_B._ Have you not read in the Philosophers, that the pure is to be
separated from the impure, and the purer part is to be ripened?
Separate, say they, the pure from the impure, and bring it to Maturity.
And they call Separation, the washing away of the Blackness, which
being washt off, the Whiteness presents it self to view? The Fire (say
they) and _Azoth_ wash _Laton_; _Laton_ signifies our black Mineral:
_Azoth_ signifies their strong _Acetum_, which wetteth not the hands.
This _Acetum_, as well as our _Salarmoniack_ [afore mentioned] hath
its Rise from common Salt. Both of them, as to the external shape, and
taste too, and Efficacy and Virtue are in a manner just alike. With
such an _Acetum_ is our black Matter dissolved into a Snowy-white,
pellucid and very clear, water, as you may here see. This water have
the Philosophers called their _Mercury_; In it, are hidden all the
Colours that are in the whole World, but yet not visibly evident afore
that this water, or this Mercury be put upon the water, [I believe he
means, upon the Fire] and be cherished by little and little, like Hens
Eggs, which cherishing drys up the water by little and little, into
Earth, and renders the Colours visible one after another, as you shall
presently see.
A. _[Good lack,] who would ever have believed, the things which I
at present See? Our Mercurial water hath been scarce three Days in
digestion, yet begins to change it self into a White Milk. And now it
is [but] the eighth day, and this said Milk goes into a =Coagulum=
or Curd, and within in the Glass about the Edges [of the Matter]
there shines a delicate Redness, but yet I believe it is not fixt or
Constant._
_B._ Pray, how can it be constant, seeing it does but represent the
_Dragons Blood_ and will presently be gone. But, proceed you but on
with this first Degree of Fire only, and that little and little, until
the whole water be turned into an ashy Colour’d earth: When this is
done, we will encrease the Fire by little and little, one Degree more,
which will leisurely turn the ashy Colour into a Black one.