The Book of Quinte Essence or The Fifth Being | Page 4

[th]e son{ne} of oure heuene, lich as sol [th]e
planet is in [th]e heuene aboue; for [th]is planete [gh]eue[th] to gold his

influence,
[Our Quinte Essence is the colour of heaven; gold makes it fair; and the
two work in us (so far as is possible) renewal of youth, and give health
plenteously.]
[[* Fol. 11b.]]
nature, colo{ur}, & a substaunce i{n}corruptible. And oure q{ui}nta
e{ss}encia, mannys heuene, is of [th]e nature [*]& [th]e colour of
heuene / 20
And oure sol, [th]{a}t is, fyn gold of [th]e myne, schal make it fair,
ri[gh]t as sol [th]e planete maki[th] heuene fair / and so [th]ese two
togidere ioyned schal [gh]eue influence in us, and [th]e condiciou{n}s
of heuene and of heuenly so{n}ne / in as miche as it is possible in
deedly 24 nature, conseruac{i}ou{n} and restorynge of nature lost, &
renewynge
[As Aries, Taurus, and Gemini draw humours from the head and breast,
and not the limbs beneath, so those spices that do draw from these
limbs get their power from Capricorn, &c.]
of [gh]ong[th]e / And it schal [gh]eue plenteuously heel[th]e: and so it
is p{re}ued by astronomy aboue, [th]at sterris [th]at ha[th] influence
vpon [th]e heed and [th]e necke of ma{n} / as be{n} [th]e sterris of
aries, taurus, 28
['N{ot}a.']
and gemini, [gh]eue{n} influence syngulerly vpo[-n] Gerapigra galieni
/ And [th]{er}fore it ha[th] a synguler strenk[th]e, by [th]e
ordynau{n}ce of god, to drawe awey [th]e sup{er}flue humouris fro
[th]e heed, [th]e necke, and [th]e brest, and not fro [th]e membris
byne[th]e / And so I seie of 32 spicis [th]at drawi[th] humouris fro [th]e
knees, [th]e leggis, and [th]e feet, [th]at resseyuen a synguler influence
of [th]e sterris of Cap{ri}corn,

[Tell not these Divine secrets to wicked men.]
Aquarie and pisces, & ri[gh]t so of o[th]{er}e, {et} c{etera} /
Comou{n}ne [gh]e not [th]is book of deuyne secretes to wickid me{n}
and auerous; 36
[Page 4: THE 1st WAY TO MAKE QUINTE ESSENCE.]
['aq{u}a vite']
[--To make Quinte Essence.--]
[Take the best wine, or any not sour; distil it, and the 4 Elements shall
be left like dregs.]
but kepe [gh]e it in p{ri}uytee / Take [th]e beste wiyn [th]at [gh]e may
fynde, if [gh]e be of power; & if [gh]e be ri[gh]t pore, [th]anne take
corrupt wiyn, [th]{a}t is, rotyn, of a wat{er}y humour, but not egre,
[th]{a}t is, sour, for [th]e q{ui}nt e{ss}encia [th]{er}of is naturaly
incorruptible 4 [th]e which [gh]e schal drawe out by sublymac{i}ou{n}
/ And [th]a{n}ne schal [th]{er} leue in [th]e grou{n}d of [th]e vessel
[th]e .4. eleme{n}tis, as it
[Distil 7 times to get Burning Water; put this in a Distiller in a furnace,
and let the vapour rise, condense, and be distilled till it is turned into
Quinte Essence, and parted from the 4 elements.]
were, rotu{n} fecis of wiyn / But firste [gh]e muste distille [th]is
wiyn .7. tymes; & [th]a{n}ne haue [gh]e good bre{n}nynge watir /
Forso[th]e, 8
[[* Fol. 12.]]
[th]is is [th]e watri mat{er} [*]fro which is drawe oure q{ui}nta
e{ss}encia / Thanne muste [gh]e do make in [th]e furneis of aischin, a
distillatorie
['vas']

of glas al hool of oo. pece, wi[th] an hoole a-boue in [th]e heed, where
[th]e watir schal be putt yn, and be take out / And [th]is is a 12
wondirful instrument [th]{a}t [th]{a}t [th]ing [th]{a}t by v{er}tues of
fier ascendith and distillith wi[th]i{n}ne [th]e vessel, p{er} canales
brachiales, [th]{a}t is, by pipis lich to armys, be bore a[gh]en, and
eftsoones ascendith, & eft desce{n}di[th] contynuely day and ny[gh]t,
til [th]e bre{n}nynge wat{er} 16 heuenly be turned into q{ui}nta{m}
e{ss}encia{m} / And so bi continuell{e} ascenciou{n}s &
discenciou{n}s, [th]e q{ui}nta e{ss}encia is dep{ar}tid fro [th]e
corruptible composiciou{n} of [th]e .4. eleme{n}tis. For bifore [th]{a}t
[th]ing [th]{a}t is twies sublymed is more glorified, and 20 is more
sotil, and fer fro{m} [th]e corru{m}pciou{n} of [th]e .4. eleme{n}tis
more sep{ar}at [th]a{n} wha{n}ne it ascendith but oonys; and so vnto
['N{ot}a.']
[Distil it 1000 times, and it shall be glorified and become a medicine
incorruptible as heaven.]
a [th]ousand tymes, so [th]at by coutynuel ascendynge and
descendynge, by the which it is sublymed to so myche hi[gh]nes of
glorificaciou{n}, 24 it schal come [th]{a}t it schal be a medicyn
incorruptible almoost as heuene aboue, and of [th]e nature of heuene /
And [th]{er}fore oure q{ui}nta e{ss}encia wor[th]ily is clepid 'mannys
heuene' /
[After many days unstop your distiller, and if there issues out a
heaven-sweet savour, you have our Quinte Essence. If not, distil again
till you have.]
And aftir manye daies [th]at it hath be in [th]is sotil vessel of glas 28
distillid / [gh]e schulen opene [th]e hoole of [th]e vessel in [th]e heed
[th]at
['lute']
w{a}s selid with [th]e seel of lute of wijsdom, maad of [th]e sotillest
flour, and of white of