The Book of Quinte Essence or The Fifth Being (1889) Edited From British Museum MS. Sloane 73 About 1460-70 A.D. by Unknown

Book of Quinte Essence
or
The Fifth Being;

That is to say,
Manâ—s Heaven.
A tretice in englisch breuely drawe out of Ã¾e book of quintis

eessencijs in latyn, Ã¾at hermys Ã¾e prophete and
kyng of Egipt, after Ã¾e flood of Noe
fadir of philosophris, hadde by
reuelacioun of an aungil
of god to him
sende.
Edited from
British Museum MS. Sloane 73
about 1460-70 A.D.
by
FREDERICK J. FURNIVALL
Published for
THE EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY
by the
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
LONDON Â· NEW YORK Â· TORONTO
FIRST PUBLISHED 1866

REVISED EDITION 1889
REPRINTED 1965
Original Series, No. 16
REPRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY RICHARD CLAY

(THE CHAUCER PRESS) LTD., BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
Book of Quinte Essence 1

Quinte Essence
The odd account of the origin of this Treatise—in its first lines—caught my eye as I was turning over the
leaves of the Sloane Manuscript which contains it. I resolved to print it as a specimen of the curious fancies
our forefathers believed in (as I suppose) in Natural Science, to go alongside of the equally curious notions
they put faith in in matters religious. And this I determined on with no idea of scoffing, or pride in modern
wisdom; for I believe that as great fallacies now prevail in both the great branches of knowledge and feeling
mentioned, as ever were held by man. Because once held by other men, and specially by older Englishmen,
these fancies and notions have, or should have, an interest for all of us; and in this belief, one of them is
presented here.
The loss of my sweet, bright, only child, Eena, and other distress, have prevented my getting up any cram on
the subject of Quintessence to form a regular Preface. The (translated?) original of the text is attributed to
Hermes—Trismegistus, â—or the thrice great Interpreter,â— so called as â—having three parts of the
Philosophy of the whole worldâ—1—to whom were credited more works than he wrote. The tract appears to
be a great fuss about Alcohol or Spirits of Wine; how to make it, vi and get more or less tipsy on it, and what
wonders it will work, from making old men young, and dying men well, to killing lice.
The reading of the proof with the MS. was done by Mr. Edmund Brock, the Societyâ—s most careful and able
helper. To Mr. Cockayne I am indebted for the identification of some names of plants, &c.; and to Mr. Gill of
University College, London, for some Notes on the Chemistry of the treatise, made at the request of my friend
Mr. Moreshwar Atmaram.2 The Sloane MS. I judge to be about, but after, a.d.3 The later copy (Harleian MS.
853, fol. 66) seems late 16th century or early 17th,3 and has been only collated for a few passages which
require elucidation. The pause marks of the MS. and text require to be disregarded occasionally in reading.
Egham, 16th May, 1866.
P.S. The short side-notes in inverted commas on and after p. 16 (save â—5 Meâ— and the like) are by a later
hand in the MS. The â—Spheresâ— on p. 26, and the â—Contents,â— p. vii-viii, are now added.—F. 1889.
1. The Mirror of Alchimy, composed by the thrice-famous and learned Fryer, Roger Bachon, 1597.
2. Mr. M.A. Tarkhad has been for many years Vice-Principal of the Rajkumar College, for the sons of the native
Chiefs of Rajkote.—1889.
3. Mr. E.A. Bond of the British Museum has kindly looked at the MSS., and puts the Sloane at 1460-70 a.d., and
the Harleian at about 1600.
vii
CONTENTS.
BOOK I.
PROLOG: GODâ—S GREATEST SECRET 1

QUINTE ESSENCE DEFINED: ITS QUALITIES 2
HOW TO MAKE QUINTE ESSENCE 4
1ST WAY 4
2ND WAY 5
3RD WAY 5
4TH WAY 5
REPRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY RICHARD CLAY(THE CHAUCER PRESS) LTD., BUNGAY, SUFFOLK2
Quinte Essence
5TH WAY 6
HOW POOR EVANGELIC MEN MAY GET THE GRACIOUS INFLUENCE OF GOLD 6
HOW TO GILD BURNING WATER OR WINE MORE THOROUGHLY 7
HOW TO MAKE FIRE WITHOUT COALS, LIME, LIGHT, ETC. 8
HOW TO CALCINE GOLD 8
HOW TO SEPARATE GOLD FROM SILVER 9
HOW TO GET ITS QUINTE ESSENCE OUT OF GOLD 9
HOW TO GET ITS QUINTE ESSENCE OUT OF ANTIMONY 10
HOW TO GET ITS QUINTE ESSENCE OUT OF MANâ—S BLOOD 11
HOW TO GET ITS QUINTE ESSENCE OUT OF THE 4 ELEMENTS 12
HOW TO FIX ALL EARTHLY THINGS IN OUR QUINTE ESSENCE 13
viii
BOOK II.
HOW TO MAKE AN OLD EVANGELIC MAN YOUNG 15

HOW TO CURE A MAN GIVEN UP BY DOCTORS 15
HOW TO CURE THE LEPROSY 16
HOW TO CURE THE PALSY 16
HOW TO FATTEN LEAN AND CONSUMPTIVE MEN 17
HOW TO CURE FRENSY, GOUT, AND TROUBLES FROM DEVILS, WICKED THOUGHTS, ETC. 17
HOW OUR QUINTE ESSENCE IS HEAVEN 19
HOW TO CURE THE GOUT 19
HOW TO CURE THE ITCH, AND KILL LICE 19
HOW TO CURE QUARTAN FEVER 20
HOW TO CURE CONTINUAL (CHRONIC) FEVER 21
HOW TO CURE TERTIAN FEVER 21
HOW TO CURE DAILY OR QUOTIDIAN FEVER 21
HOW TO CURE AGUE, FEVER, AND LUNACY 22
HOW TO CURE FRENZY AND MADNESS 22
HOW TO CURE CRAMP 22
HOW TO CAST POISON OUT OF A MANâ—S BODY 23
HOW TO MAKE A COWARD BOLD AND STRONG 23
HOW TO CURE PESTILENTIAL FEVER 23
HOW THIS QUINTE ESSENCE IS FOR HOLY MEN ONLY 25
THE SPHERES AND THE PLANETS 26

MR. GILLâ—S NOTES ON THE CHEMISTRY OF THE TEXT 27
GLOSSARY 29
BOOK I. 3
Quinte Essence
THE BOOK OF QUINTE ESSENCE
OR THE FIFTH BEING;

THAT IS TO SAY,
MANâ—S HEAVEN.
[Sloane MS. 73, fol. 10. Brit. Mus.]
BOOK I.
[Fol. 10.] By the grace of God I translate

W ith Ã¾e myÈt, wisdom, & grace of Ã¾e holy trynite, I
you this Treatise revealed to
Hermes by an angel after
write to Èou a tretice in englisch breuely drawe out of Ã¾e Noahâ—s flood, that the
book of quintis essencijs in latyn, Ã¾at hermys Ã¾e knowledge of this book may be
prophete and kyng of Egipt, after the flood of Noe, fadir of preserved to the end of the
philosophris, hadde by reuelacioun of an aungil of god to him world.
sende, Ã¾at Ã¾e wijsdom and Ã¾e science of Ã¾is book
schulde not perische, but be kept and preserued vnto Ã¾e
eende of Ã¾e world, of alle holy men from al wickid peple
and tyrauntis, for greet perilis Ã¾at myÈte falle Ã¾erof. For
wiÃ¾inne Ã¾is breue tretis, wiÃ¾ Ã¾e grace of god, I
wole more determine of practif1 Ã¾an of theorik. Èitt ben
boÃ¾e nedeful /
The firste and souereyneste priuyte Ã¾at god, maker of Godâ—s greatest secret for
kynde, ordeyned for mannys nede, how Ã¾at olde euangelik manâ—s need is how to restore
men, and feble in kynde, myÈte be restorid, and haue aÈen old feeble men to the strength
of their youth,
her firste strenkÃ¾is of ÈongÃ¾e in Ã¾e same degree Ã¾at
is in al kynde, & be mad hool parfiÈtly,
except Ã¾e strok of Ã¾e Ã¾undir blast, & violent brusuris, except in case of thunder-blast,
and oppressynge of to myche betynge / Also perilous and too much fasting, and the
fallyngis of hiÈ placis, to myche abstynence, & oÃ¾ere yuel term set for all men.
gouernaunce aÈens kynde, And also Ã¾e teerme Ã¾at is
sett of god, Ã¾at noman may a-schape, as Iob seiÃ¾ in
latyn /
â—Breues dies hominis sunt &c.â— â—Nota.â—
2 THE NAMES ForsoÃ¾e philosophoris clepen Ã¾e purest substaunce of The purest substance of
AND QUALITIES manye corruptible Ã¾ingis elementid, â—quinta corruptible things is Quinte
OF QUINTE essencia,â— Ã¾at is to seie, â—mannys heuene,â— drawe Essence or manâ—s heaven.
ESSENCE. out by craft of mani;2 for whi, as quinta essencia superior,
Ã¾at is, heuene of oure lord god, in reward of Ã¾e .iiij
elementis, is yncorruptible & vnchaungeable /
[* Fol. 10b.] riÈt so *quinta essencia superior inferior, Ã¾at is to seie, Quinte Essence is incorruptible
mannys heuene, is incorruptible, in reward of Ã¾e .4. as to the four qualities of
qualitees of mannys body; and so it is preued naturaly Ã¾at manâ—s body,
oure quinta essencia, Ã¾at is, mannes heuene, in it-silf3 is
incorruptible; and so it is not hoot and drie wiÃ¾ fier / ne
THE BOOK OF QUINTE ESSENCE 4

Quinte Essence
coold and moist wiÃ¾ watir / ne hoot & moist with eyr, ne
coold and drie wiÃ¾ erÃ¾e; but oure quinta essencia
avayliÃ¾ to Ã¾e contrarie, as heuene incorruptible /
But vndirstonde Ã¾at oure qui[n]ta essencia is nouÈt so but not as the heaven of God.
incorruptible as is heuene of oure lord god; but it is
incorruptible in reward of composicioun maad of Ã¾e .4.
elementis;
& it hath .iij. names by the philosophoris, Ã¾at is to seie / It is called, 1. Burning Water;
brennynge watir / Ã¾e soule in Ã¾e spirit of wyn, & watir 2. the Soul in the spirit of
of lijf / But whanne Èe wole concelle it, Ã¾anne schal Èe Wine; 3. Water of Life; and if
you wish to conceal it, Quinte
clepe it â—oure quinta essenciaâ—; for Ã¾is name, & Ã¾e
Essence.
nature Ã¾erof, riÈt fewe philosophoris wolde schewe / but
sikurly Ã¾ei biriede Ã¾e truÃ¾e with hem. and witiÃ¾
weel that it is clepid brennynge watir; and it is no brennyng
watir:
forwhi, it is not moist ne coold as comoun watir; for it It is neither moist and cold like
brenneÃ¾, & so doiÃ¾ not comyn watir; water,
ne it is nat hoot and moist as eir, for eir corrumpiÃ¾ a Ã¾ing nor hot and moist like air,
a-noon, as it schewiÃ¾ weel by generacioun of flies, &
areins, and siche oÃ¾ere; but sikirly Ã¾is is alwey
incorruptible, if it be kept cloos fro fliÈt /
Also it is not coold and drie as erÃ¾e. for souereynly it nor cold and dry like earth, nor
worchiÃ¾ & chaungiÃ¾. And it is not hoot and drie as fier, hot and dry like fire.
as it schewiÃ¾ by experience; for hoot Ã¾ingis it keliÃ¾, &
hoot sijknessis it doiÃ¾ awey /
[* Fol. 11.] Also Ã¾at it ÈeueÃ¾ incorruptibilite, and kepiÃ¾ a Ã¾ing It gives incorruptibility, for it
fro corruptibilite *and rotynge, it is preued Ã¾us / Forwhi. prevents dead flesh from
what pece of fleisch, fisch, or deed brid, be putt Ã¾erinne, it rotting,
schal not corru[m]pe ne rote whilis it is Ã¾erinne /
miche more Ã¾anne it wole kepe quyk fleisch of mannys and much more the living flesh
body from al manere corruptibilite and rotynge / This is oure of man. It is Manâ—s Heaven,
quinta essencia, Ã¾at is to seie, mannys heuene, Ã¾at god preserving his body as Heaven
does the world.
made to Ã¾e 3 conseruacioun of Ã¾e .4. qualitees of
mannys body, riÈt as he made his heuene to Ã¾e
conseruacioun of al Ã¾e world /
And wite Èe for certeyn Ã¾at manye philosophoris and Many know it not now for their
lechis Ã¾at ben now, knowe nouÈt Ã¾is quinta essencia, ne covetousness and vice.
Ã¾e truÃ¾e Ã¾erof / Forwhi; god wole not Ã¾at Ã¾ei
knowe it; for her greet brennynge coueitise & vicious
lyuynge /
THE NATURE ForsoÃ¾e quinta essencia superior, Ã¾at is to seie, heuene But as Godâ—s Heaven is
AND WORKING of oure lord god bi him silf / Aloone / ÈeueÃ¾ not aided by sun and stars, so our
OF QUINTE conseruacioun in Ã¾e world, and wondirful influence, but by Heaven, or Quinte Essence, is
ESSENCE. made fair by the sun mineral, or
Ã¾e vertue of Ã¾e sunne, planetis, and oÃ¾ere sterris; riÈt
pure gold of the mine, not of
so oure quinta essencia, Ã¾at is, mannys heuene, wole be alchemy.
maad fair wiÃ¾ Ã¾e sunne mineralle, fynyd, schynynge,
incorruptibile; and euene in qualite Ã¾at fier may not
appeire, corrumpe, ne distroie. and Ã¾is is verry gold of
Ã¾e myn, of Ã¾e erÃ¾e, or of Ã¾e floodis gaderid /
BOOK I. 5
Quinte Essence
for gold of alkamy maad with corosyues distroieÃ¾ kynde, â—Nota.â—

as aristotle and manye oÃ¾ere philosophoris prouen /
and Ã¾erfore good gold naturel, & of Ã¾e myn of Ã¾e Good natural gold is called Sol,
erbe, is clepid of philosophoris â—solâ— in latyn; for he is because Sol the planet gives
Ã¾e sonne of oure heuene, lich as sol Ã¾e planet is in Ã¾e gold its power, colour, &c.
heuene aboue; for Ã¾is planete ÈeueÃ¾ to gold his
influence, nature, colour, & a substaunce incorruptible.
[* Fol. 11b.] And oure quinta essencia, mannys heuene, is of Ã¾e nature Our Quinte Essence is the
*& Ã¾e colour of heuene / And oure sol, Ã¾at is, fyn gold colour of heaven; gold makes it
of Ã¾e myne, schal make it fair, riÈt as sol Ã¾e planete fair; and the two work in us (so
far as is possible) renewal of
makiÃ¾ heuene fair / and so Ã¾ese two togidere ioyned
youth, and give health
schal Èeue influence in us, and Ã¾e condiciouns of heuene plenteously.
and of heuenly sonne / in as miche as it is possible in deedly
nature, conseruacioun and restorynge of nature lost, &
renewynge of ÈongÃ¾e /
And it schal Èeue plenteuously heelÃ¾e: and so it is preued As Aries, Taurus, and Gemini
by astronomy aboue, Ã¾at sterris Ã¾at haÃ¾ influence draw humours from the head
vpon Ã¾e heed and Ã¾e necke of man / as ben Ã¾e sterris and breast, and not the limbs
beneath,
of aries, taurus, and gemini, Èeuen influence syngulerly
vponÌ— Gerapigra galieni /
â—Nota.â—
And Ã¾erfore it haÃ¾ a synguler strenkÃ¾e, by Ã¾e so those spices that do draw
ordynaunce of god, to drawe awey Ã¾e superflue humouris from these limbs get their
fro Ã¾e heed, Ã¾e necke, and Ã¾e brest, and not fro Ã¾e power from Capricorn, &c.
membris byneÃ¾e / And so I seie of spicis Ã¾at drawiÃ¾
humouris fro Ã¾e knees, Ã¾e leggis, and Ã¾e feet, Ã¾at
resseyuen a synguler influence of Ã¾e sterris of Capricorn,
Aquarie and pisces, & riÈt so of oÃ¾ere, et cetera /
Comounne Èe not Ã¾is book of deuyne secretes to wickid Tell not these Divine secrets to
men and auerous; 4 but kepe Èe it in priuytee / wicked men.
THE 1ST WAY Take Ã¾e beste wiyn Ã¾at Èe may fynde, if Èe be of power; â—aqua viteâ—
TO MAKE & if Èe be riÈt pore, Ã¾anne take corrupt wiyn, Ã¾at is,
QUINTE rotyn, of a watery humour, but not egre, Ã¾at is, sour, for To make Quinte Essence.
ESSENCE.
Ã¾e quint essencia Ã¾erof is naturaly incorruptible Ã¾e
which Èe schal drawe out by sublymacioun / And Ã¾anne Take the best wine, or any not
schal Ã¾er leue in Ã¾e ground of Ã¾e vessel Ã¾e .4. sour; distil it, and the 4
Elements shall be left like
elementis, as it were, rotun fecis of wiyn /
dregs.
[* Fol. 12.] But firste Èe muste distille Ã¾is wiyn .7. tymes; & Ã¾anne Distil 7 times to get Burning
haue Èe good brennynge watir / ForsoÃ¾e, Ã¾is is Ã¾e Water;
watri mater *fro which is drawe oure quinta essencia /
Thanne muste Èe do make in Ã¾e furneis of aischin, a â—vasâ—
distillatorie of glas al hool of oo. pece, wiÃ¾ an hoole
a-boue in Ã¾e heed, where Ã¾e watir schal be putt yn, and put this in a Distiller in a
be take out / And Ã¾is is a wondirful instrument Ã¾at Ã¾at furnace, and let the vapour rise,
condense, and be distilled till it
Ã¾ing Ã¾at by vertues of fier ascendith and distillith
is turned into Quinte Essence,
wiÃ¾inne Ã¾e vessel, per canales brachiales, Ã¾at is, by and parted from the 4 elements.
pipis lich to armys, be bore aÈen, and eftsoones ascendith, &
eft descendiÃ¾ contynuely day and nyÈt, til Ã¾e brennynge
water heuenly be turned into quintam essenciam / And so bi
BOOK I. 6
Quinte Essence
continuelle ascenciouns & discenciouns, Ã¾e quinta essencia

is departid fro Ã¾e corruptible composicioun of Ã¾e .4.
elementis.
For bifore Ã¾at Ã¾ing Ã¾at is twies sublymed is more â—Nota.â—
glorified, and is more sotil, and fer from Ã¾e corrumpcioun
of Ã¾e .4. elementis more separat Ã¾an whanne it ascendith
but oonys;
and so vnto a Ã¾ousand tymes, so Ã¾at by coutynuel Distil it 1000 times, and it shall
ascendynge and descendynge, by the which it is sublymed to be glorified and become a
so myche hiÈnes of glorificacioun, it schal come Ã¾at it medicine incorruptible as
heaven.
schal be a medicyn incorruptible almoost as heuene aboue,
and of Ã¾e nature of heuene / And Ã¾erfore oure quinta
essencia worÃ¾ily is clepid â—mannys heueneâ— /
And aftir manye daies Ã¾at it hath be in Ã¾is sotil vessel of After many days unstop your
glas distillid / Èe schulen opene Ã¾e hoole of Ã¾e vessel in distiller,
Ã¾e heed Ã¾at was selid with Ã¾e seel of lute of wijsdom,
maad of Ã¾e sotillest flour, and of white of eyren, and of â—luteâ—
moist papere, ymeyngid so Ã¾at no Ã¾ing respire out /
[* Fol. 12b.] And whane Èe opene Ã¾e hoole. if Ã¾er come out a and if there issues out a
passynge heuenly swete flauour Ã¾at alle men Ã¾at come heaven-sweet savour, you have
yn naturely *drawe Ã¾erto. Ã¾anne Èe haue oure quinta our Quinte Essence.
essencia /
and ellis sele Ã¾e vessel, and putte it to Ã¾e fier aÈen til Èe If not, distil again till you have.
haue it.
5 THE 2ND, 3RD, And anoÃ¾er maner worchinge of oure quinta essencia is The second way to make
AND 4TH WAYS Ã¾is / Take Ã¾e noblest and Ã¾e strengest brennynge watir Quinte Essence.
OF MAKING Ã¾at Èe may haue distillid out of pure myÈty wiyn, and
QUINTE putte it into a glas clepid â—amphora, with a long necke / Put the strongest Burning
ESSENCE.
and close Ã¾e mouÃ¾ strongly wiÃ¾ wex; And loke Ã¾at Water into an â—amphora;â—
seal it up; bury it neck
half or Ã¾e Ã¾ridde part be fulle; and birie it al in hors
downwards in horse-dung, and
dounge, preparate as it is seid hereafter / so Ã¾at Ã¾e the Quinte Essence will rise
necke of Ã¾e glas be turned dounward, & Ã¾e botum be into the globe and the
turned vpward, Ã¾at by vertu of Ã¾e hors dounge Ã¾e impurities settle in the neck.
quinta essencia ascende vp to Ã¾e botum. And Ã¾e
grostÃ© of Ã¾e mater of Ã¾e watir descende dounward to
Ã¾e necke /
And aftir manye daies, whanne Èe take it out, softly lift vp Take the glass out of the dung;
Ã¾e glas as it stondith, and Èe schal se in Ã¾ickenes and
cleernesse a difference bitwene Ã¾e quintam essenciam
sublymed, and Ã¾e grose mater Ã¾at is in Ã¾e necke /
Ã¾e wondirful maistry of departynge of Ã¾at oon fro Ã¾at
oÃ¾er is Ã¾is /
Take a scharp poyntel, or a pricke of yren, & peerse into Ã¾e make a hole in the wax seal,
wex Ã¾at hongiÃ¾ in Ã¾e mouÃ¾ of Ã¾e glas aÈens Ã¾e
erÃ¾e / and whanne Èe haue peersid al fully to Ã¾e watir,
take out Ã¾e poyntel or Ã¾e pricke /
And Ã¾at erÃ¾ely watir wole first come out Ã¾at is in let out the impure earthy water,
Ã¾e necke / and so til it be come out vnto Ã¾e departinge
BOOK I. 7
Quinte Essence
bitwixe it / and Ã¾e quinte essence, Ã¾at is, mannys heuene

sublymed.
[* Fol. 13.] and whane Èe se Ã¾at Ã¾is quint essence wole renne & and when the Quinte Essence
melte aftir Ã¾at Ã¾is erÃ¾ely watir be voydid, putte would begin to run, turn the
Ã¾anne swiftly Èoure fyngir to Ã¾e hoole, & turne vp Ã¾e glass up, and keep your Quinte
Essence.
glas, and Ã¾anne Èe haue Ã¾erinne oure quinte essence,
*and Ã¾e erÃ¾ely watir wiÃ¾oute aside. And Ã¾is is a
passyng souereyn priuytee.
The Ã¾ridde maner is, Ã¾at Èe take a greet glas clepid The third way.
amphora, and seele it weel, and birie it weel in Ã¾e wombe
of an hors al togidere. and Ã¾e puretÃ© of Ã¾e quinte Put your amphora into a
essencie schal be sublymed aboue, & Ã¾e grostÃ© schal horseâ—s belly instead of the
dung, and proceed as above.
abide byneÃ¾e in Ã¾e botme / take out softli Ã¾at Ã¾at
fletiÃ¾ a-boue; and Ã¾at Ã¾at leeueÃ¾ bihynde, putte it to
Ã¾e fier.
The .iiij. maner is Ã¾is. take what vessel of glas Ã¾at Èe The fourth way.
wole, or of erÃ¾e strongly glasid, and Ã¾er-vpon a round
foot of glas wiÃ¾ a leg. and seele Ã¾e vessel with his Substitute for the amphora a
couertour, Ã¾at Ã¾e rod of Ã¾e foot of Ã¾e glas vessel of glass or earth, with a
tube running from the top and
wiÃ¾inne Ã¾e vessel honge in Ã¾e eyr, Ã¾at Ã¾at Ã¾ing
hanging in the air, into which
Ã¾at ascendith to Ã¾e couertour in Ã¾e maner of a pott the vapour may fall and
boilynge 6 descende doun aÈen by Ã¾e foot of Ã¾e glas. condense.
and this instrument may Èe do make wiÃ¾oute greet cost /
THE 5TH WAY The fifÃ¾e maner is, Ã¾at Ã¾e brennynge water be .10 The fifth way.
TO MAKE tymes distillid in hors dounge contynuely digest.
QUINTE Distil your Burning Water ten
ESSENCE, &C. times.
The science of makynge of fier wiÃ¾oute fier / wherby Èe To make fire without fire,
may make oure quinte essence wiÃ¾oute cost or traueile, and Quinte Essence without
and withoute occupacioun and lesynge of tyme / cost or trouble.
Take Ã¾e beste horse dounge Ã¾at may be had Ã¾at is Put horse-dung into a vessel or
weel digest, and putte it wiÃ¾ine a uessel, or ellis a pitt pit lined with ashes, and place
maad wiÃ¾ Ã¾e erÃ¾e anoyntid Ã¾oruÈout with past your vessel in it up to the
middle.
maad of aischin. And in Ã¾is vessel or pitt, bete weel
togidere Ã¾e dounge; And in Ã¾e myddil of Ã¾is doung,
sette Ã¾e vessel of distillacioun vnto Ã¾e myddis or more /
For it is nede Ã¾at al Ã¾e heed of Ã¾e vessel be in Ã¾e
coold eir /
[* Fol. 13b.] Ã¾at, Ã¾at Ã¾ing Ã¾at bi vertu of Ã¾e fier of Ã¾e The cold top part will condense
doung Ã¾at ascendith Ã¾erby be turned into watir *by the vapour caused by the heat
vertu of cooldnes of Ã¾e eir and falle doun aÈen and of the dung.
ascende vp aÈen. and Ã¾us Èe haue fier wiÃ¾oute fier, and
but wiÃ¾ litil traueile.
Also anoÃ¾er maner of fier. sette Èoure vessel forseid to Or, place your vessel in the
Ã¾e strong reuerberacioun of Ã¾e sunne in somer tyme, and sunâ—s rays.
BOOK I. 8
Quinte Essence
lete it stonde Ã¾ere nyÈt and day.
Here I wole teche Èou how pore euangelik men may haue How poor evangelic men
wiÃ¾oute cost, and almoost for nouÈt, Ã¾e gracious may get the gracious
influence of gold, and Ã¾e maner of Ã¾e fixynge of it in influence of gold.
oure heuene, Ã¾at is, oure quinta essencia.
if Èe be pore, Èe schal preie a riche man Ã¾at is Èoure Borrow a Florence florin of a
freend to leene Èou a good floreyn of florence / and anele it rich friend, anneal [?heat] it on
vpon a plate of yren as yren is anelid. and haue biside Èou a a plate of iron, and throw it into
some Burning Water, taking
uessel of erÃ¾e glasid, fillid ful of the beste brennynge watir
care to quench the fire quickly
Ã¾at Èe may fynde. & caste into Ã¾e watir Ã¾e floreyn to prevent the Water wasting.
anelid. and loke Ã¾at Èe haue a sotilte and a sleiÈÃ¾e to
quenche sodeynly Ã¾e fier, Ã¾at Ã¾e watir waaste not; and
be weel war Ã¾at non yren touche Ã¾e watir. but af[t]er
caste into Ã¾e watir Ã¾e floreyn,
and do so .l. tymes or more, for Ã¾e oftere Ã¾e bettere it is / Repeat this 50 times in fresh
And if Èe se Ã¾at Ã¾e watir waaste to myche, chaunge it Water, and then mix all the
Ã¾anne, and take newe, & do so ofte tymes. and whanne Èe Waters together.
haue do Èoure quenchour, putte all Ã¾e watris togidere /
HOW TO GILD And Èe schulen vndirstonde Ã¾at Ã¾e vertu of brennynge The Water draws out all the
BURNING watir is sich Ã¾at naturely it drawiÃ¾ out of 7 gold alle properties of the gold.
WATER OR Ã¾e vertues & propirtees of it, & it holdiÃ¾
WINE.
incorrumptibilitee & an euene heete.
[* Fol. 14.]
*Ã¾anne meynge Ã¾is brennynge watir Ã¾us giltid wiÃ¾ Mix the gilt Burning Water
oure quinte essence, and vse it. but be war Ã¾at Èe quenche with Quinte Essence.
not Ã¾e floreyn in oure quinte essence; for Ã¾anne it were
lost /
And if it so be Ã¾at Èe haue not Ã¾is brennynge watir redy, You may substitute for Burning
Ã¾anne quenche Èoure floreyn in Ã¾e beste whiÈt wiyn Water best white wine, which
Ã¾at may be had / For sikirly Ã¾e philosophore seiÃ¾, also retains the powers of gold.
Ã¾at wiyn hath also Ã¾e propirtee to restreyne in it Ã¾e
influence and vertues of gold / And whanne Èe haue do
Èoure werk, Èe schal wite Ã¾at Ã¾e floreyn is als good, &
almoost of Ã¾e same weiÈte, as it was afore /
Ã¾erfore vse wiyn or brennynge watir giltid, so Ã¾at Èe This gilt Water will make you
may be hool, and wexe glad, and be Èong. And Ã¾us Èe well and young again.
haue oure heuene, and Ã¾e sunne in him fixid, to Ã¾e In it you have the Sun fixed in
our Heaven.
conseruacioun of mannys nature and fixacioun of oure
heuene, Ã¾at is, oure quinte essence.
The science how Èe schule gilde more myÈtily by brennynge â—science.â—

watir or wiyn Ã¾an I tauÈte you tofore, wherby Ã¾e water
or Ã¾e wiyn schal take to it myÈtily Ã¾e influence & Ã¾e How to gild Burning
vertues of fyne gold. Water or Wine more
thoroughly.
Take Ã¾e calx of fyn gold as it is declarid here-aftir in Ã¾is Heat calcined gold in a silver
book, and putte it in a siluer spone, and anele it at Ã¾e fier. spoon and put it in Burning
& Ã¾anne caste Ã¾e cals of the gold in Ã¾e brennynge Water or wine 50 times, as with
the florin before.
watir or in wiyn .l. times, as I tauÈte Èou tofore wiÃ¾ Ã¾e
BOOK I. 9
Quinte Essence
floreyn.
[* Fol. 14b.] and Èe schule haue Èoure licour by an hundrid part bettir gilt Your liquor will be better gilt,
Ã¾an Èe had tofore wiÃ¾ Ã¾e floreyn / Forwhi. fier as the fire and Water or wine
worchiÃ¾ more strongly and bettere *in sotil parties Ã¾an work more powerfully on the
grains of gold than on a plate.
it doiÃ¾ in an hool plate / And also brennynge watir or wiyn
Wine retains the properties of
drawiÃ¾ out more myÈtily bi a Ã¾ousand part Ã¾e
all liquibles quenched in it.
propirtees of gold fro smale parties anelid, Ã¾an it doiÃ¾
fro a Ã¾icke plate / And Èe schal vndirstonde Ã¾at wiyn
not aloonly holdiÃ¾ in it Ã¾e propirtees of gold, but myche
more Ã¾e propirtees of alle liquibles if Ã¾ei be quenchid
Ã¾erinne.
and Ã¾at is a souereyn priuite: Forwhi, if Èe quenche If Saturn (lead) liquefied be
saturne liquified in wiyn or in comoun watir .7. tymes, and quenched in wine, and then
aftirward in Ã¾at wiyn or watir Èe quenche mars manye Mars (iron) be quenched in it,
Mars acquires the softness of
tymes, Ã¾anne mars schal take algate Ã¾e neischede and
Saturn.
Ã¾e softnes of saturne /
And Ã¾e same schal venus do, & alle oÃ¾ere liquibles / or Again, if you quench Mars in
ellis, And Èe 8 quenche mars in whiÈt wiyn or in comoun wine and put in it Saturn
watir manye tymes, and aftirward in Ã¾e same wiyn or watir liquefied, this will be made
hard.
Èe caste saturne liquified ofte tymes, Ã¾anne wiÃ¾oute
doute Èe schal fynde Ã¾at Ã¾e saturne is maad riÈt hard /
Therfore Ã¾e propirtees of alle liquibles may be brouÈt into
wiyn or watir; but myche more myÈtily into brennynge watir
good and precious.
TO MAKE FIRE The science to make a fier, Ã¾at is, wiÃ¾oute cole, withoute To make fire without
WITH NO FIRE. lyme, wiÃ¾oute liÈt, worchinge aÈens al maner scharpnes or coals, lime, light, &c.
accioun of visible fier, riÈt as worchiÃ¾ Ã¾e fier of helle /
[* Fol. 15] And Ã¾is priuytee is so vertuous, Ã¾at Ã¾e vertu Ã¾erof Mix equal parts of sublimated
may not al be declarid. And Ã¾us it is maad. Take Mercurie Mercury, Salt, and Sal
Ã¾at is sublymed with vitriol, *& comen salt, & saÅ— Ammoniac, grind them small,
expose them to the air, and
armoniac .7. or .10. tymes sublymed / and meynge hem
theyâ—ll turn into water,
togidere by euene porcioun. and grynde it smal, and leye it
abrood vpon a marbil stoon; and by nyÈte sette it in a soft
cleer eir, or ellis in a coold seler; and Ã¾ere it wole turne
into watir / And Ã¾anne gadere it togidere in to a strong
vessel of glas, and kepe it /
This water forsoÃ¾e is so strong, Ã¾at if a litil drope a drop of which will eat throâ—
Ã¾erof falle vpon Èoure hond, anoon it wole perce it your hand, and make Venus
Ã¾oruÈ-out; and in Ã¾e same maner it wole do, if it falle (copper) or Jupiter (tin) like
vpon a plate of venus or Iubiter, into Ã¾is watir, it turneÃ¾ pearl.
hem into lijknes of peerl.
who so coude reparale & preparate kyndely Ã¾is fier, If it could be moderated it
wiÃ¾oute doute it wolde quenche anoon a brennynge sijknes would cure the disease Hell
clepid Ã¾e fier of helle. And also it wolde heele euery fire, and every corrosive
sickness.
cor[os]if sijknesse.
And manye philosophoris clepiÃ¾ Ã¾is Ã¾ing in her â—sal amarus.â—
bookis â—sal amarus,â— al Ã¾ouÈ Ã¾ei teche not Ã¾e
maistrie Ã¾erof / If it be so Ã¾at Ã¾is firy watir breke Ã¾e
BOOK I. 10
Quinte Essence
glas, and renne out into Ã¾e aischen, Ã¾anne gadere alle It is also called â—Sal
togidere Ã¾at Èe fynde pastid in Ã¾e aischen / and leye it Amarus.â—
vpon a marbil stoon as afore, and it wole turne into watir.
And Ã¾is is a greet priuytee.
TO CALCINE The science to brynge gold into calx / Take fyn gold, and â—Science.â—
GOLD. make it into smal lymayl: take a crusible wiÃ¾ a good
[* Fol. 15b.] quantitee of Mercurie, and sette it to a litil fier so Ã¾at it To calcine gold.
vapoure not, and putte Ã¾erinne Ã¾i lymail of gold, and
stire it weel togidere / & aftirward *wiÃ¾inne a litil tyme Èe Cut gold into shavings; put it
schal se al Ã¾e gold wiÃ¾inne Ã¾e Mercurie turned into into a crucible with Mercury;
heat it, and it will crumble into
erÃ¾e as sotil as flour. Ã¾anne Èeue it a good fier, Ã¾at
dust like flour.
Ã¾e Mercurie arise and go his wey; Heat it more till the mercury
goes his way;
9 or ellis, and Èe wole, Èe may distille and gadere it, puttynge or distil it, and the gold powder
Ã¾er-vpon a lembike / and in Ã¾e corusible Èe schal fynde will be in the crucible.
Ã¾e gold calcyned and reducid into erÃ¾e /
And if Èe wole not make lymayl of gold, Ã¾anne make A thin plate of gold will do
Ã¾erof a sotil Ã¾inne plate, as Èe kan, and putte wiÃ¾inne instead of shavings, and Silver
Ã¾e Mercurie al warm; and Èe schal haue Èoure desier / may be treated like gold.
And in Ã¾is same maner Èe may worche wiÃ¾ siluir /
Thanne take Ã¾e calx of Ã¾ese two bodies, and bere hem To carry these powders about,
openly wiÃ¾ Èou; and Ã¾er schal noman knowe what Ã¾ei mix them with pitch, wax, or
ben / And if Èe wole bere hem more priuyly wiÃ¾oute ony gum,
knowynge, Ã¾anne meynge hem wiÃ¾ pich melt, or wex, or
ellis gumme, for Ã¾anne noman schal knowe it what it is.
And whanne Èe wole dissolue ony of Ã¾ese calces by hem melting the mass when you
silf, putte eiÃ¾ir by him silf in a test, or ellis Ã¾e pich or want the metal.
Ã¾e wex in which Ã¾ei ben ynne; and anoon schal come
out verry gold & siluer as Ã¾ei were tofore.
Now I wole teche Èou Ã¾e maistrie of departynge of gold How to separate gold
fro siluir whanne Ã¾ei be meyngid togidere / ForsoÃ¾e Èe from silver when mixed
woot weel Ã¾at Ã¾er be manye werkis in Ã¾e whiche gold with it.
and siluir be meyngid, as in giltynge of vessel & Iewellis /
[* Fol. 16.] Ã¾erfore whanne Èe wole drawe Ã¾e toon fro Ã¾at oÃ¾ir, Put the mixture into a solution
putte al Ã¾at mixture into a strong watir maad of vitriol and of vitriol and saltpetre, and the
of saÅ— petre. and Ã¾e *siluyr wole be dissolued, and not silver will be dissolved.
Ã¾e gold: Ã¾anne Èe haue Ã¾at oon departid fro Ã¾e
toÃ¾ir /
And if Èe wole dissolue Ã¾e gold to watir, putte Ã¾anne yn Corrosive water and sal
Ã¾e watir corosyue, SaÅ— armoniac; and Ã¾at watir ammoniac will dissolve the
wiÃ¾oute doute wole dissolue gold into watir. gold.
TO GET THE The science to drawe out of fyn gold vta essencia is Ã¾is / â—science.â—
QUINTE First Èe schal reduce gold into calx, as I tolde Èou tofore /
ESSENCE OUT Ã¾anne take vynegre distillid, or ellis oold vryne depurid fro â—Nota.â—
OF GOLD.
Ã¾e fecis, and putte it in a uessel glasid; and Ã¾e liquor
BOOK I. 11
Quinte Essence
schal be in Ã¾e heiÈÃ¾e of 4. ynchis; and Ã¾erinne caste How to get out of gold its
Ã¾e calx of gold, & sette it to the strong sunne in somer Quinte Essence.
tyme, Ã¾ere to abide / and soone aftir Èe schal se as it were
a liquor of oyle ascende vp, fletynge aboue in maner of a Put calcined gold into distilled
skyn or of a reme. gadere Ã¾at awey wiÃ¾ a sotil spone or vinegar or purified urine; set it
in a hot sun; a film will soon
ellis a feÃ¾ere, and putte it into a uessel of glas in Ã¾e
rise; skim it off, collect all such
which be putt watir tofore. and Ã¾us gadere it manye tymes
in a glass vessel till no more
in Ã¾e day, into Ã¾e tyme Ã¾at Ã¾er ascende nomore / rise.
and aftir do vapoure awey Ã¾e watir at Ã¾e fier. And Ã¾e Evaporate the water left; the
vta essencia of Ã¾e 10 gold wole abyde byneÃ¾e. And residuum is the Quinte Essence
manye philosophoris clepiÃ¾ Ã¾is quinta essencia an oile of Gold.
incombustible, Ã¾at is a greet priuytee /
And if Èe wole fixe Ã¾is quinta essencia in oure heuene, And if you fix this Quinte
Ã¾at4 it may wiÃ¾oute doute restore aÈen to man Ã¾at Essence in our heaven, it will
nature Ã¾at is lost, and reduce him aÈen into Ã¾e vertu of restore man to the strength of
his youth.
Ã¾e strenkÃ¾e of ÈongÃ¾e, and also lenkÃ¾iÃ¾ his lijf
into Ã¾e laste terme of lijf set of god //
[* Fol. 16b.] Now forsoÃ¾e I haue toold Èou Ã¾e souereynest *priuytee Now I have told this most
and restorynge of mannys kynde, and in part greet Ã¾ing sovereign secret, which should
Ã¾at schulde not be schewid / Forwhi. Ã¾is oyle, Ã¾at is to not be shewed.
seie, quinta essencia of gold, hath Ã¾e mooste swetnes and
vertu to a-swage and putte awei Ã¾e ache of woundis, and [Nota.]
for to heele woundis, oolde sooris, and manye wondirful
The Quinte Essence of gold is
yuelis / Also in Ã¾e same maner Èe may drawe out of siluir, best to heal wounds.
quinte essencie //
TO GET THE The science to drawe out of antymony, Ã¾at is, mercasite of How to get its Quinte
QUINTE leed, Ã¾e vte essencie, is a souereyn maistrie, and a priuytee Essence out of Antimony.
ESSENCE OUT of alle priuytees / Take Ã¾e myn of antymony aforeseid, and
OF ANTIMONY, Put powdered antimony into
make Ã¾erof al so sotil a poudre as Èe kan / Ã¾anne take
&C. distilled vinegar; heat it till the
Ã¾e beste vynegre distillid, and putte Ã¾erinne Ã¾e poudre
vinegar is red; take away the
of antymonye, and lete it stonde in a glas vpon a litil fier into
red vinegar, and put fresh; take
Ã¾e tyme Ã¾at Ã¾e vynegre be colourid reed. Ã¾anne that away when red. Put the red
take Ã¾at vynegre awey, and kepe it clene, and putte aÈen vinegar into a distiller, and
Ã¾er-to of oÃ¾ere vynegre distillid, and lete it stonde vpon 1000 drops of blessed wine
a soft fier til it be colourid reed. & so do ofte tymes. and shall come down the pipe;
whanne Èe haue gaderid al Èoure vynegre colourid, putte it collect this; it is an
Ã¾anne in a distillatorie. and first Ã¾e vynegre wole incomparable treasure.
ascende; Ã¾anne after Èe schal se merueilis: for Èe schal se
as it were a Ã¾ousand dropis of blessid wiyn discende doun
in maner of reed dropis, as it were blood, by Ã¾e pipe of
Ã¾e lymbike / Ã¾e which licour, gadere togidere in a
rotumbe / and Ã¾anne Èe haue a Ã¾ing Ã¾at al Ã¾e
tresour of Ã¾e world may not be in comparisoun of
worÃ¾ines Ã¾erto /
[* Fol. 17.] aristotle seiÃ¾ Ã¾at it is his lede in Ã¾e book of secretis, al [Nota.]
Ã¾ouÈ he *telle not Ã¾e name of Ã¾e antymonye
aforeseid /
It cures the pain of all wounds,
BOOK I. 12
Quinte Essence
ForsoÃ¾e Ã¾is doiÃ¾ awey ache of alle woundis, and

wondirfully heeliÃ¾. Ã¾e vertu Ã¾erof is incorruptible &
merueilous profitable /
it nedit to be putrified in a rotombe and seelid in fyme, and and when fermented it works
Ã¾anne it worchiÃ¾ greet priuytees / ForsoÃ¾e Ã¾e vta great secrets.
essencia of Ã¾is antymony Ã¾at is reed, in Ã¾e which is 11
Ã¾e secreet of alle secretis, is swettere Ã¾an ony hony, or
sugre, or ony oÃ¾ir Ã¾ing.
TO EXTRACT The science in the extraccioun of Ã¾e .55 essencie from â—Science.â—
THE QUINTE blood, and fleisch, & eggis / To Èou I seie, Ã¾at in euery
ESSENCE FROM elementid Ã¾ing, Ã¾e .5. essencie remayneÃ¾ incorrupte: How to get its Quinte
MANâ—S Essence from Manâ—s
it schal be Ã¾anne Ã¾e moost Ã¾ing of merueyle if I teche
BLOOD.
Èou to drawe out Ã¾at fro mannys blood reserued of Blood.
Barbouris whanne Ã¾ei lete blood; also fro fleisch of alle
brute beestis, and fro alle eggis, and oÃ¾ere suche Ã¾ingis.
for als myche as mannes blood is Ã¾e perfitist werk of Manâ—s blood is the perfectest
kynde in us, as to Ã¾e encrees of Ã¾at Ã¾at is lost, it is work of nature in us, and its
certeyn Ã¾at nature Ã¾at .5. essence maad so perfiÈt Ã¾at, Quinte Essence converts blood
into flesh,
wiÃ¾oute ony oÃ¾ir greet preparacioun wiÃ¾oute Ã¾e
veynes, it beriÃ¾ forÃ¾ Ã¾at blood anoon aftir into fleisch.
and Ã¾is 5 essence is so nyÈ kynde Ã¾at [it] is moost to
haue6 /
Forwhy. in it is merueylous vertu of oure heuene sterrid, and and works divine miracles of
to Ã¾e cure of nature of man worchiÃ¾ moost deuyn healing.
myraclis, as wiÃ¾inne I schal teche Èou /
Ã¾erfore resceyue of Barbouris, of Èong sangueyn men, or Get from Barbers the blood of
colerik men, whanne Ã¾ei be late blood, Ã¾e which vse young sanguine men; let it
good wynes. take Ã¾at blood aftir Ã¾at it haÃ¾ reste, and stand; pour off the serum; mix
the blood with a tenth of
cast awey Ã¾e watir fro it, and braie it wiÃ¾ Ã¾e .10. part
prepared salt; put it in an
of comen salt preparate to medicyns of men; and putte it into amphora;
a uessel of glas clepid amphora,
[* Fol. 17b.] Ã¾e which, sotely seele, and putte it wiÃ¾inne Ã¾e seal that up; put it in a
*wombe of an hors, preparate as tofore, and renewe Ã¾e horseâ—s belly, renewing the
fyme oonys in Ã¾e wike, or more, and lete it putrifie til al dung weekly till all the blood
turns into water; distil that; put
Ã¾e blood be turned into watir / and it schal be doon at Ã¾e
the outcome on the pounded
mooste in xxx. or xl dayes, or aftir, more or lasse / Ã¾anne fÃ¦ces, and distil over again.
putte it in a lembike, and distille it at a good fier / what so
euere may ascende, putte Ã¾at watir vpon Ã¾e fecis brayed,
meyngynge vpon a marbil stoon; putte it aÈen, and aftir
distille it aÈen manye tymes rehersynge /
And whanne Èe haue Ã¾is noble Ã¾ing of blood, Ã¾erof Heat the water in the distiller
Ã¾e .5. beynge drawe out / putte aÈen Ã¾e watir in Ã¾e till it comes to a heavenly
stillatorie of circulacioun til Èe brynge it to so myche savour. This Fifth Being works
miracles hardly credible unless
swetnes & an heuenly sauour, as Èe dide Ã¾e brennynge
seen.
watir. and Ã¾is is Ã¾e 5 beynge of blood deuyn, and
miraclis more Ã¾an man mai bileue but if he se it.
BOOK I. 13
Quinte Essence
12 TO GET THE Now wole I teche Èou to drawe out Ã¾e .5 beynge from To get the Quinte Essence
QUINTE capouns, hennes, and al maner fleisch of Brut beestis, and out of capons, beasts, eggs,
ESSENCE OUT from al maner eggis of foulis Ã¾at ben holsum and &c.
OF BEASTS AND medicynable to ete for mÄ—n kynde / Grynde summe of
THE 4 Grind some of them with a
Ã¾ese Ã¾ingis forseid, which Ã¾at Èe wil, as strongly as
ELEMENTS.
Èe can in a morter, wiÃ¾ Ã¾e 10 part of him of sal comen tenth part of prepared salt; put
preparate to Ã¾e medicyne of men, as I seide tofore. putte it â—em into a horseâ—s belly
till they become water, and
in Ã¾e wombe of an hors til it be turned into water. distille
distil that till itâ—s
as it is aforeseid, and in Ã¾e stillatorie of circulacioun Ã¾e heaven-sweet.
watir Ã¾at is distillid, putte it in aÈen til it be brouÈt to Ã¾e
swete heuenly sauour and smel aforeseid /
The science to drawe out Ã¾e 5 beynge of euerych of Ã¾e â—science.â—

.4 elementis, and to schewe euerych of Ã¾e forseid Ã¾ing
bi hem silf; & Ã¾at is riÈt merueylous / I wole not leue for a To draw the Fifth Being
litil to schewe a greet secreet, how Èe may drawe out Ã¾e 5 out of each of the Four
beynge of ech of Ã¾e 4 elementis of al Ã¾e Ã¾ing rehersid Elements, and to
afore, and profitably schewe hem / separate them.
[* Fol. 18.] And Ã¾e maner ys *Ã¾is / take Ã¾at Ã¾ing putrified and Take any thing rotted and
brouÈt into watir, what so euere Èe wole, as I tauÈte Èou turned into water, as manâ—s
tofore; and Ã¾at Ã¾ing be mannes blood brouÈt into watir, blood; put it in a glass distiller,
and distil it over into an
of Ã¾e which Èe wole drawe out Ã¾e 4 elementis / putte
amphora.
Ã¾erfore Ã¾at water, or Ã¾at blood putrified, in a
stillatorie of glas, and sette it wiÃ¾inne a pott of watir, and
Èeue vndirneÃ¾e a fier til Ã¾e watir of blood be distillid by
Ã¾e pipe of Ã¾e lembike into a glas clepid amphora, riÈt
clene /
And whanne no Ã¾ing may more by Ã¾at fier ascende, for When no more vapour rises,
certeyn Èe haue of blood drawen out al oonly Ã¾e element you have drawn out the water.
of watir / Forwhi. fier of Ã¾at bath hath no strenkÃ¾e to
sublyme eyr, or fier, or erÃ¾e.
and so [take] Ã¾o Ã¾re elementis, and sette in Ã¾e same Put the other 3 elements for 7
bath by .vij. dayes Ã¾at Ã¾ei be weel meyngid, & so cloos days into the same bath,
Ã¾at no Ã¾ing be distillid /
aftir Ã¾e .vij. dayes take Ã¾e stillatorie, and putte it to Ã¾e then into a coal fire, and the
fier of aischen, Ã¾at is strongere Ã¾an fier of bath clepid water shall rise as oil shining
marien; and Ã¾e watir schal ascende in foorme of oyle like gold,
schynynge as gold /
and aftirward Ã¾at no Ã¾ing more schal ascende, Èe haue the air remaining at the bottom
Ã¾anne in Ã¾e ampulle .ij. elementis, Ã¾at is to seie, watir like oil of gold. Put these aside.
and eyr. & oon from anoÃ¾ir Èe schal departe in Ã¾e bath,
puttynge yn aÈen wher al-oonly Ã¾e cleer watir schal
ascende / and Ã¾e eyr schal al-oonly remayne inÌ— Ã¾e
botum of Ã¾e vessel in lijknesse of oyle of gold. Ã¾e which
oyle Ã¾at is gold, Ã¾e which oyle 13 Ã¾at is ayr / putte it
aside.
Ã¾anne Ã¾er leeueÃ¾ Èitt fier wiÃ¾ erÃ¾e. to departe To separate fire from the earth,
fier from erÃ¾e, putte Ã¾e element of watir, Ã¾at is to seye put 4 lbs. of water on 1 lb. of
.iiij â— of watir, vpon j â— of mater / and putte by .vij. daies earth; place it in the Marian
bath for 7 days;
BOOK I. 14
Quinte Essence
to encorpere wel as tofore in Ã¾e bath of marienÌ— /

[* Fol. 18b.] Aftirward putte it to Ã¾e fier of flawme riÈt strong, and then in hot flames; red water
Ã¾e reed water schal ascende. Ã¾e which gadere togidere shall ascend and black earth
as longe as ony *Ã¾ing ascendiÃ¾. and to Èou schal fall.
remayne an erÃ¾e riÈt blak in Ã¾e botum. Ã¾e which
gadere togidere aside /
Ã¾anne Ã¾e redeste watir Èe schal take. forwhy. Ã¾er be Put the red water into the
.ij. elementis, Ã¾at is to seie, Ã¾e element of watir and fier. distiller; pure water shall rise;
Ã¾anne yn Ã¾e stillatorie, to Ã¾e fier of baÃ¾, cleer watir red water, or fire, shall remain;
schal asende. and in Ã¾e botum schal remayne Ã¾e reed
watir, Ã¾at is, Ã¾e element of fier.
and so Èe haue now first oon oyle, Ã¾at is, ayer o side, and so you have the 4 Elements
watir, and fier, and erÃ¾e. and note Èe weel Ã¾at Ã¾erfore separate.
Ã¾e element of watir is putt aÈen to drawe out from erÃ¾e
fier and eyr, for Ã¾ei wole not ascende, but Ã¾oruÈ Ã¾e
help of element of watir.
brynge aÈen euerych into 5 beynge wiÃ¾ Ã¾e vessel of Distil each into its Quinte
circulacioun as tofore / or ellis rectifie, makynge oon ascende Essence, or rectify it, and
.7 tymes bi an oÃ¾ir / but first Èe moste Ã¾e riÈt blak
erÃ¾e of oon hide7 nature, in Ã¾e furneys of glas mon8, or
ellis reuerberacioun, xxj. dayes calcyne /
And for a cause I speke to Èou nomore of this science. but thank our glorious God for this
ioie Èe, and thanke oure glorious lord god of Ã¾ese Ã¾ingis bit of knowledge.
Ã¾at Èe haue had.
HOW TO FIX The science to fixe alle erÃ¾ely Ã¾ingis in nostra 5ta To fix all earthly things in
OTHER THINGS essencia, Ã¾at is to seie, oure heuene, Ã¾at by her influence our Quinte Essence.
IN OUR QUINTE Ã¾ei may Èeue Ã¾erto Ã¾er propertees and her hid
ESSENCE.
vertues / oure glorious god haÃ¾ Èeue sich a uertu to oure God has given it the power of
quinta essence, Ã¾at it may drawe out of euery matier of drawing all the virtues out of
every thing in 3 hours.
fruyÈt / tree / rote / flour, herbe / fleisch, seed & spice / And
euery medicynable Ã¾ing, alle Ã¾e vertues, propirtees, and
naturis, Ã¾e whiche god made in hem; and Ã¾at wiÃ¾inne
.iij. houris.
OUR QUINTE Now I haue schewid Èou a souereyn priuytee, how Ã¾at Èe Put therefore every thing
ESSENCE may wiÃ¾ oure heuene drawe out euery 5 essencia from alle necessary for any syrup into
IMPROVES Ã¾ingis aforeseid / Ã¾erfore alle necessarie Ã¾ingis to our Quinte Essence, and in 3
EVERYTHING hours it shall be 100 times
euery syrup putte yn oure 5 essencie, & wiÃ¾inne .iij. houris
100 FOLD. better than before.
Ã¾at watir schal be sich a sirup, vndirstonde wel, bettir by
[* Fol. 19.]
an hundrid part, by 14 cause of oure 5 essencie, Ã¾an it
*schulde be wiÃ¾oute it /
And so I seie of medicyns comfortatyues, digestyues, Whatever medicines are put
laxatyues, restriktyues, and alle oÃ¾ere; forwhy. if Èe putte into our Quinte Essence,
seedis or flouris, fruyÈtis, leeues, spicis, coold, hoot, sweet,
sour, moist, do Ã¾ei good or yuel, into oure 5 essencie,
forsoÃ¾e sich 5 essence Èe schulen haue Ã¾erfore.
oure 5 essencie is Ã¾e instrument of alle vertues of Ã¾ing it increases their power a
transmutable if Ã¾ei be putt in it, encreessynge an hundrid hundred fold.
BOOK I. 15
Quinte Essence
foold her worchingis //
Explicit pars prima tractatus quinte essencie: End of Part I.
BOOK II.
15 TO MAKE OLD Here bigynneth the secunde book of medicyns / The first To restore an old
MEN YOUNG, AND medicyn is to reduce an oold feble euangelik man to Ã¾e evangelic man to
DYING ONES WELL. firste strenkÃ¾e of ÈongÃ¾e / Also to restore aÈen his the strength of his
nature Ã¾at is lost, and to lenkÃ¾e his lijf in greet youth.
gladnesse and perfiÈte heele vnto Ã¾e laste teerme of his lijf
Ã¾at is sett of god /
Èe schal take oure 5ta essencie aforeseid, Ã¾at is to seye, Give him our Quinte
mannys heuene, and Ã¾erinne putte a litil quantite of 5 Essence with some of that
essencia of gold and of peerl. and Ã¾e oolde feble man schal â—1a. Me.â— of Gold
and Pearl, a walnut-shell
vse Ã¾is deuyn drynk at morn and at euen, ech tyme a
full at morn and eve.
walnote-schelle fulle /
and wiÃ¾inne a fewe dayes he schal so hool9 Ã¾at he schal In a few days he shall feel
fele him silf of Ã¾e statt and Ã¾e strenkÃ¾e of xl Èeer; and only 40 years old. Then
he schal haue greet ioie Ã¾at he is come to Ã¾e statt of let him take little of our
Quinte Essence, only that
ÈongÃ¾e. And whanne his ÈongÃ¾e is recouerid, and his
of Gold in good wine at
nature restorid, and heelÃ¾e had, it is nedeful Ã¾at litil and dinner and supper.
seelde he vse 5 essence / Also it is nedeful Ã¾at he vse ofte
good wiyn at his mete and at Ã¾e soper, in Ã¾e which be
fixid Ã¾e 5. essence of gold, as I tauÈte Èou tofore.
[* Fol. 19b.] The secunde *medicyn is to heele a man, and make hym â—2a. Me.â—
lyue, Ã¾at is almoost consumed in nature, and so nyÈ deed
Ã¾at he is forsake of lechis. but if it be Ã¾e laste teerme of To cure a man given
his lijf sett of god, Èe schal Èeue him oure quinte essence of up by his doctors.
gold wiÃ¾ a litil quantite of watir of celendoyn Èdrawe, and
meynge it wiÃ¾ Ã¾e oÃ¾ere Ã¾ingis aforeseid / and Give him Quinte Essence
anoon as Ã¾e sike hath resceyued it into his stomak, it of Gold with celandine
water,
ÈeueÃ¾ to Ã¾e herte influence of naturel heete and of lijf.
and Ã¾anne Èe schal se him rise vp and speke, and
wondirfully be comfortid and strenkÃ¾id Ã¾erby // â—Aqua celidoyn.â—
and he shall rise up and

speak.
Ã¾anne comforte him wiÃ¾ ministracioun of oure quinte Then comfort him with
essencie afore seid, and he schal be al hool / but if it be so our Quinte Essence, and
Ã¾at god wole algatis Ã¾at he schal die / And I seie to Èou he shall be cured, unless
truly, Ã¾at Ã¾is is Ã¾e hiÈeste maistrie Ã¾at may be in God wills he shall die.
Few doctors now know
transmutacioun of kynde; for riÈt fewe lechis now lyuynge this highest secret.
knowe Ã¾is priuytee.
16 HOW TO CURE The Ã¾ridde medicyn is to cure Ã¾e lepre Ã¾at is causid of â—3a. Me.â—
LEPROSY AND corrupcioun and putrifaccioun of ony of Ã¾e principal
BOOK II. 16
Quinte Essence
PALSY. humouris of man; but not Ã¾e lepre Ã¾at comeÃ¾ to man To cure the Leprosy
of kynde of Ã¾e fadir and of Ã¾e modir leprous,—for it is that is caused by
callid morbus hereditus,—ne Ã¾e lepre Ã¾at is sent of god rotten humours.
by his plage, but Ã¾at Ã¾at is causid oonly of rotun
humouris /
take oure 5 essence aforeseid, wiÃ¾ Ã¾e quinte essence of Use our Quinte Essence,
goold and peerl, a litil quantite at oonys, and vse it in maner with those of Gold and
as I seide afore / and wiÃ¾inne a fewe daies he schal be Pearl;
(or Burning Water, if you
partily hool Ã¾erof. and if Èe haue non preparate redy oure
have no Quinte Essence.)
5 essence, Ã¾anne take in Ã¾e stide Ã¾erof fyn brennynge
watir / but Ã¾at oÃ¾er is bettere.
[* Fol. 20.] Also, drawe a water of Ã¾e fruyÈt of strawbery or mulbery Wash the leper with
tree, whanne it is ripe, and waische Ã¾e lepre Ã¾erwiÃ¾. strawberry or mulberry
Ã¾is watir is of so greet vertu; for a souereyn maistir took it water; this is of great
virtue, but is much
a leprous *womman, Ã¾at wiÃ¾ Ã¾e waischinge oonly of
encreased by our Quinte
Ã¾is watir, withynne schort tyme was maad al hool / but Essence.
sikirly Ã¾e vertu Ã¾erof is myche worth if it be meyngid
with oure 5 essence, or ellis brennyng watir; and Ã¾anne it
schal be no nede to vse in Ã¾is perilous cure, venemys, as
summe lechis doon.
The 4 medicyn is to cure palsie vniuersel. ForsoÃ¾e alle 4a. Me.

philosophoris seyn Ã¾at Ã¾e palesye vniuersel comeÃ¾ of
haboundaunce of viscous humouris closynge Ã¾e metis of To cure Palsy, which
vertu animale, sensityue, and motyue. And Ã¾erfore it is comes from viscous
necessarie Ã¾at Ã¾o Ã¾ingis Ã¾at schal cure Ã¾is sijknes humours closing the
be temperate, hoot, and moist, and a litil attractyue, and to passages of motive
Ã¾e synous confortatyue / power.
Therfore, blessid be god, makere of kynde, Ã¾at ordeynede Blessed be God, our
for Ã¾e man paralitike oure 5 essence aforseid, Ã¾at Quinte Essence will
souereynly to him comfortynge, restorynge, and temperatly restore the paralitic.
worchynge /
Ã¾erfore fixe Ã¾erinne Ã¾e 5 essence of Ã¾o laxatyues Fix in it the Quinte
Ã¾at purgen flewme & viscous humouris, as a litil of Essence of euphorbium
euforbie, or turbit, or sambucy. & Ã¾anne wiÃ¾oute doute, and the like; and, if God
will, the palsied man shall
if god wole, Ã¾e paralitik man schal be hool wiÃ¾
be whole, if you make
comfortynge and restorynge of kynde, if Èe make him a him a stew of ivy and
stewe hoot and moist with herbis, Ã¾at is to seye, eerbe yue, sage.
& sauge, Ã¾at haue an heuenly strenkÃ¾e to comforte Ã¾e
joynctis, & Ã¾e senewis, and Ã¾e vertu motyue. â—saweâ—
â—Nota / yue /
sauge.â—
and if Èe haue not redi preparate oure 5 essence, Ã¾anne Failing Quinte Essence,
take fyn brennynge watir til it 17 be redy, and lete Ã¾e let him drink Burning
pacient drynke Ã¾erof a litil in fyn wiyn. and also he schal Water in fine wine, and
wash all over with
waische al his body and his extremytees wiÃ¾ brennynge
burning water.
watir ofte tymes. and lete him vse Ã¾is a good while, & he
BOOK II. 17
Quinte Essence
schal be hool. /
[* Fol. 20b.] *The .5 medicyn for a man Ã¾at is almoost al consumed, & â—5. Me.â—
TO CURE waastid in al his body, and riÈt leene, as Ã¾at man Ã¾at
CONSUMPTION AND hath Ã¾e tisik & Ã¾e etik / ForsoÃ¾e Ã¾e verry cure to To fatten lean and
DRIVE AWAY heele him is oure 5 essence / Forwhi. it comfortiÃ¾ Ã¾e consumptive men.
DEVILS.
feble nature; and Ã¾e nature Ã¾at is lost it restoriÃ¾, & so
restorid it preserueÃ¾ /
And Ã¾erfore if Èe wol restore Ã¾e fleisch of a leene Mix with our Quinte
mannys body almoost consumed awey, drawe Ã¾anne a Essence a little celandine
watir of celidoyne, and take Ã¾erof a litil quantite, and water;
meynge wiÃ¾ oure 5 essence if Èe haue it redy, or
brennynge watir in stide Ã¾erof, and Èeue it him to drinke; â—Celidoyne.â—
and wiÃ¾inne fewe dayes he schal be wondirfully restorid
give it the patient, and he
and fat. shall soon be wonderfully
fat.
The .6. medicyn for passiouns of frenesie, foly, â—.6. Me.â—
ymagynaciouns and noyous vexaciouns of deuelis, and also
for Ã¾e goute als weel hoot as coold. certeyn experience To cure Frensy,
techiÃ¾ Ã¾at colerik men ÈeueÃ¾ to summe Gout, and troubles
ymagynaciouns; and sangueyn men ben ocupied aboute from Devils.
summe oÃ¾ere ymagynaciouns; & Èitt flewmatik men
aboute oÃ¾ere / but Ã¾o men Ã¾at habounde in blak coler, â—colerike.â—
Ã¾at is, malencoly, ben occupied a Ã¾ousand part wiÃ¾ â—Sangueyn.â—
mo Ã¾ouÈtis Ã¾an ben men of ony oÃ¾er complexioun / â—Fleumatyke.â—
â—blake coler.â—
â—malencoly.â—
Forwhi. Ã¾at humour of blak coler is so noyous, Ã¾at if it Dark melancholy men are
a-bounde and a-sende vp to Ã¾e heed, it troubliÃ¾ alle Ã¾e troubled more with
myÈtis of Ã¾e brayn, engendrynge noyous ymagynaciouns, anxieties than any others,
bryngynge yn horrible Ã¾ouÈtis boÃ¾e wakynge and
slepinge; and siche maner of men ben born vndir Ã¾e â—Nota sequentia.â—
constillacioun of saturne, the wickide planete /
being born under
â—Saturne, a wykyd
planete.â—
TO CURE ForsoÃ¾e, to siche men deuelis wole gladly appere, & Devils gladly appear to
MELANCHOLY AND minister to hem10 her priuy temptaciouns wiÃ¾inne Ã¾e them and tempt them,
DRIVE OUT cours of her Ã¾ouÈtis;
TROUBLES FROM
and Ã¾ese men Ã¾us *turmentid wiÃ¾ Ã¾e passiouns of so that they often fall into
DEVILS.
malencoly comounly speke wiÃ¾ hem, stryue and dispute despair and kill
[* Fol. 21.]
wiÃ¾ hem silf whanne Ã¾ei be a-loone, Ã¾at ofte tymes themselves.
oÃ¾ere folk may heere it / These maner of men Ã¾at ben
Ã¾us turmentid, as weel by passioun of malencoly as of
deuelis, ofte tymes falle in dispeir, and at Ã¾e laste sle hem
silf /
Ã¾e perfiÈt cure of alle Ã¾ese is oure 5 essencie auri et 18 The cure is our Quinte
perelarum, or ellis brennynge watir in stide Ã¾erof, in Ã¾e Essence of Gold and
whiche Èe fixe gold as it is aforeseid, wherinne be putt a litil Pearls, with a little senna
or lapis lazuli.
of senÌ—Ä or watir of f[u]miter, or poudre of lapis lasuly, or
BOOK II. 18
Quinte Essence
ellis medullam ebuli, and vse it discreetly. forwhy. not al

oonly oure quinte essence auri et perelarum heelith Ã¾ese
disesis. /
but also brennynge watir in Ã¾e which gold is fixid, Burning Water, with a
heeliÃ¾ hem, wiÃ¾ a litil of Ã¾o Ã¾ingis Ã¾at purgen purge, will also cure these
and casten out blak coler superflue, & heliÃ¾ Ã¾e splene. diseases.
ForsoÃ¾e Ã¾ese medicyns puttiÃ¾ awey wickid Ã¾ouÈtis These medicines put
and an heuy herte malencolious; Ã¾ei gladith and clense away wicked thoughts,
Ã¾e brayn and alle hise myÈtis, and brynge yn gladnes and and bring in merry ones;
they dispel devilsâ—
merye Ã¾ouÈtis. Ã¾ei putte awey also Ã¾e craft of Ã¾e
temptations and despair,
feendis temptaciouns, and ymagynaciouns of dispeir. Ã¾ei and bring a man to
distroie, & make a man to forÈete almaner of yueles, and reason.
naturaly bryngiÃ¾ him aÈen to resonable witt.
and for as myche as saturne Ã¾e planete naturaly ys coold â—Saturne. Î³.â—
and drye, and is enemye to al kynde / Forwhy, euery snow,
euery hayl, euery tempest, & also Ã¾e humour of malencoly Saturn is an enemy to all
comeÃ¾ of him. & he haÃ¾ his influence vpon derk leed, & creatures, and has power
over foul solitary places,
as Vitas Patrum says.
[* Fol. 21b.] vpon derk *placis vnder Ã¾e erf11, foule and stynkynge,
and derke wodis, and vpon foule, horrible, solitarie placis, as
it is preued in vitas patrum, Ã¾at is to seye, in lyues &
colaciouns of fadris /
And also Ã¾e moone, naturely coold and moist, haÃ¾ his The Moon too is full of
influence vpon Ã¾e nyÈt, and vpon myche moisture, and bane.
vpon Ã¾e placis whanne 4. weyes metiÃ¾ togidere.
forsoÃ¾e in alle siche placis Ã¾ei wole a-bide and schewe
hem to her foloweris /
but forsoÃ¾e Ã¾o Ã¾ingis Ã¾at ben of Ã¾e nature of â—Jubiter and Sol |
Iubiter and of sol, goode planetis, arne displesynge to him, .B.â—
and contrarie, and naturaly deuelis fle awei fro hem, for Ã¾ei
haue greet abhominacioun of Ã¾er vertuous influence / Jupiter and Sol, on the
other hand, make devils
flee,
Ã¾erfore it schewiÃ¾ weel Ã¾at Ã¾o Ã¾ingis Ã¾at ben and betoken the joy of
in Ã¾is world, summe Ã¾er ben Ã¾at bitokene Ã¾e heaven,
glorious yoie of heuene, and summe Ã¾ing Ã¾at figure Ã¾e
derknesse of euerlastynge peynes of helle / ForsoÃ¾e Ã¾e
sunne and iubiter, goode planetis, & gold, pure metal, and
alle pure Ã¾ingis Ã¾at gladen a man, figurynge by resoun
Ã¾e ioie of heuene /
and blak Saturne, and Ã¾e spotty moone, figure & bitokene as Saturn and the Moon
Ã¾e condicioun of helle / do hell.
19 TO CURE THE and siÃ¾ Ã¾at deuelis be dampned, & ful of wreche of Devils hate the joys of
GOUT AND ITCH, helle, Ã¾erfore Ã¾ei hate Ã¾e clennesse & Ã¾e ioie of God and the brightness of
AND KILL LICE. oure lord god & of hise seyntis / also Ã¾ei haten Ã¾e sunne the sun; they delight in
and his cleernes, and pure Ã¾ingis Ã¾at maken a man glad. stinking places, and
melancholy and hell-like
and naturaly it plesiÃ¾ hem to dwelle in derk, & in blak,
things.
orrible, stynkynge placis, in heuynesse, wreche, &
BOOK II. 19
Quinte Essence
malencoly, & in Ã¾o Ã¾ingis Ã¾at pretende Ã¾e

condicioun of helle /
[* Fol. 22.] And siÃ¾ oure 5. essence aforeseid is so heuenly a Ã¾ing, But our Quinte
& by sotil craft *brouÈt to so myche swetnes, it is so Essence is heavenly,
souereyn a medicyn Ã¾at it may weel be lijkned to Ã¾e ioie like the joy of Paradise,
and drives away anger
of paradice. forwhi, it makiÃ¾ a man liÈt, iocunde, glad,
and all that devils love, so
and merie, & puttiÃ¾ awey heuynesse12, angre, melencoly,
that it is fitly called
& wraÃ¾Ã¾e, Ã¾e whiche Ã¾at deuelis loue / et ideo â—Manâ—s Heaven.â—
nostra 5 essencia digne vocatur celum humanum /
Also if a man be traueylid wiÃ¾ a feend, and may not be To deliver a man from a
delyuerid fro him, lete him drinke a litil quantite of oure 5 devil,—give him some of
essence, wiÃ¾ 5 essence of gold & peerl, and wiÃ¾ an our Quinte Essence with
that of gold and pearl, and
eerbe callid ypericon, i.[e.] fuga demonum, and Ã¾e seed
St. Johnâ—s Wort water:
Ã¾erof grounden & aftirward distillid, & Ã¾e watir Ã¾erof at once the devil will flee
a litil quantite medlid wiÃ¾ Ã¾e oÃ¾ere 5tis essenciis; and away.
anoon Ã¾e deuel wole fle awey fro him & fro his hous.
â—fuga demonumâ—
Also for Ã¾e goute, hoot or cold, Ã¾e pacient schal drynke To cure the Gout.
oure 5. essence wiÃ¾ a litil quantite at oonys of Ã¾e
letuarie de succo rosarum. and lete him vse Ã¾is letuarie a Take a little Quinte
litil at oonys ech oÃ¾ere day, til superflue humouris be Essence and Rose-juice
electuary, and use daily
purgid / but he schal vse euery day a litil of oure 5. essence
our Quinte Essence with
with 5 essence of gold & peerle; & wiÃ¾inne a fewe dayes that of Gold and Pearl.
Ã¾e pacient schal be hool. //
The .7. medicyn, for to heele ycche, & for to distrie lies13 â—.7. Me.â—
Ã¾at ben engendrid of corrupt humouris. take oure 5 essence
bi him silf a-loone, and vse to drynke Ã¾erof a litil quantite To cure the Itch and
at oonys / and take also a litil quantite of Mer[curie?]. & destroy Lice.
mortifie it wiÃ¾ fastynge spotil, & medle it wiÃ¾ a good
Drink Quinte Essence.
quantite 20 of poudre of stafi-sagre, & Ã¾anne put it in to a
greet quantite of brennynge water, Mix Mercury with spittle,
Stavesacre and Burning
Water.
[* Fol. 22b.] & Ã¾anne waische al his body, or ellis Ã¾e heed where Wash the body or head
Ã¾e icche & Ã¾e lies ben. & vse Ã¾is medicyn .2. or 3. & where the itch and lice
Ã¾e sijk *man schal be hool. are.
TO CURE QUARTAN The .8. medicyn for to cure the quarteyn and alle Ã¾e â—.8ua. Me.â—
FEVER. passiouns Ã¾at comeÃ¾ of malencoly in mannys body; and
Ã¾e maistrie to purge malencoly. â—feuer quartene.â—
and Èe schal vndirstonde Ã¾at Ã¾e quarteyn is gendrid of To cure Quartan
myche haboundaunce of malencolye Ã¾at is corrumpid Fever.
withynne Ã¾e body. and for Ã¾is humour is erÃ¾ely,
coold, & drie, of Ã¾e nature of slowe saturne, Ã¾erfore â—ye quarten is
Ã¾e accesse of Ã¾is sijknes ben slowe, and it duriÃ¾ ingendyrd of
comounly yn a man a Èeer or more, and it puttiÃ¾ fro him Malyncoly.â—
gladnesse, & bryngiÃ¾ yn heuynes more Ã¾an oÃ¾ere
feueris do / The Quartan arises from
too much black choler,
BOOK II. 20
Quinte Essence
and lasts a year or more.

If Èe wole heele Ã¾is sijknes in schort tyme, lete Ã¾e To cure it soon, drink our
pacient vse to drynke oon14 5 essence, and he schal be al Quinte Essence;
hool hastily / forwhi; it consumeÃ¾ Ã¾e corrupt superflue
humouris, & reducit nature to equalite, and bryngiÃ¾ yn
gladnesse, & chasiÃ¾ a-wey heuynes & malencolie.
and if it so be Ã¾at Èe haue nouÈt oure 5 essence / Ã¾anne if you have it not, put pith
take j â— of Ã¾e beste brennynge watir, and Ã¾erinne putte of white dwarf elder in
medullam ebuli, and namely Ã¾e white, if Èe may may haue Burning Water, and take a
it / of Ã¾is watir Èeue to Ã¾e pacient, morowe and euen, a walnut-shell full morning
and evening.
walnot-schelle ful at oonys. and he schal be al hool /
or ellis Ã¾us: take what Ã¾ing Èe wole Ã¾at purgiÃ¾ Or, take whatever purges
malencolye, and putte a litil Ã¾erof into brennynge watir, & black choler, put it into
vse Ã¾at laxatif maad into smale pelotis, wijsly resceyuyng Burning Water; make
riÈt a litil at oonys, as oon litil pelot, and preue Ã¾erby how small pellets of it, and
take one, and then two,
it worchiÃ¾, Ã¾anne anoÃ¾er tyme .ij. at oonys, if it be gradually.
nede / so Ã¾at Ã¾e mater be a litil digestid and a litil
egestid. for bettere it is to worche a litil & a litil at oonys,
Ã¾an sodeynly greue Ã¾e nature.
[* Fol. 23.] forwhi, two litil pelotis laxatif meyngid wiÃ¾ brennynge
watir *wole worche more myÈtily Ã¾an .8. pelotis wole do
bi hem silf /
Also philosophoris seyn Ã¾at a tooÃ¾ drawe out from a â—Nota for ye
quyk beest, born vpon a man, delyueriÃ¾ fro Ã¾e quarteyn / quartene.â—
Also Ã¾ei seyn Ã¾at if Ã¾e yuis of Ã¾e eerbe Ã¾at is
callid morsus galline rubri be putt in hise nose-Ã¾rillis It is said that a tooth from
whanne he bigynneth to suffre Ã¾e accesse of Ã¾e a live beast heals the
Quartan, and the juice of
quarteyn, he schal be hool, wiÃ¾ Ã¾e grace of god.
Hen-bit or Chickweed put
in a manâ—s nostrils.
21 TO CURE The medicyn to heele Ã¾e feuere contynuele. alle â—9a. Me.â—
CONTINUAL, philosophoris seyn Ã¾at Ã¾e feuere contynuele is gendrid
TERTIAN AND DAILY of putrifaccioun of blood and of corrupcieun of humouris in To cure continual
FEVERS. it / Ã¾erfore Ã¾e cure Ã¾erof is to purge blood, and to Fever.
putte awey Ã¾e corrupcioun of it, & Ã¾e humoris vneuene
to make euene, Ã¾e nature lost to restore, and so restorid to It arises from putrefaction
kepe / of blood and corruptions
of humours.
ForsoÃ¾e alle Ã¾ese Ã¾ingis worcheÃ¾ oure quinte Our Quinte Essence cures
essence; and Ã¾erfore it curiÃ¾ perfiÈtly Ã¾e feuere this, (thoâ— Burning
contynuele / and Ã¾ouÈ brennynge watir caste out fro blood Water does not,)
watry humouris and corrupt, Èitt take it nouÈt in Ã¾is cure /
forwhi; Ã¾ouÈ brennynge watir be .7. tymes distillid, Èitt it
is [not] fully depurid fro his brennynge heete, & Ã¾e .4.
elementis / but siÃ¾ oure 5. essence is not hoot, ne moist,
coold, ne drie, as ben Ã¾e 4. elementis /
Ã¾erfore it heeliÃ¾ perfiÈtly Ã¾e contynuel feuere; if mixed with Quinte
namely wiÃ¾ commixtioun of Ã¾e 5 essence of gold & Essence of Gold and
peerle / and if Èe wole strenkÃ¾e Èoure medicyn, Ã¾anne Pearl,
and a little Cassia or Herb
putte yn oure 5. essence a litil quantite of pulpa cassie
Mercury.
BOOK II. 21
Quinte Essence
fistule / or ellis Ã¾e iuys of Ã¾e eerbe mercuriale.

[* Fol. 23b.] & if it so be Ã¾at oÃ¾ere humouris habounde to myche
with blood, Ã¾anne take Ã¾o laxatyues Ã¾at kyndely wole
*purge hem, as comoun bookis of fisik declareÃ¾.
The 10. medicyn to cure Ã¾e feuere tercian, Ã¾e which is â—10. Me.â—
causid of putrifaccioun, or reed coler to myche
haboundynge / to cure Ã¾ees sijknes, tak oure 5 essence, or â—feuer tercyane.â—
ellis fyn brennynge watir,—but Ã¾e firste is bettere,—and
putte Ã¾erinne a litil of rubarbe or of summe oÃ¾er To cure Tertian
laxatiue Ã¾at purgiÃ¾ reed coler, and a greet quantite of Fever.
watir of endyue; and vse Ã¾is medicyn at morowe & euen.
and Ã¾e pacient schal be hool wiÃ¾oute doute. Take Quinte Essence,
with Rhubarb and Endive
water, morn and eve.
â—water of
endyue.â—
The 11. medicyn is for to heele Ã¾e feuere cotidian, Ã¾e â—.11. Me.â—
which is causid of putrifaccioun of flewme to haboundynge /
and siÃ¾ flewme is coold and moist. oure 5 essence (and in â—feuer cotydyan.â—
his absence take good brennynge watir.) haÃ¾ strenkÃ¾e
and vertu to consume Ã¾e rotun watery inordinat, and to To cure Daily Fever.
myche coold humidite /
Ã¾erfore take oure 5 essence or brennynge watir, and putte Take our Quinte Essence,
Ã¾erinne a litil of euforbij, turbit, or sambuci, or sum oÃ¾ir and a little Euphorbium,
Ã¾ing Ã¾at purgiÃ¾ flewme; and vse it morowe and eue, &c.
& Ã¾e pacient schal be hool.
22 TO CURE AGUE The .12. medicyn for to cure Ã¾e feuere agu, and Ã¾e â—.12. Me.â—
FEVER, LUNACY, lunatik man and womman / discreet maistris seyn, Ã¾at
AND CRAMP. Ã¾e feuere agu comounly is causid of a uyolent reed coler To cure Ague Fever
adust, and of blood adust, and of blak coler adust; and and Lunacy.
sumtyme of oon of Ã¾ese adust, and sumtyme of two
togidere, and sumtyme of .3. togidere / â—lunatyke
persons.â—
This fever comes of

choler inflamed,
and Ã¾erfore Ã¾e feuere agu is Ã¾e posityue degree, and and is accompanied by
in Ã¾e superlatyue degree, comparatif gree & superlatif lightheadedness.
gree / For Ã¾e feuere agu haÃ¾ comounly alienacioun of
witt, & schewynge of Ã¾ingis of fantasy /
[* Fol. 24.] And Èe schal knowe weel whiche ben Ã¾e humouris adust â—Nota bene.â—
Ã¾at causen Ã¾e feuere, be Ã¾ese *tokenes / Forwhi, if
Ã¾e pacient seiÃ¾ Ã¾at he seeÃ¾ blak Ã¾ingis, Ã¾anne â—Signa.â—
blak coler, Ã¾at is, malencolie, is adust / & if he se Ã¾ingis
of gold / reed coler is adust / if reed Ã¾ingis, and schewynge As the patient sees black,
of bloodt Ã¾anne blood is adust / And if he seiÃ¾ Ã¾at he gold, or red things, so the
different humours are
seeÃ¾ alle Ã¾ese .iij, Ã¾ingis, Ã¾anne alle Ã¾e humouris
BOOK II. 22
Quinte Essence
ben adust / For as myche as brennynge watir ascendiÃ¾ to inflamed.

Ã¾e heed, and gladly wole a man drynke /
And siÃ¾ Ã¾at feuere agu regneÃ¾ in Ã¾e regioun of Burning Water should not
Ã¾e heed / Ã¾e philosophoris counceilis Ã¾at Ã¾e pacient be taken,
schal not resceyue it in Ã¾is sijknes /
but it is nedeful Ã¾at he take oure 5 essence of gold and of but Quinte Essence of
peerl, meynging Ã¾e 6 part of 5 essence of watir of rose, Gold and Pearl should,
violet, borage, and letuse15 / and Ã¾anne Èe schulen haue with that of Rose water,
Violet, &c.
an heuenly medicyn to cure perfiÈtly Ã¾is sijknesse.
For to cure Ã¾e frenesye and woodnes, or ellis at Ã¾e leeste â—for ye frenesye &
to swage it / take a greet quantite of popilion, and Ã¾e beste wodnesse.â—
vynegre Ã¾at Èe may haue, and a good quantite of rewe
domestik, weel brayed, and meyngid wiÃ¾ Ã¾ese forseid To cure or assuage
Ã¾ingis; Frenzy and
Madness.
and biclippe Ã¾e heed and Ã¾e feet of Ã¾e pacient with Wrap the head and feet in,
Ã¾is medicyn; and sum Ã¾erof putte to his nose-Ã¾rillis. and smell at, Popilion
Ã¾is medicyn anoon puttiÃ¾ awey Ã¾e frenesye & Ã¾e (with Vinegar mixed),
and Rue.
schewynge of fantasies / it curiÃ¾ also wode men & lunatike
men. and it restoriÃ¾ aÈen witt and discrecioun, & makiÃ¾
al hool and weel at eese.
[* Fol. 24b.] The .13. medicyn is to put a-wey Ã¾e craumpe fro a man. â—13a. Me.â—
for as myche as wise men seyn Ã¾at Ã¾e craumpe cometh
of Ã¾e hurtynge & Ã¾e febilnes of Ã¾e senewis, as it To cure Cramp.
schewiÃ¾ sumtyme yn medicyns maad of elebore, Ã¾er is
no Ã¾ing Ã¾at puttiÃ¾ awey Ã¾e 23 craumpe as doiÃ¾ Use our Quinte Essence
oure 5 essence aforeseid, or ellis *brennynge watir in stede of or Burning Water.
it.
TO CURE POISON The .14. medicyn, to caste out venym fro mannys body / take â—14a. Me.â—
AND COWARDICE. oure 5 essence, and putte Ã¾erine fleisch of a cok, neysch
soden & sotilly brayed, note kirnelis, fyn triacle, radisch, & To cast poison out of
garleek smal brayed, and oÃ¾ere Ã¾ingis Ã¾at ben goode a manâ—s body.
to caste out venym, as comoun bookis of fisik declariÃ¾ /
And also, to comforte Ã¾e herte, putte yn oure foreseid 5. Take our Quinte Essence,
essence, Ã¾e 5. essence of gold and of peerl. and he schal be with cockâ—s flesh,
nut-kernels, &c., and
delyuerid Ã¾erof & be hool.
Quinte Essence of Gold
and Pearls.
The .15. medicyn, to make a man Ã¾at is a coward, hardy â—15a. Me.â—
and strong, and putte a-wey almaner of cowardise and drede /
I seye Èou forsoÃ¾e Ã¾at no Ã¾ing may telle alle Ã¾e To make a Coward
myraclis vertues Ã¾at god haÃ¾ maad in oure 5 essence, bold and strong.
and not al oonly in him, but also in to his modir, Ã¾at is to
seye, fyn brennynge watir.
for to cure Ã¾is sijknesse, take a litil quantite of oure 5 Give him our Quinte
essence, & putte Ã¾erto double so myche of brennynge Essence with twice as
watir, and a litil quantite of Ã¾e iuys of eerbe pione and of much Burning Water, and
BOOK II. 23
Quinte Essence
saffron distillid togidere, and a litil of 5 essence of gold and a little Peony juice and
of peerl; and Èeue it him to drinke. and aftir sodeynly, as it saffron, and Quinte
were by myracle, Ã¾e coward man schal lese al maner drede Essence of Gold and
Pearl. The coward shall
and feyntnes of herte, and he schal recouere strenkÃ¾e Ã¾at
lose all faintness of heart,
ys lost by drede, and take to him hardynesse, and he schal
despise death, and dread
dispise deeÃ¾; he schal drede no perelis, and passyngly he no perils.
schal be maad hardy. Ã¾is is trewe, for it haÃ¾ ofte tymes
by oolde philosophoris [bene] preued /
[* Fol. 25.] Ã¾erfore it were a greet wisdom Ã¾at cristen princis, in Therefore Christian
bateilis aÈen heÃ¾ene men, hadde wiÃ¾ hem in tonnes Princes should have tuns
brennynge watir, Ã¾at Ã¾ei myÈt take to euery fiÈtynge of Burning Water, and
give every fighting man a
man half a riÈt litil cuppe ful Ã¾erof to drynke in Ã¾e
cup before battle with the
bigynnynge of Ã¾e batel. & Ã¾is priuyte owith to be hid heathen.
from alle enemyes of Ã¾e chirche; and also *princis and
lordis ministringe Ã¾ese Ã¾ingis schulde not telle what it
is.
TO CURE The .16. medicyn aÈens Ã¾e feuere pestilenciale, and Ã¾e â—16a. Me.â—
PESTILENTIAL FEVER maistrie to cure it. forsoÃ¾e holy scripture seiÃ¾ Ã¾at
AND PLAGUES. summe tymes oure lord god sendiÃ¾ pestilence to sle summe To cure Pestilential
maner of peple, as it is seid deutronomium 28 in Ã¾is maner Fever (when not
â—Si 24 audire nolueris16 vocem domini dei tui, ut sent as a
custodias et facias omnia mandata eius, veniant super te punishment by God).
omnes maledicciones; iste maledictus eris in ciuitate &c.â—
et infra; â—ad-iungat tibi pestilenciam donec consumat te de God says in Deuteronomy
terra, percuciat te dominus egestate, febre, et frigore, ardore xxviii. that if men will not
hear His voice and obey
et estu, et aere corrupto ac rubigine, et persequatur donec
His commandments,
pereasâ— hec ibidem; et infra â—percuciat te dominus pestilences shall come on
vlcere egipti, et partem corporis per quam stercora them.
egerantur. scabie quoque, et prurigine, ita ut curari nequeas;
percuciat te dominus necessitate ac furore mentisâ— //
Therfore a gret fool were he Ã¾at wolde presume to cure These plagues a man
Ã¾ese plagis of pestilence Ã¾at ben vncurable, Ã¾at ben would be a great fool to
sent of god to ponysche synne // Also Èe schal vndirstonde presume to cure,
Ã¾at men may die in .iij. maners. in oon maner by naturel
deeÃ¾, in Ã¾e teerme Ã¾at is sett of god / In anoÃ¾ir
maner bi violent deeÃ¾, and also in Ã¾e .iij. maner
occasionaly wiÃ¾inne Ã¾e teerme Ã¾at is sett of god; as
Ã¾o men Ã¾at to myche replecioun, or to greet abstynence
or by disperacioun, or ellis by necligence, sle him silf /
but sikirly alle oÃ¾ere maner of feueris pestilence Ã¾at god but all other pestilences
suffriÃ¾ to come to mankynde by perilous influence of from evil planets may be
yuele planetis, by Ã¾e grace of god & good gouernaunce cured by our Quinte
Essence with Aloes,
may be curid partialy wiÃ¾ oure 5. essence.
Euphorbium, &c.,
[* Fol. 25b.] and Ã¾erinne putte a litil of aloes epatik & euforbij, & a litil â—Nota bene.â—
of ierapigra galieni & of 5 essence, of Ã¾e rote of lilie and
also of gold & peerle, capilli veneris *and ysope; for Ã¾ese
Ã¾ingis ben nedeful to siche feueris & apostemes /
BOOK II. 24
Quinte Essence
it is nedeful also Ã¾at wiÃ¾ Ã¾ese Ã¾ingis Ã¾er be sich and a laxative Quinte
a quinta essencia laxatyue Ã¾at wole purge Ã¾e superflue Essence that will send the
humouris Ã¾at abounde; and Ã¾at Ã¾e pacient so myche patient to stool once a
day.
resceyue in a natural day Ã¾erof Ã¾at he may go weel
oonys to sege; and so lete him vse Ã¾is laxatif .3. in Ã¾e
woke;
But be weel war Ã¾at he take wiÃ¾ oure quinta essencia â—Caueas.â—
but riÈt a litil quantite of Ã¾e laxatif at oonys, as I tolde Èou
tofore, for peril Ã¾at miÈte bifalle.
& euery day take he by Ã¾e morowe an eye-schelle ful of He must also take every
good brennynge watir, and Ã¾e corrupt eyr schal not noye morning an egg-shell-full
him; & also vse in Ã¾e dayes, two or Ã¾re smale pelotis of Burning Water, and 2
or 3 pestilence pills in our
pestilenciales in oure 5 essencia, or in brennynge watir; & al
Quinte Essence, and
Ã¾e hous of Ã¾e pacient schal be encensid 25 strongly .iij smoke his house with
in Ã¾e day wiÃ¾ frank-encense, mirre, & rosyn, terbentyn frankincense, &c.
& rewe.
MAY THIS BOOK... and Ã¾is is perfiÈt cure for Ã¾e feuere pestilence / And
Ã¾us Èe may, wiÃ¾ Ã¾is 5 essencijs, cure alle Ã¾ese
sijknesses aforeseid, and manye oÃ¾ere, as it were by
myracle, if Èe worche disc[r]eetly as I haue toold Èou
tofore /
Now here I make an eende of Ã¾is tretis Ã¾at is clepid Ã¾e Here is an end of this
mooste & Ã¾e souereyneste secrete of alle secretis, and a most sovereign of all
passynge tresour Ã¾at may nouÈt fayle // secrets.
O quantum malum foret, si hic liber perueniret ad manus What ills will befall if
hominum mundanorum, ad noticiam tirannorum, et ad it gets into
seruicium reproborum! quia, sicut sancti per hunc librum tyrantsâ— and
reprobatesâ— hands
poterunt continuare opera vite christiani diucius et
and prolongs their
vehemencius, ita et reprobi possent peruerso vsi diucius life in evil. I will keep
perseuerare in malo. ego autem, quantum in me est, propter it for holy men
solos sanctos librum hunc constituo, et ipsum custod[iÃ¦] alone; and I
ihesu Christi commendo nunc et in eternum //=// commend it to
Christâ—s keeping
now and ever.
Explicit librum de maximis secretis essencie quinte

&c.
FOOTNOTES
1. practise, MS. Harl. Printed as a sidenote in the original text.
2. ? MS. meant for â—man.â—
3. MS. â—siff.â—
4. then, MS. Harl. Printed as sidenote.
5. 5 for fifth, or quinte.
6. MS. Harl. reads â—and this fifte beinge so nighe kinde it is most to haue.â—
7. of vnkinde natuer. Harl. 853.
8. of glasse made. Harl. 853.
9. ? â—be so hool.â— Or is hool a verb, become whole, recover?
FOOTNOTES 25
Quinte Essence
10. MS. hom Printed as sidenote.

11. Erf = erÃ¾e.
12. houynesse MS.
13. â—A lous is a worme with manye fete, & it commeth out of the filthi and onclene skynne, & oftentymes for
faute of atendaunce they come out of the flesshe through the skynne or swet holes.
To withdryue them / The best is for to wasshe the oftentimes, and to chaunge oftentymes clene lynen.â——The
noble lyfe and nature of man, Of bestes, serpentys, fowles, and fisshes yt be moste knowen. Capitulo. C. xix.
14. ? our Printed as sidenote.
15. in margin, â—Rose / violett / Borage / lutuse /â—
Printed in the space at the end of its paragraph (page image): may have been intended for a
sidenote.
16. MS. volueris.
26
THE SPHERES AND PLANETS
[leaf 26]
Â¶ Philosofirs puttyn 9 speris vndirewritten; but Diuinis puttin Ã¾e tenÃ¾e spere, where is heuyn empire, in
Ã¾e whiche, angelis & sowlis1 of seyntis seruen god; in Ã¾e whiche is crist, in Ã¾e same forme that he
walkid in erÃ¾e, and also owre lady, & seyntis that arosen with criste.
Â¶ Ãe first spere of Ã¾e 9 is clepid â—primum mobile,â— Ã¾e first mevabil thyng.
Â¶ Ãe .ij. spere of sterris: Aries .1. Ã¾e rame. Â¶ the secund hows of Mars, Ã¾e bool, Â¶ Ã¾e secund hows
of Venus, Gemini, Â¶ Ã¾e secund hows of Mercuri, Cancer. Â¶ Ã¾e hows of Ã¾e mone, leo. Ã¾e hows of
Ã¾e sonne, Virgo. // Ã¾e first hows of Mercury, Libra // Ã¾e first hows of Venus, Scorpio // Ã¾e first hows
of Mars, Sagittarius // Ã¾e first hows of Iubiter, Capricornus // Ã¾e first hows of Saturne, Aquarius // Ã¾e
secund hows of Saturne, Piscis. / Ã¾e secunde hows of Iubiter
[no more].
Â¶ Saturn is a planete evel-willid and ful of sekenes. Wherfore he is peyntid with an hooke, for he repeÃ¾
dow{n)} grene thyngis / he fulfilliÃ¾ his course in xxx Èeere.
Â¶ Iubiter is a planete wele willyng to alle thingis to be gendrid, plent[i]ful & plesyng; therfor he is y-seid
Iubiter as helpyn. in xij [È]eere he filliÃ¾ his course.
Â¶ Mars is an enemy to alle thyngis to be gendrid; wherfor he is clepid god of batel, for he is ful of tempest.
he fulfilliÃ¾ his course in .ij. Èeere.
[leaf 26, back]

Â¶ Ãe sonne is Ã¾e worthiest planet, y-set in myddis. he fulfilliÃ¾ his course in CCClxv dayes & vj. howris,
Ã¾e whiche causen bisext.
Â¶ Venus is apte to alle thyngis to be gendrid. he fulfilliÃ¾ his course in CCCxxxvj daies.
Â¶ Mercuri swyft is y-seid a messenger of daies [? heuene]. he fulfilliÃ¾ his course in CCCxxxvj daies.
Â¶ Ãe mone is a planete ny Ã¾e erÃ¾e.
[ends.]
THE SPHERES AND PLANETS 26

Quinte Essence
1. lis is the MS. l with a line at right angles to it.
27
NOTES
ON THE CHEMISTRY OF THE TEXT
By C.H. GILL, Esq., of University College, London
P. 4. Direction to submit any wine that is not sour to distillation. (Sour wine is deficient in alcohol; that body
having been changed into acetic acid by oxidation.) In the language of the mystical ideas which prevailed in
the dawn of Chemistry, the colouring matters, sugar, &c. of the wine are called â—the .4. elementis,â— or as
it were the â—rotten fÃ¦ces of wineâ—??
The direction to distill the wine seven times is a good practical suggestion for the obtaining of strong alcohol
which will burn well. Then follows a description of the distilling apparatus, which seems to have been
arranged to ensure a very slow distillation, so as to obtain a product as colourless and scentless as possible.
P. 5. The second way to make the Quinte essence depends on distillation of alcohol by means of the heat of
fermenting horse-dung; also the fifth manner.
P. 6. The directions for gilding burning water are all nonsense; but as the writer had no means of testing the
truth of his statements, they may have been made in good faith.
P. 7. The idea which he expresses, that this gilt burning water will make you well and young, is difficult to
explain, except on the assumption that, it being the strongest of alcohol, a very little served to produce that
elevation of spirits which seemed to bring back the spring of youth.
P. 7, l. 6 from the bottom. The word liquibles in the text does not mean liquids, for a liquid cannot be made
hot enough to be quenched. If 28 the original liquibles cannot be retained I should substitute the word
liquiables, meaning those things which can be liquefied by heat. Indeed in the next passage we find stated that
if Saturn (the alchemistsâ— mystical name for Lead) be quenched, &c., and that if then Mars (Iron) be
quenched in the same liquid, it will acquire the softness of Saturn. Or if you quench lead in spirit which has
had iron first cooled in it, it becomes hard.
Of course there is no truth whatever in the above statements.
P. 8. The fire without coals, &c., is â—corrosive sublimate,â— most probably containing an excess of
Sulphuric acid (vitriol) as an impurity. If Copper (Venus) or Tin (Jupiter) be dipt into this solution of mercury
they will have a deposit of mercury formed on their surface, which will give them a pearly appearance.
P. 8. To bring Gold into calx. When gold is treated in the way directed, a fine powder of gold of a brown or
yellow colour is left. This might readily have been mistaken for a calx by those who had no clear ideas of
what calx really was.
P. 9. The departing of gold from silver is essentially the same as the plan practised at the present day.
To get the Quintessence of Gold. I can make nothing of the directions, that is, I cannot see that they (the
directions) hide any real truth.
NOTES ON THE CHEMISTRY OF THE TEXT 27

Quinte Essence
P. 10. How to get the Quintessence of Antimony. I can make nothing of this part, and can only suggest that
the vinegar used contained hydrochloric acid, and when distilled with â—Myn Antimonyâ— (native sulphide
of antimony) gave a distillate of Chloride of Antimony containing some â—kermesâ— which is red.
From this point onward there is little or nothing that can be explained by a Chemist.
29
GLOSSARY.
Agu, p. 22, l. 1, â—Intermittent Feaver, commonly called an Ague, has Marien Bath, p. 12, l. 7 bot., Balneum MariÃ¦,
certain times of Intermission or ceasing; it begins for the most part with a Chemistâ—s bath. â—Bain de Marie. Maries
Cold or Shivering, ends in Heat, and returns exactly at set Periods.â— bath; a cauldron, or kettle full of hot water.â—
Phillips. Cotgrave.
Aischin, p. 4, l. 10, ashes. Medle, p. 19 last line, mix.
Amphora, p. 11, &c., â—a large vessel which derived its name from its Medulla, p. 18, l. 3, pith.
being made with a handle on each side of the neck, from á¼—Î¼Ï—á½· Mercasite, p. 10, l. 14, â—a kind of Mineral
on both sides, and Ï—á½³Ï—Ï— I carry.â— Dict. of Gr. and Rom. Stone, hard and brittle, partaking of the Nature
Ant. and Colour of the Metal it is mixed with; some
Anele, p. 6, l. 26, &c., heat? call it a Fire-Stone.â— Phillips.
Apostemes, p. 24, l. 24, imposthumes, boils. Mercuriale, mercurie, p. 21, 19, &c.,
Appeire, p. 3, l. 12, impair, worsen. â—Mercury .. among Chymists .. signifies
Arreins, p. 2, l. 25, spiders. Quick-silver; and is also taken for one of their
â—Cassia Fistula (Lat.), Cassia in the Pipe or Cane, a kind of Reed or active Principles, commonly callâ—d Spirit ..
Shrub that grows in India and Africa, bearing black, round, and long Also the Name of a purging Herb, of which
Cods, in which is containâ—d a soft black Substance, sweet like Honey, there are two sorts, viz. Good Harry and
and of a purging Quality.â— Phillips. Dogâ—s Mercury.â—
Colaciouns, p. 18, l. 21, ? comments, homilies. Metis, p. 16, l. 22, meatus, passages.
Comounne, p. 3, l. 35, communicate. Mon, p. 13, l. 19. ?
â—Continual Feaver is that whose Fit is continuâ—d for many Days; Morsus GallinÃ¦, the Herb Henbit or
having its times of Abatement, and of more Fierceness; althoâ— it Chick-weed. Phillips.
never intermits, or leaves off.â— Phillips. Mortifie, p. 19 last line, â—Among Chymists
Deedly, p. 3, l. 24, liable to death, mortal. to change the outward Form or Shape of a Mixt
Departynge, p. 5, l. 14, parting, separating. Body; as when Quicksilver, or any other Metal,
Depurid, p. 9, l. 27, purified, purged. is dissolved in an acid Menstruum.â—
Distillatorie, p. 10, l. 24, a still. Randle Holme, (Academy, p. 422, col. Phillips.
2,) speaks of â—a Still or Distillatory Instrument,â— and further on, iv., Neischede, p. 7, l. 2 bot., neshness, softness,
â—He beareth Sable, the Head of a Distillatory with 3 pipes; having as pliancy.
many Receivers or Bottles set to them.â— Oo, p. 4, one.
â—Ebulum or Ebulus (Lat.), the Herb Wall-wort, Dane-wort, or Popilion, p. 22, l. 24; â—Populeum, an
Dwarf-elder.â— Phillips. Ointment made of Poplar buds, of a cooling and
Encorpere, p. 13, l. 4, mix, incorporate. allaying Quality.â— Phillips. Fr.
Euforbii, p. 21, l. 3 bot., â—Euphorbia, the Libyan Ferula, a Tree or â—Populeon. Popilion, a Pompillion; an
Shrub first found by King Juba, and so callâ—d from the Name of his ointment made of blacke Poplar buds.â— Cot.
Physician Euphorbus.â— Phillips. Preparate, p. 8, l. 21, prepare.
Euphorbium, â—the gummy Juice or Sap of that Tree much usâ—d in â—Quartan Ague is that whose Fit returns
Physick and Surgery.â— Phillips. every fourth Day.â— Phillips.
Extremities, p. 17, l. 2, ends of the limbs. Quenchour, p. 6 at foot, cooling the florin ?
Fecis, p. 4, l. 7; p. 9, dregs. Quintessence is defined by Phillips as â—the
Fire of hell, p. 8, l. 23, a disease. purest Substance drawn out of any Natural
Fumiter, p. 18, l. 3, fumitory. Body; a Medicine made of the efficacious active
Fyme, p. 10, l. 2 bot., mud, clay. Particles of its Ingredients separated from all
Gerapigra galieni, p. 3, l. 29, á¼±ÎµÏ—Î± Ï—Î¹ÎºÏ—Î± ÎÎ±Î»Î·Î½Î¿Ï—. FÃ¦ces or Dregs; the Spirit, chief Force, or
Giltid, p. 7, l. 3, having the properties of gold communicated by it. Virtue of any thing.â—
Groste, p. 5, ll. 9, 29, grossness, heavy particles, residuum.
By C.H. GILL, Esq., of University College, London 28

Quinte Essence
Hide, p. 13, l. 18, ? for hideus; compare the Harleian reading Reme, p. 9, l. 5 bot., A.S. reoma, a strap,
â—unkinde.â— thong.
Hool, p. 15, l. 10, recover, improve. Reparale, p. 8, l. 21, make, compound.
Incombustible, p. 10, l. 2. Respire, p. 4, l. 5 from foot, exhale.
Incorruptibility, p. 7, l. 2. Restreyne, p. 7, l. 8, retain.
Kynde, p. 1, l. 12, all creatures; l. 13, nature. Reward, p. 2, l. 4, 7, regard.
â—Lapis Lazuli a kind of Azure or Sky-colourâ—d Stone, of which Rotombe, p. 10, l. 3 bot., a retort.
the Blew Colour callâ—d Ultramarine is made .. much usâ—d in Sambucy, p. 16, l. 7 bot., â—Sambucus, the
Physick.â— Phillips. Elder-Tree; a Shrub of very great use in
Lembike, p. 9, l. 2, â—Alembick or Limbeck (Arab.), a Still, a Physic.â— Phillips.
Chymical Vessel used in Distilling, shaped like a Helmet, and towards Stafisagre, p. 20, l. 1, â—Staphis agria, the
the Bottom having a Beak or Nose, about a Foot and a half long, by Herb Staves-acre, or Lice-bane.â— Phillips.
which the Vapours descend. They are commonly made of Copper â—Tertian Ague or Feaver is that which
tinnâ—d over on the inside, and often of Glass.â— Phillips. intermits entirely, and returns again every third
Liquibles, p. 7, l. 6 bot., meltable metals. Day with its several Symptoms at a set
Lymayl, p. 8, l. 6 bot., Fr. â—limaille: f. File-dust, pinne-dust.â— Time.â— Phillips.
Cotgrave. To, p. 1, l. 16, too.
Triacle, p. 23, l. 5, cordial, â—Treacle, a
Physical Composition, made of Vipers and other
Ingredients.â— Phillips.
Turbit, p. 16, l. 7 bot., â—Turbit, Tripoly, an
Herb called Turbith, or blew Camomel.â—
â—Turbith, an Herb so callâ—d by the
Arabians, which grows in Cambaya, Surat, and
other parts of Asia; a dangerous Drug upon
account of its violent purging Quality.â—
Phillips.
Vapoure, p. 8, l. 5 from foot; p. 9 at foot,
evaporate.
Woodnes, p. 22, l. 23, wildness, madness.
Ypericon, p. 19, l. 16, â—Hypericon, St.
Johnâ—s-Wort, an excellent Herb for Wounds,
and to provoke Urine.â— Phillips.
Errata and Technical Notes

The character â—l-barâ— Æ (html entity #410 or x019A) has been represented in this text
by â—l-strokeâ— Å— (#322 or x0142), as it is much more widely available.
Two entries in the Table of Contents were merged in the printed book, apparently for
reasons of space. The original form was:
HOW TO CURE FRENSY, GOUT, AND TROUBLES 19
FROM DEVILS, WICKED THOUGHTS, ETC., p. 17;
AND HOW OUR QUINTE ESSENCE IS HEAVEN
See also comments on footnotes, especially Footnote 15 with linked page image.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Book Of Quinte Essence Or The
Fifth Being (1889), by Unknown
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GLOSSARY. 29
Quinte Essence
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GLOSSARY. 37

The Book of Quinte Essence or The Fifth Being (1889) Edited From British Museum MS. Sloane 73 About 1460-70 A.D. by Unknown

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The Book of Quinte Essence or The Fifth Being (1889) Edited From British Museum MS. Sloane 73 About 1460-70 A.D. by Unknown

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Book of Quinte Essence

The Fifth Being;

A tretice in englisch breuely drawe out of Ã¾e book of quintis

FIRST PUBLISHED 1866

Original Series, No. 16

REPRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY RICHARD CLAY

Book of Quinte Essence 1

Egham, 16th May, 1866.

PROLOG: GODâ—S GREATEST SECRET 1

HOW TO MAKE AN OLD EVANGELIC MAN YOUNG 15

THE SPHERES AND THE PLANETS 26

THE BOOK OF QUINTE ESSENCE

OR THE FIFTH BEING;

[Fol. 10.] By the grace of God I translate

THE BOOK OF QUINTE ESSENCE 4

for gold of alkamy maad with corosyues distroieÃ¾ kynde, â—Nota.â—

continuelle ascenciouns & discenciouns, Ã¾e quinta essencia

bitwixe it / and Ã¾e quinte essence, Ã¾at is, mannys heuene

lete it stonde Ã¾ere nyÈt and day.

The science how Èe schule gilde more myÈtily by brennynge â—science.â—

ForsoÃ¾e Ã¾is doiÃ¾ awey ache of alle woundis, and

The science to drawe out Ã¾e 5 beynge of euerych of Ã¾e â—science.â—

to encorpere wel as tofore in Ã¾e bath of marienÌ— /

foold her worchingis //

Explicit pars prima tractatus quinte essencie: End of Part I.

and he shall rise up and

The 4 medicyn is to cure palsie vniuersel. ForsoÃ¾e alle 4a. Me.

ellis medullam ebuli, and vse it discreetly. forwhy. not al

malencoly, & in Ã¾o Ã¾ingis Ã¾at pretende Ã¾e

and lasts a year or more.

fistule / or ellis Ã¾e iuys of Ã¾e eerbe mercuriale.

This fever comes of

ben adust / For as myche as brennynge watir ascendiÃ¾ to inflamed.

Explicit librum de maximis secretis essencie quinte

10. MS. hom Printed as sidenote.

THE SPHERES AND PLANETS

[leaf 26, back]

Â¶ Ãe mone is a planete ny Ã¾e erÃ¾e.

THE SPHERES AND PLANETS 26

1. lis is the MS. l with a line at right angles to it.

Of course there is no truth whatever in the above statements.

NOTES ON THE CHEMISTRY OF THE TEXT 27

By C.H. GILL, Esq., of University College, London 28

Errata and Technical Notes

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