This is the Letter written unto me, of which I made some mention even now.
“Thou hast written too clearly, and again too manifestly; beware lest God stir not up against thee another new Farnerian Devil, to punish thy easiness [or forwardness] of publishing such Mysteries. For they are not to be profaned by the ungodly, let not the present corruption of Men deceive thee, and that blindness [of theirs] which for the most part ariseth therefrom; for all wicked Men are not blind, I know many Farners that are defiled with all kinds of Evil, and yet are not all of them so blinded as thy Farner is. Nay, their Wit is so penetrative and so clear-sighted, that should they but read the divine Books that thou hast published there would not be a secret in all nature, but they would know it; nay more, they would in a short time perfect that Philosophick Work. Which should it so come to pass, (the more’s the grief) what a many Slaughters, what Whoredoms, how many ruinings! And what evils of all sorts would break in upon mankind; of the which, thou thy self (though innocent) would’st be the cause. I know that the detestable Calumnies of the impious Farner enforced thee to publish them, for he every where reported and to all, that thou wert ignorant of them. But my most dear Sir, what is your knowledge as a thing of nothing, unless another likewise knows that you know it? God knows that thou knowest, for he gave thee thy knowledge. Thine own conscience also knows it. What? Cannot these two most plenarily bless or make a Wise Man happy? The pleasure that depends on the Opinion of Men is unhappy. Invain do we seek after true Felicity without us, if so be its solid principle or foundation should be within us. What matters it, if Men think thee to be less learned than thou art, as long as the very light it self of nature shines unto thee? I would to God that I could once accomplish that, which, by thy divine Books it is most certainly manifest unto me, thou hast perfected, and let all Men believe me to be a most stupid Fellow; I wish not thus, as if I did at all doubt of the truth of any Work. For though I should have perfected the whole work an hundred times, I could scarce be more certain of the truth thereof [than now.] He that knows the way of concentrating Fire, and of uniting the terrestrial Sun to this concentrated Fire, and theArcana’sof Fermentations doubts not, nor seeks after any thing more. I may boldly say, that seeing nature doth perform whatever she has a mind unto, by these three, it must necessarily be, that it should do some most eminent thing. But if I could but once have finished the Work it self amidst those thousand of businesses that have hitherto withheld me, and kept me off from the Operation, I should have been long ago able to wind my self out of the intricacies of this present Age, and wholly devoted my self unto God, and to the most holy Philosophy. I beseech thee therefore my [dear] Master, and entreat thee by God and by the most laudable charity thou owest thy Neighbours, to write more obscurely for the time to come, nay, and if it may be, to wrap over the Books thou hast already published with some new cloudings, lest that celestial treasure fall into the hands of the unworthy, and so become hurtfull to pious Men. Pardon Sir the liberty of my complaint, for there is no other cause thereof save piety to God, and a Zeal to the most Learned, most upright Man, and one that too well deserves from ungratefull mankind. And albeit thou knowest not me, yet canst thou not be unknown to the Curious, seeing thou hast Written such wonderfull things. Nor can there be any one that shall but once have read over thy Books, but he will be highly obliged unto thee, if he has but any light of Justice [or Righteousness] remaining in him,&c.”
“Thou hast written too clearly, and again too manifestly; beware lest God stir not up against thee another new Farnerian Devil, to punish thy easiness [or forwardness] of publishing such Mysteries. For they are not to be profaned by the ungodly, let not the present corruption of Men deceive thee, and that blindness [of theirs] which for the most part ariseth therefrom; for all wicked Men are not blind, I know many Farners that are defiled with all kinds of Evil, and yet are not all of them so blinded as thy Farner is. Nay, their Wit is so penetrative and so clear-sighted, that should they but read the divine Books that thou hast published there would not be a secret in all nature, but they would know it; nay more, they would in a short time perfect that Philosophick Work. Which should it so come to pass, (the more’s the grief) what a many Slaughters, what Whoredoms, how many ruinings! And what evils of all sorts would break in upon mankind; of the which, thou thy self (though innocent) would’st be the cause. I know that the detestable Calumnies of the impious Farner enforced thee to publish them, for he every where reported and to all, that thou wert ignorant of them. But my most dear Sir, what is your knowledge as a thing of nothing, unless another likewise knows that you know it? God knows that thou knowest, for he gave thee thy knowledge. Thine own conscience also knows it. What? Cannot these two most plenarily bless or make a Wise Man happy? The pleasure that depends on the Opinion of Men is unhappy. Invain do we seek after true Felicity without us, if so be its solid principle or foundation should be within us. What matters it, if Men think thee to be less learned than thou art, as long as the very light it self of nature shines unto thee? I would to God that I could once accomplish that, which, by thy divine Books it is most certainly manifest unto me, thou hast perfected, and let all Men believe me to be a most stupid Fellow; I wish not thus, as if I did at all doubt of the truth of any Work. For though I should have perfected the whole work an hundred times, I could scarce be more certain of the truth thereof [than now.] He that knows the way of concentrating Fire, and of uniting the terrestrial Sun to this concentrated Fire, and theArcana’sof Fermentations doubts not, nor seeks after any thing more. I may boldly say, that seeing nature doth perform whatever she has a mind unto, by these three, it must necessarily be, that it should do some most eminent thing. But if I could but once have finished the Work it self amidst those thousand of businesses that have hitherto withheld me, and kept me off from the Operation, I should have been long ago able to wind my self out of the intricacies of this present Age, and wholly devoted my self unto God, and to the most holy Philosophy. I beseech thee therefore my [dear] Master, and entreat thee by God and by the most laudable charity thou owest thy Neighbours, to write more obscurely for the time to come, nay, and if it may be, to wrap over the Books thou hast already published with some new cloudings, lest that celestial treasure fall into the hands of the unworthy, and so become hurtfull to pious Men. Pardon Sir the liberty of my complaint, for there is no other cause thereof save piety to God, and a Zeal to the most Learned, most upright Man, and one that too well deserves from ungratefull mankind. And albeit thou knowest not me, yet canst thou not be unknown to the Curious, seeing thou hast Written such wonderfull things. Nor can there be any one that shall but once have read over thy Books, but he will be highly obliged unto thee, if he has but any light of Justice [or Righteousness] remaining in him,&c.”
Many such like Letters as these, have been ofttimes sent me from learned and skilfull Men, tending to this end, to warn me not to publish such excellent secrets for the time to come. Yet nevertheless, amongst those that are rendred partaker of such, there are some who (although the Operation it self has been sometimes manually showed them very perspicuously and clearly,) are notwithstanding so sottish and ignorant, as that they cannot imitate the aforeshown Operation. But some there are also that are come to such an heighth of Treachery, as that (being either seduced by their own false malice, or drawn away with the desire of profit,) they deny even the truth, certainty and stability of that very thing themselves have manually experienced, and dare to say it is false, this verily is an astonishing and detestably malicious wickedness, and justly and deservedly gives every one an occasion to shun such devilish Men more than a Dog or Snake.
IGlaubermay justly and deservedly be compared with a burning Candle, by serving others, am I consumed; have not I by the publishing such very excellent Writings kindled a clear and new light to the whole World, and added and consumed mine own peculiar Oil, and that in vain too, as reaping no recompence proceeding from a gratefull mind?
In the Operation which teacheth to extract Gold and Silver with profit, out of all Oars or Metallick Earths, inPage 360,A.signifiesLapis Calaminaris.
Page 361.A.is once met withall there, and signifies the sameLapis Calaminaris.
InPage 370, the same LetterA, once put, signifies the sameLapis Calaminaris.
InPage 370.b.where we treat of the Waters used about Washing or Edulcoration, and show their use, the LetterB.signifies pieces of Cloth, and the LetterC.the shells of Eggs, and all Cockle-shells and Muscle-shells, [or Shell-fish] of all kinds, in the water and out of the water: but the LetterD.denotes the Feces or Lees of Wine.
In the same Page, the LetterE.shows or signifies Eggshells, and the Shells of all Shell-fish.
The LetterF.signifies Stones and Lime.
InPage 371.a.the LetterG.signifies Oil of Vitriol.
InPage 397.b.the LetterA.signifies one part, andB.three parts.
InPage 398.a.by the firstX.is understoodAlkalies, and by the otherX.is meant a fixt Salt, helping on Liquefaction or Fusion.
Here follow some profitable Operations, and which appertain to the Extraction of Metallick Earths; they are indeed treated of, or published in the first Century; but because of the omitting of some words, they are hard to be understood: which, forasmuch as they comprise the things that primarily concern the Extraction of Gold and Silver, it seemed to me a matter worth the while to insert the same in this Appendix, the which (as I hope) will not be unacceptable to those that search after such great Secrets.
First of all, such Minerals are to be heated red-hot in the Fire, and be quenched, then ground with Mill-stones, and are to be put in Stone-Pots, orWaldenburg-Pots, orColein-Pots, that in them they may be moistned with pouringAqua Regiathereupon. These Pots you must put Coals about, and heat them well. The Minera’s being together with theAqua Regiawell heated, there must be poured thereupon so much Common warm water, as will suffice to wash off theAqua Regia. Being on thiswise moistned, they are to be put into great Pots made of good Potters Earth, having a many little holes in the bottom, over which is some Cap-paper to be spread, that nothing of the Oars fall out through the holes, but the water onely may distill down. After that all the first water is run out, you must pour on more hot water, and these pourings on are to be so often repeated, till the water tasts on more saltish, for then it has carried off with it theAqua Regiathat contained the Gold in it.
N. B.The Pots are to be set upon a Bench or Dresser that hath holes in it, so that the [Waters] may pass through the bottoms by the holes, and Vessels may be set there-under.
N. B.The Minerals may also be put in Barrels, having a double bottom, such as those Barrels are in which they use to wash out the Salt-peter with Common water out of the Earth. And now after the same manner are the pourings on of Common water to be so long continued till there is no more saltishness perceived.
N. B.Albeit that there is no more tast of saltness discernable, yet nevertheless some of the Salt doth as yet abide with them, [viz.with the Oars] and which is to be turned into Salt-peter, on this wise following.
Mix these Minera’s that are thus deprived of their Gold with an equal weight ofCalx-viveand Wood-ashes, then heap them up in a heap under some Shed or Pent-house, and moisten them for half a year, or for an whole year by repeated pourings on, of either Man’s piss or Beasts, as often as (after the drying up of the moisture) need requires. In want of Piss you may use Common water. By this means theAqua Regia, which was not thoroughly washt off with the warm water, and so remained behind in the Oars, will, by the assistance of Urine, or even of Rain-water, convert the Salt in theCalx-viveinto good Salt-peter, which is to be washt off like other Salt-peters, and be reduced into Stria’s or Crystals. The remaining matter being freed of the Salt-peter by washing it off, may be again put under the same Shed or Roof, to keep off the Rain, and be exposed to the Air and Solar heat, and be moistned with Urine, and it will in its season again yield Salt-peter, and will even keep doing the same for many following years, if it be dealt withall on the like manner. And so even the veryAqua Fortisit self, which remained behind in the Oars, will bring its benefit. The reason of this manner of Salt-peter making is this, because theAqua Fortis, or Spirit of Nitre, is as it were the seed of Salt-peter, and is of this nature,viz.when it is put among other Salts, (like as when some Vegetable seed is sown in the Earth,) it augments it self thereby, and is multiplied, even as the Seeds of Herbs are wont to doe. And haply, hence came that old Proverb, ofsowing Salt, which the unskilfull and ignorant mock at, saying, How can it be possibly done, that Salt should be sown and multiplied, seeing the Rain can dissolve it and wash it away? These foolish ones did not know either what Salt was to be sown, or how. Evident it is, that even this is the sentence and opinion of the ancient Philosophers, that even Salt may be sown and multiplied in the manner of Vegetables.
N. B.Out of the extracted Oars or Minerals being conjoyned withCalx-viveand Wood-ashes, may Salt-peter be made, in a few days space, by moistning the matters with pouring on, even barely Common water, and so drying it up again: but then there will not be such a quantity, as when more continued and more frequent pourings on of Urine have preceded.
N. B.It is likewise a thing possible to be done, to make good Salt-peter even in one days space, with the Waters used about the Edulcoration [or washing of the Oars] if they be poured uponCalx-viveso long till all the noise [or tissing ceaseth] which is made in the Solution. And thus out of the sharp water of Salt-peter, and the fix Salt in theCalx-viveis presently generated Salt-peter, shooting into long and delicate Crystals, after that the superfluous moisture shall have been thence drawn off in a Copper-pan. The remaining Salt-peter water must be again boiled in a Copper even to the appearance of a thin skin, and then be set in the cold to shoot more Salt-peter; these Labours are you to go on withall untill all the Salt-peter be boil’d out.
I think now that I have written and delivered all things perspicuously and clearly: He that cannot comprehend them, must even let them alone as an Ass must the Harp.
As concerning the sharp Waters which are used about the Extracting of Gold out of the Minerals or Oars, so as the Gold may not be lost that is in them, but be conserved, and that with profit, there are several ways that offer themselves, amongst which we have thought good to produce these following.
He that desireth to enter upon the best way, may pour into the Solution of the Gold, or into the Water containing the dissolved Gold, a Solution of Silver or Lead, and in such a quantity as he shall guess the Gold is of, that is dissolved in the Water. As for Example.
Suppose there be two or three Lots [Lotones or half Ounces] of Gold in the water, there must then likewise be dissolved so many Lots of Silver or Lead inAqua Fortis, or thereabouts; which Solution is to be (be it more or less) put to the said water, and to be well mixt by a strong shaking it to and fro, till it becomes like Milk. When it shall have settled, it must be shaken again, and those strong agitations must be several times repeated in an hours space. Then all being well settled, the clear water is to be poured off, and the grosser matter is to be put in a Filter, that so all the humidity may by distillation [or filtration] be removed from the dissolvedLune, or dissolved Lead, and the Metals themselves may afterwards by reduction be reduced into their pristine body, by such an help as we will presently teach.
N. B.If the Silver or the Lead should not have extracted all the Gold out of she Water, or drawn it to themselves, which may easily happen, yet notwithstanding there is not any loss of the same. For, because theAqua Regiabeing debilitated by pouring plenty of water thereupon is rendred unfit to extract any Oar anew, there may be poured into that edulcorating Water out of which the Gold is already drawn by the Solution of Silver or Lead, a sharp [orstrong]Lixiviummade of Wood-ashes andCalx-vive, and rendred a little sharper by a little Liquor of Flints. For the Flints doe precipitate all the Gold out of the Solutions. And now theAqua Regiabeing kill’d by theLixivium, lets fall every Metal that it has in it, whether it be onely Gold, or Copper, or Iron, in the form of a yellow Powder: This Powder is to be dried, and to be reduced after that manner which I told you but now, that I would teach.
The same Gold may likewise be gotten out of theAqua Regia(first debilitated by Common water) very commodiously by a Solution of Mercury or Quicksilver put thereinto; The Mercury abides in theAqua Regia, and the Gold falls to the bottom like a tender fine Powder, which being washt and made corporeal by reduction will be 24 Carracts fine. And as for getting the Mercury out of theAqua Regia, it is not to be better done than by pouring thereinto a sharpLixivium, by which the Mercury is constrained to fall down to the bottom like a yellow Powder, which is profitable for such-like precipitations. TheAqua Regiaand theLixiviumserve for to make Salt-peter withall.
The Edulcorating-water out of which all the Metals are already reduced [or precipitated] being boil’d in Coppers, till a skin appear at top, and then poured out into other Coppers or wooden Vessels, yield excellent Salt-peter, fit for the distillation ofAqua Fortisfor a new Operation. He that is skill’d in managing this work, will get as much Salt-peter as will pay the costs of theAqua Fortis; insomuch, that the Gold is extracted without any costs. For five or six pound ofAqua Fortis, which holds in it two or three pound of dissolved Salt, and is precipitated with a sharpLixiviumofCalx-viveyields about some ten pounds of Salt-peter: and this will certainly answer the price of the Water orAqua Fortis; and so you will have Gold extracted out of the Stones without expence or charges.
Make, by Calcination, some Ashes, of one part of Tin, and four parts of Lead, and put them in an Iron-pot, whereto pour the extracted Gold, or theAqua Fortiscontaining the Gold, boil it and continually stir the Calx with an Iron rod, that so all the sharp Spirits may cleave to the Lead and Tin ashes, and the Phlegm onely may exhale. After that the said Calx of the Metals hath concentrated all the Spirits, and is become wholly dry, let it be taken out, and be cast upon Coals in a secret Melting-pot or Crucible, in which operation the fire forceth out all the Spirits into the Recipient, which are to be again made use of for new Extractions. The volatile Gold, and which is mixt with Iron, adheres to the Calx of the Metals, and is to be reduced in the Furnace which theGermanscallStichofen; whereby the Lead impregnated with the Gold, and exalted by it, is gotten, which by reparation yields the Gold and Silver.
N. B.If that Lead should not contain Gold enough as to be worth the while of separating it on the Cupel [or Test] it is to be again commixt with Tin, and be reduced into Ashes, and by this Calx are new Extractions to be Concentrated, that so by the so many repeated Labours, the Lead is at length made rich enough, and yields (by separation) a good portion of Gold and Silver.
If (in the separating) the matter be turned by the blast of Bellows into Litharge, it is not needfull to melt such a deal of Lead on the Tests, which would require so much fire. But however, it is a thing feasable for the Gold to be gotten out of [or by] the Tests without melting, which shall be taught afterwards.
Forasmuch as Spirit of Salt may be had in great quantity, you need onely dissolve some Salt-peter therein, and this Solution is to be used to extract the Minerals withall. For the Spirit of Salt being made stronger by the Salt-peter, doth readily and willingly seize upon the tender Gold that is in the Stones. And as for the Spirit of Salt, it may be used as it comes over in the first distillation without any rectification.
Because that these Operations do always bring forth Silver impregnated with Gold, and thatAqua Fortisis requisite to make the Separation of them; the Solution of Silver may be used, and so the labour of the aforesaid incineration be omitted. Into theAqua Regiawherewith you have extracted the Gold, pour in a Solution of Silver, and it will fish out the greatest part of the Gold out of theAq. Reg.and is, [viz.theAq. Reg.] to be afterwards made use of to a new extraction, and be again divested of its extracted Gold by a Solution of Silver. In want of a Solution of Silver, the extract is to be concentrated with the Ashes of Lead, and you must proceed (by driving off the Spirit out of the Ashes, and by reducing the same Ashes in a Furnace,) after the same manner as we taught you but now in our foregoing directions.
N. B.You are here to note, that theAq. Fort.which containeth in it the dissolved Silver, and is poured into theAq. Reg.or nitrous Spirit of Salt, doth add an encrease unto these same Waters. For theAq. Fort.doth corroborate the Spirit of Salt far better than Salt-peter doth.
After that the Solution of the Silver being poured into theAqua Regia, hath extracted the greatest part of the Gold; theAqua Regiais to be poured off clear from the Silver remaining in the bottom, and is to be used about new Extractions. But if so be it should yet contain Iron in it, it must be concentrated by Lead-ashes. The white Calx of Silver is to be put upon some Cloth over a glass or stone Vessel, and so is to be freed from the remainingAqua Regia, which will drop from it; and by pouring on of warm water, it must be altogether rid of theAqua Regia, which as yet adheres thereunto. This done, your Linnen-cloth being strong and three double, the Common water is to be squeezed strongly thereout of, and the Calx it self laid by, to dry; which may afterwards be reduced in the Secret Crucible, or be used about a Cementation ofLapis Calaminarisinto Gold and Silver.
Forasmuch as this whiteCalxof Silver is made so very volatile by the Salts, as that it cannot be reduced at all in the common melting Pots or Crucibles without great Detriment, there is no way of preventing that loss more commodiously than this which follows.
Mix this silveryCalxwith an equal weight of aSal Alkali, and cast it into the secret red hot Crucible, wider at bottom and narrower at the top, the which you must cover with its Cover made of the Lute of Wisedom. By this means will theCalxmelt, nor will it lose any thing by fume, nor will it penetrate into the melting Pot or Crucible: and so the Silver impregnated with the Gold will be conserved without hurt, which being granulated the Gold may be separated byAq. Fortis: Now this very Solution of the Silver by theAq. Fortis, may be again used to gather [or separate] more new extracted Gold, and so will afterwards produce the Silver to be reduced the same way we instructed thee, and so give thee a perpetual Separatory Operation of Gold and Silver, which may every where be exercised with a great deal of profit.
Put upon the Rudder of thy Silvery Ship, the little Fish calledRemora, that so it may be freed from its speedy flight, and abide quiet. Melt thy said Ship together with theRemorathat fits on the Rudder in the secret four-square melting Pot, in which melting together, there is not onely recovered all the Silver without any Detriment, but it doth also get an increase of its weight, out of the white Bristles or Fins of the little Fish, and becomes enriched with Gold by its Bloud: so that this Additament yields (in the Reduction) a greater quantity of better Silver than other Additaments do. But as concerning other Commodities or Benefits that this fugacious Silver bestows, it shall (God willing) be taught afterwards.
Thus much was I willing at present to teach and reveal, concerning the extracting of volatile Gold out of Stones and the poorer Oars, and of a successive graduating of Silver into Gold. There shall be more taught elsewhere.
These Minerals or Oars are to be dealt with after the same way as we showed above about the Minera’s of Gold,viz.they are to be heated red hot, quenched, and ground with Mill-stones and be moistned withAqua Fortis, and to be extracted after the like manner as the Oars or Minera’s of Gold are, all the difference being onely in the Waters; forAqua Regisis to be used to extract the Gold with, andAqua Fortisfor the extraction of the Silver. If therefore there be the Minera’s of Gold and Silver at hand, the Gold is to be extracted byAqua Regis, and the Silver byAqua Fortis; and both the Solutions are to be mixt together, in which mixion the Silver precipitates to the bottom in theAqua Regis, and withall fisheth out the Gold out of theAqua Regis.
Neither is it here any impediment if the Oar of Silver should also contain Copper in it, which will be extracted together with theAqua Fortis. For the Silver and Gold fall down to the bottom, and the Copper abides in theAqua Regia, which is again fit to extract more Gold withall, and may indeed be used as many times as any one shall please. The Copper it self is extracted out of theAqua Regisby Iron Plates, but they tinge theAqua Regiswith a yellow colour, and therefore make it altogether unfit for any farther labours of this kind. Better is it therefore to concentrate it upon the Ashes of Lead, that so that spiritual Iron in theAqua Regis, may convert some of the Lead into Gold by Gradation, and theAqua Regisit self having been so often used may be yet again used.
Fill a Glass Cucurbit, or one made of the best Earth, and excellently well luted a little more than half full, with the Minera, Sand, or Stones containing in them, fugitive and fix Gold, and hereupon pour as much of the followingMenstruumas is sufficient to moisten them; then presently put on an Alembick (for assoon as ever the dissolving Water is poured on the Oars or Minera’s, it presently works and fumes) and draw off therefrom (in Sand) all the humidity by Distillation: that so in the distilling the Gold it self may be dissolved, and theAqua Regisit self may by Distillation be recovered; which is again profitable for a new Operation, as we shall tell you by and by. All the moisture being drawn off, let the Cucurbit cool in the Sand, and then take it out, and put in some Water, that the Minera’s and Salt may be softned. Now extract very carefully and diligently, all the Salt out of the Oar, in which said Salt is the Gold that is extracted out of the Oars or Minera’s, and boil it up into a red Salt, to which must be added some Litharge, and so must be molten in such Pots as will not break. The Litharge will imbibe all the Gold, which how it is to be separated from the Lead, we will presently teach in the following discourse.
For the extraction of Gold, Salt is to be dissolved inAqua Fortis, and for the extraction of Silver, you must dissolve Salt-peter inAqua Fortis. With these Waters, of which you may furnish your self with plenty without any great labour, moisten the Oars and then distill them off again from the said Oars, and they will be always fit for such like Operations, insomuch that you need never to make new Waters. Nay more, in all the several Operations and Extractions of the Oars, they will be more and more augmented, so that if thou usest but at first no more than two pounds of the same Waters, they may suffice thee for infinite extractions.
N. B.By this means, all the Gold, how little soever, may be extracted by thee out of all Flints, Sand, and other Minerals without any expences, the Fire onely excepted.
This also is expedient for me here to show, that sometimes there are to be found fugacious Minera’s of Gold, and coloured Flints which are sufficiently rich with Gold, and are painted as ’twere with delicate colours,viz.green, sky-colour, and red: but in the heating them red hot, those colours vanish, and leave the Flints white. Such as these admit not of heating red hot, like as others do, which retain their colours in a red hot Fire. Therefore such must be reduced into Powder without any previous heating red hot, and you must extract them [as they are] that so the volatile Gold may be attracted by theAqua Regis, which said Gold being abstracted [again] by the Ashes of Lead commits it self to [or imbibes it self in] the said Ashes, which are to be reduced by the help of the secret Crucible; in which Reduction, the Gold becomes corporeal and admits of being separated from the Lead with profit.
N. B.Such Stones may likewise be mixed with the sharp coagulated Spirits, and these [Spirits] may be forced over by a Retort: For so, the fugitive Spirits of the Salts carry over with them the Volatile Gold, and make a very excellent Gradatory-water, transmuting fugitive Mercury into Gold, with greater profit, than if this very volatile Gold had been made Corporeal with Lead.
This secret is none of the least of those which teach the Extraction of Gold out of colour’d Flints or Stones.
Such a volatile Gold may also pass into other Metals by gentle Cementations, and so become fix, and will bring no small profit, nay rather a greater benefit than if it were gotten out by fusion. In such Cementations, the volatile Gold hath time of getting a body with the other Metals, and of acquiring a fixity, and is as it were a golden Seed, which augments it self into Gold, in, or out of the Metallick Earth.
For Gold, let Salt; for Silver, let Salt-peter be dissolved in the Water [orAqua Fortis] and let be thereto added as much Oil of Vitriol as half the Salt as you put. This Water extracteth Gold and Silver out of the poor Minera’s Sand and Stones, and requireth the same operation as the precedent ones doe. It is likewise augmented even to infinity, insomuch, that Gold and Silver may be extracted out of the poor Mines without Costs, if you except but the fire.
N. B.Oil of Sulphur does the same that Oil of Vitriol doth, and therefore may it serve instead thereof in such Extractions of Gold and Silver.
Mix the Oars or Minera’s with their due Waters, and therewithall fill small Pots or Crucibles made of the best Earth, which put near one another in a great Iron pot. Put an Alembick upon the Pot, and draw off the Spirits by distillation, which [Spirits] will requite all thy disbursements, and will so give thee GoldGratis, which you are to wash out of the Oars with Water, and get it [or corporifie] bySaturn.
Moisten the Oars with their due Waters, cast them in by little and little upon the live Coals, and that in such a manner as we taught thee about distilling Spirit of Salt. By this Distillation the Spirits pass into the receiving Vessels, and the Gold and Silver are dissolved and stay behind with theSal Mirabilis, and is to be washt out of the Oars with Water, and to be molten withSaturn. Thus is gotten the Gold and Silver that was in the Minera’s or Oars, without any expences, and the Spirits quit all the Costs.
Although that the Extraction of Gold and Silver by moist waters is a sordid operation, as was aforesaid at the beginning, yet is it not done without profit; because the Gold and Silver may be gotten out of the Waters by precipitation, and of the used Waters may Salt-peter be made. But now the case is far otherwise with fat Clay, for that, it being fat, the Spirits hide themselves therein, that the one half thereof can hardly be recovered, unless such an Earth be freed of its fatness by heating it red-hot: and this requires some labour to effect it.
But seeing that in all places of the World, wheresoever any Earth is, there is such a kind of Earth, and that in no small quantity, that contains Gold and Silver: and there hath not as yet been any body that hath endeavour’d to reduce it to any profit, and bring it into use, but especially when it contains not in it so much Gold and Silver as to defray the charges of separating it by Lead. But I have found out a very easie way of doing it with profit, and I think it my duty to disclose that Artifice for the publick good; and it is thus:
Mix such an Earth as contains therein Gold and Silver with the Water of Vitriol, which I have afore described, and make it up into balls somewhat bigger than ones fist, which throw orderly and by little and little into my first Furnace, or into my second distillatory Furnace, and draw off the Spirit by Distillation. The dissolved Gold and Silver remaining in theSal-Mirabilisis to be extracted out of those balls broken small, with warm water, and to be reduced by Lead, after the afore described manner.
It is certain that all Granates, what Colour soever they are of, or what place soever you meet with them in, whether you have them out of Rivers, or wash them out of Sand or fat Clay, or that you find them in the high Mountains and Rocks; they always contain in them much Gold: but by reason of their Glassy nature, they cannot by any means be extracted withAqua Fortisor strong Waters, nor can they by reason of the hardness of their bodies fusion be molten with Lead. Hence it is, that as hitherto they have never been so handled as to have their Gold extracted out of them with profit, and therefore are they neglected as unprofitable, unworthy, abject, and contemptible Minerals, whereas notwithstanding it is a thing feasible for a man to enjoy their Gold and Silver with a little labour, and as it were without any trouble. But now what course must we take to doe this, seeing they elude the sharpestpowers or efficacy of all strong or sharp Waters, whereby their heart may be penetrated, and Gold may be extracted out of their bowels? I answer; They are to be overcome by Concentrated Spirits, and which are reduced to the form of Salt, as also by a fusile Salt of Lead, and be so divested of the Gold they contain in them, and without this will the victory over them hardly be obtained. For Spirits being reduced to the form of Salt, doe abide the fire most patiently, and perform a double labour; one by their Acrimony, the other by a strong fire, insomuch that nothing can escape their power, and therefore all things are tamed and subdued by them, and doe afterwards readily obey the virtues or power of Saturnine Salt, and yield forth their Gold by fusion.
I believe it is not unknown to any one that is but a little acquainted with the knowledge of the Minera’s of Gold, that the Gold cannot be gotten out of them without the addition of Lead, or the help of some matter rendring the fusion more easie. And now when such Oars contain but little Gold, and contrariwise much Lead, or matters requisite to promote fusion are of necessity to be thereto used, how can it be, that that little portion of Gold or Silver should recompense or defray such great expences? Therefore such poorer Oars have hitherto lain as cast-aways, as being uncapable of bearing the Expences of reparation, and so are not put to any use, nor are at all profitable.
But admit that the Oars do contain as much Gold and Silver, as that the Costs of melting may be repaid by them; yet such a fusion, compared with this invention of mine of Extracting Gold and Silver with Waters and Salts, is as if you should compare Water with Wine, or the night with the most brightsome day, which have no comparison.
For, first of all, the common melting of Metals is accompanied with far greater Expences, than that Extraction of mine with Salts, which verily needs but a very little charge. Then farther, it can never be, that all the Gold should be so perfectly Extracted out of the Oars, but that some of the same will abide in the Scoria’s; besides, the volatile Gold and Silver, which must necessarily be blown off by the vehement blast of the bellows, and the acuteness of the fire, and so be lost.
Now amongst all the conveniencies that arise from the Extracting of Gold and Silver out of the poor Mines, that is none of the meanest,viz.that not onely all the fix Gold and Silver are conserved by the Salts, but also the Volatile too, and this latter is made fix and constant in the fire, together with that former fixt part, whereas by the Fusing fire it is all of it lost.
N. B.For the Waters of the Salts doe make the volatile Spirits of Gold and Silver, and which otherwise would vanish away fix and constant; for by a strong blast and force of fire are they rendred yet more fugacious. Hence comes it to pass, that [there is but the] one half part of that Gold extracted by the fire of the usual way of melting, that the Waters of Salts get out of the Oars. Upon this account my Invention doth not onely yield this commodiousness as to get both the fix and volatile Gold and Silver together, without any detriment out of the Oars, but also gets not a little in sparing Coals, (not to mention this, that one man does more in the Extraction of Gold and Silver by Salts, than three men are wont to doe in the common way of Fusion.
By what hath now been said, it is evidently apparent, what a deal of benefit and profit this invention will bring in all places ofGermany. For this Extraction may be used commodiously and profitably, not onely in all Minera’s or Oars both rich and poor ones, but also may be used in Extracting the Gold and Silver out of all colour’d Flints, wherewith all Rivers, Brooks and Fields do abound.
But some or other may haply say here, by what means can it possibly be, that Gold and Silver should be extracted out of the Stones that lie too and agen every where in the Streets? I answer such, that indeed it is very rare to find fix Gold and Silver in such Stones, but yet they have in them a spiritual, unripe and volatile Gold, which is not onely made fix and constant in the extraction made by Salts, but it doth likewise turn some of the Lead it self that is added in the fusing and separating it into its own nature by Graduation. Hence ’tis evident, that in all places of the Terrestrial Globe wheresoever Stones are, good Gold and Silver may be gotten with profit, by a little labour and small costs. Praise and glory be eternally given to the most bountifull Lord God for such Inventions.Amen.
These are the Secrets which I publickly demonstrated and divulged [or communicated] in my Laboratory, for the benefit of my Countrey. And I do now again affirm and witness that if even the very bare Letter be observed, no body can err. And if so be that any one should change this or that order, and so think to better the Operations, and should err, let him not lay the fault upon me who have Written the naked truth, but let him blame himself.
I had several other things of no small moment, to have spoken to here at present, the which I shall God willing very suddenly dispatch in my second Century, for the present time does not permit it.
And in the said Century will I declare with a yet clearer and easier manifestation, those Secrets here disclosed, the which could not at present be done because of my too much hast.
And now I wish to all the pious Students after this so great an Art, a large and plenteous blessing from the mercifull Lord God, as to this so very excellent a Work, that the poverty and want of abundance of miserable People may be supplied in many places. Which if it be (as I hope it will) it will exalt the honour and glory of the most high, and will encrease the Prosperity of the Countrey, and withall will check and keep under the most base attempts of mine Enemies. But especially if the counsel that I have proposed in my first Century, (viz.that every one may have liberty to exercise such Operations,) takes place. This being granted, it cannot be, but that Gold and Silver and Copper will every where be gotten out of the Earth, with the help of these my Writings, to the great profit and benefit of all the whole Countrey.
And so I conclude this so much hastned Appendix, wrested from me occasionally by perverse Men. Those things that I have not in such or such a place clearly and evidently enough expressed for want of time, I will express God willing in my second Century with a clearer Explanation, and thither do I refer the well-minded Reader.
The End of theAppendix.