From all that hath been said from the beginning hitherto, may be
gathered by a piercing eye, that in our Operation our Bodies do not
abide in the top of the _Alembick_, as the Bodies of Fools do: Of which
_Aros_ saith: _The Bodies of the unwise, do only stick to the Cover or
Head of the Vessel, and therefore they cannot effect any thing that is
true_. Hence also may be gathered, that _Sulphurs_ are retain’d by 🜍,
Bodies by Bodies, and Spirits by Spirits; and every imperfect thing is
perfected by one thing, that is by ☿ alone, that is, by a substance,
which is produced by our foresaid famous, excellent and glorious
Magistery. Wherefore for a final Conclusion we say, that the Blessed
stone is one, the Medicine one, to which nothing extraneous is added,
nor taken from it, only its superfluities removed. Understand this, as
_Hortulanus_ saith: That, _That is not extraneous, into which it must
be changed_, that is fixed, _viz._ ☉ and ☽. Therefore this stone is
Mineral, because it is produced from all Mineral things. But because
_Hortulanus_ saith, that _Hermes_ the Father of all _Alchimists_,
was Possessor of the three parts of Philosophy, of the whole World,
_viz._ Mineral, Vegetable and Animal: The true knowledge of which three
Kingdoms, the said _Hermes_ had joyntly, or severally in the work of
the Sun; which parts are contained in one only Stone, _viz._ in ☿,
that is under the name of ☿, because every thing of which the Stone
is made, whether it be Animal, Vegetable or Mineral, is called by the
name of ☿. We have also before shewed, how this Philosophy, or Science
is compleated in the work of the Sun, by means of a Mineral ☿. Now to
the end that this Science, or most excellent Point of Philosophy, may
be perfect in every Point, we must see how this Stone may be had, by
means of a Vegetable ☿, from Vegetables, and by an Animal ☿, prepared
from Animals. And first, we will shew how the Stone may be made, with a
Vegetable ☿: For except the Great stone might be made from many other
things, besides those mentioned in the former part of my Discourse,
that saying of _Alphidius_ would not be true: That _there be many
other Subjects, which solve and congeal_. And _Hortulanus_ saith, _the
Philosophers have called every thing, the Stone, from whence the Four
Elements may be separated, by our Chymical Artifice_: Now this may be
done, from every Vegetable and Animal; wherefore from every Vegetable
or Animal, may the Great stone of the Philosophers be prepared.
The two last Chapters of this Anonymous Philosopher, contain a short
Repetition of the Matters handled in his whole Book, wherein he
asserts, that the Preparation of the great Elixir, he sets down, is
far more subtil, excellent and Skilful, than that of _Geber_: Because
the Operations which _Geber_ doth successively, one after another, he
shews, how they may be done all at once; for that when he dissolves,
he at the same time, in the same Vessel, with the same degree of Fire,
and in the same Furnace, doth also Sublime, Calcine, Cleanse, Wash,
separate and conjoyn: Because, when the hard Body is put into the
dissolvent, to be dissolved, it presently turns Black, and is throughly
dissolved, calcined, sublimed and joyned with the Spirit. And I leave
it to every judicious Person to judge, whether this way must not be
very ingenious and Artificial, which at once, so easily and suddenly
finisheth all these Operations, belonging to the work of the Stone.
Neither was it without Reason, that the Author affirms, that the
possibility of this Accurtation cannot well be believed, or apprehended
by any, but those who have seen it.
_N. B._ Now that all these Operations may be done at once, my self can
witness, as having before my Sickness performed the same with mine
own hands. And however this may sound very strange to those, whose
Experience never reached so far, yet is it an undoubted Truth with
all those, whom God hath been pleased to illuminate, giving them the
understanding and performance of this great (I had almost said, Holy)
work.
Our Author in his last Chapter concludes, that of all things from
whence the Elements can be separated, the Stone of the Philosophers may
be made; to the Truth of which, also I can set my Seal. For when about
half a year since, I had recommended to an old Friend of mine, the
manner of preparing the ☿ of Wine, and that the said Friend by reason
of his business could not come to me, to overlook the Work himself,
because he lived in another City, and I by reason of my Sickness kept
my Bed: It was concluded by us, that a third Friend should come to my
House, and carry on the Work, from the beginning to the end, which
accordingly was done in three or four Days. But forasmuch, as in so
short a time, we could not prepare any great quantity of the Spirit of
Wine, we had but little to burn away, and consequently could not get
much ☿, or Cælestial ☉. Now it happened, when we were separating the
☿, we had caught, from the Phlegme, that the Fire, by mistake was too
strong, so that after the Phlegme was come over, we found the remaining
Heavenly _Salt_, or ☿ of Wine in the bottom of the Glass molten to a
Red stone, which could not be dissolved with common Water. Whereupon I
ordered some _Aqua Regis_ to be poured into the Glass, to dissolve the
☿, which presently succeeded, the Solution being Blood-red. But the ☿
being by this means spoyled, as to any Medicinal use, I resolved to
try what it would do on Metals, and accordingly put a little piece of
fine ☽ into the Red Solution, left it there two days, and then taking
it out, found it changed into ☉ as far as could be judged by the Eye,
or Touchstone. But because I could hardly believe, that ☽ could be so
easily turned to ☉, I put it into a strong _Aqua Regis_, to see whether
it would be dissolved in the same, as other common ☉, and put a piece
of common ☉ with it, to try which of both would be first dissolved:
Whereupon I found, that the _Aqua Regis_ rather laid hold on the common
☉, than my transmuted ☽, the half of which was only dissolved, and I
have the other Part still to shew. Which tryal made me so desirous of
proceeding to another, that I got a new instrument prepared, for to
make the ☿ of Vegetables and Animals, but have as yet been unable to
undertake the Work, by reason of Bodily weakness, and for want of some
faithful assistant. Yet am not without hopes, but that with the first I
may make some further Tryals, all things being in a readiness for the
Work, to which God be pleased to afford his Blessing, _Amen_.
From this Relation it is evident, that a Vegetable ☿ is able to
meliorate Metals: That it excels for Physick cannot be doubted, and
therefore the said ☿ may be called a Master in both Faculties. Now if
a Vegetable ☿ will do this, what may be expected from a _Metallick_
drawn from pure Metals, and brought over by the Spirit of Wine? Without
doubt, much more than the ☿ of Wine alone, without any Metalline
addition. If it please God, I intend to second this Treatise with
another larger, concerning the ☿ of Metals. In the mean time, I here
make an End.
OF THE
Secret Fire of Philosophers.
_By which, They not only brought to Maturity their Universal
Medicine, but also fixed particularly all the inferior Metals,
into good Gold and Silver, with great Profit._
_Written for the Sakes of all the Lovers of Divine and Natural
Wisdom._
_Faithfully Translated out of the_ High-Dutch.
_Reader_,
Seeing that in several of my Writings, I have made mention of the
secret Fire of _Artephius_, which _Pontanus_ very well called _Proprium
Agens_, for no better name can be given it. I thought it convenient to
publish this small Explication of it, that it may be known to those,
who have not yet heard of it, not doubting, but by this discovery
a great Light will be opened to all the Lovers of _Metallick_
improvements: For almost all Philosophers, in their Writings, are
dark concerning this; and yet without this, no great Matter is to be
effected in _Chymistry_: Which daily Experience sufficiently testifies.
Therefore I am resolved briefly to explain, yet fundamentally and
plainly, by Gods help, this thing which hath been so long hid from the
World.
_Of the Secret Fire of Philosophers, by which they have maturated
their Tinctures._
First you must know, that no Philosopher hath made any mention of it,
but hath passed it over in silence, only that ancient Philosopher
_Artephius_ hath taken some notice of it, but so obscurely, that very
few of his Readers, have been able to learn any thing from him. He
saith, that himself, like others, had been covetous and envious, so as
to write nothing of it; but after he was nine hundred years old, he
first began to write of it. _N. B._ It is not credible, that he should
have lived to that Age, but perhaps some Body hath added a Cipher to
it. ’Tis like he was ninety years of Age, for the Ancients have often
mistaken an hundred for ten. But be it as it will, he was the first,
that said any thing of this Fire. _Pontanus_ writes in his Epistle,
that although he knew the true Matter, yet he erred two hundred times,
and should never have obtained it, if he had not learned the secret
from his Writings. The reason of hiding this Secret so long, hath been
only the wickedness of Men, who seek not after these great things, that
they might honour God, and succour the Poor, but rather, that by great
Riches they might be able to enslave their Neighbours. But when such
Men, who have forsaken the Vanities of the World, seek after them, God
puts it into their hands, so that striving nor running in this helps
nothing, but only Gods blessing. Observe this well, and thou wilt not
err. If our eyes and hearts were not blinded by the Pride of the Devil,
we should easily see and know, what Fire nature useth in the Earth, to
bring Metals to Maturity: By which we might easily learn, what Agent
the Artist wants to maturate and bring to perfection all imperfect
Metals into Gold and Silver, as good as if Nature had done it in the
Earth. Now when we open our eyes and look about us, we find nothing
else, but an _Acidum_ or Universal Agent, that is, the Sulphurous Salt
of _Vitriol_, by which all Metals in the Earth are generated, so that
some, by a long time are fixed, and some by a less time, partly remain
unfixed, according as the Oars contain more or less of this Agent. And
if by a strong Fire, one should melt this Metal out of the Oar, the
greatest part of the _Acidum_, together with the Rocky part would come
into a Cinder or Slate, but in the Metal, although it be melted and
hammered, there yet remains some of the Agent, which the Fire, in the
first melting, could not separate from it, especially when the Metals
are yet crude; as if the Agent should say, I will not be separated from
my Patient, for he cannot yet subsist without me, and also saith the
Patient, I cannot yet suffer my Husband, or Agent to be separated from
me, for we have not been long enough together. But when the melting
Fire comes to it again, then no excuse will serve, but the stronger
overcomes the weaker, and the Agent and Patient must part by force. Now
what in this violent Separation, the one can carry away with it of the
other, it leaves not behind, as we see when the Oar of Iron is melted,
that the violent Fire, forceth away the Agent from the Patient, and
converts it into Cinders, but yet these are not purely Cinders, for
they have attracted a great quantity of the _Mercurial_ Patient, _viz._
Iron, which is not turned into Cinders, for if they be melted again,
you will have a good quantity of Iron out of the Cinders, and this may
be done for several times. If the Agent and Patient had not a great
Agreement, they would certainly have been more nearly parted in the
first melting, and there would be no need of a Second or Third Fire,
and if the Agent should be separated from its Patient, by the force of
Fire against its Will, yet it cannot be exactly and wholly separated,
but the Patient as the Female _Mercury_, doth its endeavour to retain
as much as it can of its Agent, or dear Sulphurous Husband with it
self, as we have sufficiently seen, that no melted Iron is found
without its Agent or _Acidum_. Which appears, if upon a Plate of Iron,
you pour a little Water, it presently Rusts, which could not be, if
there were no _Acidum_ in the Iron; for the _Acid_ adhering so close to
the Patient, the melting could not force it away. Now when Rain water
falls upon it, the _Acidum_ out of Love attracts it to it self, and
works to its utmost Power, upon the Patient, so that it becomes Rusty.
Which doth not so happen to such Metals, as are already brought to
sufficient Maturity, and therefore have no more need of the Agent, as
Gold and Silver, for after they are melted, they do not Rust by Wet,
for their _Proprium Agens_, or _Vitriolick Salt_, has done its Office,
bringing its Patient to Maturity, and therefore is easily separated
from its Patient in melting. Copper also, in melting, still retains
somewhat of its Agent, and therefore easily Rusts, yet not so easily as
the Iron, because it retains not so much of the _Acid_ in melting, as
Iron doth. Lead and Tin retain less of it, than Copper and Iron, and
therefore do not so easily attract the moist Air and Rain, but only
lose their Splendour by it. Gold and Silver retain but a very little
of it, and therefore they cannot easily Rust, but being moistened with
strong Corrosives, lose their glorious Luster: _Mercury_ retaineth
all its _Proprium Agens_, having lost nothing of it. It is also to be
observed, that although _Sulphur_ (which contains in it self a pure
vitriolated _Acid Salt_) be an Universal Agent, by which Nature in
the Earth generates and maturates all the Metals, yet notwithstanding
every Metal hath besides _Sulphur_, a particular _Proprium Agens_,
which assists the Universal Agent in its Action. Gold hath, besides the
Universal Agent, somewhat of common _Salt_. Silver and _Saturn_ have
besides the _Sulphur_, and _Vitriolick Salt_, somewhat of _Saltpetre_.
_Mercury_ hath properly for its Agent, a subtil, fiery and concentrated
Spirit of _Saltpetre_, which keeps him always fluid and current. And
this is the reason, that Salts or Spirit of _Salts_, (as Spirit of
_Vitriol_, common _Salt_, _Saltpetre_, _&c._) do more easily dissolve
such Metals as participate of their own Salts; for example, Silver,
_Saturn_ and _Mercury_ participate (besides _Vitriol_) of a nitrous
Salt, and therefore Spirit of _Nitre_ doth easily work upon those
three Metals, and dissolve them: For because these three Metals have
a nitrous Salt in them, therefore the Spirit of _Nitre_ hath a good
Friend in them, which opens the Gates to it, and lets it in, for the
Friend within corresponds with him which is without, as for Example:
If an Enemy set down before a Town to take it, and hath good Friends
within, that open him the Gates, he may easily enter, but if his
Enemies that are within defend themselves, and resist him, he can do
nothing, but must march off without it. Seeing that an _Aqua Fortis_
made of _Vitriol_ and _Saltpetre_, doth readily touch and dissolve
only Silver, _Saturn_ and _Mercury_, it comes to pass from their near
Relation; but the reason why they touch not Gold, is, because it hath
no affinity with them, for Gold hath no Spirit of _Nitre_, but of
common Salt in it, but if you put a little common Salt to the Spirit
of _Nitre_, it then easily dissolves Gold, becomes to be of another
Nature, and then will not dissolve Silver, but Copper, Iron and Tin,
because these Metals contain much spiritual Gold, and therefore
are easily dissolved by this Spirit of _Salt_. Now because I have
here shewn the reason, why an _Aqua Fortis_ made of _Vitriol_ and
_Saltpetre_ dissolves only Silver, Lead, and _Mercury_, and not Gold,
and when common Salt is added to it, that it dissolves Gold and not
Silver, it is for the same reason, that Salts dissolved in Water, and
impregnated with the Universal _Acid_ or Oyl of _Vitriol_, will as well
dissolve the Metals, which are boyld in them, as their Spirits will.
For Example: Suppose I had no _Aqua Fortis_, and yet would dissolve
Silver; I could do it as well by dissolving _Saltpetre_ in common
Water, acuated with the true Oyl of _Vitriol_, but yet not so easily
as _Aqua Fortis_, and if you should add a little common Salt to it, it
would not touch Silver, but dissolve Gold. And suppose, I had no Oyl
of _Vitriol_, and yet would dissolve Gold, I might do it by dissolving
_Saltpetre_ and common Salt with Allom in Water; yet not so well as by
_Aqua Regis_. This is not said to that end, that I would advise you
to dissolve Metals by Salts and Oyl of _Vitriol_, (for the distilled
Waters are better than the undistilled Corporeal Salts) but that you
may the better understand and comprehend with what Salt each Metal hath
an Agreement to unite easily, that you may the better learn to know the
_Proprium Agens_ of each Metal, for if you will do any excellent thing,
in the Metals by their _Proprium Agens_, you must first know them well,
by which you will know, what every Metal Loves, and how it will be
treated: Now we cannot learn this better, than when we consider, what
Spirit, or Natural Agent was driven from the Metal by the melting Fire,
which if it had remained longer in it, in the Earth, the Metal would
have been maturated by it. We find, that in all Oars of Silver, Lead
and _Mercury_, is found a nitrous _Salt_, which is driven from it by
the strong Fire, now if such a Metal being immature, and not only taken
too soon out of its Matrix, but also by the melting Fire deprived of
its Fecundative Spirit, is to be made grow again to be meliorated, you
must of necessity restore that to it, which the Fire hath taken away.
Now because from Lead there is taken away a nitrous Spirit, besides
common _Sulphur_, you must restore a nitrous _Salt_ for its Agent.
And because from _Mars_ and _Venus_, a _Vitriolick Sulphur_ was taken
away, that must be restored to them again. And because from _Jupiter_,
in melting, an Arsenical _Sulphur_ and Spirit was taken away, you must
restore it again to the dead Body, to revive it, and to make it grow.
If from Gold its Sulphureous Salt be taken away by melting, which
the Gold easily lets go for the reason already alledged, and yet you
would maturate this Gold farther, and make it yet better than Nature
hath done, you must put it into its Matrix again, uniting it with the
Sulphureous Spirit of _Salt_, and so let it generate or grow afresh,
and you will receive more than Nature hath given: For Nature can give
no more, but a perfect Body, which if you will have yet more perfect,
you must put it again into its Matrix, with its natural Agent, and by
the help of external Fire, awaken or excite the inward natural Fire,
that its Body may be maturated into a more than perfect Tincture. For
Nature can give no more than perfect Bodies, _viz._ Silver and Gold:
But if Art begins again where Nature left, it can make the perfect
Bodies more than perfect, with this more than perfect Tincture, you may
in a moment bring to perfection the imperfect Metals, if you put it to
them in melting: To which perfection, a great many years would have
been required, before their _Proprium Agens_ could have brought them.
For if you would maturate the imperfect Metals into Gold and Silver,
by their proper Agents, it would require a long time, but yet it might
be done with very great profit, for no other costs are required, but
outward Fire, to keep the inward Secret Fire in continual Action; and
this work of maturating the inferior Metals may be done in as great a
quantity as you please, which makes the profit so much the greater, and
this fixation requires no great Cost, for _Mars_, _Venus_, _Jupiter_
and _Saturn_ cost but little, and the Agent may also easily be had,
so that all the Expence is only the Fire, which yet will not be very
chargeable neither, so that this Fixation may every year bring in great
profit to him that well understands it. If I was younger I should not
forbear to go about this particular Melioration of Metals in the whole,
to do good with it to many thousand poor People, but my time is now
past. God hath been pleased not to shew me this light till within this
three years, in which I have lien in Bed, and so I can expect no great
benefit by it, as having no Children who are fit to carry it on. But
because I can do nothing more my self, I commit it to others, to whom
I have already given a good insight; but to discover it more clearly
and indiscriminately to the good and bad, being restrain’d by several
Reasons I dare not do it. Now it yet remains to give a hint, how the
perfect Metals, as Gold and Silver, must be ripened into a more than
perfect Tincture, to make the imperfect Metals perfect by Projection.
_Now here followeth a Fundamental Process, without any Legerdemain,
how to bring Gold and Silver into a Tincture._
℞. Of Gold j ℥, of Silver iij ℥, dissolve the Gold in _Aqua Regia_,
and the Silver in _Aqua Fortis_, pour these two Solutions together,
and the Silver will attract the Gold, and they will both precipitate
into a gray Powder, but if for want of Salt they should not easily
precipitate, pour into them some Salt Water, for the Silver will not
fall except there be Salt enough. When nothing more will precipitate,
it is a sign that these two Bodies, like Husband and Wife, have
embraced each other, and are united; then set the Glass in which they
are in Sand, that the Liquor may boil, and those two Bodies will be
the better united; stir it often, and let it stand so warm for 24
hours, then let it cool, and these two Bodies will grow up together
like Herbs or Flowers, filter the Liquor from the Calx, and sweeten
the Calx with Common Water, dry it and powder it well, then it is
ready to be fixed into a Tincture with the _Proprium Agens_ or Secret
Fire. Now concerning the proper Agent of Gold and Silver, I say that
it is a Mercurial Antimonial Water, which also _Artephius_ Confesseth;
To obtain which, proceed thus: first put the Conjunction of Gold and
Silver into a clean Crucible, which put into a Coal Fire, so that the
Gold and Silver may become warm in the Crucible, and yet not be red-hot
nor melt, and the sharp Spirits which remained after Edulcoration
will pass away in Smoak; when it Smoaks no longer, take it out of
the Fire and let it cool, and weigh the Gold and Silver, and so you
will perceive how much heavier they are than they were before, for so
much have they taken from the Spirits of the Salts, which dried Salt
Spirits must prepare the _Antimony_, our Secret Fire, or _Proprium
Agens_ to fix the Gold and Silver into a Tincture. For Example: We
have dissolved and precipitated j ℥ of Gold, and iij ℥ of Silver,
and after the exsiccation of the _Calx_, it weighs vi ℥, and so ij ℥
of the Spirits of the Salts are Coagulated with them, and make the
increase. For this you must know, that Silver hath this Nature and
property, if it be dissolved in _Aqua Fortis_, and precipitated with
Salt it attracts much Spirit from the _Aqua Fortis_ and Salt, which
Water cannot wash from it; but Gold attracts not so much as Silver,
for the Gold attracts _Nitre_, and the Silver Common Salt. I could
easily shew the reason of this, but that it would be too tedious.
_Saturn_ attracts more Common Salt than Silver, and these Spirits of
Salts are also a _Proprium Agens_ to _Mars_ and _Saturn_, as they are
to Silver and Gold, and work upon _Saturn_ and _Mars_, altogether in
the same manner as on Gold and Silver, the only difference is, that the
Tincture of _Saturn_ and _Mars_ is not of that extent as that of Gold
and Silver, although both of them in this work have one and the same
Agent: Now this Agent which is Spirits of Salts Coagulated, as well
in Gold and Silver, as in _Saturn_ and _Mars_, must first be brought
into a Mercurial Water, before they can rightly act upon Metallick
Bodies, by penetrating, maturating and meliorating them; to bring them
to which, you must proceed thus: If the four Ounces of Gold and Silver
have Coagulated two Ounces of Spirits of Salts, you must add to it two
Ounces of very clean and well pulverised _Regulus_ of _Antimony_, grind
them very well together, put this Mixture into a Coated _Retort_, and
distil the Mercurial, Antimonial Water, which will also carry over with
it the _Animæ_ of the Gold and Silver, in form of Butter of Antimony,
yet of a high colour, for the Anima of Gold is highly exalted by the
_Antimony_, or Mineral _Aries_. This red Solar Butter is the Secret
Fire of _Artephius_, or the _Proprium Agens_ of _Pontanus_, to bring
the Gold and Silver into a Fixed Tincture, which _Artephius_ hath used
for Gold and Silver, but _Pontanus_ (as appears by his Epistle) did
not make his Tincture out of Gold, but out of _Mars_; for he calls God
to Witness, that the matter of his Stone, out of which he prepared his
Tincture, contained many Terrestreities and Superfluities, which he
did not separate from it, and yet the _Proprium Agens_, together with
what was good in it, _viz._ Iron, came to be a Tincture. Out of this
sufficiently appears, that he did prepare an impure Metal, as _Mars_,
into a Tincture.
And this is very credible, for such a fiery Agent which I have taught
here to prepare, is as well a true Tincture it self, as the _Animæ_ of
_Sol_ and _Lune_, and that so high that it is sufficiently powerful to
penetrate, meliorate, and transmute hard, gross, and impure Metals and
Bodies, by its tender, clean, Golden, Mercurial Power, and to reduce
them into Tinctures. _N. B._ I would have none to doubt, but that such
a clean, fiery, and Golden Agent, when it is used for the exalting and
meliorating of clean Gold and Silver, will give a much higher Tincture
than with gross and unclean Metals; for if Gold is inwardly so exalted
and meliorated by this Antimonial Mercurial Water, it must needs give
a far more extensive Tincture. Now how this our Mercurial, Antimonial,
Saturnine Water, is to be applied to fine Gold and Silver, to exalt
their Colours, and transmute them into Tincture, I shall here shew to
the best of my knowledge, and it is thus. The two Ounces of Spirit of
_Salts_, which were coagulated by the four Ounces of Gold and Silver,
and by the addition of two Ounces of _Regulus_ of _Antimony_, did
again leave the Gold and Silver, by working upon and dissolving the
_Antimony_, and did in the distillation carry over the most pure and
tender _Mercury_ of _Antimony_, together with the Tincture of Gold, in
form of a Red Butter, for _Antimony_ is of this nature, that it draws
the colour out of Gold, and carries it up with it self in Distillation,
which the Ancients called carrying the Souls of the Dead out of Hell.
This Red Butter impregnated with the _Anima_ of Gold, _Artephius_
called his Secret Fire, and is the _Proprium Agens_ of _Pontanus_,
which doth not only maturate Gold and Silver into perfect Tinctures,
but also _Mars_ and _Saturn_, in their whole substance, without
separating the pure from the impure. From the remaining Gold and Silver
you must wash your _Regulus_ of _Antimony_ by the help of Salt Petre,
then separate your Gold and Silver by _Aqua Fortis_, and you will have
no loss but only of the Tincture of Gold, which the Oyl of _Antimony_
hath carried over with it. _Neusementius_ calls this his Solar Red Oyl
or Butter of _Antimony_, but I call it my Mercurial Antimonial Aurifick
Water, which name doth properly belong to it, which I thus prove. Take
of this distilled Golden Mercurial Water, of Leaves of Gold and Silver,
each equal parts, put them together in a fixing Glass, and set it in
a Sand Cuppel, which is heated equally by a dull _Harry_, and kept in
the same degree of Fire, and the Mercurial Water will dissolve the
Gold and Silver, and they will turn together into a Stone. The Spirits
of Salts after they have dissolved the Gold and Silver, together with
the Mercury of _Antimony_, will separate themselves by degrees from
the _Mercury_, because they are not of the same matter, therefore they
cannot become a Tincture with the Gold, Silver, and _Mercury_, which
_Pontanus_ very well hints. This separation of the Salt Spirit from
the Tincture requires its time, and will not be hastened. _N. B._ But
if you know how to separate the superfluity of the Spirit of Salt from
the Golden Butter, by a subtile Art, and then dissolve your Gold and
Silver in it, you will gain a great deal of time in your fixation,
for the superfluous moisture very much hinders, which the Ancients
have hinted under a Fable, as the Learned _Bracesous_ sufficiently
admonisheth in his Treatise _de Ligno Vitæ_. This Salt Water is called
by the Poets _Minerva_, concerning this you may read the Philosophers,
and chiefly _Bracesous_, what he saith _Minerva_ was, and you will
find which way it must be separated from the Tincture. _N. B._ Be not
in doubt, because _Bracesous_ teacheth how to prepare his Tincture,
not of Gold and Silver, but of _Mars_, for it may as well be made of
_Mars_, only that is not so extensive as the Tincture made of Gold,
otherwise the labour is the same, and differs not at all. I repeat this
once more, that if you will shorten your labour, you must send away
_Minerva_ in peace, because she hinders the fixation. Some perhaps may
wonder, what the Silver can contribute to this Tincture, because it is
white, and hath no colour: I answer, that the inward parts of Silver
are not white but red, and therefore may become a Tincture. After the
same manner _Saturn_ is not red outwardly, and yet with _Mars_ becomes
a red Tincture, as Silver doth with Gold. This I thought fit to say
here concerning the Secret Fire of _Artephius_: If you will know
more of it read _Artephius_, _Pontanus_, _Paracelsus_, _Bracescus_,
_Neusementius_, _Cosmopolita_, and others, who have made mention of it,
and you will there find larger Instructions.
Now as it is possible to transmute not only Gold and Silver, but also
the other inferior Metals into Tinctures, by the _Proprium Agens_ of
Metals, so you may also fix into Gold and Silver, the inferior Metals
particularly, with an incredible profit, for the inferior Metals may be
put in in great quantity, with a cheap Agent, and so be maturated into
Gold and Silver, which hitherto hath been known to very few in the
World, but I do not doubt but hereafter it will be better known, by
which many honest Men will be delivered from Slavery. For as you have
already heard, the _Proprium Agens_ of the inferior Metals is cheap, so
that the imperfect Metals may be with small costs, by the addition of
their Natural _Proprium Agens_, which was driven away in their melting,
by the help of External Fire, maturated into the perfection of Gold
and Silver. _N. B._ If you can have Metals yet in their Oar, that have
not been in the Fire, and add to each of them their _Proprium Agens_,
and put them in close Vessels into a fixing Furnace, and maturate them
with a requisite heat, then the fixation will the sooner be done, than
with those Metals which have been already melted; yet those Oars must
be well washed and separated from their Mine-Earth, before you put them
with their _Proprium Agens_ to be fixed. _N. B._ This fixation of the
unripe Metals into Silver and Gold, as also of Gold and Silver into
a Tincture, by their _Proprium Agens_, may also be done by the humid
way, if you dissolve your Metals in their proper Menstruums, and then
digest them for a sufficient time. _N. B._ For such a moist digestion
or fixation Vegetables are more fit than Minerals, and Animals fitter
than both, yet all of them be made use of to fix both the common,
and Metallick _Mercuries_, as well universally into Tinctures, as
particularly into Gold and Silver. But for the course Metals and their
Oars, the universal Agent, _viz._ _Sulphur_, _Arsnick_, with their
Compeers, as Cobolt and Orpiment are the fittest. Gold and Silver
have also their peculiar Agents, by which they are maturated into
Tinctures, of which the Animal Agent is found to be the best, for it
is of this nature, that it turns the inward hidden colours of Gold and
Silver outwards, and renders them visible, which no other universal
subject can do like it. For if you cannot bring outwards the inward
colour of Gold and Silver, it is impossible to make Tinctures of them.
For Gold and Silver, as nature hath produced them in the Earth, have
no abounding colour to tinge other Metals withall, but no more than
is required for their own perfection; but when they are exalted in
their Colours by Art, they are able plentifully to communicate their
Colours to other Metals, but else not. Now what kind of Animal Agent
this is, by which the Exaltation of Colours may be made, I dare not
make common; he that will know more of it, must enquire of _Adam_, who
brought such an Essence with him out of Paradise. You may also read my
_fifth Century together with the Explication_, where this Subject is
treated of. Now as the _Proprium Agens_ of the Metals, which is their
Spirits, _viz._ _Sulphur_, _Arsnick_, _Cobolt_, _Orpiment_, and the
like Metallick Spirits, are fixed with the Metalline Bodies, and with
them become fixed Metals, because they are half Metals already, so on
the contrary, Salts which also are good Agents to Maturate Metals, yet
become not Metals themselves, as _Sulphur_, _Arsnick_, _Antimony_,
_Orpiment_, _Cobolt_, _Zinck_, _Bismuth_, _Lapis Calaminaris_, and
other Realgars or Metallick Spirits; for Salts do not participate of a
Metallick Nature, therefore they cannot become Metals; but when they
touch, dissolve, volatilise, and again fix Metals, it is only done
by their Acidity, which is a kind of that Acidity which is naturally
in Metals, and this is to be understood of Common Mineral Salts, as
Common Salt, Salt Gem, Salnitre, Allome, Vitriol, and the like, which
naturally grow in the Earth, in Stones, in Rivers, and also out of
the Earth, which are dug out by Men and purified, and so imploy’d
for several uses. These Salts have a great affinity with the Metals,
but cannot become Metals. But the Vegetable and Animal Salts are of
another nature and property, they associate themselves with Metals,
because they somewhat participate, though but little, of the Metallick
nature. The Animal Salts are principally Volatile, and make a good
_Sal Armoniack_, which hath a great affinity with the Metals, as I
have in my Writings sufficiently shewn. The Salts of Vegetables are
altered in the Fire, and become fixt Alcalies, which are also of good
use to Metals, as you may see in my Writings. But the Volatile Salt
of Animals far exceeds all other Salts, in its virtue; for it makes
not only all Metals, how fixed soever they are, wholly volatile, and
separates the cleanest Tincture of Metals, Minerals, Precious and
ignoble Stones, that is, it separates their immortal Anima from their
gross and unprofitable Bodies, with which you may perform incredible
things, both in Physick and Alchymy; But this wonderful Salt also
makes the most subtile, as well good as bad Spirits, incredible quick,
surmounting Human Understanding, visible, tangible, Corporeal and fixt,
which concentrated and fixed Spirits, have ingress and egress through
Doors lockt up, by which strange and incredible things may be done.
So great a power hath the Almighty bestowed upon the Animal (chiefly
the Microcosmical Salt) above all other Salts, which is known to few.
For the Microcosmical Salt, and for want of that, the Volatile Salt of
other Animals, Birds, Fishes, as also of Herbs and Woods have power to
volatilise all fixed things, and again to fix the volatile. In which
volatilising, the purer parts are separated from the grosser, the which
being fixt again, you have a Tincture, and there is no nearer, easier,
or cheaper way in the World to attain to true Metallick Tinctures, than
by the means of Volatilising Salts. Take a similitude from the Spirit
of Corn or Wine, so long as it is yet in the _fæces_ of the Corn or
Wine, it is little esteemed, but when it is driven out by Distillation,
and cleansed by Rectification, and so exalted in its Virtue, then it is
Esteemed, because much good may be done with it. So and no otherwise
you must esteem of Metals, in which such rare Tinctures are hidden,
which then are not esteemed, because few know what great things may be
effected by them. The like great treasures are also hidden in great
quantities, which by the Ignorant are not esteemed or sought after,
notwithstanding that the Ancient Philosophers have highly recommended
to us the Extractions, Distillations and Separations of the noblest
Tinctures to be drawn out of gross despised Metals and Stones, yet
their profitable Doctrines and Admonitions have taken with very few.
_Basil Valentine_ confesseth in his Manuals, that the Work of the
Philosophers can be compared to nothing better than to the known labour
of making Spirit of Wine, which preparation is known even to Rusticks.
The distillation and separation of the Tincture of Philosophers is as
easie as to make Brandy, and yet it is done but by very few.
_Paracelsus_ in his _Cœlum Philosophorum_, speaking of the Spirits of
Metals, saith plainly, that it is so easie to make Gold and Silver,
that it is not worth while to write of it. _Virgil_ also sheweth, how
easie a thing it is to pluck the Golden branches from the Opake Tree
of _Vitriol_, and how easily they will follow one another, if you but
hold forth your Hand, and when you have cropt one, be bids you also
take a second. What could be said plainer? But yet I tell you, that
these Golden Branches are much more easily, and in greater quantity to
be obtained out of the Red Earth or Stones, than out of Metals; but
he that will not believe it, may remain in the dark. It is enough for
me, that I have plainly declar’d the truth to the ungrateful World,
without any reservation. But our _Sal Armoniack_ (I do not mean the
Common) is a good _Proserpina_, which easily carries over the Tincture
of Stones and Minerals. And he that will pluck these Golden Apple
bearing Branches with profit, must very well consider after what manner
to prepare his _Proserpina_, that she may touch and carry over only
the cleanest Tinctures, and leave the gross Bodies behind. The Artist
must also be sufficiently experienced, how to separate _Proserpina_ or
_Minerva_ from the Extracted Tincture, for _Minerva_ is a hinderance
to the fixation of the Tincture. And this is the principal secret
in this Mystery. For all Tinctures of Metals and Stones, after they
are separated from their gross Bodies, by our _Proserpina_, they are
volatile, and so remain till they are separated from our _Proserpina_.
Although _Proserpina_ is a two-fold Key, which both opens and shuts,
makes volatile and fixed, yet this is to be observed, that there are
but very few who know how to use this Volatilising and fixing Salt; and
therefore I advise to separate it from your Tincture, and then fix your
Tincture. But if God shall so favour you, as to shew you how to fix
this _Proserpina_, or, to speak plainer, our secret _Sal Armoniack_,
with this Tincture which it hath drawn out of Metals and Stones, both
together without any separation into a fusile, red, penetrating, and
tinging Stone, then you may for that bless God all your life, for
you may have always plenty, without any want, for there is no richer
particular, nor universal Tincture in the World.
For what can be a greater Art than by the help of our _Sal Armoniack_,
in a few hours, to draw a pure Tincture out of gross Metals and Stones,
to bring it over by Distillation, to purifie it to the highest by
Rectifications, and then again to render those Volatile Tinctures in
a few hours, fixt and constant in the Fire, so that by them you may
immediately tinge the inferior Metals, particularly into good Gold?
I _Glauber_ truly say this, that this highly profitable Labour, to
draw the Tinctures out of Metals and Stones, by the help of our _Sal
Armoniack_, to exalt them, and again to fix them, requires hardly
twenty four hours time from the beginning to the end. Which to the
unskilful will seem incredible, but whether it be believ’d or no,
is all one to me. It is the Will of God, that his great Gifts shall
not come among the impious, but only remain among those, whom he
esteems worthy of those high Secrets, and them who also will make
good use of them. _Virgil_ at first gave but a hint of it in few
Words. Afterwards _Cosmopolita_ did explain this great Work at length.
Then _Neusementius_ published it yet plainer, but the Work is most
clearly and largely described in all its Circumstances, by the pious
_Brasescus_, in his _Dialogue de Ligno Vitæ_, but it is received by
very few, because the proud _Toletanus_ despised this cheap Martial
Labour, as if _Mars_ contained no good at all, but that it was only
to be found in Gold and Silver. I ingeniously confess, that I am
acquainted with several good Secrets, by which one may reap Profit
out of Metals, yet none of them is cheaper and easier, than the Work
of _Virgil_ upon _Vitriol_, or the _Opake_ Tree, to break off the
Golden Branches one after another, by the help of his _Proserpina_, or
_Eagles_ Wings, or _Griffins_ Claws. But if one would reap good Profit
by this Labour, he must be furnished with a good quantity of _Griffins_
Claws and _Eagles_ Wings, which also is easie to be had in great
quantity, for I have sufficiently taught how to prepare them. Further,
it is needful to know, after we have drawn the Tinctures, out of Red
Metals and Stones, by our _Alcahest_, how to perfect them, because they
are yet Volatile, no Metal can be meliorated by them, therefore they
must be fixed before they can be used. This Fixation may be made in
the space of six hours, so that these Tinctures retain their ingress
and fusibility, so that if they are put upon a red hot Plate, they
melt in a moment, enter and tinge as readily, as Oyl doth dry Leather;
which all Tinctures do not, but must be brought to it by Art, but our
Tincture only which is made by Volatile Spirits, doth it: The reason
is this, all gross and fixed Bodies are naturally influxile, on the
contrary, all Volatile Spirits again Coagulated into fixed Bodies, must
of necessity be fluxible and penetrating. Observe this well, for it is
plainly enough spoken. Concerning this, see the _Epistle of Arnoldus_
to the Pope, and there you will find this Observation. Without this
Secret _Sal Armoniack_, no good can be done in _Alchymy_. Thus I end my
Explication of the Secret Fire, by which all Metals particularly and
Universally, are maturated, with incredible Profit, to the perfection
of Gold and Silver. Now it remains to give some hint, how these Secret
Fires or Agents, separately by each _Proprium Agens_, may be after a
peculiar manner, maturated into Tinctures. You have heard that common
_Sulphur_ is the _Proprium Agens_ of _Saturn_, which becomes fixed
with the Lead, and in this Fixation it also fixeth and tingeth its
Patient the Lead, into ☉ and ☽. You have also heard, that _Arsenick_ or
_Cobolt_ is the _Proprium Agens_ of Tin, and that _Arsenick_ the Agent
is easily fixed by its Patient, Tin, and with the Tin becomes ☉ and ☽.
And also, that the common ☿ is fixed into good Silver, with Lead. And
all Volatile _Realgars_, as _Orpiment_ and its Compeers, may be fixed
into good Gold with ♂ and ♀, which is the naked Truth, of which I would
have none to doubt, for I my self have several times performed these
cheap Fixations, and because I am sufficiently satisfied in it, I dare
satisfie others.
I have thought it unnecessary to describe, at large, all the Manuals
which belong to this cheap Fixation of the inferior Metals, and also
to the Coagulation of the Volatile mineral Spirits, into constant Gold
and Silver. I have therefore published it as short (yet comprehensive
enough) as I could, that you may speculate into it your selves, and
then you cannot fail, except God prohibit you, which often happens to
evil Men, which see easie things done before their Eyes, which yet they
cannot imitate. Now to put an end to this business, and to prove that
the Universal Agent, the common _Sulphur_, which is the Grandfather
or _Demogorgon_ of all Minerals and Metals, hath also its _Proprium
Agens_, by which it may be maturated into a Universal Medicine or
Tincture, I have thought fit to acquaint the World with this easie
and cheap Fixation of _Sulphur_; chiefly, because I have already,
some years since, treated of this easie Fixation of _Sulphur_, but I
have not there discovered every thing so plainly, that every one may
prepare it. But now I intend, God willing, to publish it so clear and
comprehensive, that even any _Mechanick_ may not only understand, but
easily imitate it. I pray God to assist me in it, _Amen_. Some years
ago I taught, how, by the help of my _Sal Mirabile_, to fix any common
_Sulphur_, but chiefly, such as is yet bound up in Wood or Sea-Coals,
and doth not so easily fly in the Fire, but is easier to be handled
with a red hot heat, than the open Fluxile common _Sulphur_. This
curious Work I have shewed to some Friends with my own hands, and
highly recommended it to them, to take it in hand, and bring it to a
good end, because I was certain, that it must become a rich, and far
extending Tincture. But seeing the _Sulphur_ would not presently be
fixed, they left the Work: Whereupon I farther divulged this Work by
writing, and made it common. Notwithstanding which, as yet very little
hath been attempted about it, because every one is in haste, and hath
not Patience to wait for a good end, not considering that every thing
must have its time, and that haste makes waste. Must not the Plowman,
when he sows his Corn into the Earth, to have an hundred fold encrease,
wait the due time before he can have this Multiplication? Why should
not then also a _Chymist_ wait his time, for this profitable Fixation,
that will recompense him a thousand fold? Now to return again to
our business, to shew that any common Combustible _Sulphur_, which
otherwise is an universal Agent for all Metals, to maturate them into
Gold and Silver, hath also its own _Proprium Agens_, by which it is not
only maturated into ☉ and ☽, but also into a true universal Tincture;
and this is done only by certain _Salts_, that have Power to fix the
_Sulphur_, and make it constant in the Fire. _Cosmopolita_ minds us
of this very well, when he saith, that Salt, in the conflict with
_Sulphur_, gave him a deadly Wound, which is very true, and besides
Salt or strong Spirit of _Salt_ hath Power to fix it, if they be
several times drawn off from it. How this is to be done, I have taught
in my _Three Principles of Metals_. But such a _Sulphur_ as is fixed
by _Aqua Fortis_, is also quite killed, and its ingress into Metals
is taken away, but may be restored to it again, so that it easily
enters Metals, and tingeth them throughly. _Paracelsus_ saith, you must
reverberate the fixed 🜍, till it comes to be Red, and then draw out
the Tincture, with Spirit of Wine, and then fix ☽ or ☿ with it into
Gold. _Neusementius_ teacheth to drown the Dragon in the _Stygian_
Waters, that is to fix him, and when he is come to the highest degree
of fixity, that then you must revive, or Volatize him again, and
then fix him the second time, and then he hath a better ingress into
Metals to tinge them. _Bracescus_ teacheth also, to extract his fixed
_Sulphur_, out of the fixed Scales of Iron, and to fix them into a
Fluxile and penetrating Tincture. _Cosmopolita_ teacheth it after this
manner, _viz._ how to deliver _Sulphur_ out of his Prison, and that he
will give to his Redeemer a Crown of Three Kingdoms for a Recompence.
Out of these, the true Fixation of _Sulphur_ is sufficiently to be
learned, and needs no farther instruction, but yet I cannot forbear
here to set down my way, how to fix it, that the Artist may so much the
easier attain his End. And this Fixation of _Sulphur_ may be done after
several manners.
And First in this: I have taught, how _Sulphur_ may be fixed into a
Red Carbuncle, persisting in the Fire, where I have treated of my
_Sal Mirabilis_: It is true, this way of fixing is done without any
cost, yet it requires a certain, tho no very long, time, which is
the reason, that hitherto few have tryed any thing in it, and yet
it is very difficult to come easier and cheaper to the Fixation of
_Sulphur_; and besides, there is this advantage in fixing the _Sulphur_
with the _Sal Mirabile_, that it retains its easie Flux and Ingress
into Metals, which that fixed by _Aqua Fortis_ doth not, but into
an unmeltable Earth, which hath no ingress into Metals except it be
procured by Art, which every one cannot do. Yet _Neusementius_ hath
clearly described it in these Words: When thou hast brought thy Subject
to its highest Fixation, to wit, by the Abstraction of _Aqua Fortis_,
(which Fixation he also clearly teacheth, when he saith, that you must
drown the Dragon in the _Stygian_ Waters, and so make him fixed) and
after the Fixation make him Volatile again, that then he acquires his
ingress, and is fit to tinge, which is so plainly exprest, that it is
impossible to express it plainer, yet these excellent Writings, are
written only supervacaneously, and understood and imitated but by few.
I still add even to superfluity, one way more how to fix any _Sulphur_
whatsoever, to do wonders in Physick. ℞. Sea-Coals, or in defect of
them, Wood Coals powdered, good _Saltpeter_, Common Salt, and Oyl of
_Vitriol_, of each a like quantity, put these four things into a Glass
Retort well coated, fix a Receiver to it, and in an open Fire distil
off all the Humidity, urge it at length with the strongest Fire, and
a Green Liquor of _Sulphur_ will come over, which the Ancients called
the Green Lyon, which dissolves ☉, and when they are digested a good
while, or the Green Liquor is often abstracted from the ☉, then they
are fixed together, and the Liquor of _Sulphur_, together with the ☉,
turns into a Red tinging Stone. _N. B._ If you will that the _Sulphur_
shall not come over, but remain fixed behind, you may instead of the
common Salt, which makes the _Sulphur_ Volatile, put _Saltpetre_, which
is of this Nature, as well as Oyl of _Vitriol_, to make any _Sulphur_
fixed, but common Salt makes it Volatile. _Jason_ killed or fixed the
always watching Dragon with a strong Water of _Saltpetre_. _Bracescus_,
_Basilius_, _Paracelsus_, _Neusementius_ and others have done the like,
he that will truly follow them; cannot err, but it is impossible to
explain to the ignorant any thing, so that he may presently imitate
it. You must yourself take the thing in hand, and proceed diligently,
else nothing can be done: Let this suffice to be said concerning common
_Sulphur_, which is an Universal Agent, to maturate all Metals, and it
self is fixed with Metals, into ☉ and ☽; and also by _Saltpetre_ and
_Vitriol_ is fixed into a true Tincture, as is here demonstrated. Here
I put an end to the Explanation of the Agent, and Patient of Metals,
how to fix them particularly into Gold and Silver, and Universally into
Tinctures. It yet remains to give a small Explication of the Fixation
of _Sulphur_.