The Preparation of the Fiery Wine-Spirit.

"A copper vessel has to be constructed that can be taken apart in the middle, as ell as
above and belo the holes, that are located about halfay up the retort. !nto this an
alembic is mounted ith a tube, everythin" made of copper e#cept for the recipient hich
must be made of "lass and be of a lar"e si$e. The latter is put into a ooden vessel filled
ith cold ater. The top of the recipient must also be cooled by means of et cloths, and
these must be fre%uently replaced by fresh ones in order to enhance the coolin" effect.
Also the ooden vessel must have a &ock, so that the ater may be removed and fresh
ater poured in a"ain. When everythin" is ready, the prepared spiritus vini is introduced
into the vessel throu"h the loest series of holes. When the level is 'ust belo these small
holes, it is lit and the alcohol starts to burn. The air holes then force the mercury upard
and the cold ater causes it to li%uify, so that it ascends from the alembic into the
recipient. This then is the preparation of the true spiritus vini, but you must not ne"lect
any detail in the ork of coolin", and take care to replenish the a%uam vitam so that its
level does not burn too lo, etc."
Para"ranum()*+,- and !pus paramirum ()*+)-
".nless the medicine be %ualified as it ou"ht, it is death to taste the least atom of it,
because its nature is so hi"hly vi"orous and stron" above that of man/ for if its least parts
are able to strike so fiercely and thorou"hly into the body of a base and corrupt metal as
to tin"e and convert it into so hi"h a de"ree as perfect "old, ho less able is the body of
man to resist such a force hen its "reatest stren"th is far inferior to the eakest metal0 1
do believe that many philosophers, havin" a desire to en'oy perfect health, have
destroyed themselves in attemptin" to take the medicine inardly ere they kne the true
use thereof, or ho to %ualify it to be received by the nature of man ithout destruction."
The folloin" is a translation2
). 1 speak not fictitious thin"s, but hat is true and most certain.
3. As is belo is like that hich is above, and hat is above is similar to that hich is
belo to accomplish the onders of one thin".
+. As all thin"s are produced by the mediation of one bein", so all thin"s ere produced
from this one thin" by adaptation.
4. 1ts father is the Sun2 its mother is the moon.
*. 1t is the cause of all perfection throu"hout the hole earth.
5. 1ts poer is perfect if it is chan"ed into earth.
6. Separate the earth from the fire, the subtile from the "ross, actin" prudently and ith
'ud"ment.
7. Ascend ith the "reatest sa"acity from the earth to heaven, and then descend a"ain to
earth, and unite to"ether the poer of all thin"s inferior and superior/ thus you ill
possess the li"ht of the hole orld, and all obscurity ill fly aay from you.
8. This thin" has more fortitude than fortitude itself, because it ill overcome every
subtile thin" and penetrate every solid thin".
),. 9y it the orld as formed.
)). :ence proceed onderful thin"s, hich in this manner ere established.
)3. For this reason, 1 am called :ermes the thrice "reatest, because 1 possess those parts
of the philosophy of the hole orld.
)+. What 1 had to say about the operation of the Sun is completed