Page 21 - Scottish Alchemists

projected on a somewhat extensive plan, viz., in “Nyne tomes eache having
seaven septeans of Aphorimes,” but of these only the first tome or volume is
extant, called the “Introduction or the booke of the institutions of magick or
spiritual knowledge, wiche conteaneth the general praecepts of the whole art
in nyne and fourty Aphorismes.”

The volumes presented to the Royal College, as above stated, amply
sustain the reputation of Sir George Erskine as an accomplished alchemist.
They contain fine copies of the treatises and poems most in vogue with
students of the occult sciences, such as Norton’s Ordinall; Bloomfield’s
Blossoms; The vicar of Walden, his hunting of the Green Lyon; John
Bristoll his Alchymie; Ane book named the Breviarie of Philosophie, be the
vnlettered Scholler, Tho. Charnock, etc. Most of these will be found
included in the Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum of Elias Ashmole, printed
in 1652.

There are besides various curious extracts and notes made by Sir George
from approved alchemical works, such as ‘Out of George Ripley his wheill’,
‘Out of Ripley’s xii gates’, ‘Ex libro de mercurio Geo. Riplaci’, ‘Ex arcano
Hermeticae Philosophiae’, etc. In addition, there are many directions for
alchemical processes, such as “the preparation of mercury for the workes,”
“the work be sal armonique”, “the work of common salt”, “the work of
sulphur”, and one “from M. N. which a Ducheman gave to the B. of
Bristow”.

The following account of one of these processes is very curious, as
showing the singular terms under which the alchemists disguised their great
secrets. After minutely describing a glazed pot or vessel, it required a
quantity of faeces to be put into it, after which it was directed to be sub-
jected to the action of heat in an oven for “sixtein weekes.” It was believed
that by the decomposition of this matter venomous reptiles like scorpions
would be generated, which would leave a piercing or penetrating power in
the residuum, and this when applied to the baser metals would purify them
into gold or silver. This process, described by Sir George, apparently had
been found so efficacious that although ten pounds of Mercury had been put
into the fluid, it is stated “you suld haue had it all hard and fixt, and yett the
watter no thing diminished, bot 10 tymes stronger than if no mercury had
been put into it”.

“The pott must be maid of yellow close earth weill baked, a good inche
thik, of potters claye weill glased in the insyd, and then brunt againe in a
potters oven, and the pott salbe in that fashion sett out above with a wyde
mouth which must have a cover with a round hole in it, so wyde as a mans

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