C. _So I do._

_B._ Did you never find in the reading of the Philosophers, that all

the imperfect Metals may in a _Particular_ way be promoted to the

perfect Maturity of Gold or Silver, by their dry Water which wetteth

not the hands: But being not content with this effect, they have

promoted the first _Ens_ of Metals (by the help of their occult, fiery,

and ripening Water) to a more than perfect Constancy, and Fixity in the

Fire, and have concentrated it to the form of Gold.

C. _I remember, that I have read of such things as these, though by

reason of my unskilfulness and ignorance, I could not understand the

least Particle of their meaning: For I am altogether ignorant of that

kind of wonderful, and yet, to every Body well known Water: And so

shall still remain until it be shewn (and pointed at) with the Fingers._

_B._ Look here, here’s a piece of admirable Water which is every where

in all places easie to be found, yea, in the poorest Country-mens

Houses, nor doth it deny any Man, the Possession and having it.

C. _Who would ever have believed, or thought, that there was any good

hidden in so vile and abject a Body?_

_B._ [I wonder] wherefore [it is] that no Body can think of this

Matter, seeing it is evident, that in our Water the first Entities of

all the Metals are abundantly hidden, as in their own proper Seed, out

of which they are generated in the Earth, and ripened unto perfection.

Those first Entities are but extracted out of this our Water, by

[peculiar] Magnets. And now, like as every Metal hath its own Magnet,

even so every one [of them] hath its proper Magnet, by which it is

concentrated into a narrow Room. I will declare unto you the Truth of

this business, by an example taken from the Metals. If you have a Water

fully impregnated with Copper, and you desire to have Copper out of

the said Water, you will easily bring this to pass, if you shall but

put in to that Water, which holds in it the Copper, a piece of clean

Iron, the which Iron, (as being the true Magnet of the Copper,) will

attract unto it self, all the invisible Copper out of the Water, and

gather it into a visible and palpable Metal. If Silver be dissolv’d in

any Water and made invisible, and you would again have it, put into the

Solution a Plate of pure [or clean] Copper, which (after a Magnetick

manner) will gather together [or draw out] all the Silver in his own

[Silvery] Body, and make it visible and palpable. Now when Gold is

dissolved in some Water, and largely dispersed, [as I may say] and you

would again have it [in the form of Gold;] then put in some ☿ or _Ar.

vive_ in that Water, and boyl it a little therewithal, (as was done

above, with the Copper and Silver) and you shall presently see all the

Gold to be attracted, and gathered together by the _Mercury_, insomuch

that there will not remain ought of the Gold in the Water, because it

follows the Attraction of its own Magnet, _Mercury_. These _Metallick_

and _Magnetick_ Operations, are a sufficiently manifest Information

unto us, and do point out unto us (as with a Finger) the way, of the

extracting, not only good Metals in a _Particular_ manner, but also

far better things than Metals, (_viz._ the Tincture, or form of Gold)

out of our stinking Water, in an _Universal_ way, by such Magnets,

as are fit and apt in Nature for this Extraction. Another similitude

we have from the Earth, and Rain water, with which the Fruits of the

Earth are moistned: Put you in such an Earth moistned with that Water,

as many Seeds as you please; each of them, will (by its _Magnetick_

Virtue) attract unto its self, its own like, for its Multiplication,

and will leave to the other Seeds, to attract each of them its like

also. If now, by this similitude, the Scope or end I aim at, may be

made manifest unto you, there is yet hopes you may be holpen: If not, I

do not see, by what means you can be succoured, forasmuch as it would

be too tedious here to use many other Circumstances. For when we are

certainly assured, that the first _Ens_, or the very Form of Gold is

plentifully hidden in our Water, we do by very good right seek after

that best part, _viz._ the form of Gold, and leave the other first

Entities of the rest of the Metals, in the Water. And now Ile shew thee

another similitude: Dissolve in one and the same Water, ☉, ♀, ♂, ♃, ☿,

that so you may have all these Metals commixt together in the same: If

now you desire to extract the best of them, _viz._ the Gold there out of,

what hurt will the other bring you, if they remain in the Water. Such

therefore as the Magnet is, which you put into that same Water, such

is the Metal too, that you shall extract. If therefore we particularly

seek ☉ and ☽ in our Water, it will be expedient, that we put unto

this spiritual ☉ and ☽ their proper Magnet, unto which Magnets, they

(being precipitated) do stick on, and are by little and little fixed

[on thereunto.] And now if we seek after something better than ☉ and

☽, _viz._ the form and Tincture of Gold, it will be necessity, that

we also apply such a [suitable] Magnet, which may draw out nothing

else but the Tincture or Form of Gold, which being precipitated

[thereout of] may be fixed. And thus have I here told you all those

things that are necessary to be known. If you are minded to extract

in a _Particular_ way, _Sol_ and _Lune_ out of the Universal Mineral

water, you must then put unto them their Magnet, _viz._ an _Amalgama_

of Copper, and _Argent vive_: For the Copper draws to it self the

spiritual Silver, and the ☿ the spiritual Gold, out of the said Water,

and brings it unto a Fixation [or Corporeity] with it self, [or, as it

self is.] But if you are minded, or desirous, of getting some better

thing, than the Gold it self, or Silver, is, _viz._ a Tincture, you

must then needs adjoyn thereto its own peculiar Magnet, for, without

it, you cannot effect any thing at all: But that you may know, what the

true Magnet of the Tincture is, I say unto you, _That is the Compeere,

or Companion of our Water, and not of the Metals_: For like seeks its

like, as the Philosophers say, Nature rejoyceth with Nature, Nature

overcomes Nature, Nature retains Nature: More than these things I

have told you, it is not needful for you to know: Consider therefore

very accurately what I have said, and beg of God by your Prayers a

blessing, which if you do, you shall not err, but yet you will not

be all of a sudden Master of what you desire. All these things have

their determinate times, like as a Grain of Wheat Sown in the Earth,

the which requires a time to ripen in, nor doth it wax ripe afore the

time appointed for Maturation be come about. Follow you the Advice left

by _Geber_, and do not hasten on your Work, by any the least hasty

speed: For he tells us expresly, that all hastning in our Work is of

the Devil. And as concerning what is to be known, and what a one the

Student of so noble an Art ought to be, you will find described in the

Fifth Part of my _Spagyrical Pharmacopœa_. And what think you now? Can

you thoroughly understand me?

C. _Yes, Verily, I do well enough understand those things which I

have hitherto heard from you, But yet this Womens work, which you

began a Declaration of, is not sufficiently clear unto me, nor is

that Boys-play, which is done with small Bowls or Knickers, I do not

thoroughly understand that neither, =viz.= how it may be compared

with the work of the Philosophers. Were but these things made clear

and evident unto me, I would Ranck my self amongst the number of the

Masters of the Art._

_B._ Well then, come let us go on and see, by what means the

Philosophers are wont to make their little Bowls. [Note!] Like as the

Boys make use of Earth and Water, for the making of their Pellets or

Knickers: So likewise will we use our Earth, and our Water to the

making of our small Bowls or Pellets: Ours, I say, not the vulgar and

common Earth and Water, for they are unprofitable as to our Work. But

tis indifferent, and all one, whether we take Yellow, Red, or white

Earth, because all of them are of one and the same Nature. According

to the Colour of the Earth which we use, will the Colour of the small

Balls we make, be: We have here at hand a threefold Earth, a yellow

Earth of Gold, a white of Silver and a Red of Copper. This threefold

Earth will we moisten with our Water or _Mercury_, and so make up a

Paste or Mass of the two, which the _Chymists_ call an _Amalgama_.

This Paste will we wash with pure Water, grinding it so long ’twixt

our Fingers, till there be to appearance of any father impurity, and

that it admits of being easily washt, or broken with the Fingers.

Being thus well washt, we will put it in a Skin, or Cotton, and tye it

firmly in; out of which, we will squeez forth all the ☿ with our hands,

and separate it from the said Earth, just in such a manner as _Argent

vive_ is separated in _Amalgamations_, or _Metalick_ Masses. The

_Mercury_ being separated, we will take out our thick _Amalgama_, and

make small Bowls, or Knickers thereof, and of almost the same bigness,

that the Boys Knickers are of. These Bowls we will expose to the Air,

for about some twenty four hours, and by this time they will be grown

so hard, as to resemble Stones, in hardness. And now, being thus made

ready for boyling, we will put them into our Water to seeth: But yet

in the seething, there must be an accurate regard had to some skilful

handling the Matter, if you would have it perform its Operation without

Errour. This Art will I faithfully open unto thee, lest you err, and

so bring damage upon your self: These Pellets, or little Bowls thus

made of our Mass, are not to be thrown into the Pot filled with Water,

afore the said Water boyls: Which boyling, you must throw them in one

after another, and they will presently harden themselves, and cover

themselves over with an hard Crustiness or Skin by which they will be

prevented from sticking to one another, and from coming altogether into

one Mass. For if you first of all put your little Balls into the Pot,

and then afterwards pour cold Water upon them, and so set them on the

Fire, that they may be boyled unto their Maturity, you will spoil your

whole work. For before the Water in the Pot be hot, all the Pellets

being dissolved, would run together in one Mass, and so would not admit

the Humefying, or moistning of their inside Parts, and so you would

turn all your Pellets by your seething into a mere Pouse or Pottage,

whereas they should remain whole in all their Parts, as well internal,

as external, for fear of drawing the Water in. But that you may have

an accurate Account of all these things which I have said unto you, I

hope you will set about the Work, [or thus,] I hope you will do your

best, heedfully to regard all these things which I have said unto you

and I suppose, that you have sufficiently understood the things which I

have already spoken: But if so be, you do not yet apprehend the meaning

of these things, I will Counsel you, by what means you may learn this

Operation at home from your Wife. When you are come home, bid your Wife

to make you some little Balls, or Dumplins with Flower and Veal. And

heedfully observe, what Course she takes, about making such Balls, that

so you may by the same way learn to deal with your _Metallick_ Pellets.

First of all, you shall see, that she puts some pure Flower into a deep

Dish or Platter, and having put it in, she works it into a Paste, or

Mass with Cream, or the purest Milk. Then she admixeth some green Herbs

smally minced, and some Spice medled among, and sprinkling some Salt

thereupon, she mixeth them with the Paste made as aforesaid, to give

it the sweeter Smell, and Taste. Of this Paste, she will afterwards

make little Balls, of what bigness she pleaseth, which Balls she does

not put in the Water afore it boyls. When therefore the Water seeths,

she throws in, one Ball after another, each of which, as soon as ever

it feels the fervent heat of the boyling Water, will presently cover

it self over with a Skin, whereby they will be kept from sticking one

to another, and running into one Mass, and returning into such a Paste

as they were in, before their being made up into Pellets: Whereas, now

each of them may be kept in its own Form, and be encompassed all round

with the Water, and be advanced unto a Maturity, or readiness, by a

due seething: And now, when you have seen this Operation of your Wives

Cookery, I do not question, but that you will be well enough skilled in

this Cooking Art.

C. _My dearest Friend, I do friendly request you not to take it amiss,

in that I cannot abstain any longer from down right laughing, when I

hear that our work hath such a corresponding likeness, with the Art

of Cookery: Your so faithful Instructions have already abundantly

satisfied me: I have very often seen my Wife busied about the Cooking

of such Balls, and my self have also delightfully fed upon these kind

of Dumplins, made both of Veal, Eggs, and Spices, and also of Flower,

Milk, and green Herbs. But I fear me, that when my Wife shall see me

making these Balls or Pellets, and boyling them in a little Pot, she

will laugh at me, and say, that I learned my Skil from her._

_B._ ’Tis no Matter, you have no reason to regard either the tatling

of your Wife, or of all Men whatever: For they know not what they do,

it is enough for you, that your self know what end it is, you do any

thing for: Think you, that if other Wiselings and Know-littles should

see you working with such little Balls, they would not deride and mock

you. But don’t you at all mind their unprofitable Prating, leave the

shril-sounding Geese to their own loud Chatling, and follow you my

Doctrine, and wrap up this our Cookery Art in the darkness of Silence:

Which if you do, you need not fear of being mockt, or laught at by

either Women, or Womanish Men.

C. _I have now (praised be God) learned enough: But yet, there is one

thing I am ignorant of, and that is this, by what sign I may come

to know, when my Pellets are well enough boyled, and what Fire they

are to be boyled in. The Fire of Wood and Coals, I know is used by

the feminine Sex for to boyl withal, but whether or no, the same be

necessary and conducive to our Operation, I request you to inform me._

_B._ Have you never seen, what proof Women have to know, when their

Dumplings are well boyled? They are wont to take one out, and cut it

in twain, that they may see, whether or no the inside, as well as the

outside of the same be so well seethed, as that the Flower is not

any more tenacious or Clammy: Do you even the same, and sometimes

put a piece of one of your Pellets you take out, in the _Cineritium_

or _Cupel_, and that will shew unto you, how much increase of _Sol_

and _Lune_ hath particularly added its self to your Balls, in that

time of the boyling, and how long they are, as yet, to be boyled. Now

you know, that all these things are to be searcht into, by your own

Meditation and Tryal, because it can not possibly be, that all things

can be so very clearly set afore ones Eyes, as to need no farther

meditating thereupon, and inquisition thereinto. After this manner

may you boyl in one Pot, with one and the same Water, two, three, or

more little Bowls, of different kinds, as, some made of Flower, green

Herbs, Spices, Flesh, Eggs, Fish, and other things, and so, after the

seething of them, you make take forth one kind after another, and

_Particularly_ apply them to your Use. For these things are to be

understood concerning _Particulars_. But if you have a mind desirous

after the _Universal_ Medicine, then must you enter upon a certain way

of almost an whole entire year, which is necessarily requisite to the

finishing of its Operation. For our Magnet, whose Task it is to extract

the _Form_ of the Gold out of our Waters, doth as yet groan under

its immaturity, and therefore needs no small space of time, for the

extracting the _Tincture_ out of our fugacious and combustible Waters,

and fixing it with it self.

C. _These Words of yours, by which you mention so long a time, do not a

little affrighten me. Our Wives can boyl their Dumplins enough in one

hours space; what will such a continued boyling cost? I would be glad

to redeem it, [or, to be excused] for the price of two Golden pieces of

Money [or Duckets.]_

_B._ I should tell you, that you are of the Off-spring of unbelieving

_Thomas_, for you heap upon your self, by your needless incredulity,

such heaps and Loads of Cares. Don’t you remember, that I told you at

first, that the Charges of the whole work, from the beginning to the

very end, do not exceed two Golden pieces of Money, which they call

Duckets. And that I do not at all tell you an untruth, I will expound

it unto you by an evident Demonstration. When you shall heat your well

covered Pot, that so your Water may not vanish away in fume, with the

small fire of a Lamp, how much I pray will such a Labour cost you? Put

Case, that some Pounds of water cost you some _Asses_ or _Stivers_,

and the Magnet doth also cost you some _Stivers_, [ten _Asses_ are a

_Roman_ Peny, which is Seven pence half Peny of our Money] and now how

many Pounds of Oyl will there need to nourish that so little a Fire?

And though you should spend forty, fifty, or more Pounds of Oyl, may

not you well say, that you shall finish the whole work, for the Charge

of two Golden Duckets. Well! what say you? Are you yet Content?

C. _You do now again somewhat encourage my mind, which had almost

fainted, by telling me, that the Matters necessary for our Work are

sold at so mean a Price. But there’s one thing still that doth not a

little trouble me, and that is, that so much time is required to the

Fixation. All the other things are as well as I could wish: But, I

would fain have had that shorter work of three hours, or seven days._

_B._ O thou Dreamer, what have I to do with thee? What? doth that space

of time, wherein such excellent and most profitable Fruits are to be

hoped for by thee, seem too long? What dost thou think to get without

length of time? Good things are not wont to offer themselves without

Process of time, as the common Proverb tells us. Mean while you may

follow your Vocation, nor needs there any other Labour, than that you

look to your Lamp Morning and Evening, and see how the Fire is. And I

pray, are not the Country men constrained to wait their time, wherein

to reap, and again to receive the Fruits which they committed to the

Earth? And though they have sown their Seeds afore the approach of the

Winter, yet they cannot reap them again from the Earth, sooner than the

next following _August_, which then rewards and recompenseth all their

hard Labours. But now, the waiting so long a time does not tire them;

for they patiently expect the time of Harvest. Thus likewise are you

to do, but if you are greedily desirous of sooner making ready your

Pellets, or Balls, by the boyling, you may I Confess, have a sooner

ending of your expectation, and that on this wise, _viz._ by a stronger

Fire, which may make your Water boyl without any ceasing, but yet in

this same way of Operating there doth again happen this trouble, from

that strong and uncessant seething, _viz._ that your Water being

without any intermission resolved into Fume and Vapour, is always

lessened, and you must of necessity be always pouring in more new. Use

which of these two ways you please, for you are e’en importunate and

troublesome enough unto me. I will not, for the time to come, take on

me to instruct any more such Disciples as you are. What do you think,

that if that short work of three days, or of seven hours were known

unto me, I would presently reveal it unto you? No! But yet I am not

gotten to so high a Degree of knowledge, as to profess my self a Master

of so great an Art. I do believe though, that such things are possible

to be done, but I deny, that I my self am able to do such notable

things. And now, go home, in God’s Name, and diligently and seriously

meditate upon all these things: You have heard enough, and my time will

no longer permit me to confer with you. If perhaps, one or two Errours

should put a stop to your proceedings, you may again come unto me, and

ask me thereabouts. Mean while I commend you unto God, and pray him to

bestow his Blessing upon your self, and your Labours.

C. _Now am I contented, not know what farther I should ask: I am sorry,

that I have so much troubled you by my dull Brains, and beetle Head,

and been so importunate: Nor know I, how to requite your deserts, God

will reward you with Life eternal, I shall go home full of joy, and

bear a glad Message, and Tidings unto my Family. And I pray God to be

at all times present with us, to our Help and Succour._

_B._ Amen.

_The COROLLARY._

I have, in this Third Dialogue, made mention of a certain secret fiery

Water, which can ripen the Volatile and immature Minerals, and Metals:

And herein I have principally regarded a _Particular_ Transmutation.

But forasmuch as a _Particular_ Melioration of the Metals requires as

much time, and no fewer Expences, than the _Universal_ it self does, I

would here commend to the Sons of Art the _Universal_ work, which is to

be preferred before a _Particular_ one. Such things as we have perhaps

omitted in this Dialogue, the Description of my fourth Secret Fire will

sufficiently supply the defect; to which, I refer the friendly Reader.

He will there see and understand, that the greatest part of the whole

Work, and the very hinge of the said Operation, consists chiefly in

the true Vessel, in which our Matter is to be ripened; and without

the knowledge of which, there can never be any thing done to purpose.

Which Vessel, seeing that all the Philosophers have covered over, and

hidden with so great a Care and Diligence, and have involved it with

such obscure Clouds of darkness, I should do amiss, yea, most extreamly

amiss, should I lay it open, and bring it from out of those dark

inwrapments, into the Light. Thus much only I say, that it ought to be

such a Fornace, and the Vessel it self such a one too, as in which, all

the Chymical Operations, _viz._ Solution, Putrefaction, Distillation,

Sublimation, Cohobation, Ascension, Descension, Circulation,

Inceration, and Fixation may be perfectly shewn unto an _Hermetick_

Disciple, or Learner, in one hours time, in one little Fornace, in one

Glass, and in one Fire, all which must not cost more than the value

of one quarter part of a Doller, and is all done without any changing

of the Glasses, or putting to, of the hands of the Operator. These are

indeed such things as exceed all the belief of the whole World, but

yet they do not exceed Glauber’s faith, nor sufficeth it him only to

believe, but he can also effect the same, that so other incredulous

people may believe likewise.

* * * * *

_N. B._ On a certain time, as I was familiarly discoursing with a

learned Man, concerning such great and incredible things, he presented

me with these following Verses, aptly agreeing to this Matter in hand.

_Thy [3]Sirname =(Glauber!)= given was, as, unto =Faith=, relating

Yet by good right it should have squar’d unto thy Operating.

Faith’s Objects are invisible, but yet, such things, do you,

As would at first be scarce believ’d, produce by Art to view._

[3] John.

_A Short Exposition upon the Hellish Goddess =Proserpina=, the

Wife of =Pluto=, =viz.= what the Heathenish Philosophick Poets,

as =Ovid= and =Virgil= understood by it._

_And how, by the help of this =Proserpina=, the =Animæ=, or Souls,

of the Mortified =Metallick= Bodies are carried out of the

Chymical Hell into the Philosophick Heaven. Translated out of the

=High-Dutch=._

Reader, that we may see, if and how the inferiour Metals, by true Art,

may be transmuted into good and constant Gold and Silver: I find,

that it is first necessary to declare whence, and by what means the

Melioration of the imperfect Metals must proceed by Art, and by what

means only by Nature, without the hand of the Artist, the clean and

fixed Gold and Silver hath arrived to such a Purity, and Perfection.

It being then, that this knowledge is the only Foundation, upon which

_Alchymy_ is built, I find it necessary to discover it to those, who

are ignorant of it, and to shew a sure way, in which they may go

without hinderance, and happily arrive to the desired End.

The Reason, why Nature generates all Metals in the Mountains, and

brings some of them to Perfection, and leaves others imperfect,

several Philosophers of our Ancestors have very plainly described,

and therefore needs not here to be repeated. He that knows it not may

enquire after it, in the Writings of these Philosophers, where he may

learn their Grounds, or Reasons, only this little I think necessary

here to shew, _viz._ that all Metals and Minerals have but one

Original, or beginning, to wit, the four Elements, Fire, Air, Earth and

Water. But that one Metal in the Earth, in which is its Matrix, becomes

to be more noble than another, this is but accidental, according as one

Metal by the Central Fire is more, or less cocted, and chiefly from

thence, according as the Universal Spirit of the World, or first Matter

of Metals, lights of a Matrix in the Earth, more clean or unclean. But

passing this by, because the Books of Philosophers are filled with

them, although observed by a very small number of Men. For almost all

who read Chymical Books, read only to the end, that they may see those

Processes, which teach how to make Gold and Silver out of the inferiour

Metals, but do not at all mind the Original, and difference of Metals,

although that ought to be the first, for where the Philosophers write

of the Generation and difference of Metals, there they publish the

whole Ground of _Alchymy_: But where they write their _Receipts_, and

_Processes_, their they obscure the Art, and lead the easie Believers

into Errour. Among all the Philosophers, I have found none which hath

dealt more plainly and openly in this Matter, than _Paracelsus_ in his

_Heaven of Philosophers_, who writes, that every Metal is an hider or

concealer of the other Six, or that every visible Metal contains in

it self invisibly and spiritually the other six Metals, and that to

bring forth and make visible, the invisible, and more noble Metal, and

on the contrary, to transplant the visible and ignobler Metal in the

same place, where the more noble and invisible was, is very possible,

which is indeed the very Truth. For I my self have perform’d this

Transplantation, not only once, but some hundred times. If any hath a

mind to perform any notable thing in _Alchymy_, he can find no Book,

which will teach him more than the Book above cited. But yet I will

not despise the Books of other good Writers. And if this were not

true, that every visible Metal hides in it self the others, invisibly,

how could it be possible to transmute any inferiour Metal, either

universally or particularly, into good and constant Gold? But that it

is possible, daily ocular inspection proves to be true, in several

places of the World. Now if this be so, as no man needs to doubt it,

it will not be difficult to teach any understanding Man, if he will

but learn a little how to handle the Fire, how to bring forth fixed

and corporeal Gold, out of those gross and visible Metals, in which

lyes hidden a great deal of pure and spiritual Gold. But yet you must

know, that one clean Metal hath more invisible and spiritual Gold

in it, than another. _Jupiter_ hath in it much spiritual Gold, but

_Venus_ more, and _Mars_ the most: Yet _Antimony_ doth not give place

to _Mars_, for the quantity of spiritual Gold. Now whosoever is minded

to undertake this sort of Labour with Profit, let him take care what

Metal he handles, and how he handles it, that instead of Profit, he

may not reap discouragement and damage, but may have reason to thank

God, Nature and Art; in which, this following Process will sufficiently

help him, in which, the true and most certain way is openly shewn. Yet

with this Proviso, that he so lives, that God may be pleased with his

Conversation, and not have it in Abomination. For Gods blessing is all

in all. There must be together earnest Prayers, diligent Consideration,

and unwearied Labour, or else one may easily fail, although the Art be

plainly and clearly set before his Eyes, without any reserve, which

a good Christian ought certainly to believe. Yet I have often heard

the contrary, from impious Men, such are the adherents and Consorts

of _Farnner_, as if God had nothing to do with such Arts, and that

Art alone was Master in these Cases, which certainly is very impious,

seeing that such Blasphemies, take away from God his Omnipotency, his

Goodness and Mercy, and give them only to Nature, seeing that God hath

not his beginning from Nature, but Nature from God. Have not the wise

Heathens believed, that God could give his blessing to Mens endeavours,

and take it away again at his Pleasure? What saith _Virgil_, that

famous Philosopher? when he teacheth hew to pluck the Golden branch

from the _Opake_ Tree:

_Tene manu, facileque sequetur, & uno avulso,

Non deficit alter, si te fata vocant, aliter nullis viribus

Nec duro ferro avellere potes._

_One Branch being pluck’d and born away,

Another follows; unless the Fates say nay nay:

Without whose Smile, no force of hardest Steel

To crop the smallest Twig, can ought prevail._

It is said, _Ora & Labora_, Pray and Labour, according to which, let

every Man live. Now you shall hear how the imperfect Metals, in a

particular way, may be transmuted with great Profit, into perfect,

and that very plainly without any reserve, for I have obtain’d it at

length by much Consideration. And because my great Age, and several

long Sicknesses keep me continually in Bed, and both Feet are as in

the Grave, where I stand certainly expecting nothing else, but a happy

departure out of this transitory Life, into a better, which passeth

not away. So that I would by no means intermit to sing with the _Swan_

before my end, a pleasant Song; which may rejoyce all the Lovers of

_Alchymy_, if they will make themselves sharers of this Melody. For

those who read what I here write, and yet give no Credit to it, nor

put their hand to the Work, and finish it with diligence, they will

reap no Profit by this my instruction. But those who understand my

Writing, and work plainly after the Letter, provided they have but a

little understanding in the Fire, will reap great Profit; yea, even

great Riches by it. For I am plain without any reserve, so that if any

should fail, the fault will not be mine, but must be imputed to the

Workmans want of Skil; for I never in my Life sought to gain any thing

by my Writing, neither will I now do it, but it sufficeth me if I do

good to my Neighbour, out of Love, with that Talent which God hath

given me. Whosoever is on _Glauber_’s side, and will participate of my

good intention, he may, or let it alone, ’tis all one to me, for they

are not all good Cooks that wear long Knives; the Art consisteth in

Experience, and he that is but any thing skilled in Chymical Operations

will do well enough, for all is laid plainly down before his Eyes. But

on the contrary, the Covetous, Proud, and Lazy, who seek to be rich

without labour and pains, will find every thing dark, and never attain

to any thing profitable. For God will have it so, that not every Body

shall be Rich, as _Paracelsus_ very well expresseth it in his Book of

_Sulphur_, when he saith, _Many might be helped with a few Words, if it

was not against the Will of God, for God will not have the =Goats=-tail

equal the =Cows= in length, for else out of Pride he might with it

beat out his own Eyes, and therefore it is better to be silent, that

they may remain Poor_. Thus _Paracelsus_. But I _Glauber_ say, that it

is better to lay down the Art in truth, without difference before all

Men, for God keeps still his hand over it, and to whom he Wills it, he

will give it, and to whom he will not give it, he knoweth how to cast

a Mist before his Eyes, that he may not see the good, nor have power

to apprehend it, but may wander about in darkness, with his proud and

dull Head, till at length he fall into the Pit of the impious, and

there perish without help. But that I may no longer detain the Lover of

Art with my Discourses, but come at length to the Practice, I will in

the Name of God here set down the whole Process as it is in it self,

without any Reservation, and the whole business is thus.

Now followeth the true, and often practised Process, how to transmute

Silver (as being yet not a perfectly mature Metal) by degrees, without

any loss, totally into the highest perfection, that is to say, into

good Gold abiding all Tryals. After the revealing of this Process, we

shall also hear, how all the imperfect Metals, _viz._ ♄, ♃, ♂, and ☿

may after the same manner (but yet not totally, but only so far as they

contain an incombustible _Mercury_,) be transmuted into good Gold and

Silver. And after this Revelation, we will not omit to shew also, which

way ☿ the most immature of all the Metals, may be transmuted, not only

Particularly, but also Universally, into the highest Medicine, and the

best Gold. But the later must thus be understood, that we may not cast

Pearl before Swine, but that they may remain only among honest hearts,

and not come into the hands of double-minded Men.

But now, to come to the Melioration of Silver, the ingenious must know,

that Silver is naturally fixed in the Earth, and endures the fire, and

therefore needs no Art to fix it; for it bears the Tryal of the Test,

as well as Gold, wanting only Colour and Weight, which Nature hath not

bestowed upon it, but may be procured by Art. As for the Colour, the

secret Fire of the Wise can only make it perfect, for all Colours are

absconded in the common Fire of Wood, and the Sun, as we daily see,

that the Universally ripening Sun, brings all the Fruits of the Earth,

from a Green and White, by its constant Beams, to Redness and Maturity.

And we also see, that the common Fire, of Wood and Coals, makes Earths

and Minerals which are White, become Red, as we see _Crocus Martis_,

_Minium_, and other Colours which are produced out of Black, Gray, and

White Metals and Minerals; as the highly illuminated _Paracelsus_ hath

sufficiently taught us, _viz._ that the common fire of Coals, by its

own power and innate Nature, without any addition of other things, is

perfectly able to graduate the white Metals, into Red, or yellow Gold,

as you may see in his _Book of Cements_. If the common Wood-fire of

it self doth this, what cannot the Fire of the wise effect, which was

always kept in the greatest Secrecy? Especially, if one know how to add

a graduating _Metallick_ Species, as _Mars_, _Venus_, and _Antimony_,

and the like, after a spiritual manner, to the secret Fire; which is

the way to give to white Silver, a constant Redness.

As for the weight of Silver, it may, in like manner as the Colour be

given to Silver by Art, so that it shall be equal with Gold in weight:

Which introduction of Colour and weight into ☽, the Philosophers have

called closing of its Pores. For this is certain, that if any light

Metals are melted together, that one filleth up the Pores of the other,

and both come out of the Fire more compact and heavy, than they were

before. For example: Take half an Ounce of Red Copper, and as much of

good Tin, melt these together, and pour them out into a Bullet-mould,

and you will see, that they will not be much more in Magnitude than

one of them was before; for one Bullet of ♀ and one of ♃ may almost be

put into the same Mould: From whence it appears, that one Metal hath

an ingress into the other, and mends, and augments it in its weight

and Colour; but what those Metals are which give weight and colour to

Silver, you may easily guess. Nothing can tinge, but what is naturally

Coloured, and nothing can better give weight, than what is naturally

heavy: In which, ☿ and ♄ have the Preheminency, but in introducing

Colour, _Mars_, _Venus_, and _Antimony_ excel. But which way this

introduction of colour and weight, into light and white Silver, is to

be done, the following Process will teach.

But this the Ingenious ought to know, that it is no Art at all, that if

the Iron made Red, and ☿ and ♄ made White, be mixed with ☽, yet they

will not render it durable, red and heavy: But the Corroding ♄ will

quite take away the Redness and Whiteness upon the _Cupel_: For what is

not purged from all combustible _Sulphur_, cannot Sustain the _Cupel_,

but will vanish with _Saturn_, and turn into _Scoriæ_: And seeing that

we know, that ♂ and ☿ contain abundance of superfluous combustible

_Sulphur_, and also that their incombustible _Sulphur_ is not yet fixed

enough, to refill the Corroding ♄ upon the _Cupel_, and therefore with

him must vanish and come to nothing, for all that is able to abide

the _Cupel_ must be separated from all combustible _Sulphur_. Now we

know, that ♂ and ☿ are not so, and therefore cannot abide the _Cupel_.

For ♂ if he be made Red, and cast upon Silver, he doth not remain Red

with it, but so much as enters the Silver, again becomes black Iron,

and therefore can give no Colour to the Silver; and also ☿ flies

away, and so leaves no weight to the Silver: Which _Paracelsus_ hath

sufficiently described in his _Cœlum Philosophorum_. So that if one

melt unfixed Metals with Gold and Silver, and keep them together never

so long in the Fire, yet notwithstanding the unfixed Metals, cannot be

made fixed by the Gold and Silver, but every of them would again be

found in the _Examen_, as they were before. But if one Metal should

make the other better, they ought to be spiritually conjoyned, and so

the Spirit of one Metal will improve the other. For all Philosophers

testifie, that the Metals must first be reduced to their first Matter,

that is, they must be brought into a spiritual being, before they can

be transmuted into more Noble, by Art. But which way all Metals are

to be spiritualized, and brought to their first Matter, is taught in

my Treatise of the _Three Principles of Metals_, lately published,

as also in the Seventh part of my _Pharmacopæa Spagyrica_, and its

Appendix. Now if one would Meliorate, or improve, the imperfect Metals,

the imperfect combustible _Sulphur_ must first be Separated from them,

that only the purest and incombustible part, _viz._ the incombustible

_Sulphur_ may remain; which may be done by several ways; as by

Distillation, and Rectification, and also by Adustion, and Combustion,

in which nothing perisheth, but the combustible and unprofitable part:

But the incombustible Oyl still remains, and doth not perish by the

Fire; and also by Solutions, Distillations and Rectifications, all the

unprofitable Feces of the Metals are separated, and there remains only

the clean Quintessence of the Metals, which are separated and advanced

into a concentrated Medicine. This Separation of the unprofitable and

combustible _Sulphur_, from the incombustible, as Old Philosopher hath

notably expressed in these Verses.

_Est impossibile, Sulphur sine Flamma delere,

Calcis adustibile, quod præstat fossa Mineræ._

_=Sulphur= impure, we can’t blot out,

Till Circling Flames play round about

Our Oars and Calces; for then they

This subtil Fire forthwith obey._

Here the Philosopher tells us, that every combustible _Sulphur_,

may be burnt, and reduced into nothing, but no otherwise, than by a

kindled and combustible Fire, by whose Flame nothing that is good,

but only the superfluous and noxious _Sulphur_ by which all the

inferiour Metals are destroyed, is taken away. And therefore justly

reputed imperfect, as long, and as often, until this unprofitable

_Sulphur_ is taken away from them, either Particularly, by Dissolving

and Coagulating, Distilling and Rectifying, or else by an Universal

fixed _Mercury_ by projection, by which means the hurtful combustible

_Sulphur_ is fixed, and, without Combustion, transmuted into a nobler

Metal. For this is very possible, that any combustible _Sulphur_, by

an easie way and small Charge, and in a short time, _viz._ in one day,

Particularly, may be so fixed, and made constant in the Fire, that,

without being burnt, it may be able to endure the strongest Fire, the

which is handled more at large, in my _Three Principles of Metals_.

From hence it follows, that no imperfect Metal can be transmuted,

with Profit, into a Perfect, before it be free’d from its combustible

_Sulphur_, which may be done several ways. Now, he who hath a mind to

get any good out of the imperfect Metals, must learn how to separate

their unprofitable _Sulphur_, either by one means or other, as I have

sufficiently taught. For in this, _viz._ in the Separation of the

combustible _Sulphur_, from the incombustible, consists the whole Art;

which every one ought to attend without other thoughts. Now after we

have understood out of this Theory, in what the Melioration of the

Metals consists, or how it must be effected, it is necessary to know

the exact Practice, or Process, as the Operations succeed one another:

For to this work belongs, not only Distillation and Rectification, to

separate the pure from the impure, but also the most subtil and clean

parts, after they are separated from their Feces, must be made fixed,

subtiler, and constant, _viz._, so constant, that the Corroding ♄, may

not overcome them, but against his Will, leave them constant upon the

_Cupel_. This is one of the greatest Secrets in _Alchymy_, yet taken

notice of but by few, and therefore few there are who reap any Profit.

For the greatest part of Operators are persuaded, that if they had but

Red Metallick Tinctures, that they could immediately tinge with them,

but in the end they have understood, that more than unfixed Tinctures

are required. It is an easie Matter, to make Red Tinctures out of

Stones and Metals: But these are not permanent on the _Cupel_, without

true Fixation, which the Philosophers call Perpetuation in the Fire.

Nothing in the World can tinge, so that the tinged Metal can endure

the _Cupel_, as long as the Tincture is still Metallick. For whatsoever

is made out of Metals, and by a strong Fire may again be reduced into

a Metal, cannot be called a true Tincture, for whatsoever yet contains

a combustible _Sulphur_, perisheth upon the _Cupel_ with _Saturn_, and

nothing abides, but what is totally deprived of that. For even the

_Saturn_ contains much combustible _Sulphur_, therefore he so readily

acts upon Sulphureous Metals, and draws them with himself in to the

_Cupel_, which he cannot do to Gold and Silver. But because we also

know this, that when by the help of common fixed Gold, a combustible

and fugacious _Sulphur_ is well united and fixed, that the combustible

_Sulphur_ adheres so closely to the fixed Gold, that it also remains

fixed with it, and can never be separated from it. Now, if the weight

and proportion be well adjusted, then the fixed _Sulphur_ enters

with the Gold into Lune, and Tingeth it into constant Gold. But if

the conjunction of the _Sulphur_ and Gold, be not well made, or too

much of the _Sulphur_ be put to the Gold, it takes away the Ingress

of the Gold, so that it remains with the _Saturn_, and cannot enter

the Silver. It is also to be observed, that if the _Sulphur_ of ♂, ♀

or ♁ be legitimately united with ☉, and yet be not kept long enough

together, it will produce no good; and therefore the Transmutation of

Metals is not so easie a thing, as many imagine; it is not enough to

make a Tincture; to fix it, is more; and to give an Ingress, is hardest

of all. And these three things ought to be well known, if one would

effect any good in the Transmutation of Metals.

Now that we may farther hear, which way Tinctures may be drawn out of

the Red Metals, fixed, and made constant in the Fire, and how to give

them an Ingress, I have undertaken to Reveal to the Lovers of Art.

And none needs to doubt, but what I here Write are my own Inventions,

which I have not only once or twice, but many times experimented, and

always found good, although in small quantities, provided no accident

hath hindered me. If a Glass break in the labour, or a Crucible runs

out, by which one suffers loss, that is not to be accounted a loss,

because it comes by accident and not from the Art, and therefore not

to be imputed to the Art. If an Art be never so well described, and an

Unskilful Workman intermeddle with it, the Work may be easily spoiled,

and therefore the fault cannot justly be charged upon the Art, as it

is too often done. I shall here acquit my self of this unjust charge,

if out of a good Intention I here discover the Art, as I have often

done, without concealing any Manual Operation, and hereafter shall not

care what Ill Men say or judge of it, if any one, through his want of

Skill, should lose his labour. I here Write nothing, but what I have

often done my self, and found good; for what should move me to publish

any false thing, that might seduce others to labour in vain, even when

I am ready to dye? I never sought any Profit by any of my Writings, no,

not when I was young, and might have occasion for it. And now, when

both my Feet are in a manner in the Grave, and I am certain not to live

much longer, although I am heart-whole, nor find I any dolour about me,

yet my Limbs being weak, I am forced to keep in my Bed, where I Write

this. I say, Why should I, so near my end, write any thing hurtful to

my Soul? I write this for my farewel, to do good to the World, even as

the Swan, when she is near her death, sings a pleasant Song, and such I

would that every one should take these my last Writings to be. But if

it shall please God, I hope this will not be the last; which is only

a small Work, to shew the probability and verity of the Transmutation

of Metals, and to help Skilful Chymists to great Riches. But if God

shall yet spare my Life, I shall write of higher matters, and shew such

a light to the blind World, as hath not yet been revealed by any Man.

In the mean time, I desire the Ingenious very well to consider this

particular, and to try his Fortune, every thing is easie to be done,

and needs no beating of the Brain, for all the labour is clearly laid

down, without any reserve, therefore I would have none be so arrogant,

as to impute the fault to me, if he miss his Intention, but rather to

himself, through his own unskilfulness or negligence. Yet this is also

to be considered, That sometimes a true skilful and diligent Operator

cannot imitate an easie thing, being hindered by the Almighty, who for

certain Reasons keeps his Hand over it, and will not let every Man grow

Rich.

_Now follows the Fundamental Process, how to make good Gold out

if Silver, with profit, and how to separate, after a particular

manner, good Gold and Silver, out of Iron, Copper, Tin and Lead._

℞. A pound of Steel Wier, more or less, according as you will begin

your Work in a greater or lesser quantity, dissolve it in Spirit

of Salt, filter the Dissolution, and abstract the Phlegm from the

Solution, in Sand, for in the Abstraction there will come over no

acidity, (because the _Mars_ holds it after a Magnetick manner) but

yet this is not without virtue, for it carries over with it self a

very subtle Martial Spirit, of which a little put into ones Mouth,

penetrates the Tongue, so that the taste thereof remains long after.

And this penetrating taste and smell, is nothing else but the most

subtle Narcotick _Sulphur_ of _Mars_, which is set at liberty in the

Solution, and carried over with the sweet Water, in the deflegming.

It doth wonders in Internal Obstructions; and Externally it easeth

all Pains, because it is Narcotick and Stupefactive; It serveth for

Physicians and Chyrurgeons in many cases, but because I have already

written of this, I need not here repeat it. And this you ought to note,

that you draw not off the Phlegm to dryness, but the Solution of ♂

must remain in form of an Oyl. This sweet Oyl of ♂ is the _Opake Tree

of Virgil_, from which he hath taught us to pluck its Golden Branches,

and how this is to be done, he hath also obscurely hinted, but I

here publish it plainly. _Virgil_ saith, that those Golden Branches

are the gift of _Proserpina_, but what was to be understood by this

_Proserpina_, which the Heathens have said to be the Wife of _Pluto_,

is not here expressed, but only this, that this Golden Branch was

Consecrated to the Goddess _Juno_. He that will have the foundation of

those Heathenish Gods, cannot better accomplish his Desire, than by

Reading the last Edition of the Dictionary of Eight Languages, written

by _Ambrosius Callepine_, for there he will find many curious secrets

of the Ancient Poets illustrated. Now concerning _Proserpina_, many

Philosophers and Chymists understand the Corrosive Oyl or Butter of

_Antimony_, of which I have already made mention, although obscurely,

in my Treatise _De Sale Philosophorum_, but shall here give it you

more plainly. Now, it according to a due weight, you put some of this

_Proserpina_ to the Solution of _Mars_, and unite them well together,

and then distil this mixture by a Glass Retort well Coated, there

first comes over a certain unprofitable Humidity, then a white Oyl of

_Antimony_, which is to be kept by it self, and when you see yellow

drops begin to fall, you must then change your Receiver, then give

a stronger Fire, and the _Proserpina_ brings over with it self the

Tincture of _Mars_, as red as Blood. This Blood-red Oyl of _Mars_

and _Antimony_ is the Golden Branch, plucked from the obscure Tree,

which may easily be fixed into a particular Tincture, as we shall hear

anon. Now when you have pulled one Golden Branch, you may also pluck

a second and third, for they will easily follow. As for the manner of

plucking more such Golden Branches, it is thus: You must dissolve the

remaining ♂ with Spirit of Salt, and there will remain many Feces,

but the Solution will be clearer and better than the first, although

less in quantity: Now, after (as I told you before) you have put to

it the due quantity of Butter of _Antimony_, for which purpose that

which came over in the first Distillation will well serve, and when you

have driven this over by a Retort as before, the _Proserpina_ again

brings over more of the Tincture in a Blood-red Oyl, which may as the

first, be fixed into a Tincture. After this manner you may pluck many

Branches, one after another, but it is not convenient, because the

Solution of _Mars_ is diminished by every Distillation, and at length

your Branches would be very small, therefore it is better when you have

plucked the first Branch, so go to another Tree, and thereto pluck a

Golden Branch, for the Tree is not so precious, and you may collect the

Trees from which you have pulled the Branches, and dissolve them in

Spirit of Salt, and then pluck from them more Branches. _Proserpina_

hath learned this spoiling and bearing away, of her Husband _Pluto_,

for he stole _Proserpina_ from her Parents, and carried her with him

into Hell, and made her his Wife. _N. B._ _Pluto_ carried _Proserpina_

into Hell, but _Proserpina_ doth the contrary, carrying the dead Bodies

and Souls out of Hell. For she hath her Original only from the Spirit

and Salt of the World, which Spirit and Salt of the World have power to

carry the Souls of the dead Bodies out of Hell, as you may see in the

Books of Philosophers which say.

_Sal & Spiritus Mundi, ducunt Anima Mortuorum ex Orco._

The Salt and Spirit of the World, bring the Souls of the Dead out

of Hell.

Let this suffice concerning the bringing over the Metallick Souls or

Tinctures, which is done by _Proserpina_. But there is yet other ways

to draw out the Tinctures of Metals out of Red Bodies, and they are

chiefly to be had by means of our secret _Sal Armoniack_ in a far

greater quantity, than by the help of _Proserpina_, which is somewhat

troublesome, but yet these are more easily and perfectly acquired

by our Alcahest. Now, after we have heard how to draw Tinctures out

of Metals and Minerals by the help of _Proserpina_, it is further

necessary to know how to fix those Volatile Tinctures, so that they

may not only endure the strongest Fire, to which they may easily be

brought, but that is not enough, they must be made so fixed, that the

Corroding _Saturn_ may not have power to injure them upon the _Cupel_;

if that be not done, these Tinctures can profit nothing to Metals. I

have seen very many who very well know, how to Extract Tinctures out

of _Mars_, _Venus_, _Vitriol_ and _Antimony_, but they wanted the

Fixation, the perpetuation upon the _Cupel_, and also Ingress, and

therefore they could do nothing with them. These following ancient

Verses are read by many, but understood by few, _viz._

_Fixum si solves, faciesque volare solutum

& volucrem figes, faciet te vivere tutum._

If thou dissolve that which is fixed, and render it Volatile,

And again fix the Volatile, thou shalt not want.

We have proceeded according to this Verse, in making the fixed Iron

Volatile, although we have not yet again rendered the Volatile fixed

and constant upon the _Cupel_. The Fixation requires but little Art,

so that it may abide the Fire, but to make it abide the _Cupel_ is a

great Art, and cannot be done by idle talking, but by a fundamental

knowledge, without which all is in vain.

Now concerning the Fixation of those Volatile Tinctures, so as to

abide the _Cupel_, I have (thanks to God) often experimented, and

have already communicated to some who are Curious, out of kindness,

whose success I do not yet know. This Fixation cannot be effected

without Common Gold, for when Gold in a liquid form according to a due

proportion, is mixed and radically conjoyned with the Tincture, and

cast into Hell to _Pluto_, and _Pluto_ finds his dear Consort deeply in

love with the _Anima_ of _Mars_, or this Beautiful _Hermaphroditical_

Youth, he burns with Jealousie, so that he bends them so close

together, as they can never afterwards be parted by _Saturn_. But

wheresoever one of these three goeth, draweth the other two with it.

And because they are also constantly together, as if it were one Spirit

and Tincture united to the fixed Body of Gold, therefore they have an

easie admittance into the Chamber of the Queen _Diana_; for _Diana_

doth by no means shut out her dearest King _Apollo_, but willingly

admits him, and therefore she is recompensed with all the Treasures

which he hath received from his true and Warlike Servant, _Mars_: And

of this, by _Neptunes_ help, she hath made her self a glorious and

constant Red Garment, which neither Water nor Fire, nor the old and

envious _Saturn_ can spoil her of. Here I have Fundamentally described

the Fixation of the Martial and Antimonial Tincture, clearly without

any reservation, yet somewhat enigmatically, according to the manner of

the Poets. He that doth but a little consider, cannot fail, but must

comprehend it, if he hath but a moderate Capacity, except God shall

prohibite him.

Now let us further see, what may be further done with our Red Oyl

of ♂, and ♁, in Physick and Alchymy. When we powr upon this Oyl our

_Alcahest_, and again draw off the Liquor by a Retort with a gentle

heat, and at length give a stronger Fire, the most subtle and cleanest

part of the Tincture will come over, and the grossest part will remain

behind, which is an Universal Purge. The subtle part, may yet be made

purer and nobler by Rectification, and this you may afterwards dulcify

from its Salt, and dry the _Anima Martis_ and _Antimonij_, then put it

into a Glass, and with an easie Sand-Fire melt it into a Red Stone, for

this Stone melts as easily as Wax, and hath as easie Ingress into all

Metals, as Oyl hath into dry Leather. This Stone hath not its equal,

for it is better than the Fire-Stone of _Basilius_, it is better than

_Butlers_ Stone, to which _Helmont_ hath ascribed such Wonders. Of

this Stone and its incredible Virtues, which it shews in Physick, I

shall treat at large in the following Treatise. This Treatise shall

Discourse of three unknown Fires, and Stones: First of the secret Fire

of the ancient Philosophers, which is called the _Fire of Artephius_,

by Virtue of which secret fire, is generated the vegetable, Animal

and Mineral stone of Philosophers, and also particularly out of all

Vegetables, Animals, and Minerals, their Quintessence, or highest

Power, without the help of any common Fire, without Furnace, Glasses,

or any other known Chymical Instruments, is to be obtained in a few

hours, without any Labour or Cost: And also things incredible and

unheard of are by it brought to pass; of which great Secret, no

Philosopher hath hitherto made the least mention; as the before cited

Treatise will sufficiently testifie. The second Fire is like to it,

_viz._ the same with which the _Israelites_ in old time did set fire

to their Sacrifices, which their Priests, when they were to go into

the _Babylonish_ Captivity, did hide in a dry hole in the Earth; and

many years after, when they were released from their Captivity, and

returned, they found not a Fire, but instead of it a _Viscous_ water,

which they poured upon their Sacrifice, and it kindled it, as well as

if it had been done by the secret heavenly fire, of which you may read

more in the _Maccabeus_. This secret fire of the Ancient _Caldeans_ is

also comparable to the _Æthereal_ fire, of which Meteors, Thunder and

Lightning are generated, and also the Thunderbolts themselves, which

are cast down upon the Earth, to the great astonishment of Mankind.

_Hermes_ hath very well said, that what is above is also below, which

is proved by the secret Fire of the _Caldeans_. For by a light, plain

and cheap Art, one may easily produce the same Lightning fire, together

with the Thunder, here upon Earth; of which the following Book shall

treat more fully. And therefore to that I refer the Reader. I could

not but here touch a little at these three Principal Fires, by which

are generated the three chief Jewels of the World, that the Enquirer

after the Wisdom of God may know, what great Mysteries of God are to be

imparted hereafter to the ungrateful World, before I publish this Book

of Fires and Stones. Now to return to our particular, and see by what

means our Red Oyl of _Mars_ and _Antimony_ may be Coagulated, after

a nearer way, into a tinging Stone, with which Silver particularly,

with all other inferiour Metals, may be Meliorated, that out of them

may be had good Gold and Silver with profit. And also, how by it the

Tinctures of Stones, both noble and ignoble, may be drawn out of them,

and after the Tincture is drawn out, to incorporate it with Silver,

and Colour it. And also, all precious Stones exalted in their natural

Colour, and if their Colour be too high, it may be diminished, and the

Stone rendred more precious, and how this is to be done, the following

Practice will reveal. The second and easier way, how to bring our

tinging Red Oyl of _Mars_ and _Antimony_ into an hard, sweet, and not

Corrosive Stone, is this.

In the foregoing Appendix, I have said somewhat of the Coagulation of

the sharp Spirits, of Metals and Minerals, and have proved, that such

Coagulation is to be made by the help of Old, cold and dry _Saturn_,

but because I did not there declare, how it is to be effected, I think

fit to do it here, and it is thus. All Liquors or moist things, if

they are to be dryed, then the moisture must be drawn off from the

thicker part by an easie heat, and then the thicker part remains by

it self, and is used according to its Appropriation, as we know, that

_Aloes_, _Myrrh_, _Opium_, and all other Gums and Juices were thin at

the first, and were inspissated into concrete Juices, by the Sun or

Fire. It is true, such an Inspissation of vegetable Juices is easily

done in this manner; but Mineral distilled Spirits, and Corrosive Oyls,

cannot be thus dryed, for they will endure heat, but if you give too

great a heat, they will fly away and not be thickned, as you may see

in Oyl of _Vitriol_, which by it self can never be dryed, although it

be never so long kept in heat. But if you will have it dry, you must

add something to it which is more than dry, and hath also power to

exsiccate moisture. We see in the baking of Bread, when we put water

to the Flour, and mix them together to make Dough, and of that bake

Bread, that the Flour, although it be dry, yet it cannot retain with

it self the Water, in a hot Oven, for that perfectly flies away from

the Meal by the heat, and if the Fire be encreased, all the moisture

would be gone, and only the Meal remain in form of a dry Earth, having

quite lost the form of Bread, because the Meal was not radically united

with the water, and therefore they could not endure the heat together.

If one take a dry Earth, Sand or Powder of a Stone, and put water to

it, the dry Earth will imbibe the water, and to the Eye reduce it into

Earth, but this is not constant. For if you distil this Earth by a

Retort, all the added water will again come over, and leave the Earth

alone, but this is to be understood of common water. But suppose, one

should add a heavy Mineral water as _ol. Vitrioli_ to a dry Earth,

and should commit this mixture to the Fire, in hopes, that the dry

Earth should retain with it self the Corrosive Oyl of _Vitriol_, and

also reduce it into a dry Earth, it would prove a mistake, for the Oyl

of _Vitriol_, in a sufficient heat, would wholly forsake the Earth,

because the Earth is dead, and hath no Sympathetick, or Magnetick

power, to conjoyn it self radically with the Oyl of _Vitriol_, so as

to remain together constant in the Fire; but such an Earth, which by

an innate Love draws the Oyl of _Vitriol_ to it self, and endures with

it in heat, or cold without Separation, must proceed from the same

Original with it, for every thing loves its like, and hateth what

is unlike to it. Now, because the Oyl of _Vitriol_ proceeds from a

Mineral kind, therefore it loves the Metals, but no common Earth or

Stones, for it hath no affinity with them. Now if the Oyl of _Vitriol_

be to be converted into an hard Mineral stone, it must be done by its

like, to wit, by Metals, and by such Metals as are most nearly related

to it, _viz._ the Metals that are yet imperfect, for all Metals and

Minerals proceed from the same Root, and therefore they all love one

another, yet one Metal loves Oyl of _Vitriol_ more than another, and

the immature Metals, better than the ripe ones. For although Gold

and Silver also love Oyl of _Vitriol_, yet they do it by Compulsion,

and not out of true Love, for they are very difficultly dissolv’d

by it, because they have put off their vitriolick Nature in their

Fixation: On the contrary, _Mars_ and _Venus_ have not yet so done, and

therefore they easily assume the Oyl of _Vitriol_, and are dissolved

by it, because it was driven out of their Body by the force of Fire,

therefore one might say, that _Mars_ and _Venus_ were the true Metals,

and easiest to Coagulate the Oyl of _Vitriol_ and _Antimony_, and to

fix them into a Stone, yet this is not so, for _Mars_ and _Venus_

are of a gross Nature, and have too much unprofitable Earth, which

may easily be seen by their difficult melting in the Fire. Then what

is to be done? Shall _Saturn_ or _Jupiter_ do it, both which are of

an easie Fusion? Or shall _Mercury_ do it, which is always Liquid? I

answer, that _Mercury_ cannot Coagulate, nor make fixed, because he

himself is not fixed, nor Coagulated. Neither can _Jupiter_ do it, for

although he is fluxible and dry, yet he is easily transmutable by a

small Fire, into an influxible Earth, which cannot again be reduced

into a fluxible _Metallick_ Body: What then, shall despised _Saturn_

do it, (may one ask) who is unfixed himself? and which way is it then

possible for him to fix a Body, which is more fluid than himself? To

this I answer, that the Fixity is not the only cause of the Coagulation

of the Oyl of _Vitriol_, for then this Coagulation might be easiest

performed, by Gold and Silver, which, yet is not done, and therefore

this Coagulation of Corrosive Spirits must be done by dry _Metallick_

Subjects. Now we know very well, that among all the Metals _Saturn_

is the driest, of which _Paracelsus_ writes very well in his Book

of Vexations, which I have already alledged, and confirmed in the

foregoing Appendix, [viz. _Pharmacopœa Spagyr. Pars 7._] It is also

true, that a better Coagulator, of all Corrosive Mineral Spirits cannot

be found, than old, cold, and dry _Saturn_; for by his great dryness he

Coagulateth the moist Mineral Spirits; by his great innate sweetness,

he dulcifies all Corrosives; and by his fluxible _Sulphur_, he renders

all influxible _Metallick_ Subjects, fluxible. Now we need nothing

more to our Red Oyl of _Vitriol_, _Mars_ and _Antimony_, but that it

be Coagulated into a hard, sweet and fusile Stone, which Coagulation

can only be done by _Saturn_, and by no other Metal or Mineral, which I

have sufficiently proved in the before mention’d Appendix, and also in

my Book of the _Three Principles of Metals_. Now we have sufficiently

understood, that the Coagulation and Dulcification of our Red Corrosive

Oyl of ♂] and ♁ into a fusile Red Stone, can only be done by the help

of the Old, Cold, and, of all Fools, despised _Saturn_. Concerning the

Nature and Property of _Saturn_, it would not be here amiss, to say

somewhat of it: But because _Paracelsus_ hath already sufficiently

done it, in his _Cœlum Philosophorum_, and I have already confirmed

it in the forementioned Appendix, I think it here unnecessary to add

any more. Yet I cannot forbear to say this, that _Saturn_ naturally

contains yet a good quantity of the Corrosive Oyl of _Vitriol_, which

doth not vanish in melting, nor cannot be easier perceived, than when

other Metals are added to him upon the _Cupel_, how soon he swallows

them, and draws them with himself into the _Cupel_, except Gold and

Silver, which he cannot touch, because they have no radical Communion

with him, but are cleansed by Nature from their superfluous _Sulphur_,

for this devouring Wolf _Saturn_, can consume nothing, but the

combustible _Sulphur_ of Metals, but the incombustible fixed _Sulphur_

and _Mercury_, he cannot touch, as appears in Gold and Silver. The

ancient Philosophers painted _Saturn_, as an Old Man, with one foot

on a Wooden stilt, having in one hand a Sythe or Sickle, and in his

other hand a Child, which he puts to his mouth to devour it. By this

they would intimate the devouring Nature of _Saturn_, which they have

also expressed in these Words, _Falx ejus Mordax est_, he hath a sharp

Sickle, beware of him, for he hath no mercy, which I have found to be

true, not only by the _Cupel_, that he Corrodes and eats through them,

for he Corrodes Sand and Stones, and reduceth them into a transparent

Glass; if he doth this by his own Nature, what will he not do, when his

Sythe is whetted by the Corrosive Oyl of _Vitriol_? Certainly he can do

ten times more: I have experimented it, he that will know it, may also

do the same: By him we wash and cleanse common Gold and Silver on the

_Cupel_, but that Gold and Silver, which is still hid in the imperfect

Metals, as _Mars_, _Venus_, and _Jupiter_, as also in the vile Minerals

and Stones, which is still closely tyed to the combustible _Sulphur_,

here the common _Saturn_ is too weak and can make no Separation. On the

contrary, ours can effect it very well, and therefore I commend him,

for after his Sythe is whetted by the Corrosive Oyl of _Vitriol_, if

then one handle any Metal, or Mineral with him in a Crucible, he will

in a moment eat a hole through it, and run out; Nay, if one should put

two or three Crucibles one into another, he would do the same, but if

one cast somewhat before him, to satiate his Wolf-like Appetite, then

he leaves the Crucibles whole, but doth what the Artist would have him,

and is used as a tame Wolf, devours the Sheep no more, but keeps them

from other devouring Wolves.

Before I could bring him to that pass, to prevent his biting, I tryed

many sorts of Vessels to hold him, nay I have put him upon a Test made

of bone Ashes. ’Tis true, he did not eat in, but remained fixt upon the

_Cupel_ like Silver, and would not Coppel, by which I perceived, that

any common Lead, by help of the Red Oyl of _Mars_ and _Antimony_, may

in a very short time, not only be reduced into Gold and Silver, but

also be fixed into a true Tincture, which I have sufficiently shewn in

the foregoing Appendix, that some of the ancient Philosophers have made

their tinging Stone out of _Saturn_. But setting this aside, because I

yet never went so far, but I should not think it at all difficult, to

make an universal Tincture, to transmute all the Metals into perfect

Gold and Silver out of _Saturn_, with the Red Oyl of ♂ and ♁, if my

weakness of Body would permit. But I concern not my self about that,

but leave it to those that are younger, for I can easier come to an

universal Tincture, by the help of the secret Fire of Philosophers,

than by _Saturn_; but in the particular Transmutation of Metals, I have

performed many things with the Stone of ♄, as the following Practice

sheweth.

_Now followeth the easie Coagulation of our Red Oyl of =Mars= and

=Antimony=, into a Red, Sweet, and fluxible Stone._

℞. Some Pounds of common Lead, melt it, and pour it out into a long

Ingot, and rasp as much thereof as need shall require; take of this a

Pound of more, and put it into a Glass Retort well coated, pour to it

half the quantity of the Red Oyl of ♂ and ♁, set it in a Sand _Cupel_,

and give Fire gently by degrees, and there will come over no Red Oyl,

but only a clear and insipid Water, and all the sharpness, with the Red

Tincture, will remain with the ♄. If you break the Retort, you will

find no _Saturn_, but this Red, Tinging, and easie melting Stone, of

such Virtues as I have told you before. Now if you will make use of

this Stone for the particular Meliorating of the inferiour Metals, as

also for noble and ignoble Stones, you must powder it, and mix it with

the _Metallick_ Ashes, and melt them, and you will find the good Metal

to be separated from the rest, the unprofitable part, and superfluous

_Sulphur_, will turn into dross, and the purer part will settle into

a _Regulus_, which you must blow off upon a Cupple, and you will find

the Silver and Gold, which our Stone hath separated out of that Metal;

for our Stone hath this Nature, to separate in the Fire the good from

the bad, to turn the Good into a Metalline _Regulus_, and the inferiour

into Dross. For Example, I have a mixture of Metals containing Gold,

Silver, _Venus_, _Mars_ and _Jupiter_ together, I granulate this

mixture, and mix them with our Stone, melt them together in a Crucible,

our Stone only spoils the inferiour Metals, as ♂, ♀ and ♃, which it

consumes into a Dross, but the purer as ☉ and ☽ it separates from this

Dross, and precipitates them into a _Regulus_. But if this _Regulus_

should not be fine enough at the first melting, you must _Cupel_ it

with Lead, neither doth all the ☉ and ☽ come out of this mixture at

one melting, but some remains with the Dross, therefore you must again

put this into a Crucible, and put to it some filings of Iron, and so

melt them together, then the wild _Sulphur_ will be destroy’d by the

♂, and so let the Gold and Silver fall by Cupellation. The Dross you

must reserve, till you have enough to melt in a small Wind Furnace,

and it will be again reduced into Lead, which you may again use for

the same Labour; for the Reduction of this, I have invented a peculiar

small Furnace, which may be carried from place to place, and also you

may pour out the Dross after it is melted, without breaking any thing

of the Furnace, so that you may use it very often, before the Hearth

will need mending. What is here said of the Separating of _Metallick_

mixtures, the same may also be understood of those Mixtures, which are

yet in the Oar, for the Oars are as easily separated by our Stone, as

the Metals. This is the use of our Stone, before its Tincture is yet

fixed, and therefore not able to transmute ☽ into ☉. Presently you

shall also hear, how it may be rendred capable to transmute any Silver,

by Degrees, into good Gold. I think it fit, first to say somewhat, how

by the help of our Stone one may attain great Profit from Gems. For

the Gems have in them fixed Tinctures, which our _Neptune_ can spoil

them off and so incorporate them with the naked _Diana_, to make her

a Golden Vest, which is done thus: ℞ The fragments of coloured Gems,

_viz._ of Granates, Rubies, Saphirs, Hyacinths, Jaspis, _&c._ put a

little of these into a good Crucible, and put to it three times as much

of our Stone, cover it well, and melt it upon those Stones, and our

Stone draws out the Colour of the Gems, and Colours it self yet deeper.

With this Red Stone, if any filed ☽ be mixed with it, and melted, it

draws the fixed Tincture to it and becomes Golden, so that in the

Separation it yeilds much Gold, _N. B._ The fittest Silver for this

work is, that which is precipitated by ♀ out of _Aqua Fortis_, yet you

may also use that, which is precipitated by Salt water. If the work be

well done, the Gems will be white, which you may use instead of small

Diamonds, for the Fire doth not take away their hardness, _N. B._ If

a Man hath Skill enough to take away the Colour from the great Gems,

as Granates, and Hyacinths, he may acquire Riches in a short time; for

afterwards you may tinge other white Stones into Rubies, by the help

of this Colour, but this Labour requires an experienced Artist, but

no Pratler: And this is sufficient for this time, he that delighteth

in these Arts may Practise them, and try how God will prosper him in

it. If he can but obtain the Extracting of the Gems, he needs no more,

for one Gem, of a Drain, is worth more than several Ounces of Gold.

After we have briefly understood, how to make good Profit with our

Red coagulated Oyl of _Antimony_ and _Mars_, before it is yet fixed,

with the imperfect Metals and Gems: You shall also hear what it will

do, when fixed. And this you must know, that if a Tincture very well

prepared, can endure melting in the Fire, yet for all that, it may

not be accounted fixed; for inasmuch as they are made out of unfixed

Metals, they cannot themselves be fixed; if one should object, and say,

that the Tincture was drawn out of fixed Iron, and therefore it must

also be fixed, although the _Antimony_ was not fixed: I answer, that

Iron cannot be called fixed, although it doth not fly in the fire, for

_Saturn_ can still devour it, but this only is to be reputed fixed,

which endures the _Cupel_, which neither ♂ nor ♁ doth. Therefore the

Tinctures which are extracted out of them, cannot endure the _Cupel_

before they are made fixed. For which reason the highly experienced

Philosopher _Paracelsus_ tells us, that we must not take common Iron

to draw our Tincture, but such as cannot be again reduced into Iron,

which we must seek in the green and blue _Scoriæ_, out of which Iron

hath been melted by the strength of Fire, and are cast away. Because

the Iron, and also every imperfect Metal, containeth two sorts of

_Sulphur_, _viz._ a combustible, and incombustible; the combustible

is melted by a strong Fire, into a dead Glass, but the incombustible

remains unhurt, hidden in the said Glass, and may be drawn out of it

by Art, and brought into a Tincture, that will endure the _Cupel_. I

could cite _Paracelsus_ for several other things, because he writes

very honestly, but it is not here convenient. It would be very well,

if some one would reprint this Treatise, for it is out of Print, that

the way to the Truth might be shewn to them that err. And if none

will do it, I shall do it my self, for it is commendable to preserve

a lighted Candle, and not suffer it to go out. This is enough of the

Fixation of _Paracelsus_, which is done by the great strength of common

fire. Now we will also hear, how this Fixation may be effected by an

artificial moist fire, much easier than by the former. In my Treatise

lately published of the _Three Principles of Metals_, I have taught how

any combustible _Sulphur_ may be fixed in a very few hours, so that no

Fire can any more hurt it. Now if such a quick Fixation of combustible

_Sulphur_, can be done with a moist Fire, as I have shewn it may in the

said Treatise, what may not be done, by the same Fire in the more fixed

Metals, such as Iron? I have also shewn in the same place, that ♁, as

well as common 🜍, may be made fixed in few hours, I have also said that

♁ and common 🜍, so fixed have no ingress into Metals. After that, I

have also taught, how to procure this ingress by common Gold, if the

Gold and the _Sulphur_ be united, and then a fixing _Aqua Fortis_ drawn

from them, that then it can never be separated from the Gold, but that

the Gold so preserves it upon the _Cupel_, that _Saturn_ cannot enter

it: Now if this may be done with common _Sulphur_ and _Antimony_, why

not also with _Mars_, which in its Nature approacheth Fixity? Therefore

it behoveth, that we should fix our Tincture of ♂ and ♁, after the

same manner being united with ☉, by the Humid fire, that both may be

permanent upon the _Cupel_. For without this Fixation nothing of moment

can be done. For if these Tinctures be added to Silver, and are not

constant in the Fire, they with the Silver, become Metals again, vanish

upon the _Cupel_ with ♄, and leave the ☽ nothing bettered. Therefore

nothing else is to be observed, but to bring into Perpetuation the

prepared Tinctures of ♂ and ♁, by the addition of Gold, and the due

Abstraction of the fixing Waters; and then the Tinctures remain with

the Silver unseparable, and the devouring _Saturn_ cannot hurt them

upon the _Cupel_. Let this suffice concerning the particular Fixation

of our Red Oyl of ♂ and _Antimony_. Now followeth, how to make an

universal Coagulation and Fixation of this Oyl.

_The PROCESS._

℞. Three or four Ounces of our Coagulated Oyl of _Mars_ and _Antimony_,

into a Red Stone by the help of ♄, grinde it into an impalpable Powder,

and draw from it ten or twelve Ounces of strong _Aqua Fortis_, which

hath been first abstracted from decrepitated Salt, and in which is

dissolved half an Ounce of Gold: Secondly, and Thirdly, abstract from

it again fresh _Aqua Regia_, but without Gold; then the Gold will

radically unite it self with the Tincture of _Mars_ and _Antimony_,

and they will be constantly fixed together, by means of _Aqua Regia_.

When this is done, pour upon it a good quantity of common Water, let

it boyl for some hours, and it will draw out the sharp Spirits, which

remained with the Tincture, this may be once or twice repeated, then

dry it, and it is fit to tinge Silver into Gold. This Tincture melts as

easily as Wax; the _Saturn_ which is mixed with it, doth not hinder it,

it is true, he goes into the Silver with the Tincture, but is easily

separated by the _Cupel_. I could set down many more Dexterities, in

the Preparation of this Tincture, but it would swell too much, it being

already greater than I expected, for I only thought to have annexed

this to the Appendix, as a Corollary, but it is grown bigger than the

Appendix it self. Here should have been added, how this Tincture of

_Antimony_ and _Mars_, by the help of our _Alcahest_, might be made

into a constant Tincture, easily and in great quantity, without Cost;

so compendiously, that in three or four days time, a good quantity of

Tincture may be made fit to graduate a great part of Silver into Gold:

But the time will not allow me here to insist any farther on it, but

must defer it the second Appendix, where the Reader will find greater

Contentment. For this work is so easily done with the _Alcahest_

without great Cost, that the most ordinary _Mechanick_ may imitate

it, and profit by it. There will come another World, when Art will

flourish, and Pratlers perish. Take notice of this, for the time is at

hand, _Elias_ the _Artist_ will soon appear, of this Read _Paracelsus_

in his Book of _Vitriol_. At such a time there will be great changes in

_Europe_, and chiefly in the _German Empire_, _France_ and _Swedland_.

For _Elias_ the _Artist_, it may be, when he comes, will bring with him

some Military inventions, and by his great Power establish the Fifth

Monarchy. That in these times great Changes will be in _Europe_, is

not to be doubted, for the Heavens do foretel it. God send us what is

good, there being now nothing of good left, how then is it possible, it

should remain longer in Peace?

OF

ELIAS the ARTIST:

OR,

What we are to understand by Elias the Artist, and what he is to

reform in the World at his coming.

_VIZ._

_The true Spagyrical Medicin of the Ancient =Egyptian=

Philosophers, which has been lost for above 1000 Years, and will

be restored by him, and illustrated with many new Inventions, by

rejecting much unprofitable Smut-work, and pointing out a nearer

and better way to obtain good Medicines, with little Trouble or

Charges; which true Medicine he will bring along with him, and

declare the same to the present deceived World. Translated out of

the =High-Dutch=._

_Courteous Reader_,

Towards the end of my last published Treatise concerning the Infernal

_Goddess Proserpina_, I took occasion to mention, that probably

soon after my Death, the long-since fore-told _Elias Artista_ would

appear, and bring along with him a great Light, to enlighten the

dark World, enabling them to reject the Evil, and embrace that which

is good: As likewise, that many great changes will happen in divers

Kingdoms, and especially in the Roman Empire, where one Potentate

will overcome the other, and make himself Master of his Dominions. I

there also shewed what, _Paracelsus_ hath declared concerning _Elias

Artista_, and fundamentally confuted the groundless Opinion of some

Persons concerning the same in my Fourth Part of the _Prosperity of

Germany_, shewing that that Prophecy is not to be understood according

to the Letter, and to be meant of some great Man in the World, but

Magically; for the word _Elias_ by transposition of Letters, makes out

_Salia_, and so likewise doth the word _Elisha_, as I have formerly

explained these words in my Treatise _of the Nature of Salts_. _Elias

Artista_ therefore according to the style of Philosophers, signifies

extraordinary and unknown Salts, by which great and incredible things

may be performed, and accordingly when manifested, will be the cause of

great changes in the World.

These Salts were known to the Philosophers of old, who yet did not

think fit any further to open themselves concerning them, than in

declaring, that the Philosophers Stone must be prepared by them. _Turba

Philosophorum_ speaking concerning this matter, saith, _This our Salt

encreases the Redness in ☉, and whiteness in ☽, =and further=, if God

had not created this =Salt= it were impossible to make the Elixir._ It

is probable, that the Philosophers who wrote concerning this wonderful

_Salt_, had no knowledge of any other, supposing that this _Salt_ only

was proper to extract and prepare Tinctures. I must acknowledge there

is no _Salt_ in the World, that hath such virtue to encrease and exalt

the Tincture in common as well as Philosophical ☉ and ☽, and that as

it were in a moment, as soon as the Monarch of _Salts_ is added to

them. Neither doth our _Salt_ only exalt, but it also joyns the King of

Metals so indissolubly with his Queen, that no Art can separate them.

A thing worth our wonder, that a Volatile white _Salt_ should have the

power to meliorate ☉ and ☽, and to exalt the same permanently. For to

give some further light to the matter, I declare, that this _Salt_ of

which the _Turba_ speaks, doth sublime white, and being dissolved in

Water, gives a white Solution: It is white, and continues white both

in and out of the Fire, and is altogether Volatile, for which reason

I have called it my _Secret Salt Armoniack_; but as soon as it is

join’d with ☉ or ☽ it becomes fix, and makes the ☉ and ☽ fixer than

they were before, affording them a kind of _plusquam_ perfection, and

inseparable Conjunction. Let none think that this _Salt_ of which I

here speak, is like, or the same with that, which is made of Oyl of

Vitriol and Spirit of Urine, of which I have treated in the Seventh

Part of my _Pharmacopæa Spagyrica_; for this our Sovereign _Salt_ has

no affinity with that, for as much as that _Salt_ makes all things

Volatile, and separates their purer part by Sublimation from the gross

_fæces_, but this our white _Salt_, though it be unfixt it self, yet

has the power to fix unfixt Metals, so as to endure the Test, provided

always that the virtue of this unfixt _Salt_, be first fixed by its

conjunction with ☉ and ☽. For the whole substance of this _Salt_ (which

the Philosophers have called a Bishop or High Priest) when ☉ and ☽

as King and Queen are inseparably join’d by it, doth not abide with

the ☉ and ☽, but only by its hidden Tincture and Virtue, whereby it

exalts all colours, the unprofitable body of the _Salt_ separating from

them, as soon as the Conjunction is made, even as a Priest, when he

has join’d two Persons in Wedlock goes his way, having performed his

Office. And indeed this inseparable Conjunction of ☉ and ☽, may well

be compared with the Conjunction in Marriage performed by a Priest;

for as when the Priest has join’d two Parties together in Wedlock,

they must inseparably continue so till death; so likewise when the

Metallic Copulation of ☉ and ☽ is performed by means of our Metallick

High Priest, consecrated by _Jupiter_, then are their Bodies thence

forward inseperable; the Water finds no ingress into them, the Air

cannot pierce them, and Earth much less, yea, the strongest of all

Elements, the Fire hath no power over them, but, like a Married Couple,

abide together in all contrariety and adversity, and according to their

Kind do multiply _in infinitum_, being supported with due Food and

Nourishment; for we know, that except we be refreshed and strengthened

with Meat and Drink, we can neither live nor multiply; the multiplying

virtue in many and all Creatures proceeding from the Nourishment

they take in. And the same we are to understand also concerning the

Metallick Multiplication, for when ☉ and ☽ are permanently conjoined,

by means of the Metallick High Priest, this alone is not sufficient

in order to their multiplication, but they moreover must be supported

with convenient Meat and Drink. And as Man at his first coming into

the World is nourish’d with his Mothers Milk, in like manner the

Philosophers do feed their ☉ and ☽ with their Mothers Milk, that is,

with their first Essence, from whence they deriv’d their Original.

Now we know that in contemptible _Antimony_, the first _Ens_ of ☉,

is copiously to be found, and may with ease be drawn thence, in the

appearance of Milk, with which ☉ and ☽ are to be nourished in order to

their Multiplication and Increase. The Nourishment then wherewith our

conjoined ☉ and ☽ are to be refreshed, and disposed to a Multiplication

_in infinitum_, is our _Lac Virginis_, Virgin Milk and Mercurial Water,

which strengthens and increaseth the Procreative Seed in ☉ and ☽ both

in quantity and quality. Wherefore also this feeding or inceration has

always been recommended by the Philosophers, as a most necessary thing,

whereby, as it were, a new life, and multiplying virtue is communicated

to the inseparably united ☉ and ☽.

Furthermore we are to know, that after common ☉ and ☽ by means of the

_Salt_ of Art, are inseparably conjoined and exalted in their colours;

yet nothing can be performed with them, because they want an ingress

into other Metals, which they have lost by their Conjunction, which

therefore must be restored to them by means of our mercurial Water,

which not only communicates Ingress, but also easie Fluxibility and

Multiplication to the destroyed Bodies of ☉ and ☽. For when our ☿ Water

is fixed in Conjunction with the fixt ☉ and ☽, then it is no longer a

Volatile ☿, but is changed by the exalted ☉ and ☽ to a fixt Tincture.

This done, if we would multiply this Tincture, we must add to it some

of our _Mercurial_ Water, and fix them together as before, which

Multiplication we may repeat as oft as we please. For when once ☉ and

☽ are made irreducible and more than perfect, by means of our _Salt_

of Art, we need never after to begin our Work a-new, but only mingle

the fixt with the volatile in order to their Fixation; seeing that our

_Mercurial_ Water is in its inside better than ☉, for which reason

also it turns the ☉ and ☽ when fixed with them into mere Tincture. Let

no Man wonder why in this Operation we join ☉ and ☽ together, and not

rather make use of ☉ alone, forasmuch as this ☽ hath no colour at all

outwardly, though in its inside it be higher of colour than ☉ it self,

both which Metals nevertheless, except their colours be exalted by

the _Salt_ of Art, and Inceration, without our _Mercurial_ Water can

never be changed into a true Tincture, because ☉ and ☽ have no mere

Tinctures than is sufficient for themselves, but being exalted by the

tinging _Salt_ of Art, they are capable of colouring white Metals, but

not before. Indeed ☉ alone without the addition of ☽ may be exalted by

our _Salt_ of Art, and _Mercurial_ Water into a Red Tincture. In like

manner also may ☽ alone be exalted in its whiteness by our _Salt_ of

Art, and ☿, one part of which exalted ☽ tingeth many parts of ♀ into

good and fixt ☽♀, for our ☿ wherewith we incerate and multiply, may be

fixed into a Red or White Tincture, according to the ferment we join

with it, with ☉ it makes a red, and with ☽ a white Tincture. However

the best way is to put ☉ and ☽♀ together in due weight and proportion,

exalting them with the _Salt_ of Art, by which means the whiteness in

☽♀ when join’d with ☉, becomes changed into Redness, of which mine

Eyes are Witness. Of this Exaltation of ☉ into a high purple colour,

and of ☽♀ into the highest whiteness, I gave an Ocular Demonstration

to some of my Friends, before my Sickness, but none of them have

since undertaken the Work, and my self by Sickness have been hindered

hitherto.

_Ovid_ excellently describes the preparation of this Tincture, where

he tells us, that _Jupiter_, having chang’d himself into a Golden

Rain, fell through the Tiles into the Lap of _Danaë_, (shut up by her

Father _Acrisius_ King of the _Argives_ in a strong Tower) and got

her with Child, of whom afterwards _Perseus_ was born, who in process

of time being mounted on the Winged Horse _Pegasus_, killed the

Sea-Monster, delivering the fair _Andromeda_, whom he took to Wife;

and afterwards vanquished the _Gorgons_, and made himself Master of

the Golden-fruit-bearing-Orchard. In which Fable the whole Work is

clearly and punctually described, but the reason why it is so little

understood, is, because so few makes it their business to consider

thereof, or put their hands to the Work. For attentively considering

the matter, we find that the King of the _Argives_, in the sense of

the Philosophers, is our Black Lead, whence we prepare our Snow-white

_Virgin Milk_ or Mercurial Water, which is the Beautiful _Danaë_, that

becomes inpregnate by _Jupiter_’s Golden Rain. _Archivum_ signifies

a Treasury of secret and important Records, and no Subjects contains

more secrets, than doth our Black _Magnesia_. What is more lovely to

behold than _Jupiter_’s Golden Rain, whereby the fair _Danaë_ becomes

impregnate? And from whence does this Rain proceed, but from our _Salt_

of Art, without which it were impossible for ♃ to change the ☉ into

such a desirable Rain? What is the Beautiful _Andromeda_ else, but

_Diana_ the Consort of _Apollo_, who is exposed to the Sea-Monster to

be devoured, and is delivered by _Perseus_. And, in a word, the whole

Work of preparing a Tincture from the foresaid Subjects is so clearly

set down by _Ovid_, as it could not well be set down more clearly; and

yet how little is it understood, by reason of the general Stupidity and

inadvertency of the Readers. I have here discovered all the ingredients

belonging to this Tincture, so as nothing remains, except putting hand

to the Work, and begging God’s Blessing upon it: For no good thing

was ever the effect of idleness: But Praying, Seeking, and unwearied

Labour, are the Well-Springs of all useful Arts.

And herewith I shall conclude the use of the _Salt_ of Art, in

preparing the universal Tincture upon all Metals, transmuting the same

into ☉ and ☽♀. I suppose it hath been sufficiently made out, that

the foretold _Elias Artista_ is nothing else, but this our _Salt_ of

Art, whereby the Redness in ☉, and Whiteness in ☽♀ are exalted into

Tincture. Wherefore also this Salt, by those who know its use, has

been called the Monarch of Salts: For every Species of things hath its

Monarch, excelling all the rest of the same kind; upon which account,

_Paracelsus_, who in his Life-time had not his Peer, obtain’d the

Title of Philosophers, Physicians and Monarch of Chymists. Forasmuch

therefore, as our Salt of Art hath not its like in the World, for

working Wonders in _Alchimy_, it may well be call’d the King of Salts:

Tho’ indeed there be one only Salt which excels him, as far as _Elias_

excell’d his Servant _Elisha_: For as _Elias_ went up to Heaven in a

fiery Chariot, leaving his Mantle to _Elisha_, so this Salt may more

properly be compared to _Elisha_ than _Elias_, because _Elisha_ staid

here beneath, and did not ascend to Heaven, as _Elias_ did. Now the

Chymists generally prefer that, which ascends by the force of the

Fire, before that which stays behind, tho’ this Rule be not without

Exceptions; for that which remains is not always to be rejected,

because sometimes much good lies hid in it: As we may perceive in

_Elias_ his Ascension to Heaven, who left his Mantle behind, which

was not without Virtue, as appeared when _Elisha_ with it divided the

River _Jordan_, going over dry-shod. The Chymists commonly call that

which remains after Distillation, or Sublimation, _Caput Mortuum_, but

without good ground, because in that which stays behind, often a great

vivifying Virtue lies hid. This we may gather from the Virtue (as has

been said) remaining in the Mantle of _Elias_, and in the dead bones of

_Elisha_, which as soon as it touch’d the dead Body, raised it again to

Life: If _Elias_ his Mantle had been a dead thing, _Elisha_ could never

have divided _Jordan_ therewith, nor could _Elisha_’s bones have raised

the dead to Life, if they had been dead and without Power. Consider

well what I have said, and you will find more in it, than I dare more

plainly declare; remembring always, that _Jordan_ is nothing else, but

our ☿ Water.

_Concerning the =Salt= of Art._

Having already heard, how by means of the fixative _Salt_ of Art,

common ☉ and ☽♀ may be prepared into a Tincture, for the cure of

Men and Metals; it now remains to be declared, how, by means of the

Volatilizing _Salt_ of Art, most excellent Medicines may with ease, and

small Charges, in a very short time be prepared, out of all Vegetables,

Animals and Minerals. We are here to take Notice, as has been already

hinted, that the Property of our _Salt_ of Art, is, to make the

volatile _Metallick_ Subjects fixt; of which fixative Property,

notwithstanding it may in a few hours, easily and without Charges be

devested, and a Power of Volatilizing all things introduced into it,

instead thereof, by which, incredible things may then be performed,

both in Physick and Alchimy. Of which Wonder-working _Salt_, the

present World knows nothing at all, and probably nothing will be known

of it, till God shall permit it to be revealed by _Elias_ the _Artist_.

What I know of it, I am willing to communicate for common Good, not

doubting, but that God in his due time by means of Good men will reveal

the rest. To volatize this fixative _Salt_ of Art, is an easie thing

to the Wise, but to the Ignorant altogether incredible; though it be

no difficult thing to me, to make it credible and apparent, which if

thou wouldest do likewise, proceed thus: Pour upon our _Salt_ of Art,

in due proportion good Spirit of Wine, which draw off by Distillation,

and you will have a wonderful Spirit, of great Virtue; but you will

find your _Salt_ of Art so weakened, as it cannot be used again: But

the Spirit of Wine, impregnated with the Virtue of the _Salt_, performs

Wonders, that were never yet made known to the World, of which we

shall hear more hereafter. For the Spirit of Wine in this abstraction

hath its Virtue multiplied ten fold, so as it not only extracts the

Essence of Vegetables, Animals and Minerals, both easily and suddenly,

carrying them over the Helm; but also extracts the Tinctures from ☉ and

☽, and all precious and common Stones, and brings them over. Of which

Extraction and Separation of the tinging Soul from fixt and unfixt

Bodies, no Philosopher hitherto hath divulged any thing. Let us now

take a view of the great Secrets, which may be obtained by means of our

Alcolized Spirit of Wine. _Paracelsus_ had an Alcolized Spirit of Wine,

which he called _Alcohol vini_, with which he did great things; but it

is not likely, that his _Alcohol vini_ was of the same Virtue, as mine

here described; for if so, it could not have been so long concealed.

However it be, we cannot deny _Paracelsus_ the Title of Monarch of

Physicians and Alchymists, though he may have been ignorant of our

_Salt_ of Art, with which our _Alcohol vini_ is prepared; for no Body

knows all things; and God bestows his Gifts, as best pleaseth him.

But to our return to our _Alcohol vini_, and the manner of using it.

First we are to take Notice, that as for Vegetables and Animals,

they are to be reduced to Powder, if they be dry, but if fresh, they

need only to be a little bruised or chopt, and then pour upon them

our _Alcohol vini_; if the Subjects be dry, we may digest a while

before abstraction, but in Case they be moist, we may distil the

Spirit immediately, which carries over with it all the Virtue of

the said Vegetables and Animals, together with the Taste and Smell,

and poured upon Flowers, and distill’d, sometimes brings over their

Colours also, which hitherto hath been looked upon as very difficult,

if not impossible. But before we make use of it upon Minerals, we

must prepare them, for our _Alcohol vini_ is not strong enough to lay

hold on hard Minerals, and compact Metals, so as to extract their

Essences, and therefore they must be first opened with Waters, that

are not Corrosive, and afterwards be digested with our _Alcohol vini_

and then distilled; which being performed in this Order, the _Alcohol_

will carry their Essences with it over the Helm. This is the true

Preparation of Vegetables, Animals and Minerals, in order to the

extracting of your Essences, by means of our _Alcohol vini_. But here

we must observe, that this Preparation of fixt Metals, by opening of

their Bodies, must be done with fixt Liquors, and not Volatile; for if

the dissolvent were Volatile, it would come over in Distillation with

the Spirit of Wine, and spoil all; because after Distillation, the

Spirit of Wine must be separated from the Essence it hath brought over

with it; now if the dissolvent, by being Volatile, should come over

the Helm, it would remain with the Medicine, and consequently spoil

it. We are therefore to remember, that this dissolvent must be Firey,

not Corrosive, without any Smell or bad Taste: The dissolvent being

as necessary to our Work, as is the Spirit of Wine it self: Wherefore

he who intends to plant good Fruit, in this Gold-bearing Orchard,

must be provided with both these Keys, _viz._ with a _Menstruum_, not

Corrosive, to dissolve Metals and Minerals, and with a well prepared

Alcolized Spirit of Wine, without which, he cannot obtain the Tincture

of Metals.

Having thus spoken of the foregoing Preparation of Vegetable, Animals

and Minerals, in general: I shall now proceed to shew in particular,

how out of them most surpassing, and excellent Medicines may be

prepared.

And first to begin with Vegetables; their Essences are to be distilled

in _Balneo_, with a moderate heat, changing the Recipient when it is

needful: For that which comes over, first is of another Nature, than

that which distils next, and that again differs from that which comes

last. There are some Vegetables, that first give their best part, and

the worst last, whereas in others, the worst comes first, and the best

stays till the last. For the rest, it is easily apprehended, that

the Virtue of Flowers and Herbs; especially when green and tender,

doth more easily yield to Distillation, and come over sooner than the

Essence of hard Wood, which is more closely shut up in its Body. He

that proceeds aright in this Work, will meet with great delight and

Satisfaction, and bless God for the Communication of this Light. For

our Alcolized Spirit of Wine brings over Vegetable Essences, of a most

fragrant Odour, which common Spirit of Wine can never do: We may indeed

extract Vegetables, and Minerals with common Spirit of Wine, but cannot

carry the said extracted Essences over the Helm: Which extracts made

with common Spirit of Wine, are not to be compared with those, which

our _Alcohol vini_ brings over with it, differing as much as the shell

from the kernel. For our Essences, as soon as they are taken into the

Body, penetrate it throughout, passing every where to find out their

Enemies, and when found Attack, and put them to flight, which gross

Medicines cannot perform. The like Virtue is also in those ☿ _Salts_,

Tinctures or Souls of Metals, that come over in the flame of the

distilled Spirit of Wine, which also penetrate the Body throughout,

chasing their Enemies before them; and the Tinctures of Stones in the

same manner prepared do the like. Which we must not so understand,

as if the Alcolized Spirit of Wine were to be taken into the Body,

together with the Tincture, for indeed it must be separated from it. As

for instance, when I have brought over the Quintessence of Flints or

Crystals, with our _Alcohol vini_, and have a mind to make use of it

against the Stone in the Bladder or Kidneys, or Stones that are grown

in the joynts, I must not exhibit this Essence, as it is mixed with the

Spirit of Wine, for if so, the good effect, that might be looked for

from the Essence, would be spoiled by the great heat of the Spirit of

Wine, which is the reason the same must be separated from the Essence,

before it can be given inwardly. Now this Separation cannot be done

by Distillation, because both would come over together. Neither can

the Tincture, or Essence of the Stone, be separated from the Spirit

of Wine, by Precipitation. What is to be done therefore in this Case?

The only way to attain our desire is, to kindle the burning Spirit,

and let it flame away under a large and capacious Helm or Head, made

for that purpose; by which means the Spirit of Wine is consumed in the

flame, and the incombustible Essence of Crystal remains in form of a

sweet and pleasant Oyl. We are also to note, that in this burning away

of the Spirit of Wine, the _Sulphur_ of Wine only is consumed, and

the incombustible ☿ of Wine, being condensed in the Head, falls into

the Receiver, in the appearance of a sweet Water. [_see more of this

instrument in the Sixth Part of Phar. Spagyr._]

_N. B._ We are to observe, that the most highly rectified Spirit of

Wine, is much about half water, which water ascends with the flame, and

is caught in the Recipient. Yet is not this ⛛ any common ⛛, but indeed

a powerful ⛛ of Life, especially when the Spirit of Wine hath been

rectified from Aromatical, or Medicinal Subjects, but even without

this, it is of very good use, because the incombustible ☿ of Wine lies

hid in it, and may be separated from it, by abstracting the said ⛛ in a

very gentle vaporous Bath, which done, the ☿ of Wine stays behind, in

the form of a white lovely _Salt_, full of heavenly Powers and Virtues:

For which cause this _Salt_ or ☿ of Wine, hath been always termed by

the Philosophers, Heavenly _Salt_.

It is likewise to be noted, that after the ⛛ is abstracted from the

Spirit of Wine, the said ⛛ is not devoid of all Virtue, as invisibly

containing some part of the foresaid Heavenly _Salt_, especially if the

Spirit of Wine in its Rectification, hath been impregnated with Spices,

or other good Subjects: For according to the different impregnation of

the Spirit of Wine, the Heavenly _Salt_, or ☿ of Wine, will be more or

less powerful. Thus we have seen in what manner the Essences of Flints

and Chrystals are to be prepared, with the help of our _Alcohol vini_.

When this Spirit of Wine Crystallized is kindled and burnt away under

a large Head, the greatest part of the Essence of Crystals remains

behind, in the form of a pleasant clear Liquor, which is the most

Sovereign Medicine against all Diseases proceeding from _Tartar_,

_viz._ Stone in the Bladder, Kidneys and other parts of the Body, which

it dissolves, and carries off. But the most pure part of the Crystals

mounts with the flame into the Helm, in form of a clear Water, which

when abstracted in a vaporous Bath the ☿ of Crystals stays behind, in

form of a lovely white _Salt_, which is of far greater power in the

Stone, Gout, and like Diseases, than the fixt Oyl or Liquor, which

remains in the Vessel after the Spirit of Wine is burnt away. In like

manner, we may proceed with other Stones. Yet we are to understand,

that all Stones have not the same Nature or Property: Thus we find

Several sorts of Crystal, _viz._ some White, Transparent and clear,

others White, but _Opake_ and dark, also Green, Blew, Yellow, Red, and

Black Crystals, all which by the help of _Salts_, are melted into Glass

of several Colours. Amongst these Crystals are also reckoned. Flints,

Pebbles, Gravel and Sand, which likewise suffer themselves with _Salts_

to be melted into Glass. All these forementioned Stones, may with

_Alkalick Salts_ be melted, and afterwards by _Deliquium_ be resolved

into a Liquor, concerning which Liquors, I have treated at large in the

Second Part of my Furnaces.

These Stones that suffer themselves to be melted, with the Addition of

_Alkalies_, may also, with Lead-ashes, be reduced to transparent Glass.

Whereas precious Stones, _viz._ Diamonds, Rubies, Saphirs, Jacinths,

Granates, _&c._ are of a quite different Nature, which neither by

_Alkalies_, nor Lead, can be run down into Glass: Wherefore also none

have been found hitherto, that have been able from them to prepare any

good Medicine, as not yielding to the most Corrosive Waters whatsoever.

_N. B._ And though indeed, I know a way to dissolve them without any

Corrosive, yet do not I think it proper, to Communicate the same in

this publick manner.

There is another sort of Stones, which are commonly found in Rich and

fat Earth, and sometimes also in Rivers or Brooks, such as _Lapis

Judaicus_, _Lyncis_ and others, which being not very hard, may be

dissolved in good Spirit of Salt, which Solutions are by some of our

common _Chymists_ used against the Stone, but without any good Success,

forasmuch as the Body of the Stone is not at all meliorated by being

dissolved in Spirit of Salt, but rather made worse; because by this

means, there is no Separation of the pure from the impure. But if any

Man will take the pains to reduce these Stones into Essences, in the

way before specified, he will find them much more available in all

sorts of _Tartarous_ Distempers.

There are also several kinds of Lime-stone, which cannot be melted with

Addition of _Alkalies_, or the Ashes of Lead, but by a strong Fire are

burnt into Lime. Amongst which Lime-Stones, we may reckon the _Ludus_

of _Van Helmont_, which like other Limestones, may be sublimed with our

strong ♓, and afterwards reduced into a Liquor, of which I have treated

elsewhere, and particularly in the Seventh Part of my _Pharmacopœa

Spagyrica_. Out of these Stones, after they have been first burnt into

Lime, a most excellent Medicine may be prepared against all kinds of

the Gout: _Basil Valentine_ assuring us, that he with Essence of quick

Lime, cured the Chancellor of the Emperour of _Germany_ of the Gout:

Which we may the rather believe, because _Basil Valentine_ knew the

way of separating the ☿ from the Spirit of Wine, by enkindling it;

and hath also described an instrument of Copper, for performing that

Operation: And knowing all this, he could not be unacquainted, that the

Essence of Quick-lime, being united with Spirit of Wine, and afterwards

meliorated, and putrified by burning it away, was separable from it,

which he having reduced to Practice, obtained this excellent Medicine

for curing of the Gout.

We are further to know, that there be other, and better Stones, to

prepare an universal Medicine against the Gout and Stone, by means of

our _Alcohol vini_, after they have been first burnt into Lime, _viz._

Oyster shells, which, being burnt afford a Lime that is very Caustick;

and of a like Nature are all Sea-productions, _viz._ the Stones that

are found in Spunges, all sorts of Coral, Pearl, and Mother of Pearl,

all which may be reduced by Fire, into a Lime of great and excellent

use.

But above all other Stones, I esteem those that are found in Beasts,

Birds, Fishes or Man, which being reduced into a Calx, and their

Essences extracted with our _Alcohol Vini_, may then be brought into a

pleasant Liquor of great Use.

Amongst Fishes, the best Stones are found in Haddocks and Whitings,

Crabs Eyes also are very good, but must be calcined before they can be

of any good use in Physick; for without that, they are more proper to

generate the Stone, than to expel it.

Having thus declared, how, from some Stones, good Medicaments may be

prepared against the Gout and Stone both of the Bladder and Kidney;

we will next shew, what kind of Stones are proper to be extracted

with our _Alcohol Vini_, in order to the obtaining of true Tinctures

for Men and Metals. For all Stones that have good fixt colours, are

not therefore fit to have their Tinctures extracted; because some of

the Precious Stones are too costly, though we should only make use

of their Fragments. Some will not submit to any Operation, _viz._

Granates, Saphires, Rubies, Jacinths, Emralds, Turkoises, _&c._ though

they abound with much fixt Tincture; whereas all those Stones which

are high of colour, and suffer themselves to be dissolved, are proper

for this work, because without preceding Solution, it is impossible

to extract the Tincture from hard and compact Bodies: Wherefore we

must make choice of Stones that are soluble, and abound with fixt

Tincture, _viz._ Green and Red Jasper Stones, _Lapis Lazuli_, and the

Black _Magnesia_ which contain abundance of Solar Tincture. All Stones

likewise that are high coloured, and break smooth like Glass, whether

found on Mountains or in Brooks, are good for this purpose.

It was because of this Solar Tincture abounding in the Jasper Stone,

that the Ancients preferr’d it before ☉, as containing a most high and

excellent Tincture. A very rich Tincture may also be extracted from the

_Lapis Lazuli_; and from the Black _Magnesia_, (which is not costly) a

richer. Let us therefore take this despised Stone in hand, and see how

easily its Tincture, by means of our _Alcohol Vini_ may be extracted,

and what uses it serves for, as well in Physick as Alchimy.

_The PROCESS._

℞. One pound or two of black and ponderous _Magnesia_, pulverize the

same, and dissolve it in our Universal Stone-Water, wherewith all

hard Stones may be dissolved, and thou wilt have a Solution of a

Grass-green-colour, filter it, and in case thou hast proceeded aright,

the undissolved _fæces_ will be of small quantity.

Now is thy Solution ready to have our _Alcohol Vini_ pour’d upon it, in

order to the extracting of its Tincture, and carrying it over the Helm.

_N. B._ That notwithstanding the Solution be at first of a green

colour, yet the Spirit of Wine in Distillation comes over yellow as

_Sol_. And when the Spirit of Wine is kindled under a large head, the

pure _Mercury_ of the _Magnesia_ ascends with the flame, which is of

great use in Physick; and a Blood-red Liquor stays behind, being not

only a Tincture for the Bodies of Men and Metals, but also by means of

the same may Crystals be tinged with several fair colours, so as to

resemble Precious Stones in all things, except hardness. I dare not set

down here the manner of applying this Tincture to white Metals, he to

whom God vouchsafes this Tincture, will easily find out the use of it.

As to the Physical use, this Tincture opens Obstructions of the Liver,

Spleen and Lungs: The white _Mercury_ come over with the Flame is an

excellent Medicine, strengthening the Heart, Stomach, Head and Reins,

and a great Remedy against the Gout. In a word, he that is Master of

this Tincture will find much more in it than I have here hinted.

In like manner, as hath been said of the _Magnesia_, we may proceed

with other Stones, to extract their Tinctures, all which have different

properties, according to the nature of the Stones from whence they are

prepared.

We proceed now to shew, how by means of our _Alcohol Vini_ the

Tinctures or Essences of Minerals and Metals, without any preceding

Solution, or other preparation, may be easily brought over. The way is

thus:

℞. What quantity you please of any Sulphurous Marcasite, whether of ♂,

♀, ♃, ♄, ☽ or ☉, make them red-hot in a Crucible in a Wind Furnace, and

then put them red-hot as they are, into my second Distilling Furnace,

fitting a large Recipient thereto, and pour upon them to the quantity

of about an Ounce of our _Alcohol Vini_, closing the Furnace again

immediately; by this means the Spirit of Wine will enter into the

Stones, yet because of the great heat will not long continue there,

but ascend and carry over the Metalline Spirit with it; which done,

pour upon them another spoonful of Spirit, which when come over, pour

on another, repeating this as oft as shall be needful. After that

the Marcasites or Metalline Stones are grown cold, they must be made

red-hot again, and proceeded with as before, till a sufficient quantity

of the Metallick Spirit be obtained. Then burn away the Spirit of Wine,

and there will remain a glorious Essence of Metals, which thou mayest

make use of, according to thy best knowledge. One thing I can assure

thee, that this is the easiest way to obtain Metallick Spirits in

quantity. And though the Process appears plain and simple, yet more may

be discovered and attained thereby than many would imagine. I know what

I write, though it may be every Man will scarcely understand me; which

is very fitting, to the end these great _Arcana_ may not be prostituted

to the Unworthy. He, who cannot make Metallick Spirits according to

this way, may dissolve the Metals themselves in proper Dissolvents,

pour Spirit of Wine upon them, and distil their Essences, which he may

then make use of, as his understanding shall guide him.

I have already declared, that Metallick Spirits, when pour’d together,

do Meliorate one another. I shall add no more at present, having

already declared too much to the Unworthy, and for those that fear God,

they will be further assisted from above, and led to the desired end.

In like manner may the Essences of all common Stones, Pebbles,

Metalline Stones, colour’d Earths, _&c._ be extracted without any

foregoing preparation; for which God be praised for evermore. _Amen._

In the same way we can obtain the Essences of many other Mineral

Subjects, without any preceding preparation, especially of such as are

Volatile, _viz._ Kobolt, Arsenick, Orpiment, Bismuth, Zink, _Lapis

Calaminaris_, and the like Realgars, from which we may distil very

poisonous, but withal admirable, Spirits, in order to the Melioration

of Metals. We may also take the same course with compact Metals

themselves, and distil their Spirits without any foregoing Solution,

_viz._ we must file them small, make them red-hot, and put them into

the Distillatory, and then proceed as before hath been said with the

Marcasites, and the Metalline Spirit will come over with its natural

smell, taste and colour, in which Spirits great wonders lie hid, but

are of greatest use in Meliorating of Metals. Read what _Paracelsus_

writes to this purpose in his Book called _Vexatio Alchymistarum_,

where you’l meet with what will satisfie you in this matter. Consider

well of what I have said, and thou wilt find more than I dare set down;

for it is no small or common thing to obtain the pure Souls of Compact

Metals, without any foregoing Solution of their Bodies.

_N. B._ Those Metals which are molten with Minerals, being filed,

and proceeding with them as aforesaid, afford a Spirit higher in

colour, and of a stronger smell than simple Metals. Take an instance

from Brass, of which if you lay a piece upon a red-hot Coal, it will

send forth a bad stench, or put Coals into a Brass Chafing-Dish,

and you’l perceive the same; which bad smell proceeds from the

_Lapis Calaminaris_ which is joyned with the Copper, the said _Lapis

Calaminaris_ being a volatile and stinking Mineral. So likewise when

♀ is made white by the addition of Arsenick, it stinks much worse

than when it is join’d with _Lapis Calaminaris_, as being much more

poisonful. This stinking fume which proceeds from Brass, though it

be a Spirit, yet is not without a Body, and may be called a spiritual

Body, or Bodily Spirit. These fumes are hurtful to the Brain and

Heart; and therefore a wise Man endeavours to catch this Volatile

Spirit, and to turn it to a true fixt Tincture, fixing white Metals

into a permanent Yellow; as the stinking fume of White ♀, made so by

_Arsenick_, may be reduced to a Tincture, which will tinge Red ♀ into

White.

I have said enough here, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear. He,

who desires to know more concerning those _Metallick_ Odours, may read

_Braceseus_; where he will find, that from them the Philosophers Stone,

or highest Medicine against all Diseases of Men, and Metals may be

prepared: Of which, elsewhere I may have occasion to treat further.

It remains now to discover, in what manner the Medicinal tinging

Spirits, or Souls of Stones, are to be extracted, wherewith great

Honour and Riches may be obtained in the Practice of Physick. The

Process is the very same, as with the _Marcasites_; for when white

Pebbles and Chrystals, or colour’d Stones, as _Jasper_ Stones, _Lapis

Lazuli_ and the like, being first made red hot, have our _Alcohol Vini_

poured upon them in a convenient Distillatory, the Spirit of Wine

carries over their several Colours, which Tinctures are of great use in

Physick. In this way, we may get a Spirit from Lime stones, which is

most subtil, and strong of any other whatsoever.

As for Corals and Pearls, they are not to be made red hot (because

their Virtue is destroyed by strong Fire) but only heated, and pour

Spirit of Wine upon them, by which means the Spirit of Wine will bring

over the Essence of Corals of a curious red Colour, and that of Pearls

white as Milk.