Three Herbs

ROSE SOLIS in German tongue: SINDAWE

This herb has the color of the Sun, for his color is dark red, divided with yellow lines and his
shape is like a star. His proportion is like a heavenly Planet and consists of seven branches.

I do not find any ordinary herb less esteemed than Chelidonia (Celandine), I am telling you for
sure, my child, that there are three herbs which have preference over all others. They are
Chelidonia, Solaria, and Lunaria. All three serve the Art when they are prepared, and coagulate
Mercuris into the true gold. About that you will be instructed in the Mineral Stone. I am telling
you, my child, that the noblest of all three is Chelidonia, because the other two pass away in
winter, while Chelidonia always remains in its greenness and flower. All other herbs of the world
also wither and dry when it is very warm in the summer, but this Chelidonia always stays green.
And even if it were lying under the snow throughout winter, it does not die. Therefore, it is not
affected by heat or cold, dryness or wetness. It is the very best and strongest of the three.

GOD has infused such an influence into this herb that it cannot be sufficiently expressed by
anyone. That is why, my child, we will draw the other and second Vegetable Stone from it, to
cure all people of all diseases and let them spend their life in good health to the last hour, and at
the same time coagulate Mercurius into fine gold.

We shall, therefore, pick this herb when it is in its first flowering. Clean it, and put as much as
you are able to into three or four clean pots, without crushing it. Put the alembic on them
immediately, and place them into the Bath in order to distill everything. Draw off all the water
from it, till it is so dry that one could pulverize it. Then rub it on a stone with its water so that
one could paint with it. Put it into a big stone pot. If you have filled four or five pots with
Chelidonia, put everything together into a big stone pot. You must start with a great amount of
herbs in order to obtain much Materia and much water. The uncrushed herbs take up much room.

How to Prepare Quintam Essentiam from Honey
Now follows Hollandus' text concerning the preparation of the Stone from honey.
Summary of the Processes
Honey is distilled to dryness in the water bath, when the Elements Air and Fire go over first (it
requires much time, 15 to 20 days). The Air tastes like Aqua Vitae.

The distillate is poured back; the flask is closed and set in a lukewarm bath. The Element Fire is
now extracted with its own Air. The distillation is repeated until all the Fire is out blood-red.

Another way: After the Air has been drawn off to dryness (to be kept till later!) the residue is
washed with rainwater three times distilled. (Dissolve in the boiling water bath.) We let the feces
precipitate, the liquid is decanted, more distilled water is poured on the feces, again we extract
through the water bath, let the feces precipitate, and decant the liquid. This process is repeated
until there is no more coloring.

The liquids are then poured together.

Now the Fire Element is rectified.

The colored water is distilled to dryness in the water bath. We let the feces precipitate, pour the
liquid off, add new distilled water upon the feces, and extract again. The resulting liquid is added
to the first; the feces are added to the Earth. The extracted liquid is distilled, poured back, the
feces filtered, and so on, until everything is pure. The Fire-Salt is then evaporated in the water
bath through evaporation.

Now the combustible oil is distilled from the Earth and the fecibus; it does not become part of
the work. The Earth is washed out of the residue with distilled water (let it stand in the water
bath for three days), the solution is decanted, further extracted with fresh distilled water, again
decanted, and the feces are extracted yet a third time, after which we throw them out.

The Earth-Salt and the Fire-Salt are now put into a flask, the Air extracted in the beginning is
poured on them, and the liquid is distilled in the ash bath to one pint. (The matter in the
fractionating flask is boiling.)

Ten cohobations now follow; the distillate is therefore poured back each time and again distilled.
In this way the Earth becomes volatile and rises over with the rest. (Of. the Circulatum Minus.)

Now everything is rotated in the pelican at a temperature equal to the heat of the summer sun.
When no more matter rises, we increase the heat until it again stays below.

We increase the fire until the matter remains fixed. After this, we heat once more strongly for 24
hours until the Quinta Essentia (the Stone) no longer rises.

As long as the Stone is still warm, we can take it out of the pelican; it will get hard in the cold.
We can either cast or mold the Stone. It has a red color and is transparent and fluorescent. We
can also let the Stone get hard in the pelican or the congealing glass, and then break the glass to
remove the Stone.

Quintessence of Honey

Now I will open to you a great secret in the Vegetall work of honey. To wit, a marvelous nature:
for it is drawn out of the most noble and pure part of the floures. The nature of Bees is such that
they draw out the best of everything.

Therefore, I would write this, that thou might soon understand what marvelous force is in Honie,
which is taken out of all floures and gathered into one Masse which is truly imbued with sundry
virtues.

If God hath given unto other things the gift of healing, what then is there not in Honie, which is
gathered from many floures and many herbs, and are all endued with a particular virtue? Truly if
it be brought to his height and excellency, it will work marvelously. Now consider what lies
hidden in this Quintessence and esteem it not lightly, but keep it secret as the most excellent
thing of all Animal work. If this is obtained, you will need no other medicines to put away all
accidents of the body.
Now I will set in hand with the practice. Take twelve quarts of the best Virgin Honie and put it in
a great earthern vessel with a Lirnbeck well luted. Set this in Balneo and lute a recipient to the
neck of it and distill that which will distill of it, which is boiling in your Balneo. My son, know
this, that there is no common water in Honie, but only Philosophical and Elemental. For the
element of Aire, oes pass first together with the element of Fire in which the Aire is contained.
The air, when it rises, resembles the savor of Aqua Vitae distilled. Initially, it cannot be
distinguished from Aqua Vitae either by sight or by savor. Distill it then, until no more arises, the
leave the vessel in Balneo five days with a Limbeck and receiver. Let it boil night and day that
the matter may be dried. Cool it now, take it out and remove the receiver and Lirnbeck. That
which is in the receiver pour back into the vessel over the dry matter. Set it back in Balneo and
cover the mouth of the vessel with a clean, well luted dish, and let your Balneum be only
lukewarm.

My son, understand that it may thus be done, for it is good that the fire be drawn with his proper
air, so as a man would stay so long, for it would be of greater force. The ancient Philosophers
wrought in this sort, but the danger is, when the vessels shall be opened, the water may fly away
it being as subtle as wine. For every time the air is to be drawn away, and again to be poured on,
making putrefaction in a warm Balneo, but first it must be well luted and a Limbeck being set on
with a receiver, you must reiterate the work, until the fire rises like red blood. There is yet
another method or rule of working found out in these our days, which is in this sort.
They are thus drawn out and the matter is dried, as has been said. Then take common water
which has been twice distilled in Balneo and pour on as much as is sufficient and set in Balneo.
Cover the mouth of the vessel but dont let the Balneum boil. Let it stand thus for three days and
three nights, moving it day and night with a wooden spatula or spoon that is clean. After this, let
it cool, remove it, pour it out and strain it. Then, take a clean vessel and decant the clear liquid
and then pour on the Feces fresh distilled water (rain water best) as was done before and set the
vessel in Balneo as before. Let it be cleared and put aside with the first water and pour once more
fresh distilled (rain) water and once again set in Balneo. Do this as often as the water is tincted or
colured. When it no longer is tinged, you have separated the fire from the earth. Reserve the
earth, or Faeces, until I tell you further what to do with it, for there is a combustible oil in it.
Take the vessel containing the colored water and set it in Balneo with a Limbeck and receiver
well luted. Distill all the water with a boiling Balneo and let the matter be well dried and cool.
Then take away the Limbec and let the vessel remain in Balneo and pour on again (from the
receiver) the water over the matter and make a fire. Set a dish upon the mouth of the vessel and
let it stand in Balneo three days.Stir this every day, three or four times with a clean wooden
spatula. After this, let it cool, remove it and filter it. Then take a clean vessel and carefully decant
the clear liquid into the vessel and right away pour on the Feces fresh distilled (rain) water,
stirring it with a wooden ladle and let it stand one day to clear (settle) and the Feces that remain,
put them in with the first Feces which has been set aside. Then take a clean vessel and set it in a
boiling Balneo until it is thoroughly dry and repeat this process until there remain no Feces in the
bottom of the vessel. In this way, you shall obtain the pure element of Fire: and the element of
Air must also be so often distilled until there remains nothing in the bottom. This is the manner
in which the pure elements are obtained Separate then the water from the fire, and let it dry. This
will give you a clear shining matter similar to Camphor. Keep the Fire well in a glass contained
and the Air with the Water in another container of glass, well sealed, until you have your earth
prepared.
Take all the earth with the feces and draw out the combustible oil by a discensory, that is, with
two vessels joined together and luted (probably needs a vacuum) until the Combustible oil
passes. This oil is useful for all cold diseases and other passions. If you do not want the
combustible oil, just let it fly away. Then take your earth and calcine it in a reverbatory furnace,
gently, until it be all white as snow. Then take a great earthen or stone vessel and put into it this
white calcined earth on which pour a goodly amount of common distilled water. Stir it with a
woo6en ladle and let it stand three days in a boiling bath and keep it covered with a dish. Daily,
stir it a dozen times. Let it cool, remove the vessel and let it stand to clear, for one day. Now,
take another clean vessel and softy pour out that which is clear decant upon the Feces, again pour
fresh distilled water and once again set it in Balneo. Cool, remove, let stand one day and decant
into the first waters thus obtained. A third time pour fresh distilled water over the Faeces and
repeat the entire process. The Faeces can now be thrown away as they no longer contain any
value.

Take the vessel with these three waters and set it in Balneo with a Limbeck and receiver. With a
boiling Balneo, draw out the water until the matter be dry. Let it cool. Take away the Limbeck
and pour the water (from the receiver) on the earth again and set it in boiling Balneo for one day
Let it dissolve and clear. Decant that which is clear and put in a little distilled water on the Feces,
and let it stand for two or three hours in a warm bath. Remove it from the bath and allow it to
stand for two or three hours and pour out the upper part upon the first waters and the Feces can
be thrown away. Once again set the vessel in Balneo, with the earth, or salt, and distill away the
water until all be dry as before. Repeat this work until no Faeces remain in the bottom. Drain
away the water from the earth and it will be like Crystal. Pure.
Take a great glass that will bear the heat and put into it your Fire and your Earth and pour your
Aire upon it and set it to distill in a furnace, in a pot with sand or ashes, with a Limbeck well
luted, having a hole in the uppermost knottie part that a funnel may be put in when there shall be
a need of Infusion. When as the humidity that it hath received be half consumed, then fortify
your fire a little,gradUally until you see the water start to boil. Keep the fire in this state until the
liquid boils out so that only a pint remains. Remove the fire, let the glass cool and take away the
receiver and open the hole in the Limbeck and put in a glass funnel. (Note Limbeck NOT
removed from vessel) Pour in all the water that distilled over into the receiver. Plug the hole in
the Limbeck and set the recipient to the neck again and lute it well. Distill again making the
same observations and practices as before. Do this ten times. The tenth distillation being
complete, let all pass together as the earth is made volatile. So the Air, the Water, the Fire and
the Earth will ascend together by the Limbeck and be brought into one substance which were in
four. One together in nature and now simple as the incorruptible heaven, yet are they not fixe6:
but notwithstanding they are so coupled together and so intertwined; that by no means can they
be separated. They will continue now together as one body, forever; even as the Chrystalline and
uncorruptible heaven, which notwithstanding, is compounded of the four Elements. What do you
think of this, my Son? Cannot this Quintessence help every disease that now infects man through
his most excellent temperature, whether it be in heat, cold, moist or dry. For all are in it that he
may distribute unto every one that which is necessary; even as the heaven when need requireth,
gives unto the earth all things as coldness, heat or moisture. And yet, it is neither hot, cold, moist
or dry, but of one simple essence, and that imbued with such a nature that it giveth unto
everything that which is necessary. In like manner, this is what this Quintessence does. Therefore
my son, Rejoice~ Give the Almighty God thanks which has opened these things unto the
Philosophers.
Now my son, if you would bring this Quintessence to even greater perfection, take a great
circulatory or Pelican, that is a great glass that hath a great head similar to a Limbeck, and in the
top of the head, a hole by which the matter may be poured in by means of a funnel. This hole is
to be stoppered. Out of the head comes two arms bending around into the belly. This permits that
which goes up to descend again, through the arms back into the belly of the Pelican. This is the
form of the vessel or Pelican, that distills one into the other.

1. Take then your Quintessence and put it into a Pelican and set this into ashes. Better yet, put it
into salt, prepared and dried (like a sand bath) Regulate the fire so that it is like the heat in
summer, the extreme heat. The Quintessence will rise like red oil and fall down again by the
arms of the Pelican. By repeated ascensions, the Quintessence will become thick like wax or
syrup. So much so that it will remain in the bottom eventually, and no longer ascend. At this
point, fortify your fire so that the Quintessence will again ascend and descend. Maintain this heat
until it again will not ascend but remains in the bottom. Make the fire even stronger that it will
once again ascend and descend. Keep this same heat until it again rise no more.

2. Observe this manner of augmenting the fire until the water be fixed and the glass turns red hot.
This will take about twenty four hours all-together. If at the end of this time, the Quintessence no
longer arises, it is indeed fixed and is brought into his highest virtue. Remove it from the glass
while still hot or it will become hard as wax when cooled and you will have to break the glass to
remove it. For when hot, like wax it will become liquid. But when cool it congeals and pierces
every hard thing, as oil does any leather. Its colour is like a Ruby, and through shining like a
Chrystal, it gives light in the dark, sufficient to read by. What do you think of this, my son? Are
there not many strange bodies created by God? Truly he has imbued the Philosophers with no
less gifts, for they that can look into the secrets of nature, shall see it to be an incredible
operation. For this is gathered by Bees of the subtlest parts of all plants, trees, floures and fruits,
and at that time when floures break out and trees bud. It is worthily called the Philosophers
Stone, for it is fixed and liquifiable as Wax and as the mineral Stone transmutes the impure
metals, so does this one alter diseases.

Hereby it appears that this bears the bell among all the Vegetals; whereas it being yet in his
grossness and impure, it is but of small value for.any use in Physick by whatever means it may
be boiled or skimmed off, but always retains his nature because it consists of all the fruits of the
earth, plants and trees. Whereof one herb is hot, another cold, another dry and yet another moist,
one astringent, one laxative, some corrosive and others venomous. So, diverse herbs have diverse
qualities.

3. It comes about that if it helps one disease, by and by it hinders an Other for everything works
according to its properties when as is there made separation in the body. And of this separation is
engendered blood and other humours. They are just like gunpowder in that so long as they sit
still, there comes no harm therefrom. But if it be brought to the fire, it will at once demonstrate
its secret nature and is kindled with a destructive fire. A fire which cannot be quenched with
water, for the cold and dry, hot and moist, strive among themselves, a wind is stirred up that
breaks all things near it. The same thing happens with Honie, that when it comes to the area of
the Liver, it separates there and shows its nature to pass up and swell with wind. It is no surprise
then, that the veins of the Liver can be broken by contention. When this occurs, linposthumes are
created in different places and causes such inflammations that the veins break easily. Although
many highly recommend Honie, these are not Philosophers nor do they understand the nature of
it. But when it is prepared as a Simple, fixed as Wine, then it is the most potent of Medicines
among the Vegetals. There is nothing like it.

Give God thanks and be generous to the poor. The dosage of this is one grain and it must be
taken morning and night on an empty stomach until the disease is gone. Now Praise God.
Diseases of the Eyes, Rheums, Inflammation, Diseases of the Heart, Wolf, Inflammation of the
Liver or Stomach; drives away dreams and fantasies, good for bites of venomous beasts, against
poison that has been drunk, for pestilence, muscles, tendons, wounds and other ailments, and
Canker.