The death and destruction of the life of Man, is no other thing saving a dissimilitude and contrariety, whereby that which is alike and temperate is destroyed and dissipated, whether it be done by too much heat or too much cold, ’tis both on the same manner. Too much heat doth exhaust the strength out of a Man’s body, just as a great fire draws to its self a lesser. But a mighty cold drives the spirit and life of a Man to the heart, and is worse than the heat, but yet more insensible, and this is clearly evident in Wine, which being set in a Vessel at the fire, the Sun, or some warm place, the heat draws to it self the spirit and life of the Wine, and leaves behind an insipid or unsavory matter, because like covets its like, but if a Vessel filled with Wine, be set in an intense cold, that cold doth not attract the Spirit as the Fire did; but hates it as being unlike it, drives it into a little room into the center of the Vessel, so that having broken the Vessel and separated the Ice, the spirit will be found whole by it self, which otherwise, and in the heat did ascend and might be caught in a Receiver set hereto So then, the Spirit is constrained as well by too much cold, as by too much heat to forsake its Soul and Habitation and leave it to the power of Death.
And many things might be spoken both of the nature of heat and cold which are understood but by few. There lies hidden therein great Arcanums which is not at all fit for the contemners to be acquainted withall. An hot and temperate Air, and the light of the day being dispersed widely or a far of, are the graces and virtue of God. But the concentrated hot Air and Light of the Day, what can they be else but God himself, the Habitation of pure Spirits. The darksome and cold night is nothing else, but the emitted and widely dispersed or dilated curse and wrath of God. But the concentrated and dark night is nothing else but the eternally mortifying power and center of all evil, and Habitation of evil Spirits, where is howling and gnashing of Teeth. Do but a little consider, what is it that a little concentrated handfull as it were of the Sun will not do? will not the heat kindle Wood, as it were in a moment, and melt Lead and Tin? what would not the Sun do if intercepted the breadth of three or four paces? without doubt it would suffice to melt Iron and Copper. But it exceeds all understanding to guess if the shining Sun were concentrated a miles breadth what would it then do. But yet it is likely that it would burn up the whole World in a moment, and make it vanish away in smoak, should the Sun shine on it in this wise. This may be demonstrated by the contact and union of the Sun’s beams in Concave one a burning Glass. And if we are unable to behold the light of the Sun, when a little collected by some instrument because the brightness thereof is such, as to hurt the Sight; who is able to stand before the Sun it self, (and yet he is but as an egress or out-gone virtue of God) much less before God himself who is the Center of light. And could the darkness be so concentrated as the light is, what an incomprehensible and dreadfull monster (such as Death, the Devil, and the infernal Pit are) should we see, which God in mercy prevent. For by how much the fairer, excellenter, and more unutterable the concentrated light is, as being the divine presence and clarity, by so much must the concentrated darkness be the more horrible and more dreadfull, for these two are contraries. I may haply have made too wide a digression, but yet these things are well worth your consideration, that so it may even from hence appear how little the nature of man is able to abide the extreams and centers of either heat or cold, for either of these is a death and poison, but their temperature is the life of a man. Forasmuch therefore as a Physician ought to be a Philosopher and Spagyrist, and such an one who hath nature in his hand and power, it is not difficult for him to find out a true temperature, which may give to nature that which she desires and stands in need of. Thus now it is hereby proved, that my Vegetable Essences are not to be therefore shunned, because they are in themselves hot, for then we might upon the same account shun God too, who in himself is a consuming Fire; but it lies in the Physicians hands to temperate and moderate these kinds of Essences with proper and suitable vehicles, according as best conduceth to the help of the Sick.
Moreover the external use of those Essences is very notable in the cold affects of the members, in which case they are a present help: for the volatile Spirit is as it were a leading vehicle to the Oil and volatile Salt, and the use of them is pleasant, if a little Cotton be herewith impregnated, and so put to the Nostrils and smelt to. It doth most notably vivifie (in time of infected Air) and comfort the Spirits, preserves the heart from the corrupt Air and contageous Vapours. It doth also correct and refresh the pent up Air in Parlors and Chambers, &c. if the Glass wherein they be, be opened and exposed to the Air, from whence the subtile Essence may be without ceasing diffused into the Air, and make the room smell sweet. So that whosoever is already in the room, or goeth hereinto will be refreshed with the friendliness of the Odour. Nor are they very dear neither to him that knows how rightly to prepare them, and is not to seek in manual operations.
But now this method (which I have spoken of) serves for such Herbs onely as may be had fresh and plenty, and not so well for forreign Herbs, dried Spices, Woods, Seeds, and Roots, for they require another way which is as followeth.
Process for Spices, &c.
Forasmuch as that extraneous well smelling Vegetables are not every where to be had, as our home-grown Herbs are, we must deal more sparingly with them, and that on this wise. They must be powdered, and to every pound must be put five or six pounds of common water, and be macerated some three or four days in a warm place (whether it be Root, Wood, Herb, Seed, or the like) then put them into a Still and by Distillation draw according to Art some part of the water, and there will come forth together herewithall an Oil of that Herb or Fruit, which you must separate from the waters and keep by it self, untill you get the Spirit and volatile Salt also, the which are to be joyned with the Oil and be converted into a sweet Essence. Then take out the water that remains together with the Vegetable out of the Still, put it in a wooden Vessel, and add hereto the water you distilled and put thereto so many pounds of Sugar as the Vegetable weighed. When your Sugar is dissolved in the Water, mix therewith new Ale-yest, and let it stand in a warmish place, and the Spice will ferment as if it were a new Herb; when it hath done working, put it into your Still, and it will yield a Spirit, like as the new fresh Herbs did, and such an one as will both tast and smell strong of that Seed or Wood you distilled, the which you ought to rectifie as is said before: the residue is to be burnt into ashes, the Salt is to be extracted, and the Spirit to be thence distilled, with which the Oil is to be conjoyned according to the before prescribed weight.
N. B. Now forasmuch as the outlandish Spices can scarce be distilled in quantity enough at one time onely, so as to yield Salt enough out of the remainder thereof, it will be well enough, to use the Salt of another Herb, instead of its own, or in defect of that too, you may use highly depurated Salt of Tartar as a substitute, but yet it is better to use its own proper Salt, provided it may be had.
This is the true and genuine description, how the Essences both of our own home-grown Vegetables, and likewise of forreign and dry Vegetables are to be prepared. Now remains that we describe the virtue and efficacy of the prepared Essences; and this I could do, would it not be too tedious, viz. to describe the virtues and efficacy of the several Herbs. But seeing there are already Books that are full thereof, I look upon it as superfluous to repeat the same, but refer the well minded Reader, to those kind of Herbals which treat of the virtues of the said Herbs. For whatsoever virtues the Herb either green or dry abounds withall, its Essence possesseth the same much more excellently, as being what is brought into a small compass, and so multiplied: whereas otherwise a good part of the Herb goes to the said contained vertues; especially of our Herbs here in Germany, in which the vertue is widely dispersed, and it is therefore far more advisedly done to collect them into a narrower room, that they may be the more commodiously administred. This moreover is well worth the noting; viz. that we can search out the Vertues of all Vegetables by their Signature, far better than by reading those Books that are composed of scraps from one, and scraps from another &c. Neither is it so well always to acquiesce in the Writings of the Ancients, who also remained ignorant of such things as God taught them not, by nature. Pray what Master is there of knowledge that never erred from the truth? and who is it that you can in all things safely trust?
O! I could wish, that we could but reade, and understand the Writings and Signs of the said Herbs, by which it speaketh with us, we should not need so many seducing Books. Who I pray exalted Moses, Daniel, Joseph, Solomon, and many other Philosophers, to such an height of Wisedom and Art? It was onely God, who yet lives and can at any time easily doe whatever he formerly could: who can doubt as touching him, when God minds the enlightning or blessing of any one with his Gifts, he makes no use of any Books, for this purpose, and so instruct out of them, nor doth he dispute or controvert with him. We should seek unto this Master and learn from him, and not out of the elegantly written Arabian, Græcian and Latine Books. But now the world is come to such an height of pride and errour, that it can neither believe nor comprehend that any one can learn ought but in the Schools, and yet the most expert and most famous men that ever lived in the world, arrived to that famous light of nature without making use of the Schools, and the things that they wrote, they did not publish them in a strange Language, but in their own Mother Tongue, as is sufficiently evident. And this is the saying to this very day, viz. Whence hath this man his understanding, and was never bred up in the Schools? I knew him from his youth, and that he had nothing in him. Alas good Sir, you are very wise. Brought you with you into the World more than I did? Were not you born a naked Infant as well as I, and that skill which any one hath, received it he from his Parents, hereditary? Is it not the gift of God, whether it be much or little? Art doth not consist in the variety of strange Languages, but in experience. It is one Art to understand and speak several Tongues, it is another Art to calculate the Course of the Sun, Moon and Stars, and to predict from them the Changes of Times and Seasons. Again, it is another Art to prepare and purifie the Nature, Properties, Vertue and Efficacy of all the Vegetables, partly for the conservation of the Life of Man, and partly for diverting accidental Diseases, and to know how to use them as need requires. Besides it is another Art, to get out of the Earth those many rare kinds of the wonderfull Creatures of God, and those Fruits of the Earth as the Minerals and Metals, for Man’s use, (which is the End they were created for, and which we cannot want) and to depurate them by the Fire, to transmute them out of one form into another better form, and to have the knowledge, understanding and experience of them all.
As concerning the signature of Herbs, by which God teacheth us their hidden Vertues, many things might be said, and it were to be wish’d, that such a knowledge were earnestly desired, and sought after by all those that deal in Physick, and do thencefrom get their food, there would not then be so much need of troubling ones Brains with so many forreign and domestick Writings, where you shall find one gainsaying another, and so leave they as doubtfull what party we were best addict our selves unto and believe; but now we may easily find out the certainty and truth by their signature, and distinguish what is erroneous, and proceed on with more safety in all the practise, yea and in time too (by God’s permission) come into a far better State. And here you are to remember, that the signature of Herbs, do shew a Physician their Vertues as well as Books do, for indeed they rather trace by-paths, than walk in the way of truth. And here would be a very convenient place to treat of the signatures of Vegetables, but forasmuch as I have written a peculiar Book concerning them (which God willing) shall suddenly come abroad, let the friendly Reader have a little patience and expect it, wherein he shall find things wonderfull and unheard of.