I have, in this Third Dialogue, made mention of a certain secret fiery Water, which can ripen the Volatile and immature Minerals, and Metals: And herein I have principally regarded aParticularTransmutation. But forasmuch as aParticularMelioration of the Metals requires as much time, and no fewer Expences, than theUniversalit self does, I would here commend to the Sons of Art theUniversalwork, which is to be preferred before aParticularone. Such things as we have perhaps omitted in this Dialogue, the Description of my fourth Secret Fire will sufficiently supply the defect; to which, I refer the friendly Reader. He will there see and understand, that the greatest part of the whole Work, and the very hinge of the said Operation, consists chiefly in the true Vessel, in which our Matter is to be ripened; and without the knowledge of which, there can never be any thing done to purpose. Which Vessel, seeing that all the Philosophers have covered over, and hidden with so great a Care and Diligence, and have involved it with such obscure Clouds of darkness, I should do amiss, yea, most extreamly amiss, should I lay it open, and bring it from out of those dark inwrapments, into the Light. Thus much only I say, that it ought to be such a Fornace, and the Vessel it self such a one too, as in which, all the Chymical Operations,viz.Solution, Putrefaction, Distillation, Sublimation, Cohobation, Ascension, Descension, Circulation, Inceration, and Fixation may be perfectly shewn unto anHermetickDisciple, or Learner, in one hours time, in one little Fornace, in one Glass, and in one Fire, all which must not cost morethan the value of one quarter part of a Doller, and is all done without any changing of the Glasses, or putting to, of the hands of the Operator. These are indeed such things as exceed all the belief of the whole World, but yet they do not exceed Glauber’s faith, nor sufficeth it him only to believe, but he can also effect the same, that so other incredulous people may believe likewise.
N. B.On a certain time, as I was familiarly discoursing with a learned Man, concerning such great and incredible things, he presented me with these following Verses, aptly agreeing to this Matter in hand.
Thy* John.* Sirname(Glauber!)given was, as, untoFaith, relatingYet by good right it should have squar’d unto thy Operating.Faith’s Objects are invisible, but yet, such things, do you,As would at first be scarce believ’d, produce by Art to view.
Thy* John.* Sirname(Glauber!)given was, as, untoFaith, relatingYet by good right it should have squar’d unto thy Operating.Faith’s Objects are invisible, but yet, such things, do you,As would at first be scarce believ’d, produce by Art to view.
Thy* John.* Sirname(Glauber!)given was, as, untoFaith, relatingYet by good right it should have squar’d unto thy Operating.Faith’s Objects are invisible, but yet, such things, do you,As would at first be scarce believ’d, produce by Art to view.
Thy* John.* Sirname(Glauber!)given was, as, untoFaith, relating
Yet by good right it should have squar’d unto thy Operating.
Faith’s Objects are invisible, but yet, such things, do you,
As would at first be scarce believ’d, produce by Art to view.
Reader, that we may see, if and how the inferiour Metals, by true Art, may be transmuted into good and constant Gold and Silver: I find, that it is first necessary to declare whence, and by what means the Melioration of the imperfect Metals must proceed by Art, and by what means only by Nature, without the hand of the Artist, the clean and fixed Gold and Silver hath arrived to such a Purity, and Perfection.
It being then, that this knowledge is the only Foundation, upon whichAlchymyis built, I find it necessary to discover it to those, who are ignorant of it, and to shew a sure way, in which they may go without hinderance, and happily arrive to the desired End.
The Reason, why Nature generates all Metals in the Mountains, and brings some of them to Perfection, and leaves others imperfect, several Philosophers of our Ancestors have very plainly described, and therefore needs not here to be repeated. He that knows it not may enquire after it, in the Writings of these Philosophers, where he may learn their Grounds, or Reasons, only this little I think necessary here to shew,viz.that all Metals and Minerals have but one Original, or beginning, to wit, the four Elements, Fire, Air, Earth and Water. But that one Metal in the Earth, in which is its Matrix, becomes to be more noble than another, this is but accidental, according as one Metal by the Central Fire is more, or less cocted, and chiefly from thence, according as the Universal Spirit of the World, or first Matter of Metals, lights of a Matrix in the Earth, more clean or unclean. But passing this by, because the Books of Philosophers are filled with them, although observed by a very small number of Men. For almost all who read Chymical Books, read only to the end, that they may see those Processes, which teach how to make Gold and Silver out of the inferiour Metals, but do not at all mind the Original, and difference of Metals, although that ought to be the first, for where the Philosophers write of the Generation and difference of Metals, there they publish the whole Ground ofAlchymy: But where they write theirReceipts, andProcesses, their they obscure the Art, and lead the easie Believers into Errour. Among all the Philosophers, I have found none which hath dealt more plainly and openly in this Matter, thanParacelsusin hisHeaven of Philosophers, who writes, that every Metal is an hider or concealer of the other Six, or that every visible Metal contains in it self invisibly and spiritually the other six Metals, and that to bring forth and make visible, the invisible, and more noble Metal, and on the contrary, to transplant the visible and ignobler Metal in the same place, where the more noble and invisible was, is very possible, which is indeed the very Truth. For I my self have perform’d this Transplantation, not only once, but some hundred times. If any hath a mind to perform any notable thing inAlchymy, he can find no Book, which will teach him more than the Book above cited. But yet I will not despise the Books of other good Writers. And if this were not true, that every visible Metal hides in it self the others, invisibly, how could it be possible to transmute any inferiour Metal, either universally or particularly, into good and constant Gold? But that it is possible, daily ocular inspection proves to be true, in several places of the World. Now if this be so, as no man needs to doubt it, it will not be difficult to teach any understanding Man, if he will but learn a little how to handle the Fire, how to bring forth fixed and corporeal Gold, out of those gross and visible Metals, in which lyes hidden a great deal of pure and spiritual Gold. But yet you must know, that one clean Metal hath more invisible and spiritual Gold in it, than another.Jupiterhath in it much spiritual Gold, butVenusmore, andMarsthe most: YetAntimonydoth not give place toMars, for the quantity of spiritual Gold. Now whosoever is minded to undertake this sort of Labour with Profit, let him take care what Metal he handles, and how he handles it, that instead of Profit, he may not reap discouragement and damage, but may have reason to thank God, Nature and Art; in which, this following Process will sufficiently help him, in which, the true andmost certain way is openly shewn. Yet with this Proviso, that he so lives, that God may be pleased with his Conversation, and not have it in Abomination. For Gods blessing is all in all. There must be together earnest Prayers, diligent Consideration, and unwearied Labour, or else one may easily fail, although the Art be plainly and clearly set before his Eyes, without any reserve, which a good Christian ought certainly to believe. Yet I have often heard the contrary, from impious Men, such are the adherents and Consorts ofFarnner, as if God had nothing to do with such Arts, and that Art alone was Master in these Cases, which certainly is very impious, seeing that such Blasphemies, take away from God his Omnipotency, his Goodness and Mercy, and give them only to Nature, seeing that God hath not his beginning from Nature, but Nature from God. Have not the wise Heathens believed, that God could give his blessing to Mens endeavours, and take it away again at his Pleasure? What saithVirgil, that famous Philosopher? when he teacheth hew to pluck the Golden branch from theOpakeTree:
Tene manu, facileque sequetur, & uno avulso,Non deficit alter, si te fata vocant, aliter nullis viribusNec duro ferro avellere potes.One Branch being pluck’d and born away,Another follows; unless the Fates say nay nay:Without whose Smile, no force of hardest SteelTo crop the smallest Twig, can ought prevail.
Tene manu, facileque sequetur, & uno avulso,Non deficit alter, si te fata vocant, aliter nullis viribusNec duro ferro avellere potes.One Branch being pluck’d and born away,Another follows; unless the Fates say nay nay:Without whose Smile, no force of hardest SteelTo crop the smallest Twig, can ought prevail.
Tene manu, facileque sequetur, & uno avulso,Non deficit alter, si te fata vocant, aliter nullis viribusNec duro ferro avellere potes.
Tene manu, facileque sequetur, & uno avulso,
Non deficit alter, si te fata vocant, aliter nullis viribus
Nec duro ferro avellere potes.
One Branch being pluck’d and born away,Another follows; unless the Fates say nay nay:Without whose Smile, no force of hardest SteelTo crop the smallest Twig, can ought prevail.
One Branch being pluck’d and born away,
Another follows; unless the Fates say nay nay:
Without whose Smile, no force of hardest Steel
To crop the smallest Twig, can ought prevail.
It is said,Ora & Labora, Pray and Labour, according to which, let every Man live. Now you shall hear how the imperfect Metals, in a particular way, may be transmuted with great Profit, into perfect, and that very plainly without any reserve, for I have obtain’d it at length by much Consideration. And because my great Age, and several long Sicknesses keep me continually in Bed, and both Feet are as in the Grave, where I stand certainly expecting nothing else, but a happy departure out of this transitory Life, into a better, which passeth not away. So that I would by no means intermit to sing with theSwanbefore my end, a pleasant Song; which may rejoyce all the Lovers ofAlchymy, if they will make themselves sharers of this Melody. For those who read what I here write, and yet give no Credit to it, nor put their hand to the Work, and finish it with diligence, they will reap no Profit by this my instruction. But those who understand my Writing, and work plainly after the Letter, provided they have but a little understanding in the Fire, will reap great Profit; yea, even great Riches by it. For I am plain without any reserve, so that if any should fail, the fault will not be mine, but must be imputed to the Workmans want of Skil; for I never in my Life sought to gain any thing by my Writing, neither will I now do it, but it sufficeth me if I do good to my Neighbour, out of Love, with that Talent which God hath given me. Whosoever is onGlauber’s side, and will participate of my good intention, he may, or let it alone, ’tis all one to me, for they are not all good Cooks that wear long Knives; the Art consisteth in Experience, and he that is but any thing skilled in Chymical Operations will do well enough, for all is laid plainly down before his Eyes. But on the contrary, the Covetous, Proud, and Lazy, who seek to be rich without labour and pains, will find every thing dark, and never attain to any thing profitable. For God will have it so, that not every Body shall be Rich, asParacelsusvery well expresseth it in his Book ofSulphur, when he saith,Many might be helped with a few Words, if it was not against the Will of God, for God will not have theGoats-tail equal theCowsin length, for else out of Pride he might with it beat out his own Eyes, and therefore it is better to be silent, that they may remain Poor. ThusParacelsus. But IGlaubersay, that it is better to lay down the Art in truth, without difference before all Men, for God keeps still his hand over it, and to whom he Wills it, he will give it, and to whom he will not give it, he knoweth how to cast a Mist before his Eyes, that he may not see the good, nor have power to apprehend it, but may wander about in darkness, with his proud and dull Head, till at length he fall into the Pit of the impious, and there perish without help. But that I may no longer detain the Lover of Art with my Discourses, but come at length to the Practice, I will in the Name of God here set down the whole Process as it is in it self, without any Reservation, and the whole business is thus.
Now followeth the true, and often practised Process, how to transmute Silver (as being yet not a perfectly mature Metal) by degrees, without any loss, totally into the highest perfection, that is to say, into good Gold abiding all Tryals. After the revealing of this Process, we shall also hear, how all the imperfect Metals,viz.♄, ♃, ♂, and ☿ may after the same manner (but yet not totally, but only so far as they contain an incombustibleMercury,) be transmuted into good Gold and Silver. And after this Revelation, we will not omit to shew also, which way ☿ the most immature of all the Metals, may be transmuted, not only Particularly, but also Universally, into the highest Medicine, and the best Gold. But the later must thus be understood, that we may not cast Pearl before Swine, but that they may remain only among honest hearts, and not come into the hands of double-minded Men.
But now, to come to the Melioration of Silver, the ingenious must know, that Silver is naturally fixed in the Earth, and endures the fire, and therefore needs no Art to fix it; for it bears the Tryal of the Test, as well as Gold, wanting only Colour and Weight, which Nature hath not bestowed upon it, but may be procured by Art. As for the Colour, the secret Fire of the Wise can only make it perfect, for all Colours are absconded in the common Fire of Wood, and the Sun, as we daily see, that the Universally ripening Sun, brings all the Fruits of the Earth, from a Green and White, by its constant Beams, to Redness and Maturity. And we also see, that the common Fire, of Wood and Coals, makes Earths and Minerals which are White, become Red, as we seeCrocus Martis,Minium, and other Colours which are produced out of Black, Gray, and White Metals and Minerals; as the highly illuminatedParacelsushath sufficiently taught us,viz.that the common fire of Coals, by its own power and innate Nature, without any addition of other things, is perfectly able to graduate the white Metals, into Red, or yellow Gold, as you may see in hisBook of Cements. If the common Wood-fire of it self doth this, what cannot the Fire of the wise effect, which was always kept in the greatest Secrecy? Especially, if one know how to add a graduatingMetallickSpecies, asMars,Venus, andAntimony, and the like, after a spiritual manner, to the secret Fire; which is the way to give to white Silver, a constant Redness.
As for the weight of Silver, it may, in like manner as the Colour be given to Silver by Art, so that it shall be equal with Gold in weight: Which introduction of Colour and weight into ☽, the Philosophers have called closing of its Pores. For this is certain, that if any light Metals are melted together, that one filleth up the Pores of the other, and both come out of the Fire more compact and heavy, than they were before. For example: Take half an Ounce of Red Copper, and as much of good Tin, melt these together, and pour them out into a Bullet-mould, and you will see, that they will not be much more in Magnitude than one of them was before; for one Bullet of ♀ and one of ♃ may almost be put into the same Mould: From whence it appears, that one Metal hath an ingress into the other, and mends, and augments it in its weight and Colour; but what those Metals are which give weight and colour to Silver, you may easily guess. Nothing can tinge, but what is naturally Coloured, and nothing can better give weight, than what is naturally heavy: In which, ☿ and ♄ have the Preheminency, but in introducing Colour,Mars,Venus, andAntimonyexcel. But which way this introduction of colour and weight, into light and white Silver, is to be done, the following Process will teach.
But this the Ingenious ought to know, that it is no Art at all, that if the Iron made Red, and ☿ and ♄ made White, be mixed with ☽, yet they will not render it durable, red and heavy: But the Corroding ♄ will quite take away the Redness and Whiteness upon theCupel: For what is not purged from all combustibleSulphur, cannot Sustain theCupel, but will vanish withSaturn, and turn intoScoriæ: And seeing that we know, that ♂ and ☿ contain abundance of superfluous combustibleSulphur, and also that their incombustibleSulphuris not yet fixed enough, to refill the Corroding ♄ upon theCupel, and therefore with him must vanish and come to nothing, for all that is able to abide theCupelmust be separated from all combustibleSulphur. Now we know, that ♂ and ☿ are not so, and therefore cannot abide theCupel. For ♂ if he be made Red, and cast upon Silver, he doth not remain Red with it, but so much as enters the Silver, again becomes black Iron, and therefore can give no Colour to the Silver; and also ☿ flies away, and so leaves no weight to the Silver: WhichParacelsushath sufficiently described in hisCœlum Philosophorum. So that if one melt unfixed Metals with Gold and Silver, and keep them together never so long in the Fire, yet notwithstanding the unfixed Metals, cannot be made fixed by the Gold and Silver, but every of them would again be found in theExamen, as they were before. But if one Metal should make the other better, they ought to be spiritually conjoyned, and so the Spirit of one Metal will improve the other. For all Philosophers testifie, that the Metals must first be reduced to their first Matter, that is, they must be brought into a spiritual being, before they can be transmuted into more Noble, by Art. But which way all Metals are to be spiritualized, and brought to their first Matter, is taught in my Treatise of theThree Principles of Metals, lately published, as also in the Seventh part of myPharmacopæa Spagyrica, and its Appendix. Now if one would Meliorate, or improve, the imperfect Metals, the imperfect combustibleSulphurmust first be Separated from them, that only the purest and incombustible part,viz.the incombustibleSulphurmay remain; which may be done by several ways; as by Distillation, and Rectification, and also by Adustion, and Combustion, in which nothing perisheth, but the combustible and unprofitable part: But the incombustible Oyl still remains, and doth not perish by the Fire; and also by Solutions, Distillations and Rectifications, all the unprofitable Feces of the Metals are separated, and there remains only the clean Quintessence of the Metals, which are separated and advanced into a concentrated Medicine. This Separation of the unprofitable and combustibleSulphur, from the incombustible, as Old Philosopher hath notably expressed in these Verses.
Est impossibile, Sulphur sine Flamma delere,Calcis adustibile, quod præstat fossa Mineræ.Sulphurimpure, we can’t blot out,Till Circling Flames play round aboutOur Oars and Calces; for then theyThis subtil Fire forthwith obey.
Est impossibile, Sulphur sine Flamma delere,Calcis adustibile, quod præstat fossa Mineræ.Sulphurimpure, we can’t blot out,Till Circling Flames play round aboutOur Oars and Calces; for then theyThis subtil Fire forthwith obey.
Est impossibile, Sulphur sine Flamma delere,Calcis adustibile, quod præstat fossa Mineræ.
Est impossibile, Sulphur sine Flamma delere,
Calcis adustibile, quod præstat fossa Mineræ.
Sulphurimpure, we can’t blot out,Till Circling Flames play round aboutOur Oars and Calces; for then theyThis subtil Fire forthwith obey.
Sulphurimpure, we can’t blot out,
Till Circling Flames play round about
Our Oars and Calces; for then they
This subtil Fire forthwith obey.
Here the Philosopher tells us, that every combustibleSulphur, may be burnt, and reduced into nothing, but no otherwise, than by a kindled and combustible Fire, by whose Flame nothing that is good, but only the superfluous and noxiousSulphurby which all the inferiour Metals are destroyed, is taken away. And therefore justly reputed imperfect, as long, and as often, until this unprofitableSulphuris taken away from them, either Particularly, by Dissolving and Coagulating, Distilling and Rectifying, or else by an Universal fixedMercuryby projection, by which means the hurtful combustibleSulphuris fixed, and, without Combustion, transmuted into a nobler Metal. For this is very possible, that any combustibleSulphur, by an easie way and small Charge, and in a short time,viz.in one day, Particularly, may be so fixed, and made constant in the Fire, that, without being burnt, it may be able to endure the strongest Fire, the which is handled more at large, in myThree Principles of Metals. From hence it follows, that no imperfect Metal can be transmuted, with Profit, into a Perfect, before it be free’d from its combustibleSulphur, which may be done several ways. Now, he who hath a mind to get any good out of the imperfect Metals, must learn how to separate their unprofitableSulphur, either by one means or other, as I have sufficiently taught. For in this,viz.in the Separation of the combustibleSulphur, from the incombustible, consists the whole Art; which every one ought to attend without other thoughts. Now after we have understood out of this Theory, in what the Melioration of the Metals consists, or how it must be effected, it is necessary to know the exact Practice, or Process, as the Operations succeed one another: For to this work belongs, not only Distillation and Rectification, to separate the pure from the impure, but also the most subtil and clean parts, after they are separated from their Feces, must be made fixed, subtiler, and constant,viz., so constant, that the Corroding ♄, may not overcome them, but against his Will, leave them constant upon theCupel. This is one of the greatest Secrets inAlchymy, yet taken notice of but by few, and therefore few there are who reap any Profit. For the greatest part of Operators are persuaded, that if they had but Red Metallick Tinctures, that they could immediately tinge with them, but in the end they have understood, that more than unfixed Tinctures are required. It is an easie Matter, to make Red Tinctures out of Stones and Metals: But these are not permanent on theCupel, without true Fixation, which the Philosophers call Perpetuation in the Fire. Nothing in theWorld can tinge, so that the tinged Metal can endure theCupel, as long as the Tincture is still Metallick. For whatsoever is made out of Metals, and by a strong Fire may again be reduced into a Metal, cannot be called a true Tincture, for whatsoever yet contains a combustibleSulphur, perisheth upon theCupelwithSaturn, and nothing abides, but what is totally deprived of that. For even theSaturncontains much combustibleSulphur, therefore he so readily acts upon Sulphureous Metals, and draws them with himself in to theCupel, which he cannot do to Gold and Silver. But because we also know this, that when by the help of common fixed Gold, a combustible and fugaciousSulphuris well united and fixed, that the combustibleSulphuradheres so closely to the fixed Gold, that it also remains fixed with it, and can never be separated from it. Now, if the weight and proportion be well adjusted, then the fixedSulphurenters with the Gold into Lune, and Tingeth it into constant Gold. But if the conjunction of theSulphurand Gold, be not well made, or too much of theSulphurbe put to the Gold, it takes away the Ingress of the Gold, so that it remains with theSaturn, and cannot enter the Silver. It is also to be observed, that if theSulphurof ♂, ♀ or ♁ be legitimately united with ☉, and yet be not kept long enough together, it will produce no good; and therefore the Transmutation of Metals is not so easie a thing, as many imagine; it is not enough to make a Tincture; to fix it, is more; and to give an Ingress, is hardest of all. And these three things ought to be well known, if one would effect any good in the Transmutation of Metals.
Now that we may farther hear, which way Tinctures may be drawn out of the Red Metals, fixed, and made constant in the Fire, and how to give them an Ingress, I have undertaken to Reveal to the Lovers of Art. And none needs to doubt, but what I here Write are my own Inventions, which I have not only once or twice, but many times experimented, and always found good, although in small quantities, provided no accident hath hindered me. If a Glass break in the labour, or a Crucible runs out, by which one suffers loss, that is not to be accounted a loss, because it comes by accident and not from the Art, and therefore not to be imputed to the Art. If an Art be never so well described, and an Unskilful Workman intermeddle with it, the Work may be easily spoiled, and therefore the fault cannot justly be charged upon the Art, as it is too often done. I shall here acquit my self of this unjust charge, if out of a good Intention I here discover the Art, as I have often done, without concealing any Manual Operation, and hereafter shall not care what Ill Men say or judge of it, if any one, through his want of Skill, should lose his labour. I here Write nothing, but what I have often done my self, and found good; for what should move me to publish any false thing, that might seduce others to labour in vain, even when I am ready to dye? I never sought any Profit by any of my Writings, no, not when I was young, and might have occasion for it. And now, when both my Feet are in a manner in the Grave, and I am certain not to live much longer, although I am heart-whole, nor find I any dolour about me, yet my Limbs being weak, I am forced to keep in my Bed, where I Write this. I say, Why should I, so near my end, write any thing hurtful to my Soul? I write this for my farewel, to do good to the World, even as the Swan, when she is near her death, sings a pleasant Song, and such I would that every one should take these my last Writings to be. But if it shall please God, I hope this will not be the last; which is only a small Work, to shew the probability and verity of the Transmutation of Metals, and to help Skilful Chymists to great Riches. But if God shall yet spare my Life, I shall write of higher matters, and shew such a light to the blind World, as hath not yet been revealed by any Man. In the mean time, I desire the Ingenious very well to consider this particular, and to try his Fortune, every thing is easie to be done, and needs no beating of the Brain, for all the labour is clearly laid down, without any reserve, therefore I would have none be so arrogant, as to impute the fault to me, if he miss his Intention, but rather to himself, through his own unskilfulness or negligence. Yet this is also to be considered, That sometimes a true skilful and diligent Operator cannot imitate an easie thing, being hindered by the Almighty, who for certain Reasons keeps his Hand over it, and will not let every Man grow Rich.
℞. A pound of Steel Wier, more or less, according as you will begin your Work in a greater or lesser quantity, dissolve it in Spirit of Salt, filter the Dissolution, and abstract the Phlegm from the Solution, in Sand, for in the Abstraction there will come over no acidity, (because theMarsholds it after a Magnetick manner) but yet this is not without virtue, for it carries over with it self a very subtle Martial Spirit, of which a little put into ones Mouth, penetrates the Tongue, so that the taste thereof remains long after. And this penetrating taste and smell, is nothing else but the most subtle NarcotickSulphurofMars, which is set at liberty in the Solution, and carried over with the sweet Water, in the deflegming. It doth wonders in Internal Obstructions; and Externally it easeth all Pains, because it is Narcotick and Stupefactive; It serveth for Physicians and Chyrurgeons in many cases, but because I have already written of this, I need not here repeat it. And this you ought to note, that you draw not off the Phlegm to dryness, but the Solution of ♂ must remain in form of an Oyl. This sweet Oyl of ♂ is theOpake Tree of Virgil, from which he hath taught us to pluck its Golden Branches, and how this is to be done, he hath also obscurely hinted, but I here publish it plainly.Virgilsaith, that those Golden Branches are the gift ofProserpina, but what was to be understood by thisProserpina, which the Heathens have said to be the Wife ofPluto, is not here expressed, but only this, that this Golden Branch was Consecrated to the GoddessJuno. He that will have the foundation of those Heathenish Gods, cannot better accomplish his Desire, than by Reading the last Edition of the Dictionary of Eight Languages, written byAmbrosius Callepine, for there he will find many curious secrets of the Ancient Poets illustrated. Now concerningProserpina, many Philosophers and Chymists understand the Corrosive Oyl or Butter ofAntimony, of which I have already made mention, although obscurely, in my TreatiseDe Sale Philosophorum, but shall here give it you more plainly. Now, it according to a due weight, you put some of thisProserpinato the Solution ofMars, and unite them well together, and then distil this mixture by a Glass Retort well Coated, there first comes over a certain unprofitable Humidity, then a white Oyl ofAntimony, whichis to be kept by it self, and when you see yellow drops begin to fall, you must then change your Receiver, then give a stronger Fire, and theProserpinabrings over with it self the Tincture ofMars, as red as Blood. This Blood-red Oyl ofMarsandAntimonyis the Golden Branch, plucked from the obscure Tree, which may easily be fixed into a particular Tincture, as we shall hear anon. Now when you have pulled one Golden Branch, you may also pluck a second and third, for they will easily follow. As for the manner of plucking more such Golden Branches, it is thus: You must dissolve the remaining ♂ with Spirit of Salt, and there will remain many Feces, but the Solution will be clearer and better than the first, although less in quantity: Now, after (as I told you before) you have put to it the due quantity of Butter ofAntimony, for which purpose that which came over in the first Distillation will well serve, and when you have driven this over by a Retort as before, theProserpinaagain brings over more of the Tincture in a Blood-red Oyl, which may as the first, be fixed into a Tincture. After this manner you may pluck many Branches, one after another, but it is not convenient, because the Solution ofMarsis diminished by every Distillation, and at length your Branches would be very small, therefore it is better when you have plucked the first Branch, so go to another Tree, and thereto pluck a Golden Branch, for the Tree is not so precious, and you may collect the Trees from which you have pulled the Branches, and dissolve them in Spirit of Salt, and then pluck from them more Branches.Proserpinahath learned this spoiling and bearing away, of her HusbandPluto, for he stoleProserpinafrom her Parents, and carried her with him into Hell, and made her his Wife.N. B.PlutocarriedProserpinainto Hell, butProserpinadoth the contrary, carrying the dead Bodies and Souls out of Hell. For she hath her Original only from the Spirit and Salt of the World, which Spirit and Salt of the World have power to carry the Souls of the dead Bodies out of Hell, as you may see in the Books of Philosophers which say.
Sal & Spiritus Mundi, ducunt Anima Mortuorum ex Orco.The Salt and Spirit of the World, bring the Souls of the Dead out of Hell.
Sal & Spiritus Mundi, ducunt Anima Mortuorum ex Orco.The Salt and Spirit of the World, bring the Souls of the Dead out of Hell.
Sal & Spiritus Mundi, ducunt Anima Mortuorum ex Orco.
Sal & Spiritus Mundi, ducunt Anima Mortuorum ex Orco.
The Salt and Spirit of the World, bring the Souls of the Dead out of Hell.
The Salt and Spirit of the World, bring the Souls of the Dead out of Hell.
Let this suffice concerning the bringing over the Metallick Souls or Tinctures, which is done byProserpina. But there is yet other ways to draw out the Tinctures of Metals out of Red Bodies, and they are chiefly to be had by means of our secretSal Armoniackin a far greater quantity, than by the help ofProserpina, which is somewhat troublesome, but yet these are more easily and perfectly acquired by our Alcahest. Now, after we have heard how to draw Tinctures out of Metals and Minerals by the help ofProserpina, it is further necessary to know how to fix those Volatile Tinctures, so that they may not only endure the strongest Fire, to which they may easily be brought, but that is not enough, they must be made so fixed, that the CorrodingSaturnmay not have power to injure them upon theCupel; if that be not done, these Tinctures can profit nothing to Metals. I have seen very many who very well know, how to Extract Tinctures out ofMars,Venus,VitriolandAntimony, but they wanted the Fixation, the perpetuation upon theCupel, and also Ingress, and therefore they could do nothing with them. These following ancient Verses are read by many, but understood by few,viz.
Fixum si solves, faciesque volare solutum& volucrem figes, faciet te vivere tutum.
Fixum si solves, faciesque volare solutum& volucrem figes, faciet te vivere tutum.
Fixum si solves, faciesque volare solutum& volucrem figes, faciet te vivere tutum.
Fixum si solves, faciesque volare solutum
& volucrem figes, faciet te vivere tutum.
If thou dissolve that which is fixed, and render it Volatile,
And again fix the Volatile, thou shalt not want.
We have proceeded according to this Verse, in making the fixed Iron Volatile, although we have not yet again rendered the Volatile fixed and constant upon theCupel. The Fixation requires but little Art, so that it may abide the Fire, but to make it abide theCupelis a great Art, and cannot be done by idle talking, but by a fundamental knowledge, without which all is in vain.
Now concerning the Fixation of those Volatile Tinctures, so as to abide theCupel, I have (thanks to God) often experimented, and have already communicated to some who are Curious, out of kindness, whose success I do not yet know. This Fixation cannot be effected without Common Gold, for when Gold in a liquid form according to a due proportion, is mixed and radically conjoyned with the Tincture, and cast into Hell toPluto, andPlutofinds his dear Consort deeply in love with theAnimaofMars, or this BeautifulHermaphroditicalYouth, he burns with Jealousie, so that he bends them so close together, as they can never afterwards be parted bySaturn. But wheresoever one of these three goeth, draweth the other two with it. And because they are also constantly together, as if it were one Spirit and Tincture united to the fixed Body of Gold, therefore they have an easie admittance into the Chamber of the QueenDiana; forDianadoth by no means shut out her dearest KingApollo, but willingly admits him, and therefore she is recompensed with all the Treasures which he hath received from his true and Warlike Servant,Mars: And of this, byNeptuneshelp, she hath made her self a glorious and constant Red Garment, which neither Water nor Fire, nor the old and enviousSaturncan spoil her of. Here I have Fundamentally described the Fixation of the Martial and Antimonial Tincture, clearly without any reservation, yet somewhat enigmatically, according to the manner of the Poets. He that doth but a little consider, cannot fail, but must comprehend it, if he hath but a moderate Capacity, except God shall prohibite him.
Now let us further see, what may be further done with our Red Oyl of ♂, and ♁, in Physick and Alchymy. When we powr upon this Oyl ourAlcahest, and again draw off the Liquor by a Retort with a gentle heat, and at length give a stronger Fire, the most subtle and cleanest part of the Tincture will come over, and the grossest part will remain behind, which is an Universal Purge. The subtle part, may yet be made purer and nobler by Rectification, and this you may afterwards dulcify from its Salt, and dry theAnima MartisandAntimonij, then put it into a Glass, and with an easie Sand-Fire melt it into a Red Stone, for this Stone melts as easily as Wax, and hath as easie Ingress into all Metals, as Oyl hath into dry Leather. This Stone hath not its equal, for it is better than the Fire-Stone ofBasilius, it is better thanButlersStone, to whichHelmonthath ascribed such Wonders. Of this Stone and its incredible Virtues, which it shews in Physick, I shall treat at large in the following Treatise. This Treatise shall Discourse ofthree unknown Fires, and Stones: First of the secret Fire of the ancient Philosophers, which is called theFire of Artephius, by Virtue of which secret fire, is generated the vegetable, Animal and Mineral stone of Philosophers, and also particularly out of all Vegetables, Animals, and Minerals, their Quintessence, or highest Power, without the help of any common Fire, without Furnace, Glasses, or any other known Chymical Instruments, is to be obtained in a few hours, without any Labour or Cost: And also things incredible and unheard of are by it brought to pass; of which great Secret, no Philosopher hath hitherto made the least mention; as the before cited Treatise will sufficiently testifie. The second Fire is like to it,viz.the same with which theIsraelitesin old time did set fire to their Sacrifices, which their Priests, when they were to go into theBabylonishCaptivity, did hide in a dry hole in the Earth; and many years after, when they were released from their Captivity, and returned, they found not a Fire, but instead of it aViscouswater, which they poured upon their Sacrifice, and it kindled it, as well as if it had been done by the secret heavenly fire, of which you may read more in theMaccabeus. This secret fire of the AncientCaldeansis also comparable to theÆtherealfire, of which Meteors, Thunder and Lightning are generated, and also the Thunderbolts themselves, which are cast down upon the Earth, to the great astonishment of Mankind.Hermeshath very well said, that what is above is also below, which is proved by the secret Fire of theCaldeans. For by a light, plain and cheap Art, one may easily produce the same Lightning fire, together with the Thunder, here upon Earth; of which the following Book shall treat more fully. And therefore to that I refer the Reader. I could not but here touch a little at these three Principal Fires, by which are generated the three chief Jewels of the World, that the Enquirer after the Wisdom of God may know, what great Mysteries of God are to be imparted hereafter to the ungrateful World, before I publish this Book of Fires and Stones. Now to return to our particular, and see by what means our Red Oyl ofMarsandAntimonymay be Coagulated, after a nearer way, into a tinging Stone, with which Silver particularly, with all other inferiour Metals, may be Meliorated, that out of them may be had good Gold and Silver with profit. And also, how by it the Tinctures of Stones, both noble and ignoble, may be drawn out of them, and after the Tincture is drawn out, to incorporate it with Silver, and Colour it. And also, all precious Stones exalted in their natural Colour, and if their Colour be too high, it may be diminished, and the Stone rendred more precious, and how this is to be done, the following Practice will reveal. The second and easier way, how to bring our tinging Red Oyl ofMarsandAntimonyinto an hard, sweet, and not Corrosive Stone, is this.
In the foregoing Appendix, I have said somewhat of the Coagulation of the sharp Spirits, of Metals and Minerals, and have proved, that such Coagulation is to be made by the help of Old, cold and drySaturn, but because I did not there declare, how it is to be effected, I think fit to do it here, and it is thus. All Liquors or moist things, if they are to be dryed, then the moisture must be drawn off from the thicker part by an easie heat, and then the thicker part remains by it self, and is used according to its Appropriation, as we know, thatAloes,Myrrh,Opium, and all other Gums and Juices were thin at the first, and were inspissated into concrete Juices, by the Sun or Fire. It is true, such an Inspissation of vegetable Juices is easily done in this manner; but Mineral distilled Spirits, and Corrosive Oyls, cannot be thus dryed, for they will endure heat, but if you give too great a heat, they will fly away and not be thickned, as you may see in Oyl ofVitriol, which by it self can never be dryed, although it be never so long kept in heat. But if you will have it dry, you must add something to it which is more than dry, and hath also power to exsiccate moisture. We see in the baking of Bread, when we put water to the Flour, and mix them together to make Dough, and of that bake Bread, that the Flour, although it be dry, yet it cannot retain with it self the Water, in a hot Oven, for that perfectly flies away from the Meal by the heat, and if the Fire be encreased, all the moisture would be gone, and only the Meal remain in form of a dry Earth, having quite lost the form of Bread, because the Meal was not radically united with the water, and therefore they could not endure the heat together. If one take a dry Earth, Sand or Powder of a Stone, and put water to it, the dry Earth will imbibe the water, and to the Eye reduce it into Earth, but this is not constant. For if you distil this Earth by a Retort, all the added water will again come over, and leave the Earth alone, but this is to be understood of common water. But suppose, one should add a heavy Mineral water asol. Vitriolito a dry Earth, and should commit this mixture to the Fire, in hopes, that the dry Earth should retain with it self the Corrosive Oyl ofVitriol, and also reduce it into a dry Earth, it would prove a mistake, for the Oyl ofVitriol, in a sufficient heat, would wholly forsake the Earth, because the Earth is dead, and hath no Sympathetick, or Magnetick power, to conjoyn it self radically with the Oyl ofVitriol, so as to remain together constant in the Fire; but such an Earth, which by an innate Love draws the Oyl ofVitriolto it self, and endures with it in heat, or cold without Separation, must proceed from the same Original with it, for every thing loves its like, and hateth what is unlike to it. Now, because the Oyl ofVitriolproceeds from a Mineral kind, therefore it loves the Metals, but no common Earth or Stones, for it hath no affinity with them. Now if the Oyl ofVitriolbe to be converted into an hard Mineral stone, it must be done by its like, to wit, by Metals, and by such Metals as are most nearly related to it,viz.the Metals that are yet imperfect, for all Metals and Minerals proceed from the same Root, and therefore they all love one another, yet one Metal loves Oyl ofVitriolmore than another, and the immature Metals, better than the ripe ones. For although Gold and Silver also love Oyl ofVitriol, yet they do it by Compulsion, and not out of true Love, for they are very difficultly dissolv’d by it, because they have put off their vitriolick Nature in their Fixation: On the contrary,MarsandVenushave not yet so done, and therefore they easily assume the Oyl ofVitriol, and are dissolved by it, because it was driven out of their Body by the force of Fire, therefore one might say, thatMarsandVenuswere the true Metals, and easiest to Coagulate the Oyl ofVitriolandAntimony, and to fix them into a Stone, yet this is not so, forMarsandVenusare of a gross Nature, and have too much unprofitable Earth, which may easily be seen by their difficult melting in the Fire. Then what is to be done? ShallSaturnorJupiterdo it, both which are of an easie Fusion? Or shallMercurydo it, which is always Liquid? I answer, thatMercurycannot Coagulate, normake fixed, because he himself is not fixed, nor Coagulated. Neither canJupiterdo it, for although he is fluxible and dry, yet he is easily transmutable by a small Fire, into an influxible Earth, which cannot again be reduced into a fluxibleMetallickBody: What then, shall despisedSaturndo it, (may one ask) who is unfixed himself? and which way is it then possible for him to fix a Body, which is more fluid than himself? To this I answer, that the Fixity is not the only cause of the Coagulation of the Oyl ofVitriol, for then this Coagulation might be easiest performed, by Gold and Silver, which, yet is not done, and therefore this Coagulation of Corrosive Spirits must be done by dryMetallickSubjects. Now we know very well, that among all the MetalsSaturnis the driest, of whichParacelsuswrites very well in his Book of Vexations, which I have already alledged, and confirmed in the foregoing Appendix, [viz.Pharmacopœa Spagyr. Pars 7.] It is also true, that a better Coagulator, of all Corrosive Mineral Spirits cannot be found, than old, cold, and drySaturn; for by his great dryness he Coagulateth the moist Mineral Spirits; by his great innate sweetness, he dulcifies all Corrosives; and by his fluxibleSulphur, he renders all influxibleMetallickSubjects, fluxible. Now we need nothing more to our Red Oyl ofVitriol,MarsandAntimony, but that it be Coagulated into a hard, sweet and fusile Stone, which Coagulation can only be done bySaturn, and by no other Metal or Mineral, which I have sufficiently proved in the before mention’d Appendix, and also in my Book of theThree Principles of Metals. Now we have sufficiently understood, that the Coagulation and Dulcification of our Red Corrosive Oyl of ♂] and ♁ into a fusile Red Stone, can only be done by the help of the Old, Cold, and, of all Fools, despisedSaturn. Concerning the Nature and Property ofSaturn, it would not be here amiss, to say somewhat of it: But becauseParacelsushath already sufficiently done it, in hisCœlum Philosophorum, and I have already confirmed it in the forementioned Appendix, I think it here unnecessary to add any more. Yet I cannot forbear to say this, thatSaturnnaturally contains yet a good quantity of the Corrosive Oyl ofVitriol, which doth not vanish in melting, nor cannot be easier perceived, than when other Metals are added to him upon theCupel, how soon he swallows them, and draws them with himself into theCupel, except Gold and Silver, which he cannot touch, because they have no radical Communion with him, but are cleansed by Nature from their superfluousSulphur, for this devouring WolfSaturn, can consume nothing, but the combustibleSulphurof Metals, but the incombustible fixedSulphurandMercury, he cannot touch, as appears in Gold and Silver. The ancient Philosophers paintedSaturn, as an Old Man, with one foot on a Wooden stilt, having in one hand a Sythe or Sickle, and in his other hand a Child, which he puts to his mouth to devour it. By this they would intimate the devouring Nature ofSaturn, which they have also expressed in these Words,Falx ejus Mordax est, he hath a sharp Sickle, beware of him, for he hath no mercy, which I have found to be true, not only by theCupel, that he Corrodes and eats through them, for he Corrodes Sand and Stones, and reduceth them into a transparent Glass; if he doth this by his own Nature, what will he not do, when his Sythe is whetted by the Corrosive Oyl ofVitriol? Certainly he can do ten times more: I have experimented it, he that will know it, may also do the same: By him we wash and cleanse common Gold and Silver on theCupel, but that Gold and Silver, which is still hid in the imperfect Metals, asMars,Venus, andJupiter, as also in the vile Minerals and Stones, which is still closely tyed to the combustibleSulphur, here the commonSaturnis too weak and can make no Separation. On the contrary, ours can effect it very well, and therefore I commend him, for after his Sythe is whetted by the Corrosive Oyl ofVitriol, if then one handle any Metal, or Mineral with him in a Crucible, he will in a moment eat a hole through it, and run out; Nay, if one should put two or three Crucibles one into another, he would do the same, but if one cast somewhat before him, to satiate his Wolf-like Appetite, then he leaves the Crucibles whole, but doth what the Artist would have him, and is used as a tame Wolf, devours the Sheep no more, but keeps them from other devouring Wolves.
Before I could bring him to that pass, to prevent his biting, I tryed many sorts of Vessels to hold him, nay I have put him upon a Test made of bone Ashes. ’Tis true, he did not eat in, but remained fixt upon theCupellike Silver, and would not Coppel, by which I perceived, that any common Lead, by help of the Red Oyl ofMarsandAntimony, may in a very short time, not only be reduced into Gold and Silver, but also be fixed into a true Tincture, which I have sufficiently shewn in the foregoing Appendix, that some of the ancient Philosophers have made their tinging Stone out ofSaturn. But setting this aside, because I yet never went so far, but I should not think it at all difficult, to make an universal Tincture, to transmute all the Metals into perfect Gold and Silver out ofSaturn, with the Red Oyl of ♂ and ♁, if my weakness of Body would permit. But I concern not my self about that, but leave it to those that are younger, for I can easier come to an universal Tincture, by the help of the secret Fire of Philosophers, than bySaturn; but in the particular Transmutation of Metals, I have performed many things with the Stone of ♄, as the following Practice sheweth.
℞. Some Pounds of common Lead, melt it, and pour it out into a long Ingot, and rasp as much thereof as need shall require; take of this a Pound of more, and put it into a Glass Retort well coated, pour to it half the quantity of the Red Oyl of ♂ and ♁, set it in a SandCupel, and give Fire gently by degrees, and there will come over no Red Oyl, but only a clear and insipid Water, and all the sharpness, with the Red Tincture, will remain with the ♄. If you break the Retort, you will find noSaturn, but this Red, Tinging, and easie melting Stone, of such Virtues as I have told you before. Now if you will make use of this Stone for the particular Meliorating of the inferiour Metals, as also for noble and ignoble Stones, you must powder it, and mix it with theMetallickAshes, and melt them, and you will find the good Metal to be separated from the rest, the unprofitable part, and superfluousSulphur, will turn into dross, and the purer part will settle into aRegulus, which you must blow off upon a Cupple, and you will find the Silver and Gold, which our Stone hath separated out of that Metal; for our Stone hath this Nature, to separate in the Fire the good from the bad, to turn the Good into a MetallineRegulus, and the inferiour into Dross. For Example, I have a mixtureof Metals containing Gold, Silver,Venus,MarsandJupitertogether, I granulate this mixture, and mix them with our Stone, melt them together in a Crucible, our Stone only spoils the inferiour Metals, as ♂, ♀ and ♃, which it consumes into a Dross, but the purer as ☉ and ☽ it separates from this Dross, and precipitates them into aRegulus. But if thisRegulusshould not be fine enough at the first melting, you mustCupelit with Lead, neither doth all the ☉ and ☽ come out of this mixture at one melting, but some remains with the Dross, therefore you must again put this into a Crucible, and put to it some filings of Iron, and so melt them together, then the wildSulphurwill be destroy’d by the ♂, and so let the Gold and Silver fall by Cupellation. The Dross you must reserve, till you have enough to melt in a small Wind Furnace, and it will be again reduced into Lead, which you may again use for the same Labour; for the Reduction of this, I have invented a peculiar small Furnace, which may be carried from place to place, and also you may pour out the Dross after it is melted, without breaking any thing of the Furnace, so that you may use it very often, before the Hearth will need mending. What is here said of the Separating ofMetallickmixtures, the same may also be understood of those Mixtures, which are yet in the Oar, for the Oars are as easily separated by our Stone, as the Metals. This is the use of our Stone, before its Tincture is yet fixed, and therefore not able to transmute ☽ into ☉. Presently you shall also hear, how it may be rendred capable to transmute any Silver, by Degrees, into good Gold. I think it fit, first to say somewhat, how by the help of our Stone one may attain great Profit from Gems. For the Gems have in them fixed Tinctures, which ourNeptunecan spoil them off and so incorporate them with the nakedDiana, to make her a Golden Vest, which is done thus: ℞ The fragments of coloured Gems,viz.of Granates, Rubies, Saphirs, Hyacinths, Jaspis,&c.put a little of these into a good Crucible, and put to it three times as much of our Stone, cover it well, and melt it upon those Stones, and our Stone draws out the Colour of the Gems, and Colours it self yet deeper. With this Red Stone, if any filed ☽ be mixed with it, and melted, it draws the fixed Tincture to it and becomes Golden, so that in the Separation it yeilds much Gold,N. B.The fittest Silver for this work is, that which is precipitated by ♀ out ofAqua Fortis, yet you may also use that, which is precipitated by Salt water. If the work be well done, the Gems will be white, which you may use instead of small Diamonds, for the Fire doth not take away their hardness,N. B.If a Man hath Skill enough to take away the Colour from the great Gems, as Granates, and Hyacinths, he may acquire Riches in a short time; for afterwards you may tinge other white Stones into Rubies, by the help of this Colour, but this Labour requires an experienced Artist, but no Pratler: And this is sufficient for this time, he that delighteth in these Arts may Practise them, and try how God will prosper him in it. If he can but obtain the Extracting of the Gems, he needs no more, for one Gem, of a Drain, is worth more than several Ounces of Gold. After we have briefly understood, how to make good Profit with our Red coagulated Oyl ofAntimonyandMars, before it is yet fixed, with the imperfect Metals and Gems: You shall also hear what it will do, when fixed. And this you must know, that if a Tincture very well prepared, can endure melting in the Fire, yet for all that, it may not be accounted fixed; for inasmuch as they are made out of unfixed Metals, they cannot themselves be fixed; if one should object, and say, that the Tincture was drawn out of fixed Iron, and therefore it must also be fixed, although theAntimonywas not fixed: I answer, that Iron cannot be called fixed, although it doth not fly in the fire, forSaturncan still devour it, but this only is to be reputed fixed, which endures theCupel, which neither ♂ nor ♁ doth. Therefore the Tinctures which are extracted out of them, cannot endure theCupelbefore they are made fixed. For which reason the highly experienced PhilosopherParacelsustells us, that we must not take common Iron to draw our Tincture, but such as cannot be again reduced into Iron, which we must seek in the green and blueScoriæ, out of which Iron hath been melted by the strength of Fire, and are cast away. Because the Iron, and also every imperfect Metal, containeth two sorts ofSulphur,viz.a combustible, and incombustible; the combustible is melted by a strong Fire, into a dead Glass, but the incombustible remains unhurt, hidden in the said Glass, and may be drawn out of it by Art, and brought into a Tincture, that will endure theCupel. I could citeParacelsusfor several other things, because he writes very honestly, but it is not here convenient. It would be very well, if some one would reprint this Treatise, for it is out of Print, that the way to the Truth might be shewn to them that err. And if none will do it, I shall do it my self, for it is commendable to preserve a lighted Candle, and not suffer it to go out. This is enough of the Fixation ofParacelsus, which is done by the great strength of common fire. Now we will also hear, how this Fixation may be effected by an artificial moist fire, much easier than by the former. In my Treatise lately published of theThree Principles of Metals, I have taught how any combustibleSulphurmay be fixed in a very few hours, so that no Fire can any more hurt it. Now if such a quick Fixation of combustibleSulphur, can be done with a moist Fire, as I have shewn it may in the said Treatise, what may not be done, by the same Fire in the more fixed Metals, such as Iron? I have also shewn in the same place, that ♁, as well as common 🜍, may be made fixed in few hours, I have also said that ♁ and common 🜍, so fixed have no ingress into Metals. After that, I have also taught, how to procure this ingress by common Gold, if the Gold and theSulphurbe united, and then a fixingAqua Fortisdrawn from them, that then it can never be separated from the Gold, but that the Gold so preserves it upon theCupel, thatSaturncannot enter it: Now if this may be done with commonSulphurandAntimony, why not also withMars, which in its Nature approacheth Fixity? Therefore it behoveth, that we should fix our Tincture of ♂ and ♁, after the same manner being united with ☉, by the Humid fire, that both may be permanent upon theCupel. For without this Fixation nothing of moment can be done. For if these Tinctures be added to Silver, and are not constant in the Fire, they with the Silver, become Metals again, vanish upon theCupelwith ♄, and leave the ☽ nothing bettered. Therefore nothing else is to be observed, but to bring into Perpetuation the prepared Tinctures of ♂ and ♁, by the addition of Gold, and the due Abstraction of the fixing Waters; and then the Tinctures remain with the Silver unseparable, and the devouringSaturncannot hurt them upon theCupel. Let this suffice concerning the particular Fixation of our Red Oyl of ♂ andAntimony. Now followeth, how to make an universal Coagulation and Fixation of this Oyl.
℞. Three or four Ounces of our Coagulated Oyl ofMarsandAntimony, into a Red Stone by the help of ♄, grinde it into an impalpable Powder, and draw from it ten or twelve Ounces of strongAqua Fortis, which hath been first abstracted from decrepitated Salt, and in which is dissolved half an Ounce of Gold: Secondly, and Thirdly, abstract from it again freshAqua Regia, but without Gold; then the Gold will radically unite it self with the Tincture ofMarsandAntimony, and they will be constantly fixed together, by means ofAqua Regia. When this is done, pour upon it a good quantity of common Water, let it boyl for some hours, and it will draw out the sharp Spirits, which remained with the Tincture, this may be once or twice repeated, then dry it, and it is fit to tinge Silver into Gold. This Tincture melts as easily as Wax; theSaturnwhich is mixed with it, doth not hinder it, it is true, he goes into the Silver with the Tincture, but is easily separated by theCupel. I could set down many more Dexterities, in the Preparation of this Tincture, but it would swell too much, it being already greater than I expected, for I only thought to have annexed this to the Appendix, as a Corollary, but it is grown bigger than the Appendix it self. Here should have been added, how this Tincture ofAntimonyandMars, by the help of ourAlcahest, might be made into a constant Tincture, easily and in great quantity, without Cost; so compendiously, that in three or four days time, a good quantity of Tincture may be made fit to graduate a great part of Silver into Gold: But the time will not allow me here to insist any farther on it, but must defer it the second Appendix, where the Reader will find greater Contentment. For this work is so easily done with theAlcahestwithout great Cost, that the most ordinaryMechanickmay imitate it, and profit by it. There will come another World, when Art will flourish, and Pratlers perish. Take notice of this, for the time is at hand,EliastheArtistwill soon appear, of this ReadParacelsusin his Book ofVitriol. At such a time there will be great changes inEurope, and chiefly in theGerman Empire,FranceandSwedland. ForEliastheArtist, it may be, when he comes, will bring with him some Military inventions, and by his great Power establish the Fifth Monarchy. That in these times great Changes will be inEurope, is not to be doubted, for the Heavens do foretel it. God send us what is good, there being now nothing of good left, how then is it possible, it should remain longer in Peace?