in Projection giving Vniversal Fusion and Aspertion of the Matter For the first thing which is necessary after Projection of the Medicine is the sudden and convenient Fusion of the Medicine it self which is perfected and rendred viscous with Mineral Oleaginy The second Property is Tenuity of the Matter or the Spiritual Substance thereof flowing very thin in its Fusion like Water penetrating to the profundity of the Body alterable because immediately after Fusion the Ingression thereof is necessary The third Property is Affinity or Vicinity between the Elixir and the Body to be transmuted giving adherency in the Obviation and Retention of its like because immediately after Ingress of the Medicine Adherency is convenient and necessary The fourth Property is Radical Humidity fiery congealing and consolidating the Parts retained with Adherency of its own like with the Vnion of all Co-like Parts inseperably for ever because after Adherency Consolidation of the Parts with their Radical viscous and necessary Humidity is opportune The fifth is a Mundificative Clearness of Purity giving evident Splendor in the Combustion existent not burning For after Consolidation of the purified Parts it is lest to the Actual Fire to have power of burning all extraneous Superfluities not consolidated Wherefore Purification follows and is necessary The sixth Property is a Fixing Earth temperate thin subtile fixed and incombustible giving permanency of Fixation in the Solution of the Body adhering with it standing and persevering against the force of Fire for immediately after Purification Fixation is necessary and opportune The seventh Property is Tincture giving a splendid and perfect Colour White or intensly Citrine and Lunification or Solification of Bodies to be transmuted because after Fixation a splendid Tincture and Colour tinging another Body or a Tincture colouring the Matter convertible into true Silver or Gold with all its certain and known differencies is absolutely necessary CHAP. III. The Division of this Book into four Particles ACcording to the Exigency of Art We have disputed against Men denying Art and have discoursed of Natural Principles which are according to the Intention of Nature in the Procreation of Metals and of Bodies and their Procreations and Preparations and lastly of the Medicines and Examinations of the same Bodies transmuted whether the Compleatment of them stands in Perfection all which hath been done by Us in our Book intituled The Sum of Perfection or of the Perfect Magistery And there We have written the Way of the Invention of Art and our Ingenious Works which We have seen and touched But here in this Book We will treat of the Invention of Perfection and in a special manner declare those Things which are necessary in this our Magistery and the Way of Preparing the same with their weight and measure and Probation certain not conjectural Our Intention is to divide this little Book into Four Particles and in the First sufficiently to treat of Middle Minerals and their Preparations that they may be aptly disposed in the Extraction of Spirits and imperfect Bodies in the Second of the Mundifications of Spirits and intire Preparations of the same in the Third of the diverse Preparations of imperfect Bodies according to the Exigency of the Compleatment of the Work and in the Fourth of all Medicines especially for transforming every Body into Sol and Luna with Projection Weight and Measure according to the Exigency of Necessity for Compleatment of the Work The First Particle CHAP. IV. Of the Preparation of Middle Minerals COmmon Salt is dissolved in clear Fountain Water and distilled through a Filter and afterwards congealed in an Earthen Vessel or in a Vessel of Lead or other Metal Salt-Peter is dissolved in Fountain Water distilled through a Filter and congealed in a Vessel of Glass that it may there be crystalized Salt-nitre is so prepared viz. it is dissolved in clear Fountain Water filtred c. Salt-Gem is dissolved c. as before and congealed in an Earthen-glazed Vessel True Salt-Alkali is made of Zoza or Soda dissolved filtred and the Solution boyled away to one third part and then the Salt in a short time settles to the Bottom in Crystals and so it is prepared Some do also make Salt-Alkali thus They take lib. 5. of Ashes of Hearts-ease and lib. 1. of Quicklime and by boyling in Water they make a Lixivium which they filter and congeal this labour they reiterate once and it is prepared Salammoniac is made of five parts of Mans Vrine and one part of his Sweat one part of Common-Salt and half a part of the Soot of Woods these being boyled together into Consumption of the Humidity from the remainder sublime a true and profitable Salammoniac this again dissolve into Sweat and sublime it from Common-Salt once then it is prepared Salt of Tartar is made of the calcined Feces of Wine distilled the Tartar being dissolved from them and congealed so it is prepared Salt of Vrine is likewise made of the calcined Feces of Vrine distilled and this is again dissolved in its own Water and congealed so it is prepared and is of great Emolument and Vse Many men diversly treat of the Preparations of Salts but We by our Invention have found that these Preparations of Salts are more short more subtile and more profitable for our purpose seeing from all Things truly calcined Salts are extracted by Solution which by the above-alleadged Way must be prepared Therefore it sufficeth Us to pass them by these being more useful Glassy or Roch-Allom hath a two-fold way of Preparation one for washing calcined Bodies and the other for subliming Spirits After the first Way it is thus prepared Dissolve it in clear Fountain Water distill it through a Filter and boyl it to a third part this Part put in Glazed Dishes and it will settle round about the Sides of the Vessels and in the Bottom so you will have prepared Crystalline Allom. The second Way is this Boyl the Allom in an Earthen Vessel until the Humidity vanish and you find it spongious white and light then is it prepared for Sublimations and other diverse Operations Plumous Allom is dissolved and congealed as the former and so it is prepared Now it is expedient to speak of the Preparations of Atraments seeing that is a Thing very necessary because We find a necessary Vse of them in Tinctures and Ligaments of Spirits and other Things which appertain to the Work Black-Atrament is dissolved in boyling Water distilled through a Filter and congealed then it is prepared Copperas is dissolved in distilled Vinegar clarified by filtring and congealed so it is clean Roman Vitrol needs not any other Preparation than only in some cases to be held in a moderate Fire and rubified Morever it is certain that diverse Things necessary for Us are extracted from imperfect Bodies which need Preparation and are helpful in the Case and these are first Ceruse of Lead which is thus prepared Cerusse of Lead must be washed in distilled Vinegar then
Superfluous and Corrupt Humidity in their Essence must be elevated also their subtil and burning Superfluity removed and this by Calcination Afterward the whole Corrupt Substance of their Superfluous burning Humidity and Blackness remaining in their Calx must be corroded with those aforesaid Cleansed Corrosive Acute or Harsh Things until the Calx be White or Red or coloured according to the Nature and Property of the Body and clean and pure from all Superfluity or Corruption These Calxes must be Cleansed with these Corrosives by Grinding Imbibing and Washing Afterward the whole unclean Earthiness and Combustible and Gross Feculency must be taken away and deposited with the aforsaid Cleansed or Pure Things not having Metallick Fusion they being commixed and well ground together with the aforesaid Calx depurated in the aforesaid manner For these in the Fusion or Reduction of the Calx will retain with themselves the aforesaid Gross and Unclean Earthiness the Body remaining pure Cleansed from all Corrupting Superfluity and this by Descending The way of Meliorating and Subtiliating the pure Substance of these is in General this First this Purged and Reduced Body is again Calcined with Fire and this by the Mundative helps aforesaid and then with such of these as are Solutive it must be dissolved For this Water is our Stone and Argentvive of Argentvive and Sulphur of Sulphur abstracted from the Spiritual Body and Subtiliated or Attenuated which may be Meliorated by comforting the Elemental Virtues in it with other prepared Things that are of the kind of its own Kind and by augmenting the Colour Fixion Weight Purity Fusion and all other Things which appertain to a perfect Elixir And this is the way by us only found out of the Preparation Depuration Subtiliation and Melioration of Mineral Bodies in General Now we pass to the Special or Particular Preparation of every Imperfect Body with all its Methods as also of the Perfect Mineral Bodies And first of Jupiter CHAP. V. Of the Preparation of Tin in Special JVpiter is manifoldly prepared yet best in this manner Put it in an apt Vessel in a Furnace of Calcination and under it make Fire sufficient for good Fusion of the Body stirring the Liquefied Body with an Iron Spatula full of holes and drawing off the Scum that riseth and again stitring the Body in that heat of Fire equally induring until on the Superficies be gathered together a good quantity of that Scum or Powder which take off and again continue stirring until the whole Body be reduced to Powder This Powder sift and replace it again in the Furnace adding Fire not exceeding the Fire of its Fusion and stir it often Keep it in this Fire of Calcination for a day Natural or thereabouts until its whole Accidental and Superfluous Humidity be abolished with its Combustible and Corrupting Sulphur For the Fire elevates and consumes every Fugitive and inflamable Substance then often well wash it with the aforesaid viz. with Common-Salt Cleansed and Allom and with Purified and Harsh Vinegar and dry it at the Sun or in the Air and then again Grind and Wash and Dry and do this time after time until by the acuity of the Salts Alloms and Vinegar its whole Humidity Blackness and Vncleanness shall be consumed corroded and done away This being done add Glass beaten to Powder to these aforesaid and when you shall have impasted the whole together then with sufficient Fire make it flow in a Crucible with an hole in its bottom set within another and the pure and clean Body will descend the whole earthly and feculent Substance remaining above with the Glass and Salts or Alloms for in that Body descended and reduced is an equal and perfect Proportion of clean Argentvive and white Sulphur not burning because Fire and the Corrosives have divided the whole Humidity and fugitive and inflamable and corrupting Substance and Blackness and through that Discensory by the pasting with Salts Alloms and Glass the whole feculent earthy Substance is separated the pure Substance with its Proportion remaining Afterward calcine this pure reduced Body again with pure and clean Salarmoniac until it be in weight equal or thereabout When it shall be well and perfectly calcined then grind the whole well and long upon a Perphiry-stone and place it in the open Air in a cold and humid place or in Glass Vessels in a Furnace of Solution or in Horse-dung until the whole be dissolved augmenting the Salt if need be This Water we ought to honour for it is what we seek for the White These may suffice to be spoken of the Preparation of Tin CHAP. VI. Of the Preparation of Saturn LEad is thus prepared Set it in a like Furnace of Calcination stirring it while in flux as you did the Tin until it be converted to a most fine Powder Sift this and again set it in the Fire of its Calcination as aforesaid until its Fugitive and Inflamable Substance be abolished Afterwards take out your red Calx which imbibe and grind often with Common Salt cleansed and Atrament purified and very harsh Vinegar For the Red you must use these as you did for the White with Common Salt Jamenous Allom and Vinegar Also as of Tin is said your Matter must be often imbibed dryed and ground until by benefit of the aforesaid this said uncleanness be totally removed then mix Glass with these aforesaid and as you did with the Tin cause the pure Body to descend that descending it may be reduced Again Calcine it with pure Salarmoniac as of Jupiter is said and most subtily grind and dissolve it by the way aforesaid For that is the Water of Argentvive and Sulphur proportionally made which we use in Composition of the Red Elixir These of the the Preparation of Saturn may suffice CHAP. VII Of the Preparation of Venus VEnus or Copper is this way prepared Make a Lay of Common Salt well cleansed in a Crucible and upon that put a piece of Copper Plate and over that a Lay of Salt and then more of the Plate and so continually until the Vessel be full which being covered and firmly luted place in a Furnace of Calcination for one day Natural then take it out and separate and scrape off what shall be Calcined and again Calcine the Plates with New Salt as before repeating the Calcination so often as until all the Plates shall be consumed and corroded by the benefit of the Salt and Fire for the Salt corrodes the superfluous Humidity and Combustible Sulphurcity and the Fire elevates the Fugitive and Inflamable Substance with due Proportion Grind this calcined matter to a most subtile Powder and wash it with Vinegar until the Water come from is free from Blackness Another time imbibe it with new Salt and Vinegar and Grind and after Contrition or Grinding put it in a Calcining Furnace in an open Vessel and let it stand there three days Natural then take it out and Grind it very well and subtily and well and
long wash it with Vinegar until it shall be cleansed and purged from all Vncleanness This being done dry it well in the Sun then add to it half its weight of Salarmoniac well and long Grinding until it be an impulpable Substance Then expose it to the open Air or set it in Horse-dung to be dissolved until whatsoever is there subtile shall be dissolved anew adding clean Salarmoniac if need shall be until the whole be made Water Honour this Water which we name the Water of fixed Sulphur with which the Elixir is tinged to Infinity These of the Preparation of Venus CHAP. VIII Of the Preparation of Mars MArs or Iron is best prepared thus Let it be Calcined as Venus with Common Salt cleansed and let it be washed with pure Vinegar being washed dry it in the Sun and when dryed grind and imbibe it with new Salt and Vinegar and then put it in the same Furnace as of Venus is said for three days Honour this Solution viz. The Water of fixed Sulphur wonderfully augmenting the Colour of the Elixir These may suffice to be spoken of the Preparation of Imperfect Bodies CHAP. IX Of the Preparation of Sol. PErfect Bodies need not Preparation in relation to their further Perfection being perfect but that they may be more subtiliated and attenuated we adhibit this Preparation to them â„ž Sol or Gold beaten into thin Plates and with them and Common Salt very well prepared make Lay upon Lay in a Vessel of Calcination which set into a Furnace and Calcine well for three days until the whole be subtily Calcined then take it out grind it well wash it with Vinegar and dry it in the Sun afterward grind it well with half its weight of cleansed Salarmoniac then set it to be dissolved until the whole by the benefit of Common Salt and Armoniac be dissolved into a most clear Water This is the precious Ferment for the Red Elixir and the true Body made Spiritual CHAP. X. Of the Preparation of Luna LVna or Silver is subtiliated and attenuated and reduced to Spirituality in manner as above is said of Sol. Therefore in all and every part of the Work do the same in its Subtiliation as you did with the Gold And this Water of Luna dissolved is the Ferment for the White Elixir made Spiritual CHAP. XI Of the Properties of the Greater Elixir WE have now sufficiently determinated the Preparation and Subtiliation of perfect Bodies that every Discreet Operator may be enabled to attain his Intention Therefore let him attend to the Properties and Ways of Action of the Composition of the Greater Elixir For we endeavour to make one Substance yet compounded and composed of many so permanently fixed that being put upon the Fire the Fire cannot injure and that it may be mixed with Metals in Flux and flow with them and enter with that which in them is of an ingressible Substance and be permixed with that which in them is of a permixable Substance and be consolidated with that which in them is of a consolidate Substance and be fixed with that which in them is of a fixable Substance and not be burned by those Things which burn not Gold and Silver and take away Consolidations and Weights with due Ignition Yet you must not think all this can be effected by Preparation at once in a very short Time as a few Dayes and Hours but in respect of other Modern Physicians and also in respect of the Operation of Nature the Verity of the Work is sooner terminated this way Whence the Philosopher saith It is a Medicine requiring a long space of time Wherefore I tell you you must patiently sustain Labour because the work will be long and indeed Festination is from the Devils part Therefore let him that hath not Patience desist from the Work for credulity will hinder him making overmuch haste And every Natural Action hath its determinate Measure and Time in which it is terminated viz. in a greater or lesser space For this Work Three Things are necessary namely Patience Length of Time and Aptness of Instruments of which we speak to the Artificer in the Sum of the Perfection of our Magistery in divers Chapters wherein he may find them if he be sufficiently skilled in our Works In which by manifest and open Proof we conclude that our Stone is no other than a Foetent or fruitful Spirit and Living Water which we have named Dry Water by Natural Proportion cleansed and united with such Vnion that they can never be absent each from other To which two must also be added a third for abbreviating the Work that is a perfect Body attenuated The Epilogue and Conclusion of the Work THerefore from the above premised the Things are manifest in which the Verity of the Work is nigh and we have considered Things perfecting this Work by our true Investigation with certain Experience whereby we are assured That all the Words are true which are now by us only written in our Volumns according as we found by Experiment and Reason related in the same But those Things which by our Experience we have operated seen with our Eyes and handled with our Hands We have writ in the Sum of the Perfection of Our Magistery Therefore let the Sapient Artificer studiously peruse Our Books collecting Our dispersed Intention which We have described in divers places that We might not expose it to Malignant and Ignorant Men and let him prove his Collection even unto Knowledge Studying and Experimenting with the Instance of Ingenious Labour till he come to an intire Understanding of the whole Let the Artificer exercise himself and find out this now in great Love proposed Way of Investigation by Our Consideration and also acquire a plenary Knowledge of the Verity of the perfecting and corrupting Matter and Form For We in Our Investigation have considered the Matter and Form of Perfect Bodies from the Radix of their Commixtion unto their Compleatment to be pure without any supervenient Corruption We have also in a contrary Sense considered the Substance of Bodies imperfect and perfect to be one every where Viz. Argentvive and Sulphur which are pure and clean before their Commixtion And by this Consideration through Our own Exercise We found the Corruption of imperfect Bodies accidentally to have access and that this gave a new and corrupted Form For when We have seen imperfect Bodies by Our Experience and Ingenuity prepared and cleansed from all superfluous Corruption and Fugitive Vncleanness deliberate and terrestrial We found them of greater Clearness and Brightness or Purity than Bodies naturally perfect not prepared By which Consideration We came to the perfect and compleat end of this Science which We have perfectly described in Our Books Therefore be Studious in them and you will find Our whole Science which We have abbreviated out of the Books of the Ancients The end of this Investigation GEBER The Famous Arabian Prince and Philosopher Of the Sum of PERFECTION
be well advised that Saturn is easily reduced from its Calx but Jupiter most difficulty Therefore let him be careful that he err not in exposing Saturn after its first Pulverization to too great a Fire and so reduce the Calx into Body before it is perfected For he needs Temperance of Fire and that leisurely augmented by degrees with Caution until it be confirmed in its Calx proving not so easily reducible that a greater Fire may be administred to it for compleatly perfecting its Calx Likewise he must be careful that he err not in Jupiter by reason of its difficult Reduction so that when he intends to reduce its Calx he find it not reduced but in its former condition or turned into Glass and thence he conclude its Reduction impossible For We say if a great Fire be not administred in the Reduction of Tin it reduceth not and if a great Fire be administred it doth not necessarily happen that it shall be reduced but 't is possible it may be converted to Glass And that is because Jupiter in the profundity of its Nature hath the fugitive Substance of Argentvive included which if kept long in Fire flies away and leaves the Body deprived of Humidity so that it is found more apt for Vitrification than to be converted to the Fusion of a Metallick Body For every Thing deprived of its proper Humidity gives no other than a Vitrificatory Fusion Whence it necessarily follows that the Artist must hasten to reduce it swiftly with the speedy force of a violent Fire for otherwise it is noâ— reduced Therefore let him practice therein and he will come to the Knowledg thereof The way of Calcination of these two Bodies which is performed by the Acuity of Salt is that Quantity after Quantity of Salt be very often cast upon them in their Fusion and permixed by much agitation with a Rod of Iron over the Fire until by mixtion of the Salt they be turned into Ashes And afterward by the same way of Perfection the Calxes of them are perfected with their Considerations But in this also there is difference in the Calcination of these two Bodies For Lead with the first labours of Calcinatitn is more easily converted to Powder than Tin yet the Calx of it is not more easily perfected than the Calx of Tin The Cause of this Diversity is because Saturn hath a more fixed Humidity than Jupiter Of Venus and Mars the way of Calcination is one yet diverse from the former by reason of the difficulty of their Liquefaction And it is this either of these Bodies reduced into Plates must be heat red hot but not melted For by reason of the great Quantity of Earthiness in them and the large Measure they have of adustive and flying Sulphureity they are easily this way deduced into Calx And that therefore is because by reason of much Earthiness mixt with the Substance of Argentvive the due continuation of Argentvive is disturbed Therefore Porosity is caused iâ— them through which the Sulphureity passing may fly away and the Fire by that Means having access to it burn and elevate the same Whence it comes to pass that the Parts are made more rare and through Discontinuity of the Rarity converted into Ashes The Experience of this is manifest because Plates of Copper exposed to Ignition yield a Sulphureous Flame and cause pulverizable Scales in their Superficies And that therefore is because from the Parts more nigh a more easie combustion of Sulphur must necessarily be made But the Form of the Furnace of this Calcination is the same with the Form of the Furnace of Distillation only that this must have one great hole left in the Crown of it whence it may free it self from Fumosities And the Site of Things to be calcined must be in the midst of the Furnace that the Fire may have free access to them round about But the Vessel must be of Earth made in the form of a Porringâ—r or deep Dish The way of Calcination of Spirits is that to them approaching to Fixation be administred Fire gradually and very leisurely increased that they fly not until they be able to sustain the greatest Fire Their Vessel must be round every way closed and their Furnace the same with this lastly mentioned With a like Furnace and like Vessel every Thing is likewise calcined Yet We are excused from greater Labour than what must be imployed in preventing their Flight because other Things unless Spirits and what is nigh to the Nature of Spirits fly not CHAP. XV. Of Solution and its Cause NOW We intend to speak of Solution Solution is the Reduction of a Dry Thing into Water Therefore We say that every Perfection of Solution is compleated with subtile Waters and especially the acute and sharp and saline Waters having no Feces as is Distilled Vinegar Sowre Grapes Pears of very great sharpness Pomegranets and the like of these distilled The Cause of the Invention of this was the Subtiliation of those Things which neither have Fusion nor Ingress by which was lost the great Vtility of fixed Spirits and of those Things which are of their Nature For every Thing which is dissolved must necessarily have the Nature of Salt or of Allom or of their like And the Nature of them is that they give Fusion before their Vitrification Therefore Spirits dissolved will likewise give like Fusion And since they in their own Nature agree with Bodies and each with other Fusion being acquired they must by that necessarily penetrate Bodies and penetrating transmute the same But they neither penetrate nor trasmute without our Magistery which is this viz. that after Solution and Coagulation of the Body to it be administred some one of the Spirits purified not fixed and that so often sublimed from it as until it remain with it and give to it a more swift Fusion and conserve the same in Fusion from Vitrification For the Nature of Spirits is not to be vitrified and to preserve the Mixture from Vitrification as long as they are in it Therefore the Spirit which more retains the Nature of Spirits more defends from Vitrification But a Spirit only purified more preserves than a Spirit purified calcined and dissolved therefore there is a necessity of mixing such a Spirit with the Body For from these results good Fusion and Ingress and firm Fixation But We are able to prove by the Works of Nature that Things only holding the Nature of Salts Alloms and the like are Soluble For considering We find in all her Works no other things to be dissolved but them Therefore whatsoever are dissolved they must necessarily be dissolved by their Nature Yet because We see all Things truly calcined to be dissolved by Reiteration of Calcination and Solution therefore We by that prove that all Calcinates approach to the Nature of Salts and Alloms therefore must necessarily be themselves attended with those properties But the way of Solution is twofold viz by hot Dung
and by boyling or hot Water Of both which there is one Intention and one Effect The Way of Dissolving by Dung is that the Calcinate be put into a Glass Vessel and upon the same poured of distilled Vinegar or the like double its weight and the Mouth of the Vessel well closed that nothing may respire and then this Matter with its Vessels set in Hot Dung to be dissolved and the Solution afterwards by Filter seperated But the not dissolved must be again calcined and after Calcination again in like manner dissolved until by repeating the Labour the whole be dissolved The Way of Dissolving by boyling Water is more swift and it is thus The calcinate must in like manner be put into its Vessel with Vinegar poured on it as before and the Orifice well closed that nothing expire then the Vessel must be set buryed in Straw into a Pan full of Water as in the Way of Distillation by Water We before appointed and afterward Fire kindled under it until the Water boyl for an hour This being done the Solution must be filtred and kept apart But the not dislsolved again calcined and again in the same manner dissolved until by repeating the Labour the whole be dissolved CHAP. XVI Of Coagulation and its Causes and of diverse ways of coagulating Mercury and of dissolved Medicines COagulation is the Reduction of a Thing Liquid to a Solid Substance by Privation of the Humidity But there is a twofold Cause of its Invention one is the Induration or Hardning of Argentvive the other Cause of Invention is the freeing of Medicines dissolved from the Wateriness with them admixed Therefore it is diversified according to the Multiplicity of things to be coagulated For Argentvive needs one Coagulation but dissolved Medicines another Yet there is a twofold Coagulation of Argentvive One by washing away its whole innate Humidity from it the other by Inspissation or thickning of its Humidity until it be hardned Yet it is a most difficult and laborious Work to congeal it even with the profoundness of clear sighted Industry Therefore We will declare the whole Ingenuity of its Coagulation Some thought the Ingenuity of its Coagulation was to keep it long in a temperate Fire who when they supposed they had coagulated it after removal of it from the Fire found the same to flow as before By which they were driven to amazement and wonder strenuously arguing that this was not possible to be effected But Others from Natural Principles supposing that every Humidity must necessarily by heat of Fire be converted into Dryness endeavoured with Instancy of Perseverance to continue the Conservation of it in Fire and by this Continuation they at last came to this viz. that some of these Men converted it into a White-Stone Others into a Red and others into a Citrine or yellow Stone which neither had Fusion nor Ingress and the Cause of these Diversities they could not judg of therefore cast it away Others endeavoured to coagulate it with Medicines and this they effected not but it proved a Delusion to them either because they coagulated it not or because it was insensibly extenuated or their Coagulation was not in the form of any Body And the Cause of the Diversity of these Things they knew not Others compounding Artificial Medicines coagulated it in Projection but their Coagulation was not profitable because they converted it to an imperfect Body and the Cause of this likewise could not see Therefore 't is expedient We should declare the Causes of these Things that the Artificer may come to the Magistery of its Coagulation Wherefore as is already sufficiently declared by Us the Substance of Argentvive is uniform wherefore it is not possible in short space of time by keeping it in a constantly continued Fire to remove the Aquosity thereof Therefore too much haste was the Cause of the first Error And being of a subtile Substance it recedes from the Fire therefore excessive Fire is the Cause of the Error of those Men from whom it flies It is easily mixed with Sulphur Arsnick and Marchasite by reason of Community in their Nature Therefore it appears to be coagulated by them not into the form of a Body but of Argentvive mixed with Lead For these being fugitive cannot retain it in the contest of Fire until it can attain to the Nature of a Body but through the Impression of Fire they fly with it therefore that is the Cause of the Error of those who so coagulate Likewise Argentvive hath much Humidity united to it self which cannot possibly be separated from it unless by Violence of Fire warily adhibited with Conservation of it it in its own Fire And they by augmenting this its own Fire as far as it can bear take away the Humidity of Argentvive leaving no part sufficient for Metallick Fusion which being taken away it cannot be melted And this is the Cause of their Error who coagulate it into a Stone not fusible In like manner Argentvive hath Sulphureous Parts naturally mixt with it yet some Argentvive hath more others less which to remove by Artifice is impossible Therefore seeing it is the property of Sulphur with Argentvive to create a red or citrine Colour according to its Measure the ablation or removal of that being made the property of Argentvive is by Fire to give a white Colour This is therefore the Cause of the variety of Colours after its Coagulation into a Stone Likewise it hath the Earthiness of Sulphur mixt with it by which all its Coagulations must necessarily be infected And this is the Cause of the Error of those who coagulate it into a perfect Body Therefore it happens from the Diversity of the Medicines of its Coagulation that diverse Bodies are creaated in its Coagulation and from the diversity of that likewise what is to be coagulated For if either the Medicine or that have a Sulphur not fixed the Body created of it must needs be soft But if fixed the Body must necessarily be hard Also if White white and if Red red And if the Sulphur be remiss from White or Red the Body likewise must needs be remiss and if Earth the Body is imperfect if not not so Also every not fixed Sulphur creates a livid Body but the fixed as much as in it lies not And the pure Substance of it creates a pure Body the not pure not so Also the same Diversity doth in like manner happen in Argentvive alone without the Commixtion of Sulphur by reason of the Diversity of Mundification and Preparations of it in Medicines Therefore an Illusion happens from the part of the Diversity of the Medicines so that sometimes in the Coagulation of it it is made Lead sometimes Tin sometimes Copper and sometimes Iron which happens by reason of Impurity And sometimes Gold or Silver is made thence which must needs proceed from Purity with Consideration of the Colours But Argentvive is coagulated by the frequent Precipitation of it with violence
it often that all the Salt and Allom may be dissolved then when it hath setled evacuate the Water warily that none of the Body pass out with the Lotion Put the Calcinate again into Hot Water and repeat the Labour as before until it be perfectly well washed then keep it CHAP. XIII Of the Incerations of Calxes washed INcerations of Calxes washed are thus made Dry the washed Calx afterwards dissolve in distilled Vinegar lib. 2. Of Common Salt Roch Allom Salt Gemme of each two Ounces With this Water imbibe Four Ounces of the aforesaid washed and dryed Calx until it hath drunk in all the said Water then dry it and reserve the same for use CHAP. XIV Of the Reduction of Calxes into a Solid Mass REduction of that washed and incerated Calx is thus made Wash the incerated Calx with distilled Vrine until you have extracted all the Salts and Allomes with the Filth of the calcined Body which being dryed imbibe with Oyl of Tartar in which dissolve to one pound of the Oyl Two Ounces of Sallammoniac and One Ounce of Salt-peter But of the Calx there must be Four Pound and such Imbibition must be made at several times drying and imbibing Then lastly dry it and cause it to descend in a great Descensory and reduce into a solid Mass the Body purged from Combustible Sulphureity by virtue of the Fire calcining and from foul Terrestreity which in Reduction retain with themselves the Feculency of the Earth the Body being purified from accidental Impurities which had access to it in its Minera But its Foulness innate in the Radix of its Generation must be palliated or illustrated with a Medicine the greater part of which contains in it self the substance of Argentvive according to the Exigency of Art as is by Us often demonstrated in Our Summe of Perfection CHAP. XV. Of the Solutions of Bodies prepared and of certain Conjunctions of them with certain Proportion that they may appear with better Brightness after their Reduction BOdies are twofoldly reduced to Perfection either by the way of Preparation and by Commixtion of Perfect Bodies with the Imperfect or by Medicine prepared for the purpose But here We shall declare why the Perfect perfects the Imperfect and also that the Imperfect is reduced to Perfection with Preparations by Us generally demonstrated and these Preparations in this Chapter We purpose sufficiently and in a more special manner to treat of First We declare that the Body cleansed as is aforesaid by the way of Calcination and Reduction must either be filed or divided into small Graines as is known For after Fusion it is by us poured out upon a Table bored full of small Holes over cold Water the Water being strongly stirred while this is doing This is Our way of Granulating This Granulate Body dissolve in Our Dissolutive Water which is made of Salt-peter and Vitriol as to the one half thereof or dissolve Filings of the same Body into a Limpid Water then add to it of Ferment prepared to a third part of its own weight Extract the Water and revert it this do seven times After it is reduced into Body prove it by its Examen and you will rejoyce in this that you have generated But because We have treated of the perfect Administration of Imperfect Bodies We will now give the special true and certain Rules of every Body and begining first with Jupiter We say After you have prepared Jupiter and reduced it dissolve the same in the Acuity of Waters and to nine parts of this dissolved as We said adjoyn one part of Talk calcined and dissolved mixing the clear Waters This Water rectifie by Alembeck seven times extracting and reverting After the last Rectification is made give to it of the Water of Salt-peter imbibing and drying and reduce it into a clean Body sustaining Ignition and the Cineritum For if you conjoyn Argentvive precipitated and dissolved as We said after Reduction you will find a noble Body under the afore-mentioned Proportion The Regimen of Saturn is compleated it being prepared and dissolved with a third part of its red Ferment also dissolved which being prepared as before you will rejoyce to find it so fair a Body We more specially handling the Regimen of Venus have declared that you ought seven times or oftner to rectifie it when prepared and dissolved distilling off the Water and reverting them thereon each time Which being coagulate thence make a most noble Greenness with Salammoniac dissolved in distilled Vinegar That Greenness rubifie in a Vessel of Mars and again dissolve it to which Solution adjoyn a third part of prepared and dissolved Luna afterward extracting and reverting the Water of Ferment seven times Then reduce this into Body and you will rejoyce The Regimen of Mars is as of Venus but by reason of its very great Foulness you can expect no good from it The Regimen of Luna is thus Dissolve and coagulate it seven times or at least four times And to it dissolved adjoyn the fixed rubifying Waters which We have declared and you will find the Body aptly Solar for it agrees with Sol and remains quietly with it In this Venus admirably well purged and dissolved may be a great help to you because a most clean tinging and fixed Sulphur may be extracted from it And I tell you that Mercury purified and fixed hath power to palliate or illustrate the Foulness of Imperfect Bodies and fixed Sulphur extracted pure from Bodies to colour them with Splendor Hence you may collect a great Secret viz. That Mercury and Sulphur may be extracted as well from imperfect Bodies duely prepared as from the perfect For purified Spirits and middle Minerals are an Help and very peculiar for deducing the Work to Perfection The Third Part Of Bodies to be perfected and of Alterative Medicines CHAP. XVI Of the way of Perfecting according to the Third Order HAving above sufficiently treated of all the ways of perfecting Imperfect Bodies in the Second Order We must now pass on to the Bounds of the Third Order But what the Medicines are and of what kind both of the second and third Order is plainly enough demonstrated in Our Book of the Perfect Magistery where we have with a competent and true Demonstration shewed that Our Stone is procreated of the Substance of Argentvive and this We did sufficiently as in a speculative Theorical Book Therefore We intend here manifestly to unlock the Closure of Art and it is thus You must study to resolve Luna or Sol into its own Dry VVater which the Vulgar call Mercury and this so as a Duodenary Proportion of the Solutive VVater may contain only a part of the perfect Body For if with gentle Fire you well govern these you will find in the space or forty Days that Body converted into meer VVater And the sign of its perfect Dissolution is Blackness appearing on its Superficies But if you endeavour to perfect both Works the White and the Red
purged from its more gross parts and that which flows out thence as Milk must be congealed in the Sun and it is prepared The Preparation of Spanish White Tin and Minium is after the same manner For they must be washed in distilled Vrine and prepared as Cerusse then they are fit for use Verdegreece is dissolved in distilled Vinegar and rubified being exactly congealed with most gentle Heat of Fire and then it is prepared and fit for the Work Crocus of Iron is dissolved in distilled Vinegar and clarified by Filter this Red Water being congealed yields you a Crocus fit for your purpose Aes ustum or Copper calcined ground to powder and washed with distilled Vinegar after the same manner as We taught in the Preparation of Ceruss will be of use to you Lithargiry dissolved in distilled Vinegar must be clarified and congealed for so it is well prepared Yet you may again dissolve it as other Things above-noted Also you may use them dissolved and congealed and in this is profound Investigation Antimony is calcined dissolved clarified congealed and ground to powder so it is prepared Lapis Lazuli or the Lazure Stone is calcined and when ground to Powder washed and it is purified The Stone Haematitis is heat red hot and often extingushed in Bulls-Gall Bolearmenac is ground and dissolved as Cerusse and then congealed Cinaber must be sublimed once from Common-Salt and so it is prepared Tutia is dissolved in distilled Vinegar having been first calcined and so it is well prepared The Second Particle CHAP. V. Of the Mundifications or Cleansing of Spirits IN the first Particle We sufficiently treated of those things which in our certain Invention seemed unto Us necessary for the Preparation of Spirits and Bodies Here We now intend to inlarge our Discourse touching the Sublimation or Preparation of Spirits of every Species according to the Indigency of the Compleatment of our Magistery But do not you deviate from this Doctrine of our Invention which in profound Meditation and in Works We see very necessary for Us and most certain Here We search out the Weights and the special Way of preparing and subliming them with Experience altogether certain and first begin with the Preparation of Sulphur and its Compeer and so of others in their Order CHAP. VI. Of the Preparation of Sulphur GRind clear and gummose Sulphurvive to a most subtile Powder which boyl in a Lixivium made of Ashes of Heartsease and Quick-lime gathering from off the superficies its oleaginous Combustibility until it be discerned to be clear This being done stir the whole with a stick and then warily take off that which passeth out with the Lixivium leaving the more gross parts in the bottom Permit that Extract to cool a little and upon it pour a fourth part of its own Quantity of distilled Vinegar and then will the whole suddenly be congealed as Milk Remove as much of the clear Lixivium as you can but dry the residue with gentle Fire and keep it In administration of the Feces observe this Method For every one pound of this prepared Sulphur take of Scales of Iron well calcined to redness lâ—b 1. of Roch-Allom also well calcined lib. 1. and of Common-Salt prepared half a pound Incorporate all these well by grinding together with Vinegar that the whole may be liquid which then boyl stirring it until it be all very black Then dry and grind it to a fine Powder which put into an Aludel with a large Cover and let the Cover of the Alembeck have a large and great Zone or Girdle for Conservation of the Spirits elevated the Aludel it self must be of the height of one Foot and half that the Heat may not touch the Zone of the Alembeck This being done sublime as We taught you in our Book Of the Sum of Perfection c. But gather what shall be dense or close compact in the Zone and cast away the light pulverizable Flos which ascends above it and adheres to the sides of the Alembeck for it is combustible defiled and defiling Keep the dense Matter sublimed by it self in a Phial and coct it upon Ashes so long as until its combustive Humidity be gradually exterminated Then preserve it clean for it is perfectly cleansed CHAP. VII Of the Preparation of Arsnick AFter its Compeer Arsnick is beaten to Powder it must be boyled in Vinegar and all its combustible Fatness extracted and it then dryed Then â„ž of Copper calcined lib. 1. Of Allom calcined ½ a pound and of Common-Salt prepared as much as of the Allom Mix these with your Arsnick prepared and having ground all well together moysten the Mixture with distilled Vinegar that it may be liquid and boyl the same as you did in Sulphur and then sublime it in an Aludel without an Alembeck of the height of one Foot Gather what ascends white dense clear and lucid and keep it because it is sufficiently prepared for the Work CHAP. VIII Of the Preparation of Argentvive SUblime Argentvive thus â„ž Of it lib. j. of Vitriol rubified lib. ij Of Roch-Allom calcined lib. j. of Common Sal lib. ss and of Salt-Peter one fourth part Incorporate all together and sublime and gather the White Dense and Ponderous which shall be found about the Sides of the Vessel and keep it as We have appointed of other Things But if in the first Sublimation you shall find it turbid or unclean which may happen by reason of your own Negligence again sublime it with the same Feces and reserve it for use CHAP. IX Of the Preparation of Marchasite SPread Marchasite ground to Powder a fingers thickness over the Bottom of a large Aludel and collect the Sulphur first with gentle Fire When that is ascended take off the Head or Alembeck and having applyed another augment the Fire then that which obtains the Place of Argentvive ascends as We have fully described in our Sum of Perfection CHAP. X. Of the Preparation of Tutia c. PUT pulverized Tutia into an Aludel and with the Administration of great Ignition sublime it and it is prepared Salammoniac is sublimed from Common-Salt as in the Praxis of Salts We have declared to you Argentvive is prepared most red thus â„ž of Mercury lib. j. of Vitriol rubified lib. ij and Salt-peter lib. j. Mortifie the Mercury with these and then sublime it from Roch-Allom and Salt-Peter in equal weights This is a great Secret of our Invention which is not to be omitted But the Consideration of Feces is to be observed in Sublimation of Sulphur and its Compeer for Sulphur sublimed from the Calx of Copper is more whitened than when sublimed from the Calx of Iron The like is to be judged of Arsnick for it is sublimed more red from Iron These may also be sublimed from Vitriol and Allom calcined and permixed with Common-Salt and Salt-Peter Thus have We sufficiently treated of the Artifical not mean Preparations of Spirits The third Particle of this Book CHAP. XI How Bodies ought