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Ancient Sulphur Lights
If a torch is made of
sulphur mixed with lime, the fire will not diminish after
being plunged into water.
Such torches were used by the ancient Romans. The torch is a
common emblem of enlightenment as well as hope. Thus the Statue
of Liberty, actually "Liberty Enlightening the World",
lifts her torch. Crossed reversed torches were signs of mourning
that appear on Greek and Roman funerary monuments, a torch pointed
downwards symbolizes death, while a torch held up symbolizes
life, Truth and the regenerative power of flame.
Trithemius a German monk's
500-year-old mystery solved
Trithemius is the latinised name of Johann Zeller from Trittenheim,
or Johann von Trittenheim as he called himself. Almost 500 years
after Trithemius set down his pen, a German professor at La Roche
College, Thomas Ernst, unlocked his secrets. |
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The encryption technique Trithemius employed is
an early, primitive version of what would centuries later beget
the Enigma machine,
the ingenious device that Germany used during World War II to
encrypt messages and the Allies famously used to read those messages.
Ever Burning Lights ascribed to
Johannes Trithemius
Two eternal unquenchable burning temporal lights of Mr Trittemio
Abbot at Sponheim, described by the hande of Bartholomeus Korndorffer.
Two unquenchable eternal lights are founder and to be seen
hearin, which I Bartholomeus Korndorffer have written of a disciple
of Mr Trittemius Abbot of Sponheim, which did affirme with an
oath that they were never published nor opened before, only that
his Mr the Abbot had bestowed one of them unto a great potentat.
this famous Maus Trittemius, which lived in time of the great
Imperiour Maximilian the first, and none like unto him was to
be founde in his age, hath done much good with his artes, not
mingled with divilish worcke, as some malicious men doe accuse
his, butt he did knowe all what was done in the world of what
he desireth by the starres of ministerie, he hath also tolde
of things to come manie times. Once as was travaling, came to
S. Moritz, and found an acquaintance to whome I spoke, he was
glad to see mee, he invited mee to dinner, and another named
servatius Hohel, which had been with the Abbot at Sponheim and
served him 12 years. He was vere civill, yet sometime he spoke
a word of this arte. Now as wee came together, and dinner beying
past Mr Hohell desireth mee to goe with him to his chammer, which
i did discoursing of diverse matter of artes and seying he was
an antient man, I desired to leave him allone to his studie butt
he would not left mee, and bespoke a meale by his hostess, which
wee two did take in his chammer. Mr Hohel did bestowe uppon mee
that time, the handwriting of Mr Trittemius whearin thease two
incombustible lights were wrytten, and some magick peeces, which
I did trye 7 prouve affterwards & founde them to be vere
true & right. Mr Hohel tolde mee also that his Mr Trithemius
had bestowed one of those lights unto this great potentat the
Emperour Maximilian, and placed it in a glass in his chammer,
which the sayd potentat had keept vere well, and many had seen
the lightning thereof. After that a sickness aryseth that the
Emperour did departe from that place, & came not to this
place again in 20 years: but as he came theather at the least,
Mr Trittemius beying dead long before, he remembered this light & went
presently to see it, which was found theare with all tokens unquenchable
as Mr Trittemius had lefft it, & the people of that castel
tolde the Emperor that they had seene continually a lightning
in that place, licke a lampe in a church. Wherefore this Emperour
lefft the light years still burning wheare it shall surne still
at this daye, which is a great secret in this worlde. the Emperour
Maximilian hath given 6000 crownes for those temporall everlasting
lights. |
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Hearuppon followeth
the process & practica
Take 4 unces of sulphur, & so much of calcyned alume, bruise
them together, put it into an earthen sublimatorie, place it
into a coale fier, well lited, let the sulphur ascend through
the Alume, and in 8 houres is it prepared.
Thearof take at the lesse 2 1/2 unces, and one unce of good
christallick venetian porras, bruse them two small togeather,
put it into a flat glasse that it may lye flatly, poure uppon
it a stronge sharpe 4 times distilled spirit of wine uppon it, & extracte
it in ashes sofftly to the oyle, poure it uppon again, extracte
it to the oyle, poure it uppon again & drawe it of agayne;
take a litle of the sulphure, laye it uppon a red hott copper
plate, and when it floweth like wax without smoking then is it
prepared, if not then must thou extract theareof more of the
spirit of wine, till it sustineth the proove & it is prepared. |
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| Nowe take alumephume, make therof a top not as long
as a little finger, and halfe as thicke, foulde it about with whyte
silke, put it thus whole into a venetian little glasse, & joyne
thearunto of the prepared sulphure, place it a day & night
in hott sande, that the top be continually in the sulphur. Nowe
take the top thearout, and put it into such a glasse, that the
top looke out a little, adde thearunto of the prepared incombustible
chyburals, place the glasse into hott sand till the sulphure melteth,
and cleaveth beneath and upward about the top, that it be seene
but a little above, kindle the top with a common light, & it
beginneth to burne presently, and the sulphure remaineth flowing,
take the light and place it wheare you wilt, and it burneth continually
for ever. |
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