_By what means such Metals as are imperfect, wild, and in a manner
unapt for use or sale, may be ripened or bettered by Common Salt
and Fire, so as to yield forth Gold and Silver with benefit and
advantage._
I have in the foregoing first Century, as also in the Appendix to the
fifth part of the prosperity of _Germany_, described the incineration
or reduction into ashes, which is to be done with Coals in a peculiar
Furnace, fit for torrefaction or calcining.
Though this be a laborious way and tedious, yet is it not without its
benefit, provided that a great quantity (as I have already oft times
said) of the not vendible minerals and metals be thereto used. But that
such an incineration may be done after a more easie and compendious
manner, the following way may be made use of.
Build an Hearth of good and fitting earth upon a firm foundation, put
thereupon a Furnace [or an Arch] of good stones, adjoyn hereto an
Oven, [or side Furnace] out of which the fire may play and emit its
flame over all the said Hearth, and pass thereout of by a Chimny made
for that purpose. Upon this Hearth put those metalline earths being
broken in a Mill, and commix them with the Salt, and Coals reduced
into powder, and leave them for twenty or twenty four hours, that they
may be all well fired and heated red hot: For by this means, the salt
makes the fugitive metal in some sort constant and able to brook the
fire; and the wild sulphureousness leaves the metalline mineral, and
adjoyns it self to the salt, and converteth it into a vitriol or _Sal.
Mirabilis_. This twenty or twenty four hours heat, gets a constancy and
fluxibility to those wild metallick veins, and doth withall by that
labour so fit and prepare the salt, that it doth afterwards by an easie
mutation pass into good salt peter.
After that the said minerals have gotten themselves a better state by
the said Cementation, they are to be drawn out of the Fire or Hearth,
with iron instruments fit for such a purpose, and new and fresh
minerals are to be put in, and to be dealt withall after the same
manner as we said but now.
The minerals that are taken forth are to be broken in a Mill, and then
the salt to be washed off with common water, and to be afterwards used
about making salt peter, the which we have taught in the Appendix.
The light Coals [or Scinders] and unprofitable earth is to be separated
by water, from the metalline part, and this metalline part, or heavier
_limus_, being reduced and molten in the Furnace called _Stichofen_,
yields a beautifull or pure and gainfull metal.
There are sometimes found in many places of _Germany_, wild, fugacious,
and unmeltable minerals of lead, which for that they contain in them
Sulphur, Antimony, or _Lapis Calaminaris_, do not admit of reduction
in the Furnace called _Stichofen_, but do either go off in fume, or
turn into dross. But being first roasted after the aforesaid manner,
and fitted for liquefaction, the lead, comprehending in it silver too,
may be thence gotten with profit, whereas otherwise they are wont to be
dealt withall without any fruit, and are therefore given over. This
incineration therefore is profitably used to such degenerate minerals.
Now if so be any would deal with vendible and good metals, and would
have profit from them by incineration, he must proceed this following
way.
II. _The manner of reducing lead into ashes, and so handling it
with the spirits of salt, that gold and silver may be thence
gotten with profit._
I have at large taught in my first Century, that in the ripening of
metals and other chymical operations, a greater fire is endued with
stronger power than a lesser, which is easie to be understood by those
that have any wit.
I just now taught the maturation and bettering of unprofitable and wild
metallick earths with crude and gross salt.
But forasmuch as the gross salt and a weak fire cannot of necessity put
forth so much strength as a stronger fire is wont to doe, therefore
for such as desire a stronger fire than the common salt, the purer
part is to be (by the help of Art) drawn out of the crude salt and
to be separated from its grosness and impurity, the which is easily
brought to pass by distillation. And as for these fires of salts, and
the procuring them in great plenty, my writings, but especially the
precedent first Century, do clearly and evidently treat of them, and
this second Century will yet treat of it more.
III. _The operation of incinerating the lead, or reducing it into
ashes._
Having built a Furnace such as is for Cementation, put therein a
strong iron Pot, just after such a manner as the sand cupels [or pans]
are wont to be made, let there be a Grate to make a fire on, let the
Furnace be bigger or lesser according to the bigness or littleness of
the Pot you would put in, or according to the quantity of lead-ashes
you would make. Put fire under the Pot and heat it red hot, and put
thereinto so much lead as is requisite for the covering of the bottom
of the Pot; the lead being molten, stir it about in the Pot without
ceasing, with an iron spoon having a long handle, the which labour will
turn the lead into ashes in the space of about two hours. Take these
ashes out, and put in more lead into the Pot, and repeat this labour
so often untill you have gotten enough ashes. These ashes of lead are
fitted to receive an amendment by the spirits of salts, and afterwards
to yield their gold and silver by fusion, and that with profit.
IV. _The manner of bettering the ashes of lead by the spirits of
salts, and of extracting thencefrom the gold and silver with
gain._
First of all, you must have plenty of the spirit of salt or _Aq.
Regis_, as concerning the easie getting such spirits, we have mentioned
the way at large in the foregoing Appendix, and will yet treat more of
them in this present second Century.
Besides, you must also provide your self of red or reddish kind of
flints, which (besides iron) do also contain in them a volatile gold.
Out of these is the tincture to be extracted by the spirit of salt, or
by _Aq. Regis_; after that manner I delivered at large in the first
Century, and in the Appendix to the fifth part of the prosperity
of _Germany_, and will yet farther teach more clearly and more
compendiously in this Century.
These extractions are to be poured upon the lead-ashes, that they
may be well moistened therewithall; the unprofitable phlegm is to be
evaporated by a gentle heat, and the fire to be augmented that the
spirits also may follow; of which more heavy spirits there will be
enough remaining in the secret Cementatory Pot, and as much as is
sufficient for the due operation upon the lead, that so being bettered
it may afterwards prove a gainfull emitter of its gold and silver.
He that has a desire of exercising this labour with greater profit, may
satisfie his desire, if he will but pour on such extractions twice or
thrice upon the said lead ashes, that they may be con-centrated by them
afore they are cemented in the Cementatory Vessel, and may be reduced
into the bettered lead. For by this means, all the labours and costs
will be more largely recompenced, and the more plenty of gain gotten.
This now is the making the lead-ashes, whether you do either _per se_,
or by the help of the other metals, convert it by Cementation into a
better metal.
V. _A brief description of the secret Cementatory Pot, which
admits not of any spilling, and which is sealed with the Seal of
=Hermes=, of which I made mention in the first Century._
Build with Stones or Clay or Potters earth such a Furnace as that is,
which I described in the first part of my Furnaces, as necessary for
the making of spirit of salt. But let the lower part thereof be a
little broader that so the Metals being cast upon the Coals may not
stick to the walls of the Furnace and so be somewhat lost, but may fall
directly down on the live Coals. It must be made four square and of
such a bigness as may serve the purpose according as you are minded to
cement a greater or lesser quantity of metal therein.
VI. _Of the Cover of the Cementatory-pot, what it ought to be, that
so it may suffer nothing to goe away in fume._
This Cover of this Cementatory Box or Furnace which I told you was to
be made of the Lute of Wisedom, is not properly a Cover but a Leaden
Cistern, serving for the reception of those spirits which are driven
up by the fire out of the Lead-ashes. This Lead receiver is to lie in
another Leaden Cistern, which is to be filled with water, and ’tis to
be so fitted to a pipe that is to come out of the Furnace, that the
ascending spirits passing thereinto may be the better refrigerated by
the water, and the sooner condensed, and saved for farther uses.