_B._ In the first place then, you are to know, that, if you would make
any good thing out of the common Gold, you must perfectly cast out of
your mind that Opinion, which hath hurried not a few into no small
difficulties, imagining, that (by the help of some _Menstruum_ or
other) the _Colour_ of the Gold is to be extracted out of it, and that
Silver is to be tinged, with that same Golden Tincture thus extracted,
and that, to the remaining white Gold, its Colour may be again restored
by the other lesser Metals, as ♂ or _Antimony_, Copper, or Iron: Such
thoughts as these you must clearly remove out of your mind, as being
those which rob a many of their precious Time and Estates. There are
several ways, by which I know how to extract the Colour from Gold, but
tis needless to reckon them up here by a tedious repeating of them,
seeing they are not any ways profitable, but rather cause loss of Time
and Goods. The main thing you are to mind is this, _viz._ to meditate
[and enquire] by an accurate and uncessant studious Search, by what
means you may destroy Gold, kill it, and so compel it by Putrefaction
to produce to view its internal and invisible Colour, and (on the
contrary) to introvert (and hide) its external and visible Yellowness.
For Gold it self is no other thing save a mere Tincture, to the
acquiring of which, there needs not any other thing save the true Key,
which unlocks Gold, introverts it, and renders the invisible Colour,
visible. Besides, neither are those to be hearkned unto, who boast of
reducing Gold into its three Principles, _viz._ _Salt_, _Sulphur_, and
_Mercury_; and of freeing those three from all their impurities, and
then, of conjoyning them again, being thus Purged, and of Fixing them
into an Universal Tincture; and such like most impertinent trifling
Processes, as these. For they are mere idle Dreams, and can never be
accomplished, but come to just nothing, and clearly delude the Covetous
Thirsters after Gain, by their vain dependence thereupon. Nor are there
in Gold any of those Feces, which they prate of its being defiled with,
neither doth it admit of being severed and dissolved into those three
Principles. But put Case it were possible so to be, what profit, I
pray, could we hope should accrue to the said Gold by such a fruitless
Labour, whereas we see, that it is not in the least measure bettered
by such a Separation. It remains therefore for an undoubted Truth,
that Gold neither contains any Feces, nor admits it of a resolution
into Three Principles, but that it rather requires to be Radically
dissolved by a due Putrefaction, and to be so opened or unlockt. And
farther, the Labour of such Men is likewise vain, who Endeavour by
the help of Saline, Cementations to extract from Gold, its Soul: For
though such Cementations may sometimes succeed so well, as that the
Gold when taken out is plainly white, yet nevertheless such a white
Gold doth as yet contain in it its own peculiar Colour, the which, a
little _Saltpeter_ cast in upon it in Flux, doth easily restore unto
it: For then that whiteness vanisheth, and the Truth appears, and
shews you, that it neither lost its yellow Colour, nor its weight, but
retained them both, in the Cementation. Nay, we have been many times
deceived our selves by these kind of Operations, and have persuaded
our selves, that we had dispoiled the Gold of his Colour or Tincture by
the Salts, whereas it had but only attracted a certain _Sulphur_ out of
the Salts, by which it was made White. You may give Credit unto me, for
I speak experimentally, and do not tell you dreaming Stories. I will
instance it unto you, by an Example. Dissolve a little Gold in some
_Aqua Regis_, and pour the Solution upon powdered _Tartar_, that so
being poured upon the said _Tartar_-powder, it may be hid and covered
over: Put this _Tartar_ thus moistened with the Solution of the Gold,
in a strong Crucible, the which you must cover well with a Cover, and
lute it: Or rather, put it in a Cementary Pot or Vessel, which will be
better. The Vessel being placed in the Cementary Fire, the Gold will
extract a peculiar _Sulphur_, and become White and Brittle, after its
Separation from the _Salts_, by being melted. And now who is it, but
would believe, that the Salts had extracted the Colour of the Gold from
it, whereas it is no such matter. For a little _Saltpeter_, or else
the _Cineritium_, or _Cupel_ can drive away all this white Colour, and
restore it to its former Yellowness again; and this is, what my self
have several times done and experienced with mine own hands.
A. _Now again, here’s a new Story I never heard of afore, who would
ever have believed, but, that when they had taken their Gold (tinged
with a whiter Colour than Silver) out of the Cementary Vessel, it had
been clearly dispoiled of its Tincture? But now seeing it is not so,
there must of necessity lye hidden under such an Action as this, some
other Secret and Wonder. Verily it is no trifling Matter thus to make
Gold white, without the help of the white Metals; and it is the more
wonderful too, because it is not known, from whence that white Colour
receiveth its Rise: It could not get it from the =Aqua Regis=, nor
could it have it from the =Tartar=, and this makes me still wonder
the more. And therefore, pray, rid me of this doubt, and unriddle the
business unto me, for ’tis not without cause, that I suppose some great
Secret may lye thereunder hidden._
_B._ Attend diligently to what I say, therefore, for its impossible
for you to apprehend all things at one very dash [as I may say, and at
first.] We will first of all treat about the Gold only, and of other
Secrets afterwards in due time. But yet [by the by] I would have you
observe in this place, this one thing; that as touching that _Sulphur_,
which made the Gold white and brittle, there must needs be a notable
Friendliness betwixt them, because it was so easily extracted out of
the _Tartar_ by the Gold. And upon this Account there may be ground
to suppose, that if the Gold were left lying longer in that close
Cementation, that _Sulphur_ which rendered the Gold so white, might
haply be rendred Red, and fix in the Gold. For every _Sulphur_ is a
Tincture, when it is made fixed, and gets an Ingress, from the other
Metals. Do not undervalue this Secret, but fish out the Property of
this thing, by a more accurate Meditation, for you will draw from
thence much Good.
A. _Verily, I can methinks conjecture, that this very knack hath more
in it than it shews for; I will search thereinto more accurately;
perhaps this very way is a nearer one, than that which requires the
inversion of the Gold. I remember that I have read amongst the Sayings
of the Philosophers, this Expression; =That their Gold does not tinge,
unless it be first tinged, nor receiveth it a Red Colour, unless it be
made first White=. I perceive, that Nature is more abundantly stored
with infinite Riches, and that it cannot be so easily Searcht out to
the bottom, and the longer a Man seeks, the more he finds and meets
with; insomuch that at last, there is such plenty of good things
offering themselves to such Seekers, that it makes them puzzeld which
to choose, seeing they so commend each others Benefit and Profit.
Besides, your words are very hard to be understood, and hard to be
born. For it seems a thing exceeding all belief, that the most constant
Fire-during-Metal, Gold should be so changed, as to be no more Gold,
and very hardly, yea, not at all reducible by the help of Art into
its former Body. I do often meet with that Opinion and Decree of the
Philosophers in my frequent reading of their Books, =viz.= that Gold
must be putrefied, if any better and nobler thing is to be generated
thereout of: But whereas it seemed unto me a thing beyond the Power
of Nature, and altogether impossible, for such a constant Matter to
undergo any Putrefaction, I supposed that the Philosophers pointed
at some other thing by that Putrefaction of theirs. Mean while, I
earnestly expect from you a Demonstration of the possibility and Truth
of this thing._
_B._ Come then, on God’s Name, a little nearer me, and heed well the
things which shall be shewn unto you.
We will here take half an Ounce of common Gold, and put it into this
_Aqua Fortis_, made of _Vitriol_ and _Saltpeter_, whereto we will
add the same weight as the Gold is of, or a little more, of our
_Saltarmoniack_, without which, the _Aqua Fortis_ alone, and by it
self, is not able to dissolve the Gold.
A. _Pray, Sir, why do you say, Our =Salarmoniack=? Are there several
and different kinds of it? For my part, when I dissolve Gold, I put
into the =Aqua Fortis=, that [common] =Salarmoniack=, which is every
where to be had in the Merchants Warehouses, and is very fit to
dissolve Gold into a Yellow water._
_B._ You speak very well after your own way; And I confess, that every
_Salarmoniack_ mixt with _Aqua Fortis_ is very good to dissolve Gold;
nor is this any new way, for ’tis in very much use amongst all the
_Chymists_, who are wont on this wise to dissolve their Gold, but yet
that which is thus dissolved, still remains Gold, and doth easily admit
of being again precipitated out of the _Aqua Fortis_, and of being
reduced by Fusion into the former Body, it had afore its Solution.
But if so be, that the Solution shall be made by the help of our _Sal
Armoniack_, then is the Case vastly altered, and your attempting its
Reduction again will be in vain. For if Gold be but dissolved barely
once with our _Saltarmoniack_, it admits not any more of melting, nor
doth it of it self return again into a malleable Metallick Body, but
gets a Reddish Scarlet kind of Colour in the Tryal [or Crucible] and
remains an unfusil Powder. And if you add some _Borax_ thereunto, and
set it in the Fire then to melt, it will pass into a Red Glass, which
is a sign of its being plainly destroyed, and of its being transmuted
into another Body. And therefore I dare aver, that there is seated in
our _Salt Armoniack_ a power of inverting, and transmuting Gold, and
of making it fit for the Philosophical putrefaction, which thing is
impossible to be done by any other Salts whatever they be, and what
Name soeever called by.
A. _Certainly, this is a Divine miraculous thing, to subject Gold, so
mightily constant in the Fire, unto Putrefaction, and to reduce it by
Putrefaction, into a nothing: For I have read too and again, amongst
the Philosophers Writings, that it is an easier thing to make Gold by
Art, than to destroy Gold made by Nature. And therefore this Salt must
needs be a very wonderful one, which is able to effect these and other,
the like almost incredible things._
_B._ Well may you term it a wonderful Salt, for so it is, the like of
which, no Man will find in the whole World; though to such as know it,
it is so vile and mean a thing; insomuch that scarce any one would
think it likely, that such things could be done thereby, as are wont to
be, should it be but named by its own proper Title. Does not, I pray,
that Philosopher, _Cosmopolita_ [or _Sandivow_] confess, that he hath
oftentimes declared the Art, and Secret of the whole Philosophick work,
word for word, sometimes to one, sometimes to another, and yet they
would not at all believe him, by reason of the meanness, or vileness
of the Work? And does not he make frequent mention of his own, and
not the common _Sal Armoniack_? But that you may yet give more belief
and credit to our Salt, I would have you read the _Turba_ of the
Philosophers, wherein you will find all those things which they have
published concerning their Salt: And amongst others, hearken to those
few words, which the Rosary mentions: _Our Salt dissolves Gold into a
red Colour, and Silver into a white Colour, and transmutes them out
of their Corporeity into a Spirituality, and with our Salt, are their
Bodies calcined. =And for this reason=, Lumen Luminum, =also says=,
That if the Omnipotent God had not created this Salt, the Elixir could
not have been perfected, and the Study of Chymistry would have been
in vain. Avicen =saith=, If thou hast a desire of getting Riches,
prepare Salts, that they may be changed into a clear Water, for by
the Fire are Salts changed into Spirits: Salts are the Roots of thy
work. Hermes =saith=: All Salts are Enemies to our Work, and to our
Art, save the Salt of our =Lune=: Arnoldus =saith=, Every Salt that
is well and rightly prepared, is of the Nature of =Salt Armoniack=,
and the whole Mystery of our Art consists in the Preparation of common
Salt: He therefore that knows Salt, and its Solution, to him is the
Mystery of the ancient wise Men known. And therefore bend the utmost
Meditations of thy Wit upon the Nature of that Salt only, in which the
Wisdom of the ancient wise Men, and every Mystery, is found hidden and
concealed._ The Writings of the Philosophers are full of those and such
like Sayings, and they do every where mightily insist upon Salt. And
now, what think you of these Testimonies; what! do the things I have
spoken, yet find any belief in your Breast?
A. _Yes Verily, and now I am on your side; but yet I do as yet desire,
and heartily wish for this one thing, that you would for once let me
see your Labour, whereby I may convince other incredulous Persons, and
make them believe too._
_B._ Well, I am content; and come let us go to work, and let us put
the Gold in its requisite _Menstruum_, and place it in warm Sand,
thereby to hasten forward the Solution of the same; though there is
strength sufficient in our _Menstruum_, to dissolve the Gold in the
Cold without Fire. We shall in a short time see it of a yellow Colour:
And behold that very Colour, and the Gold it self is so changed, as
it is never more reducible into its former golden Body. Thus have you
now the entrance and beginning, which as yet is vastly distant from
the wisht for end: And when you now see the beginning, know, that is
the first day of our Philosophick Labour. Next, let us proceed to the
Putrefaction of the dissolved Gold, without which, no Colours present
themselves to our view. Behold in this very moment, _Sol_ begins to wax
black, and in a little while after it will conceive such a thorough
blackness, that it will be like to Ink, and may serve to write withal
on Paper. This blackness, the Philosophers call the Head of the Crow,
by that Name pointing out unto us their Putrefaction; by which, the
second day bf our Philosophical Labour is finished.
Our Ground [or Earth] therefore, being sufficiently enough moistned,
we must beseech God to bestow upon us the hot shine of the Sun; for
without the Suns heat which stirs up the Life in all things, there
cannot possibly be any increase and growth. Lend me therefore your best
attention. Assoon as the putrefied Body of our _Sol_ shall feel the
warming heat of the Sun, its blackness, which was the true Sign of its
Putrefaction, will vanish away by little and little, and give place to
the access and approach of many most delicate Colours, the which, the
Philosophers have named the Peacocks Tail, and this finisheth the third
day of our Philosophical Labour. And now, when the Fruit-producing Sun
shall have thus illustrated our Field, or Ground with its warmer Rays,
but for one day as yet, we may easily see, what is farther likely to
come to pass hereafter.
A. _Huy da! what a wonderful thing is this, that I see here? in how
short a time, and how speedily hath the Peacocks Tail charged it self
into a thick Blood? Who could ever believe it, unless he had seen and
beheld it with his own Eyes?_
_B._ I confess it is such a thing as may well cause in any one most
exceeding admiration, seeing that there proceed from Art and Nature,
Operations of such great moments: God hath made all things very well,
and should he not permit such an admirable changing of Colour, to
appear in the Operation, verily the Philosopher would be in doubt,
whether or no he might hope for an happy Success of all his Labour: And
now upon the occasion of this Blood-like Colour, is arisen the Name of
Dragons Blood amongst the Philosophers, who say, that when this Colour
appears in view, the fourth day of the Philosophical work or Labour is
finished.
A. _Good God! how great, and how wonderful are thy wonderous Works, who
can find them out by his own Search and Industry? There do daily happen
greater and greater encreasings of our Faith, seeing that I behold with
mine own Eyes, such things as heretofore exceeded all my belief. And
I entreat you to tell me this one thing, whether or no, there lies in
this Blood, as ’tis now prepared, a most excellent Power of healing
Diseases or no, and if it may safely be made use of, for the healing of
Sicknesses without any farther Preparation?_
_B._ Yes verily, there does lye therein hidden, an incredible healing
Faculty, and this, its very Signature doth openly witness. For God
doth not sign or mark all the Herbs, all Animals, all Stones in vain,
by the external Signature of all which, it is an easie matter to know,
what use they are of for Mankind. Forasmuch therefore, as our Gold is
turned into a thick Blood, it is a most certain Testimony, that it is
Serviceable for the curing and amending of Man’s Blood. For, if the
most ancient Physicians have made use of Gold, reduced either by filing
into a most subtile Powder, or by beating into most thin Leaves, in
the Cure of the most desperate Diseases, yea, and of the Leprosie it
self too, and this not without Fruit, and Success; how much greater
commerce then will this Gold of ours thus changed into a Red Blood,
have with the Blood of Mankind. Would it not [think you] abound with
a greater Power of freeing it from all false and superfluous Aqueity,
and other evil Humours and Impurities, and of reducing it into its
former State of Good health? For the occult Virtues of the Gold are
no more shut up now, like as when the Corporal filed, or leafe
Gold held them lock’d up, that they are unloosed, and released from
their Fetters, and so perform their work by most free and unclogg’d
Operations. And seeing that Gold is, by Ancient and Modern Physicians,
attributed to the Heart, and to the whole Blood of Man’s Body, and
seeing that experience it self hath demonstrated, that it takes away
the preter-natural affects of the Heart, and heals the corrupted Blood;
why should not this our Blood of Gold effect the same with greater
Efficacy, and a more happy Success. With this very Blood, have I
already performed wonderful things in the most grievous Diseases in the
Bodies of Men, after they have been first purged with some _Panacea_.
I have therewithal healed the Leaprous in a short space of time, and
such as have to no purpose made use of the assistence of the most
eminent Physicians for ten or twelve years continually, to their great
Costs and Charges, and this I can evidence by most clear Testimonies,
which I keep by me. Nay farther, even at this very day in very many
places, into which I have sent of this Blood, the detestable Leprosie,
the _French Pox_, and other most grievous Diseases of the Heart and
Blood (to the Cure whereof, Gold is in an especial manner ordained
by God) are taken away by an admirable way of healing: For seeing,
that (as we said afore) it strengthens the Heart, and mundifies the
defilement of corrupt and polluted Blood, and purgeth them away, it
must of necessity likewise expel, as well the open or visible, as the
occult and hidden Diseases of the Body of Man. For if Nature be but
corroborated, it doth easily subdue and expel Diseases, by the help of
other very small Medicaments; the which thing I have by my manifold
experiences found to be most true, when I have adjoyned this Aureous
Blood to other sutable Medicaments. For it cannot be exprest, what, and
how much I have done, both in young and old, with this very Blood so
exhibited, in the _Stone_, _Gout_, _Dropsie_, _Leprosie_, _Epilepsie_,
and other Chronical Diseases, which have taken deep Rooting in the
Body. Therefore if God shall please to lengthen out my days, I will
very suddenly publish the use thereof, that so it may be brought into
common Use in all Diseases. For this Golden Blood may [probably] be the
potable Gold of the Ancients, which never more suffers it self to be
reduced into its former malleable Body. I have sundry ways attempted
to reduce it, but never could effect the same. But yet this one Case I
except, _viz._ a little of this dry Blood, being put upon molten Gold,
hath ingress into the same, and the residue swims at the top thereof
like an Earth: but yet that little which adjoyned it self to the Gold,
is of so great a Power as to make all that whole Body of Gold which it
entred into, brittle, yea so brittle, as that it suffers it self to be
beaten in a Morter into most fine Powder.
A. _I Marry, Sir! these are Miracles indeed, which I see and hear; who
will make any farther doubt, but that the Universal Tincture which
heals the Sicknesses, or Distempers both of Men and Metals, may he
prepared, out of this Golden Blood? For all the Philosophers do with
one Consent confess, that their Tincture, when quite perfected and cast
in upon molten Gold, doth render the same brittle. And now seeing this
Golden Blood of ours, being as yet immature, and not prepared, doth
effect the same, would it not, I pray, perform the same much better, if
it had but Ingress given unto it, by inceration, whereby it might slow
the easier, and enter the more readily. I do not now at all doubt, but
that this aureous Blood both can and in time will become an universal
Tincture full if Medicinal Virtues._
_B._ Although I am not minded publickly to disclose an _Arcanum_
of such great moment, and so great a Mystery, and to throw such a
precious Pearl afore Swine; yet I am of the mind to prepare some
quantity thereof, and to part with so much unto the Sick that need
it, and that shall desire the same from me, as is requisite for their
Use. And not only to the Sick, but to others too, that are willing
to apply it to other Uses and Experiments; but especially unto those
who would fain try, whether or no, even this very Blood will turn it
self (according to my Description) into a white Milk, and then into
a Red Stone, and, by a new Reiteration of the work, pass through all
Colours. This desireousness, or inquiry after the Truth cannot at all
prove any ways disadvantageous to me, or mine. For the Art it self will
always remain an _Art_, unless it chance to happen, that some one or
other Searcher, which is of a more subtile Ingenuity, should, by his
diligent and serious inquiry, search out the very Foundation of the
Art it self. Which if it should so come to pass, he must then think,
that God hath vouchsafed this Gift unto him, and that he now considers,
and well knows, what esteem he ought to set upon it, and by what means
he ought to hide it. However, this is most certain, and indubitably
true, that this Doctrine, and instruction of mine own prescribed in
my Writings, will be a spurring encouragement to abundance of Men
(that have hitherto exceedingly doubted of the Truth of this so great
a Mystery, and shall now come to know it, laid open by me with such
evident Demonstrations,) and cause them to search with a greater and
more serious study, and to cast off all other unprofitable Coctions
whatsoever. For to what purpose is it to use many things, about that
which may be done by fewer and more easie. All things have their
time, and so has this _Arcanum_ too its own proper time. But we shall
speak more of these things in the following Description of the second
universal Medicine. All these things which thou hast hitherto seen,
are indeed very good; but we are as yet far off from the end. Have
you not likewise read in the Philosophers Writings, that the white
Swan doth also shew it self in the Work? Now, if by but as yet _One_
days shining, the Sun shall have illuminated by its brightness the
Dragons Blood, you shall see it turned into a white Milk, which Milk
the Philosophers have written off, and which at length goes into a
_Coagulum_, or Cheeslike Curdling. Look therefore now upon that Milk,
which you see to admit of Coagulation and Condensation, by little and
little: And thus with this golden Cheese do we finish the Philosophical
Labour of the _Fifth_ day.
A. _God be thanked, that this days Labour hath also succeeded, as we
could wish. But forasmuch as those things which you mentioned, but
now come in my mind, =viz.= that we are far off from the end of the
work as yet, and yet too morrow is the Sixth and last day of this
our Philosophical week; and farther, seeing you said presently after
the beginning of this our Conference, that the whole Work, would be
finished in six Days space, and that on the seventh Day we may cease
from all our Work and Labours, and sanctifie it, or keep it holy, and
give God due thanks for all these his Benefits bestowed on us: Seeing
=(I say)= that all these things come now in my mind, ’tis no wonder, if
they likewise create in me a great deal of Care and Puzzling, to think,
how this can be, that all these things that remain yet behind may be
perfected, and brought to a full end in one day._
_B._ Cease your Care [my Friend!] nor do you ought else this Sixth
Day, but hourly encrease the Fire by Decrees, and stir it up more and
more, that so you may see, by what means our white _Coagulated_ Milk
will by little and little pass into a yellow Colour, and will at length
be thoroughly Red, and abide most constant in the Fire. This fixed
Redness, the Philosophers call their _Salamander_: The Poets tells us a
Tale, of a certain Worm that lives in the Fire, which cannot be burnt
or consumed thereby. Therefore, after the Philosophers have brought
their work through all the Colours, and have at length attained so far,
as that there appears no other, but a mere fixed Redness, they named
it their _Salamander_, with which (if you except only Inceration and
Multiplication) they ended their work, and so do we also finish these
our present Labours.
A. _Praise and Glory be to God, by whose Divine help, we have (by so
happy and desired a Success) promoted our work to its most desired end._
_B._ _Amen._ And thus will we now put an end to our work, that so we
may sanctifie to morrow, which is the seventh Day, to the Honour and
Glory of the Divine Bounty.
A. _Ah, my dearest Friend; let me intreat you not to involve me by
your immature departure, in greater troubles and difficulties. There
are divers scruples and doubts, and these weighty ones too, that
perplex my mind, which unless you remove afore, your going away (but
I hope you’l stay) I shall of a certain Truth be tormented all this
ensuing Night with the most bitter Pill of Disquiet and Anxiety, and
then you may well guess with what mind I am likely to celebrate the to
morrow Sabbath. For I am yet as plainly ignorant, what use to put that
=Salamander= to. As concerning those things, which you have faithfully
disclosed unto me hitherto, I trust, I shall not err in their
Operation, but as touching Inceration and Multiplication, in which,
as in two Cardinal main Points, the very [Pillar or] hinge of the
whole Operation lyes, as you said, I must needs confess my self more
Blind, as to them, than =Tiresias= was: I must needs say, that I behold
the promised Land situate afore mine Eyes, but the way that leadeth
thereunto is hedged in with such Thickets, and so many Brambles, that I
do not see which way I shall extricate my self out of them. Unless the
mercy of God, and your help come in to my assistance, I see that all my
Labours will be in vain._
_B._ ’Tis no small trouble you bring me, by your importunity, don’t you
see the approaching Evening. You Act just according to the Custom of
importunate Men, who having once gotten ones out-held Finger, do snatch
in the whole hand. At first, you only entreated me to discover unto you
the Matter and Key of the Art, and said, that you would easily find out
the rest your self. Why then do you not seek thereafter, and let me go?
A. _Good Sir, be not displeased with this my importunity, proceeding
from the too earnest desire, I have, of knowing so great a Secret: And
Christ himself saith, if ye shall knock, the Gate shall be opened unto
you._
_B._ Well, since I see, that I must expect no quiet from you, till
you do likewise learn something from me, concerning Inceration and
Multiplication, I will in a few words set afore your Eyes, things of
great moment. Look to it, that you listen very Attentively.