The Book of Quinte Essence or The Fifth Being | Page 7

work
more powerfully on the grains of gold than on a plate.]
[gh]e schule haue [gh]oure lico{ur} by an hu{n}drid p{ar}t bettir gilt
[th]an [gh]e 24 had tofore wi[th] [th]e floreyn / Forwhi. fier worchi[th]
more strongly
[[* Fol. 14b.]]
and bett{er}e [*]in sotil p{ar}ties [th]an it doi[th] in an hool plate / And
also bre{n}nynge watir or wiyn drawi[th] out more my[gh]tily bi a
[th]ousand p{ar}t [th]e p{ro}pirtees of gold fro smale p{ar}ties anelid,
[th]an 28
[Wine retains the properties of all liquibles quenched in it.]
it doi[th] fro a [th]icke plate / And [gh]e schal vndirstonde [th]{a}t
wiyn not aloonly holdi[th] in it [th]e p{ro}pirtees of gold, but myche
more [th]e p{ro}pirtees of alle liquibles if [th]ei be quenchid
[th]{er}i{n}ne. and [th]at
[If Saturn (lead) liquefied be quenched in wine, and then Mars (iron) be

quenched in it, Mars acquires the softness of Saturn.]
is a souereyn p{ri}uite: Forwhi, if [gh]e quenche saturne liquified 32 in
wiyn or in comou{n} watir .7. tymes, and aftirward in [th]at wiyn or
watir [gh]e quenche mars manye tymes, [th]a{n}ne mars schal take
algate [th]e neischede and [th]e softnes of saturne / And [th]e same
schal venus do, & alle o[th]{er}e liquibles / or ellis, And [gh]e 36
[Page 8: TO MAKE FIRE WITH NO FIRE. TO CALCINE GOLD.]
[Again, if you quench Mars in wine and put in it Saturn liquefied, this
will be made hard.]
quenche mars in whi[gh]t wiyn or in comou{n} watir manye tymes,
and aftirward in [th]e same wiyn or watir [gh]e caste saturne
liq{ui}fied ofte tymes, [th]anne wi[th]oute doute [gh]e schal fynde
[th]at [th]e saturne is m{aad} ri[gh]t hard / Therfore [th]e p{ro}pirtees
of alle liquibles may 4 be brou[gh]t into wiyn or watir; but myche more
my[gh]tily into brennynge watir good and p{re}cious.
[--To make fire without coals, lime, light, &c.--]
The sci{enc}e to make a fier, [th]at is, wi[th]oute cole, w{i}t{h}oute
lyme, wi[th]oute li[gh]t, worchinge a[gh]ens al maner scharpnes or 8
acc{i}ou{n} of visible fier, ri[gh]t as worchi[th] [th]e fier of helle /
And [th]is p{ri}uytee is so v{er}tuous, [th]{a}t [th]e v{er}tu [th]{er}of
may not al be declarid. And [th]us it is maad. Take Mercurie [th]{a}t is
sublymed
[Mix equal parts of sublimated Mercury, Salt, and Sal Ammoniac,
grind them small, expose them to the air, and they'll turn into water, a
drop of which will eat thro' your hand, and make Venus (copper) or
Jupiter (tin) like pearl.]
[[* Fol. 15]]
w{i}t{h} vit{ri}ol, [*]& co{m}e{n} salt, & sa[l-] armoniac .7. or .10.
tymes 12 sublymed / and meynge hem togidere by euene porc{i}ou{n}.

and grynde it smal, and leye it abrood vpon a marbil stoon; and by
ny[gh]te sette it i{n} a soft cleer eir, or ellis in a coold seler; and
[th]{er}e it wole turne into watir / And [th]anne gadere it togidere i{n}
to 16 a strong vessel of glas, and kepe it / This wat{er} forso[th]e is so
strong, [th]at if a litil drope [th]{er}of falle vpon [gh]oure hond, anoon
it wole p{er}ce it [th]oru[gh]-out; and i{n} [th]e same maner it wole do,
if it falle vpon a plate of venus or Iubiter, into [th]is watir, it turne[th]
20
[If it could be moderated it would cure the disease Hell fire, and every
corrosive sickness.]
hem into lijknes of peerl. who so coude rep{ar}ale & p{re}p{ar}ate
kyndely [th]is fier, wi[th]oute doute it wolde que{n}che anoon a
brennynge sijknes clepid [th]e fier of helle. And also it wolde heele
eu{er}y cor[os]if sijknesse. And manye philosophoris clepi[th] [th]is
24
['sal amarus.']
[It is also called 'Sal Amarus.']
[th]i{n}g in her bookis 'sal amarus,' al [th]ou[gh] [th]ei teche not [th]e
maistrie [th]{er}of / If it be so [th]{a}t [th]is firy watir breke [th]e glas,
and re{n}ne out into [th]e aischen, [th]anne gadere alle togidere
[th]{a}t [gh]e fynde pastid in [th]e aischen / and leye it vpon a marbil
stoon as afore, and it wole 28 t{ur}ne into watir. And [th]is is a greet
p{ri}uytee.
['Scie{n}ce.']
[--To calcine gold.--]
[Cut gold into shavings; put it into a crucible with Mercury; heat it, and
it will crumble into dust like flour. Heat it more till the mercury goes
his way; or distil it, and the gold powder will be in the crucible.]
The sci{enc}e to brynge gold into calx / Take fyn gold, and make it

into smal lymayl: take a crusible wi[th] a good q{ua}ntitee of
Mercur{ie}, and sette it to a litil fier so [th]{a}t it vapoure 32 not, and
putte [th]{er}i{n}ne [th]i lymail of gold, and stire it weel togidere /
[[* Fol. 15b.]]
& aftirward [*]wi[th]i{n}ne a litil tyme [gh]e schal se al [th]e gold
wi[th]i{n}ne [th]e M{er}cur{ie} turned into er[th]e as sotil as flour.
[th]a{n}ne [gh]eue it a good fier, [th]at [th]e M{er}cur{ie} arise and go
his wey; or ellis, 36
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