ens, that is, into a most sharp Metaline Acetum; as often as all the Metals are digested therein, they are necessarily Transmuted thereby into Acetum, that is, into a Quintessence. But now, even as Wine must be in some sort afore corrupted, if you would have good Vinegar quickly prepared thence-from; even so in like manner must the Metaline bodies be afore corrupted, or putrefied and mortified, as is spoken of in the Metamorphosis in the Book of the Death of Things; and then are they truly called Potable.

After this same manner also are the Magisteries of Marcasites to be prepared even as the other Magisteries are in which said Marcasites is (in a manner) more Virtue to be found then is in Metals; and by our dissolving Water is to be understood the Water of Salt.

But the Magistery of Gems is this, viz. You must first Calcine them with Sulphur for four Hours, then Reverberate them, and afterwards burn them with Nitre, then boyl them with Simple Water eight Hours, Filtre, and Coagulate it, and Extract it with Spirit of Wine.

The Magisterie out of Gums and Rozins (as for Example, out of Turpentine and Amber) is made after this manner; First, boyl them in Spirit of Wine, then Corrupt them in new Spirit of Wine commixt with a dissolving Water, viz. of Salt; and Distil it thencefrom.

The Magistery of Herbs likewise, as also of all Spices and Fruits is thus done; First of all, let them be fermented like Must, or new Wine, then draw off from them a Spirit, as from the feces of Wine; in that Spirit digest the putrefied Herb, oftentimes renewed with new Herbs until the Spirit become four times the Quantity it was. But because there's frequent mention made in our Archidoxis of First Entities, and whereas the chiefest Foundation is hidden in them, we will together therewith briefly adjoyn the preparation of our Water of Circulated Salt, which is thereto requisite, but was omitted.