R.mix these matters and moisten them with common water, that they may be converted into a mass, of which you shall (by a crucible mold) frame small and great crucibles, knocking them into your mold with an heavy mallet, according to the manner I described in the fifth part of my Furnaces. Then take them forth of the mold and dry them in the air, and when they are dry use them; for they need not any burning in the Potters Furnace. They will (being rightly handled) stand a long time in the coals, and will not chap, neither will they melt with the most vehement fire.
Forasmuch as I caused to be stamped at the beginning of this small work, a circle with a square in its inside, and with these annexed words,In the Sun, and in Salt are all things; (the truth of whichfigure and inscription is sufficiently enough evidenced by the so many operations described in this Century;) it seemed worth while unto me, to make an assertion here in the end of this Treatise by a true and evident demonstration, that all things are procreated, conserved, and encreased by the Sun and Salt, as being the principal and most noble creatures of God; but with this provizo, that there be present the seeds of those things that require multiplication.
For though the Sun and Salt were yet far excellenter and nobler subjects than they now be, yet notwithstanding could they not produce or generate so much as the smallest herb or meanest worm (to say nothing of a Man) without seed. If we have but seed, then it is permitted us by God, to propagate the same by the Sun and Salt. The begetting of seeds, God hath reserved to himself alone. The seed therefore is for us sufficient, which if we have, we are able to propagate and encrease it even to infinity, by the efficacy of the Sun and Salt, (that universal nutriment of all things.)
The universal medicament and nutriment that the Countrey men use about conserving their Vineyards, Grounds, and Pastures, is the Dung of Cattle and Sheep; from the which Dung being laid to the roots of the Vines and Trees, and thrown into the Fields and Pastures, the Vegetables do attract their necessary nutriment, do grow and bring forth fruits needfull for the support and nourishment of Men and Beasts.
But forasmuch as this nutriment which all the Vegetables do extract out of the Dung of the Beasts is nothing else but a urinous Salt, and that we know how to prepare out of the common Salt, such a urinous Salt which may be used about dunging and fatning the Earth instead of Dung, therefore verily we may be without that said Dung, being but furnished with such a Salt; the which being Alkalizated by the fire doth extend it self much wider, or goes farther, and dures much longer in the Earth, nourishing and dunging it, than the Beasts Dung doth.
Besides it gives to all Fruits and Corn, a far sweeter savour, and smell, than Dung it self doth, the truth of which will easily appear to him that will make tryal of the same. Nay more, and what is of far greater moment; there may (by the help of such Salts) be communicated to Fruits, especially to those that grow on Trees, and to Grapes, a most fragrant odour; if instead of Dung, such Salts be used to the Fields and Gardens, and some spices or other things of a fragrant smell be mixed with those Salts, and put to the roots of the Vegetables. An example will illustrate it more clearly.
Plow up some part of some barren Ground, such as is so for want of Dung; or, even some meer sandy Ground, and throw upon it of the said salt as much as is sufficient, and by plowing mix it with the Earth it self, and sow therein any kind of grain you please, and it will spring up out of the salted Earth or Sand, and be encreased, and recompence the pains taken about it, with an hundred fold encrease of the seed, even just as if you had dunged it, nay better than with the common Dunging.
And now I pray, whence doth that faculty of growing, encreasing, and multiplying arise, save from Salt alone, which you sowed your barren Field withall? For the seed cannot purchase to it self nutriment, and aliment, growth and encrease from the barren Sand and Rain-water onely. And this you may try the truth of very easily, if you fill two wooden Chests or Boxes with common Sand, and put to the Sand in one of them one, two, or three pounds of that inverted Salt, (according to the bigness or smallness of your box) and in the other box let there be onely Sand. If now you sow divers seeds in each of the Sands, and set them in the air, moistening them with Rain-water, those seeds will indeed grow out of both the Sand-boxes and get increase, but yet that which grows where it has been sprinkled with Salt is far fuller and perfecter, insomuch that it will hold on its growth till it comes to its utmost ripeness, whenas the other seeds in the other Sand-box will by little and little perish and dye.
It evidently appears from hence that the faculty of growing and increasing, in all things proceedeth from Salt onely. If so be therefore, that Pease, Beans, Oats, Barly, Rye, Wheat, Wine, and all kinds of Fruits, do grow, and are increased by the benefit of Salt, it necessarily follows, that Salt is the subject and universal nutriment.
But that it may be understood how the common Salt (which otherwise is wont to corrupt or extinguish all the faculty of growth in those things it is mixed withall) is to be inverted or turned in and out, that its hurtfull corroding property being put off it may put on the nature of Alkalies or urinous Salts, I do here covertly set down the manner of the operation, so that it may remain hidden to mine enemies and be communicated onely to my friends.
Take common Salt,&c.[See the Preparation in Append. 5. p.Prosp. Germ.]
Let them be well heated red hot together at the fire, this done, the salt will be dispoiled of its Acrimony and get an urinous property, and being used in a due quantity instead of Dung, to barren Grounds, causeth that the seeds sown therein produce much fruit. But this kind of dunging requireth frequenter Rains than that which is done with Dung; and therefore it may be better and more commodious in moorish places than Beasts Dung, if it may be done, which conjoyns the said salt, and produceth the most wished effects
But especially the said salt is far better for Vines and Fruit Trees than Dung is: for it gives to Grapes, Apples, Pears and such like Tree-Fruits, a far better savour than Dung is wont to afford: Besides, this benefit accrues to Vines thereby, that being sprinkled with that Salt, they have oft times nutriment enough for twenty years, and do every year bring forth Fruit most plentifully: whereas the nutriment of dunging will scarce suffice for five or six years.
Further, That Salt may be far easier, and with much less costs carried and transported into the high Mountains than Dung can; for a far greater quantity of Dung is required than of the said Salt, which said Salt diffuseth it self far larger, or goes much farther than the Dung, and dures longer.
I did this very spring-time last past, put such an inverted salt to some half dead Vines, which being planted in a lean sandy ground could scarce grow up a fingers heighth, and they presently began to flourish, and grew up so fast that the growth was day by day perceptible. When therefore on a certain day I was shewing some Friends of mine the melioration of metals, in my Laboratory, to be effected by the help of common salt, as they were wondring at the thing, I shewed them those Vines afore my Laboratory, that sprang up from the half dead stocks, andthey measuring some of the branches of the Vines, found that in two or three months they were grown some 6, 7, 10, and 11 foot long, and the stocks or stalks whence they grew were two or three times thicker than at first; which great change or transmutation in the Vines, proceeding from the salt, would be more admirable and profitable than that of metals, if we did not look upon that transmutation of gold with such covetous eyes. And forasmuch as this transmutation spoken of, was observed in the month ofJuly, and that there are almost yet three months for Vines to encrease and grow; any one may easily conjecture what an encrease the wood [or branches] of the Vines would have in the space of a whole Summer.
But let this suffice concerning the inversion of the common salt, being a most profitable promoter of the growing faculty in all things; the which things I was necessitated to declare here in the end of this small work, that so I might demonstrate those things which I asserted at the beginning of the same,viz.that in salt lie all things hidden, and by the seeds of things and the help of the Sun are rendred visible, palpable and essential.
That my inventions may be in many places profitable for the whole Countrey, I judged it worth while, briefly to declare my meditations or conceptions thereabouts; and to make a declaration of the way or manner which I judge it may most exceeding profitably be done by.
First of all, I suppose it is sufficiently well known that Princes and Noblemen are occupied or troubled with otherguess burdens and business than to employ or busie themselves with the care and enquiry after the metalline mine-pits, that are here and there in the Countries subject unto them. And if they should commit the care of these things to their servants, ’tis likely that they would rather pass their time in feastings or merry meetings, than in a painfull search of Mines and metallick Veins in the woods and mountains. And as for the subjects themselves, seeing they are altogether rude and ignorant of such arts, by what means, and with what success they can undertake such kind of Labours, any one may easily guess. These are the Causes why things of such great moment are let slip without any profit at all, and are plainly neglected. But in my judgment, though it be but slender, any Prince that hath many Subjects under his obedience, may every year gather store of gold and silver, and that without costs, if he would but onely cause a small Laboratory to be erected, wherein the poor Mines may be extracted with due waters; and leave given to such of his subjects as breath after the knowledge of such Arts, to frequent such a Laboratory, and there to learn such Arts, with thisProviso, that every one should bring the gold, silver and copper boiled or gotten out of the poor minerals by the help of the said extraction, into the Mony-shop or Coining-house, at such a rate as they are every where esteemed or valued at, and not transport it out of the Countrey. Now by this means, not only the chief Magistrate would without any cost and labour get no small profit by the mony, but likewise every body would to their utmost, labour in the inquisition after such poor Mines, that he might get Gold and Silver, and other Metals, out of those poor metallick Veins, and get gain for him and his. But now if the Prince or Magistrate will not permit his Subjects the exercise of such a work, but keep all to himself, any one may easily conjecture, that not so much as a man will set about searching after such Mines, but will rather hide them, especially if the Magistrate (as is wont to be sometimes done) would constrain his Subjects to such kind of Labours.
This (according to my simple opinion, no ways prescribing to any what to doe) would be the readiest way, without hurting of any man (nay rather it would help and assist many a man) of furnishing our Country with Gold and Silver Coin, which Foreigners have made it bare of. But this will not be by any way, unless the Magistrates themselves do make a beginning, as to the institution of such a work, by this means inviting and stirring up their Subjects to undertake such like Labours, which will bring great Treasures even to the whole Country. By this means may rich Mints be set up in very many places, instead of those which at this time afford Mony or Coin so sparingly, and no small portion of Copper too, mixed with it.
These few things was I willing to advise for the sake of the good of the whole Country; only laying down my simple opinion without prescribing a rule to any, hoping, that no body of what rank or condition soever they be, will take it otherwise than well.
Secondly, Every Prince and great man would mightily promote the common welfare of his poor, if he would but take the care of shewing the way of so inverting common Salt by one hours heating it red hot, and bringing it to that pass, that it may be made use of instead of Cattles dung, for the fatning and bettering of barren Vineyards, unfruitfull Gardens, and other Fields that are backward or slow in bearing Fruits: for verily, even from this very Art would redound much profit to some Countries. For, many Vineyards here and there, and many Grounds do want due tillage because of the scarcity of Dung, whereas otherwise they would prove very profitable both to the Subjects and Magistrates, if they could be fatned and made fertile by this kind of way.
Besides too, all Wines would be had in much more plenty, and be of a far sweeter and pleasanter taste, by such a medium, than if the Vineyards and Fields were dunged with Beasts dung. But as touching this thing, see more in the continuation of myMiraculum Mundi.
The end of the First Century.