When any one has a mind to cement the Lead ashes, from which the
extractions of the coloured Flints have been sometimes abstracted in
the said Cementatory Box, and to graduate them, or so bring to pass
that they may contain [or hold the] Gold and Silver, let him first of
all fill his Furnace with Charcoal, and let him so order it that his
fire may kindle by little and little till the Furnace be well heated
red hot; till this is done, the Cover that is at top is to be taken so
long off, that so neither the heat nor smoke may pass out at the side
through the Pipe into the adjoyned Leaden Cistern.
When the Furnace is thoroughly heated, and that ’tis now time to begin
the Cementation, the top of the Furnace is to be shut with its Cover,
that the heat may be forced to pass through the Pipe into the Receiver.
Having so done, you are to fill an Iron Spoon or Ladle of your prepared
Lead-ashes, and put them into the Furnace at the fore-hole which serves
for the throwing in your Coals, the which ashes are to be so put in as
to cover the Coals over, but not so as to choke them but that they may
have air enough to burn, and that the fire be not put out, but doe just
in that manner as you are wont to distil the Spirit of Salt. By this
means all the Spirits that remained yet behind in the Lead-ashes, will
betake themselves into the Receiver, and the Ashes of the Lead will be
bettered by the graduating and tinging spirits, and will part of them
be reduced into a body, and part will yet retain the form of ashes,
and fall down through the Grate to the bottom of the Furnace. Then the
Furnace is to be again filled with Coals, and more Ashes are to be put
thereon with a Spoon as afore, and this labour is to be continued so
long till all the Ashes are consumed.
All the labour being finished, take out your Ashes together with the
lead reduced into a body, melt them in the Furnace which is called
_Stichofen_, they will melt wondrous easie, then put some small part
thereof to the Test, thereby to try whether or no they are enriched
enough, to be turned into a Litharge and undergoe the metallick
separation.
If they won’t as yet brook the trial, let the Lead be again turned
into Ashes in your Iron Pot, and repeat the whole afore prescribed
labour, and that so often till at length the Lead be rendred rich
enough in Gold and Silver, the which may be converted into Litharge
after the usual manner, and separated from the Gold and Silver. The
Litharge being taken away, and gathered together, and broken in a Mill,
serves for farther uses in this operation. The _Regulus_ of the Gold
and Silver that is left upon the hearth is to be taken out and to be
farther mundified in a Cupel after the accustomed way.
This is that more compendious incineration and reduction of Lead, which
kind of bettering it, enricheth the operators with Gold and Silver.
_N. B._ That in this Cementation the sharp spirits do carry over with
them some of the Volatile Lead into the Receiver, and there it settles
to the bottom; the which powder being freed from all the Acrimony of
the spirits by due washings, and being then dried, may be used to all
such intents and operations to which the Mercury of Saturn is wont to
be used, and which is made by dissolving the Lead in _Aq. Fortis_, and
precipitating it by Salt-water.
_N. B._ This distilled Mercury hath more hidden under it than the
other hath; for it carries hidden in it a Volatile Gold, which may be
separated from it and improved about the gradation and Tincture of
other Metals, and that with no small profit, concerning which we will
say more afterwards.
Thus, friendly Reader, hast thou my more compendious incineration and
reduction into better Metals; the which I would not hide from thee, and
hereby shall I satisfie those to whom the way prescribed in my Appendix
is too tedious and laborious and they may make use of this way instead
of that other, which withall is easier and will without all doubt yield
more Gold and Silver than that other way.
VIII. _Another emendation or bettering of Lead by the graduating
extractions of coloured Flints._
Extract either coloured Flints, such as have in them Volatile Gold or
Sand or Clay, by the spirit of Salt or _Aq. Regis_, and draw off the
Liquor by Distillation. If you thereto add Salt afore their extraction
the dissolvent will receive encrease from the Salt, especially if done
in such an instrument, in which a great quantity of extracted matters
may be abstracted in a few hours, without either Cucurbits or the
other commonly known distilling Vessels, and the same operation may be
continued a long while. By this means, there is not onely the least
loss of your dissolvent, but it rather gets no small encrease from
the Salt. By this instrument also, thou maist not onely prepare great
store of sharp spirits necessary for thy operation at the beginning,
but likewise commodiously extract your Minerals, and separate the
dissolvent again from the Minerals so extracted, so that you shall not
lose the least particle of your dissolvent.
But forasmuch as all the Gold, Silver, and Copper may much easier be
separated from its _Menstruum_, by this so unheard of and never seen
instrument, than by the way of precipitation, ’tis altogether better
and safer for a Man not to precipitate his extracted Metals, but rather
draw off the _Menstruum_ from them, that so he may have them dry. And
though that all the spirits go not wholly off, so as that nothing of
them abide with the Metals, yet they do no hurt, but rather exalt the
Litharge that is put unto them into an higher degree, as it also does
to the Ashes themselves of the Lead, when they are cemented together
in the afore described cementing Furnace; in which Cementation the
Volatile Gold is, together with the corporal Gold conserved, and which
otherwise would vanish away in the common melting Fire.
But if so be that any one has a mind to precipitate the Metals
extracted out of poor Mines, after the manner prescribed in the
Appendix, to the intent he may after the precipitation make Salt Peter
of the remaining Waters, he may reduce the _Calx_’s of the Metals,
and principally of the Gold very easily and without any loss, by this
following way.
IX. _The manner of reducing the precipitated and washed =Calx= of
=Sol= without any loss._
The precipitation of Gold by _Lixiviums_, Liquor of Flints, Spirit of
Urine, Solution of Mercury, hath been clearly enough described in the
Appendix to the fifth part of the prosperity of _Germany_; but yet the
reduction of the same was past over in silence, because of the too much
hast of the said Book. Therefore it seemed unto me necessary to insert
the same here, for their sakes, who have but little knowledge, or in a
manner none at all in these affairs; for should I go to propound such
a thing for the skilfull Chymists, I should but do what is already
done, especially because he deserves not the name of a Chymist who is
ignorant of the reduction of the solar _Calx_.
But forasmuch as it may so happen, that even the unskilfull may
set about this extracting of the Minerals, and yet be ignorant of
the way of reducing the Gold though they should have extracted it;
therefore have I judged it not amiss to illustrate that reduction
by my describing thereof here, the which being divers, according as
the precipitation is made by such or such a means, doth also require
different operations.
X. _The reduction of the solar =Calx= precipitated by the Liquour
of Flints._
Albeit that Borax reduceth every _Calx_ of _Sol_ to its former body, if
it be therewith mixed and melted in a Crucible, yet that would prove
too dear, if somewhat a greater quantity thereof be required for the
reduction; for there must be of it at least twice or thrice as much
in weight as is of the Gold, if you would have a due reduction of the
Gold made. The reason is this, because the Flints precipitated to the
bottom together with the Gold, and so sticking on to the Gold impead
its fusion so that it cannot rightly come together into its due body.
Hereupon is it necessary that there should be the double or treble
weight of Borax added to the Gold if you would have all your Gold
return unto its former body without detriment.
But whereas there are also other matters to be found which make the
Gold fusible and are not so dear as Borax is, the use of such things is
to be admitted, but especially when a great quantity of Gold is to be
reduced. Otherwise if it be but little Gold that is to be reduced, and
you have not the aforesaid matters at hand, one may for such a small
trial use Borax. But where there is a greater quantity to be reduced
the following matter will be found to be far more profitable and
beneficial.
XI. _How the Gold which is precipitated by the Liquor of Flints, is
to be melted without Borax, by the Glass of Lead only, which is
of a far meaner price._
Take of your Gold precipitated by the Liquor of Flints and dryed,
one part, of Glass made of Lead and beaten into powder, three parts;
the which mix well with the Gold and put into a Crucible, which said
Crucible let be put into another bigger one (for which operation the
Hassion pots are most fit) that so if the Gold chance to flow out of
the inner pot, it may stay in the outer and be conserved. For the Glass
of Lead is of such a nature that it usually perforates or runs through
the pot. Having thus done put your twofold Crucible containing your
commixed matters into a wind Furnace, such an one as I have described,
and when you have covered it, put Coals under it [or about it] and urge
your fire for one quarter of an hour, that all may well flow, then pour
it out, and separate the _Regulus_ of Gold with a stroke or two from
the glass of the Lead; which said Glass hath attracted to it self all
the flinty matter, and suffers the pure and malleable Gold to settle to
the bottome into a _Regulus_.
_N. B._ If your glass of Lead be still yellow as it was before the
operation, ’tis a sign that all the Gold is separated therefrom; but if
it be of a green colour ’tis a sure sign that it has as yet some Gold
mixed with it. For Gold being mixed with Glass shews its being there by
yielding a skie-colour, the which skie-colour is necessarily changed in
the yellow glass of Lead into a green; because every yellow and skie
colour do in their commixtion beget a green.
Now then that you may get out the reliques of the Gold out of the
leaden Glass you must proceed the following way.
XII. _By what means the Glass of Lead which as yet contains in it
some reliques of Gold is to be dealt withall, that it may let
them goe out of its body._
Melt that Glass of Lead in a well covered pot, that I mean in which you
suppose some Gold to be, and being well molten cast in a little iron
filings, and mix it well by stirring it with an iron rod, and leave it
in the fire thus molten, for one quarter of an hour, that the sulphur
of the Glass may be killed by its corroding of the iron, and may let
fall a leady _Regulus_ wherein the Gold will be, and which (in the
first melting) the Glass held up, will separate it by the Cupel from
the Lead.
_N. B._ But here you are to observe that the filings of the iron are to
be used very sparingly to this precipitation; for by how much the more
iron is added, so much the greater will the _Regulus_ of the lead be,
and consequently require a greater Cupel, which is not so necessary.
For put case the Glass of Lead in which the Gold is suspected to be is
about one pound weight, and there is but about a _Quinta_, or certain
small weight of Gold; now it is not necessary to have any more than one
Lot of Lead or thereabouts, precipitated thereout of into a _Regulus_,
to which precipitation is required no more than one Lot of the filings
of Iron. For the _Regulus_ of Lead precipitated out of the Glass, doth
for the most part answer in weight, to the weight of the Iron filings
used about the precipitation, or to speak more clearly, you will get so
much leaden _Regulus_, as the Iron is you added.
The remaining Glass becomes black and is unprofitable for any farther
melting with Gold, but yet needs not be cast away, because those
_Scoria_’s do yet contain much Lead, and therefore serve to be mixt
with such Pots as you have used and broken about Metals, or with other
wild and hardly fusile metallick Veins, to render them fusible, being
I say commixt with these, and put in the Furnace which the _Germans_
call _Stichofen_, do not onely yield forth all their Lead, but withall
draw out the Metals out of those matters which were mixed with them in
the melting. But they are principally profitable for the melting and
reducing of those Metals, which do not onely very difficultly admit of
fusion by themselves, but withall do, being mixed with the Ashes of
Tin, so much the more difficultly suffer themselves to be reduced by
melting, unto their former bodies. But in defect of such Metals and
Minerals, as are not but with much adoe tamed by Liquefaction, you may
put to that black Glass of Lead, one fourth part onely of filings, or
_Scoria_’s of Iron made into powder, that so both the matters thus
commixt may be molten in the Furnace _Stichofen_. So by the addition
and help of the Iron, all the Lead will be reduced to its former body,
and will withall extract out of the Iron whatsoever of Gold and Silver
lay therein hidden; so that by this means there may be reaped a great
benefit from this reduction of the Glass of Lead. But yet that Lead is
to be tryed by a foregoing tryal, whether or no it be rich enough in
Gold and Silver to quit the costs of separation? For if it be not, it
must be used to the afore described incineration, that so there may be
no loss either of the Gold or the Lead.
XIII. _The preparation of the Glass of Lead, for the reducing
such Gold as being precipitated by the Liqour of Flints, is of
difficult fusion._
Take of white and fusile Flints [or Pebles] one part, and of _Minium_,
or any other Ashes of Lead, or else even of Litharge it self four
parts, each of which being powdered apart, you are to commix and melt
them well in a strong double Pot, then pour them out, and you will have
a Hyacinth-coloured Glass, the which Glass is to be powdered and mixt
with the Gold, and it makes the Gold Powder which resisteth melting
fusible.
XIV. _Another way of reducing Gold precipitated by the Liqour of
Flints._
To one part of this hardly-melting Gold which is precipitated by the
Liqour of Flints, admix two or three parts of Litharge, which matters
put in a strong double Pot, and cover it well, and melt them well down
in a Wind Furnace, that the Litharge may draw unto it self all the
Flints, and all the Gold may separate. Having separated the _Regulus_
from the _Scoria_’s of the Lead, you must precipitate these _Scoria_’s,
which do as yet hold in them some small portion of Gold into a small
leaden _Regulus_, with the filings of Iron, as we shewed you but now,
that so you may also have even that residue of Gold. The _Scoria_ are
conserved by being reduced in the Furnace _Stichofen_, according to the
operation already spoken of.
XV. _Another way of rendring the Gold precipitated by the Liqour of
Flints fusible._
Take of the said Gold one part, and the fixt Salt made of Salt Peter
and Tartar, by combustion or calcination, three parts; commix them
and melt them down in a crucible well covered. In this co-melting the
Salt swallows up the Flints, and the Gold being at liberty settles to
the bottom. Pour out the molten mass, and separate the _Regulus_ of
the Gold from the Salt, the which being dissolved with common water
gives you your Liqour of Flints, to be again used to precipitate more
extracted Gold.
This Salt doth not so easily perforate the Crucibles as those Glasses
of Lead do, and therefore is it to be accounted of as the best and
easiest of all these three prescribed ways.
XVI. _The way of reducing Gold, precipitated by the spirit of
Urine._
The spirit of Urine or of _Sal. Armoniack_ doth perfectly precipitate
all the Gold out of the _Aq. Regis_; the which being washed and dried,
doth not admit of reduction after the manner of the other Gold, for if
it be but onely heated a little before it becomes red hot, it presently
takes fire, and fulminates with a far more dreadfull noise than any
Gunpowder. For if you put a small portion of the same, and no bigger
than a Pea in a Silver, Iron, or Copper Spoon, and put it on the Coals
that it may wax hot, it will give such an horrible crack, that ’twill
even dull the hearing, and make a dent in the Spoon as if it had been
beaten in with a Hammer. From whence it may easily be conjectured, that
if somewhat a bigger quantity be put in a Pot on the Fire, it would
make Pot and Furnace flie, by its so dreadfull thundring a stroak into
most small shivers.
So then there is need of great wariness, to prevent the happening of
so great danger, which is easily prevented by the following manner of
operating.
XVII. _By what means the fulminating force of Gold precipitated by
a =Lixivium=, or spirit of Urine is to be taken away._
Mix with this Gold precipitated by a _Lixivium_, or by the spirit of
Urine, half a part of Sulphur reduced into Powder, and let the said
Sulphur be removed therefrom by burning amidst live Coals; for so being
despoiled of that fulminating force, it may without danger be reduced
by any kind of such matters as promote fusibility.
XVIII. _By what means Gold that is despoiled of its fulminating
force, by means of Sulphur may be reduced._
Forasmuch as this Gold is void of all impurity, there needs [not] the
addition of such matters as promote fusion, seeing it is of it self
prone enough to melt. But yet least some grains of the Gold should
stick on to the Pot, ’tis expedient to add some portion at least of
such a kind of matter as accelerates or hasteneth fusion. And for this
work, Borax, and the dry Liqour of Flints are excellent, of which if
you add but one half part onely to such Gold, (or, if you take of the
Flints prepared with Salt of Tartar) it will by that means presently
melt, and the Borax, or Liqour of Flints will not retain the least doit
of the Gold.
XIX. _The manner of reducing the Metals that are not gotten out
of the Waters by precipitation, but are freed from them by
abstracting them._
The Metals which are extracted out of the Mines, and freed from the
waters by the abstracting of the dissolvent, cannot be so pure as those
are which settle to the bottom by precipitation. For it is very rare
for Gold and Silver to be found in metalline Veins, Stones, or Clay,
without being commixed with other Metals; because for the most part,
Copper is mixt with Silver, and Copper or Iron with Gold, the which
being unseparated in the reduction makes the Gold and Silver impure.
But now in the precipitation one Metal is freed after another from the
_Menstruum_, and are not mixed with each other. But on the contrary, in
the way of abstracting it, all the metals remain mixt together without
any separation, and require a new separation and consequently a double
labour, and more expences.
This inconveniency may be easily remedied by him who is versed in the
knowledge of my dry separation of Metals. I have mentioned it in divers
places of my writings, So that it would be needless to trouble the
Reader with a superfluous rehearsal of the same in this place.
But forasmuch as every one hath not by him all my writings, I believed
that it would be worth while, if I should here set down that Laver or
Bath which washeth off the Metals with the help of Salt peter by the
dry way. For, without the knowledge of this Artifice of separating the
extracted Metals from each other, there would be yet requisite much
labour, and much costs for the obtaining of the said Metals. But they
are very easily, and with little labour, and with small costs separated
the one from the other by the way here by us described, and indeed with
more gain than is wont to be had by the way of precipitation.
And even as in the precipitation of Metals there is always some
[portion] of the Waters, that puts on the nature of Salt Peter, _viz._
when the Waters that have been used, which are as it were the Seeds of
Salt Peter, are implanted in an Alkalisate Salt, and so do multiply
themselves in a wonderfull manner.
So likewise in the dry separation of Metals, there is in a manner,
yet more Salt Peter gotten, _viz._ thus when they are separated in
the melting Pots, from each other by Salt Peter, and by an artificial
precipitation of one Metal after another, the Salt Peter you used
is rendred fixt and Alkalizated, which Alcalizated niter is to be
accounted of, as the root of Salt Peter. This root being implanted
in acid Salts, is in like manner enriched with a plenteous encrease,
and reduced into natural and inflamable Salt Peter; for, by it do the
sharp Waters get to themselves the nature of Salt Peter, from those
Alkalizate Salts. And if so be you seek not after the common Salt
Peter, it is better to sow the Seed of Salt Peter (that is, some spirit
of niter which you have used) into the appropriate root of Salt Peter,
that is, into fixt niter. For by that means you will have (at the
encrease) a wonderfull Salt Peter, which, in all operations, doth far
more powerfully act than the common Salt Peter, what way soever it be
mundified by; which is evidenced in my foregoing first Century.
Therefore forasmuch as in the separation of Metals by the dry way,
there remains (after the operation is over) so much fixt Salt Peter
as there was of nitrous Water in the moist extraction, it always
abundantly supplies both Seed and Root of Salt Peter, so that they
may be exceeding plentifully multiplied by other Salts, nor will you
have any need of buying any more new Salt Peter for the now spoken of
Labour. Verily this is a most compendious way, not onely of separating
all Metals even in fusion, but also of somewhat bettering them, as
shall be afterwards demonstrated.
XX. _By what means such Gold as is commixt with Iron, or Copper,
and from which (being extracted out of the Minerals) the
dissolvent has been drawn off, is to be reduced._
Let such unclean Gold be commixed with two or three parts of its
weight of the Glass of Lead, and melt them in a strong Crucible. If
there happen to be much Iron, it will of its own accord yield a leaden
_Regulus_, which being forced by the heat of the Fire in a Cupel will
leave your Gold pure, because the Glass of Lead is wont to attract unto
it self Iron and Copper. But if so be there is but little Iron mixt
with your Gold the _Regulus_ of Lead will not separate or precipitate
in the melting, and therefore as it melts some filings of Iron are to
be added, and to be accurately stirred with a red hot Iron, that so a
_Regulus_ of Lead may fall to the bottom, bigger or lesser according to
the muchness or littleness of the Iron you added.
XXI. _Another proper and fitting matter to reduce such Gold as hath
Iron in it._
Take of Salt Peter one part, and of Antimony four parts, reduce them
into a black Glass, by melting them. This Glass being powdered
and commixt with a wild or raw and not fusile Gold and so molten,
precipitates the _Regulus_ of the Gold to the bottom, and brings the
Iron into _Scoria_’s.