Page 15 - Scottish Alchemists

What adds to the interest of these curious entries in the accounts of the
Treasurer, is the recent publication by Mr Furnivall for the Early English
Text Society of a manuscript of the period, in which all the processes for
making the quintessence are fully detailed. The title of this manuscript, the
contents of which were probably well known to the King and to the Abbot, is
as follows :- ‘The book of quinte essence or the fifth being; that is to say
man’s heaven. A tretice in Englisch breuely drawe out of the book of quintis
essenciis in Latyn that Hermys the prophete and kyng of Egipt, after the
flood of Noe, fadir of philosophris, hadde by revelacioun of an aungil of God
to him sende.’

According to this learned work, wine was one of the principal requisites
for making the Quintessence, which was to be obtained by the following
process :- A quantity of good wine was directed to be put into a “distillatorie
of glas with an hoole aboue in the heed where the water schal be putt yn and
be take out.” This vessel was then directed to be put into a furnace, when
the vapour of the wine was to be condensed and again distilled, till the
quintessence was obtained and separated from the other four elements of the
wine. Although at first sight this seems a simple process, it is declared
necessary that this distillation should be repeated “vnto a thousand tymes, so
that by contynuel ascendynge and descendynge by the which it is sublymed
to so myche hignes of glorificacioun, it schal come that it schall be a
medicyne incorruptible almoost as heauene aboue and of the nature of
heauene. And therefore oure quinta essentia, worthily is clepid mannys
heuene. And after manye daies that it hath been in this sotil vessel of glas
distillid ye schulen opene the hoole of the vessel in the heed, that was selid
with the seel of lute of wisdom maad of the sotillest flour, and of white of
eyeen, and of moist papere ymeyngid so that no thing respire out. And
whane ye opene the hoole, if ther come out a passynge hevenly swete
flauour that alle men that come yn naturely draw therto, thanne ye haue oure
quinta essencia, and ellis sele the vessel and putte it to the fier agen till ye
haue it.”

Mr Furnivall submitted this fatuous treatise for the opinion of a chemist,
Mr C. H. Gill of University College, London, who states (with reference to
the directions given for the repeated distillation of wine) that it is a good
practical suggestion for the obtaining of strong alcohol, and that the apparatus
employed seems to have been arranged to ensure a very slow distillation, so
as to obtain a product as colourless and scentless as possible. As the product
obtained by King James and Damian would thus in all likelihood be the
strongest spirits of wine, it is easy to suppose that a very little would serve to
produce that elevation which might seem to bnng back the spring of youth,

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