_Of the Nature and Property of that Fire, which lies hid in Tartar,
or the Stony Fæces of Wine._
Tartar is a Salt, which in Fermentation separating it self from the
Wine, adheres partly to the sides of Wine Cask, and partly resides
with the Dregs in the Bottom. This Salt or Tartar, although it is
numbred among Salts, yet it is of another disposition than all other
Salts; because they may be dissolved in cold Water, but this Tartar
cannot be dissolved, except in boiling Water onely. No Man hitherto
was willing to open the Cause of this hard Tye. But I, seeing Death
daily approaching nearer and nearer, was not willing to carry it with
me to my long Home, therefore I chose rather to leave it behind me
for Mankinds sake. And thus it is with Tartar. Tartar contains in it
self a peculiar Sulphur by which the Salt is so bound or fixed, as it
cannot like other Salt be dissolved in cold Water. For if the Sulphur
be separated from it, it is easily dissolved in cold Water, like other
Salts. Yet so soon as such Sulphur is taken from it, the secret Fire
which lay hid in it, is also taken away: and thenceforth it can no
more serve instead of a secret Fire, by which Metals are ripened into
Tinctures; but is rendred onely fit to perform its Office in medicine.
Touching which, for brevity sake we shall here make no mention.
The method of depriving Tartar of its tinging Sulphur, that it may be
dissolved in cold, is thus: By burning two Pound of Tartar, reduce
it into a white Salt, upon which, if you pour Water to dissolve it,
it will become a _Lixivium_. Which _Lixivium_ pour upon one Pound of
Tartar, and boil them together in an Earthen glazed Pot: Then the
_Lixivium_ dissolves the Tartar, and separates the binding or fixing
Sulphur from the Salt. Then pour on one part of common Tartar, boil
them together yet once, filter the boiled Liquour through Paper; then
in the bottom will remain the Sulphureous Fæces, and the Water of
Tartar pass through yellowish; upon which Water pour distilled Vinegar
to mortifie the _Lixivium_. This being done, the Vinegar will also be
coagulated with both Salts, and be changed into one Salt; which Salt in
Medicine and Alchymy is of great use and benefit; touching which if I
should here write more I should be too tedious: but (GOD willing) the
manifold use of it shall be shewed in my Third Century. For here my
purpose is not more at large to speak of the matter. [_vide Helm._ Fol.
183. and _Basilius_ p. 240.]
That feculent Slime, which adheres to the sides of the Filter you
should not cast away, but endeavour to fix. For then you will find
some admirable thing, and more than here I dare discover. Because
that is the genuine Coagulator of running Waters, which it hardens,
and is joined in a singular familiarity with metals, and especially
with _Sol_; as I with admiration have experienced. For in a few hours
it tinged _Sol_ with whiteness, and turned it into brittle Glass;
whereas otherwise _Sol_ is an Enemy to every volatile Sulphur. I do not
believe there is any other thing in Nature second to this wonderfull
Sulphur; which is endewed with a potency coagulating and hardning
running Subjects. For nothing, except Sulphur onely, can be found,
which coagulates and tingeth. _Mercury_ and Salt tinge not: but Sulphur
doth that. Consider I pray, how great power common Sulphur hath over
_Mercury_, since four Ounces of it can coagulate a Pound of running
_Mercury_ into hard and red Cinnabar. Also four Ounces of common
Sulphur can coagulate two or three Pounds of Oil into a Liver-like
Mass: and one Pound of Oil reduce ten Pounds of _Lixivium_ into hard
Soap. Likewise one or two half Ounces of the volatile Vapour of Sulphur
in subterranean Veins, can coagulate serene Water into hard Rocks and
Stones, as also all sorts of minerals and metals. So, that little
Sulphur which is found in Tartar, can render much sower Wine or Water
hard as a Liver; as is known to those that labour in Wine and Vinegar.
I once purposed and endeavoured to extract from Gold its Tincture by
the benefit of Salts, among which Salts Tartar also was; whence my Gold
came out white and altogether brittle as Glass. But I, being willing
to prove whether my Gold was constantly white or no, cupellated that
with _Saturn_; and then I found my Gold not to remain white, but to
have received its pristine yellow Colour. That whiteness proceeded
from nothing else, than the tinging Sulphur of Tartar, and because the
Colour was not fixed, therefore in cupellating it vanished away:
_Note_: Hence, when I had broken small a little of this tinged white
and brittle _Sol_, and cast it upon a little vulgar _Mercury_ made hot
in a Crucible, it presently had ingress, and coagulated the _Mercury_
into an heavy white Body, which when I exposed to a cineritious
_Examen_, all the _Mercury_ vanished, and the _Sol_ onely remained in
its Colour. The Reason hereof was because the aforesaid Sulphur of
Tartar was not fixed. Yet thence I observed, that it might be fixed
with _Sol_ into a constant Redness. If any one hath convenient time
and place, he may more profoundly search into this Work, because in it
lies a great _Arcanum_. But how otherwise from Gold its Tincture is to
be extracted, shall afterward be taught. Enough of that at this time.
But there remains this one thing to be spoken, _viz._ that whosoever
knows how to conjoin the Sulphur of Tartar with the Sulphur of Metals,
send to fix it with them, may certainly obtain the Tincture: As
_Ripley_ clearly intimated, when he said, He saw a red Toad so long and
so often drinking of the Juice of Grapes, as until his Bowels burst. If
you do more seriously think of this (and GOD judge you worthy of his
Grace) you will experience wonderous things; if not, then conclude thou
wast not worthy of those Secrets. So much may suffice for this time to
be spoken touching the admirable Sulphur of Tartar. More elsewhere of
it, if GOD will.