306 APPENDIX 



life. As the fabulous halcyon becomes rejuvenated and 

 its own substance renewed by drawing its nutriment from 

 the Primum Ens, so may man rejuvenate his constitution 

 by purifying it so that it will be able to receive without 

 any interruption the life-giving influence of the divine 

 spirit.-^ 



" But the vehicle that forms the medium through 

 which life acts consists of elementary substances that are 

 found in Nature, and which form the quintessence of all 

 things. There are some substances in which this quint- 

 essence is contained in greater quantities than in others, 

 and from which it can more easily be extracted. Such 

 substances are especially the herb called melissa and the 

 human blood. 



The Peimum Ens 



The " Primum Ens " of a thing is its first beginning, 

 its Prima Materia, an invisible and intangible spiritual 

 substance, which can be incorporated in some material 

 vehicle. " He who wants to separate the Primum Ens 

 from its Corpus (vehicle) must have a great deal of 

 experience in the spagyric art. If he is not a good 

 alchemist his labour will be in vain " {De Separat. Per.). 



" The Primum Ens Melissce is prepared in the follow- 

 ing manner : — Take half a pound of pure carbonate of 

 potash and expose it to the air until it is dissolved (by 

 attracting water from the atmosphere). Filter the fluid, 

 and put as many fresh leaves of the plant melissa into it 

 as it will hold, so that the fluid will cover the leaves. 

 Let it stand in a well-closed glass, and in a moderately 

 warm place, for twenty-four hours. The fluid may then 

 be removed from the leaves, and the latter thrown away. 

 On the top of this fluid absolute alcohol is poured, so 

 that it will cover the former to the height of one or two 

 inches, and it is left to remain for one or two days, or 



1 Compare " Five Years of Theosophy : " The Elixir of Life. 



