The _Farnnerianists_ have given me this document; many there have been

who have come unto me and declared the miserable state they were in,

that what by the Wars, and by other misfortunes, they have lost their

Goods, and have begged me for the love of God, to succour them, by

communicating to them some operation, whereby they might sustain their

lives, promising that they would requite this kindness by their earnest

prayers unto God in my behalf.

These and such like words have sometimes moved me that I have given

some secret to one or other, and have bestowed on them an overplus too;

yet I obliged some of them, that they should convert it solely to their

own use, and not communicate it to others without my privity, which

thing they promised largely enough. But as soon as they have been gone

from me, they have presently sold those secrets of mine to others, and

which is more, to my Enemies. Now when by reason of their ignorance,

they did not know how to institute the operation aright, they falsely

affirmed, that they bought this Art of me at a price, and that they

have been cheated; whereas they well know, that it was pure affection

induced me to bestow these things upon them without any reward.

These and such other like ἀντίδωρα (or Gift-hinderers) have deterred me

from communicating any thing to others for the future; and this I would

have every one to consider, and not trouble me with either Letters or

Visits.

Yet nevertheless I will communicate store of my secrets unto my

Friends, that so they may not clearly perish with me, nor be thrown to

my Enemies, and swinish men.

I have done as much as in me lay, nor will I omit to do more where I

shall see a grateful mind; in the next place I will (for the service of

my Friends) treat about and shew in the fourth part of the _Prosperity

of_ Germany, the Secrets of _Saturn_, by what means any one that is but

a little versed in managing the fire, may seek (or make) some Country

fellows, his tributaries, who may pay him an appointed tribute every

week, after the Example of Kings and Princes, who bestow upon their

faithful servants (that deserve well of the Country by their valour

against the Enemies) Kingly gifts as whole Cityes, Towns, Villages, and

many Subjects as an inheritance, of whom they may afterwards receive

Tribute and live very abundantly or plentifully.

Now by how much the more Country-men there are that be Subject to a

noble man, so much the richer is he supposed to be, for they pay the

more tribute. And the more Ploughs the Country-man hath a going, the

greater is the tribute he pays his Lord, which thing the governance of

States or Common-weals induceth, as being a just thing.

Now after the same manner as these things are in use in political

governments, are they also in Alchimy, for it doth likewise when we

have for some time faithfully served under her, bestow on us tributary

Country men (as ’twere) by way of recompence, from whence we may have

Food and Rayment.

The more Fields and Ploughs that we give to these country-folks, the

more Tribute do they pay. Neither do these forsake their Masters, for

they are shut up in a stall, and when their bellies are filled with

Coals, and that they are safe from the Rain (or Weather) they are

contented, and do perform the businesses that are imposed upon them.

By how many more the Ploughs are which we give unto them (though one

Country-man can hardly manage above two or three, so much the more do

they give.

Such Country-men as these doth the true Alchimy distribute amongst her

Servants, whereby they may thenceforward lead a quiet Life.

If God shall vouchsaft me life and leisure yet a while longer, I have

purposed with my self to bring most mighty benefits unto my Country.

In the mean while, let these things be accepted in good part, Those

same tributary Country-men may be shewn my Friends, together with

sundry other profitable Inventions, in my laboratory.

THE

FOURTH PART

OF THE

Prosperity of GERMANY.

In which are revealed many excellent, usefull Secrets, and such as

are serviceable to the Country: and withall, several Preparations

of efficacious Cates extracted out of the Metals, and appointed

to Physical uses; as also various Confections of Golden Potions.

To which is also adjoyned a small Treatise, which maketh

mention of my Laboratory; in the which there shall be taught

and demonstrated (for the publick good and benefit of Mankind)

wonderfull Secrets, and unto every body most profitable, but

hitherto unknown.

The PREFACE to the Friendly READER.

_Although I promised, above a year ago, in the Preface to that Book

which I published of the =Nature of Salts=, that (besides Salt) I would

likewise adjoyn some Broth and sugared Sawces and Seasonings to the

other Meats disht out upon the Table: yet notwithstanding such as are

searchers after good Arts, would not in any case allow me so much time

as to prepare those Sawces; and being prepared, to dish them forth

upon the Table: but earnestly requested this boon onely, =viz.= that

I would not forget to furnish the said Table with Cheese and Butter.

The satisfying of whose request, I confess my self very ready to yield

unto, nor doe I find any other obstacle, save onely the scantness

of time, which I am constrained to imploy about other affairs more

necessary._

_But however, seeing it is esteemed a very praise-worthy action in

a Man, by diffusing his kindnesses in many places to benefit many,

I have deemed it a thing well worth while, to adjoyn (setting aside

other things) unto the afore-disht-out Meats those promised Sawces,

with Butter and Cheese, in to boot; but yet, with as much brevity as

conveniently may be._

_Had a longer space of time been permitted me, I would have clarified

the Sugar better, and made the Sawces more savory, which the hasty

posting away of time hath hindered the performance of._

_Besides, forasmuch as I have promised a Fourth Part of =the Prosperity

of Germany=, together with a disclosing of excellent metallick

Medicines, it hath seemed good unto me (for the fulfilling of my

promise) to publish these my most efficacious Sawces under the Title of

the Fourth Part of =the Prosperity of Germany=; and the rather, because

I have not time sufficient for the description and detection of other

Secrets._

_Now by how much the viler and more contemptible cloathing these

present Arcana’s do come abroad in, so much the greater and more noble

virtues do they hide under their sordid or despicable rayment. I was of

the mind, I confess, to have kept yet longer by me this Fourth Part,

that so (being sent abroad to publick view in a more convenient season,

it mought have been more adorned with Secrets of greater moment afore

its being exhibited to every ones view. And amongst those Secrets,

one eminent one, is the Concentration of Gold and Silver, and their

reduction into such a form and figure, as that it cannot at all be

known by our Enemies (who sometimes rush in upon us unlookt for),

(which [sore affliction] God (of his mercy) keep us from.) And so by

this means may it come to pass, that such kind of Bodies being thus

hidden under an unknown Garment, will not be robb’d and taken away._

_And whereas I have demonstrated in the foregoing Third Part, by what

means great Treasures of Gold and Silver may easily be gotten in all

places throughout all =Germany=, by the help of my Inventions; I made

no question, (nor indeed can it otherwise be) but that such as are

diligent House-holders will listen unto my sayings, and put in practise

many of those things, especially seeing I will both counsel and assist

them, as much as in me lyes._

_If now the searching after so great Treasures be [not] too securely

and negligently handled, it will undoubtedly come to pass, that our

Country will (by such a notable Medium, and such great Treasure) be

rendred even wholly invincible. History maketh mention, that the

=Ægyptians= (by their skill in the Meliorating of Metals) enjoyed such

vast riches, and so great a power, as that they cast from off their

necks the Yoak of the =Roman= Monarchy, even untill that time in which

their Books comprising the Art were burnt by the Emperour =Dioclesian=,

whereby they were enforced to be subject to the Empire of =Rome=. For

the most noble Art of Printing Books was in those days unknown, and

their Sciences were wont to be written in Parchment with great labour

and much cost; and undoubtedly they were not throughly stored with such

kind of Books, whereby the =Romans= did the easilier get them into

their hands and burn them._

_Now when once a Writing is committed to the Press, it may be printed

off in an almost-infinite Number, for a Printer will doe more in one

day, than a vast multitude of Scribes would be able to write. And being

it is so, who could possibly be able to scrape together out of all the

places of a whole Country such a multitude of Books, thereby to root

them out in these our times, and by burning annihilate them, as the

=Romans= did._

_This one thing I here say, =viz.= Did I but know and find that those

things which I have hitherto published, would not onely be acceptable,

but be also put in use and practise, it would be as a spur unto me to

stir me up to adjoyn to what is already done, more and greater Secrets.

Meanwhile let what is at present offered be well accepted, and what is

promised, be patiently expected._

_Of the word =Sawce=, and what is meant thereby._

I have obliged my self by promise, to adjoyn unto those my Meats which

I have hitherto disht out upon the Table, some good Sawce and Pickle;

which Meats, seeing they appertain not unto the plain common ways, but

belong to a very excellent Skill or Science; it is altogether needfull,

that the Sawces be correspondent thereunto, and that even they as

well as the meats themselves, be by reason of their savouriness,

gratefull unto the Palate. Now therefore as in the Feasts of great

men, the Pickles are not set on the Table afore the Guests have

fill’d themselves with Flesh and Fish, and so allayed their hunger,

but are set afore them (afterwards) as so many Vehicles to drill down

the Wine with the greater delectation, for such Pickles do for the

most part communicate a sweeter (or toothsomer) tast to all kind of

Fruits, Seeds, and Spices, and Sugar: So likewise must I, in the making

and dishing out such Sawces for this Feast of mine, mind onely this

business, _viz._ to take care of providing my self of the best Sugar,

and choice Spices; and these are extractable onely out of the Metals;

_Saturn_ affording Sugar, and _Sol_ and _Lune_ yielding most sweet

Spiceiness.

But afore I dish out my Pickles, I have thought good to set afore them

a sweet Broth or Seasoning, [together] with Butter and Cheese, that

haply one or other of my Guests are minded to dip a piece of Roast-meat

therein, or else to tast of my Butter and Cheese, whereby they may with

the greater delight tast the sweetness of the following Sawces.

And although I was minded to exhibit in this place some excellent and

efficacious Metallick Sawces: yet notwithstanding I could not chuse but

first present you with a fore runner as ’twere, signifying unto you,

how that by the help of Salt good Broths and Sawces may be made out of

the Vegetables, and Sawces, serving for the bettering of Cheese and

Butter made out of Animals: that so my Treatise of the Nature of Salts

may not be at all defective, and that every one may see what a most

noble and most excellent Creature Salt is, which is capable of exalting

the Animals, Vegetables and Minerals to a far more worthy degree by so

excellent a Melioration of them.

Salt and Vinegar are commonly reputed to be the best Sawce, and ’tis

most truly spoken: For amongst all the Sawces and Seasonings put unto

Meats, Salt and Vinegar bear the bell; now the Vinegar is for the

most part made of Wine, Fruits, Ale, Honey: But as for Salt, if it be

turned by distillation and rectification into a sweet and acid Spirit,

it becomes a sweet and strong Vinegar, and to be preferred before all

others: so that there’s no need at all of the Vinegar of Wine, Ale,

Honey, and Fruits. We will therefore shew unto such as are desirous of

sweet or savoury Sawces and Picklings needfull for Flesh and Fish, and

of well tasted Cheese and Butter, the way of preparing the same by the

help of Salt; whereby a Man may make himself for his own Kitchin use or

Cookery, various Sawces as him listeth. And having shewn this, we will

proceed on to the description of metallick Sawces.

He that is desirous of a good Sawce or Pickle fit for Flesh and Fish,

will not find any thing that is more fit or proper than a well-prepared

and rectified Spirit of Salt, the which he may prepare with whatsoever

Herbs and Spices he pleaseth, according as is agreeable to his Palate.

For example, Like as otherwise most acceptable Broaths or Sawces are

wont to be made with Wine, Vinegar, Pepper, and other Spices, and are

put unto the Boiled or Baked Flesh or Fish in the same Dish, or set

by the same in little Sawcers, that so all those Meats may leave the

more gratefull tast upon the Palate: Even so may the same be effected

with Spirit of Salt, and that far more commodiously, and to better

profit than if Wine or Vinegar were made use of to the confection of

those well tasted Sawces. But it is my Spirit of Salt I here speak

of, (which being prepared according to my prescription, is of a most

delicate pleasantness,) and not of that which is most an end sold in

the Apothecaries Shops, and in other such like places, and is for the

most part ill prepared, and not at all rectified, and consequently by

its ungratefull sharp and harsh tast, it provokes to Vomit, if it be

taken into the Stomach; ’Tis likewise of a yellowish colour, and with

its sharp constriction draws up the Tongue, whereas it should be more

clear and transparent than Fountain Water, and by the pleasantness of

its acidity excell the juices of Apples, Grapes, or Limons. And being

furnished with such a sweet or pleasant Juice of Salt, I need not any

Wine, Vinegar, or other sharp Juices of Grapes, Limons, Rasp Berries,

Sorrel, and the like, to give a pleasant and savoury tast unto my Flesh

or Fish: for it may be done far better with this good Spirit of Salt,

than with Wine or Vinegar: For, that Spirit of Salt serves instead of

them all, nor is it at all subject to corrupt as other Juices are, but

conserves its sweet and pleasant essence without any decay. But if you

would make use thereof singly or alone, then must a little Water or

Sugar be mixed therewith, that the acidity or sharpness thereof may be

a little allayed, and thus may it serve instead of a Sawce to be added

to either baked or boiled Flesh or Fish. But now if a man be minded to

add green Herbs for alterations sake of the tast, such as are Parsly,

Garden Cresses, Spanish Pepper, and the like; he may beat or shred them

small and moisten them with Spirit of Salt allayed with Water, and so

put them instead of a cold Sawce to Flesh and Fish. But if now the

Sawce is to be poured warm to the Fish and Flesh, then must a little

Butter be thereto used, and that on this wise following. Take some pure

and clean Water, and make it somewhat sharper (with good Spirit of

Salt) then strong Wine, Vinegar, put thereunto some good Salt Butter or

Fresh, at your pleasure; and likewise such Spice as (besides Pepper,

Ginger, Nutmeg, and such like) you list to add, as also Salt if need

be; put it in a little Earthen Glazed Pot, and not in a Copper or Iron

Vessel, for they are altogether unfit for this Operation; set the Pot

over a few Coals and heat it gently to melt the Butter, then stir it

throughly about without ceasing, with a Wooden Spoon, and then being

molten it assumes to it self the saline Vinegar, and the Sawce becomes

thickish, the which must be then poured out to the boild and seasoned

Flesh or Fish. But if green Herbs, as Chervil, Parsly, Cresses,

_Piperitis_ or Spanish Pepper, and such like are to be adjoyned

thereunto, you may bruise or chop them small, and then put them into

the Pot unto your hot Broath or Sawce, and mix them well together,

and then presently pour out your Sawce to the Flesh or Fish, for by

this means the Herbs retain their tast and greenness, and so delight

the Eyes with their lovely aspect, and please the Palate with their

pleasant tast, which would not be if they boiled much with the Liquour,

for then they would lose both their subtile tast and green colour.

Moreover, you are warily to observe in this thing, that this Broath

or Sawce be not let lie upon the Coals too long, and so the _Acetum_

separate it self again from the Butter; which to prevent, there may be

mixt with the Sawce one, two, or three yelks of Eggs, which being well

stirred with the same makes it the thicker, and better to stick on to

the sopping when you take it out of the Dish where the Flesh or Fish is.

Such Sawces do give the Fish either boiled or fried, a most acceptable

tast, and probably if some Sugar be thereto added it would do very well

for Flesh too. But yet, sharp Juices or Broaths are better and more

agreeable for Fish. Now after this manner may every one make his own

Sawce as he listeth, and render the same with some Herbs and Spices,

the more savoury unto his Palate; and consequently needs not either

Wine or Vinegar, nor any other acid things.

If any one has but any pure and clean Spirit of Salt at hand, he may

(by the addition of certain Herbs and Spices) prepare his Sawce as

best likes him, and make it far more pleasant and delightsome than if

it were made with Wine, Vinegar, or Ale-Vinegar, nor can you get these

every where neither. But the Spirit of Salt may be prepared and so had

every where, and therefore on that account too is it deservedly to be

preferred before all other seasonings.

Now in the Winter Season, when green Herbs are not to be gotten, the

pounded Roots of Spanish Pepper may serve, or Mustard Powder reduced

with Sugar and Spirit of Salt into hot and cold Sawces. Nor would I

have any one to be so bold [and foolish] as to contemn these my Sawces

afore he hath tasted of the same; for I doubt not but that if he once

comes to tast the delightsome pleasantness of the same, he will prefer

them afore all other, and will give the Vinegar of Salt its due honour.

And now to give an experiment, taken out of the Treasury of Salt, unto

those that are delighted with the tast of good Butter and Cheese; let

them listen unto those things which here follow. If thou art desirous

to prepare a durable Cheese of Cows Milk, and such Cheese as hath

all the tokens of a good Cheese, _viz._ such as is weighty, compact,

close without Eyes, and putrifying Holes, void of sliminess and bad

smell, thou may’st be a Master of thy desire by observing the following

Operation.

Take of Cows Milk, Sheeps or Goats Milk, or of either of these

which thou hast at hand, as much as thou pleasest, or as much as is

sufficient, (but amongst these Milks, Goats Milk is the best, Sheeps

next, and Cow Milk inferiour to the other two both in goodness and

excellency:) Heat it at the Fire, and pour it out into a wooden Vessel

(_N. B._ Iron and Copper Vessels are not to be used in this way) and

reduce the Milk into a Curd by the pouring on of Spirit of Salt. Now

one Spoonfull of this Spirit is enough to curdle ten measures of Milk.

This done, and the Milk and Spirit of Salt having been well stirred

about with a wooden Ladle and curdled, put the same into Hair Strainers

or in very clean Linnen ones, that so the Whey may drain out and be

separated, then gather up the ends of your Strainer, and lay thereon

heavy weights and squeeze out all the wheyish moisture. Then take your

Cheese out of these Strainers, and put it into wooden Vessels, and

there break it into small bits or pieces; which being thus broken,

sprinkle some Salt, and some of your pure Spirit of Salt too thereupon,

and mix all well together with a wooden Ladle or with your hands well

cleansed: Being thus mixed, fill your Vessels or Cheese Fats [which

let be] greater and lesser [as need is,] and squeeze and compress the

matter well in, as they are wont to do in making of Cheeses. Then

expose them to the warm Air, and dry them, and it will give you compact

and durable Cheeses, not unlike to those they call Parmesant, and such

as will be void of Eyes, and of fœtid and putrid Holes, Slimyness, and

such like defects usually incident to the common Cheeses, nay they

never are obnoxious to those faults.

The reason is, because the first Coagulation or Congelation of the

Milk is made by the help of pure Spirit of Salt, which defends from

all putrefaction, and not by the help of the fœtid putrid Rennet, from

which nothing can proceed but Rottenness and Worms.

Then farther, the Spirit of Salt being together with [Crude] Salt

sprinkled thereupon (after the squeezing out of the Whey) doth in an

especial manner resist all that putrefaction that is wont to be in

Cheeses, and condenseth the Cheeses, and impedes any fermentation,

which dilateth the said Cheeses and makes them spongious and porous;

and by thus condensing them, it makes them remain safe and free from

all putrefaction.

Such Cheese therefore as is brought to this perfection, doth well

deserve the preheminence above the rest, and is extolled by the praise

of those Ancient Verses, _viz._

Good Cheese must neither _Argus_ be, _Largus_ nor _Magdalen_,

_Methuselah_, nor _Habbacuck_, nor _Lazarus_, [Amen.]

That is, it must not be eyed like _Argus_, nor tough like _Largus_,

nor hairy and crying like _Magdalen_, nor hoary like _Methusalem_, nor

light like _Habbacuck_, nor full of stinking holes and rotten sores

like _Lazarus_: which defects if Cheese wanteth, it well merits the

title of goodness: and such are those Cheeses which are made by the

help of the Spirit of Salt; do but make such a Cheese and try whether

or no it will not be of a more pleasing relish than all others are.

Such Cheeses are never corrupted, they never become tenacious, limber,

full of holes, and worms. The Spirit of Salt being poured into the

holes of Sheep Milk Cheese, or Cow Milk Cheese, doth either kill all

the Worms or cause them to get packing, it contracteth the holes, and

turns the bad Cheeses into good ones, and this my self have tried.

Thus friendly Reader, hast thou learned how to make a fit Sawce for

Fish and Flesh, and likewise good and durable Cheese; it now remains

that we teach thee how also to make good Butter.

If you are desirous of making good Butter by the help of Spirit of

Salt, and such as is dainty, pure and yellow, and of a most delicate

tast, and such as will not easily contract a ranck tast, you may obtain

your desire by proceeding on this wise. Take off the Cream from good

Cow Milk, and make it into Butter, afore it be any thing mouldy, or

of an unpleasant tast, and separate the Butter-milk according to the

usual custom, then put the Butter in a wooden Vessel, and wash it so

long in pure cold Salt Water, untill there be no more Wheyishness left,

and that the Salt Water do come off thencefrom, as clear as it was

at first putting on, and that the Butter appears sufficiently clean,

which wash it once agen, on this wise following. Dissolve in pure and

rectified Spirit of Salt, as much Salt as it will dissolve in the cold:

And herewithall wash your Butter anew, yet several times, and work

it well with that Spirit, and by thus proceeding will it absume the

residue of the Wheyishness which is the cause and rise of rankness, and

which common Salt Water could not remove. This done, the Butter is to

be seasoned with common Salt according to the usual manner, and thus

will it abide perfectly good for a long time. But now the big Sea Salt

is accounted the fittest for this purpose, which being a little heated

red hot in the Fire, comes to be of a very delicate whiteness, and doth

the easier admit of reduction into fine Powder, and is better than that

which is boiled up in Iron, or Leaden Pans or Cauldrons.

_N. B._ But he that can get such a pure sort of salt of a sexangular

shape like a Dye, as is prepared in my Laboratory, he may use that,

as being by far the purer. As for the Vessel it self whereinto the

Butter, prepared and cleaned after the aforementioned manner, is to

be put, it must be ordered on this wise following. You must get you a

new Oaken Barrel, and so steep it in strong Salt Water, not the common

[Sea Water,] as that it may well imbibe the Salt into this Vessel must

the Butter, washt as aforesaid, be prest and thrust in so tight and

close, that there may not be any hole or gaping place left therein; but

you must leave two Fingers breadth in the Barrel at top of the Butter,

which is to be filled up with Spirit of Salt, glutted with good and

pure Salt dissolved therein, that so the Butter may be well covered

over, and all Air being excluded, it may keep fine and savoury a long

time. Now when you would Dish out some of this Butter on the Table, you

must take it out of your Tub with a clean Wooden Spoon, and not an Iron

one, and wash the same in pure and clear Water afore you eat it, if you

would not have it retain the sharpness of the Spirit of Salt.

Well, here is yet a better way still, _viz._ Take new Butter and let it

melt very gently over the Coals, and it will be covered over with much

frothy Cheesyness, let that froth be neatly scummed off; which being

so done, it will look in the Pot like to a pure and clear Oil, pour it

out very clearly into another Vessel, that the sediment at the bottom

may abide behind. This Butter when ’tis cold looks just like yellow

Wax, but yet is it a little softer than it ought to be, and therefore

it must be well wrought its due time with Spirit of Salt impregnated

with new Salt, that it may obtain the hardness of common Butter, and

then be salted, and barrel’d up, and kept for use, which will be far

better than the common Butter. For although this purging it by the

Fire takes from it all its Cheesyness, from which it had its hardness;

yet notwithstanding the Spirit of Salt gives unto it a far different

and much better hardness, and causeth it to excell all other sorts in

goodness and long keeping.

These things was I willing to take out of my Kitchin and set afore you,

namely Sawce, Cheese, and Butter of good and exquisite tast, which if

they please not the Palate of some or other, I would have him even

forbear to use them. It is not without some weighty cause that I have

done these things, which I well know will undoubtedly undergo the

perverse Censures of Spies and Mockers, who probably will say, what

Womanish Toys, and Childrens Baubles doth _Glauber_ here Tattle about,

making himself a Laughing Stock to the Women, and Female Sex, who will

say of him, that by his teaching to make Butter and Cheese, he hath

thrust his Sickle into the Womens Harvest. Well, let them prate as

pleaseth them, Geese are not wont to utter ought else but a Goose-like

Gagling. For my part I minded nothing else but to have this Treatise

be a meer Woman’s Work, and Boys Play, [but yet] it will reveal to the

Ignorant more good, than [is attainable] by the perverse instructions

of all such Authours whose Writings are Spinn’d out to that height of

subtility as to exceed every ones Capacity.

’Tis not every one that will easily apprehend those [Knacks] which I

teach and reveal under this Cheese-making Trade, and these Kitchin

Operations; nor indeed doth it much matter that they should understand.

God will open the Eyes of such as he shall judge worthy of such great

gifts, and will conceal and hide the same from the Proud and Wicked

Crew.

Having thus finished this Cheese and Butter-making: Let us in Gods Name

enter upon another Work of Women, and Boys Play, which Kitchin-like

Labour, and Cheese and Butter-making, is meerly metallick and doth far

excell in excellency and nobility the hitherto described Operations,

although it be performed by the help of the self same Salt. For without

Salt no imperfect Metal can be really bettered, the very title of the

Art it self witnessing as much, which being stiled Alchymy, signifies

no other thing than a melting of Salt: but yet I do not tell what kind

of Salt is here to be understood, [or, that any kind of Salt is here

meant] but thus much onely do I averr, that the transmutations of the

Inferiour Metals must be effected by Salt.

Now then, forasmuch as this Treatise of mine depends on a former,

intituled of the nature of Salts, as being an overplus; so it is

likewise altogether necessary, that instead of Fruit and Sugar, I use

Salts and Metals about the preparation of these my Sawces.

And whereas the making of the Sawces [or Sweet-meats] with Sugar,

doth not onely belong to the meaner Sex, but also to the more noble,

and yet nevertheless the Operation it self is nothing else but a meer

washing and boiling, and a true Womens Work, we will therefore in our

description bring the same upon the Stage under the Title of the Work

of Women, and Play of Children.

If we rightly look upon the Work of Women, and compare our metallick

labour therewithall, there presents it self unto us, a very notable

agreeableness betwixt them. The Womens Work is to boil and wash, and

when they are about to boil, they set their Pots over the Fire, and

having washt their Flesh, they strow thereon some Salt and Spices, and

boil the same in the said Pots with Water, Wine, or Vinegar, till it be

tender, and become fit to be eaten. They likewise feed the Fire they

boil withall by putting Wood thereon, whereby the heat may be kept up,

and no impediment may betide their Work: And this is the way and method

observed by the Female Sex in their boiling.

But as to their washing off the filth from their Cloaths, they are wont

in the first place to pour hot Water thereupon thereby to wash off the

more gross part of the Dirt: and then they use a sharp Lee, or some

Sope, or even both together to take away the remainder of the filth,

and to wash out all the Spots and Dirt, then do they agen wash off the

Sope and Lee with fair and hot Water: But as for the odour that the

Sope leaves, and which by no washing how much or how oft soever it be

done can be carried off, to get that off I say they are wont to lay

their Linnen out in the open Field, and sprinkle and moisten it with

pure Water, which being dried by the Sun, Air, and Wind, they do agen

repeat the same labour, untill all the stinking smell of the Sope be

drawn forth by the Sun and the Air, and a better and more wholsome

Odour come in its room. Then at last they dry them at the Air and Sun,

and being dry, they fold them up and put them in their Chests and

Trunks, and keep them for their use.

Just so do we deal with Metals, when we wash off their defilements, and

do by boiling turn them into wholsome Food or Medicaments; but yet we

do not use common Vinegar, common Salt, and common Spices, but mineral

or metallick subjects, as also a duplicate Fire, _viz._ one of them

is a secret, philosophical, moist, cold, and vaporous Fire; and the

other is the elementary and common Fire, by which we stir up the former

Philosophical Fire to display its virtues, and render it powerfull and

efficacious.

The elementary Fire we make with Wood, Coles, or Oil: The universal

Agent, or Philosophical, Cold, Moist, Digesting, Penetrating,

Mundifying, Bettering, and not Burning, but Conserving, and vaporous

Fire, we seek for in Salt, and leave the Operation to the vivifying Sun

and Air; which being well done, we obtain wonderfull Plants, and most

efficacious Food, or Sawce for our Life.

And forasmuch as my purpose here is, to treat of such metallick and

medicinal Sawces, I will here in God’s name adjoyn some of them, which

being as so many samplers or patterns, every one may at his pleasure

imitate in composing and making of the like. And he will here find

a way of confecting some good Medicament, as clearly and evidently

demonstrated by me as was lawfull for me to do, nor was it in my power

to discover the same more perspicuously: And therefore I beseech every

one to take in good part what is here presented, and to forbear to

trouble me for the time to come with needless questions.

So then, seeing I am about to treat in this place of metallick Sawces,

it is also behovefull to have a metallick Sugar and Spice, and this,

_Saturn_ will afford us in the steed of the common [Sugar] by whose

help we reduce _Sol_ and _Lune_ as being most excellent Spices, into

most effectual Medicines.

Nor would I have it seem strange to any one that I use Lead here

instead of Sugar, for the inmost juice of Lead, doth exceedingly

out-go the sweetness of any Sugar, which thing _Isaac Holland_ doth

very evidently testifie in his Treatise of _Saturn_. The Chymists do

frequently extract a sweet Salt out of Lead, with distilled Vinegar,

and call it the Sugar of Lead, and do very well know and find that

there is such a sweetness in Lead as is not in any other Metal beside.

From it therefore will we prepare our Sugar to make our metallick

Sawces withall, as follows.

Take of Lead-ashes one, two, three, or more pounds, which put in a

strong well glazed Earthen Pot, then pour thereupon some Wine or Ale,

Vinegar, or Vinegar of Honey, as much as may over top it an hands

breadth. Set your Pot upon the Coals and make the Vinegar boil.

_N. B._ The Ashes are to be uncessantly stirred, in the boiling with a

wooden _Spatula_, lest they gather into one entire solid Mass: After

that the Vinegar has boiled for about half an hour, and is become

yellow, and as sweet as Sugar, you must decant it from the Ashes, and

pour on more, and agen boil it, and extract more sweetness, and this

labour must you repeat so often untill the Vinegar can extract no more

sweetness; then having put all these Vinegars together, pour them

gently off from the Fæces that settle in the bottom of the Vessel, and

being thus Separated, filter the same through Cap Paper or by a filter,

that so the Liquors may be very clear, and may give you by separation,

that sweetness of the Lead which they hold up in them.

Into these clear Vinegars, therefore being put in a Glass Vessel, pour

thereinto (by little and little) as much rectified Spirit of Salt,

that so the yellow Vinegar may be turned into a white Milk, and may

by little and little settle to the bottom like curdled Cheese, from

which the Vinegar being now become agen clear is to be removed by

decanting; then put the Saturnine Cheese in some strong Linnen Cloath

and tie it hard up, and squeeze out the residue of the moisture, and so

dry it and lay it by for use. It is a most tender Powder, of a bright

snowy colour, and void of all tast; for in the precipitation, all the

sweetness being introverted by the Spirit of Salt, hath hidden it self

within, which doth again afterwards (when that mass shall be reduced

into a Sawce) shew it self, and discovers its former tast, as we shall

hear anon.

I would have the friendly Reader know, that I am not minded to produce

here many and divers Operations, for I am straitned in my time, which

stops me from giving you a more prolix and circumstantial description:

I do onely propose some few, and leave every one to his fancy to make

the rest of the Sawces or Medicaments, according to the ways here

prescribed, according to his likeing, and that as many as he will, and

out of such subjects as best pleaseth him.

But that I may contract these things concerning my Sawces into a narrow

room, I suppose it is well enough known, that Sawces and Junkets are

disht out in the second course for this end, either to close up and

Strengthen the Stomach, or that if a fudling storm be at hand it may

drill the readilier down into the Stomack by these kinds of Vehicles.

But yet my purpose is not directed to this end as to teach the making

of such banqueting Dishes in this place, as may allure Wine into the

Stomach by such an unprofitable Prodigality, and so detriment the

Body it self too. No, but the main drift of my Sawces should rather

be this, _viz._ to remove that evil which is stirred up in the Body

of Man, by the common Junkets and the overmuch guzling in of Wine,

and to Strengthen the Stomach, Heart, Brain, and other Members of the

Body, to heal the parts that are hurt, and in particular, to restore

them to their former health: And finally, to be as a kind of guide and

manuduction to lead on the Ingeny of Men in such wise, as that they may

by an easier way arrive unto the Knowledge of the universal Medicine.

To begin therefore, I confess that of [all] fruits preserved with

Sugar, none have a more gratefull tast on my Palate than Bar-berries,

and Ribes, or St. _John_’s Grapes as they call them; which fruits,

preserved up with Sugar, do not onely get the Stomach an Appetite,

but do withall allay Thirst, and do extinguish all the internal heat

stirred up and kindled by overmuch drinking: The like metallick Sawce

or Junket shalt thou prepare on this wise.

Buy some Steel filings of the Needle-makers, and take thereof as

much as you please, dissolve them in rectified Spirit of Salt, which

Solution will be green, and be of a sweetish tast; abstract the insipid

Phlegm, insipid I say, for although it be a very strong Spirit of Salt

that is poured upon the Iron, yet nevertheless no Spirit comes off, but

onely an insipid Phlegm in the abstraction and distillation, and the

Irons retains all the acidity of the Salt, and remains a red, sweetish,

astringent Juice.

Take of this, and of the Saturnine Powder which we taught you the

making of but now, of each alike weight, and put them into a well

coated Retort, and the _Saccharum Saturni_ will presently drink up

the Juice of the Steel. Put the Retort in a Vessel fill’d with Sand,

and augment the Fire by little and little that all the insipid Phlegm

may be wholly drawn off. When ’tis all come off, and that acid drops

begin to come, then must you apply thereunto a Glass Receiver, and the

Fire is to be encreased by degrees untill the Retort be throughly red

hot, which must continue so about an hour, or half an hour a least.

By this means, the Spirits of the Salt which were in the Steel, do

almost wholly come over into the Receiver, and do carry over with

them [the Spirits] of the _Saccharum Saturni_, and oil of _Mars_, in

the form of a red sublimate, which settles it self in the neck of the

Retort, which sublimate when the Retort is cold and broken you must

take out of its Neck, and keep it from the Air, for in the Air it will

dissolve into a red, sweet, and Astringent Oil, of no small virtues

in Medicine and Alchymy. In the bottom of the Retort you will find a

molten Mass, resembling _Lapis Hæmatitis_, which being separated from

all defilements, will give you a red, brittle, fusile Stone, and in

some sort astringent, of great virtues in Medicine, and without doubt

in Alchymy too, if it were but first made constantly to abide in the

Fire. And even this too, must you keep from the Air, for it is still

impregnated with the Salts, and therefore is easily resolved.

Now when you would make use of this Stone in Medicine, break a little

bit thereof into small Powder (for it is no harder than other Salt, and

therefore doth easily admit of grinding to Powder.) This Powder heals

both internal and external Wounds and Ulcers, being administred in the

quantity of two, three, four, five, six, or more Grains, according to

the age and condition of the Sick, and being taken in a convenient

and proper Vehicle, it is highly Sanative and a stopper of Bloud.

Being applied externally to Wounds, it wonderfully forwards healing;

hinders all Symptoms, and fundamentally dries, and cures all Ulcers and

Fistulaes, if used outwardly and inwardly too.

It doth most safely and most certainly help all the overflowing of the

Menses in Women, and is so excellent a Medicament in the _Dysentery_,

_Lientery_, and other _Fluxes_ of the Belly, that its like is not to be

found.

Thus have we that true and genuine _Hæmatitis_ of the Ancient

Physicians, of which they have written so many things, but what through

the carelesness of the Physicians that succeded them, and what through

the length of time it became wholly lost instead of which there hath

been hitherto used the insoluble and hard Stone of Iron.

The Ancients imposed upon their more noble Medicaments, Names deduced

from similitudes or resemblances, as may be seen in this our living

_Hæmatitis_, and in the dead _Hæmatatis_ of the common Physicians,

which is call’d for at the Apothecaries, and administred to stop

Bloud withall; But yet it is nothing else save the Stone of Iron,

and such Oar as is very rich and abounding with this Metal, the

fragments of which appears [either] in the form of spear-like Stria’s

or Streeks, or like a cleft stone. This our live _Hæmatitis_ is of

the same form, but soluble, and is of a very pleasant and astringent

sweetness, and containeth most efficacious virtues for the allaying

of all bloody Fluxes both outward and inward. Now that common and

well-known _Hæmatitis_ doth not possess any more virtues than that Iron

Scinder-dust which the Smiths smite off at the Anvil, doth. And as for

that red Sublimate which ascended up in the neck of the Retort, it is

twice stronger in subduing the afore-mentioned diseases, but it is not

of so sweet a Tast as is the Stone it self, which resided in the bottom

of the Retort. And being externally applied in cleansing and mundifying

old Fistulous Ulcers, it works much stronger than this our _Hæmatitis_

(which is more pleasantly administrable in internal defects) doth. But

whoever he be that knows how (by many Solutions and Coagulations) to

make this Stone constant in the fire, will obtain a far more excellent

Medicament: concerning which, we will speak more in the end of this

Treatise.

* * * * *

This now is such a Sawce or Junket, as every good Physician and

Chyrurgeon hath just cause most highly to esteem in all Fluxes and

Sores, both old and new, if he would obtain that repute which he

thirsteth after; for it is endued with great Virtues, whereas on the

contrary, the Juyce of Sloes, the common _Hæmatitis_, and _Crocus

martis_, are, in comparison of this, to be accounted of as meer

dead Medicaments. I could tell you of more virtues that are in the

red Sublimate, and this in an especial manner, _viz._ that without

being either bound on, or inwardly taken, but sympathetically and at

a distance, it is able to cure any issues of Blood whatever. But I

shall doe better to pass these things over in silence, because to the

greatest part of unskilfull Men, they will not onely seem wonderfull,

but impossible likewise. However, I commend to every ones acceptation

this so excellent a Medicament, for all internal and external Issues of

Blood, in all wounds and hurts, as also in all the obstructions of the

Spleen, Liver, and other members of the body.

After such a manner as this, may any one easily turn all the Metals

into Sugars, and into most excellent Medicaments. But forasmuch as the

Metals are not all of them indifferently fit to be administred inwardly

to the sick, I will make mention of Gold and Silver onely as being the

best of all, and pass by the others, and will teach the preparation

of yet more Sawces and Junkets; Copper, Tin, and Argent-[_vive_] are

somewhat cruder bodies, and require greater care and diligence, to have

the Title of good Medicaments. We will therefore let them pass, as

having Gold and Silver at hand, which are more ripe.

_The manner of Preparing a good Sawce or Junket out of Silver,

which helpeth the Distempers and Diseases of the Brain._

The skilfull Chymical Physicians have assigned Silver for a Medicament

for the Brain, which Assignment of theirs I acquiesce in, and doe here

present you with such a Sawce or Junket as is of most especial use for

the succouring of the Brain.

Take of common _Aqua Fortis_ (such as is commonly used about the

dissolution of Silver) one pound: In two ounces of which you must

dissolve one ounce of pure Silver; Dissolve likewise one ounce of Lead

by it self: Put both Solutions together in a glass with a wide mouth;

and being thus mixt, pour thereupon as much rectified Spirit of Salt

as is sufficient for the precipitation of both the Metals. Pour off

the clear water from the precipitated Metals, and pour upon them some

fresh water, and stir them well about; which done, and the precipitated

Calx settled to the bottom, the water is to be again decanted off, and

more fresh water poured thereon: and this Labour is to be so often

repeated, untill that precipitated Powder be void of all Acrimony: then

put it in a pure linnen Cloth placed in a Funnel, that so the remaining

moisture may drain from it. Then tie the cloth very firm, and squeese

out, in two balls (or squeesings) all the residue of the moisture out

of that silvery Cheese, and lay the same upon Cap-paper, and that will

drink up all the rest of the moisture, and will soon dry your Cheese.

This Cheese (or precipitated Powder) is to be put into a well coated

Glass-retort, and to be forced with a gentle fire of Sand, that so all

the superfluous moisture may be separated. Then, at last, the Fire

being augmented, will force out part of the Silver and Lead in the form

of white Flores, ascending up in the neck of the Retort. Now when the

Retort hath been thus kept red-hot for one hour, let the fire go out

of its own accord, and take out the cold Retort, and break it, and you

will find in the bottom of the same a white and sweet Stone, which will

melt (upon a red-hot Plate of Metal) like Wax, and penetrate the same,

and is volatile like _Argent-vive_. Two, three, four, five Grains, even

to eight or ten, of this Stone ground into a Powder, being administred

(respect being had to the Patient’s age and sickness) yield a most

present comfort in the diseases of the Head and Brain, and so are those

white Flores wont to doe likewise: but in Chymical operations they

are of eminent use. Now although this Stone be it self of a fugacious

nature, yet notwithstanding in progress of time it makes _Mercury_,

together with it self, constant in the fire; of which thing I have

elsewhere already mentioned in my Writings, so that I need not say any

more thereof in this place.

However, I cannot omit to tell you, that, although, otherwise, there

is no familiarity at all betwixt Silver, and Lead, and Salt, yet

nevertheless these three may be so prepared as (by a certain mixtion)

not to refuse each others society. Hence it comes to pass, that if the

Salt be rightly fitted for this operation, it puts forth more powerfull

virtues, and for that reason doth the Silver suffer the more, and doth

by so much the sooner attain to a constancy in the fire: and so ’tis

evident, that the name of Alchymy or fusing of Salt, was not imposed on

this Art for nothing. For by the help of Salt, are the Metals to be

molten and meliorated, which thing you may take notice of.

_Another Sawce or Junket made of Gold and Silver._

Take some pure Silver, and dissolve it in _Aqua Fortis_, and

precipitate it with Spirit of Salt, and free it from its Acrimony with

common water, and squeese out the water, and lay your matter upon

cap-paper to dry, and deal with it in all respects as we spake afore in

the Process of _Saturn_. Of this Calx take three parts, and one part of

Gold dissolved in the Oil of Salt; and first put your Silver Calx into

a strong Glass-retort, which must be well coated, then pour thereto

your yellow Solution of Gold. Place the Retort in Sand, and, first,

force out your Spirit of Salt, in which forcing out, the Calx of the

Silver will retain with it self the Gold; and of them both will be made

a purple Stone, inclining somewhat to redness, fusile, and volatile.

But the Oil of the Salt will carry up with it something of the Gold

and Silver into the neck of the Retort; which, together with the

aforesaid Stone, you shall take out of the broken Retort; but yet you

must keep each apart, for a medicament of great moment: [both] which

(if they were turned (by Solution and Coagulation) into a fix Ruby,)

would doubtlesly perform their work, in the metallick Operations, with

greater benefit and profit.

So have you here, briefly described, the third Junket, which, should it

be described with all its Circumstances, the Process it self would in

good sooth be more prolix and tedious than is fitting. And forasmuch

as my Writings may seem unto many sufficiently tedious, ’tis but fit

that I aim at brevity here in this place; though (on the other hand)

they will seem (I well know) too short and brief unto others. But

_Jupiter_ himself pleaseth not all alike. And the birth-day of him who

can satisfie all, is yet to come; for he is not as yet born. For behave

thy self as thou wilt in thy actions, either in briefly delivering thy

self, or in uttering thy mind in a longer discourse, thou shalt not at

any rate fulfill the expectation and desire of all men. I doe therefore

here dish out this Junket, and commit the care of eating the same to

the Guests. Every one that will, may more accurately weigh and consider

of the same, that so he may come to find, how great the Efficacy and

Utility of this Process is, though delivered so very briefly.

_Another Junket or Sawce, =viz.= A Confection of a Mineral

=Alkermes=._

There is in the Apothecaries shops a Confection made of the Berry or

Grains of _Kermes_, known by the name of _Confectio Alkermes_; in

which composition, there are added to the said Berries some Pearls

done into Powder, and Leaf-Gold, and Amber-grease, and other such-like

corroborating Simples. This medicament being confected with Sugar, is

lookt on as the chiefest amongst all those Medicines which are wont to

be administred for strengthening the Heart, and it merits the praise

ascribed to it. But now instead of the Leaves of Gold, (which cannot be

digested or concocted by the stomach, and are therefore carried forth

with the Excrements without any operation,) I will substitute another

Gold, which being made suitable, and accommodated unto nature, shall

be able to put forth its virtues, and supply the place of foliated

Gold, in the Confection of Alkermes.

And if any one be so minded, he may omit even the grains or the berry

it self (for they are not to be had every-where) and make use of this

Juyce of Gold, which I am about to teach in this place, and mix it with

Sugar and other Powders that are strengtheners of the Heart. For this

Golden Confection of a purple Colour, doth most notably strengthen the

Heart by its corroborative virtue, and the Gold it self gives a far

more excellent purple or scarlet Colour than the Grains of that berry

doe, which are brought us from _Mompelier_. The way of preparing the

said Gold, is as follows.

Dissolve the Calx of _Sol_, or of Gold, in strong Spirit of Salt, and

pour upon the Solution some three or four parts of water more than the

Solution is, that so the Acrimony of the Spirit of Salt may be somewhat

allayed. Being thus prepared, put thereinto a bit of Tin, and such as

hath no Lead commixt therewith, which said Tin, the allayed Spirit

of Salt will seize upon, and dissolve part thereof. And being also

debilitated thereby, it will let fall all the Gold that it contained,

in the form of a purple Powder, adhering partly on to the Tin, and part

will be of its own natural colour, and settle to the bottom, but as

subtile as the Atoms that fly about in the Sun-beams, and resembling

little stars. When therefore the whole body of the Gold is precipitated

into a most delicate and fine Powder, out of the Spirit of Salt, which

will now be clear and bright: Pour off the Spirit, and take the Tin out

from the Golden Powder, and wash the Powder with clean and pure water,

that so none of the Spirit of Salt may be therein discerned; and being

now thus prepared, it may be used instead of Gold about the Confection

of Alkermes.

Moreover, if you are so minded, you may take some pure Sugar-candy,

and make it up into a syrup with weak Spirit of Salt, and then put

thereunto this Golden Powder with a little Amber grease and some Powder

of Pearls, and so make full as good, nay a better Confection than

that common _Confectio Alkermes_ is; because a greater corroborating

of the powers of the Heart, and a delicater purple Colour cannot be

found in any other thing than in Gold. If now you operate aright, it

cannot otherwise be but you must needs attain to this purple and golden

Confection.

_N. B._ The Tin must be very pure and clean, for by how much the whiter

it is, and the acuter sound it has, so much the fitter is it for this

work. And in the Composition it self you may use this following weight

or measure.

Take of the Calx of Gold one Lot [or half ounce] and dissolve it in

three or four Lots of strong rectified Spirit of Salt: Pour unto the

Solution twelve or fifteen Lots of pure water; then to all this, put

two Lots of Tin, and set the Glass that the Solution is in, upon hot

Sand, and heat it scalding-hot, but let it not boil. When it hath thus

stood for one or two hours, all the Gold will be turned into Powder,

of a Purple and Gold-like hue, and settle to the bottom. Then having

poured out the Water, and separated the Tin, separate all the Acrimony

from the Powder by several washings, and so will you have it fitted

for the Confection. This done, take twelve Lots of Sugar-candy, and

one Lot of rectified Spirit of Salt, and as much pure fair water as

is sufficient to reduce the Sugar into a thick Syrup; Hereto add one

Lot of that purple and tender golden Powder, and it will tinge all the

Sugar with a Purple or Scarlet-colour. Then add likewise thereunto,

two Lots of Pearls made into fine Powder, and one Quintula (about two

drams and an half) of Amber-grease, mix them well together and set it

by for use, as being a most efficacious Confection. And if you please,

you may add to the former ingredients other strengthning and refreshing

Powders. The Dose of this Confection is from 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, to 20

Grains, according as the persons are. It corroborates the Heart, Brain,

and the whole Body, and doth likewise (by reason of the Spirit of Salt)

allay thirst, and stirs up the appetite to food.

* * * * *

And thus much may suffice this time about Sawces or Junkets. It now

remains that we likewise search after some select and harmless Purges

out of the Metals too, and adjoyn them to the former. When in feastings

(or merry-meetings) the Guests are wont to drink Healths to their

Lords, and tope off many Cups, and store of Glasses full of strong

Wine, it cannot possibly be, but that their Stomachs must be stufft

with tenacious and clammy humours, and the Head much oppressed with

Catthars, and the Bowels fill’d with store of wind. Now here cannot

be a better and more profitable way of succouring these Stomachs and

Heads, thus beset with so many tenacious humours, and of helping the

whole body thus corrupted by so often repeated draughts, than by a

purgative Medicine, which by expelling all the evil and offensive

humours opens all the passages of the Body, and again brings the

so necessary respiration. We will therefore present you here with

three such purging Medicaments, and those very good ones. One is of

Antimony; The second of Silver and Antimony; And the third of Gold and

Antimony: Each of which, by it self, doth far exceed the other purging

Medicaments made of the Vegetables.

For Metals do penetrate the Body far better, and do perform their

Operations with less hazard than the Vegetables do, most of which

abound with a resinous clamminess, which doth often stick to the

Bowels, and cause great gripings, which is not to be feared at all from

metallick purgative Medicines: which (upon this account) are to be

preferred before those that are prepared of the Vegetables; nor do I

contemn these Vegetable Purges, for they are good, and may be made use

of, where better are not at hand.

Therefore, forasmuch as I have in my time, made trial of many such

Medicaments, and have in very deed found, that metallick Purges do

excel the Vegetable ones both in pleasantness and efficacy, and are far

safer; I could not but commend the same above all other Purges to such

as come after me, but yet leaving every one at his pleasure to make use

of either these or them.

_A Purge of =Saturn=._

Dissolve two ounces of Lead in pure _Aqua Fortis_, and pour upon

the Solution one ounce of Butter of Antimony, that so they may be

precipitated together into a white _Coagulum_ or Curd, whereto you must

put a good quantity of fair water, and stir it very well about, that it

may imbibe the Spirit of Salt which was in the Butter.

Then pour off this water, and put on more, and repeat this labour

so long, untill all the sharpness be washt out of the precipitated

Powder. This white Powder being dried is a most excellent Purge,

educing all evil and hurtfull humours out of the Body without danger,

and being administred from one Grain to ten, according as the Patient

is, doth work downwards, especially when it is given in a lesser Dose.

But if there be need of vomiting too, then the Dose may be encreased,

especially unto those that can brook vomiting, and cast with ease.

It may be used without danger as a good and safe Purge, in all such

Diseases as purgative Medicaments are, and may be administred.

_A Purge of =Lune=._

Dissolve two ounces of pure Silver in four ounces of _Aqua Fortis_,

and pour upon this Solution one ounce of the Butter of Antimony, which

together with the Silver will go into a white Curd, as we said but now

of the Lead in the preceeding Process. Wash this Powder with common

water, and dry it and administer it in the same Dose as the Saturnine

Powder is to be given; and it will perform its part in all Diseases,

but especially in those of the Head.

_N. B._ The Butter of Antimony must be made of the _Regulus_ of

Antimony, with rectified Spirit of Salt, and not with _Mercury_

sublimate, as the common custom is.

_Purging Gold._

In the first place, you must make a most strong Spirit of Niter thus,

_viz._ put equal parts of calcined Allum and good Salt-peter into a

well coated Retort, out of which is to be drawn (leisurely and by

degrees into a very large Receiver luted on to the neck of the Retort)

a Spirit, which will make the Receiver look red. All the Spirit being

distilled, let the Fire go out of its own accord, and leave on the

Receiver so long till all the Spirits are setled, and that the Receiver

be become clear agen: Macerate the Lute, which joyned the Receiver on

to the Retort, with water, and have an especial care when you take

off the Receiver, that none of the Lute fall into the Spirit. Put the

Spirit in a strong Glass, and shut it up well with Wax, that it may not

exhale, for it is very strong, and is red as Bloud, because it had no

water put unto it in the Receiver.

Pour two ounces of this strong Spirit upon one ounce of the Butter of

Antimony, and it will presently pass into a red Solution, whereto put

one ounce of pure Gold that it may be dissolved, which Solution will be

redder than Bloud. Then pour in thereupon some common fair water, and

the Antimony and the Gold will precipitate into a Purple Powder, which

is to be washt well with water, and so dried.

Its Dose is from one, two Grains to six, (according as the Age and

Party is,) it may be given in Wine, Ale, Water, or any other Liquor,

which may be as a Vehicle unto it. It works without any danger, and

doth safely and pleasantly (beyond all other Purges) drive out all

offending Humours out of the Body of Man.

_=Aurum Diaphoreticum=, or Sweating Gold._

If no water be poured upon the just-now-spoken of red Solution, thereby

to precipitate the same, but that that strong Spirit of Niter be

drawn off by a Retort, it then takes from the Antimony its purging

and vomiting power and makes it Diaphorical. Nor needs the Purple

Powder, when it’s taken out of the Glass, any washing at all, because

being administred in two, three, four, five, six, or ten Grains Dose

it may be safely taken, and it provokes Sweat. It is therefore very

profitable in all the Diseases that are to be expelled by Sweat; yea

in the Leaprosie, Gout, Dropsie, French-pox, Plague, Scurvey, and in

all Feavers doth it play its part even to admiration, for (by reason

of the Gold which it contains in it) it doth both provoke Sweat, and

strengthen the powers of the Body.

The former Powder or purging Gold, being mixt with an equal weight of

purging _Lune_, or purging _Saturn_, and molten in a Crucible, turns

into a red Stone or Glass, of which, little Tablets or Pellets somewhat

bigger than a Pea may be again cast or molten, and kept for use. And

now when there’s need of purging, let one of those Tablets be put in to

some spoonfulls of Wine and lie therein all night, and let the Wine be

drunk off in the morning following, just after the self same manner as

other purges are wont to be administred. For there is so much virtue

extracted by the Wine out of the glazen Tablet as to give several

Stools. If one Tablet or Pellet be not sufficient, then may a second,

or a third, or more be adjoyned thereunto, and so left all night in

the Wine, that so the Wine may work more effectually if need requires.

The Tablets or Pellets remain good a long time, and may be many times

applied to the self same use.

But if any one should be desirous of performing this labour even yet

better, he may get a little Pot or Cup to be made for him of white

Earth, and may have it glazed both inside and outside with this same

Glass; for two or three Spoonfulls of Wine infused for a night in such

a Cup, and drunk off next morning, are capable of purging you even as

doth the other.

These are the effects of these purges in Medicine. They likewise do

some good in Alchymy, if all three of them, _viz._ the Saturnine, the

Lunar, and the Solar are reduced by melting into a Glass: this Glass

being Philosophically cemented somewhat of the Silver, Lead, and

Antimony will be meliorated, and turned into Gold by the Gold.

* * * * *

Now for a Farewell, take this which follows. If the God _Appollo_ the

Inventer of Medicine, would bestow his light upon any one, and by his

hot Beams melt the waxen Wings of the untamed, flying, and (to his

Father _Dedalus_) disobedient Son _Icarus_, (and flying out of the

Isle of _Creet_, over the _Icarian_ Sea,) that so he might fall down

into the sweet and sulphureous Sea of the Sun, and may remain drowned

therein: Then from this dead Body (which is not wont to be subdued by

any other means) may a most excellent Medicine be prepared. For what

way soever he is handled by otherwise, whether he be turned into a

white sublimate, or be reduced into a yellow or red precipitate, he is

notwithstanding always corrosive; and brings more hurt than good, and

therefore may very deservedly be eschewed.

Or if we did but know the way of fixing it without any corrosivity,

by those three principal Columes of all Medicine, namely Vitriol,

Sulphur, and Antimony, he would undoubtedly be administrable without

any fear, and be withall capable of performing great matters. For then

he would not stir up and cause so many purgations, and such vehement

Salivations, and other hurtfull symptoms as usually comes to pass, but

would bring a most speedy help to the Sick by his gentle operation by

Sweat and Urine, and get the Physician a most eminent praise.

This I would have every one know, that Sulphur has a power of killing

all Corrosives, and reducing them to a sweetness, whether it be done

by the dry way or by the moist. And of all Sulphurs, a Vegetable

Sulphur is the fittest, which being freed from its inflamable nature,

is capable of reducing [any] Corrosives, though never so great, unto a

sweetness in one hours space. Nay more, any Metal being first dissolved

in such like Corrosives, doth together with the same become a sweet

Medicament: And so when Gold is dissolved in Spirit of Salt, and

Silver, Tin, Copper, Iron, and Lead are dissolved in _Aqua Fortis_,

and that that Corrosive Dissolvent is transmuted by a sweet Sulphur,

it so comes to pass that the Metal together with the Corrosive is made

a Medicament, and becomes potable. Such potable liquor of the Metals,

(but especially of Gold and Silver,) and void of all Corrosivity, will

you meet withall in my Medical-shop; which liquor, as well those of

Silver, and Copper, as that of Gold, are red. The Liquor of Gold may

be used instead of _Aurum Potabile_, and it guilds Quicksilver and the

other Metals with a golden Colour, like as the Silver-liquor guilds

_Mercury_, and Silver [or Copper, probably] with a Silver Hue; and the

Coppery-liquor guilds _Mercury_ and Iron with a Coppery Colour.

_N. B._ _Aurora_ being inflamed with the love of _Jupiter_, and

withdrawing him together with her self into Heaven, if both of them

be again thrust down headlong by the other Gods into the Salt-Sea,

they come forth out of this Bath, so delicate and so white, that she

resembles the fairness of _Diana_; and he, the comliness of _Apollo_:

but not as yet constant in the Fire. But when the time of bathing is

over, _Mars_ coming to the Sea Shore, draws both of them out upon a dry

Island called _Irony_, from Iron; where they are yet once more washt by

_Vulcan_, (who makes use of _Saturns_ help) in a dry Bath, who washeth

off the Defilements far more accurately than the Salt Sea could, for

he leaves not off washing and purging them, untill all the Defilements

are separated from both their Bodies, and that they be made like unto

_Diana_ and _Apollo_, in Constancy and comeliness.

Mars seeing that his Sister _Venus_, and Brother _Jupiter_ did come

forth out of the Salt Sea with so lovely a fairness, leapt thereinto

himself, that so by spending some time in washing, he might rinse off

those black Defilements from his black Body. But there was such store

of filth washt off, as made all the Sea green and sweet, and it hid [or

swallowed up] _Mars_ himself, being now much diminished, insomuch that

he could never have escaped out of that Sea, had not _Sol_, out of meer

pity on him, dried up the water of the Sea, for old limping _Saturn_ to

come unto him, and to take poor wretched him out of the Dirt and Mire,

which he also did.

But because there was such a deal of Mire and Filth as that this (slim)

lame, (hopping Fellow) could not get out agen, he even there stuck fast

with _Mars_, and so lost his Life. Of the dead Bodies of these two,

_viz._ of _Mars_ and _Saturn_, _Vulcan_ did at length make one Head

having two Faces, or a double Countenance, one resembling _Apolo_, the

other _Diana_; and upon this account was the name of double-visaged

_Janus_ bestowed upon it by _Vulcan_.

By these few and short Operations and Processes, may any one make and

devise many more such like. I am not at this time, for my part, minded

to busie and trouble my self about any more tedious a description

of such matters, for I guess that in what I have already said and

disclosed to the unthankfull, I have too much exceeded my bounds.

Every one may choose to himself those things which he shall deem most

profitable, and forbear to despise that which he shall not be capable

of apprehending the meaning of.

’Tis a usual Proverb, _That a Cup of generous Wine must accompany

Dainty Delicates_.

Because therefore we have in the three precedent Sawces or Junkets,

presented you with fine savoury Cates, it is but fitting that we

accompany the same with three dainty draughts, and those drawn out of

the best of Metals too, namely out of Gold and Silver, because the

Cates or Sawces themselves were composed of the same. Our Ancient

Predecessors called those Drinks of old time _Nectar_, or the drink of

the Gods, which in our days are known by the names of potable Gold, and

potable Silver.

Concerning these two, do many of _Ignoramus_ his Fraternity babble many

Stories, and falsly boast that no true potable Gold can be prepared, or

be in Being without the Philosophers Stone. This conclusion of theirs

is clearly untrue, for a Man may easily make Gold and Silver potable,

though he hath not any knowledge at all of the universal Medicine,

which is to be thus understood, _viz._ when the Gold and Silver

either alone or conjoyned, are dissolved in a sweet and not Corrosive

_Menstruum_, and rendred fit to be administred to the Sick in Water,

Ale, Wine, or any other Liquor. For those kind of Solutions may be

taken for a simple potable Gold and Silver.

But now for any one to dissolve Gold in that corroding _Aqua Regis_, or

Silver in _Aqua Fortis_, and then to imagine that he hath potable Gold

and Silver, he is altogether in an Errour. Potable indeed they are,

because they may be drunk like other Liquors: But forasmuch as those

kind of Solutions do corrode all things, and bring extream Detriment,

they are justly rejected, and the rather because being poured into Wine

or Ale, they defile and thicken the same; which, no true potable Gold

dissolved in a Not-corrosive _Menstruum_, will do, but when ’tis mixt

with Wine, Ale, or Water, it remains bright and clear. Besides too,

true potable Gold must be of such a property, as to have no visible

corporal Gold producible thereout of, and yet notwithstanding, be able

to indue the meaner Metals, yea and _Mercury_ it self with a golden

nature, if they be therein boiled, or to coagulate and transmute them

into Gold by the dry way in a Crucible, whether it be done with profit

or without profit [it matters not.] Now this tinging virtue comes not

from corporeal and dead Gold, but from a spiritual living and ringing

Gold.

If therefore the common and corroding solution of Gold, cannot be

accounted for a true _Aurum Potabile_, and that the spiritual and

tinging Gold, which is dissolved without any corrosiveness should not

come under this Title neither, whence I pray should it be sought for,

and where should it be inquired after. I confess, I do easily perswade

my self, that as for the first Ens of Gold if we did but know how to

wash and purge it in such wise, as that being turned into a bloud red

liquor, it would admit of Distillation by an Alembick or a Retort, we

should have a better potable Gold. But where shall we find such an

Artificer, as can teach us the way of preparing such a potable Gold?

’Tis therefore our best way to content our selves with such Medicaments

as we have at hand, so long untill God bestoweth better upon us. This

likewise I believe, that if we did but know such an Artifice as to wash

and purge Mercury, in such sort as that it might pass into a ponderous

and sweet Water, and if we could so adjoyn some pure Gold thereunto

instead of a ferment that they might lift up [or sublime] themselves

together, and again become constant and fix: that then, from them would

arise a red and soluble Carbuncle, or true potable Gold. But these

are onely my simple thoughts and conceptions, no dispraise to those

suppositions which other men have entertained concerning this matter.

So likewise if spiritual Gold, and the spiritual Sulphur of the Vine

be conjoyned by the help of Salt, they give a good potable Gold, which

contains in it Gold potentially, but not actually or palpably, as may

be seen in my Treatise of the true _Aurum Potabile_, which being clear

like Water, and a bright or fair potable Gold, I do adjoyn to my Cates

or Sawces instead of White-wine.

But even as White-wine the longer it is kept, the yellower it grows,

so likewise white _Aurum Potabile_ doth not retain its whiteness above

two or three months, but becomes more and more yellow, and is at length

turned into a redness, but still retains its tinging faculty. He

therefore that shall not be well pleased with the tast of [my] Wine or

potable Gold, let him tarry till being more old they become yellow or

red, for then they are of a pleasanter tast, as having (through long

Process of time) lost their Sulphureous Tast.

But as touching the manner of making that potable Gold, as also all

other unpleasant, sugacious, and unripe metallick Potions, pleasant,

ripe, fix, and sweet Liquors, that shall be revealed afterwards.

Furthermore, I do here serve out instead of a good drink, the

golden-coloured Soul, or my Tincture made of Niter, of which I have

spoken in the second part of my Spagyrical Dispensatory. It is of as

much virtue in Medicine as that potable Gold is, which I made mention

of but now, but performs nothing in Alchymy or in the Transmutation of

Metals; but what it would do if it were made fix and constant in the

Fire, I do not as yet know, for I have not as yet brought it to that

pass. But how it may be made fix shall be presently shown. This very

Tincture in the degree it is at present in, produceth great effects in

Medicine, yea and greater too than those which I published about it, in

the second part of my Spagyrical Dispensatory. It is of a delightfull

Tast to the Palate, it removes the obstructions of the Liver, Lungs,

and Spleen, it provokes Urine, expels the Stone, prohibits Obstructions

with the Excrements, it may be most safely used by old and young, yea

even by those whose strength is much debilitated, and it is wont to

afford them present help; it wonderfully Corroborates, and makes all

Animals, Minerals, and Vegetables fruitfull, and this will easily

appear so to be, if you do but take some Vegetable Seed and macerate in

the same, and then put in the Earth, it grows far speedier and ripens

much sooner than other Seeds are wont to do.

I have sometimes macerated Wheat, Barly, Pease, and the Seeds of such

like Corn in this Liquor for a night, and being thus steeped, have sown

it in pure Sand, and they have grown ripe far sooner than those which

have been planted in good and fat Earth: which is such a thing, as hath

made many Men extreamly to wonder, when they saw Corn grow in bare Sand

without any other Earth or Dung, and be able to arrive to such perfect

maturity.

Many other Salts there are of no great cost, and such as are to be had

in vast quantity, with which, Corn being macerated and sown in barren

Lands, and in such as are not dunged doth come to perfect maturity;

and this I have tried not onely once, but oftentimes; and have also

purposed (if God please) to bring it into publick use, in these

United Provinces: to which end, the most Supreme Orders, General and

Provincial, have granted me a Priviledge (or Patent) for many years;

whereby it is forbidden to sow or plant barren, sandy Grounds and

undunged, after this kind of way, without my consent. The main Basis

of the knack lies in Sea-salt, which may be plentifully had in these

places, and be easily prepared and made use of (to fatten lean and dry

Grounds with) instead of Dung.

But amongst all such like Medicaments, the Tincture of Nitre bears away

the Bell, for it causeth many Stalks to spring up out of one Grane, and

to yield fruit, a thousand fold. Nor doth it onely make the Vegetables

fruitfull, but Men too, and the terrestrial Animals, and even the Birds

themselves that live in the Air. And by the same reason also may it be

brought to pass, that even the Metals may be multiplied by the help

thereof, as we shall declare anon, in what follows.

Both these Wines or efficacious Drinks doe very well suit with the

metallick Sawces or Junkets, they heat the Body, help the concoction

of the Stomach, corroborate the Spirits, give good Nourishment, drive

forth out of the Body the superfluous Excrements, in a due manner by

Stool and Urine, they cause Chearfulness, bestow a prosperous Health,

give a comely Look, and change the Complexions into the Sanguine and

best Complexion; in the accomplishment of all which things, that pure

and golden coloured Tincture of Niter excells.

And here I must make a little digression, and set somewhat more clearly

afore your Eyes, the four primary Complexions; from which the other

mixt ones do arise, according as a Man partakes the more of this or

that Complexion.

Therefore as touching the Complexions, the Ancient Physicians judged

thereof according to the form and colour of the Hair, and were of

this Opinion, that the Sanguine Complexion which of all others is the

purest, produceth red Hairs and a white Skin full of small and bright

Pores, such Men being indued with hot and moist Bloud, and of a sound

Constitution are diligent, learned, pious, prone to Venery, Ingenious,

Chearfull, and for the most part long liv’d, but are subject to hot

Diseases, as Feavers, the Plague, and the like; and do in their nature

resemble the Sun, amongst the Planets, and Gold amongst the Metals.

The _Cholerick_ have very black Hair, a yellowish Skin, and their Bloud

is hot and dry, and they are wrathfull, quarrelsome, strong, bold,

Warriours, addicted to Whoredoms, subtle, wicked, false, merciless,

rejoycing at others harms, as is wont to be in War. They are tormented

with raging Feavers, as also with the overflowing of the Gall, and they

are of the nature of _Mars_ and _Venus_ amongst the Planets; and of

Iron and Copper amongst the Metals.

The Hairs of the _Melancholy_ Complexion are for the most part betwixt

a white and black colour, and their Skin is white. They are of a

cold and dry nature, quiet, laborious, musing, industrious, sincere,

pious, and mercifull, inclined rather to weeping than laughter,

if they hear of any mischances, they aim at Justice, and fear God

without Hypocrisie, or esteem of Men. They are subject to all kinds

of Diseases, are afflicted with a debility of their Limbs, and are

compared to _Saturn_ and _Jupiter_ amongst the Planets, and to Lead and

Tin amongst the Metals.

The nature and property of the _Phlegmatick_ is moist and cold,

the Hair and Skin white, the Wit dull, a dreaming sleepy quality,

negligent, carefull of nothing, obstinate, envious, slow, and gross,

and unteachable, the Body consists of thick or homely Limbs, and is

wont to be troubled with the Scab, Ulcers, and cold Feavers. ’Mongst

the Planets the Moon, and ’mongst the Metals, Silver, are supposed not

much to differ from their Disposition.

These are the marks (as is believed) of the Complexions in Men and

Beasts. But yet you are to know, that one [single] Complexion doth very

rarely bear absolute sway in any Man, but they are for the most part

mixt, and so the denomination is given according to the predominant

Complexion.

A Man that consists of a sanguine and phlegmatick property, is as it

were double complexioned, and both the colour and denomination are

divided, so that from red and white, yellow hairs arise, and the Men

themselves are of a good, temperate and fruitfull nature; and thus is

it to be understood of other Commixtions.

But forasmuch as a pure and sanguine complexion is esteemed the best

and wholsomest, the Ancient Physicians in their Cures were wont to

call the superfluity of any phlegmatick scabby person, Phlegm and

watery Blood: [the superfluity] of the Melancholick, sad and irksome

cogitations [or pensive dumps:] and [the superfluity] of Cholerick, a

mad raging brain. Now of this Phlegmatick, Melancholy, or Cholerick

[person] do we make a Sanguine one, that is, a Man of a sound and

pure blood. Upon this account have they ascribed this property unto

their Universal Medicine, _viz._ that it does not onely change all

the imperfect complexions of Men, as the Cholerick, Melancholy,

and Phlegmatick into the Sanguine; but doth also transmute all the

imperfect, unripe, gross, and volatile Metals into pure Gold. For if a

Medicine be of so much virtue as to convert all the Complexions into

the Sanguine one, it will necessarily transmute all the imperfect

Metals likewise, as _Saturn_, _Jupiter_, _Mars_, _Venus_, _Mercury_ and

_Lune_ into _Sol_ or Gold.

Now forasmuch as I have often found by the frequent Experiments that

I have made, that my said Medicine, or Tincture of Nitre is wont to

colour all kinds of Hair, as white, brown, black, (black I say, which

may seem impossible unto many, but nevertheless is very true; for to

dye white Hair with a yellow colour is a thing commonly known, but

to tinge black Hair with a yellow or red colour, is a great secret)

and even all other colours, none excepted, with a golden colour; and

this it does while it is as yet of an unripe and flying nature: Upon

this account I dare perswade my self, that if it were but brought to a

fix and constant nature, it could not possibly be, but that it would

bestow upon the imperfect Metals, a golden nature and perfection. But

by reason of its too tender a nature, which is extreamly impatient of

a Fire of Coals, I pondered upon the business more accurately, and

perceived, that it is indeed a thing possible to be done, although

that hitherto I never had a convenient time of perfecting of the same.

And as concerning the manner how it may be done, I cannot but out of

Christian Love, discover the same to my Neighbour.

During the time that I considered not the Words of the Angel in the

Sepulchre of Christ, saying, _Why seek ye the Living among the Dead?_

and therefore search’d about in filthy Sepulchres, in which I could

not find the Life. God at length vouchsafed to look upon me with

his gratious and mercifull Eyes, and brought me into the right way,

insomuch that leaving the Sepulchres and Monuments or Tombs of the

Dead, I began to look for Life amongst the Living, and not amongst the

Dead.

God onely is the alone and eternal Life, who bestoweth upon us the so

much desirable _Sun_, (as being the Servant of God) by the help of the

Air. Let us boil, roast, bake, and labour as much, and in what manner

soever we please; yet shall we never find any liveliness, save from the

Sun, the Servant, Minister, or instrument of the Omnipotent God. [For

else] we [doe but] prepare us Medicaments destitute of virtues, of fine

out-side Colours, but within, dead and full of poison, because from

things wanting life, no help can be expected.

Forasmuch therefore, as we gave not life unto our own selves, neither

can we defend the same against death without that one onely life coming

unto us from above: it is very expedient, that, omitting the stinking

dung, we betake our selves to the pure and living fountain of God, as

being the Centre of all life; and doe seek for life, from the Sun, as

being the great master of all the created Palace [or World.] The way of

effecting this, will I reveal unto you in a few words.

If we accurately weigh with the utmost of our discretions this whole

business, we clearly see it afore our Eyes, that there is no other

life to be any-where found, besides that universal life which God hath

implanted in the _Sun_, and which the _Sun_ sends down unto us by the

help of the Air. Let any one make trial, what way soever it likes him,

and he shall find this most true.

If you would putrefie an Herb or Animal in a shut glass, so that the

Air cannot penetrate [into it,] there will indeed be Magots generated,

but they will want life so long, untill the glass being opened, they

receive life and motion from the Air. If you put Herbs, or the Flesh of

living Creatures chopt or bruised in a glass, and shut it close, and

keep the glass for a while in hot Horse dung, or else in warm water,

there will Vermine [or Maggots] be indeed generated, but yet void of

life, which (the glass being opened) will begin to stir of themselves;

and so having gotten life, creep out, and become greater, and will get

other forms or shapes. Place likewise in a warm place, some little

Barrel half full of Wine and let the bung-hole be open, that it may

putrefie and begin to wax sowre; The ascending vapour will gather it

self about the said Bung hole into a tenacious matter, which will yield

small little vermine [or Mites,] much like those which are engendred

in Cheese; and which at length will, by reason of the Air, live and

creep forth. If you put a Cover over the hole, all these little Mites

will again dye, because they are deprived of the Air from which Life

doth proceed. Then the Cover being again taken off, and the Air

admitted, they doe agen creep; and following after the Air, endeavour

to get out of the Barrel: out of which, if they doe but stay some hours

onely, and feel the full Air; They attain to another form, and get

wings and fly away, which cannot be done without the Air, seeing that

without it they can have no life.

Let such Earth as hath Seeds sown therein be so covered over, as that

the Air cannot penetrate into it; which being shut out, nothing will be

brought forth: or let it be some Plant, which hath already sprouted up

out of the earth; if you doe but take the Air therefrom, it will cease

growing and plainly wither and come to nought.

From whence it is clearly evident, that the rise of all Life is to be

imputed to the Air, which very Life it self, the Sun hath first wrought

in the Air, and Art knows how to extract the same again thereout of, by

a certain Magnetical way, and make it visible, palpable, and sensible.

But all the Air is not meer life, but contains this same life

dispersed, or dilated in it, like a great deal of water containing

in it but little Salt, it self being visible, but the Salt which is

therein, invisible. And just so is the life dispersed in the bodies of

Men, and other Animals, and, being invisible, hath its habitation in

the blood, so that, without it, the whole body would be immovable and

remain dead. Now when either a Man, or any other living Creature is

conversant in the open Air, he attracteth to himself by his breathing,

(by a certain Sympathetical power and property) as much Air as is

requisite for the Heart, (which is the Center, Receptacle, or House of

the Life) for the nourishment of the spiritual Life, and as for the

residue, and unprofitable part, it casts it away by the Antipathetical

virtue and property of the out-blowing (breath or) expiration. So that

no Man, no Animal, no Herb, no Mineral, can possibly enjoy a living and

growing faculty, if this food of Life were withdrawn therefrom. Which

seeing it is so, and cannot be otherwise, it doth necessarily follow,

that the true universal Medicine cannot be prepared in any shut up

(or close) Vessels as is commonly done. Do but look I pray upon the

Birth and Generation of Salt-peter, the Body of which is nothing else

but the essential Salt of the Vegetables, Animals, or Minerals, which

attracteth to it self the Fire out of the Air, as is well known.

Therefore, whereas all Salts are wont to be turned (by the help of the

Fire and Air) into burning and live Salt-peter, and that no body can

bring the same to pass without Air: we should by good right learn from

thence thus much, _viz._ to endeavour to make our Medicaments too,

alive by the Air. For a Medicine that is destitute of life will subdue

and destroy a Disease even just as much as common Salt will overturn

a Mountain, and throw it out of its place, without being animated as

it were by the Air, and transmuted into burning and living Salt-peter.

Truly therefore and by experience do I say, that all the faculty of

growth, all Transplantation, and every life owes its birth to the Air,

and without it do they all become dead and so remain.

The Air receives [its] vital food from the Sun, and the Sun derives

its Original from God, the Center and Beginning of every Life. And

therefore when we are desirous of extracting that vital food out of the

Air by the help of Art, and of reducing it into a visible body, it is

behoovefull and expedient, that we expose thereunto a certain Magnet,

which may draw the same unto it self, and be by little and little

augmented therewithall, and may grow both in quantity and virtue,

even as an Herb out of the Earth; or as an Animal gets it self growth

and encrease by meat and drink, and adds to it self an augmentation

of strength and greatness, and at length associates it self unto [or

couples with] its like, and multiplieth its kind.

Man himself doth without intermission attract to himself the Air, by

the help of his Lungs; but the Heart retains onely the vital food

thereof, and rejecteth all the rest like so much excrement. The Body

it self also doth daily assume food and sustenance by the Mouth, but

the Stomach transmits the nutriment that is separated thereout of, to

the Liver, to be reduced into blood and flesh: but the Excrements,

as the Dung, Urine, Sweat, and the like, it banisheth out of the

body by the usual passages. Thus like wise stands the case with our

Medicament. According as the Magnet is, that we expose to the said Air,

so accordingly doth it attract its like out of the said Air, whereby

it may get to it self, Life, Virtue, and Power. But it cannot possibly

be, that it should extract that virtue and faculty simply pure and

clean; No, but it gets to it self also a certain, unprofitable, and

watery Essence, which is associated unto that [virtue,] which acqueity

doth again go off, as a superfluous Excrement, and must necessarily

bestow the Life onely upon the Magnet, that it may be therewithall

encreased and strengthened. If I desire to have a Vegetable, then must

I sow a Vegetable Seed; or such a Magnet is to be placed there, as may

associate or adjoyn unto it self its like out of the Air. If you would

have an Animal, then an Animal Seed, or Animal Magnet is to be used.

But if that which I seek is to be more pure, and more constant [or

lasting:] a purer Magnet must necessarily be exposed; for like doth

always seek its like; love, o’ercome, and conserve it: according to

the testimony of the Ancient Wise men, _Nature rejoyceth with Nature:

Nature overcomes Nature: Nature retains Nature_.

* * * * *

And therefore seeing our purpose tends to this, namely, to extract the

invisible faculty of Life, the power and virtue of the Sun out of the

Air; to concentrate it, and make it corporeal, visible, and palpable;

It behooves us to provide our selves with a fitting Seed or Magnet,

which may earnestly attract, overcome, and hold the same. Now such

Magnets are pure Gold, and the most pure Soul of Salt-peter, both of

them being the true off-spring of the vivifying Sun.

Because therefore like desires its like, loves, and seeks after it, a

poisonous Magnet must not be exposed [to attract] a vital food: For

as is the nature of the Magnet, so likewise doth it attract good or

evil out of the Air. It is a thing that Husbandmen are well acquainted

withall, namely, that Wheat produceth nothing else but Wheat, and from

Tares do Tares arise. If the Seed or Magnet be aureous and pure, it

will also acquire to it self pure and golden Virtues, and be encreased

by them.

_The manner of so placing the Magnets, that (by Solutions and

Coagulations) they may receive the Astral and vivifying Rays of

the Sun, and may render them visible, corporeal, palpable, and

durable in the Fire._

You must get made some flat and strong glass Dishes or Platters, in

which you must put your Magnet the thickness of half a fingers breadth,

and expose it moist to the Sun, that the unprofitable humidity may

vanish by evaporation. Which done, (and in the Summer time it will

be done in a few hours, especially if there were not too much of the

Golden Liquor put into the Dishes) expose the same Dishes, which

contain in them the [thus] dried Salt, in the night-time, open to the

cold and moist Lunar Beams, that the Salt may by its magnetick virtue

associate unto it self from the Air, the Water, which carries in it

the universal food of the Air, and consequently may be dissolved. This

Solution is to be agen set out in the day-time to the Sun-beams, which

will again dry up the unprofitable moisture, and leave in the Salt,

that vivifying and golden Seed, which it contracted in the cold Night

and Air, together with the humidity, which is void of any virtue. The

Salt being freed by the Sun from its superfluous moisture, must be

again exposed at Night to the Lunar beams, that it may again imbibe

the Astral virtues, and may be agen dissolved in the imbibed water,

that, being the next day, as the day afore, exposed to the Sun, it may

be animated anew with those same virtues: These exposings by turns [to

the _Sun_ and _Moon_,] must be so long and so often repeated, untill

the said Magnet, (after its being dried at the day time in the Sun)

will, at the nighttime, hardly admit of any moisture from the Air, and

that being dry and put upon a red-hot Plate, it readily melts without

fume. For then may it be applied to use, as being a constant and fix

Medicament.

This interchangeable Solution and Coagulation must be repeated some

hundreds of times, and every Solution and Coagulation is to be

accounted for a Philosophical day.

If now in the Summer-season the heat of the Sun be not strong enough in

our Countries for the effecting of this operation, the said heat may

be concentred by Glasses, or metallick Instruments, and be made more

efficacious, that the Coagulation may be ripened [or hastned.] But in

defect of such Instruments, and want of the heat of the Sun, which is

frequently over-cast with store of Clouds, you may easily forward the

Coagulation with our Common Fire, and that too with a more unfailable

and speedier operation than that is, wherein the drying up by the Solar

heat is always to be waited for. And although this operation, which

is performed in the _Sun_, is to be accounted of as far the better,

yet notwithstanding the _Sun_ doth operate together with our Common

Fire after an invisible manner, when we cannot make use of the _Sun_

it self. For wheresoever the Air is, there also is to be found the

invisible _Sun_, and the occult virtue and power of life. He that can

have the opportunity of using the _Sun_ in this operation, needs not

any other Fire. But the using of our Common Fire requireth a peculiar

Iron Furnace, whereon the Dishes or Basons are to be placed to dry.

But yet the heat must not be underneath, and strike at the bottom of

the said Basons, but it must be such as may strike the heat downwards

at top of the matter onely, and may gently and by little and little

consume the humidity: For else there would be hazard of the Liquors

boiling over, and of being lost, if the heat should be placed under

the bottom of the Dishes. The Iron Furnace may be made of Iron Plates,

resembling Arched work, [or Oven like] and be placed within a Stone

Furnace, and have a Door fitted thereunto, that so neither Dust nor

Ashes may fly thereinto, and by this way will the Salts be dried in two

or three hours time. And now, that you may not need to wait till the

night approacheth, you may have a wooden Box or Chest made, and covered

over at the top, but pierced full of holes all round about the sides,

which (with the Basons placed therein) may in the Winter-season be set

abroad to the cold Air, and in the Summer-time may be placed in some

moist Cellar, that so the Salts may attract from the Air the food of

Life. For in all places of the World doth the Air contain in it (though

in one place more plentifully, and better, than in another) that occult

faculty and virtue of Life, without which, neither Men nor Animals are

able to live. But by how much purer the Air shall be, so much the purer

and more excellent is the acquired Medicine. As for the Transmutation

of Metals, it matters not much what Air it is that you get, for every

sort of Air is fit for this operation. We doe in this place manifest

onely the way of fixing it: Now every one knows that a pure and clean

Air is better than a gross and an impure one, and that the heat of the

Sun is better than the heat of Coles, or of a Lamp.

_Thomas Aquinas_ writes, that God with his Angels cannot want our fire,

and therefore is he reproved by _Paracelsus_, because he saith that

God cannot want the Elementary fire. Alas, Good man, he did not so

accurately weigh this matter, for this proposition tends onely to this

end, namely, to set afore our eyes the purity of the Fire necessary for

the Coction of our Medicine. From whence it is sufficiently manifest,

that a Medicament will be so much the better, by how much the purer

the Fire shall be. For a gross Air begets a gross Blood. But in this

operation, the Air is the Meat and Drink of our Golden Salt, but the

Water or Phlegm is to be driven away by heat, it being a superfluous

Excrement adhering on to that Air. Now in those manifold Solutions

and Coagulations, the Magnet doth always retain some good thing, and

encreaseth both in weight and virtue, and attaineth a constancy: like

as Men and other Animals are encreased with Meat and Drink, and doe

grow in stature, and multiply themselves. The whole work therefore of

making this kingly Medicament by the help of the secret Solar fire,

doth consist in a good, pure, and golden Magnet, and afterwards in a

true Solution and Coagulation: Which if it be too speedy and strong,

the over-much heat will burn up and consume the attracted food of Life.

If therefore a Medium be not used, it so happens, as ’tis wont to be

in any Earth that is too moist, and therefore not [capable of] bearing

fruit. So that nothing is more necessary than to have a due regard of

mediocrity, not onely in the Solution, but in the Coagulation likewise.

And this is that way by which the Solution done in the Air, and the

Coagulation made in the Sun, doe reduce the Mercurial water, and the

Minerals prepared with Salt into fusile and tinging Stones; which

thing the Common fire will never perform in a glass closed up, and

without the Air.

Note this, and believe it, and doe it, and thou wilt find what thou

hast believed, come to pass.

Supper being ended, and the Drinking-bout over, ’tis time for the

Guests to go to Bed, unto whom the custom of some is to present a

closing Cup, made of good and profitable Herbs, ’mongst which, such as

are more bitter, are for the most part in greatest esteem, because they

close up the mouth of the Stomach, and beget a quiet Sleep.

Now to parallel this Custom, I will here set one down, for those that

are desirous of such like bitter Potions, and such an one as they may

prepare according to their pleasure, and apply to use.

Take of common _Aqua Fortis_, which you must rectifie by a Cucurbit,

or by a Retort, that it may be bright and clear. Dissolve therein, by

boiling in hot Sand, as much cupellated Silver as it will dissolve;

but you are to note here, that there must not be any Copper at all in

the Silver, for it would spoil the Medicament. Into the Solution pour

strong and well rectified Spirit of _Sal-Armoniack_, so long till the

_Aqua Fortis_ makes no more Ebullition. When all the tissing and noise

is over, there will be about the half part of the Silver precipitated,

and settled to the bottom, and will be of an ashy colour. Place the

Glass in Sand, put Fire thereunder, and boil the precipitated Silver

with the _Menstruum_, in which boiling there will separate yet more

Silver out of the _Menstruum_, and the residue will remain dissolved up

in the _Menstruum_, which is to be filtered through Cap paper, and then

to be evaporated by little and little in Sand, that all the humidity

may be abstracted.

_N. B._ The _Aqua Fortis_ and Spirit of _Sal-Armoniack_, turn into

a liquid and volatile Salt, and have lost their corroding property,

which Salt hath introverted the Silver, and drawn its bitterness forth,

insomuch that both Salts are converted into one bitter and green Salt.

This Salt must be dissolved, filtered, and purified by pouring Water

thereon, and again drawing it off; and being hereby rendred more pure,

it resolves it self in the cold Air into a green and bitter Liquor, one

drop of which is able to make a whole Cupfull of Wine bitter. And this

Wine being drunk is profitable to the Stomach, causeth quiet Sleep,

dissipates Windiness, and keeps the Belly Soluble.

_N. B._ This Salt guilds over Glasses, and other glazed Vessels with

Silver, nor does it vanish away but remains constant. It likewise

performs other considerable effects in Alchymy, as may be seen in my

other Writings, but especially in the second part of my Furnaces, of

the last Edition. And thus do I leave the Guests to their rest, that

they may Sleep even till broad Day-light.

The Sun being up, and some of the Guests being very droughty or thirsty

with their Yesternight Surfeiting, and being tormented with overmuch

Heat; they endeavour to extinguish this Inflammation of the Liver, with

cold Fountain Water, or with small Beer, or with hungry and sharpning

Wine. Others send to the Apothecaries for some Syrup of Roses, or

Violets, and mix that with Fountain Water, and so drink it off. But

the burning hot Liver is presently smitten with a sudden horrour, the

Stomach is refrigerated, and beset with clammy Humours, and most an end

the Limbs are debilitated, the Skin becomes Scabby and cold Feavers

possess the Stomach. Instead therefore of such like drink, I will here

substitute a far better cooling Potion, which shall not hinder the

health, as those do, but be profitable to the same.

Take one pound of Spirit of Salt, not of that yellow, unrectified

Spirit that is sold in the Shops, but of our well rectified Spirit;

wherein dissolve as much Tartar as it will associate unto it self in a

gentle boiling; filter the Solution through Cap-paper, that so all the

Fœces which were in the Tartar, may abide in the Paper, and the Spirit

of Salt itself together with the [dissolved] Tartar may pass through,

bright and clear; if the Solution stands long in a cold place, part of

the Tartar will shoot into Crystals, and part thereof will remain mixt

with the Spirit of Salt, and give it a gratefull vinous Acidity. If you

use white Tartar then the said Spirit will remain white, red Tartar

tingeth the same with the colour of a Ruby. _N. B._ The Spirit of Salt

is of such a nature, as that it makes all colours more fair. You may

therefore use red Tartar to make this Potion withall, because of the

loveliness of the colour, wherewith it tingeth the Spirit of Salt, for

as to the virtues and efficacy of them, there is no difference to be

found between them.

This Tartarized Spirit of Salt is very sweet, and tasts like an acid

Wine, some drops of which, being drunk in cold Fountain Water, will

not at all hurt the Liver: nor will it onely allay the droughtiness

and thirst, but also stir up in the Stomach an Appetite to meat and

drink. And therefore I do commend this Tartarized Spirit of Salt,

beyond all other thirst-allaying Remedies, and it may be taken safely

and pleasantly, both _Summer_ and _Winter_, because the unripe and acid

Wines being drunk with Fountain Water and Sugar, do refrigerate the

Stomach, and load it with tenacious humours, and weaken the Appetite,

and hinder digestion.

Most profitable therefore is this our Spirit unto those, who daily

drinking much Ale, may always mix a little of the same with their Ale.

For it makes the Ale to tast like an acidish Wine, it allays thirst, so

that there will not need such a guzling in of so great a quantity of

thick Ale, it discusseth Wind, expells Urine, hinders the generation

of the Stone in the Bladder and Reins, and if it be already generated

it dissolves and consumes the same, and by little and little drives

out the same with the Urine. Being administred to such as are troubled

with the Feaver, Gout, Stone, and Scurvy, and that in all their drink,

it is a pleasant and profitable Remedy. Concerning the use of which,

you may find more spoken in my Treatise, intituled, _The Consolation of

Sailors_.

Now besides all this, there is yet one thing more that I shall here

admonish you of; namely, that by the Spirit of Salts help may a Remedy

be administred to many more hurtfull disorders, but especially in the

stead of those sharpish Waters, unto which, Men are wont to come from

far and undertake long Journeys, losing their most pretious time and

Money, neglecting their Calling, their Houshold Affairs, their Wife and

Children, upon the bare hope of recovering their former Health: Whereas

notwithstanding, the Spirit of Salt well prepared with Tartar, and

having a little Steel Powder put thereinto, will perform the very same

effect as the Calibeat Waters are wont to do, and so they may avoid the

loss of so much expences, and of their pretious time; and thus every

one may discharge and follow his own Calling and Domestick Affairs, and

yet for all that, be cured by the help of the Tartarized and Chalibeat

Spirit of Salt which openeth the Obstructions of the Liver and Spleen.

But what shall I say much for? Some haply there are that go the more

willingly to those Waters every year for other reasons. Such as have

old chiding Wives at Home, that take it very ill if their Husbands

do but stir out of Doors, and are continually a plaguing them with

Scoldings and ill Words, have not these think you great reason to seek

some Diversion?

Young Women also love to visit these Waters and Baths, who meeting not

with so much heat in their feeble and aged Husbands, as to beget them

with Child, betake themselves to those Waters and Baths, where at all

times they meet with active strong Companions, full of strength and

Metal, who without doubt do frequent the said places, for this very

end, namely, to apply warm suppositories to those cold Women, and

uterine emplasters to make them Fruitfull, and to take away Sterility.

Such kind of Dames being restored to their former health, and returned

Home, their Husbands find (after some few Months) how effectual the use

of those Waters have been upon their Wives.

Besides, it most an end happens that the Master and Mistress being

absent, the Houshold Affairs are very awkwardly administred and

managed by the Children, the Men-servants, and Maid servants; and that

common _German_ Proverb doth usually take place; _The Cat being out

of the way, The Mice upon the Shelves do play_. The truth of this is

sufficiently testified by frequent Examples. And therefore it is much

better to drink these acid Waters at Home, whereby both Money and Time

is spared, and many evils prevented. And thus much may suffice to have

been said concerning a refrigerating Drink.

And now, seeing we have at hand good Cheese and Butter, good Sawces

or Cates, and delicate Drink, can we not be here with content? Verily

in my Judgment here’s enough disht out for one Banquet. But some may

say, in very good time! _Glauber_ [indeed] does not onely teach us the

preparation of good Meats, but likewise of Cheese, Butter, Sawces, [or

Junkets,] and pretious Wine, but yet tells us not from whence the Milk

to make the Cheese and Butter withall is to be had, nor whence the

Sugar and Spices for the Cates, and the Grapes needfull to make the

Wine with, are to be gotten? What benefit have we by knowing how to

make Cheese and Butter, and yet want Cows to yield us Milk? To satisfie

these, we will demonstrate unto them, that even both the Milk it self,

and the precious Spices, and most excellent Grapes are all attainable

by the help of Salt.

In my Treatise called _Miraculum Mundi_, as likewise in that called

_The continuation of the same_, and in that Book, _of the nature of

Salts_, I have clearly enough shown, that all the faculty of the Growth

and Nourishment of all growing and movable Creatures doth take its rise

and original out of Salt alone, and that the correction or melioration,

not onely of Vegetables and Animals, but even of the Minerals too, is

to be sought for from the same.

But forasmuch as this bettering of the Metals meets with but little

credit and is very hardly believed and understood, (nay ’tis plainly

thought a thing impossible to be effected,) I could not choose but

manifest and demonstrate the truth of the same unto the whole World;

namely, that like as the Metals are in long process of time maturated

by Salt in the Bowels of the Earth: Even so may the same be likewise

maturated, mundified, and amended out of the Earth, by Salt, by the

help and benefit of Art; not onely by the moist way, but also by the

dry, and that with one Fire, in one Furnace, and with one Servant, whom

I will in this place call _The Countryman paying his yearly Rent_.

When his belly is continually fill’d with Coles, his Plows never cease

going, so that weekly, monthly and yearly he is able to pay his master

the due hire, namely Gold and Silver, wherewith all things necessary

for houshold expences may be gotten.