Book 1.] TUK N.VaHj: AND WOllKING OJ? QUINTE ESSENCE. 3

seniaetoim of ))e .4. qwalitees of mannys body, ri'^t as lie made preserving
his lieueue to be conseruaciou/j of al be Avorld / And wite se for iieaven does

' , ' the world.

certeyn )jat manye philosophoris and lecbis jjcit ben now, knowe Many know it
nou3t ];is qt«'nta essencia, ne ])e tni])e jjerof / Forwhi ; god wole their covet-

. . „ , 1 -i- 7 ousness and

not ]>at \>ei knows it. for her greet brewnynge coueitise ana vice,
vicious lyuynge / Forsojje qm'nta esseucia supe?'ior. ]>at is to seie, But as God's
heuene of oure lord god bi hi??! silf. / Aloone / 3eueb not conser- aided by sun

and stars, so

uacioun in be world, and wondirful influence, but by ]>e ve^'tue our Heaven,

, or Quinte

af be su;me. planetis, and obe?'e sterris. ri^t so oure qwtnta Essence, is

' _ _ made fair by

essencia, Jjat is, mannys heuene, wole be maad fair wi]> Jje sunne the sun mine-

miuCT-alle, fynyd, schynynge, incorruptibile ; and euene in qualite gold of tiie ^

]>at fier may not appeire, corrumpe, ne distroie. and pis is verry alchemy,

gold of J)e mjTi. of ]>e erjje. or of pe floodis gaderid / for gold of [Note.]
alkamy maad with corosyues distroie]) kynde. as aristotle and

manye ojjere philosojihoris prouen / and Jjerfore good gold na- Good natural

• i'ii»i.7 7 - ^ • sold is called

turel, ana of be myn of be erbe, is clepid of pmioso^moris sol in soi. because

<•!• P I Ti • Sol the planet

latyn. for he is be sonwe of oure heuene. lich as sol be planet is gives gold its

power, co-

m ]>e heuene aboue. for pis planete ^euep to gold his influence, lour, &c.
nature, colour, and a substaunce iracorrujitible. And oure qmuta our Quinte

. J, 7 1 r- 1 Essence is the

essencia, mannys heuene, is oi Jse nature *and Jje colour of heuene / [« poi. ai6.]

And jjure sol, pat is, fyn gold of p& myne, schal make it fair, ri3t ven "goM
as sol pe. planete maki]? heuene fair / and so ])ese two togidere

ioyned schal ^eue influence in us. and Jjb condicioujzs of heuene ^° aVi" pos!"

and of heuenly sowne / in as miche as it is possible in deedly ofyoutii",^aiu{

natui-e, conseraacioura and restorynge of nature lost, and renew- pienteousiy.

jTige of 3ongbe / And it schal jeue plenteuously heelbe. and so it AsAries.Tau-

•'J J.^J^ Qg.

js m-eued by astronomy aboue. bat sterris bat hab influence vpon mini draw

' ' ' humours from

be heed and be necke of maw / as hen be sterris of aries. taurus, f'e head and

' ... _ . . breast, and

and gemini, 3eue7i influence syngulerly vpon Gerapigra galieni / [Nnid.]
A nd peAovft it haj? a synguler strenkjje by pQ ordynauwce of beneath, so

1 , , n ^ • p 1 1 those spices

gotl to urawe awey Jje supernue humouris iro pe heed, pe necke, that do draw

111 1 r 1-1 < » 1 from these

and pe brest, and not iro pe membns bynebe / And so I seie of iimbs get their

. . 1-1 • power from

spicis )>at drawij) humouns fro pe knees, pe leggis, and pe feet, capr.com,
p&i res-^eyuen a synguler influence of pe sten-is of Cap?-icorn.
Aquarie and r)isce3, and riit so of obere, et cetera I Comou?ine "°'

■> > • I divuie secrets

36 not bis book of deuyne secretes to wickid men and auerous. wicked

' moil

makes it fair ;
and the two

TlIK I»* WAY TO MAKE QUINTK ESSENCE.

[Book I.

To make
Qiiinte Es-
iftice.

Take the best
wine, or any
not sour ;

distil it. and
tlic 4 Ele-
ments slinll be
left like dregs.
Distil 7 times
to get Burn-
ing Water ;

[» Fol. 12.]

put this in a
nistiller in a
furnace, and
let the vapour
rise, condense,
and be dis-
tilled till it is
turned into
Quinte Es-
sence, and
parted from
the 4 ele-
ments.

[No(a.]

Distil it 1000
times,

and it shall be
glorifled and
become a
medicine in-
corruptible as
heaven.

After many
days unstop
your distiller,

and if there
issues out a
heaven-sweet
savour, you
[• Fol. 126.]
have our
Ciuinte Es-
sence. If not,
distil again
till yon have.

but kepe it in pjiuytee / Take ))e beste wiyu jjat may
fynde, if 30 be of power, and if je be rijt pore. Jjanne take
corrupt wiyn, ])at is, rotyn, of a watery humour, but not egre,
\>at is sour, for ))e qwint essencia ]>erof is naturaly incorruptible,
\>e which 36 schal drawe out by sublymacioun / And )jawne
schal ]>er leue in ]>e ground of jje vessel j^e .4. elemeretis, as it
were, rotxin fecis of wiyn / But firste je muste distille ]>\s wiyn.
7. tymes. and \>anne haue 3e good brewnynge watir / Forsojje,
))is is \>e watri mater *fro which is drawe oure qwinta essencia /
Thanne muste 3e do make in j)e furneis of aischin, a distillatorie
of glas al hool of 00. pece, wi)) an hoole a-boue in jje heed where
]>e watir schal be putt yn. and be take out / And j)is is a
wondirful instrument ))«t \)at ))ing \>at by vertues of fier ascendith
and distillith wi))iwue jje vessel, per cauales brachiales. \>at is, by
pipis lich to armys, be bore a3en, and eftsoones ascendith, and
eft desceradi]) contyuuely day and ny3t til jje brewnynge water
heueiily be turned into quintam essenciaw / And so bi con-
tinuelle ascenciouws and discenciou?is. ))e qmnta essencia is
depftrtid fro \>e corruptible coraposicioun of ]>e .4. elementis.
For bifore pat Jjing Jjat is twies subljTned is more glorified, and
is more sotil, and fer fTO?^ pe corrumpcioun of ]>e .4. elementis
more separat ]>an whanne it ascendith but oonys. and so vnto
a jjousand tymes. so j)at by contynuel ascendynge. and descend-
ynge by the which it is sublymed to so myche hi3nes of glorifi-
caciouw. it schal come \>at it schal be a medicyn incorruptible
almoost as heuene aboue, and of ])e nature of heuene / And
))e?fore oure qwiuta essencia worjjily is clepid mannys heuene /
And aftir manye dales J)at it hath be in \>ia sotil vessel of glas
distillid / 3e schulen opene )>e hoole of ]>e vessel in ]>e heed jiat
was selid with ]>e seel of lute of wijsdom, maad of ye sotillest
flour, and of white of eyren, and of moist papere, ymeyngid so
))at no ))ing respire out / And whane 3e opene pe hoole. if ]>er
come out a passyuge heuenly swete flauour ]jat alle men jjat
come yn naturely * drawe perto. )>anne 3e haue oure qw'nta
e.'Jsencia / and ellis sele \te ves,sel, and putte it to \>e fier a5en
til 3e haue it.