Take of this acid or sharp spirit of Salt, rectifie it out of a Glass
Retort in sand; the flegm will come over first, which was put in the
receiving Vessel in the first Distillation to condense or collect the
spirits the more commodiously. After that all the flegm is come off,
and acid drops begin to come, remove or change your Receiver, and take
your spirits therein; continue the Distillation so long untill all the
spirits be come forth, it being indowed with an acid sweetness, is an
effecter of very many operations, which doth bring much profit both in
Medicine and Alchymy, as is manifest out of diverse of my writings,
and especially out of the 2d. part of my Furnaces, and the comfort of
Mariners.
In this sweet and sharp spirit like Wine there is an infernal fire
hidden, which doth equally like Coals burn up all things put into it,
like as the fire of wood and coals doth Vegetables and Animals, and
it reduceth all things which common fire doth, by calcining them into
ashes, such as are immature metals, tin, lead and the like, which when
they are put into it, it burns them up by calcining them into white
ashes.
XIII. _A Concentrating the rectified Spirit of Salt into a moist
and cold Fire._
Every Spirit of Salt consisteth of two things, to wit, Fire and Water,
which water the fire doth so firmly co-knit to it self, that it cannot
be wholly separated by any distillation or rectifying; but it always
adheres to the fire, how often soever it be rectified or distilled: if
any one therefore desireth by rectifying to separate them he must of
necessity put immature metal-like subjects to the Spirit of Salt, the
which, by how much the more immature or unripe they are, by so much
they render the spirit of salt the purer; such are _Lapis Calaminaris_,
_Zink_, and _Iron_, which by reason of their moist and attracting
nature, do draw to them that invisible fire out of the spirit of salt,
as it were that agent whereof (as to their maturity or perfection) they
are necessarily destitute, and without which fiery agent, a metallick
kind of body is able to attain unto no perfection in the earth.
Such metallick subjects therefore, the spirit of salt, they being
put into it, assaulteth, and as much as it can dissolves them. This
solution being distilled out of a glass retort by sand, with the more
gentle fire, sends forth nothing but a meer and unsavoury phlegm, the
fiery essence it self remaining with the mineral in the Retort, the
which if it be more and more urged, and the fire more increased, that
it may become plainly burning bright, then that mineral cannot longer
retain the fire of the salt, but dismisseth it, which descending into
the receiving vessel, is condensed into a thick and fiery oyl, which
is afterwards to be kept in strong and well stopt glasses, because it
fumes without intermission, and desires to return into the air, as it
were its Chaos from whence it came forth.
This fire is the operator of great effects in Alchymy and Medicine, of
which effects very few have known how to discourse. But it hath far
different properties and qualities from that which is extracted out of
Vitriol, whereof it shall be afterwards treated.
And although through the help of this fire, incredible things may be
performed as well by Chymists as Physicians, and other Artificers;
yet it is a consuming, destroying, and also a ripening fire; neither
hath it the least of the most noble Pearl with it whereof we have made
mention above, and the which in this preparation is converted into such
a fire.
That Pearl, if it should be extracted or allured out of Salt, in my
simple opinion it were to be extracted not by the benefit of the fire,
but through the endeavour of metallick and attracting subjects.
But although I do not profess my self to be so skilfull a Master, and
do not arrogate to my self the knowledge of so precious a pearl, yet
I cannot but bewray that small little spark of Nature which God hath
granted unto me, that so every one may have a clear knowledge and sight
of what admirable mysteries Salt doth hide in its own vile body.
XIV. _The manner whereby that most precious Pearl of Salt may at
least wise in some respect be rendred conspicuous or apparent._
Even as I have admonished in my foregoing writings, that the powers,
colours, and virtues of all Vegetables, Animals, and Minerals are
found concentred in Fire and Salt, so also I now affirm and assert the
same thing that by Salt through the benefit of Fire, all Vegetables,
Animals, and Metals, may in their own species, nature and properties be
increased and propagated into an infinity. So that we have the seeds of
them.
For example sake, I prepare Kitchin Salt by the fire, that its tartness
being lost, it puts on the nature of an Alcali or Lixivial Salt, I mix
some parts thereof with some barren earth, or with naked sand, the
which I moisten with water, in these I sow the seeds of vegetables,
that they may be nourished by that Salt and may grow, which in thus
growing do obtain their own proper figures, virtues and colours, they
appear green, yellow and red, sky-coloured, purple coloured, and white,
_&c._ and have a sweet, sour, sharp, bitter, savour, even as God
hath bestowed on every particular kind its own proper nature, which
operation proceeds from this one onely Salt, and the fiery beams of the
Sun being tempered with air.
When therefore Beasts are fed with these Herbs growing, and receiving
nourishment from the Salt, they are of necessity also nourished and
increased by the same; even as also the same Herbs growing from the
same Salt do supply nourishment and increase themselves.
But if any one could obtain the true seed of Gold, and increase that
seed by the help of Salt and Fire; he might (without doubt) obtain
great plenty of Gold, but God will not have it that the tail of the
Goat should be as long as the Cows, the which being lifted up with too
much pride, would strike out her own eyes with her too long tail.
If therefore all things and Gold it self, as also Silver, Pearls, and
precious Stones, are after an invisible and occult manner hidden in
Salt, and may by the help of art and nature be rendred palpable and
visible; why also might it not come to pass that the most excellent
Medicine and most precious Pearl of the wise men might be allured forth
out of the same Salt? Truly common Pearls are bred out of Salt waters,
wherein if the first matter of Pearls were not, after what manner or
sort should they bewray themselves out of the same? Therefore that it
may evidently be made manifest, that by the operation of art, also
Pearls may be extracted out of Salt which do far excell those Pearls,
which by fishing are drawn out of the depth of the Sea, in beauty,
virtue, efficacy and excellency; I will prescribe as much indeed as
hath been granted unto me, for demonstrating the possibility of the
thing, a certain manner whereby every one shall be able to take to him
a firm and sure foundation of weighing or considering of the matter
more exactly.
XV. _An operation of alluring forth a Philosophical Pearl out of
Salt._
Dissolve thou in common water, as much of common Salt as thou wilt, by
how much the greater plenty thou shalt take, by so much the more thou
shalt obtain.
In like manner dissolve in _aq. fort._ one or two Ounces of Silver,
pour this solution of _Lune_ on the dissolved Salt, and stir both the
dissolutions up and down divers times, that it may become white and
like unto Milk. For Silver cannot well indure the Salt, but departing
from it is precipitated to the bottom, and there resides, in the form
of a snow-like Powder, which by the effusion or pouring off the water
is to be separated and dried.
This silver powder hath extracted a spiritual and philosophical gold,
or the said precious Pearl out of the Salt Water. Because _Diana_ hath
known no less how to fish Pearls in the Salt Sea, than to hunt wild
Beasts in the green Woods: But that Pearl is made corporal and visible
in manner following.