Ripley - Bossome-Book

The Bosome-Book
of Sir George Ripley,

Canon of Bridlington.

Containing His Philosophical Accurtations in the makeing the Philosophers Mercury and Elixirs.
London, Printed for William Cooper, at the Pelican in Little Britain. 1683.

The Whole Work of the Composition of the Philosophical Stone, of the Great Elixir, and of the first Solution of the gross Body.

First take 30 pound weight of Sericon or Antimony, which will make 21 pound weight of Gum, or near thereabouts, if it be well dissolved, and the Vinegar very good, and dissolve each pound thereof in a Gallon of twice distilled Vinegar when cold again, and as it standeth in Dissolution in a fit Glass Vessel, stirr it about with a clean Stick very often every day, the oftner the better, and when it is well moulten to the bottom, then filter over the said Liquors three several times, which keep close covered, and cast away the Feces, for that is superfluous filth which must be removed, and entreth not into the Work but is called Terra damnata.

The Making of our Gum or Green Lyon.

Then put all these cold Liquors thus filtered into a fit Glass Vessel, and set it into Balneo Mariae to evaporate in a temperate heat, which done our Sericon will be coagulated into a green Gum called our green Lyon, which Gum dry well, yet beware thou burn not his Flowers not destroy his greeness.

The Extraction of our Menstue, or Blood of our Green Lyon.

Then take out the said Gum, and put it into a strong Retort of Glass very well Luted, and place it in your Furnace, and under that at the first, make sober Fire, and anon you shall see a faint Water issue forth, let it waste away; but when you see a white Smoak or fume issue forth, then put too a Receiver of Glass, which must have a very large Belly, and the mouth no wider then it may well receive into that the Neck of the Retort, which close well together that no fume issue forth of the Receiver. Then encrease your Fire by little and little till the fume which issueth be reddish, then continue the greater Fire, until drops like blood come forth, and no more fume will issue forth, and when that leaveth bleeding let it cool or asswage the Fire by little and little, and when all things are cold, then take away the Receiver, and close it fast suddenly, that the Spirits vanish not away, for this Liquor is called, our blessed Liquor, which Liquor keep close stopped in a Glass till hereafter. Then look into the Neck of the Retort, and therein you shall find a white hard Ryme as it were the Congelation of a Frosty vapour or much like sublimate, which gather with diligence and keep it apart, for therein are contained great Secrets which shall be shewed hereafter, after the great Work is ended.

The Creation of our Basis.

Then take out all the Feces which remaineth in the Retort, and are blackish like unto Soot, which Feces are called our Dragon, of which feces Calcyne one pound or more at your pleasure in a fervent hot Fire in a Potters or Glass-makers Furnace, or in a Furnace of vente (or a Wind Furnace) until it become a white Calx, as white as Snow, which white Calx keep well, and clean by it self, for it is called the Basis and Foundation of the Work, and it is now called Mars, and our white fixed Earth or ferrum Philosophorum.

The Calcination of the Black Feces called our Black Dragon.

Then take all the rest of the aforesaid black Feces or black Dragon, and spread them somewhat thin upon a clean Marble, or other fit Stone, and put into the one side thereof a burning Coal, and the Fire will glide through the Feces within half an Hour, and Calcyne them into a Citrine Colour, very glorious to behold.

The Solution of the said Feces.

Then dissolve those Citrine Feces in such distilled Vinegar, as you did before, and then filter it likewise, three times as before, and after make or evaporate it to a Gum again, and then draw out of it more of our Menstruum, called now, Dragons Blood, and iterate this Work in all points as afore, until you have either brought all, or the most part of the Feces into our Natural and blessed Liquor, all which Liquor put to the first Liquor or Menstrue called the Green Lyons Blood, and set that Liquor then altogether in one Vessel of Glass fourteen days in Putrification, and after proceed to the Separation of Elements, for now have you all the Fire of the Stone in this our blessed Liquor, which before lay hidden in the Feces, which Secret all the Philosophers do marvellously hide.

The Separation of the Elements whereof the first is the Air, and is also counted our Ardent-Water, and our Water Attractive.

Then put all the said putrified Menstruum into a Still of fine Venice Glass fit for the quantity thereof, put on the Limbeck, and close it to the Still with a fine Linnen Cloth dipt in the White of an Egg, and then set it in Balneo Mariae, put to the Receiver, which must be of a great length that the Spirit respire not out again, and with very temperate heat separate the Elements one from another, and then the Element of Air will issue forth first, which is an Oyl.

Our Ardent Water or Water Attractive is thus made.

When all the first Element is distilled, then in another Still fit for it, rectify it, that is to say, distil it over 7 several times, and until it will burn a Linnen Cloth clean up that is dipt in it, when it is put to the flame, which then is called our Ardent Water rectified, and it is also called our Water Attractive, which keep very close stopped, for otherwise the Spirit thereof which is very subtil will vanish away.

By often rectifying the Ardent Water, there will come Aer in a white Oyl swimming above the Water, and there will remain behind a yellow Oyl which with a stronger Fire will also come over. Put Sublimate beaten small upon a Plate of Iron, and in the Cold it will dissolve into Water, and filter it then, and put upon it some of the Ardent Water, and it will draw to it self all the Mercury in the form of a green Oyl swimming aloft, which separate and put into a Retort, and distill first a Water, and afterward will come a green thick Oyl which is the Oyl of Mercury.

The Flood or Water of the Stone.

Then draw out the Flood or Water of the Stone by it self in another Receptory, which Liquor will be somwhat white, and draw it with a very gentle Fire of Balneo, until there remain in the bottom of the Still, a thick Oily substance like unto liquid Pitch, keep this Water by it self in a fit Glass very close stopped.

Note when the Liquor cometh white, you must put on another Receiver, for then all that Element is come over, two or three drops of this black Liquid Oyl given in Spirit of Wine cureth all Poyson taken inwardly.

Our Mans Blood is thus Made and Rectified.

Then put our Ardent Water upon that Matter black and liquid, stir them well together, and let it so stand well covered, for 3 Hours then decant and filter it, put on fresh Ardent Water and repeat this Operation 3 times and then distil it again with a moist lent Fire of Balneo, and so do three times, and then it is called Mans blood rectified, which the Workers in the Secrets of Nature do so seek, and so hast thou the Elements exalted in the virtue of their quintessence, namely the Flood that is Water and the Air, let this Blood be kept for a season.

The Oyl or Fire, or the Earth of the Stone.

Then put up the Flood or Water upon the black and soft matter or Earth of the Stone, let them be well mingled together, and then distil the whole until there remain in the bottom, an Earth most dry and black which is the Earth of the Stone, save the Oyl with the Water for a season close stopt in any wise.

The Fiery Water.

Then beat this black Earth into Powder, and mingle it with Mans blood, and so let it stand 3 Hours, after that distil it on Ashes, with a good Fire, and Reiterate this work 3 times, and then it shall be called Water of the Fire rectified, and so hast thou three of the Elements exalted into the Virtue of the quintessence, namely, Water, Air and Fire.

The Earth.

Then Calcine the Earth black and dry, in a Furnace of Reverberation, until it become a very fine white Calx.

The Water of Life which is our Mercury and our Lunary.

Then mingle with this white Calx the Fiery Water, and distil it with a strong Fire all off as before, and Calcine the Earth again that remaineth in the bottom of the Still, and then distil it again with a strong Fire as before, and again Calcine it, and thus distil and Calcine 7 times until all the Substance of the Calx be lifted up by the Limbeck, and then hast thou the Water of Life rectified and made indeed Spiritual, and so hast thou the 4 Elements exalted in the Virtue of their quintessence. This Water will dissolve all Bodies and putrefy them and Purge them, and this is our Mercury and our Lunary, and whosoever thinketh that there is any other Water then this, is Ignorant and a Fool, and shall never be able to come to the effect.

A Grand Secret or Accurtation of Sr. George Ripley, for the Help of those which have made the Philosophers Mercury and whose Poverty disables them to Proceed to either the Red or White Elixir.

Take the Cerus or Cream of the finest and purest Cornish Tinn moulten, reduce it into fine white Calx, put it into a fit Glass Still, and thereupon pour a convenient quantity of our Mercury, when it is our Lunary perfect, then distil that Mercury from the Calx again, and imbibe it therewith again, and again distill and reiterate this work until the Calx is become subtil and Oyly, yea and so subtil indeed, that it will flow upon a Plate of Copper Fiery hot as Wax, and not evaporate, which then will convert Copper into fine Silver, for the softness and neshness of the Tinn is taken away by the benefit of our Mercury confixed unto it by Virtue of which, it is made indurate and clean that it may agree with hard Bodies in fusion and in Malleation even as pure Silver. This work is very gainful and easie to be dealt withal, use it therefore until thou be Rich, and then I pray thee for our Lords sake go to the great work, which is hear truly set forth unto thee, according as by Practice I have wrought and proved the same. For the which thank God.

The Oyl which is the Element of Fire, and our Red Mercury.

The Flood with the Oyl afore reserved shall be distilled with a most lent Fire of Balneo, and the red Oyl which remaineth in the bottom shall be diligently kept by it self, for it is the Element of Fire, and the Water shall be rectified again, and the same work iterated, until no more of our said red Lunary will remain in it.

The Work of Putrification.

When all your Elements be thus separated, then take the white Calcined Feces first of all reserved, called Mars, and put so much thereof into a Chymia as will scarcely fill half the Glass, and thereupon pour so much of our Ardent Water rectified as may but well cover the Calx which done incontinent stop close the Glass with a Blind-head, and set it into a cold place, until the Calx have drank up all the Liquor, which it will do in 8 days, then imbibe it again with the like quantity of the same Water and let it stand eight days more, and so Reiterate the work, from 8 days to 8 days, until the same Calx will drink no more; but stand Liquid still, then Seal up the Glass with a Hermes seal and set it in Balneo Mariae in a temperate heat to Putrifaction.

The Digestion of the White Stone.

Then in that temperate Balneo let your Glass stand unremoved by the space of fully 150 days, and until the Stone within the Glass become first Russet, and after whitish green, and after that very white like unto the Eyes of Fishes, which then is Sulphur of Nature flowing, and not evaporating in Fire, and our white Stone ready to be firmented.

Another Secret Accurtation of Sr. George Ripley.

Take the above said Sulphur of Nature, and project a quantity upon a Plate of Glass fiery hot, and the Glass shall be converted into a Silver Colour, and that Colour shall not be removed by any Art.

The Digestion of the Red Stone.

Then take out the white Stone and divide it in to two, and know the true weight of each half, the one half reserve to the white work, the other half put into the Glass, and seal it up again with Hermes Seal, and then remove the Glass into a Cinerition which is somewhat a hotter Fire, and let it stand there likewise unremoved in that digestion, until it become Red, and of a Purple Colour, so have you the red Stone also ready to be fermented.

The Preparation of the Ferment to the white-Stone.

Then take Silver well purged from all Metalls, and other filth that may be joyned with it, and dissolve it in as much of our Lunary, which is our Mercury as the quantity of your Silver is, and in no greater quantity as near as you may, and set it upon warm Ashes close covered, and when it is thoroughly dissolved, the whole Liquor will be green, then rectifie our Mercury, clean from it again twice or thrice, so that no drop of our Mercury be left with it, then seal up the Oyl of Luna in a Chemia, and set it in Balneo to putrefie, until it shew all Colours, and at the last come to be Christaline white, which then is the white Ferment of Ferments.

The Fermentation of the White-Stone.

Then put that half of the white Stone before reserved, for the white-Work into a fit Glass, and know his weight, and put so much of the foresaid Lune Ferment into the Glass with the Stone as may contain the 4th part of the said Stone, and in the said Glass well luted fix them together, in a fixatory Vessel under the Fire, which will be well done in 2 or 3 days.

The Inceration of the White-Stone.

When they are thus fixed together, and become one very fine Powder, incerate, that is to say, imbibe it with the white Oyl of our Stone, which is our Lunary by pouring on as it were drop after drop, until the Stone be Oylish, then congeal it, and again imbibe it, and in this manner iterate this work, until this Stone will flow in Fire like Wax, when it is put upon a Plate of Copper Fiery hot and not evaporate, and congeal it up until it be hard, white and transparent clear as Chrystal, then it is the Medicine of the third degree, and the perfect white Stone, transmuting all Metaline Bodies, and chiefly Copper and Iron, into pure and perfect Silver.

The Preparation of the Red-Ferment.

Then likewise take Gold very purely, first purged from all other Metals that may be joyned with it, with ten parts of Antimony, and then dissolve it in our Mercury or Liquor Solutive, as before you did the Lune, and when it is perfectly dissolved the Liquor will be Citrine; then in like manner, rectifie from it again our Mercury or Liquor Solutive, and then Seal up the Oyl of Gold Ferment in a Chemia fit for it, and set it in Balneo to Putrefie, which likewise will become black, and must stand still unremoved in digestion, until it become white, which then remove into a stronger Fire without opening the Glass, and then keep it until it change Colours and become Citrine, which then is also Ferment of Ferments for the Red-work.

The Fermentation of the Red-Stone.

Then to the other half of the Stone before rubified, digested, and reserved for the Red-work, put so much of the foresaid Gold Ferment as may contain the 4th part of the said Stone, and then fix them as you did the white-Stone, under Fire in a fixatory Vessel which will be then very well done in two or three days.

The Work of Inceration for the Red.

When they are thus fixed together, and thereby become one very fine Powder, incerate, that is imbibe it with the Red Oyl of our Stone, then congeal it again, and again imbibe, and congeal and iterate this work so often until it will flow in Fire as Wax; but not evaporate when it is put upon a Plate of Copper Fiery hot, which then congeal up until it be clear transparent hard, red in Colour like a Ruby or Jacinth, which is then the Medicine of the third Degree, and the perfect Red Stone, transmuting all Bodies, and especially Mercury, Lead and Silver into pure Gold, as any of the Natural Mine.
Thus have you the making of the Philosophers Stones, both White and Red, which is the great Secret of Philosophers. These Stones must be kept by themselves in several Glasses, or fair Boxes in a warm place, or dry at the least, as you would keep Sugar, because they are of so tender and Oyly Substance, as they are apt to dissolve in every moist place which therefore preserve as is here shewed.

The Multiplication or Increase of the Vertue and Goodness of the aforesaid White and Red Stones.

If you list to exalt your Medicine or Stone in quantity or goodness, then put your aforesaid white or red Stone, or part of each into a several Vyol of Glass fit for the quantity, close well the Viol, then hang up your Glass or Glasses in Balneo Mariae vaporoso so that it touch not the Water, in this warm fume or breath, the Stone which was congealed before in the Glass will now be dissolved, which then congeal again upon warm Ashes, and again thus dissolve and congeal, and so iterate this work of dissolution and congelation until at last the Stone within the Glass dissolved will be congealed, as soon as he cometh out of the Pot or Balneo, and feeleth the cold Air, without any other manner of Congelation to be used, and note that how often in this work you do dissolve and congeal your said Medicine or Stone, so many times doth he increase his Virtue ten times in projection, so that if at the first one ounce will convert 100 ounces, after the second Solution, the same one shall convert 1000, after the third 10000, after the fourth time 100000, and after the fifth 1000000 parts of any imperfect Metal into pure and true Gold and Silver in all Examinations as any of the Natural Mine.

The Way of Projection.

Because it is very combersom to melt a thousand thousand parts of any Body, when you will make Projection thus do. Take 100 ounces of Mercury first washed with Salt, and Vineger, and put it into a Crucible, and set it over the Fire, and when that doth begin to Wax hot, put in one ounce of your Elixir or Medicine thus prepared as afore taught you, upon that hundred parts of the cleansed Mercury, and all the said Mercury shall become Medicine, project, one ounce of that Medicine upon another 100 ounces, of other washed Mercury, and it shall all also be converted into Medicine, again the 3 time project one ounce of this congealed Mercury, upon another 100 ounces of washed Mercury, and all shall be converted into Medicine, then project, the 4th time 1 ounce of this, last congealed Mercury, upon another 100 ounces of other washed Mercury, and all that shall be converted into Gold or Silver, according as your Stone was prepared, to the white or red, praised be God.

Accurtation of the Great Work which Raved half the Work and Labour in the Work revealed by Sr. George Ripley.

The white Frosty Ryme or Powder whereof I told you in the beginning, being found in the Neck of the Retort, after the drawing of the Menstrue is like Sublimate, and is perfect Sulphur of Nature, and therefore needeth neither Putrifaction nor Digestion unto white, of this Sulphur take either the half, or the whole if you list, and also take so much of the Lune Ferment, when it is Firment of Ferments as may contain the 4th part of the said Sulphur, seal them up both together in a Chemia and fix them together under the Fire in a fixatory Vessel, which will be well done in three days, and when they are become one very fine White Powder, then Incerate, that is to say, Imbibe it with the White Oyl of our Stone, which is our Mercury, congealed, and imbibe and iterate this Work, and in all points do as you did in the White Work, in the great Elixir before, for this Sulphur is of the same Nature, and thus shall you have the white Work perfectly made, and the Stone in half the time, and with half the Labour; which is not only a precious Jewel, but a great secret also.

The like Accurtation of the Red-Work done by the aforesaid Sulphur.

Take either the one half or the whole of this abovesaid Sulphur of Nature, and dissolve it once with our red Mercury congeal it again, and then Seal it up in Chymea and set it in Cinerition (or Ashes) till it be thoroughly digested, and until it hath put on his Purple Colour or Fiery Chariot, then put thereunto so much of the Ferment of Soll, when it is Ferment of Ferments, as may contain the 4th part of the said Sulphur, then fix them together under a Fire in a fixatory Vessel, which will be well done in 3 days, and when they be become one very fine Red Powder, then Incerate, that is, Imbibe it with the red Oyl of our Stone, which is our red Mercury and red Lunary, and Fire of the Stone, and continue in doing in all points as in the great Work aforesaid until the Stone be hard, transparent in Colour like a Ruby or Jacinth flowing in Fire, and not evaporating, then have you with less Labour and Expense of time the perfect Red-Stone for the which thank God.

This is the pleasant and dainty Garden of the Philosophers, which beareth the sweet smelling Roses white and red, abbreviated out of all the Work of the Philosophers, containing in it nothing superfluous or diminished, teaching to make infinitely Gold or Silver according as the Medicine was prepared, having Vertue to heal also all Griefs and Sicknesses as well proceeding of cold as of hot Causes through the subtilty of his Nature, above all other Medicines of Physitians, for it comforteth the Healthy, strengthneth the weak, and maketh the Aged seem Young, and driveth away all Grief, and putteth venom from the Heart, it moysteth the Arteries and joynts it dissolveth all things in the Lungs, it cleanseth the Blood, it purgeth the Pipes, and keepeth them clean, and if the Sickness be of one Months continuance, it healeth it in one day, if of one Years continuance, it healeth it in 12 days, and if the grief be very old, it healeth in one Month. To conclude, whosoever hath this Medicine, he hath an incomparable Medicine above all Treasures of the World, Praise God.