Page 19 - Book of quintessence

after into flesh, and this quintessence is so nigh kind that it is most to
have. For this reason, in it is marvelous virtue of our heaven stored, and
to the cure of nature of man works most divine miracles, as within I shall
teach you. Therefore receive of barbers of young sanguine men, or
choleric men, when they be let blood, the which use good wines. Take
that blood after that it has rested, and cast away the water from it, and
pound it with the ten parts of common salt prepared to medicines of men,
and put it into a vessel of glass called amphora, the which, subtly seal,
and put it within the womb of a horse, prepared as heretofore, and renew
the dung once in the week, or more, and let it putrefy till all the blood be
turned into water. And it shall be done at the most in 30 or 40 days, or
after, more or less. What so ever may ascend, put that water upon the
pounded faeces, mingling upon a marble stone, put it again, and after
distil it again many times rehearsing. And when you have this noble
thing of blood, thereof the quintessence being drawn out, put again the
water in the stillatory of circulation till you bring it to so much sweetness
and an heavenly savour, as you did the burning water. And this is the
quintessence of blood more than human [devyn], and miracles more than
man may believe but if he see it.

Now I will teach you to draw out the quintessence from capons,
hens, and all manner flesh of brute beasts, and from all manner eggs of
fowls that be wholesome and medicinal to eat for mankind. Grind some
of these things aforesaid, which that you will, as strongly as you can in a
mortar, with the ten parts of him of common salt prepared to the
medicine of men, as I said before. Put it in the womb of a horse till it be
turned into water. Distil as it is aforesaid, and in the stillatory of
circulation, the water that is distilled, put it again till it be brought to the
sweet heavenly savour and smell aforesaid.

The science to draw out the quintessence of every of the four
elements and to show every of the aforesaid thing by themselves, and
that is right marvelous. I will not leave for a little to show a great secret,
how you may draw out the quintessence of each of the four elements of
all the thing rehearsed before, and profitably show them. And the manner
is this. Take that thing putrefied and brought into water, whatsoever you
will, as I taught you before. And that thing be man’s blood brought into
water, of the which you will draw out the four elements. Put therefore
that water, or that blood putrefied, in a stillatory of glass, and set it
within a pot of water, and give underneath a fire till the water of blood be

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