_Of the qualitie of the Vessell and Furnace._
The meanes and manner of working, wee haue alreadie determined: nowe
wee are to speake of the Vessell and Furnace, in what sort, and of what
things they must be made. Whereas nature by a naturall fire decocteth
the mettals in the Mynes, shee denieth the like decoction to be made
without a vessel fitte for it. And if we purpose to immitate nature in
concocting, wherefore do we reiect her vessell? Let vs first of all
therefore, see in what place the generation of mettals is made. It
doth euidently appeare in the places of Minerals, that in the bottom
of the mountaine there is heate continually alike, the nature whereof
is alwaies to ascend, and in the ascention it alwayes drieth vp, and
coagulateth the thicker or grosser water hidden in the belly, or veines
of the earth, or mountaine, into Argent-uiue. And if the minerall
fatnes of the same place arising out of the earth, be gathered warme
togither in the veines of the earth, it runneth through the mountain,
& becommeth Sulphur. And as a man may see in the foresaide veines of
that place, that Sulphur engendred of the fatnesse of the earth (as is
before touched) meeteth with the Argent-uiue (as it is also written) in
the veines of the earth, and begetteth the thicknesse of the minerall
water. There, through the continual equall heate in the mountaine, in
long processe of time diuerse mettals are engendred, according to the
diuersitie of the place. And in these Minerall places, you shall finde
a continuall heate. For this cause wee are of right to note, that the
externall minerall mountaine is euerie where shut vp within it selfe,
and stonie: for if the heate might issue out, there should neuer be
engendred any mettall. If therefore wee intend to immitate nature,
we must needes haue such a furnace like vnto the Mountaines, not in
greatnesse, but in continual heate, so that the fire put in, when it
ascendeth, may finde no vent: but that the heat may beat vpon the
vessell being close shutte, containing in it the matter of the stone:
which vessell must be round, with a small necke, made of glasse or some
earth, representing the nature or close knitting togither of glasse:
the mouth whereof must be signed or sealed with a couering of the same
matter, or with lute. And as in the mynes, y^e heat doth not immediatly
touch the matter of Sulphur and Argent-uiue, because the earth of the
mountain cõmenth euery where between: So this fire must not immediatly
touch the vessell, containing the matter of the foresaide things in it,
but it must be put into another vessell, shut close in the like manner,
that so the temperate heate may touch the matter aboue and beneath, and
where ere it be, more aptly and fitly: wherevpon _Aristotle_ sayth, in
the light of lights, that _Mercurie_ is to be cõcocted in a threefold
vessell, and that the vessell must bee of most hard Glasse, or (which
is better) of earth possessing the nature of Glasse.