[Sidenote: How many degrees of Alchymie there be.]
Therefore laying aside all these kinds of vanities, they delight to bee busied about the fire, and to learn the degrees of the science of Alchymie: Of this order are _Distillation_, _Resolution_, _Putrefaction_, _Extraction_, _Calcination_, _Reverberation_, _Sublimation_, _Fixation_, _Separation_, _Reduction_, _Coagulation_, _Tincture_, &c.
But how these separations may bee done by the help of distinct degrees according to the Art of Alchymie, hath been in generall spoken of already. Wherefore it is needlesse here to make repetition.
But to proceed to particulars, and briefly to explaine the practise, you must know that _Water_, _Spirit_, _Liquor_, _Oyle_, &c. cannot bee separated after one and the same processe, out of Flowers, Hearbes, Seeds, Leaves, Roots, Trees, Fruits, Woods, by the degree of Distillation.
For Hearbs require one processe, Flowers another, Seeds another, Leaves another, Roots another, Trees another, the Stalkes another, the Fruite another, Woods another.
[Sidenote: The degrees of fire in Distillation.]
And in this degree of Distillation, there are also foure distinct degrees of Fire to bee considered.
The first degree of Fire in Distillation is _Balneum Mariæ_, this Distillation is made in Water.
Another degree of Fire is Distillation made in Ashes.
The fourth in a naked Fire: as also Distillation may bee made by _Aqua fortis_, and other sharp Waters.
[Sidenote: With what degrees of fire every Vegetable is to be Distilled.]
To the first degree of Fire belong, Hearbs, Flowers, Seeds, and such like.
To the third, Roots, and Boughes of trees, &c.
Note, that every one of these must bee beaten small, and bruised before they bee put into the Still.
And thus much bee spoken concerning the Distillation of Waters out of the Vegetable substances.
As concerning the Seperation and Distillation of Oyls, the processe is the same as that of Water, only some of them are to bee distilled _per descensum_, and cannot ascend as Waters, the processe of these in this case is to bee changed.
But Liquors are not separated in Distillation as Waters, or Oyles, but are expressed from their corporeall substances with a presse.
And here wee must know, that there are some Oyles that are pressed out, and separated after the same manner, by a Presse as liquors are, and that for this reason, because they should not contract an ill odour from the Fire, as otherwise they would doe.