TAke good and clear Oyl of Vitriol, and caſt into it a convenient quantity of good Camphire groſly beaten; let it float there a while, and, without the help of external hear, it will inſenſlibly be reſolv'd into a Liquor, which, from time to time, as it comes to be produc'd, you may, by ſhaking the Glaſs, mingle with the Oyl of Vitriol, whereunto you may, by this means, impart firſt a fine Yellow, and then a colour, which though it be not a true Red, will be of kin to it, and ſo very deep, as to make the mixture almoſt quite Opacous. When all the Camphire is perfectly diſſolv'd by incorporating with the Menſtruum, if you hit upon good Ingredients, and upon a right Proportion, (for a ſlight Miſtake in either of them, may make this part of the Experiment miſcarry,) you may probably obtain ſuch a mixture, as I have more then once had, namely, ſuch a one, as not onely to me, whoſe ſenſe of Smelling is none of the Dulleſt, but alſo to others, that knew not of the Experiment, ſeem'd not at all to have an Odour of the Camphire. But if into this Liquor you pour a due quantity of fair Water, you will ſee (perhaps not without delight) that, in a trice, the Liquor will become pale, almoſt as at the firſt, and the Camphire, that lay conceal'd in the pores of the Menſtruum, will immediately diſcloſe it ſelf, and emerge, in its own nature and priſtine form of white floating and combuſtible Camphire, which will fill not the Viol onely, but the neighbouring part of the Air with its ſtrong and Diffuſive Odour.

Now the Phaenomena of this Experiment may, beſides the uſes we elſewhere make of it, afford us ſeveral particulars pertinent to our preſent purpoſe.

I. For (firſt) we ſee a lighter and conſiſtent Body brought, by a Comminution, into Particles of a certain figure, to be kept ſwimming, and mixed with a Liquor, on which it floated before, and which is, by great odds, heavier then it ſelf: ſo that as by the Solution of Gold in Aqua regis, it appears, that the ponperouſeſt of Bodies, if it be reduc'd to parts minute enough, may be kept from ſinking in a Liquor much lighter then it ſelf: So this Experiment of Ours manifeſts what I know not whether hitherto Men have prov'd, That the Corpuſcles of Lighter Bodies may be kept from emerging to the Top of a much heavier Liquor: which Inſtance being added to that of the Gold, may teach us, that, when Bodies are reduc'd to very minute parts, we muſt as well conſider their particular Texture, as the receiv'd Rules of the Hydroſtaticks, in determining whether they will ſink, or float▪ or ſwim.

II. This Experiment alſo ſhews, that ſeveral Colours, and even a very deep one, may ſoon be produc'd by a White Body, and a clear Liquor, and that without the intervention of fire, or any external heat.

III. And that yet this Colour may, almoſt in the twinckling of an Eye, be deſtroy'd, and as it were annihilated, and the Latitant Whiteneſs, as many would call it, may be as ſuddainly reſtor'd by the Addition of nothing but fair Water, vvhich has no Colour of its ovvn, upon vvhoſe account it might be ſurmiſ'd to be contrary to the periſhing colour, or to heighten the other into a Praedominancy: nor does the Water take into its ſelf, either the Colour it deſtroy'd, or That it reſtores. For

IV. The more then ſemi-opacity of the Solution of Camphire and Oyl of Vitriol does preſently vaniſh; and that Menſtruum, with the Water, make up (as ſoon as the Camphorate Corpuſcles come to be a float) one tranſparent and colourleſs Liquor.

V. And tis worth noting, that upon the mixture of a Liquor, which makes the Fluid much Lighter, (for ſo Water is in reſpect of Vitriol,) a Body is made to emerge, that did not ſo, when the Fluid was much heavier. This Experiment may ſerve to countenance what we elſewhere argue againſt the Schools, touching the Controverſie about Miſtion. For whereas though ſome of them diſſent, yet moſt of them maintain, that the Elements alwaies looſe their Forms in the mix'd Bodies they conſtitute; and though if they had dexterouſly propoſ'd their Opinion, and limited their Aſſertions to ſome caſes, perhaps the Doctrine might be tolerated: yet ſince they are wont to propoſe it crudely and univerſally, I cannot but take notice, how little tis favour'd by this Experiment; wherein even a mix'd Body (for ſuch is Camphire) doth, in a further miſtion, retain its Form and Nature, and may be immediately ſo divorced from the Body, to which it was united, as to turn, in a trice, to the manifeſt Exerciſe of its former Qualities. And this Experiment being the eaſieſt Inſtance, I have deviſ'd, of the preſervation of a Body, when it ſeems to be deſtroy'd, and of the Recovery of a Body to its former Conditions; I deſire it may be take • notice of, as an inſtance I ſhall after have Occaſion to have recourſe to, and make uſe of.

VI. But the notableſt thing in the Experiment is, that Odours ſhould depend ſo much upon Texture; that one of the ſubtleſt and ſtrongeſt ſented Drugs, that the Eaſt it ſelf or indeed the World affords us, ſhould ſo ſoon quite looſe its Odour, by being mix'd with a Body that has ſcarce, if at all, any ſenſible Odour of its own, and This, while the Camphorate Corpuſcles ſurvive undeſtroy'd, in a Liquor, from whence one would think, that leſſe ſubtle and fugitive Bodies, then they, ſhould eaſily exhale.

VII. Nor is it much leſſe conſiderable, that ſo ſtrong and piercing a Sent as that of Camphire, ſhould be, in a moment, produc'd in a Mixture, wherein none of it could be perceiv'd before, by ſuch a Liquor as Water, that is quite devoid of any Odour of its own: which ſo eaſie and ſuddain reſtauration of the Camphire to its Native Sent, as well as other Qualities, by ſo languid a Liquor as common Water, doth likewiſe argue, that the Union or Texture of the two Ingredients, the Camphire and the Oyl of Vitriol, was but very ſlight, upon which nevertheleſſe a great alteration in point of Qualities depended. And to confirme, that divers of the praeceding Phaenomena depend upon the particular Texture of the Liquors, imploy'd to exhibit them, I ſhall add, that if, inſtead of oyl of Vitriol, you caſt the Concrete into well deflegm'd Spirit of Nitre, you will obtain no red, nor dark, but a Tranſparent and Colourleſs Solution. And when to the above mention'd red Mixture I put, inſtead of fair Water, about 2 or 3 parts of duely rectifi'd Spirit of Wine, there would enſue no ſuch changes, as thoſe formerly recited; but the Spirit of Wine, that diſſolv'd the Concrete, when it was by it ſelf, without looſing its Diaphaneity, or acquiring any Colour, did, when it diſſolv'd the Mixture, diſſolve it with its new adventitious Colour, looking like a groſs red Wine, ſomewhat turbid, or not yet well freed from its Lees: ſo that this Colour appear'd to reſide in the Mixture as ſuch, ſince neither of the two Ingredients diſſolv'd in, or mingled vvith the Spirit of Wine, would have afforded that Colour, or indeed any other. But if to this Liquor, that look'd like troubled Wine, we poured a large Proportion of fair Water, the Redneſs would immediately vaniſh, and the Whole would, as to ſenſe, become White throughout; I ſay, as to ſenſe, becauſe the Whiteneſſe did not indeed appertain properly to the whole Mixture, but to a huge multitude of little Corpuſcles of the reviv'd Concrete, whereof ſome or other, which at firſt ſwamme confuſedly to and fro, left no ſenſible Portion of the Liquor unfurniſh'd with ſome of them; whereas when the Camphorate Corpuſcles had leiſure to emerge, as they ſoon did, they floated in the forme of a White Powder or Froth at the top of the Liquor, leaving all the reſt as clear and colourleſſe as the common Water.

But we have not yet mention'd all the uſe, we deſign'd to make of our Mixture, for by proſecuting the Experiment a little further, we made it afford us ſome new Phaenomena.

VIII. For having kept the Mixture in a moderately warme place, (which circumſtance had perhaps no influence on the Succeſſe,) and having diſtill'd it out of a Glaſs Retort, the Event anſwer'd our Expectation, and the Liquor, that came over, had a Sent; which, though very ſtrong, was quite differing both from that of the Mixture, and that of the Camphire; and in the remaining Body, though the Liquor and the Camphire it conſiſted of, were either both tranſparent, or the one tranſparent as a Liquor, and the other white, as tranſparent and colourleſſe Bodies are wont to be made by Contuſion: yet the remaining Maſs, which amounted to a good part of the Mixture, was not onely Opacous, but as black as Coal, is ſome places looking juſt like poliſhed Jet; which is the more conſiderable, becauſe that though Vegetable Subſtances, that are not fluid, are wont to acquire a Blackneſs from the fire, yet neither do Liquors, that have already been diſtill'd, obtain that Colour upon Rediſtillation, neither have we, upon Tryal purpoſely made, found, that Camphire, expoſ'd to fire in a Retort, fitted with a Receiver, (which was the caſe of the preſent Experiment,) would at all acquire a Jetty Colour, but would either totally aſcend White, or afford Flores, and a Caput mortuum (as a vulgar Chymiſt would call the Remaines) of the ſame Colour, both in reſpect of one another, and in reſpect of the Camphire.

IX. And our Experiment afforded this notable Phaenomenon, That though Oyl of Vitriol be a diſtill'd Liquor, and though Camphire be ſo very fugitive a Subſtance, that being left in the Air, it will, of it ſelf, fly all away; and therefore Phyſicians and Druggiſts preſcribe the keeping it in Linſeeds or Millium, or other convenient Bodies, to hinder its Avolation; yet, by our Experiment, its Fugacity is ſo reſtrain'd, that not onely the Caput mortuum newly mention'd, endured a good fire in the Retort, before it was reduc'd to that pitchy Subſtance vve vvere lately mentioning, but having taken ſome of that ſubſtance out of the Retort, & order'd it, by a careful Workman, to be kept in a cloſely cover'd Crucible during ſome time in the fire; when it vvas brought me back, after the Pot had been kept red hot above half an hour, there remain'd a good quantity of the Matter, brittle, vvithout any ſmell of Camphire, and as black as ordinary Charcoal; ſo much do the Fixity and Volatility of Bodies depend upon Texture.

THere is (Pyrophilus) another Experiment, which many wil find more eaſie to be put in practice, and which yet may, as to Silver, be made a kind of Succedaneum to the former, and conſequently may ſerve to ſhew, how the like Qualities in Bodies may be effected by differing Wayes, provided a like Change of Texture be produc'd by them. Of This I ſhall give you an Example in that Preparation of Silver, that ſome Chymiſts have call'd Luna Cornea, which I ſhall not ſcruple to mention particularly, and apply to my preſent purpoſe; becauſe though the name of Luna Cornea be already to be met with in the Writings of ſome Alchymiſts, yet the thing it ſelf, being not uſ'd in Phyſick, is not wont to be known by thoſe that learn Chymiſtry in order to Phyſick; and the way that I uſe in making it is differing from that of Alchymiſts, being purpoſely deſign'd to ſhew ſome notable Phaenomena, not to be met with in their way of proceeding.

We take then refined Silver, and having beaten it into thin Plates, and diſſolv'd it in about twice its Weight of good Aqua fortis, we Filtrate it carefully to obtain a clear ſolution, (which ſometimes we Evaporate further, till it ſhoot into Chryſtals, which we afterwards dry upon brown Paper with a moderate heat.)

Upon the abovemention'd ſolution we drop good ſpirit of Salt, till we find, that it will no more curdle the Liquor it falls into, (which will not happen ſo ſoon, as you will be apt at firſt to imagine,) then we put the whole Mixture in a Glaſs Funnel lin'd with Cap-paper, and letting the moiſture drain through, we dry, with a gentle heat, the ſubſtance, that remains in the Filtre, firſt waſhing it (if need be) from the looſly adhaering Salts, by letting fair Water run through it ſeveral times, whilſt it yet continues in the Filtre. This ſubſtance being well dry'd, we put it into a Glaſs Viol, which being put upon quick coals, firſt cover'd with Aſhes, and then freed from them, we melt the contain'd ſubſtance into a Maſs, which, being kept a while in Fuſion, gives us the Luna Cornea we are now to conſider.

If to make this Factitious Concrete, we firſt reduce the Silver into Chryſtals, and afterwards proceed with ſpirit of Salt, as we have juſt now taught you to do with the ſolution; we have the exceedingly Opacous, Malleable, and hardly Fuſible Body of Silver, by the convenient interpoſition of ſome ſaline Particles, not amounting to the third part of the Weight of the Metal, reduc'd into Chryſtals, that both ſhoot in a peculiar and determinate figure, differing from thoſe of other Metals, and alſo are diaphanous and brittle, and by great odds more eaſily fuſible then Silver it ſelf; beſides other Qualities, wherein having elſewhere taken notice, that theſe Chryſtals differ both from Silver and from Aqua fortis, we ſhall not now inſiſt on them, but paſs to the Qualities, that do more properly belong to the change of the Solution of Silver into Luna Cornea.

Firſt then we may obſerve, that though ſpirit of Salt be an highly acid Liquor, and though acid Liquors and Alkalys are wont to have quite contrary Operations, the one praecipitating what the other would diſſolve, & diſſolving what the other would praecipitate: yet in our caſe, as neither Oyl of Tartar per deliquium, nor ſpirit of Salt will diſſolve Silver, ſo both the one and the other will praecipitate it; which I deſire may be taken notice of againſt the Doctrine of the Vulgar Chymiſts, and as a Proof, that the Praecipitation of Bodies depends not upon acid or Alkalizate Liquors as ſuch, but upon the Texture of the Bodies, that happen to be confounded.

2. We may here obſerve, that Whiteneſs and Opacity may be immediately produc'd by Liquors, both of them Diaphanous and colourleſs.

3. That on the other ſide, a White Powder, though its minute parts appear not tranſparent, like thoſe of beaten Glaſs, Roſin, &c. which, by comminution, are made to ſeem White, may yet, by a gentle heat, be preſently reduc'd into a Maſs indifferently Tranſparent, and not at all White, but of a fair Yellow.

4. We may obſerve too, that though Silver require ſo ſtrong a fire to melt it, and may be long kept red hot, without being brought to Fuſion; yet by the aſſociation of ſome ſaline particles, conveniently mingled with it, it may be made ſo fuſible, as to be eaſily and quickly melted, either in a thin Viol, or at the flame of a Candle, where it will flow almoſt like Wax.

5. It may alſo be noted, that though the Lunar ſolution and the ſpirit of Salt would, either of them apart, have readily diſſolv'd in Water; yet when they are mingled, they do, for the moſt part, concoagulate into a ſubſtance, th • t will lie undiſſolv'd in Water, and is ſcarce, if at all, ſoluble either in Aqua fortis, or in ſpirit of Salt.

6. And remarkable it is, that the Body of Silver being very flexible and malleable, (eſpecially if the Metal be, as ours was, refin'd) it ſhould yet, by the Addition of ſo ſmall a proportion of Salt, (a Body rigid and brittle,) as is aſſociated to it in our Experiment, be made of a Texture ſo differing from what either of its Ingredients was before, being wholly unlike either a Salt or a Metal, and very like in Texture to a piece of Horn. And to ſatisfie my ſelf, how much the Toughneſs of this Metalline Horn depended upon the Texture of the Compoſitum, reſulting from the reſpective Textures of the ſeveral Ingredients, I praecipitated a ſolution of Silver with the diſtill'd ſaline Liquor commonly call'd Oyl of Vitriol, inſtead of ſpirit of ſalt, and having waſh'd the Praecipitate with common Water, I found agreeably to my conjecture, that this Praecipitate, being flux'd in a moderate heat, afforded a Maſs, that look'd like enough to the Concrete we have been diſcourſing of, but had not its Toughneſs, being brittle enough to be eaſily broken in pieces. But the tw • conſiderableſt Phaenomena of our ExExperiment do yet remain unmentiond.

For 7thly. 'Tis odd, that whereas a ſolution of Silver is, as we have often occaſion to note, the bittereſt Liquor we have ever met with, and the ſpirit of Salt far ſowrer then either the ſharpeſt Vinegar, or even the ſpirit of it, theſe two ſo ſtrongly and offenſively taſted Liquors ſhould be ſo eaſily and ſpeedily, without any other thing to correct them, be reduc'd into an inſipid ſubſtance, (at leaſt ſo far inſipid, that I have lick'd it ſeveral times with my Tongue, without finding it otherwiſe, though perhaps, with much rowling it to and fro in the mouth, it may at length afford ſome unpleaſant Taſt, but exceedingly different from that of either of the Liquors that compoſ'd it:) and This, though the Salts, that made both the Silver, and the praecipitating ſpirit ſo ſtrongly taſted, remaine aſſociated with the Silver.

8. And Laſtly, it is very ſtrange, that though the ſaline Corpuſcles, that give the efficacy both to good Aqua fortis, and the like ſpirit of Salt, be not onely ſo volatile, that they will eaſily be diſtill'd with a moderate fire, but ſo fugitive, that they will in part fly away of themſelves in the cold Air, (as our Noſes can witneſs to our trouble, when the Viols, that contain ſuch Liquors, are unſtopt;) yet by vertue of the new Texture they acquire, by aſſociating themſelves with the Corpuſcles of the Silver and with one another, theſe minute particles of ſalt looſe ſo much of their former Lightneſs, and acquire ſuch a degree of Fixedneſſe, that they will endure melting with the Metal they adhere to, rather then ſuffer themſelves to be driven away from it. Nor do I remember, that when I melted this Maſs in a thin Viol, I could perceive any ſenſible Evaporation of the Matter: nay having afterwards put a parcel of it upon a quick Coal, though that were blows to intend the heat; yet it ſuffer'd Fuſion, and ſo ran off from the Coal, without appearing, when it was taken up again, to be other then Luna Cornea, as it was before.

I Am now (Pyrophilus) about to do a Thing, contrary enough both to my Cuſtome and Inclination, that is, To diſcourſe upon the Phaenomena of an Experiment, which I do not teach you to make. But ſince I cannot as yet, without ſome breach of promiſe, plainly diſcloſe to you what I muſt now conceal your Equity aſſures me of your Pardon. And as, becauſe the Qualities of the Salt, I am to ſpeak of, are very remarkable, and pertinent to my preſent deſign, I am unwilling to paſs them by unmention'd; ſo I hope, that notwithſtanding their being ſtrange, I may be allow'd to diſcourſe upon them to you, who, I preſume, know me too well to ſuſpect I would impoſe upon you in matters of fact, and to whom I am willing (if you deſire it) to ſhew the Anomalous Salt it ſelf, and Ocular proofs of the chief properties I aſcribe to it.

I ſhall not then ſcruple to tell you, that Diſcourſing one day with a very Ingenious Traveller and Chymiſt, who had had extraordinary Opportunities to acquire Secrets, of a certain odd Salt I had thought upon and made, which was of ſo differing a kind from other Salts, that though I did not yet know what Feats I ſhould be able to do with it, yet I was confident, it muſt have Noble and unuſual Operations. This Gentleman, to requi • e my Franckneſs, told me, that I had lighted on a greater Jewel, then perhaps I was aware of; and that if I would follow his Advice, by adding ſomething that he nam'd to me, and proſecuting the Preparation a little further, I ſhould obtain a Salt exceedingly noble. I thank'd him, as I had cauſe, for his Advice, and, when I had Opportunity, follow'd it. And though I found the vvay of making this Salt ſo nice and intricate a thing, that if I vvould, I could ſcarce eaſily deſcribe it, ſo as to enable moſt men to practice it; yet having once made it, I found, that, beſides ſome of the things I had been told it would perform, I could do divers other things vvith it, vvhich I had good cauſe to believe the Gentleman, of whom I was ſpeaking, did not think of; and I doubt not, but I ſhould have done much more with it, if I had not unfortunately loſt it ſoon after I had prepar'd it.

Several of the Phaenomena, I try'd to produce with it, which are not ſo proper for this place, are reſerv'd for another, but here I ſhall mention a few, that beſt fit my preſent purpoſe.

Firſt then, though the ſeveral ingredients, that compoſ'd this Salt, were all of them ſuch, as Vulgar Chymiſts muſt according to their Principles, look upon as purely Saline, and were each of them far more ſalt then Brine, or more ſowr then the ſtrongeſt Vinegar, or more ſtrongly taſted then either of thoſe two Liquors; yet the Compound, made up of onely ſuch Bodies, is ſo far from being eminently ſalt, or ſowr, or inſipid, that a Stranger being ask'd, what Taſt it had, vvould not ſcruple to judge it rather ſweet, then of any other Taſt▪ though its Sweetneſs be of a peculiar kind, as there is a difference even among Bodies ſweet by Nature; the ſweetneſs of Sugar being divers from that of Honey, and both of them differing from that of the ſweet Vitriol of Lead. And this is the onely inſtance, I remember, I have hitherto met vvith of Salts, that, vvithout the mixture of inſipid Bodies, compoſe a ſubſtance really ſweet. I ſay really ſweet, becauſe Chymiſts oftentimes terme the Calces of Metals and other Bodies dulcifi'd, if they be freed from all corroſive ſalts and ſharpneſs of Taſt, ſweet, though they have nothing at all of poſitive ſweetneſs in them; and by that licence of ſpeaking do often enough impoſe upon the Unskilful.

Another thing conſiderable in our Anomalous Salt is, That though its Odour be not either ſtrong or offenſive, (both which that of Volatile Salts is wont to be,) yet if it be a little urg'd with heat, ſo as to be forc'd to evaporate haſtily and copiouſly, I have known ſome, that have been uſ'd to the powerful ſtink of Aqua fortis, diſtill'd Urine, and even ſpirit of Sal Armoniack its ſelf, that have complain'd of this ſmell, as more ſtrong, and upon that account more unſupportable then theſe themſelves: and yet when theſe Fumes ſettle again into a Salt, their Odour will again prove mild and inoffenſive, if not pleaſant.

Thirdly, whereas all the Volatile, and Acid, and Lixiviate Salts, that we know of, are of ſo determinate and ſpecificated a Nature, (if I may ſo ſpeak,) that there is no one ſort of the three, but may be deſtroy'd by ſome one or other of the other two Salts, if not by both, as ſpirit of Urine, which is a volatile Salt, being mingled with ſpirit of Salt, or Aqua fortis, or almoſt any other ſtrong and acid ſpirit, will make a great Ebullition, and looſe its peculiar Taſt, and ſeveral of its other Qualities; and on the otherſide, Salt of Tartar, and other Alkalys, (that is, Salts produc'd by Incineration of mix'd Bodies,) will be deſtroy'd with Ebullition by Aqua fortis, ſpirit of Salt, or almoſt any other ſtrong ſpirit of that Family. And ſpirit of Salt, Aqua fortis, &c. will be (as they ſpeak) deſtroy'd both by Animal volatile Salts, and by the fix'd Salts of Vegetables; that is, will make an Efferveſcence with either ſort of Salts, and compoſe with them a new Liquor or Salt, differing from either of the ingredients, and, as to taſt, ſmell, odour, and divers other Qualities, more languid and degenerous: whereas, I ſay, each of theſe three Families of Salts may be eaſily deſtroy'd by the other two, our Anomalous Salt ſeems to be above the being thus wrought upon by any of all the three, and i • the onely Body I know: (which is no ſmall priviledge, or rather prerogative,) for I did not find, that a Solution of it, made with as little Water as I could, which is the vvay whereby we uſually make it fluid, would make any Ebullition, either with Oyl of Tartar per Deliquium, or ſpirit of Sal Armoniack, or ſtrong ſpirit of Salt, or even Oyl of Vitriol, but would calmely and ſilently mix vvith theſe differing Liquors, and continue as long as I had patience to look upon them, without being praecipitated by them. But this is not the onely way I imploy'd to examine, whether our Salt belong'd to any of the three above mention'd comprehenſive families of Salts. For I found not, that the ſtrongeſt ſolution of it would turn Syrup of Violets either red, as acid ſpirits do, or green, as both fix'd and volatile Salts will do. Nor would our Solution turn a clear one of Sublimate made in common Water, either white, as ſpirit of Urine, Sal Armoniack, or others of the ſame family, or into an Orange Tawny, like ſalt of Tartar, and other Alkalys: but left the ſolution of Sublimate tranſparent, without giving it any of theſe colours, mingling it ſelf very kindly with it, as it had done with the four lately mention'd Liquors. And to ſatisfy my ſelf a little further, I not onely try'd, that an undiſcolour'd mixture of ſyrup of Violets and our ſolution, would immediately be turn'd red by 2 or 3 drops of ſpirit of Salt, or green by as much Oyl of Tartar: but, to proſecute the Experiment, I let fall a drop or two of a mixture made of our Anomalous ſolution, and ſpirit of Salt well ſhaken together, upon ſome ſyrup of Violets, which was thereby immediately turn'd red, and a little of the ſame Anomalous ſolution, being ſhaken together with Oyl of Tartar per Deliquium, turn'd another parcel of the ſame ſyrup of Violets into a delightful green; which, hapning as I expected, ſeem'd to argue, that our Solution, though as to ſenſe it were exquiſitely mingled in the ſeveral mixtures, to which I had put it, did, as it left them their undeſtroy'd reſpective Natures, retain its own; and yet this Salt is ſo far from being a languid or an inſignificant thing, that Aqua fortis, and Oyl of Vitriol themſelves, as operative and as furious Liquors as they are, are unable in divers caſes to make ſuch Solutions, and perform ſuch other things, as our calme, but powerful, Menſtruum can, though but ſlowly, effect.

Fourthly: Though this Salt be a volatile one, and requires no ſtrong heat to make it ſublime into finely figur'd Chryſtals without a remanence at the Bottom; yet being diſſolv'd in Liquors, you may make the Solution, if need be, to boile, without making any of the Salt ſublime up, before the Liquor be totally or almoſt totally drawn off, whereas the volatile ſalt of Urine, Bloud, Harts-horn, &c. are wont to aſcend before almoſt any part of the Liquor, they are diſſolv'd in, which is in many caſes very inconvenient.

And though this be a Volatile ſalt, yet I remember not, that I have obſerv'd any fix'd ſalt, (without excepting ſalt of Tartar it ſelf,) that runs near ſo ſoon per Deliquium, as this will do; but by abſtraction of the adventitious moiſture tis eaſily reſtor'd to its former ſaline form: and yet differs from ſalt of Tartar, not onely in Fixedneſſe and Taſt, and divers other qualities, but alſo in this, That, whereas ſalt of Tartar requires a vehement fire to flux it, a gentlier heat, then one would eaſily imagine, will melt our Salt into a Limpid Liquor.

And whereas ſpirit of Wine will diſſolve ſome Bodies, as Sanderick, Maſtick, Gum-Lac, &c. and Water, on the other ſide, diſſolves many that ſpirit of Wine cannot, and Oyls will diſſolve ſome, for which neither of the other Liquors are good ſolvents; our ſalt will readily diſſolve both in fair Water, in the higheſt rectifi'd ſpirit of Wine, (and That ſo little, as not to weigh more then the ſalt,) and in Chymical Oyls themſelves, with which it will aſ • ociate its ſelf very ſtrictly, and perhaps more too, then I have yet found any other conſiſtent ſalt to do.

THe Experiment I am (Pyrophilus) now about to deliver, though I have not yet had Opportunity to perfect what I deſign'd, when ſome Notions, that I have about Fire and Salt, ſuggeſted it to me, is yet ſuch as may far more clearly, then almoſt any of the Experiments commonly known to Chymiſts, ſerve to ſhew us, how near to a real Tranſmutation thoſe Changes may prove, that may be effected even in inanimate, and, which is more, ſcarce corruptible Bodies, by the receſs of ſome Particles, and the acceſs of ſome others, and the new Texture of the reſidue. The Experiment I have made ſeveral wayes, but one of the lateſt and beſt I have uſ'd is this: Take one part of good Sea-ſalt well dry'd and powder'd, and put to it double its weight of good Aqua fortis, or ſpirit of Nitre, then haveing kept it (if you have time) for ſome while in a previous digeſtion, diſtill it over with a ſlow fire in a Retort or a low Body, till the the remaining Matter be quite dry, and no more; for this ſubſtance, that will remain in the bottom of the Glaſs, is the thing that is ſought for.

This Operation being performable in a moderate fire, and the Bodies themſelves being almoſt of an incorruptible nature, one would ſcarce think, that ſo ſlight a matter ſhould produce any Change in them; but yet I found, as I expected, theſe notable Mutations of Qualities effected by ſo unpromiſing a way.

For in the firſt place, we may take notice, that the Liquor, that came over, was no longer an Aqua fortis, or ſpirit of Nitre, but an Aqua Regis, that was able to diſſolve Gold, which Aqua fortis will not meddle with, and will not diſſolve Silver, as it would have done before, but will rather, as I have purpoſely try'd, praecipitate it out of Aqua fortis, if that Menſtruum have already diſſolv'd it: But this Change belonging not ſo properly to the ſubſtance it ſelf I was about to conſider, I ſhall not here inſiſt on it.

2. Then, the Taſt of this Subſtance comes by this Operation to be very much alter'd. For it hath not that ſtrong ſaltneſs that it had before, but taſts far milder, and, though it relliſh of both, affects the Palate much more like Salt-petre, then like common ſalt.

3. Next, whereas this laſt nam'd Body is of very difficult Fuſion, our factitious ſalt imitates ſalt-petre in being very fuſible, and it will, like Nitre, ſoon melt, by being held in the flame of a Candle.

4. But to proceed to a more conſiderable Phaenomenon, tis known, that Sea-ſalt is a Body, that doth very much reſiſt the fire, when once by being brought to Fuſion, it hath been forc'd to let go that windy ſubſtance, that makes unbeaten ſalt crackle in the fire, and ſo by blowing it accidentally increaſe it. Tis alſo known, that acid ſpirits, as thoſe of Salt, Vitriol, Nitre, Vinegar, &c. are not onely not inflammable themſelves, but hinderers of inflammation in other Bodies; and yet my Conjecture leading me to expect, that, by this Operation, I ſhould be able to produce, out of two inflammable Bodies, a third, that would be eaſily inflammable. I found, upon Tryal, not onely that ſmall Lumps of this ſubſtance, caſt upon quick and well blown coals, though they did not give ſo blew a flame as Nitre, did yet, like it, burn away with a copious and vehement flame. And, for further Tryal, having melted a pretty quantity of this tranſmuted Sea ſalt in a Crucible, by caſting upon it little fragments of well kindled Charcoal, it would, like Nitre, preſently be kindled, and afford a flame ſo vehement and ſo dazling, that one that had better Eyes then I, and knew not what it was, complain'd, that he was not able to ſupport the ſplendor of it. Nor were all its inflammable parts conſum'd at one deflagration: for by caſting in more fragments of well kindled Coal, the Matter would fall a puffing, and flame afreſh for ſeveral times conſecutively, according to the quantity that had been put into the Crucible.

5. But this it ſelf was not the chief diſcovery I deſign'd by this Experiment. For I pretended hereby to deviſe a way of turning an acid ſalt into an Alkaly, which ſeems to be one of the greateſt and difficulteſt Changes, that is rationally to be attempted among durable and inanimate Bodies. For tis not unknown to ſuch Chymiſts as are any thing inquiſitive and heedful, how vaſt a difference there is between acid Salts, and thoſe, that are made by the combuſtion of Bodies, and are ſometimes call'd Fix'd, ſometimes Alkalizate. For whereas ſtrong Lixiviums (which are but ſtrong ſolutions of Alkalys) will readily enough diſſolve common Sulphur, and divers other Bodies abounding with Sulphur; even thoſe highly acid Liquors, Aqua fortis, and Aqua Regis, though ſo corroſive, that one will diſſolve Silver, and the other Gold it ſelf, will let Brimſtone lye in them undiſſolv'd I know not how long; though ſome ſay, that in proceſs of time, there may be ſome Tincture drawn by the Menſtruum from it, which yet I have not ſeen try'd; and though it were true, would yet ſufficiently argue a great diſparity betwixt thoſe acid ſpirits, and ſtrong Alkalizate ſolutions, which will ſpeedily diſſolve the very maſſe of common Sulphur. Beſides, tis obſerv'd by the inquiſitive Chymiſts, nor does my Experience contradict it, that the Bodies, that are diſſolv'd by an acid Menſtruum, may be praecipitated by an Alkalizate; and on the contrary, ſolutions, made by the latter, may be praecipitated by the former. Moreover, as Litharge, diſſolv'd in ſpirit of Vinegar, will be praecipitated by the Oyl of Tartar per Deliquium, or the ſolution of its Salt; and, on the contrary, Sulphur or Antimony, diſſolv'd in ſuch a ſolution, will be praecipitated out of it by the ſpirit of Vinegar, or even common Vinegar. Moreover, Acids and Alkalizates do alſo differ exceedingly in taſt, and in this greater diſparity, that the one is volatile, and the other fix'd, beſides other particulars not neceſſary here to be inſiſted on. And indeed, if that were true, which is taught in the Schools, that there is a natural enmity, as well as diſparity betwixt ſome Bodies, as between Oyly and wateriſh ones, the Chymiſts may very ſpeciouſly teach, (as ſome of them do) That there is a ſtrange contrariety betwixt Acid and Alkalizate Salts; as when there is made an Affuſion of oyl of Tartar upon Aqua Regis, or Aqua fortis, to praecipitate Gold out of the one, and Silver out of the other, their mutual Hoſtility ſeems manifeſtly to ſhew it ſelf, not onely by the noiſe, and hear, and fume, that are immediately excited by their conflict, but by this moſt of all, that afterwards the two contending Bodies will appear to have mutually deſtroy'd one another, both the ſowr Spirit and the fixt Salt having each loſt its former Nature in the ſcuffle, and degenerated with its Adverſary into a certain Third ſubſtance, that wants ſeveral of the Properties both of the ſowr Spirit and the Alkaly. Now to apply all this to the Occaſion, on which I mention'd it, how diſtant and contrary ſoever the more inquiſitive of the latter Chymiſts take Acid and Fixed Salts to be; yet I ſcarce doubted, but that, by our Experiment, I ſhould, from acid ſalts, obtain an Alkaly, and accordingly having, by caſting in ſeveral bits of well kindled coal, excited, in the melted Maſs of our tranſmuted Salt, as many Deflagrations as I could, and then giving it a pretty ſtrong fire to drive away the reſt of the more fugitive parts, I judg'd, that the remaining Maſſe would be (like the fix'd Nitre I have elſewhere mention'd) of an Alkalizate nature, and accordingly having taken it out, I found it to taſt, not like Sea-ſalt, but fiery enough upon the Tongue, and to have a Lixiviate reliſh. I found too, that it would turn Syrup of Violets into a greeniſh colour, that it would praecipitate a Limpid ſolution of Sublimate, made in fair water, into an Orange tawny Powder. I found, that it would, like other fix'd ſalts, produce an Ebullition with acid ſpirits, and even with ſpirit of ſalt it ſelf, and concoagulate with them. Nor are theſe themſelves all the wayes I took to manifeſt the Alkalizate Nature of our tranſmuted Sea ſalt.

I did indeed conſider at firſt, that it might be ſuſpected, that this new Alkalizateneſſe might proceed from the Aſhes of the injected Coals, the Aſhes of Vegetables generally containing in them more or leſſe of a fix'd Salt. But when I conſider'd too, that a pound of Charcoal, burn'd to Aſhes, is wont to yield ſo very little Salt, that the injected fragments of Coal, (though they had been, which they were not) quite burn'd out in this Operation, would ſcarce have afforded two or three grains of ſalt, (perhaps not half ſo much,) I ſaw no reaſon at all to believe, that in the whole Maſs I had obtain'd (and which was all, that was left me of the Sea-ſalt, I had at firſt imploy'd,) it was nothing but ſo inconſiderable a proportion of Aſhes, that exhibited all the Phaenomena of an Alkaly.

And for further confirmation both of This, and what I ſaid a little before, I ſhall adde, that to ſatisfie my ſelf yet more, I pour'd, upon a pretty quantity of this Lixiviate ſalt, a due proportion of Aqua fortis, till the hiſſing and ebullition ceaſed, and then leaving the fluid Mixture for a good while to coagulate, (which it did very ſlowly,) I found it at length to ſhoot into ſaline Chryſtals, which though they were not of the figure of Nitre, did yet, by their inflammability and their bigneſs, ſufficiently argue, that there had been a Conjunction made betwixt the Nitrous ſpirit, and a conſiderable proportion of Alkaly.

I conſider'd alſo, that it might be ſuſpected, that in our Experiment twas the Nitrous Corpuſcles of the Aqua fortis, that, lodging themſelves in the little rooms deſerted by the ſaline Corpuſcles of the Sea-ſalt, that paſs'd over into the Receiver, had afforded this Alkaly; as common Salt-petre, being handled after ſuch a manner, would leave in the Crucible a fix'd or Alkalizate Salt. But to this I anſwer, that as the Sea-ſalt, which was not driven over by ſo mild a Diſtillation, and ſeem'd much a greater part then that which had paſs'd over, was far from being of an Alkalizate nature: ſo the Nitrous Corpuſcles, that are preſum'd to have ſtay'd behind, were whilſt they compoſ'd the ſpirit of Nitre, of an highly volatile and acid Nature, and conſequently of a nature directly oppoſite to that of Alkalys; and if by the addition of any other ſubſtance, that were no more Alkalizate then Sea-ſalt, an Alkaly could be obtain'd out of ſpirit of Nitre or Aqua fortis, the Producibleneſs of an Alkaly out of Bodies of another nature might be rightly thence inferr'd: ſo that however, it appears, that by the intervention of our Experiment, two Subſtances, that were formerly acid, are turn'd into one, that is manifeſtly of an Alkalizate Nature, which is That we would here evince.

Perhaps it may (Pyrophilus) be worth while to ſubjoyn; That to proſecute the Experiment by inverting it, we drew two parts of ſtrong ſpirit of Salt from one of purifi'd Nitre; but did not obſerv • the remaining Body to be any thing neer ſo conſiderably chang'd as the Sea-ſalt, from which we had drawn the ſpirit of Nitre; ſince though the ſpirit of Salt, that came over, did (as we expected) bring over ſo many of the Corpuſcles of the Nitre, that, being heated, it would readily enough diſſolve foliated Gold; yet the Salt, that remain'd in the Retort, being put upon quick Coals, did flaſh away with a vehement and halituous flame, very like that of common Nitre.

I Come now (Pyrophilus) to an Experiment, which, though in ſome things it be of kin to that which I have already taught you, concerning the changing of Sea-ſalt by Aqua fortis, will yet afford us divers other inſtances, to ſhew, how upon the change of Texture in Bodies, there may ariſe divers new Qualities, eſpecially of that ſort, which, becauſe they are chiefly produc'd by Chymiſtry, and are wont to be conſider'd by Chymiſts, if not by Them onely, may in ſome ſenſe be call'd Chymical.

The Body, which, partly whilſt we were preparing it, and partly when we had prepar'd it, afforded us theſe various Phaenomena, either is the ſame that Glauberus means by his Sal Mirabilis, or at leaſt ſeems to be very like it: and whether it be the ſame or no, its various and uncommon Properties make it very fit to have a place allow'd it in this Treatiſe. Though of the many Tryals I made with it, I can at preſent find no more among my looſe Papers, then that following part of it, that I wrot ſome years ago to an Ingenious Friend, who I know will not be diſpleaſ'd, if, to ſave my ſelf ſome time, and the trouble of Examining my Memory, I annex the following Tranſcript of it.

[To give you a more particular account of what I writ to you from Oxford of my Tryals about Glauber's Salt, though I dare not ſay, that I have made the ſelf ſame Thing, which he cals his Sal Mirabilis, becauſe he has deſcrib'd it ſo darkly and ambiguouſly, that tis not eaſie to know with any certainty what he means; yet whether or no I have not made Salt, that, as far as I have yet try'd it, agrees well enough with what he delivers of His, and therefore is like to prove either his Sal mirabilis, or almoſt as good a one, I ſhall leave you to judge by this ſhort Narrative.

The ſtrange things that the Induſtrious Glauber's Writings have invited Men to expect from his Sal mirabilis, in caſe he be indeed poſſeſſ'd of ſuch a thing, and the Enquiries of divers Eminent Men, who would fain learn of me, what I thought of its Reality and Nature, invited me, the next Opportunity I got, to take into my hands his Pars altera Miraculi Mundi, whoſe Title you know promiſes a Deſcription of this Sal Artis mirificum, as he is pleaſ'd to call it. But, I confeſs, I did not read it near all over, becauſe a great part of it is but a Tranſcription of ſeveral entire Chapters out of Paracelſus, and I perceiv'd, that much of the reſt did, according to the cuſtome or Chymical Writings, more concern the Author, then the ſubject; wherefore looking upon his proceſs of making his ſal mirabilis, I ſoon perceiv'd he had no mind to make it common, ſince he onely bids us upon two parts of common Salt diſſolv'd in common Water, to pour A, without telling us what that A is, wherefore reading on in the ſame proceſſe, and finding that he tels us, that with B (which he likewiſe explaines not at all, nor determines the quantity of it) one may make an Aqua fortis, it preſently call'd into my mind, That ſome Years before, having had Occaſion to make many Tryals, mention'd in other Tracts of mine, with Oyl of Vitriol and Salt petre, I did, among other things, make a red ſpirit of Nitre, by the help onely of Oyl of Vitriol; remembring This (I ſay) I reſorted to one of my Carneades's Dialogues,See the Sceptical Chymiſt. and reviewing that Experiment, as I have ſet it down, I concluded, That though I had not diſſolv'd the Salt petre in Water, as Glauber doth his common Salt; yet ſince, on the other ſide, I made uſe of external fire, 'twas probable I might this way alſo get a Nitrous ſpirit, though not ſo ſtrong. And though by calling the Liquor, that muſt make an Aqua fortis B, whereas he had call'd that, which is to make his ſpirit of Salt and ſal mirabilis, A, he ſeem'd plainly to make them differing things, yet relying on the Experiment I had made, and putting to a ſolution of Nitre as much of the Oyl of Vitriol as I had taken laſt, though That be double the quantity he preſcribes for the making of his Sal mirabilis, I obtain'd, out of a low glaſſe Body and Head plac'd in Sand, an indifferent good Spiritus Nitri, that even before Rectification would readily enough diſſolve Silver, though it were diluted with as much of the common Water, wherein Salt-petre had been diſſolv'd, as amounted at leaſt to double or treble the weight of the Nitrous parts; the remaining Matter, being kept in the fire till it was dry, afforded us a Salt eaſily reducible (by Solution in fair Water and Coagulation) into Chryſtalline Grains, of a nature very differing both from crude Nitre, and from fixt Nitre, and from Oyl of Vitriol. For it coagulated into pretty big and well ſhap'd Grains, which, you know, fix'd Nitre and other Alkalizate Salts are not wont to do; and theſe Graines were not like the Chryſtals of Salt-petre it ſelf, long and Hexaedrical, but of another figure, not eaſie nor neceſſary to be here deſcribed.

Beſides, this Vitriolate Nitre (if I may ſo call it) would not eaſily, if at all, flow in the Air, as fixt Nitre is wont to do. Moreover, it was eaſily enough fuſible by heat, vvhereas fix'd Nitre doth uſually exact a vehement Fire for its Fuſion; and though crude Salt-petre alſo melts eaſily, yet to ſatisfie you how differing a ſubſtance this of ours was from That, vve caſt quick Coals into the Crucible, without being at all able to kindle it. Nay, and vvhen, for further Tryal, vve threw in ſome Sulphur alſo, though it did flame away it ſelf, yet did it not ſeem to kindle the Salt, that was hot enough to kindle It; much leſs did it flaſh, as Sulphur is wont on ſuch occaſions to make Salt-petre do. Add to all this, That a parcel of this white ſubſtance, being, vvithout Brimſtone, made to flow for a vvhile in a Crucible, with a bit of Charcoal for it to vvork upon, grew manifeſtly and ſtrongly ſented of Sulphur, and acquir'd an Alkalizate Taſt, ſo that it ſeem'd almoſt a Coal of fire upon the Tongue, if it were lick'd before it imbib'd any of the Aires moiſture, and (which many perhaps will, though I do not, think ſtranger) obtain'd alſo a very red colour; which recall'd to my mind, that Glauber mentions ſuch a Change obſervable in his Salt, made of common Salt, upon whoſe Account he is pleaſ'd to call ſuch a ſubſtance his Carbunculus.

Being invited by this ſucceſs to try, whether I could make his Sal mirabilis, notwithſtanding his intimating, as I lately told you, that it is done with a differing Menſtruum from that, wherewith the Salt-petre is to be wrought upon; I obſerv'd, that where he points at a way of making his Salt in quantity without breaking the Veſſels, he preſcribes, that the Materials be diſtill'd in Veſſels of pure Silver; vvhence I conjectur'd, that 'twas not Aqua fortis, or ſpirit of Nitre, that he imploy'd to open his Sea-ſalt: and that conſequently, ſince common ſpirit of Salt was too weak to effect ſo great a Change, as the Experiment requires, 'twas very probable, that he imploy'd Oyl of Sulphur, or of Vitriol, vvhich vvill ſcarce at all fret unalloy'd Silver. And however I concluded, that whatſoever the Event ſhould prove, it could not but be worth the While to try, vvhat Operation ſuch a Menſtruum vvould have upon Sea-ſalt, as I vvas ſure had ſuch a notable one upon ſalt-petre. And I remember, that formerly making ſome Experiments about the differing manners of Diſſolution of the ſame Concrete by ſeveral Liquors, I found, that Oyl of Vitriol diſſolves Sea-ſalt in a very odd way, (vvhich you vvill find mention'd among my promiſcuous Experiments,) vvherefore pouring, upon a ſolution of Bay-ſalt, made in but a moderate proportion of Water, Oyl of Vitriol to the full Weight of the dry Salt, and abſtracting the Liquor in a Glaſs Cucurbite plac'd in Sand, I obtain'd, without ſtreſs of fire, beſides flegme, good ſtore of a Liquor, vvhich, by the Smel and Taſt, ſeem'd to be ſpirit of Salt. And to ſatisfie my ſelf the better, mingling a little of it vvith ſome of the ſpirit of Nitre lately mention'd, I found the mixture, even without the Aſſiſtance of Heat, to diſſolve crude Gold. And having, for further Tryals ſake, pour'd ſome of it upon ſpirit of fermented Urine, till the Affuſion ceaſ'd to produce any Conflict, and having afterwards gently evaporated away the ſuperfluous moiſture, there did, as I expected, ſhoot, in the remaining Liquor, a Salt figur'd like Combs and Feathers, thereby diſcloſing it ſelf to be much of the nature of Sal Armoniack, ſuch as I elſewhere relate my having made, by mingling ſpirit of Urine vvith ſpirit of common Salt, made the ordinary way.]

This (Pyrophilus) is all I can find at preſent of that Account, of vvhich I hop'd to have found much more; but you will be the more unconcern'd, for my not adding divers other things, that, I remember, I try'd, as vvell before and after the vvriting the above tranſſcrib'd Paper, (as particularly, that I found the Experiment ſometimes to ſucceed not ill, when I diſtill'd the Oyl of Vitriol and Sea-ſalt together, without the intervention of Water, (whereby much time was ſav'd,) and alſo when I imploy'd Oyl of Sulphur, made with a Glaſs Bell, in ſtead of Oyl of Vitriol,) if I inform You, that afterwards I found, that Glauber himſelf, in ſome of his ſubſequent pieces, had deliver'd more intelligibly the Way of making what he, without altogether ſo great a Brag, as moſt think, calls his Sal mirabilis, (which yet ſome very ingenious Readers of his Writings have come to Us to teach them,) and that thoſe Experiments of his about it, which I vvas able to make ſucceed, (for ſome I was not, and ſome I did not think fit to try) you will find, together with thoſe of my Own, in more proper places of other Papers. Onely, to apply what hath been above related to my preſent purpoſe, I muſt not here pretermit a couple of Obſervations.

And firſt we may take notice of the power, that Mixtures, though they ſeem but very ſlight, & conſiſt of the ſmalleſt number of ingredients, may, if they make great changes of Texture, have, in altering the Nature and Qualities of the compounding Bodies. For in our (above recited) caſe, though Sea-ſalt be a Body conſiderably fix'd, requires a naked Fire to be elevated even by the help of copious additaments of beaten Bricks, or Clay, &c. to keep it from Fuſion, yet the ſaline Corpuſcles are diſtill'd over in a moderate Fire of Sand, whilſt the Oyl of Vitriol, by whoſe intervention they acquire this volatility, though it be not (like the other) a Groſſe or (as the ſame Chymiſt ſpeaks) corporeal ſalt, but a Liquor, that has been already diſtill'd, is yet, by the ſame operation, ſo fix'd, as to ſtay behind, not onely in the Retort, but, as I have ſometimes purpoſely try'd, in much conſiderabler heats then That needs in this Experiment be expoſ'd to. Nor onely is the oyl of Vitriol made thus far fix'd, but it is otherwiſe alſo no leſs chang'd. For when the remaining Salt has been expoſ'd to a competent heat, that it may be very drie and white, to be ſure of which, I ſeveral times do, when the Diſtillation is ended, keep the remaining Maſſe (taken out of the Retort and beaten) in a Crucible among quick coals, you ſhall have a conſiderable quantity (perhaps near as much as the Sea-ſalt You firſt imploy'd) of a Subſtance, which, though not inſipid, has not at all the taſt of Sea-ſalt, or any other pungent one, and much leſſe the highly corroſive acidity of Oyl of Vitriol.

And the mention of this ſubſtance leads me to the ſecond particular I intended to take notice of, which is a Phaenomenon to confirme what I formerly intimated, That notwithſtanding the regular and exquiſite figures of ſome Salts, they may, by the addition of other Bodies, be brought to conſtitute Chryſtals of very differing, and yet of curious, ſhapes. For if You diſſolve the hitherto mention'd Caput mortuum of Sea ſalt (after You have made it very dry, and freed it from all pungency of Taſt) in a ſufficient quantity of fair water, and, having filtrated the ſolution, ſuffer the diſſolv'd Body leiſurely to coagulate, You will probably obtain, as I have often done, Chryſtals of a far greater Tranſparency, then the Cubes wherein Sea ſalt is wont to ſhoot, and of a ſhape far differing from theirs, though oftentimes no leſſe Curious then that of thoſe Cubes; and, which makes mainely for my preſent purpoſe, I have often obſerv'd thoſe finely figur'd Chryſtals to differ as much in ſhape from one another, as from the Graines of common Salt. And indeed I muſt not, on this occaſion, conceal from You, that whether it be to be imputed to the peculiar Nature of Sea ſalt, or (which I judge much more probable) to the great diſparities to be met with in Liquors, that do all of them paſs for Oyl of Vitriol, whether (I ſay) it be to this, or to ſome other cauſe, that the Effect is to be imputed, I have found my Attempts, to make the beſt ſort of Sal mirabilis, ſubject to ſo much incertainty, that though I have divers times ſucceeded in them, I have found ſo little Uniformity in the ſucceſs, as made me reckon this Experiment amongſt Contingent ones, and almoſt weary of medling with it.

THe Artificial Tranſmutation of Bodies, being as the rareſt and difficulteſt Production, ſo one of the nobleſt and uſefulleſt Effects of Humane skill and power, not onely the clear Inſtances of it are to be diligently ſought for and priz'd, but even the Probabilities of effecting ſuch an extraordinary Change of Bodies are not to be neglected; eſpecially, if the Verſion, hop'd for, be to be made betwixt Bodies of Primordial Textures, (if I may ſo call them,) and ſuch Bodies, as by the greatneſſe of their Bulk, and by their being to be found in moſt of the mix'd Bodies here below, make a conſiderable part of thoſe, that we Men have the moſt immediately to do with. Invited by theſe conſiderations, Pyrophilus, I ſhall venture to give you the Account of ſome Obſervations, and Tryals, about the Tranſmuting of Water into Earth, though it be not ſo perfect as I Wiſh, and as I Hope, by Gods bleſſing, to make it.

The firſt Occaſion, afforded me to do any thing about this matter, was my being conſulted by a Gentleman, (an antient Chymiſt, but not at all a Philoſopher,) who relating to me how much he had (with the wonted ſucceſs of ſuch Attempts) labour'd after the Grand Arcana, complain'd to me among other things, that, having Occaſion to imploy great quantity of purifi'd Rain-water, he obtain'd from it much leſs then he wiſh'd of the ſubſtance that he look'd for, but a great deal of a certain whitiſh excrementitious Matter, which he knew not what to make of. This gave me the Curioſity firſt to deſire a ſight of it, in caſe he had not thrown it away, (which by good fortune he had not,) and then, taking notice of the unexpected plenty, and ſome of the Qualities of it, to ask him ſome Queſtions which were requiſite and ſufficient to perſwade me, that this Reſidenee came not from accidental foulneſs of the Water, nor of the Veſſels twas receiv'd in. This I afterwards often thought of, and indeed it might juſtly enough awaken ſome ſuſpicions, that the little Motes, that have been ſometimes obſerv'd to appear numerous enough, in pure Rain water whilſt it is diſtilling, might not be meerly accidental, but really produc'd, as well as exhibited by the action of the Fire. I thought it then worth while to proſecute this matter a little farther: And having put a pretty quantity of diſtill'd Rainwater in a clean Glaſs Body, and fitted it with a Head and a Receiver, I ſuffer'd it to ſtand in a Digeſtive Furnace, till, by the gentle heat thereof, the Water was totally abſtracted, and the Veſſel left dry: which being taken out of the Sand, I found the bottom of the Glaſs all cover'd over with a white (but not ſo very white) ſubſtance; which, being ſcrap'd off vvith a Knife, appear'd to be a fine Earth, in vvhich I perceiv'd no manifeſt Taſt, and vvhich, in a vvord, by ſeveral Qualities ſeem'd to be Earth.

This incourag'd me to rediſtill the Rain-water in the ſame Glaſs Body, vvhoſe Bottom, vvhen the Water vvas all drawn off, afforded me more of the like Earth: but though the Repetition of the Experiment, and my having, for greater caution, try'd it all the while in a new Glaſs, that had not been imploy'd before to other uſes, confirm'd me much in my conjecture, That unleſs it could be prov'd, which I think will ſcarce be pretended, that ſo inſipid a Liquor as Rain-water ſhould, in ſo gentle a heat, diſſolve the moſt cloſe and almoſt Indeſtructible Body of Glaſs it ſelf, (which ſuch corroſive Menſtruums as Aqua fortis, and Aqua Regis are wont to leave unharm'd,) the Earthy powder, I obtain'd from already diſtill'd Rain water, might be a Tranſmutation of ſome parts of the Water into that ſubſtance, yet having unhappily loſt part of my Powder, and conſum'd almoſt all the reſt, (for I kept a little by me, which you may yet ſee,) I ſhould, till I had more frequently reiterated my Experiments, (which then I had not Opportunity to do, though I had thoughts of doing it alſo with Snow-water, that I had put into Chymical Glaſſes for that purpoſe, and with liquor of melted Hail, which I had likewiſe provided,) and thereby alſo obtain'd ſome more of this Virgin Earth (as divers Chymiſts would call it) to make farther Tryals with, have retain'd greater ſuſpicions, if I had not afterwards accidentally fall'n into diſcourſe of this matter with a learned Phyſician, vvho had dealt much in Rain-vvater, but he much confirmed me in my conjecture, by aſſuring me, that he had frequently found ſuch a White Earth, as I mention'd, in diſtill'd Rain Water, after he had diſtill'd the ſame Numerical Liquor (carefully gather'd at firſt) I know not how many times one after another, adding, that he did not find (any more then I had done) any cauſe to ſuſpect, that if he had continu'd to rediſtill the ſame portion of Water, it would have yielded him more Earth.

But the Odneſs of the Experiment ſtill keeping me in ſuſpence, it was not without much delight, that afterwards mentioning it to a very Ingenious Perſon, whom, without his leave, I think not fit to name, well verſ'd in Chymical matters, and whom I ſuſpected to have, in order to ſome Medicines, long wrought upon Rain vvater, he readily gave me ſuch an Account of his proceedings, as ſeem'd to leave little ſcruple about the Tranſmutation we have been mentioning: for he ſolemnly affirm'd to me, that having obſerv'd, as I had done, that Rain-vvater would, even after a Diſtillation or two, afford a Terreſtrial ſubſtance, which may ſometimes be ſeen ſwimming up and down in the Limpid Liquor, he had the Curioſity, being ſettled and at leiſure, to try how long he could obtain this ſubſtance from the Water. And accordingly having freed Rain Water, carefully collected, from its accidental, and as it vvere faeculent Earthineſs, vvhich it vvill depoſite at the firſt ſlovv Diſtillation, (and vvhich is oftentimes colour'd, vvhereby it may be diſtinguiſh'd from the White Earth made by Tranſmutation,) he rediſtill'd it in very clean Glaſses, not onely 8 or 10 times, but neer 200, vvithout finding that his Liquor grevv weary of affording him the White Earth, but rather that the Corpuſcles of it did appear far more numerous, or at leaſt more conſpicuous in the latter Diſtillation, then in the former. And vvhen I expreſſed my Curioſity to ſee this Earth, he readily ſhevv'd me a pretty quantity of it, and preſented me vvith ſome, vvhich comparing vvith vvhat I had remaining of mine, I found to be exceeding like it, ſave that it vvas more purely White, as having been, for the main, afforded by Rain Water, that had been more frequently rectify'd. And to compare this welcome Powder with That I made my ſelf, I try'd with This divers things, which I had before try'd with my own, and (becauſe the quantity preſented me was leſs inconſiderable) ſome others too. For I obſerv'd in this new Powder, as I had done with my Own, that being put into an excellent Microſcope, and plac'd where the Sun beams might fall upon it, it appear'd a White Meal, or heap of Corpuſcles ſo exceeding, not to ſay unimaginably, ſmall, that, in two or three choice Microſcopes, both I and others had occaſion to admire it; and their extreme Littleneſs was much more ſenſibly diſcern'd, by mingling ſome few Grains of Sand amongſt them, which made a Mixture that look'd like that of Pibble ſtones, and of the fineſt Flower. For our Earth, even in the Microſcope, appear'd to conſiſt of as ſmall Particles, as the fineſt Hair-powder to the naked Eye. Nor could We diſcern this Duſt to be tranſparent, though, when the Sun ſhin'd upon it, it appear'd in the Microſcope to have ſome Particles a little gliſtering, which yet, appearing but in a glaring light, we were not ſure to be no deceptio viſûs. 2. I found, that our White Powder, being caſt into Water, would indeed for a while diſcolour it by ſomewhat Whitening it, which is no more then Spaud will do, and the fine duſt of white Marble, and other ſtones, whoſe Corpuſcles, by reaſon of their Minuteneſs, ſwimme eaſily for a while in the Water, but when it was once ſetled at the bottom, it continu'd there undiſſolv'd (for ought I could perceive) for ſome dayes and nights, as Earth would have done. 3. Having weigh'd a quantity of it, and put it into a new clean Crucible, with another inverted over it for a Cover, I plac'd it among quick Coals, and there kept the Crucible red hot for a pretty while, cauſing the Fire afterward to be acuated with a blaſt of a Bellows, but taking out the Powder, I neither found it melted, nor clotted into lumps, nor, when I weigh'd it again, did I ſee cauſe to conclude that there was much of it waſted, beſides what ſtuck to the ſides of the Crucible, and to a little Clay, vvherewith I had luted on the Cover, and which (to ſhew you, that the Heat had not been inconſiderable) was in ſeveral places burnt red by the vehemence of the fire; and when I afterwards kept this Powder in an open Crucible among glowing coals, neither I, nor one that I imploy'd to aſſiſt me, perceiv'd it all to ſmoak; and having put a little upon a quick Coal, and blown That too, I found that which I had not blown away, to remain fix'd (which ſome Bodies will not do) upon quick Coals, that will endure the fire in a red hot Crucible. 4. I found this powder to be much heavier in ſpecie then VVater. For imploying a nice pair of Gold Scales, and a Method that would be too long here to deſcribe, I found that this Powder weigh'd ſomevvhat (though not much) more then twice ſo much common VVater, as vvas equal to it in Bulk. And leaſt ſome Corollaries, that ſeem obviouſly contain'd in the common, but groundleſs, conceipts of the Peripateticks, about the Proportions of the Elements in Denſity &c. ſhould make you expect, that this povvder ought to have been much more ponderous, I ſhall adde, that having had the Curioſity, vvhich I wonder no body ſhould have before me, to examine the Gravity of the Earth, which ſeems the moſt Elementary of any we have, I took ſome ſifted Wood-aſhes, which I had cauſ'd to be three or four times boyl'd in a plentiful proportion of Water, to free them from Salt, and having put them very dry into common Water, I found them but little heavier then our newly mention'd Powder, ſurpaſſing in weight Water of the ſame Bulk but twice, and a little more then a 6th part, (Water and It being very little more then as 1 to 2 1/6.) And that you may the leſs doubt of this, I will yet ſubjoyn, that, examining the Specifick Gravity of (white) Glaſs it ſelf, I found that compact Body to be very little, if at all more then 2 times and a half as heavy as Water of equal Bigneſs to it. So that the Gravity of that Powder, which, borrowing a Chymical term, we have been calling Virgin-Earth, being added to its Fixtneſs, and other Qualities, it may ſeem no great impropriety of Speech to name it Earth, at leaſt, if by Earth we mean not the pure Elementary Earth of the Schools, which many of themſelves confeſſe not to be found actually ſeparate, but a Body dry, cold, ponderous, induring the fire, and, which is the main, irreſoluble by Water and Fire into other Bodies ſpecifically different.

[But to return to the Guiſe of the Powder, when I ask'd this Learned man, whether he obſerv'd the Glaſs he diſtill'd in to have been fretted by the Liquor, and whether This loſt of its Subſtance, according as it depoſited more Powder, He anſwer'd me, (and he is a Perſon of unſuſpected Credit,) that he found not his Glaſs to have been injur'd by the Liquor, and that the Water waſted (though he were carefull it ſhould not do ſo by Evaporation and Tranſfuſions) by degrees ſo much, that there remain'd, by his aeſtimate, but about an 8th part of the firſt quantity: and though, for certain reaſons, he kept by him the Liquor laſt diſtill'd, yet he doubted not, but that it might be very nigh totally brought into Earth, ſince out of an Ounce of diſtill'd Rain-water he had already obtain'd near 3 quarters of an Ounce, if not more, of the often mention'd Earth.]

Theſe ſeveral Relations will, I ſuppoſe, perſwade You, Pyrophilus, that this Experiment is hopeful enough to be well worth your purſuing, if not that perhaps none but ſuch a ſcrupulous Perſon as I, would think the proſecution of it other then ſuperfluous. And if You do acquieſce in what hath been already done, you will, I preſume, think it no mean confirmation of the Corpuſcularian Principles, and Hypotheſes. For if, contrary to the Opinion that is ſo much in requeſt among the generality of modern Phyſicians and other Learned Men, that the Elements themſelves are tranſmuted into one another, and thoſe ſimple and Primitive Bodies, which Nature is preſum'd to have intended to be the ſtable and permanent ingredients of the Bodies ſhe compounds here below, may be artificially deſtroy'd, and (without the intervention of a Seminal and Plaſtick power) generated or produc'd: if, I ſay, this may be done, and that by ſuch ſlight means, why may We not think, that the Changes and Metamorphoſes, that happen in other Bodies, which are acknowledg'd by the Moderns to be far more lyable to Alterations, may proceed from the Local Motion of the minute or inſenſible parts of Matter, and the Changes of Texture that may be conſequent thereunto? Some bold Atomiſts would here be determining, by what particular Wayes this ſtrange Tranſmutation of Water into Earth may be perform'd, and would perchance particularly tell you, how the continually, but ſlowly, agitated parts of the Water, by their innumerable occurſions, may by degrees rub, and as it were grind themſelves into ſuch Surfaces, as either to ſtick very cloſe to one another by immediate contact, (as I elſewhere obſerve poliſh'd pieces of Glaſs to do,) or implicate, and intangle themſelves together ſo, as to make, as it were, little knots; which knots (he would add,) or the newly mention'd cluſters of coherent Particles, being then grown too great and heavy to be ſupported by the Water, muſt ſubſide to the bottom in the form of a Powder, which, by reaſon of the ſame Gravity of theſe Moleculae, and the ſtrict Union of the leſ • er particles that compoſe them, obtain an indiſpoſition to diſſolve in water, and to be elevated or diſſipated by the fire; as their Inſipidneſs may be accounted for by its being but the ſame with that of the Liquor, whence they were made, and their Tranſparency by that of the Water they were made of, and by the multitude of the little Surfaces that belong to ſo fine a Powder. But though in favour of ſuch conjectures, I could ſomewhat illuſtrate them, partly by applying to this Occaſion what I elſewhere obſerve of the reducing of the fluid Body of Quickſilver by a bare Circulation, (which is but a repeated Diſtillation) with a proportionable heat, into a real Powder, vvhich alſo vvill not ſo eaſily be raiſ'd by the fire, as the fluid Body, vvhence by change of Texture it was made; and partly by ſubjoining, among other things, how by the conjunction of two diſtill'd Liquors digeſted together, I have obtain'd good ſtore of an inſipid Subſtance, that would not diſſolve in Water, and that would long enough indure no inconſiderable degree of Fire; though, I ſay, by theſe and other ſuch particulars, I could make our Atomiſts conjectures leſſe improbable, yet the full diſquiſition of ſo difficult a Subject is too long and intricate to be proper for this place.What is here delivered may be, for the main, verify'd by what the Reader will meet with in the (following) Xth. Experiment, though That be not It which the Author meant.

And therefore, without here examining our Atomiſts explication of this Metamorphoſis, we will give him leave for a vvhile to ſuppoſe the Tranſmutation it ſelf to be real, and thereupon to conſider, whether the Hiſtorical part of it do not much disfavour ſome of the chief Doctrines of the Chymiſts, and a fundamental one of Helmonts. For if the pureſt Water may be turn'd into Earth, it will not be eaſie to make it improbable, that the other Ingredients of mixt Bodies, which the Chymiſts call their Hypoſtatical Principles, are capable of being tranſmuted into one another, which would overthrow one of the main Foundations of their whole Philoſophy; and beſides, if out of the ſimpleſt Water it ſelf, a moderate fire can produce a large proportion of Earth, that was not formally praeexiſtent in it, how ſhall We be ſure, that in all the Analyſes, which the Fire makes of mixt Bodies, the Subſtances thereby exhibited are obtain'd by Separation onely, without any Tranſmutation? As for Helmont, tis well enough known, that he makes Water to be the Material Principle of all Bodies here below, which he vvould have to be either Water it ſelf, or but Water diſguiſ'd by thoſe Forms, vvhich the Seeds of things have given it. I will not here examine, whether this Opinion, if he had reſtrain'd it to Animals and Vegetables, might not, with ſome reſtriction and explanations, be kept from appearing abſurd, ſince my Eleutherius hath (though without abſolutely adopting it) elſevvhere pleaded for its not being ſo extravagant, as it hath been thought.

But whereas Helmont's Grand Argument from Experience is grounded on this, That the Alkaheſt doth, as he affirms, by being digeſted with, and diſtill'd from other tangible Bodies, reduce them all at laſt into a Liquor, no way differing from Rain Water, though we ſhould grant the matter of fact, yet the Experiment of our Powder will warrant me to queſtion their Ratiocination. For if all mix'd Bodies be therefore concluded to be materially from Water, becauſe they are, by the Operation of the Fire, and a Menſtruum, after having paſs'd through divers praevious Changes, reduc'd at length into inſipid Water; by the ſame way of arguing (and with greater cogency) I might conclude, that all thoſe Bodies are materially but diſguiſ'd Earth, ſince without intervention of a Seminal Principle, (for Helmont will not allow that Title to Fire, which he ſtiles the Artificial Death of Things) Water it ſelf may be turn'd into Earth. Indeed if that acute Chymiſt were now alive, and had ſuch an immortal Liquor, as he deſcribes his Alkaheſt to be, I would gladly put him upon trying whether that Menſtruum would reduce our White Earth into Water. But there being no more probability of that, then that ſuch reproduc'd Water, being juſt what it vvas before, might be turn'd into Earth again; it may be probably ſaid, that ſince theſe Bodies are mutually convertible into one another, (and, as to the verſion of Water into Earth, by a ſeemingly ſlight Operation,) they are not either of them ingenerable and incorruptible Elements, much leſs the ſole matter of all tangible Bodies, but onely two of the Primordial, and of the moſt obvious Schematiſms of that, which is indeed the univerſal Matter, vvhich, as it comes to have its minute Particles aſſociated after this or that manner may, by a change of their Texture and Motion, conſtitute, with the ſame Corpuſcles, ſometimes Water, and ſometimes Earth.

But (Pyrophilus) to leave theſe Reflexions, to return to the bold Conjectures that they are grounded on; though if I had leiſure and indulgence enough, I could, I confeſs add many things in favour of ſome of thoſe Thoughts:Of the poſſible wayes of turning Liquors into conſiſtent Bodies, by bending, breaking, twiſting, and by otherwiſe changing the Texture of the Liquor, ſee more particularly the Hiſtory of Fluidity and Firmneſſe, publiſhd by the Author. yet I would not have you wonder, that, whilſt I vvas mentioning the many particulars, that ſeem to evince the change of Water into Earth, I ſhould let fall ſome Words, that intimate a Diffidence about it. For, to diſguize nothing unto You, I muſt confeſs, that having, in ſpight of an unuſual care, unluckily loſt a whole paper of the Powder I had made my ſelf, and having unexpectedly been oblig'd to remove from my Furnaces, before I had made half the Tryals I judg'd requiſite in ſo nice a caſe, I have not yet laid aſide all my Scruples.

For 1. I would gladly know, whether the untranſmuted Rain water, by the depoſition of ſo much Terreſtrial Matter, were grown lighter in ſpecie then before, or ſharp in taſt. Next, I would be throughly ſatisfied, (which I confeſs I am not yet, notwithſtanding all that the followers of Angelus Sala have confidently enough written,) whether and hovv far inſipid Liquors (as Rain Water is) may, or may not work as Menſtruums upon Stones or Earthy Bodies: not to queſtion, vvhether the Particles of Rain Water may not, by their mutual Attrition, or ſome other action upon one another, be reduc'd into Shapes and Sizes fit to compoſe ſuch a Menſtruum, as the Liquor was not before; as in divers Plants, that ſeem to be nouriſh'd onely with Water, the Sap is endow'd with a ſharp Taſt, and great penetrancy, and activity of parts.

2. It were alſo fit to know, whether the Glaſs Body, wherein all the Diſtillations are made, do looſe of its VVeight any thing neer ſo much, as the obtained Powder amounts to, over and above the Decrement of VVeight, which may be imputed to the action of the Heat upon the ſubſtance of the Glaſs, in caſe it appear by another Glaſs, kept empty in an equal heat, and for the ſame time that the Glaſs looſes by ſuch Operations any thing worth reckoning. And it vvere alſo not impertinent to try, whether the Gravity of the obtain'd a Powder be the ſame in ſpecie with that of the Glaſs, vvherein the Diſtillations were made: (for that is differ'd but about a 5th part from the weight of Chryſtalline Glaſs I lately mention'd.) Which Scrup • e, and ſome of the former, I might have prevented, if I had had convenient Metalline Veſſels, wherein to make the Diſtillations inſtead of Glaſs ones.

3. I could wiſh likewiſe that it were more demonſtrably determin'd, what is on all hands taken for granted, (as it appears indeed highly probable,) that diſtill'd Rain Water is a perfectly Homogeneous Body, vvhich if it be not, divers ſuſpicions might be ſuggeſted about its Tranſmutation into Earth, and if it be, 'twill be as a very ſtrange thing, ſo a matter of very great difficulty to conceive, hovv a perfectly and exquiſitely Homogeneous Matter ſhould, without any Addition, or any Seminal and Plaſtick Principle, be brought to afford great ſtore of a Matter of much more Specifick Gravity then it ſelf, ſince we ſee, that no Aggregate we can make of Bodies but aequiponderant in ſpecie with water, doth, by vertue of their Convention, grow ſpecifically heavier then it.

4. Having had the Curioſity to try, whether Corroſive Liquors would work upon our white Powder, I found, that not onely good Oyl of Vitriol would corrode it, but ſtrong and deflegm'd Spirit of Salt did readily work upon part of it, and that without the aſſiſtance of heat, though not without hiſſing, and exciting great ſtore of bubbles, as I have known ſuch Menſtruums do, when put upon Lapis Stellaris, or Oſsifragus, or ſome ſuch ſoft Stone; as if that ſo much defaecated Rain water, actuated by heat, had reſolv'd ſome of the looſer Corpuſcles of the Sand or Stone, that, together with ſome Salts, compoſe common Glaſs, as I have obſerv'd in ſome Petrifying VVater, that ſome of the Bodies I took up, and which were preſum'd to be petrify'd, were but cruſted over with Stone, that ſeem'd generated but by the ſucceſſive appoſition of Stony Particles, that, lying inviſibly mingled with the running VVater, ſtuck in their paſſage to the conveniently diſpoſ'd Bodies that lay in the Streams way. But yet I muſt not omit, that, when I ſuffer'd this Mixture to ſettle, as much of the Powder, as ſeem'd to be a very great part of it, remain'd in the lower part of the Liquor, as if that had rather fretted then diſſolv'd i • , and that not becauſe the Menſtruum was overcharg'd or glutted, as I found by putting in afterwards ſeveral freſh parcels of Powder, which it readily fell upon, not without noiſe and froth. Nor muſt I forget, that ſometimes I have excited ſuch an Ebullition, by powring the ſame Liquors upon the Earthy part of Wood-aſhes, ſeveral times waſh'd in boyling water, (though, I confeſs, I afterwards ſomewhat ſuſpected there might remain ſome little adhering Alkaly, which might occaſion thoſe Bubbles, notwithſtanding that both I and another, whom I alſo invited to taſt it, took the Earth to be quite Saltleſſe.) I might (Pyrophilus) adde, that ſometimes alſo me thought I found this Powder (which yet likewiſe ſometimes hapned to me with the lately mention'd Earth of Wood-aſhes) ſomewhat gritty between my Teeth, and ſubjoin divers other particulars, if it were not too tedious to mention to You all the doubts and conſiderations that have occurr'd to me about the recited Change of Water into Earth: which yet are not ſuch as ought to hinder me from giving You the Hiſtorical account I have ſet down, ſince to ſome of my Scruples I could here give plauſible Anſwers, but that I cannot do it in few words. And if any part of our white Powder prove to be true Earth, no body perhaps yet knows to what the Experiment may lead ſagacious Men: and whether in a ſtrict ſenſe it be true Earth or no, yet the Phaenomena, that are exhibited in the production of it, are ſufficient to give this 9th Experiment a place among the others (of the ſame Decad) with which tis aſſociated. For ſince out of a ſubſtance that is univerſally acknowledg'd to be Elementary and Homogeneous, and which manifeſtly is fluid, tranſparent, much lighter in ſpecie then Earth, moiſt and fugitive, there is artificially generated or obtain'd a Subſtance conſiſtent, vvhite, and conſequently opacous, comparatively ponderous, dry, and not at all fugitive; the Alteration is ſo great, and effected in ſo ſimple a way, that it cannot but afford us a conſiderable Inſtance of what the varied Texture of the minute parts may perform in a Matter confeſſedly ſimilar. And if frequently diſtill'd Rain Water ſhould not be allow'd Homogeneous, our Experiment will at leaſt ſhew as, better then perhaps any hath yet done, how little we are bound to believe what the Chymiſts, and others tell us, when they pretend manifeſtly to exhibit to us Homogeneous Principles, and Elementary Bodies, and how difficult it is to be certain when a Body is abſolutely iireſoluble into ſpecifically differing ſubſtances, and conſequently what is the determinate number of the perfectly ſimple Ingredients of Bodies: (ſuppoſing that ſuch there are.) Though I muſt confeſs, that my onely aime is not to Relate what hath been done, but to Procure the proſecution of it. For if the obtain'd Subſtance be, by the Rain Water, diſſolv'd out of the Glaſſe, this will both prove a noble and ſurprizing Inſtance of what may be one by inſipid Menſtruums, even upon Bodies that are juſtly reckon'd among the compacteſt and moſt indiſſoluble that we know of, and may afford us many other conſiderable hints, that have been partly intimated already: and if on the other ſide, this Powder, whether it be true Elementary Earth or not, be found to be really produc'd out of the Water it ſelf, it may prove a Magnale in Nature, and of greater conſequence then will be preſently foreſeen, and may make the Alchymiſts hopes of turning other Metals into Gold, appear leſs wild, ſince that by Experimentally evincing, that two ſuch difficult Qualities to be introduc'd into a Body, is conſiderable degrees of Fixity & Weight, (whoſe requiſiteneſſe to the making of Gold are two of the Principal things, that have kept me from eaſily expecting to find the Attempts of Alchymiſts ſucceſſeful,) may, without the mixture of a Homogeneous Matter, be generated in it, by varying the Texture of its parts.

I will not now adventure to adde any thing of what I have been attempting about the tranſmuting (without additaments) of pure Alkalizate Salts into Earth, becauſe I do not yet know, whether the Tryals will anſwer my Hopes: (for I do not yet call them my Expectations.) But upon this ſubject of Tranſmutations, I could, if it did not properly belong to another Treatiſe, tell you ſomething about the Changes, that may be wrought upon highly rectify'd Spirit of Wine, vvhich vvould perchance make You think of other things of the like kind leſſe infeaſible. For vvhereas tis a known thing, that That ſpirituous Liquor being kindled, (and that, if you pleaſe, by other Spirit of Wine actually fir'd) will, for ought appears, burn all away, that is, be totally turn'd into flame; if I durſt rely, in ſo important a caſe, on a couple of Tryals, whilſt I hope for an Opportunity of making farther ones, I would tell You, that by a way unthought on (that I know of) by any Body, I have, vvithout any addition, obtain'd, from ſuch Spirit of Wine, as, being kindled in a Spoon, would flame all away, without leaving the leaſt drop behind it, a conſiderable quantity of downright incombuſtible Flegm. And by another way (mention'd indeed by Helmont, but not taught to almoſt any of his Readers) ſome Ingenious Perſons, that you know and eſteem, vvorking by my directions, (but vvithout knowing vvhat each other vvas doing) did both of them reduce conſiderable quantities of high rectify'd Spirit of Wine (that vvould before have burnt all away) into a Liquor, that was for the moſt part flegm, as I vvas inform'd as well by my own taſt, as by the Tryals I order'd to be made: (being forc'd my ſelf to be moſt commonly abſent.) From which change of the greateſt part of that at firſt liquid Splrit into Flegm, it ſeems deducible, that the ſame portion of Matter, vvhich, by being kindled, may be turn'd all into Fire, may be, by another vvay of handling, turn'd into Flegm or Water, and this vvithout the addition of any thing, and vvithout being vvrought upon by any viſible Body, but one ſo extremely dry as duely prepar'd Salt of Tartar; and that it ſelf is not ſo indiſpenſably neceſſary to the obtaining of flegm out of totally inflammable Spirit of Wine, but that, as I was ſaying, I did, by another way, obtain that dull Liquor vvithout imploying the Salt, or any other viſible Body vvhatſoever. But I make a ſcruple to entertain you any longer with Extravagances of this Nature, and yet, if I were ſure You vvould contain your ſmiles, I would adde for concluſion, That, if I had had time and Opportunity to furniſh my ſelf with any quantity of that Water, I had it in my thoughts to try, vvhether that vvould have afforded me ſuch a Terreſtrial ſubſtance, as Rain Water had done, and thereby have undergone a new and further Metamorphoſis.