The Book of Quinte Essence or The Fifth Being | Page 6

and putte it
wi[th]ine 8 a uessel, or ellis a pitt maad wi[th] [th]e er[th]e anoy{n}tid
[th]oru[gh]out w{i}t{h} past maad of aischin. And in [th]is vessel or
pitt, bete weel togidere [th]e dou{n}ge; And i{n} [th]e myddil of [th]is
dou{n}g, sette [th]e vessel of distillac{i}ou{n} v{n}to [th]e myddis or
more / For it is nede [th]{a}t al [th]e 12 heed of [th]e vessel be in [th]e
coold eir / [th]{a}t, [th]{a}t [th]{in}g [th]{a}t bi v{er}tu of [th]e fier of
[th]e dou{n}g [th]{a}t ascendith [th]{er}by be turned into watir
[[* Fol. 13b.]]

[*]by v{er}tu of cooldnes of [th]e eir and falle dou{n} a[gh]en and
ascende vp a[gh]en. and [th]us [gh]e haue fier wi[th]oute fier, and but
wi[th] litil 16 traueile.
[Or, place your vessel in the sun's rays.]
Also ano[th]{er} maner of fier. sette [gh]oure vessel forseid to [th]e
strong reuerberaciou{n} of [th]e su{n}ne in somer tyme, and lete it
stonde [th]{er}e ny[gh]t and day. 20
[--How poor evangelic men may get the gracious influence of gold.--]
Here I wole teche [gh]ou how pore eua{n}gelik me{n} may haue
wi[th]oute cost, and almoost for nou[gh]t, [th]e g{ra}cious influence of
gold, and [th]e maner of [th]e fixynge of it in oure heuene, [th]at is,
[Borrow a Florence florin of a rich friend, anneal [?heat] it on a plate of
iron, and throw it into some Burning Water, taking care to quench the
fire quickly to prevent the Water wasting.]
oure q{ui}nta e{ss}encia. if [gh]e be pore, [gh]e schal p{re}ie a riche
man 24 [th]at is [gh]o{ur}e free{n}d to leene [gh]ou a good floreyn of
florence / and anele it vpon a plate of yren as yren is anelid. and haue
biside [gh]ou a uessel of er[th]e glasid, fillid ful of the beste brennynge
watir [th]at [gh]e may fynde. & caste into [th]e watir [th]e floreyn
anelid. and 28 loke [th]at [gh]e haue a sotilte and a slei[gh][th]e to
quenche sodeynly [th]e fier, [th]at [th]e watir waaste not; and be weel
war [th]at no{n} yren touche
[Repeat this 50 times in fresh Water, and then mix all the Waters
together.]
[th]e watir. but af[t]er caste into [th]e watir [th]e floreyn, and do so .l.
tymes or more, for [th]e oftere [th]e bettere it is / And if [gh]e se
[th]{a}t [th]e 32 watir waaste to myche, chaunge it [th]anne, and take
newe, & do so ofte tymes. and whanne [gh]e haue do [gh]oure
quenchour, putte

[The Water draws out all the properties of the gold.]
all [th]e wat{ri}s togidere / And [gh]e schulen vndirstonde [th]at [th]e
v{er}tu of bre{n}nynge watir is sich [th]at naturely it drawi[th] out of
36
[Page 7: HOW TO GILD BURNING WATER OR WINE.]
[Mix the gilt Burning Water with Quinte Essence.]
[[* Fol. 14.]]
gold alle [th]e v{er}tues & p{ro}pirtees of it, & it holdi[th]
incorru{m}ptibilitee & an euene heete. [*][th]anne meynge [th]is
brennynge watir [th]us giltid wi[th] oure q{ui}nte e{ss}ence, and vse it.
but be war [th]{a}t [gh]e quenche not [th]e floreyn in oure q{ui}nte
e{ss}ence; for [th]anne 4
[You may substitute for Burning Water best white wine, which also
retains the powers of gold.]
it were lost / And if it so be [th]at [gh]e haue not [th]is brennynge watir
redy, [th]anne que{n}che [gh]oure floreyn in [th]e beste whi[gh]t wiyn
[th]at may be had / For sikirly [th]e philosophore sei[th], [th]at wiyn
hath also [th]e p{ro}pirtee to restreyne in it [th]e influence and
v{er}tues of 8 gold / And whanne [gh]e haue do [gh]o{ur}e werk,
[gh]e schal wite [th]at [th]e floreyn is als good, & almoost of [th]e
same wei[gh]te, as it was afore / [th]erfore vse wiyn or bre{n}nynge
watir giltid, so [th]{a}t [gh]e may
[This gilt Water will make you well and young again. In it you have the
Sun fixed in our Heaven.]
be hool, and wexe glad, and be [gh]ong. And [th]us [gh]e haue oure 12
heuene, and [th]e su{n}ne in him fixid, to [th]e conseruac{i}ou{n} of
mannys nature and fixaciou{n} of o{ur}e heuene, [th]{a}t is, oure
q{ui}nte e{ss}ence.

['science.']
[--How to gild Burning Water or Wine more thoroughly.--]
The sci{enc}e how [gh]e schule gilde more my[gh]tily by brennynge
16 watir or wiyn [th]an I tau[gh]te you tofore, wherby [th]e wat{er} or
[th]e wiyn schal take to it my[gh]tily [th]e influence & [th]e v{er}tues
of fyne gold.
[Heat calcined gold in a silver spoon and put it in Burning Water or
wine 50 times, as with the florin before.]
Take [th]e calx of fy{n} gold as it is declarid here-aftir in [th]is 20
book, and putte it in a siluer spone, and anele it at [th]e fier. &
[th]a{n}ne caste [th]e cals of the gold in [th]e brennynge watir or i{n}
wiyn .l. times, as I tau[gh]te [gh]ou tofore wi[th] [th]e floreyn. and
[Your liquor will be better gilt, as the fire and Water or wine