18. Now give careful attention, for we now come to the point and period of Ripley's error; for if you put four pounds of this Sericon to distil in a limbeck, and from thence would draw a Menstruum as Ripley teacheth, perhaps you would have scarce one ounce of this oil, and some part of a black earth will remain in the bottom and most of the Gum melted again into Lead, by which you may know that the Sericon is not well dissolved, nor as yet sufficiently prepared that a Chaos may be made thereof fit for distillation because it is not yet well dissolved. Therefore in Isaacus there is found a way, resolving this Gum with distilled Vinegar acuated with calcined Tartar and Salt Armoniack; wherefore, saith he, if thou be wise resolve the Gum. But I like not this acuation of the Vinegar as I may call it. I rather choose to resolve the Sericon in Raymund's Calcination Water, which is a compound water of Vegetable Mercury, or fire natural, with the fire against nature, as Ripley testifieth; and it is more verified by Raymund in his books of Mercury, where he teacheth how to dissolve bodies with his Calcinative Water.

19. I will reveal unto you this water, which is almost unknown. Note, therefore, that the Vegetable Mercury is the Spirit of Wine (instead of which we may sometimes use distilled Vinegar) and that the Fire against Nature is a corrosive water made of Vitriol and Saltpeter.