John de Monde Snyder's Universal and Particular Processes.
Translated from the Ehrenthal Manuscript.
The principal obstacle and most prominent corner stone whereon most persons have stumbled in the Universal Work is: Primo la materia, secundo the menstrum thereof and tertio the true destruction of the metals, namely, into their three principles viz. & .
Now how these things all follow each other, and must be taken for the high work of the Universal Tincture, will con ajuto dell 'Omnipotente be clearly described and noted in due order in the following, as is done in the actual and accomplished work & wrought by hand.
Firstly according to the description of the true Philosophers, among whom John de Monte Snyder, should be most readily and on account of his clear exposition most eminently considered, our true and genuine Master is the old dragon, and white Eagle, Man and Woman, two Mercurial Waters, Dua argenta viva, efconpin diversi nomi, but indeed it is with its own name Antimony and the highly clarified Sublimate. Of these two can the high work be made, to shorten the time however these two are animated & fermented with metallic & .
Now the preparation of the Antimony is in this wise.
First take finely powdered Hungarian (which I consider the best) or in case such cannot be had other fused , in weight 1 lb., drop it gradually into a red hot crucible, and let it fuse clear.
When this happens have ready a thin iron rod well red hot and stir it into the fused and it will cause an ebullition and eat into the red hot iron as much as is needful in the space of half of a quarter of an hour, that generally 1 lb. of takes as much as 14 to 18 & even 20 Loth or half ounces. When that is done throw a handful of well dried Sal Niter upon it, and as soon as the Niter is fused it must be poured into a casting cone, and you will find a solid Regulus, of about 18 to 20 or 24 Loth or half ounces in weight. This Regulus must be purified twice with Niter and Tartar and it will show a fine star, especially the hungarian. Of Niter must be taken 1 lb. and of Tartar 8 Loth or half ounces and mixed together, therewith the martial regulus is purified, and reserved for the following use.
The other Reguli that are also needful for the high Work, that Mars add ed be brought, are to be made in this wise.
Take 1 lb. finely ground or pounded and mix thereto 1 lb. finely powdered niter and ¾ lb. pounded Tartar, mix it together, and put it into a large mortar of cast iron in spoonfuls and with the first spoonful throw in a red hot cinder well alight, and let the mixture decrepidate. When it has decrepitated, throw in some more, et cosi successive che si calcina Sulfo, when it has cooled pound the matter and let it fuse well in a red hot crucible well covered that it may fuse quite clear, when you will find a Regulus, weighing about 8 to 10 half ounces, which must once again be rectified with & . The scoriae remaining upon the Regulus must be reduced to powder and placed on blotting paper to filter, pour thereon common well-water, and this so long, until some of the can be traced in the common water, which can soon be discerned by pouring in of wine vinegar. The filter & wash it with common water. Accioche si levano totalmente le salie sal , quale in gustare, si puo cognoscere, and in this wise you get a fine deep-red of , which you must Dry and keep for further use.
Those feces that remained on the paper, let them again dry, powder them, and mix thereto equal weight of finely powdered Tartar and let it fuse in a strong heat, and you will get a very fine Regulus of high lustre, which up to now has become revealed to but few, & is considered an arcanum; now this Regulus is the first that wholly unites itself with Mars, although the first which was precipitated with & , and is got by the first fusion does also perform its own part, yet nevertheless this one is far higher esteemed, on account of its being almost wholly fixed and its delicate mercurial quality. The scoria remaining on this second Regulus must again be pounded and put to filter, and you get again a high in colour.
When no more can be got, take the faeces, mix with some Tartar, and you will see whether it will still give a Regulus, and should it give no Regulus, then take the feces and put them in a wide crucible to calcinate, until they become quite ashen or whitish, then put them to filter with common boiling water, that the antimoni may be extracted. Let the water evaporate in a glass bowl, and you will find the ii, and if you would have it better and more clear, it is purified by frequent solution and coagulation, also with rectified S. V. or S. V. Tartarisati, but I for my part consider common well water best. This now is de how the id est the of the Regulus can begot.
But the Mercury for the high work of the universal particular Tincture is prepared in this wise, whereof also very clear description is given in the writings of John de Monte Snyder namely in his treatise de Metamorphosis Planetarum in Ch. 6, 22, 28, and other chapters can be seen and read the same kind viz.
Take 1 lb. washed clean with&common; grind it with 1 lb. good ,,and 1 lb. common Salt, grind it all to powder, fiat pulvis, fiat ignis, fiat exaltatio as John de Monte Snyder mentions in Ch. 28 when all has been reduced to powder put in in a convenient subliming glass and sublimate the at first with gentle fire until the steam & vapour is past, but afterwards with strong heat, that it may rise to the top quite white, and in this wise must the be clarified three times, for thus also avers Monte Snyder in Ch. 27 when he says: Volatile sursum, bis vel fer.
Now when the has been on this wise prepared, then take thereof 1 lb. finely powdered good and pour the same into a convenient retort, place it in a sand bath, and give it at first a gently fire, and a few drops of phlegm will pass over, but afterwards the lac virginis, and when there is no more milk, some drops of blood will come over, then the fire must be increased, and you will get more blood and afterwards a few drops of mercury vive will come, then give it strong fire, from above as well as from below for 4 or 5 hours then goes the cinabaris in collo della retorta, then let it cool, keep the lac virginis separate, the mercury vive also separate and lastly also the cinnabar separate in a vessel. But in case the lac virginis should not be clear and pure, then take Regulus Martialem 12 half ounces let it fuse, and put thereto Ur fine plate, let fuse well together, and when it is well fused pour it out and pound it small, put it into a retort and pour thereon equal weight of lac virginis, distil it at first with gently fire, and at last with strong heat, and the milk become somewhat yellow, which must be animated in such a manner:
Recipe de Cinabrio 3 or 4 half ounces, put thereto 1 half ounce , pour or place thereon 16 half ounces de Menstrui; let it dissolve at a gentle heat and the milk will become blood equestoe' Mercurio noster sedgsiato (?) el fons vitae, verus ios noster essentificatus in which fountain the metallick & , are apt to be purified and joined together, which manner now however by means of the magical elements, that are the Keys to health and wealth, all metals are to be reduced into & or how the metallick soul is to be got, and also the fixed Sal metallica to be conquered, the process depends more on the manual work, but as the Science without the work and reciproce the work without the Science brings no fruits, such Science and Manipulation, as far as is possible, is herewith clearly described.
The magical elements or the threefold magical fire is , & Regulus which John de Monte Snyder calls us Saturni, il ,
si deve prendere accioche la anima, id est metalica conserved before the fire.
John de Monte Snyder in tractatis de Metamorphosis planetarum Ch. 15 thus describes the Magical Fire.
With these words Vulcan prepared an artistic firework, which was made of an unkindled fire, a fiery air and a vegetable salt.
N. B. The unkindled fire is , the fiery air is , and the vegetable is , and is thus observed in weight.
9 half ounces, - 3 thirds
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