25. _To build a Furnace, in which one may both torrifie, melt, and try
Metals in the Probations of =Cineritium=; containing the small Trials
of an hundred Crucibles, or more, only heat with Wood._
26. _Further, a Furnace, in which, without Bellows, one may try a good
quantity by the Probations of =Cineritium=._
_=And Lastly=, Forasmuch as the lesser Trials have deceived me, if I
went to work on a greater quantity, I will teach wherein my chief skill
consists._
1. _In the lesser trial I have found, that with the Spirit of Wine,
as ’tis generally prepar’d, I can make an Anatomy of all Vegetable,
Animal, Mineral, and Metallick Subjects, separate their three
Principles, make the volatile fix’d, and the fix’d volatile, and force
’em through a Limbeck._
2. _To force the Anima and Salt of Gold through the Limbeck, and to
reduce it, well mix’d with its Spirit and volatile Salt, into a potable
body like Vegetable Essences._
_But because Gold may be reduced into such a sort of Essence, it will
not be very hard to render the imperfect Metals and Minerals, with
their Three Principles, potable: and these Principles are inseparable
in their volatility; wherefore I doubt not but they may be fix’d._
3. _Furthermore, I have found by small trials the way of taking all
Corrosion from all Corrosive Spirits, by this general Spirit, and of
reducing them (by the help of Divine Providence) into sweet Oils or
=Menstruums=; which if it answer the desire in large quantities, (and
I don’t doubt it) =Glauber= with his =Alkahest=, which indeed is not
wholly to be despis’d, must be forc’d to hide: for I have hopes, that
by the assistance of Divine Providence, whatsoever subject I shall
propose to my self, I can separate and purge its three Principles;
lastly, join them, and so produce a better subject and more pure: But
’tis true, seeing I was so often deceived in the lesser trial, I did
not interpret it as Truth, but Speculation. However, I can effect very
well whatever I have here said, as well in the great as lesser._
4. _But forasmuch as so many excellent, as well as new, Secrets, offer
themselves, that I can’t chuse but clearly know them, and therefore
’tis impossible that I should make all those Secrets abovenamed
profitable to my self: And although I am now about many things, that
hereafter a great quantity of them may be expos’d by me to be sold
in pounds and hundreds; yet I shall not be so envious to refuse a
Communication of them to any man for the named Reward; nor keep from
him any knowledge I can give him._
_Yet he must know, that it is very troublesome to instruct any man
that is altogether ignorant and void of skill in Chymistry; Therefore
whoever will learn any of these things of me, let him either come
to me, or signifie his wind by his Letters, thus: To =Christopher
Farnner=, Canonicate Quæstor of =Spire=, &c._
* * * * *
These are the words of the perfidious _Farnner_, which he hath used in
his most false and wicked Writing.
_A Specification of those Chymical things._
This, good Reader, is the Beginning or Preface of that Lying Writing,
in which he hath exposed to Sale those Secrets he had of me, and found
good: Besides, he adds, That those Secrets which he had of me, which
do not succeed according to his desire, are not added; but those only
whose Truth he has found in the trial.
Now we’ll open this _Pedler’s-Stall_, and look through all its parts,
to see what is in it.
These words follow: