_How by help of the Vegetable Fire, Mineral Fires may be
extinguished, and the corrosive fiery disposition of them
converted into sweetness._
It is very well known, that the greater common Fire doth always (as
often as one is set near the other) either extinguish the lesser, or
cause it to languish, the same also happens to Philosophick Fires. As
for example, Put into a Stone dish or Pan, Spirit of Salt, Vitriol,
Niter, or Sulphur, or some other acid Spirit, and three, four, or six
parts of the best Spirit of Wine which kindle, and the Spirit of Wine
will burn away, but the acid Spirit through the subtilty of the flame
becomes sweet. Which sweet Spirits, especially that of Sulphur and
Salt, manifest great Vertues in Medicine. _Basil Valentine_ speaks of
the dulcified Spirit of Salt, that it extracts from Gold its Tincture;
and that he, who knows how to dulcifie it, will be honoured by
Philosophers. He in like manner teacheth, that Spirit of Wine is seven
times to be abstracted thence: Yet undoubtedly he intended not the
vulgar Abstraction, but this secret Abstraction rather, of which we now
speak. Because such Spirits are not dulcified at one time, but Spirit
of Wine is often to be abstracted thence by the help of Fire, before
they will be sufficiently dulcified.