Page 24 - Book of quintessence

wheeziness] and the etik [consumptive fever]. Forsooth the very cure to
heal him is our quintessence. For which reason, it comforts the feeble
nature, and the nature that is lost it restores, and so restored it preserves.
And therefore if you will restore the flesh of a lean man’s body almost
consumed away, draw then a water of celandine, and take thereof a little
quantity, and mingle it with our quintessece if you have it ready, or
burning water instead thereof, and give it him to drink, and within a few
days he shall be wonderfully restored and fat.

The sixth medicine for passions of frenzy, folly, imaginations and
troublesome vexations of devils, and also for the gout as well hot or cold,
certain experience teaches that coleric men give to some imaginations,
and sanguine men be occupied about some other imaginations, and yet
flegmatic men about others, but those men that abound in black choler,
that is, melancholy, be occupied a thousand part with more thoughts than
be men of any other complexion. For the reason that humour of black
choler is so troublesome that if it abound and ascend up to the head it
troubles all the might of the brain, engendering annoying imaginations,
bringing in horrible thoughts both waking and sleeping. And such
manner of men be born under the constellation of Saturn, the wicked
planet. Forsooth to such men devils will gladly appear, and minister to
them their secret temptations within the course of their thoughts, and
these men thus tormented with the passions of melancholy commonly
speak with them, strive and dispute with themselves when they be alone,
that ofttimes other folk may hear it. These manner of men that be thus
tormented, as well by passion of melancholy as of devils, ofttimes fall in
despair, and at the last slay themselves. The perfect cure of all this is our
quintessence of gold and pearls, or else burning water instead thereof, in
the which you fixed gold as it is aforesaid, wherein be put a little of
senna or water of funter, or powder of lapis lazuli, or else medulla ebuli
[Elder bark], and use it discreetly. Because, not all only our quinta
essentia auri et perlarum heals these diseases, but also burning water in
the which gold is fixed, heals them, with a little of those things that purge
and caste out black choler superfluous, and heal the spleen.

Forsooth these medicines put away wicked thoughts and a heavy
heart melancholious, they gladden and cleanse the brain and all his
mights, and bring in gladness and merry thoughts. They put away also
the craft of the fiend’s temptations, and imaginations of despair they
destroy, and make a man to forget all manner of evils and naturally bring

19