Such golden _Regulus_’s do not admit of separation in the Cupel, like
as those do which the Glass of Lead is used to. Therefore Salt Peter is
to be used in the melting Pots or Crucibles, to make the separation of
them.
Put this Antimonial _Regulus_ in a melting Pot, melt it down in a Wind
Furnace, and being molten cast in by little and little some dry Salt
Peter, that so it may seize upon the _Regulus_ and transmute it into
_Scoria_’s. The _Scoria_ flowing in the Pot like water, are a sign that
the Gold is well cleaned, and that all the Antimony is reduced into
_Scoria_’s. Then pour it forth into a Cone that it may cool, and the
pure and malleable Gold will settle into a _Regulus_ at the bottom.
Now all the Salt Peter is rendred fixt in this operation, then if you
put your _Scoria_’s again in the Crucible, and put into it some Coals
and melt your _Scoria_ down, almost all the Antimony being freed from
the Salt Peter will gather into a _Regulus_, and will again serve for
reducing of more Gold; for it will as readily reduce your extracted
Gold unto its former body, as the [aforesaid] Glass it self will. But
this labour requires a diligent Operator who knows how to handle it
with singular skill, though it be easie, and requireth not any great
Artifice, but onely an accurate diligence, which use onely makes a Man
skilled in.
The Salt Peter used about this labour, gets the nature of an Alkali
Salt, and being put on the live Coals doth no more burn, but being
dissolved in Water yields a sharp _Lixivium_, very proper for many
operations, and serving instead of a Lye made with Wood-ashes. But the
chiefest use thereof is this, _viz._ seeing it is the true root of Salt
Peter, it may be added to other Salts, out of which in process of time,
it will be notably augmented and produce new burning Salt Peter. He
that has a desire gainfully to augment this fixt Salt Peter with common
Kitchin Salt, and again to transmute it into inflamable Salt peter, may
accomplish his desire if he makes use of the following operation.
XXIII. _The way of making most excellent and inflamable Salt Peter
in plenty, and with profit out of common Kitchin Salt and the
=Lixivium= of Salt Peter that has been used._
There is so small a difference betwixt common Kitchin Salt, and Salt
Peter, that the Salt may easily be turned into Salt Peter, and that
by several operations, as well by the Seed of Salt Peter as by sharp
spirits, as we have taught above, or even by fixt niter which operation
we will here shew.
We will use for an example, the baking of Bread, and the brewing of
Ale. If when the Meal is with Water brought into Dough, there be added
unto it but a few grounds of Ale or Leven, the whole mass begins to
heave it self up, and becoming thin [or light] is rendred fit to be
baked into Bread, the which hath altogether the same property as those
few Ale Grounds, or that little Leven had. And so that very self same
Dough is likewise fit to make other Meal ferment, even to infinity.
The same is likewise observable in the brewing of Ale, so that he who
hath but once onely so much Ale Grounds [or Yest,] or levened Dough as
served his turn once, may brew Ale and bake Bread even to infinity. So
likewise is the same evidently manifest by the encrease of Vegetables,
which may be infinitely multiplied by the Alkalizated Salt of the
Earth, if you have but once their Seeds and Roots. In like manner may
the same propagation be performed by another way, _viz._ by ingrafting
of that which you would propagate into another of the same kind. For
example, I have in my Garden excellent Apples, Pears, Cherries, or
such like Tree-fruits, and I have a mind to see more of them in my
Garden; therefore do I cut off some branch, or perhaps even the Tree
it self to the trunk or body; of some wild, or at least not so noble
a Fruit-bearing Pear Tree or Apple Tree, and therein, _viz._ in that
branch or stock, do I ingraft according to Art some little boughs or
cions of some other Tree that bears excellent Fruit, and which I desire
to encrease, the which Tree now doth no more produce the wild and
degenerate or bad Fruits, it did according to its kind, but such Fruits
as the Tree whence the cion was taken, bears.
By these kind of similitudes may any one that hath understanding
easily see, that it is possible by Art, to transmute one nature into
another, if, _viz._ the Seeds and Roots of things are applied to this
transmutation. But now if any one should plant a stalk or leaf in the
digged earth, and would thereby encrease or propagate it, he will never
see any success of his labour; for the stalks and leaves would rot and
so no new Herb would again bud out from them as is wont to be out of
the Seed and Roots.
Even on this wise is it with Salt Peter, which if it be mixed with
common Salt it would not verily produce any encrease, as ’tis wont to
do out of its Seed and Root, as we have already laid open.
Such likewise is the nature of Metals, touching the propagation and
encrease of which their proper seeds and roots are requisite. What
I pray are those Tinctures, (one onely particle of which and that
no bigger than a Pea, being cast on an whole pound of Tin or Lead,
transmuteth that same Metal into pure good Gold, and changeth and
augmenteth it self (as being the true seed of Metals) a thousand fold,
out of so gross and earthly a body into so noble and so golden a nature
in so short a space of time,) what (I say) are those Tinctures, but the
very seeds of Metals, and the very metallick roots. But by what means
they are to be obtained, and to be brought under a Man’s power, for my
part I do not know. But yet I could not but deliver my simple opinion
and conceptions concerning this thing, to the studious of Art.
’Tis certain that all Metals have their rise out of one and the same
Seed, but that they differ so very much amongst themselves, and that
one becomes more ripe than another, is to be imputed to the diversity
of accidents. In one and the same Tree are produced Blossoms, and small
Fruits of an unpleasant tast; then afterwards bitter and immature ones,
and at length ripe and sweet ones, and are not alike either in form,
odour, or savour, nor are they of like effects, and yet do they all
arise out of one beginning, _viz._ out of their Seed and Root. So is it
even with Metals.
For as touching their Seed I do verily believe, that if from the
most soft and as yet most immature Metals, such as _Zink_, Lead,
Tin, Antimony, Bismute, Cobolt, _&c._ their stinking combustible and
superfluous Sulphur, could by some Bath or other be so taken away, as
that nothing may remain save onely a most pure Mercury, that then I say
such a Mercury, or such a Seed of Metals may be easily transmuted by
pure Gold, as being the most pure Root of Metals into a true Tincture.
But to turn common Salt into Salt Peter, the operation is thus.
Take one part of black or of any other common Salt, and mix it with two
or three parts of _Calx-vive_ being reduced into Powder by lying in the
Air, and lay it in such a place as lies open to the Air and Sun-beams,
but yet keeps off the Rain, as we have taught in the Appendix.
Moisten this heap with the above said _Lixivium_ of Salt Peter, and
being dried, repeat the moistening and drying so long, untill the
ferment shall have converted all the common Salt and turned it into
inflamable Salt Peter, the which doth either sooner or later happen,
according as the operation hath been the more diligently or negligently
handled. All being turned into Salt Peter, let an extraction be made
with common Water, as the usual custom is, and lay the Reliques in
the aforesaid place, and again moisten them with the said _Lixivium_
as afore, or in defect thereof sprinkle them with common Water, still
moistening them after each drying, untill there be a new encrease of
Salt Peter begotten, the which you are to wash off with common Water.
And so this operation proceeds, or holds on even to infinity.
XXIV. _Another far more compendious way of converting common Salt,
by the help of fixt Salt Peter into excellent Salt Peter._
Mix some certain weight of common Salt dissolved _per se_ in common
Water, and as much of fixt Salt Peter likewise dissolved in common
Water, mix them in a wooden Vessel; in which Vessel the fixt Salt Peter
being as it were a ferment will seize upon the common Salt, and turn it
by fermentation into excellent Salt Peter.
He that desires a more mature Salt Peter may instead of the solution
of common Salt, pour upon the fixt Salt Peter _Lixivium_, those
sharp waters of Salt Peter, which have already been used about
other labours, and they will seize upon that _Lixivium_ with a more
vehement operation, so that of both the solutions as well the acid and
spiritual, as the fixt and corporeal Peter, there will be gotten in a
few hours space, the most excellent Salt Peter and such as cannot be by
any other way whatsoever purchased.
_N. B._ If any one has a mind of getting a greater quantity of Salt
Peter, he may first dissolve his common Salt in the sharp Water of Salt
Peter, and [mix it] in that self same _Lixivium_, [_viz._ of Peter,]
and after the mixing of these two contrary solutions evaporate the
common Water, that the Salt Peter may shoot into Crystals, of which
there will indeed be a greater quantity, but then it will not be so
good as that which was made by the first operation.
XXV. _Another gainfull way of making good and burning Salt Peter
out of common Salt, by the help of fixt Salt Peter._
Commix equal parts of the _Scoria_’s of fixt Salt Peter that you have
used, and of the common Kitchin Salt together, and add thereunto twice
as much _Calx-vive_ first reduced into Powder by lying in the Air, [as
they both weigh.] Of this mixture make up round Balls, and so pile or
stow them with Wood, that it may be a _Stratum Superstratum_, [or a Bed
of each orderly,] as the Chymists call it. Kindle your pile of Wood and
let all your Balls be red hot for an hour: And the fixt Salt Peter will
by a wonderfull inversion transmute the nature of the common Salt, and
turn it into Salt Peter, but yet not inflamable till the Salts have
been moistned some due time, and so attracted a life out of the Air,
and made fit to conceive a flame, or to burn.
_N. B._ If instead of Rain water you use such Waters as you have
already used and extracted your Minerals withall, to moisten your mass
with, then will you thence get in some few Weeks space, an inflamable
Salt Peter.
But forasmuch as in the extraction of Minerals and separation of
Metals, there will be such a great quantity of sharp nitrous Waters,
and likewise of fixt Salt Peter offer themselves for the accomplishment
of this operation, and so great a benefit and gain is gotten by that
so plentifull an augmentation of your Salt Peter (which hath already
Sufficiently profitably paid your costs) out of vile and common Salt;
hence clearly follows, that all those hitherto described labours and
operations are effected, in a manner without any costs or expences,
which is indeed an unheard of thing, but yet most true, and exceeds the
belief of ignorant Men.
XXVI. _The reduction of Silver extracted out of the Minerals, and
freed from the =Aq. Fortis= by abstraction, [or drawing off the
said =Aq. Fortis=.]_
The Silver from which _Aq. Fortis_ has been drawn by Distillation,
needs not any matter to help on fusibility, for as much as it doth
of its own nature admit of a very easie Flux; but that the Fugitive
Spirits that adhere unto it would carry away somewhat of the same.
So now, to prevent this discommodity, you may add unto such a Silver
a little of the fixt Salt separated out of the _Lixivium_ [of fixt
Peter,] the which Salt Alkaly will mortifie the acid spirits so, that
they shall not be able to carry off any thing at all in the melting.