Page 20 - Book of quintessence
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distilled by the pipe of the alembic into a glass called amphora, right
clean. And when nothing may more by that fire ascend, for certain you
have of blood drawn out all only the element of water. For this reason,
fire of that bath has no strength to sublime air, or fire, or earth. And so
take those three elements, and set them in the same bath by seven days
that they be well mingled, and so close that nothing be distilled. After the
seven days take the stillatory, and put it to the fire of ashes, that is
stronger than fire of the bath called Mary, and the water shall ascend in
form of oil shining as gold. And afterwards that nothing more shall
ascend, you have then in the ampoule two elements, that is to say, water
and air, and one from another they shall part in the bath, putting in again
where all only the clear water shall ascend. And the air shall all only
remain in the bottom of the vessel in likeness of oil of gold. The which
oil that is gold, the which oil that is air, put it aside. Then there leave yet
fire with earth. To part fire from earth, put the element of water, that is to
say four pounds of water, upon one pound of matter, and put by seven
days to incorporate well as heretofore in the bath of Mary. Afterwards
put it to the fire of flame right strong, and the red water shall ascend. The
which gather together as long as anything ascends, and to you shall
remain an earth right black in the bottom. The which gather together
aside. Then the reddest water you shall take. For this reason, there be two
elements, that is to say, the element of water and fire. Then in the
stillatory, to the fire of bath, clear water shall ascend. And in the bottom
shall remain the red water, that is, the element of fire. And so you have
now first one oil, that is, air one side, and water, and fire, and earth. And
note you well that therefore the element of water is put again to draw out
from earth fire and air, for they will not ascend, but through the help of
element of water. Bring again everything into quintessence with the
vessel of circulation as heretofore, or else rectify, making one ascend
seven times by an other. But first you must the right black earth of one
hidden nature, in the furnace of glass made, or else reverberation, twenty
one days calcine. And for a cause I speak to you no more of this science.
But joy you, and thank our glorious lord God of these things that you
have had.
The science to fix all earthly things in our quinta essentia, that is to
say, our heaven, that by her influence they may give thereto their
properties and their hidden virtues. Our glorious God has given such a
virtue to our quinta essentia, that it may draw out of every matter of fruit,
tree, root, flower, herb, flesh, seed and spice, and every medicinal thing.
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