The generati­on of naturall things is two­fold. THe generation of all natural things is twofold: Naturall, and with­out Art; and Artificiall, viz. by Alchymie. Although in generall it may bee said that all things are naturally generated of the Earth by means of putrefaction. For Putrefaction is the chiefe degree,All things pro­ceed from pu­trefaction. and first step to Generation. Now Putrefaction is [Page 2]occasioned by a moist heat.The cause of putrefaction is a moist heart. For a continuall moist heat causeth putrefaction and changeth all naturall things from their first form, and essence, as also their vertues,The power and nature of putre­faction. and efficacy, into another thing. For as pu­trefaction in the stomach changeth, and reduceth all meats into dung; so also putrefaction out of the stomach in a glasse, changeth all things from one form into another, from one essence into another, from one colour into another, from one smell into another, from one vertue into another, from one power into another, from one property into ano­ther, and generally from one quality into another. For it is evident, and proved by daily experience, that many good things, which are wholsome, and me­dicinable, become after putrefaction naught, un­wholsome, and meer poison. So on the contrary, there are many bad, unwholsome, poisonous, and hurtfull things, which after their putrefaction be­come good, lose all their unwholsomnesse, and be­come wonderfull medicinable: because putrefaction produceth great matters, as of this wee have a most famous example in the holy Gospel, where Christ saith: Unlesse a grain of Wheat bee cast into the Earth, and be putrefied, it cannot bring forth fruit in a hundred fold. Hence also we must know, that many things are multiplyed in putrefaction so as to bring forth excellent fruit. For putrefaction is the change,What putre­faction is. and death of all things, and destruction of the first essence of all Naturall things; whence there ariseth a regeneration, and new generation a thou­sand times better, &c.

Seeing therefore putrefaction is the first degree, and step to generation; it is very necessary that wee [Page 3]know putrefaction well.Putrefaction is the first degree to generation Now there are many kinds of putrefactions, and one produceth its generation in another manner, then doth another. One also soo­ner then another. Wee said also that moisture,Putrefaction is manifold. and heat were the first degree, and step to putrefaction, which produceth all things, as a Hen doth her egs. Wherefore through, and in putrefaction, all mucila­ginous flegme, and matter is made living, whatsoever it prove to be at last.

An artificiall hatching of Chickens.An example of this you have in egs, in which there is a mucilaginous humour, which by any kind of mo­derate continuall heat is putrefied, and turned into a living Chicke, not only by the heat of the Hen, but any such kind of heat. For in such a degree of Fire egs may be brought to maturity in a glasse, and ashes, and become living birds: yea any man may ripen an egge in his arm-hole, and hatch a Chicke, as well as the Hen.

The raising of a dead bird to life.And here wee must take notice of something that is greater, and more then this: viz. if that living Chicke be in a vessell of glasse like a gourd, and sea­led up, burnt to powder, or ashes in the third degree of Fire, and afterward so closed in, be putrefied with the exactest putrefaction of Horse-dung, into a mu­cilaginous flegm, then that flegm may be brought to maturity, and become a renewed, and new made Chicke: to wit, if that flegm bee againe inclosed in its former shell, or receptacle. This is to revive the dead by regeneration, and clarification, which indeed is a great, and profound miracle of Nature. Accor­ding to this processe may all Birds bee killed, and made alive againe, and made new: and this is the highest, and greatest miracle, and mystery of God, [Page 4]which hee ever discovered to mortall man.

The Atificiall generation of Man.Wee must also know that after this manner men may bee generated without naturall Father, or Mo­ther, i.e. not of a Woman in a naturall way: but by the Art, and industry of a skilfull Alchymist may a Man bee borne, and grow, as afterwards shall bee shewed.

The generati­on of men by brutes.It is possible also that men may be born of beasts, according to naturall causes, but yet this cannot bee done without much impiety, and heresie; to wit, if a man should couple with a beast, and that beast should, as a woman doth, receive the Sperm of the man, with desire and lust into her matrix, and conceive: then the sperm doth of necessity putrefie, and by the conti­nual heat of the body, a man, and not a beast is thence produced.As the seed is, so is the fruit. For alwaies as the seed is that is sown, so also is the fruit that is brought forth; and unlesse it should be so, it would be contrary to the light of Na­ture, and to Philosophy. Wherefore as is the seed, such is the hearb that springs from thence. So of the Seed of an Onyon is brought forth an Onyon, not a Rose, nor a Nut, not a Lettuce. So of Corne, Corn is brought forth; of Barley, Barley; of Oats, Oats: and so it is with all other fruits, which have seed, and are sown, &c.

The force of womens imagi­nation.In like manner also it is possible, and not contrary to Nature, that an irrationall bruit should bee produced by a woman, and a man. Neither are wee to judge of, or censure the woman, as the man, (as in the former case) shee therefore is not to bee accoun­ted impious, or hereticall, as if shee acted contrary to Nature, but is to be imputed to her imagination. For her imagination is alwaies the cause of it. And [Page 5]the imagination of a breeding woman is so powerful, that in conceiving the seed into her body, shee may change her infant divers wayes: because her inward starres are so strongly bent upon the infant, that they beget an impression, and influence upon it. Wherefore the infant in the Mothers wombe in its forming is put into the hand, and will of its Mother, as clay in the hand of the Potter, who thence frames, and makes what his will, and pleasure is: so the Woman that is breeding, forms the fruit in her body, according to her imagination, and her starres. Therefore it often falls out, that of the seed of a man, Cattle, and other horrid Monsters are begot, according as the imagina­tion of the Mother is strongly directed upon the Embryo, &c.

Now as you have heard, that by putrefaction, ma­ny, and various things are generated, and made alive, so also you must know, that of many hearbs, by pu­trefaction divers living creatures are bred, which they that are skilled in these things know.

All animals that are bred meerly of putrefaction are poisonous.Here also wee must know, that all such Animalls, which are bred, and made of putrefaction, containe some poison, and are poisonous, yet one far more strong then another, and one after another manner then another: as you see in Serpents, Vipers, Toads, Frogs, Scorpions, Basiliskes, Spiders, Wood-bees, Pismires, and many sorts of Wormes, as Cankers, Maggots, Locusts, &c. All which are bred in, and through putrefaction. Also amongst Animalls there are bred divers Monsters; And there are Monsters also which are not bred of putrefaction of themselves, but are made by Art in a glasse, as hath been said; because they oftentimes appear in a very wonderfull [Page 6]shape, and form, fearful to behold, as oftentimes with many feet, many tailes, many colours, oftentimes many heads, worms with the tailes of Fishes, or fea­thers, and other unusuall forms, that the like have not been seen.

VVhat Mon­sters are.Wherefore not only all Animalls, which have not proper Parents, and are not borne of things like to themselves are Monsters, but also those which are bred of other things.

The secret poi­son of the Ba­silisk.So you see it is concerning a Basiliske, which also is a Monster, and indeed a Monster above all Mon­sters, and then which none is to bee more dreaded, because hee can kill any man with his meer looks, and sight: and because his poison is above all poisons, to which nothing in the world is to bee compared. Hee carries his poison in a most secret manner in his eyes, and it is a conceived poison, not much unlike a men­struous woman, who also carrieth a secret poison in her eyes, so that only by her looks a Looking-glasse is fouled, and tainted. So also if shee looke upon a wound, or an ulcer, shee infects that in the like man­ner, and hinders the cure thereof: so also with her breath, as well as sight, shee infects divers things, cor­rupts, and weakens them; and so also with her touch. For you see if shee medle with wine in time of her menstrues, that it is suddainly changed and made thick; The Vineger also that she medles withall, be­comes dead, and uselesse: so also Hot-waters lose their strength: In like manner Civet, Amber, Gryse, Musk, and such like perfumes, lose their odour by such a womans carrying, or handling of them So also Gold, and Coralls lose their colour, also many Gemmes, and Looking-glasses are [Page 7]soiled therewith, &c. But to return to what I proposed concerning the Basiliske, by what reason, and in what manner hee carries poison in his looks, and eyes; you must know that hee hath that property, and poison from menstruous women, as is aforesaid. For the Ba­siliske is bred of, and proceeds from the greatest im­purity of a Woman, viz. her Menstrues, and from the blood of the Sperm, if it bee put into a gourd glasse, and putrefied in Horse-dung, in which putre­faction a Basiliske is brought forth. But who is so couragious, and bold to make, take him out, and kill him again, unlesse hee cover, and fortifie himselfe well first with glasses: I should perswade none to doe it, nay, I would advise them to take heed of it.

Monsters doe not live long.But that I may proceed in treating of Monsters, Know that Monsters amongst brutes, which are brought forth of other things, and not of their like, seldome live long, especially if they shall live neer, or amongst other brutes, because of an imbred disposition, and Gods disposing, all Monsters are odious unto brutes that are genuinely brought forth, and so also Monsters of men, which are generated by man, seldome live long. And by how much the more wonderfull, and remarkable they are, so much the sooner they dye, so that none exceed the third day amongst men unlesse they bee present­ly carryed into some secret place, and kept apart from all men. Moreover you must know that God abhors these kind of Monsters, and that they are displeasing to him, and that none of them can be saved, seeing they bear not the image of God: whence wee can conjecture nothing else, but that they are so formed [Page 8]by the Devil,Monsters come from the Devill. and are made for the Devills service, ra­ther then Gods, because no good work was ever done by any Monster, but rather all manner of evill, wic­kednesse, and devillish deceits. For as an Executio­ner marketh his sons in cutting off their ears, putting out their eyes, burning their cheeks, fingers, hands, and cutting off their heads: so doth the Devil mark his sons through the imagination of their Mothers, which in their conceiving they drew from evill de­sire, lusts, and cogitations.

Monsters are to be shunned.Also all men are to be shunned, which abound with, or want any member, or have a double member. For that is a presage of the Devills, and a most certaine signe of some occult wickednesse, and deceit, which follows upon it. Wherefore they seldome dye with­out the Executioner, or at least from some marke made by him.

The artificiall generation of Men:But wee must by no means forget the generation of Artificall men. For there is some truth in this thing, although it hath been a long time concealed, and there have been no small Doubts, and Questions, raised by some of the ancient Philosophers, Whether it were possible for Nature, or Art to beget a Man out of the body of a Woman, and naturall matrix? To this I answer, that it is no way repugnant to the Art of Alchymie, and Nature; yea it is very possi­ble: But to effect it, we must proceed thus.

Let the Sperm of a man by it selfe be putrefied in a gourd glasse, sealed up, with the highest degree of putrefaction in Horse dung, for the space of forty days, or so long untill it begin to bee alive, move, and stir, which may easily be seen. After this time it will bee something like a Man, yet transparent, and with­out [Page 9]a body. Now after this, if it bee every day wa­rily, and prudently nourished and fed with the Arca­num of Mans blood, and bee for the space of forty weeks kept in a constant, equall heat of Horse-dung, it will become a true, and living infant, having all the members of an infant, which is born of a woman, but it will bee far lesse. This wee call. Homunculus, or Artificiall. And this is afterwards to be brought up with as great care, and diligence as any other infant, until it come to riper years of understanding. Now this is one of the greatest secrets, that God ever made known to mortall, sinfull man. For this is a mi­racle, and one of the great wonders of God, and se­cret above all secrets, and deservedly it ought to bee kept amongst the secrets until the last times, when no­thing shall be hid, but all things be made manifest.

And although hitherto it hath not been known to men, yet it hath been known to Fairies of the Woods,Fairies, Nymphs, Gy­ants, &c. are made of arifi­ciall men. Nymphs, and Gyants many ages since, because they come from them. For of such Artificiall men, when they come to Mans age, are made Pygmies, Gyants, and other great and monstrous men, who are instruments of great matters, who obtaine great victories against their Enemies, and know all secrets, and mysteries: because by Art they receive their lives, by Art they, receive their bodies, flesh, bones, and blood: by Art they are borne; wherefore Art is now incorporated with, and imbred in them, and they need not learn of any, but others are constrained to learn of them, for by Art they have their originall and present existeney, as a rose, or flower in a garden, and they are called the children of Fairies, and Nymphs, by reason that in power, and vertue they [Page 10]are like not to Men, but Spirits, &c.

Here it is necessary that wee speak something of the generation of Metalls; but because we have wrote sufficiently of that in our book of the generation of Metals, wee shall very briefly treat of it here, only briefly adding what was omitted in that book. Know that all the seven Metalls are brought forth after this manner,Of 3 princi­ples Mercury the Spirit, sul­phur is the soul, Salt the body. out of a threefold matter, viz. Mercury, Sul­phur, & Salt, yet in distinct, and peculiar colours. For this reason Hermes did not speak amisse, when he said, that of three substances are all the seven Metalls pro­duced, and compounded, as also the Tinctures, and Philosophers Stone. Those 3 substances he calls the Spirit, Soul, and Body: but hee did not shew how this is to bee understood, or what hee did mean by this, although haply hee might know the three Prin­ciples, but did not make mention of them. Wherefore we do not say, that he was here in an error, but only was silent now, that those 3 distinct substances may be rightly understood, viz. Spirit, Soul, and Body, we must know, that they signifie nothing; else but the three Principles,.i.e. Mercury, Sulphur, Salt, of which all the seven Metalls are generated. For Mercury is the Spirit, Sulphur the Soule, and Salt the Body, but a Metall is the Soul betwixt the Spirit, and the Body (as Hermes saith) which Soule indeed is Sulphur; and unites these two contraries, the Body, and Spirit, and changeth them into one essence, &c.

Now this is not to bee understood so as that of every Mercury,Whether me­talls can be made artifici­ally by fire. every Sulphur, or of every Salt, the seven Metalls may be generated, or the Tincture, or Philosophers Stone by the Art of Alchymie, or industry, with the help of Fire; but all the seven [Page 11]Metalls must be generated in the mountains by the Archeius of the Earth. For the Alchymist shall sooner transmute Metalls, then generate, or make them.

Living ☿ is the mother of metalls.Yet neverthelesse living Mercury is the Mo­ther of all the seven Metalls, and deservedly it may be called the Mother of the Metalls. For it is an open Metall, and as it contains all colours, which it manifests in the Fire, so also occultly it contains all Metalls in it selfe, but without Fire it cannot shew them, &c.

But generation, and renovation of Metalls is made thus: As a man may return into the womb of his Mother,.i.e. into the Earth, out of which hee was first made a man, and shall again bee raised at the last day:The regenera­tion of metalls into tinctures. so also all Metalls may returne into living ☿ againe, and become ☿, and by Fire bee regene­rated, and purified, if for the space of forty weeks, they bee kept in a continuall heat, as an infant is in his Mothers wombe. So that now there are brought forth not common Metalls, but Tinging Metalls. For if Silver bee regenerated (after the manner as wee have spoken) it will afterward tinge all other Me­talls into Silver, so will Gold into Gold, and the like is to bee understood of all the other Me­talls.

Now forasmuch as Hemes said, that the soule alone is that medium which joines the spirit to the body, it was not without cause hee said so.The Soul is that medium wherewith the soule is united to the body. For seeing Sulphur is that soule, and doth like Fire ripen, and digest all things; it can also bind the soule with the body, incorporating, and uniting them together, so that from thence may bee pro­duced [Page 12]a most excellent body. Now the common combustible Sulphur is not to bee taken for the soule of metalls, for the soule is another man­ner of thing then a combustible, and corruptible body.

What the soule of metalls is.Wherefore it can bee destroyed by no Fire, see­ing indeed it is all Fire it selfe: and indeed it is no­thing else but the quintessence of Sulphur, which is extracted out of reverberated Sulphur by the spi­rit of wine, being of a red colour, and as transpa­rent as a Rubie: and which indeed is a great, and excellent Arcanum, for the transmuting of white metalls, and to coagulate living ☿ into fixt, and true Gold. Esteeme this as an enriching trea­sure, and thou maist bee well contented with this, onely secret in the Transmutation of Me­talls.

Concerning the generation of mineralls, and halfe metalls nothing else need bee known then what was at first said concerning metalls,Where is the generation of metalls and mineralls. viz. that they are in like manner produced of the three Principles, viz. Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt, although not as metalls of perfect, but of the more imperfect, and baser Mer­cury, Sulphur, and Salt, and yet with their distinct colours.

Whence the generation of Gemmes.The generation of Gemmes is from the subtilty of the Earth, of transparent and crystalline Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt, even according to their distinct colours.

Also of Com­mon Stones.But the generation of common Stones is of the subtilty of Water, of mucilaginous Mercury, Sul­phur, and Salt. For of the mucilaginousnesse of Wa­ter are produced all stones, as also sand, and gra­vell [Page 13]are thence coagulated into Stones, as wee of­ten see.

For any stone pat in the Water, doth suddenly con­tract mucilaginousnesse to to itself.An artificiall generation of Stones. Now if that muci­laginous matter bee taken from this Stone, and coagulated in a glasse, it becomes such a Stone, as was in that Water, but it would require a long time before it would be coagulated of it selfe.

Heat and Moi­sture the cause of the growth of things. IT is sufficiently manifest, and knowne to every one, that all naturall things grow, and are ripned through heat, and moisture, which is sufficiently demonstrated by rain, and the heat of the sun. For no man can deny that rain doth make the Earth fruitfully, and it is granted by all, that all fruits are ripened by the sun.

An artificiall ripening of things.Seeing therefore this is by divine ordination natu­rally possible, who can gain-say, or not beleeve that a man is able, through the wise, and skilfull Art of Alchymie, to make that which is barren, fruitfull, and that which is crude, to ripen, and all things to grow, and to be increased. For the Scripture saith,God hath sub­jected all things to man, that God subjected all creatures to man, and put them into his hands as being his own, that hee might use them for his necessity; and rule over the fish of the sea, fowles of the aire, and all things upon the Earth, nothing ex­cepted. Wherefore man might well rejoice that God should so endow him with the excellency of Nature, that all the creatures of God should be forced to obey, and be subject to him, especially the whole Earth, and all things which are bred, live, and move in, and upon it. Since therefore wee see with our eyes, and are taught by daily experience, that by how much the oftner, & more abundantly therain doth moisten the earth, and the sun doth again with its heat and warmth dry it, so much the sooner doe the fruits of the Earth come forth and are ripened, yea all fruits doe cleerly grow, and increase, what time of the yeer soever it be; Let no man henceforth wonder,The artificiall generation of fruit. that the Alchymist also by a manifold imbibition, and distillation should not doe the same. For what else is rain but the imbibi­tion of the Earth? and the heat of the Sun, but the distillation of the un, which drawes up those humi­dities again? Wherefore I say it is possible by such a kind of Art, even in the midle of Winter to bring forth green Herbs, Flowers, and other fruit, through Earth, and Water, out of the seed, and root: If then this can bee done in all Herbs, and flowers, it may also bee done in many other like things, as in all mi­neralls, [Page 16]whose imperfect metalls by vertue of a mine­rall water may bee brought to maturity through the industry, and Art of a skilfull Alchymist.

The ripening of mineralls.In like manner may all Marcasites, Granati, Zineta, Arsenica, Talka, Cachymie, Bisemuta, Antimonies, &c. (all which carry with them crude Gold, and Silver,) bee so ripened, that they may bee equalized to the most rich veins of Gold, and Silver, only by this Art. So also the Elixir, and tinctures of metals arc brought to maturity, and perfected.

What the growing of the beard of a dead man signifies.Seeing therefore, as it hath been said, moisture, and heat doe ripen all things, and make them grow, Let none wonder, that the beard, haire, or nailes of a ma­lefactor hanging on a Gibbet, or Wheel do for a long time grow, neither let it be accounted for a sign of his innocency, as the ignorant beleeve; for this is naturall, and from naturall causes. For whilest that any moi­sture remains in him, his beard, haire, and nailes grow, even till the second year, or till hee bee wholly putre­fied, &c.

Wee must also know, that there are many things that grow for ever, and are increased in big nesse, weight, and vertue, in the Water, and Earth, in which they continue good, and efficacious, as are Metalls, Marcasites, Cachymie, Talka, Granuty, Antimony, Bisemuta,The augmen­tation of ☉. Gemmes, Pearles, Corals, all Stones, and Clay. So also it may be ordered, that Gold may grow, and bee increased in weight, and body, if only it bee buryed in the Earth looking towards the East, and bee alwaies soiled with the fresh urine of a man, and pigeons dung.How Gold may be gene­rated in a glasse.

It is possible also that Gold, through industry, and skill of an expert Alchymist may bee so far exalted, [Page 17]that it may grow in a glasse like a tree, with many wonderfull boughs, and leaves, which indeed is plea­sant to behold, and most wonderful.

How the Phi­losophicall Tree is made.The processe is this. Let Gold bee calcined with Aqua Regis, till it becomes a kind of chalke, which put into a gourd glasse, and poure upon it good new Aqua Regis, so that it may cover it foure fingers breadth, then again draw it off, with the third de­gree of fire, untill no more ascend. The water that is distilled off, poure on againe, then distill off a­gaine. This doe so long untill thou seest the Gold to rise in the glasse, and grow after the manner of a tree, having many boughes, and leaves: and so there is made of Gold a wonderful, and pleasant shrub, which the Alchymists call their Golden hearb, and the Phi­losophers Tree. In like manner you may proceed with Silver, and other Metalls, yet so that their calcination bee made after another manner, by another Aqua fortis, which I leave to thine experience. If thou art skilled in Alchymie, thou shalt not erre in these things.

To make an artificiall stone of any forme.Know also that any flint taken out of River water, (and put into a gourd glasse, having River water poured upon it, that the glasse may bee filled, which Water is againe to bee distilled off as long as a drop will arise, and the Stone dryed, and the Glasse againe filled with this Water, and a­gaine distilled off, and this done so long till the Glasse bee filled with this Stone) may in a few dayes by the Art of Alchymie bee made very great, which the Archeius of the Waters could scarce doe in many yeers.

If then thou breake the Glasse, thou shalt have a Flint in the forme of the Glasse, as if it had been put into the Glasse, and although this bee not for profit, yet it is a thing that is strange, and wonderfull.

THat things may bee preserved, and kept from harm, it is necessary in the first place to know what is an enemie to them,The enemies of things are be knowne. that so they may be preserved from that, & not be hurt, or corrupted by it either in substance, vertue, power, or any way whatsoever. Much therefore in this case depends upon the knowing of the Enemie of all Naturall things. For who can take heed of danger when hee dotn not know what can hurt him? [Page 20]Truly no body; Wherefore it is necessary to know ones Enemie, For there are many sorts of Enemies. Wherefore it is as necessary to know evill things, as good things: for who can know what is good, without the knowing of what is evill? Truly no body. So no man can know what a blessing health is, that was never sick. Who knows what joy is, that was never heavy, or sad? and who can rightly understand what God is, who knew nothing of the Devil? Wherefore when God made known to us the Enemie of our Soul, viz. the Devill, he also signified to us the Enemie of our life,Death is the enemie of things. viz. Death, which is the Enemie of our body, of our health, and the Enemie of Medicinall, and all naturall things: also he made known tous how, and by which means it may be shunned. For as there is no disease against which there is not created, and found some remedy, which should cure, and expell it: so also there is alwaies one thing ordained against another,There is a Contrariety found in all things. one Water against another, one Stone against another, one Minerall against another: one Poison a­gainst another, one Metall against another: and so in many more things, all which it is not requisite here to reciter.

Now how, and by what means every thing is to bee preserved, and kept from hurt, wee must know, that many things are to bee preserved in the Earth, and especially all rootes doe for a long time remaine in the Earth without losing their vertue, or being cor­rupted: in like manner herbs, flowers, and all fruites continue in the water incorrupted, and green: there are also many fruits and apples that may be preserved in water from all manner of putrefaction, untill new fruit come againe.

How to pre­serve flesh and blood.So also flesh, and blood, which indeed are putrefied, and grow unsavoury quickly, are preserved in cold fountain-water, and not only so, but by the addition of new and fresh fountaine-water, may he turned into a quintessence, and bee for ever preserved from pu­trefaction, and an ill savour, without any balsome. And this doth not only preserve the flesh, and blood of dead things, but also of the living, wherefore Mans body may bee preserved from all manner of putre­faction, and divers diseases that proceed from putre­faction, better then common Mummie. Mow that blood may be preserved of it self from putrefaction, and stinking, and not as a quintessence, & so as it may preserve the blood of the living (as we now said) thou must follow this processe.

How the Ar­canum of mans blood is to be prepared.Let the blood bee separated from its flegm, which is separated of its selfe, and is driven to the upper part. This water poure gently out of the vessell, and in stead of it put as much of the water of the salt of blood, which water wee teach to make in our Chi­rurgerie: That water doth presently mixe with the blood, and preserves it so, that it will never bee pu­trefied, or grow unsavory, but continue many years as fresh, and very red as it was the first day: and this indeed is a great wonder. But if thou dost not know how to make this water, or hast it notin readiness, then poure upon it so much of the best, and most excel­lent balsome, and this will doe the same. Now this blood is the balsome of balsomes, and is called the Arcanum of blood, and it is so wonderful, and of such great vertue, that it is incredible to be spoken; where­fore thou shalt conceale it as a great secret in Phy­sick.

How metalls may be preser­ved. What are the enemies of metalls,In preserving of Metalls, their Enemies are first to bee known, that so much the better they may bee preserrved from harme. The chiefest Enemies of Metalls are all sharp corroding Waters, all Corro­sive things, all Salts, crude Sulphur, Antimony, and Mercury. But that you may know particularly how the shew their enmity, it is thus. Sharp Wa­ters, and such things as are Corrosive, and Salts shew their enmity, in that they mortifie, dissolve, cal­cine, corrupt Metalls, and reduce them to no­thing.

How the fume of Sulphur doth discolour metallis. Crude Sulphur shews its enmity in the fume thereof: for by its fume it takes away from Copper its co­lour, and rednesse, and makes it white. From white Metalls, as Silver, Tinne, Lead, and Iron it takes away the whitenesse, and makes them red, and yel­lowish. From Gold it takes away that faire ami­able yellownesse, and golden colour, and makes it black, and so foule, that nothing can bee more foule.

How Antimo­ny spoiles and discolours me­talls.Antimony shews its enmity in this, in that all Me­talls with which it is melted, or mixed, it spoiles, carryeth away, and preys upon, and also not unlike to Sulphur, by its fume it takes away from Metalls their true, and naturall colour, and brings in an­other.

Quick-silver distroyes me­talls, and how.Quick-silver doth destroy Metalls upon this ac­compt, in that it enters into Metalls, with which it is joined, and dissolves them, so as that it makes an Amalgama of them: Wherefore the fume thereof, which wee common Mercury, makes all Metalls brittle, that they cannot be malleated, and calcines them, also it makes all red Metalls of a golden co­lour, [Page 23]to bee white: but it is the greatest enemie of all to Iron, and Steel; for if common Mercury doe but touch a barre of Iron, or Steel, or that be but smeared over with Mercuriall oile, that bar will afterward be broken like glasse, and be bowed; which indeed is a great secret, and deserves to be kept exceeding close. In like manner must the Loadstone be kept from Mercury, for the like enmity it shews to that as to Iron. For any Loadstone that Mercury hath but touched,How the load­stone may be spoyled. or which hath been smeered with Mercuriall oyle, or only put into Mercury, will never draw Iron more. Let no man wonder at this, for there is a naturall cause for it, and it is this, viz. because Mercury extracts the spirit of Iron, which was hid in the Loadstone, which spirit draws the spirit of Iron to it: and this is not only in the Loadstone, but in all naturall things else, so that alwaies a strange spi­rit in a body which is not of the same Nature with it selfe, drawes to it self a body which is of the same Nature: and this wee must know to bee so, not only in the Load-stone, but also in all other naturall things, as Minerals, Stones, Hearbs, Roots, Men, and Brutes.

What antipa­thy there is betwixt me­talls them­selves.That Metalls have an enmity, and hate one the other naturally, as you see in Lead, which is naturally a very great enemy to Gold. For it breaks asunder all parts of Gold, it makes it foule, weak, spoiles, and destroyes it even to death, more then any other Metall.

Tin also hates, and is an enemy to all Metalls: for in makes them base, immalleable, hard, unprofitable, if it bee mixed with them in the fire, or in melting.

Since therefore you have now heard of the Enemies [Page 24]of Metalls, you must next know their preservatives, which keep them from all manner of hurt, or corrup­tion, also strengthen them in their Nature, and vertue, and exalt their colour.

Gold is pre­served in boyes urine.First therefore concerning Gold, you must know, that it cannot bee preserved better, and fairer then in boyes urine, in which Salt Armoniack is dissolved, or in water alone of Salt Armoniack. In them in time the colour is so highly exalted that it can bee exalted no higher.

How silver is preserved.Silver cannot be better preserved then if it be boi­led in common Water, or Vineger, in which Tartar or Salt have been dissolved. So any old Silver, that is made black, and fouled, is renewed by being boi­led in these waters:How Iron and Steel may be served. The best preservative for Iron and Steels is the lard of a Barrow-hog not salted, which indeed preserves Iron, and Steel from rust, if once every moneth they be smeered over with it. Also if Iron bee melted with fixt Arsenicke, it will be so renewed and fixt,How Copper is preserved. that it will like Silver never con­tract rust. Copper may be preserved, if it bee only mixed with sublimed Mercury, or bee smeered over with the oyle of Salt; and so it will never any more be grown over with verdegrease.

How Lead is preserved.Lead can no wayes bee better preserved then in cold Earth, and in a moist place, according to the Nature thereof.How the Load-stone is preserved. The Load-stone is preserved best of all with the filings of Iron, and Steel, for by this meanes it is never weakened, but daily streng­thened.

The preserva­tion of Salts.Now concerning the preservation of Salts, and all things, that are of a saltish Nature, and may be com­prehended under the name of Salt (of which there are [Page 25]more then an hundred sorts) you must know that they are to bee preserved in a hot dry place, and in woodden vessells, not in Glasse, Stone, or Metalls: for in those they are dissolved and become a Water, and an Amalgama which cannot be in Wood.

Moreover you must know how some kind of Waters, and Liquors pressed out of hearbs, roots,The preserva­tion of liquors with oils. and all other fruits, and Vegetables, which doe easily contract filth, and slime as if a skin were spread over them, may be preserved. These Waters therefore, and Liquors must bee put up into glasses that are narrow towards the top, and wide below, and the glasses be filled to the top, then adde a few drops of oyl Olive, that all the Water, or Liquor may bee covered: so the Oyl will swim on the top, and preserve the Li­quor, or Water along time from filth or flime. For there is no Water, or liquor if it bee covered with oyl, that will bee musty, or of an ill savour.

By this means also may two sorts of Water, of Liquors of Wine bee kept apart in one vessell, that they may not bee mixed: and not only two sorts, but three, four, five, and more, if only the oyle bee put betwixt: For they are severed by the Oyle, as by a wall, which wil not suffer them to be joined together, and united, for oyl and water are two contraries, and neither can be mixed with the other: For as the Oyle will not suffer the Waters to be united, so on the con­trary, the Water will not suffer the Oyls to be mixed.

How clothes are preserved.Now to preserve Cloath, and Garments from moths, there is no better way then with Ma­stick, Camphire, Amber Gryfe, and Muske, and Civet, which indeed is the best of all, which doth not only preserve them from moths, [Page 26]but also drives away moths, and all other vermine, as Fleas, Lice, &c.

How all of sorts of Wood may be preserved.Also all manner of Woods, as in Houses, Bridges, Ships, or wheresoever they be, may bee preserved so that they will never bee putrefied, either in waters, or under waters, or out of water in the earth, under the earth or above the earth, whether they be set in the rain, or wind, aire, snow, or ice, in winter, or summer; also that they be not worm-eaten, nor that any worms may breed in them whensoever they bee cut. Now this preservative is a great Arcanum against all kinds of putrefactions, yea so excellent a secret that none may bee compared to it. And it is nothing else but Oyle of Sulphur,Fixed oyle of sulphur. the processe whereof is this. Let common yellow Sulphur bee powdered, and put into a Gourd glasse, upon which let there be poured so much of the strongest Aqua fortis, that may cover it three fingers breadth: then draw it oft by distilla­tion, three, or four times; and last of all, till it be dry. Let the Sulphur that remaines in the bottome be­ing of a black, sad red colour, be put upon marble, or in a glasse, and it will easily bee dissolved into Oyle, which is a great secret in preserving of Wood from putrefaction, and wormes. For this Oyle doth so tinge the wood that is nointed with it, that it can never bee washed out of it againe. Many more things may bee preserved with this Oil of Sulphur, from putrefaction, as ropes, cords in ships, and masts of ships, in carts, fishing-nets, and gins which Fowlers, and Hunters use, and such like, which are of­tentimes used in waters, or raine, and are otherwise easily rotted, and broken, so also linnen clothes, and many other such like things.

Which arepo­table things, and how they are preserved.Also you must know how potable things are to be preserved, by which wee understand Wine, Beer, Meade, Vineger, and Milke. Now if we would preserve these from harm, and in their full vertue, it is very necessary that you know well what is an E­nemie to them, and that is menstruous women:Which is an e­nemie to them. for if they doe handle the foresaid things, or have any thing to doe about them, or looke, or breath upon them, they corrupt them. For Wine is thereby changed, and become thick, Beer, and Mead grow sowre, Vineger grows dead, and loseth its sharpnesse: and Milke grows sowre, and curded.

This therefore you must well know, before you come to preserve each of these in particu­lar.

How Wine is preserved by Sulphur.Wine is preserved chiefly by Sulphur, and the Oyle of Sulphur, by which all Wine may bee preser­ved a long time, so that it be neither thick, nor any other way changed.

Beere is preser­ved with oyle of Cloves.Beere is preserved with Oyle of Cloves, if some drops thereof bee put into it, to every Gallon two or three drops, or, which is better, with the Oyl of the root of Avens, which doth preserve Beer from sowring.

Meade is pre­served with oyl of Sugar. How Vineger is preserved.Meade is preserved with Oyl of Sugar, which must bee used as the Oyle of Cloves abovesaid.

Vineger is preserved with Oyle of Ginger, which must be used as the Oyle of Cloves abovesaid.

How Milke is preserved.Milke is preserved with Oyle of Almonds made by expression, which must bee used as the Oyle of Cloves abovesaid.

Cheese is pre­served with St. Johns wort.Cheese is preserved with St. Iohns wort from worms, for if it doth but touch it, no worme will [Page 28]breed in it: and if there bee any m before, it will kill them, and make them fall out of the Cheese.

How Honey is to be preserved. What its chief enemie is.Honey hath no peculiar preservative, onely that it may bee kept from its Enemie. Now its chief Ene­mie is bread: for if a little bread made of Corne bee but put, or faln in into it, all the Honey is turned into Emmots, and spoiled.

What use the Aire is for, as to the life of things. NO man can deny that Aire gives life to all things, bodies, and substances, that are produced, and generated of the Earth. Now you must know what, and what manner of thing the life of every thing in particular is; and it is nothing else then a spirituall essence,What the life of things is. a thing that is invisible, impalpable, a spirit, and spiri­tuall. Wherefore there is no corporeall thing,What things have life. which hath not a spirit lying hid in it, as also a life, which, as [Page 30]I said before, is nothing but a spirituall thing. For not only that hath life which moves, and stirres, as Men, Animalls, Vermine of the earth, Birds in the Aire, Fish in the sea, but also all corporeall, and substantiall things. For here wee must know that God in the beginning of the Creation of all things, crea­ted no body at all without its spirit, which it secretly contains in it.

What is the difference be­twixt the Spirit and the Body.For what is the body without a spirit? Nothing at all. Wherefore the spirit contains in it secretly the vertue, and power of the thing, and not the body. For in the body there is death, and the body is the subject of death, neither is any else to be sought for in the body, but death.

The Spirit ne­ver dyes.For that may severall wayes bee destroyed, and corrupted, but the spirit cannot. For the living spi­rit remains for ever, and also is the subject of life: and preserves the body alive; but in the ruine of the body it is separated from it, and leaves behind it a dead body, and returnes to its place, from whence it came, viz. into the Chaos, and the Aire of the upper and lower Firmament. Hence it appears that there are divers spirits, as well as divers bodies.

The division of the Spirit ac­cording to the variety of bo­dies.For there are spirits Celestiall, Infernall, Humane, Metalline, Minerall, of Salts, of Gemmes, of Mar­casites, of Arsenicks, of Potable things, of Rootes, of Juices, of, Flesh, of Blood, of Bones, &c. Where­fore also know that the spirit is most truly the life,The Spirit is the life of all Corporeall things. and balsome of all Corporeall things. But now wee will proceed to the species, and briesly describe to you in this place the life of every naturall thing in parti­cular.

What the life of man is.The life therefore of all men is nothing elfe but an Astrall balsome, a Balsamick impression, and and a celestiall invisible Fire, an included Aire, and a tin­ging spirit of Salt. I cannot name it more plainly, although it bee set out by many names. And seeing wee have declared the best, and chiefest, wee shall bee silent in these which are lesse mate­riall.

What the life of Metalls is.The life of Metalls is a secret fatnesse, which they have received from Sulphur, which is manifest by their flowing, for every thing that flowes in the fire, flowes by reason of that secret fatnesse that is in it: unlesse that were in it, no Metall could flow, as wee see in Iron, and Steel, which have lesse Sulphur, and fatnesse then all the other Metalls, wherefore they are of a dryer Nature then all the rest.

What the life of Mercury is. Mercury is like to a garment of skins.The life of Mercury is nothing else but the inter­nall heat, and externall coldnesse, i.e. it makes the internall part of its body hot, and the outward part cold, and therefore might well bee compa­red to a garment made of skins, which doth even as Mercury make hot, and cold. For if a man wears such a garment it makes him warme, and keeps him from the cold: but if the smooth pare of those skins bee put upon his naked body, it makes him cold, and is good against too much heat; wherefore it was a custome in ancient time and still is in some places, to weare skins as well in Summer, as in Winter, as against cold in the one, so against heat in the other. in Summer they turn the smooth side inward, and the hairy side outward; and in Winter the hairy side inward, and [Page 32]the smooth side outward. As therefore you have heard of the garment of skins, so also it may bee said of Mercury.

What the life of Sulphur is.The life of Sulphur is a combustible, stinking fat­nesse, for whilst it burns, and stinks, it may be said to be alive.

What the life of Salts is.Now the life of all Salts is nothing else but the spirit of Aquae fortis: for that water being drawne from them, that which remains in the bottome, is called Dead earth.

What the life of Gemmes and Coralls is.The life of Gemmes, and Coralls is only their colour, which with spirit of Wine may be taken from them.

What the life of Pearls is.The life of Pearls is nothing else but their splendor, which they lose in calcination.

What the life of the Load­stone is.The life of the Loadstone is the spirit of Iron, which may bee extracted, and taken away with spirit of Wine.

The life of Flints what.The life of Flintes is a mucilaginous mat­ter.

The life of Marcasites what.The life of Marcasites, Cachymia, Talcum, Cobaltum, Zimri, Granata, Wismat, and of Antimo­ny is a tinging Metalline spirit.

The life of Arsenicks.The life of Arsenickes, Auripigment, Operment, Realgar, and such like matters, is a Minerall, and co­agulated poison.

The life of Excrements.The life of Excrements, i.e. of mans dung, or beasts dung is their stinking smell, for this being lost they are dead.

The life of aromaticall things.The life of Aromaticall things, viz. of Muske, Amber Gryse, Civet, and whatsoever yeelds a strong, good, and sweet smell, is nothing else but that gratefull odour: for if they lose this they are dead and of no use.

The life of sweet things.The life of sweet things, as of Sugar, Honey, Manna, Cassia, and such like is in their tinging, and sub­tile sweetnesse, for if that sweetnesse bee taken from them by distilling, or subliming they are dead, unpro­fitable, and nothing worth.

The life of Rozzen.The life of all Rozzens, as Amber, Turpentine, Gumme, is the muciliginous shining fatnesse, which gives that excellent vernish to them all: for when they will yeeld no more vernish, and lose their shining, they are dead.

The life of Plants.The life of Hearbs, Roots, Apples, and other such like fruit, is nothing else but the liquor of the Earth, which they lose of their own accord, if they do but want water, and Earth.

The life of Wood.The life of Wood is a certaine Rozzen, for any wood if it want Rozzen can live no lon­ger.

The life of Bones.The life of Bones is the liquor of Mummie.

The life of flesh.The life of flesh, and blood is nothing else but the spirit of Salt, which preserves them from stinking, and putrefaction, and is of it selfe as water separated from them.

The life of every Element.Now concerning the life of Elements, you must know that the life of Water is its running. For when by the coldnesse of the Firmament is is con­gealed into ice, it is dead, and its mischievous­nesse is taken from it, that no body can bee drowned in it.

What the life of Fire is.The life of Fire is Aire, for Aire makes fire burne with greater vehemency, and heate: Also there cometh forth from all Fire a kind of Aire, which will blow out a candle, and drives up a feather, as you may dayly see before your eyes. Wherefore [Page 34]the flame of Fire is choaked if it bee so stopt up, that it can neither receive in Aire, and let out its own Aire.

What the life of Aire is.The Aire lives by, and of it selfe, and gives life to all other things.

What the life of Earth is.The earth of it selfe is dead, but the Element of it is an invisible, and secret life.

What Death is. THe death of all naturall things is nothing else but an alteration and destruction of their powers, and vertues, a predominancy of that which is evill, and an overcoming of what is good, an abolishing of the former nature, and generation of a new, and another nature. For you must know that there are many things that, whilst they are alive, have in them severall vertues, but when they are dead retaine little or nothing of [Page 36]their vertue, but become unsavory, and unprofita­ble. So on the contrary many things, whilest they live, are bad, but after they are dead, and corrupted, manifest a manifold power, and vertue, and are very usefull. Wee could bring many examples to con­firme this, but that doth not belong to our pur­pose. But that I may not seem to write accor­ding to mine own opinion only, but out of my ex­perience, it will bee necessary that I produce one example, with which I shall silence those Sophisters, who say, that wee can receive nothing from dead things, neither must we seek, or expect to find any thing in them. The reason is, because they do esteem nothing of the preparations of Alchymists, by which many such like great secrets are found out. For looke upon Mercury, crude Sulphur, and crude Antimony, as they are taken out of their Mines, i.e. whilest they are living, and see what little vertue there is in them, how slowly they put forth their vertues, yea they do more hurt, then good, and are rather poison, then a Medicine. But if through the industry of a skilfull Alchymist, they bee corrupted in their first substance, and wisely prepared (viz. if Mercury be coagulated,The preparati­on of Mercury Sulphur and Antimony. precipitated, sublimed, dissolved, and turned into an oyle; if Sulphur bee sublimed, calcined, reverbera­ted, and turned into an oyle; also if Antimony bee sublimed, calcined, and reverbera­ted, and turned into an oyle; also if Antimony bee sublimed, calcined, and reverberated and turned into oyle) you shall see how usefull they are, how much strength, and vertue they have, and how quickly they put forth, and shew their efficacy, which no man is able to speak enough in the commendation of, or to describe. For many are their vertues, yea more then will ever bee found out by any man. Wherefore [Page 37]let every faithfull Alchymist, and Physitian spend their whole lives in searching into these three: For they will abundantly recompense him for all his la­bour, study, and costs.

But to come to particulars, and to write particu­larly of the death, and destruction of every naturall thing, and what the death of every thing is, and after what manner every thing is destroyed; you must know therefore in the first place,What the Death of man is. that the death of man is without doubt nothing else, but an end of his daily work, the taking away of the Aire, the decaying of the Naturall balsome, the extinguishing of the naturall light, and the great separation of the three substances, viz. the body, soule, and spirit, and their return from whence they came. For be­cause a naturall man is of the earth, the Earth also is his Mother, into which hee must return, and there must lose his natural earthly flesh, and so be regenera­ted at the last day in a new celestiall, and purified flesh, as Christ said to Nicodemus when hee came to him by night. For thus must these words bee under­stood of regeneration.

What the de­struction of Metalls is.The death, and destruction of Metalls is the dis­joining of their bodies, and sulphureous fatnesse, which may bee done severall ways, as by calcination, reverberation, dissolution, cementation, and sublima­tion.

Calcination of Metalls is ma­nifold.But the calcination of Metalls is not of one sort: for one is made with Salt, another with Sulphur, ano­ther with Aqua fortis, and another with com­mon Sublimate, and another with Quicksil­ver.

What Calci­nation with Salt is.Calcination with Salt is that the Metall be made [Page 38]into very thin plates, and strowed with Salt, and ce­mented.

Calcination with Sulphur.Calcination with Sulphur is, that the Metall bee made into thin plates, and strowed with Sulphur, and reverberated.

Calcination with Aqua for­tis.Calcinaion with Aqua fortis, is that the Me­tall bee made very small, and dissolved in Aqua for­tis, and precipitated in it.

Calcination with Subli­mate.Calcination with sublimed Mercury is this, that the Metall bee made into thin plates, and that the Mercury bee put into an earthen vessell narrow to­wards the top, and wide at the bottome; and then let it be set into a gentle fire made with coales, which must bee blowed a little untill the Mercury begin to fume, and a white cloud goe forth of the mouth of the vessel, then let the Plate of the Metall bee put into the top of the vessel, and so the sublimed Mer­cury wil penetrate the Metall, and make it as brittle as a stone of coal.

Calcination with Quicksil­ver.Calcination with Quick-silver, is that the Me­tall bee made very small, and thin, and be amalgama­ted with Quick-silver, and afterward the Quick-silver bee strained through Leather, and the Metall remain in the Leather like chalke, or sand.

Divers other sorts of morti­fication of me­talls.Now besides these mortifications of Metalls, and destructions of their lives, know also that there are yet more. For rust is the death of all Iron, and Steel, and all vitriall, burnt brasse is mortified Copper: all precipitated, sublimated, calcined Cinnabar is mor­tified Mercury, all Ceruse, and Minium of Lead is mortified Lead; all Lazure is mortified Silver: also all Gold from which its tincture, Quintessence, Roz­zen, Crocus, Vitriall, or Sulphur is extracted, is [Page 39]dead, because it hath no more the form of Gold, but is a white Metall like fixed Silver.

But let us proceed to shew how Metalls may bee yet further mortified. First therefore of Iron,A two fold preparation of Crocus Mar­tis. know that that is mortified, and reduced into Crocus this way. Make Steel into very thin plates: Make these plates red hot, and quench them in the best Wine-Vineger, doe this so often til the Vineger hath con­tracted a considerable rednesse, then distil of the Vi­neger, til there bee nothing but a dry powder re­maining. This is a most excellent Crocus Mar­tis.

There is also another way of making Crocus Martis, which doth partly exceed the former, and is made with farre lesse costs, and pains, and it is this.

Strow upon the plates of Steel, Sulphur, and Tartar, being both in a like quantity; then reverbe­rate them, and this wil produce a most excel­lent Crocus, which must bee taken off from the plates.

Also you must know, that every plate of Iron, or Steel, if it bee melted with Aqua fortis; will also make a very fair Crocus; so also it is made with oyle of Vitriall, spirit of Salt, Allum water, the water of Salt Armoniacke, and of Salt Nitre; as also with sublimated Mercury, all which mortifie Iron, and bring it into a Crocus; but none of these latter wayes is to bee compared to the two for­mer, for they are only used in Alchymie, and not at all in Physicke; wherefore in this, use only the two former, and let alone the rest.

The mortifica­tion of Cop­pet.The mortification of Copper, viz. that it may be reduced into Vitriall, Verdegrease, may bee done many wayes, and there are more processes in it, yet one far better then another,The Vitriall of Copper is made two wayes. and one more profitable then another. Wherefore it is most convenient here to set down the best, and most profitable, and to bee silent in the rest. The best therefore, the most easy, and exactest way of reducing Copper into Vitriall is this.

Let plates of Copper bee dipt in spirit of Salt, or Salt-Petre, and let them bee hanged in the Aire until they begin to be green, which indeed wil quick­ty be, wash off this greennesse with cleer fountaine­water, dry the plates with some cloath, and wet them again with the spirit of Salt, and Salt Nitre, and do again as before, so long until the water bee appa­rently green, or much Vitriall swim on the top: then poure away the water, or evaporate it, and thou hast a most excellent Vitriall for medicine. In Al­chymie there is not a fairer, more excellent, and bet­ter Vitriall then what is made by Aqua fortis, or A­qua regis, or spirit of Salt Armoniacke. And the pro­cesse is this.

Let plates of Copper be melted with one of the a­foresaid waters, & as soon as the greeness is extracted, and the plates dryed, let the greeness be taken off with the foot of a Hare, or some other way as you please, as Ceruse taken off from the plates of Lead: let them bee again wetted as before, until the plates bee wholly consumed, thereby is made a most glorious Vitriall, that thou canst not choose but wonder at it.

How water of Salt-petre and Salt-armoni­ack is made.The water of Salt Petre is made thus. Purifie, and powder it; afterwards dissolve it of it selfe in a blad­der, [Page 41]put in boyling water. So thou shalt have the water of Salt Petre.

The water of Salt Armoniacke is made thus: Cal­cine Salt Armoniack, and dissolve it in a Cellar upon a Marble, and this is water of Salt Armoni­ack.

Verdegrease may be made two wayes.But to make Verdegrease out of Copper, there are divers wayes which it is not needful here to recite. Wee shall describe only two, but with a double pre­paration, viz. The one for Physicke, the other for Alchymie. The processe therefore of Verdegrease to be used in Physick is this,

How verde­grease to be used in phy­sick is to be prepared.Take plates of Copper, which wet over with the following matter. Take Honey, and Vineger, of each a like quantity, of Salt as much as wil serve to make them up into a thick past. Mixe them well to­gether, then put them into a reverberatory, or Pot­ters furnace so long as the Potter is burning his pots, and thou shalt see the matter that stickes to the plates to bee very black, but let not that trouble thee. For if thou settest those plates in the Aire, all the black matter wil in a few days become green, and become a most excellent Verdegrease, which may bee called the Balsome of Copper,The Balsom of Copper. and is commen­ded by all Physitians. But neverthelesse do not thou wonder that this Verdegrease becomes green in the Aire, and that the Aire can change the black colour into so fair a green.

Aire changeth the Colours of things burnt.For here thou must know that daily experience in Alchymie doth shew, that any dead earth, or Caput Mortuum, as soon as it comes out of the Fire into the Aire, doth quickly get another colour, and leaves its own colour which it got in the fire. For the changes [Page 42]of those colours are various. For as the matter is, so are the colours that are made, although for the most part they flow from the blacknesse of the dead earth. For you that are skilful in Alchymie see that the dead earth of Aquafortis comes black from the Fire, and by how many more ingredients there bee in it, by so much the more variously doe the colours shew themselves in the Aire: sometimes they seem red, as Vitriall makes them: sometimes yellow, white, green, blew: sometimes mixt, as in the Rain­bow, or Peacocks taile. All those cololours shew themselves after the death, and by the death of the matter. For in the death of all naturall things here are seen other colours, which are chan­ged from the first colour into other colours, every one according to its nature, and property.

The preparati­on of Verde­grease to be used in Alchy­me.Now we wil speak of that Verdegrease which is to bee used in Alchymie. The preparation, and processe of that is this,

Make very thin plates of Copper, strow upon them Salt, Sulphur, and Tartar ground, and mixed toge­ther, of each a like quantity in a great calcining pot. Then reverberate them twenty foure houres with a strong Fire, but so that the plates of Copper do not melt, then take them out, and break the pot, and set the plates with the matter that sticks to them into the Aire for a few dayes, and the matter upon the plates wil bee turned into a faire Verdegrease, which in all sharp Corroding waters, waters of Exaltation, and in Cements, and in colouring of Gold, doth tinge Gold,How Aes v­stum, or Cro­cus of Copper is to be made. and Silver with a most deep colour.

Now to turne Copper into Aes ustum, which is called the Crocus of Copper, the processe is this,

Let Copper be made into thin plates, and be smee­red over with Salt made into a past with the best Vi­neger, then let it be put into a great Crucible, and set in a wind furnace, and be burnt in a strong Fire for a quarter of an houre; but so that the plates melt not: let these plates being red hot bee quenched in Vineger, in which Salt Armoniack is dissolved, al­waies half an ounce in a pint of Vineger; let the plates bee made red hot again, and quenched in Vineger as before, alwaies scraping, or knocking off the scales which stick to the plates after quenching, into the Vineger. Do this so long, until the plates of Copper bee in good part consumed by this means: then distil off the Vineger, or let it vapour away in an open vessel, and bee coagulated into a most hard stone. So thou hast the best Crocus of Copper, the use whereof is in Alchymie. Many make Crocus of Copper by ex­tracting of it with the spirit of Wine, or Vineger, as they do Crocus Martis: But I commend this way far above it.

The sublimati­on of Quick­silver.Now the mortification of Quicksilver that it may bee sublimed, is made with Vitriall, and Salt, with which it is mixed, and then sublimed, so it becomes as hard as Crystall, and as white as snow: but to bring it to a Precipitate, the processe is this:

How to make a fixt Precipi­tat Diaphore­ticall.Let it first be calcined with the best Aqua fortis, then distil off the Aqua fortis, and do this about five times, until the Precipitate become to bee of a faire red co­lour: Dulcifie this precipitate as much as thou canst: And lastly poure upon it the best rectified spirit of Wine you can get, distil it off from it eight, or nine times, or so often until it be red hot in the fire, and doe not fly: then thou hast a Diaphoretical precipita­ted Mercury.

How to make a sweet Preci­pitate.Moreover, you must take notice of a great secret concerning precipitated Mercury, viz. if after it is coloured, it bee dulcified with water of salt of Tartar, pouring it upon it, and distilling of it off so often, until the water riseth no more sharp from the Precipitate, but bee manifestly sweet; then thou hast a precipi­tate as sweet as sugar,And the use of it or honey, which in all wounds, Ulcers, and Venereal Disease is so excellent a secret, that no Physitian need desire a better.

Besides it is a great comfort to despairing Alchy­mists. For it doth augment Gold, and hath ingresse into Gold, and with it Gold remaines stable, and good. Although there is much pains, and sweat requi­red to this Precipitate, yet it wil sufficiently recom­pense thee for thy pains, and costs; and wil yeeld thee more gain, then can bee got by any Art or Trade whatsoever: Thou maist wel therefore rejoice in this, and give God, and mee thanks for it.

How Quick­silver may be Coagulated.Now that Quicksilver may bee coagulated, I said that that must bee done in sharp Aqua fortis, which must bee drawn off by Distillation, and then the Pre­cipitate is made.How Quicksil­ver may be turned to Cin­nabar. But that Quicksilver may bee brought into a Cinnabar; you must first mortifie, and melt it with Salt, and yellow Sulphur, and bring it into a white powder, then put it in a gourd, and put upon it Aludel, or head, and sublime it in the greatest flux you can, as the manner is, so the Cinnabar will ascend into the Aludel, and stick as hard as the stone Haematites.

There are two kinds of Ce­ruse. The preparati­on of them.The mortification of Lead to bring it to a Ceruse, is twofold; the one for Medicine, the other for Al­chymie. The preparation of Ceruse for Medicine is this:

Hang plates of Lead in a glazed pot over strong Wine-vineger, the pot being well stopt that the spi­rits doe not exhale: put this pot into warm ashes, or in the Winter into a furnace, then alwaies after ten or fourteen dayes, thou shalt find very good Ceruse sticking to the plates, which strike off with the foot of a Hare: then put the plates over the Vineger again, untill thou hast enough Ceruse.

Now the other preparation of Ceruse for Alchy­mie is like the former, only that in the Vineger must bee dissolved a good quantity of the best, and fairest Salt Armoniack, for by this means thou shalt pur­chase a most faire, and beautifull Ceruse, for the pur­ging of Tinne, and Lead, and the whitening of Cop­per

The preparati­on of Minium out of Lead.But if wee would make Minium of Lead, we must first calcine it with Salt into Calx, and then burn it in a glazed vessel, alwaies stirring it with an Iron rod, till it be red. This is the best, and chiefest Minium, and it is to be used as wel in Physick as Alchymie: but the other which Mercers sell in their shops is nothing worth. It is made only of the ashes, which remains of the Lead in the melting of it, which also Potters use to glaze their vessells, and such Minium is used for Painting, but not for Physicke, or Alchy­mie.

The Crocus of Lead.Now that Lead may bee brought into yellow­nesse, the preparation of it is not unlike to the prepa­ration of Minium. For Lead must here be calcined with Salt, and brought to a Calx, and afterwards be stirred with an Iron rod in a Broad bason, such as try­ers of Mineralls use, in a gentle Fire of Coales, dili­gently taking heed, that there be not too much heat, [Page 46]nor a neglect in stirring, for else it will flow, and be­come a yellow glasse. And so thou hast a fair, yellow Crocus of Lead.

How the Azure Colour is made of silver.The mortification of Silver, that of it may be made the Azure colour, or something like to it, is thus:

Take plates of Silver, and mix them with Quicksil­ver, and hang them in a glazed pot over the best Vi­neger, in which Gilt-heads have been first boiled, and afterward Salt Armoniack, and calcined Tartar have been dissolved; in all the rest doe as hath been said of Ceruse, then alwaies after fourteen days thou shalt have a most excellent, and faire Azure colour stick­ing to the plates of Silver, which must be wiped off with a Hares foot.

The Mortifi­cation of Gold.The Mortification of Gold that it may he brought into its Arcana, as into a Tincture, Quintessence, Resine, Crocus, Vitriall, and Sulphur, and many other excellent Arcana, which preparations indeed are many. But because for the most part wee have sufficiently treated of such Arcana in other bookes, as the extraction of the Tincture of Gold, the Quin­tessence of Gold, the Mercury of Gold, the Oile of Gold, Potable Gold, the Resine of Gold, the Crocus of Gold, and in the Archidoxis, and elsewhere, wee conceive it needlesse here to repeat them. But what Arcana were there omitted, wee shall here set down, As the Vitriall of Gold, Sulphur of Gold, which in­deed are not the least, and ought very much to cheer up every Physitian.

But to extract Vitriall out of Gold, the processe is this,

How the sul­phur, and the Vitriall of Gold are made.Take of pure Gold two, or three pound, which beat into thin plates, and hanging them over Boyes urine, mixt with the stones of grapes, in a large gourd glasse, well closed, which bury in a hot heap of stones of Grapes, as they come from the presse; when it hath stood fourteen dayes, or three weeks, then open it, and thou shalt find a most subtil colour, which is the Vitriall of Gold sticking to the plates of Gold, which take off with the foot of a Hare, as thou hast heard concerning other Metalls; as of the plates of Iron, Crocus Martis, of the plates of Copper, the Vitriall of Copper and Verdegrease, of the plates of Lead, Ceruse, of the plates of Silver the Azure co­lour, &c. comprehended under one processe, but not with one manner of preparation. When thou hast enough of the Vitriall of Gold; boyle it well in Rain-water distilled, alwaies stirring it with a spatle, then the sulphur of the gold is driven up to the super­ficies of the water, as fat, which take off with a spoon: Thus also doe with more Vitriall. Now after all the Sulphur is taken off, evaporate that raine water til it bee all dry, and there will remain the Vitriall of Gold in the bottome, which thou maist easily dissolve of it selfe upon a marble in a moist place. In these two Arcana's, viz. the Vitriall of Gold, and the Sulphur of Gold lies the Diaphoreticall vertue▪ I shal not here set down their vertues; for in the book of Metallick Diseases, and also in other bookes wee have set them down at large.

The mortification of Sulphur, that the combustible and stinking fatnesse may bee taken away, and it brought into a fixed substance, is thus:

The mortifica­on and fixation of Sulphur.Take common yellow Sulphur finely powdered, and draw from it by distillation Aqua fortis, that is very sharp, and this doe three times, then the Sul­phur which is in the bottome of a black colour dulci­fie with distilled water, until the water come from it sweet, and it retains no more the stink of Sulphur. Then reverberate this Sulphur in a close reverberato­ry as you doe Antimony, then it will first be white, then yellow, and lastly as red as Cinnabar. And when it is so, then thou maist rejoice: For it is the begin­ning of thy riches: This reverberated Sulphur tingeth Silver most deeply into most excellent Gold, and the body of Man into most perfect health. This reverbe­rated, and fixed Sulphur is of more vertue then it is lawfull to speak.

The Mortifi­cation of Salts.The mortification of all Salts, and whatsoever is saltish, is the taking away, and distilling off the aquosity, and oylinesse, and of the spirit of them. For if these be taken away, they are afterwards called the dead Earth, or Caput Mortuum.

The Mortifi­cation of Gemmes.The mortification of Gemmes, and Coralls, is to calcine, sublime, and dissolve them into a liquor, as Crystall. The mortification of Pearls is to calcine them, and dissolve them in sharp Vineger into the form of Milke.

The Mortifi­cation of the Load-stone.The mortification of the Loadstone, is to anoint it with the oyle of Mercury, or to put it into Quick­silver, for afterward it will not draw Iron at all to it.

The Mortifi­cation of flints and stones.The mortification of Flints, and Stones, is to calcine them.

The Mortifi­cation of Mar­casites.The mortification of Marcasites, Cachyma's, Talke, Cobaltus, Zinri, Granuti, Zunitter, Unismut, [Page 49]and of Antimony is their Sublimation, i. e. that they bee sublimed with Salt, and Vitriall, then their life which is a Metallick spirit, together with the spi­rit of Salt, ascends. And let whatsoever remains in the bottome of the Sublimatory, bee washed, that the Salt may bee dissolved from it, and then thou hast a dead Earth, in which there is no vertue.

The Mortifi­cation of Real­gar.The mortification of Arsenickes, Auripigment, Operment, Realgar, &c. is, that they flow with Salt Nitre, and bee turned into an Oyl, or Liquor upon a Marble, and be fixed.

The Mortifi­cation of ex­crements.The mortification of Excrements, is the coagulati­on of Aire.

The Mortifi­cation of Aro­matical things.The mortification of Aromaticall things is the ta­king away of their good smell.

Of Sweet things.The mortification of sweet things, is to sublime and distill them with corrosive things.

Of Resines.The mortification of Ambers, Resines, Turpentine, Gumme, and such like, is to turn them into Oyle, and Vernish.

Of Hearbs and Roots.The mortification of Hearbs, Roots, and such like, is to distil off from them their oyle, and water, and presse out their liquor with a presse, and also to make their Alcali.

Of Wood.The mortification of Wood, is to turne it into Coales, and Ashes.

Of Bones.The mortification of Bones, is their Calcination.

Of Flesh.The mortification of Flesh, and Blood, is the ta­king away of the spirit of Salt.

Of Water.The mortification of Water is by Fire, for all heat dries up, and consumes water.

Of Fire.The mortification of Fire is by Water, for all Wa­ter, quencheth Fire, and takes from it its power, and force.

So now you are sufficiently instructed in few words how death lyes hid in all naturall things, and how they may be mortified, and bee brought into another form, and nature, and what vertues flow from them. Whatsoever should have been said further, we put in the following book, of the Resurrection of Na­turall things.

The raising again of Naturall things. THE Resurrection, and renewing of Natu­rall things, is not the least, but a profound, and great secret in the Nature of things, and rather Divine, and Angelicall, then Humane, and Naturall.

I desire to bee here understood with great distin­ction, and no otherwise then my opinion is, and Nature doth daily, and manifestly shew, and experi­ence make good, lest I should bee exposed to the lies, [Page 52]and slanders of Mountebankes, my enemies (which doe construe all that I doe in the worst sense) as if I would usurp the Divine power, and attribute this to Nature, which shee was never able to performe▪ Wherefore wee must cautiously consider that there is a twofold Death,Death is two­fold. viz. violent, and voluntary. The one can raise a thing again, the other not. Wherefore, doe not beleeve those Sophisters that say, that a thing that is once dead, or mortified, can never bee raised again, and that make no account of resuscitation, and restauration of things, which error indeed of theirs is not the least. And indeed it is true, that whatsoever dyeth, or perisheth with a naturall death, and what Nature mortifies▪ by reason of her predestination, God alone can raise again, or must of necessity bee done by his command: so whatsoever Nature de­stroyes, Man cannot restore ore again.What things may be raised againe. But whatsoever Man destroyes hee can restore again, and being resto­red spoil again, and Man hath no further power of himselfe, and if hee should attempt to doe any thing more, hee would arrogate the power of God to him­selfe, and yet hee would labour in vain, and be con­founded, unlesse God did assist him, or hee had so much faith as to remove mountains: Even to such a man, this is possible, and greater things then this. Because the Scripture saith, and Christ himselfe spake it. If thou hast faith as a grain of Mustard-seed, and faift unto this Mountaine, Goe and bee removed thither, and it shall bee removed, and all thing bee possible to thee, and nothing impos­sible.

But to return to our purpose, what difference then there is betwixt dying, and being mortified, and [Page 53]which of these may be raised again, so these are to bee understood. Whatsoever naturally dies hath its end by predestination, and so the will and ordi­nation of God permits.What things can not be rai­sed againe. Yet it happens that this is also done by divers diseases, various casualties, and this can never be raised again, neither is there any pre­servative to bee used against predestination, and the naturall term of life. But that which is mortified, may bee both raised again, and revived, which may bee proved by divers arguments, which wee shall set down in the end of this book.

Wherefore there is a great difference betwixt dy­ing, and being mortified,It is one thing to Dye, and o­ther thing to be Mortified. neither must they bee taken for one, and the same things, under the same name. For in the very example they are far different. For look upon a man that dies a naturall, and predestina­ted death, what further good, or profit is there in him? Nothing, hee is only cast into the earth to worms. For hee is a stinking carkasse, and due to the earth.

But the same is not to be understood of a man that is slain with a sword, or dies by some such like vio­lent death. For his whole body is profitable, and good, and may bee prepared into a most pretious Mummie. For although the spirit of life went out of such a body, yet the balsome in which lies the life remains, which indeed doth as balsome preserve other mens bodies.

So you may fee in Metalls, when a Metall is about to die, it begins to bee overcome with rust, and as much as is thus overcome, is dead: and when all the Metall is devoured with rust, it is all dead, and such a rust can never bee reduced into true Metall againe, [Page 54]but it becomes only drosse, and nor a Metall. For it it is dead, and death is in it, neither hath it any more balsome of life, but is quite destroyed in it selfe.

The difference betwixt the Calx of Me­talls, and their ashes.Now the Calx of Metalls, and their ashes are two things: And there is a great difference betwixt these two, for one may be revived, and brought back again into a Metall, but the other not: the one is volatile, the other fixed, the one died, the other morti­fied.

What the A­shes of Metalls is.The Ashes is volatile, and cannot be brought back into of Metall, only into glasse, and drosse: but the Calx of Metals is fixed, and may be be brought back into its own Metall.

What the Calx of Me­talls is.But to understand the difference, and the cause, know, that in the Ashes there is lesse fatnesse, and more drynesse then in the Calx, which indecd makes it fluxil: but the Calx is fatter, and moister, then the Ashes, and doth still retain its refine, and fluxible­ness, and especially the Salt, which naturally is fluxil, and makes Metalls flow, and reduceth them. Hence now it follows, that the Salt must bee extracted out of the Ashes of Metals, that they may not be brought back into a Metal, then they are perfectly volatile; and this difference, and this clause is chiefly to bee taken notice of, for much depends upon it.

The errours of Mountebankes concerning Gold.For amongst Mountebankes this is no small error, who in stead of Potable Gold, the Quintessence of Gold, Tincture of Gold, &c. have given to men an impure Calx of Gold, not considering the difference, and evill that follows upon it. For there are two re­markable, and necessary things to be taken notice of here, viz.

First, that Gold calcined, or powdered, if it be gi­ven to Men, is gathered into one heap m the sto­mach, or goeth forth again with the dung, and so it is taken in vain, without doing any good: or that which is reduced by the great inward heat in mans body, it gilds over, and makes hard in a crust, both the bowells, and stomach, by reason of which the con­coction of the stomach is hindred, whence many, and various sicknesses follow, and at length death it selfe.

When Metal­like Arcana are to be taken inwardly.As you have heard of Gold, so also must it bee understood of all the other Metalls, viz. that you take not any Metallick Arcanum, or Medicine into your body, unlesse it bee first made volatile, and it be reduced into no Metall.

How to make Metalls Pota­ble and Irre­ducible.Wherefore the first degree, and beginning to prepare Potable Gold is this: so may such a Volatile bee afterwards dissolved in spirit of Wine, than both may ascend together, bee made volatil, inseparable. And as you prepare Gold, so may you also prepare potable. ☽ ♀ ♂ ♃ ♄ and ☿.

The raising a­gaine of things is proved by the Whelpes of a Lyon.But to return to our purpose, let us prove by exam­ples, and sufficient reasons, that things mortified are not dead, and forced to abide in death, but may bee reduced, raised again, and revived, and this truly by man, and according to the course of Nature. You see Lions how all of them are brought forth dead, and first of all are made alive by the horrible roa­ring of their Parents, as one that is asleep is raised with a noise, so also are Lions raised,How Lyons are made alive againe. not that they are thus asleep. (for they which sleep a naturall sleep must of necessity rise again, which the Lions of themselves doe not.) For if they were not raised [Page 56]by this roaring, they would remain dead, and life would never bee perceived in them. Wheerefore it is apparent, that by this roaring they receive their life.

The reviving of dead Flies.So also you see in all Animals which are not ingen­dered, but proceed from putrefaction, as Flies, which if they bee drowned in water, that no life at all is perceived in them, and if they were so left, they would continue dead, and never return to life of them­selves any more. But if you cast salt upon them, and put them in the warme Sunne, or behind a warme furnace, they will recover their former life, and this truly is a raising of them up againe. For if this were not done, they would continue dead for ever.

The generati­on of many Serpents of one.So also you see in a Serpent, if hee be cut into pie­ces, and these pieces put into a gourd glasse, and bee putrefied in Horse-dung, the whole Serpent will become living againe in the glasse, in the form either of Worms, or spawn of Fishes. And if those Wormes bee in a fitting manner brought out of putrefaction, and nourished, many hundred Ser­pents will be bred out of one Serpent, whereof every one will be as big as the first, which is done only by putrefaction. And as it is said of the Serpent, so also many other Animalls may be raised, and restored again.

Hermes, and Ʋirgils endea­vour to raise themselves af­ter Death.According to this processe Hermes, and Virgil have attempted (by the assistance of Negromancy) to renew, and raise themselves after death, and to bee born again as infants, but it succeeded not according to their purpose.

The Resuseci­tation of Me­talls is twofold.But to omit examples, and fall upon the Praxis of Resurrection, and Restauration, it is necessary, and most convenient to begin with Metalls, forasmuch as Metalline bodies do oftentimes resemble Mens bodies.

The reducing of Metalls in­to Quickesil­ver.Wee must, know therefore, that the Resur­rection, and Restauration of Metalls is twofold. The one which doth reduce calcined Metalls into their first Metallick body: the other which doth reduce Metalls into their first matter, i. e. into Quicksil­ver.

The processe of the latter is this: Calcine a Metall with common Quicksilver, put this Calx, and as much Quicksilver into a Sublimatory, and let them stand so long till both be coagulated into an Amal­gama; then sublime the Mercury from the Calx, then grind it again with the Metallick Calx, and sublime it as before, this do so often, till the Metallick Calx shal over a candle melt like wax, or ice, and then it is well done. Put this Metall in digestion for a time, and it wil all be turned into Quicksilver, i. e. into its first matter, which Mercury of Metalls is indeed called the Mer­cury of Philosophers, which many Alchymists have sought after, but few have found. Now after this manner may Quicksilver bee prepared out of all Metall, viz. ☿ auri, ☽ ♀ ♂ ♃ ♄.

The reduction of Sublimate, and the highest purging of it.Now the raising again, or restoring of coagulated Mercury is done by distillation in a retort: for Quicksilver alone ascends into cold water, the Ashes of ♄ ♀ or Sulphur being left behind.

Now the raising again, or restauration of Mercury sublimed is done in seething hot water: but it must first be ground very small, so the hot water wil seperates it [Page 58]from it the spirit of Salt, and Vitriall, which it car­ries up with it, the quicksilver running in the bottome of the water. Now if this Quicksilver shall be again sublimed with Salt, and Vitriall, and revived againe in Hot water, and this done seven, or eight times, it can never bee better purged, and re­newed.

And this may bee kept for a great secret in Alchy­mie, and Physick, and be much rejoiced in. For by this means all the impurity, blacknesse, and poi­sonousnesse▪ is taken away.

The reduction of calcined and Precipitated Mercury.Mercury calcined can never bee restored againe without sublimation; for unlesse it be sublimed after calcination, it will never bee revived, wherefore thou shalt first sublime it, and then reduce it as other Sub­limate.

The resuscitation of Azure Cinnabar, Aurum vitae, also of Precipitate, that they may bee reduced into Quicksilver is thus:

Take either of these, grind it small upon a marble, make it up into a past with the white of an egge, and sope, then make pills of the bigness of Filbeards, which put into a strong earthen gourd, upon the month of it put a plate of Iron, with many little holes in it, and lute it on, and distill it per descensum with a strong fire, so that it may fall into cold wa­ter, and thou shalt have the Quicksilver again.

The renewing of Wood that is burn.Now the resuscitation, and restoring of Wood is hard, and difficult, yet possible to Nature, but without much skilfulness, and industry it can ne­ver bee done: But to revive it, the processe is this:

Take Wood which must, first bee a Coale, then Ashes, which put into a gourd together with die Re­sine, Liquor, and Oyle of that tree, of each a like weight, mingle them, and melt them with a soft heat, and there will bee a mucilaginous matter, and so thou hast the three Principles, of which all things are produced, and generated, viz. flegm, fatnesse, and Ashes.

The flegme of of Wood is its Mercury, the fat its sulphur, the ashes its salt.The Flegm is Mercury, the Fat is Sulphur, the Ashes is Salt. For whatsoever fumes, and e­vaporates in the Fire is Mercury: whatsoever flames, and is burnt is Sulphur, and all Ashes is Salt.

Now seeing thou hast these three Principles toge­ther, put them in Horse-dung, and putrefie them for a time. If afterward that matter bee put in, and buri­ed in fat ground, thou shalt see it live again, and a little tree spring from thence, which truly in vertue is farre more excellent then the former. This Tree or Wood is, and is called Regenerated Wood, renewed, and restored, which from the beginning was Wood, but mortified, destroyed, and brought into coales, ashes, and almost to nothing, and yet out of that nothing is made, and renewed. This truly in the light of Na­ture is a great mystery, viz. that a thing, which had utterly lost its form, and was reduced to nothing, should recover its form, and of nothing bee made something, which afterward becomes much more excellent in vertue, and efficacy then it was at first.

Algenerall rule for raising of things againe.But to speake generally of the Resurrection, and Restauration of Naturall things, you must know, that the chiefest foundation here, is, that that bee restored [Page 60]to every thing, and made to agree with it, which was taken from it in mortification, and separated from it, which is hard to bee here specifically explained. Wherefore wee shall conclude this book, and shall speak of these things more at large in the next book, Concerning the transmutations of naturall things.

IF wee write of the Transmutation of all Naturall things, it is fit, and necessary that in the first place wee shew what Transmu­tation is. Secondly, what bee the degrees to it. Thirdly, by what Medium's, and how it is done.

What Trans­mutation is.Transmutation therefore is, when a thing loseth its form, and is so altered, that it is altogether unlike to its former substance, and form, but assumes ano­ther [Page 62]form, another essence, another colour, another vertue, another nature, or property, as if a Metal I bee made glasse, or stone: if a stone bee made a coale: if wood be made a coal: clay be made a stone, or a brick: a skin bee made glew: cloth bee made paper, and many such like things. All these are Transmutati­ons of Naturall things.

There are seven principal degrees of transmutati­on.After this, it is very necessary also to know the de­grees to Transmutation, and how many they be. And they are no more then seven. For although many doe reckon more, yet there are no more but seven, which are principall, and the rest may bee reckoned betwixt the degrees, being comprehended under those seven: And they are these,

• Calcination,
• Sublimation,
• Solution,
• Putrefaction,
• Distillation,
• Coagulation,
• Tincture.

If any one will climbe that Ladder, he shall come into a most wonderful place, that hee shall see, and have experience of many secrets in the Transmutation of Naturall things.

The first degree therefore is Calcination, under which also are comprehended Reverberation, and Cementation.What Calci­nation is, and its kinds are. For betwixt these there is but little difference as for matter of Calcination: Wherefore it is here the chiefest degree. For by Reverberation, and Cementation, many corporeall things are calci­ned, and brought into Ashes, and especially Metalls. Now what is calcined is not any further reverberated, or cemented.

By Calcination therefore all Metalls, Mineralls, Stones, Glasse, &c. and all corporeall things are [Page 63]made a Coal, and Ashes, and this is done by a naked strong Fire with blowing, by which all tenacious, soft, and fat earth is hardened into a stone, Also all stones are brought into a Calx, as wee see in a Potters furnace of lime, and brickes.

Sublimation is the second degree, and one of the most principall for the Transmutation of many Na­turall things:What Subli­mation is and its kinds. under which is contained Exaltation, Elevation, and Fixation; and it is not much unlike Distillation. For as in Distillation the water ascends from all flegmatick, and watery things, and is sepa­rated from its body; so in Sublimation, that which is spirituall is raised from what is corporeall, and is subtilized, volatile from fixed, and that in dry things, as are all Mineralls, and the pure is separated from the impure.

Besides Sublimation, many good vertues, and wonderfull things are found out in Mineralls, and many things are made fixed, and become constant, so as to abide in the Fire, and that in this manner.

Let that which is sublimed be ground, and mixed with its feces, and bee againe sublimed as before, which must bee done so long, till it will no longer sublime, but all will remaine together in the bottom, and bee fixed.

So there will bee afterward a stone, and oyle when and as oft as thou pleasest, viz. if thou puttest it a-into a cold place, or in the aire in a Glass.The fixation of Mineralls into a stone. For there it will presently bee dissolved into an Oyle. And if thou puttest is againe into the fire, it will againe bee coagulated into a Stone of wonderfull, and great vertue. Keep this as a great secret, and mystery of Nature, neither [Page 64]discover it to Sophisters. Morevover, as in Sub­limation many Corrosive things are made sweet in the conjunction of two matters, so on the contrary, many sweet things are made Corrosive: many sweet things are made sowre, harsh, or bitter; and on the contrary, many bitter things, as sweet as Sugar.

Rules concer­ning Salt Ar­moniack.Here also wee must take notice, that every Metal which is brought into Sublimation by Salt Armo­niack, may afterward in the cold, or in the aire bee brought into an oyle, and againe bee coagulated into a stone in the Fire, which indeed is one of the chiefest, and greatest transmutations in all na­turall things, viz. to transmute Metall into a Stone.

What Solution is, and its kinds.The third degree is Solution, under which are to to bee understood Dissolution, and Resolution, and this degree doth most commonly follow Sublimation, and Distillation, viz. that the matter be resolved which remaines in the bottome.

Now Solution is twofold: the one of Cold, the other of Heat; the one without Fire, the other in Fire.

A cold dissolution dissolves all Salts, all Corrosive things, & all calcined things. Whatsoever is of a Salt, and Corrosive quality, is by it dissolved into Oyle, Liquor, or Water. And this is in a moist, cold cel­lar, or else in the Aire on a marble, or in a glasse. For whatsoever is dissolved in the cold, contains an Airy spirit Salt, which oftentimes it gets, and assumes in Sublimation, or Distillation. And whatso­ever is dissolved in the cold, or in the Aire, may again by the heat of the Fire bee coagulated into powder, or a stone.

What things hot Solution dissolves.But a hot Solution dissolves all fat, and sulphu­reous things. And whatsoever the heat of the Fire dissolves, the same doth coldnesse congeal into a Masse.

A double Solu­tion viz. of Heat and Cold.And whatsoever heat coagulates, is again dissolved by cold, or in the Aire. Here also we must know that whatsoever Aire, or the Cellar doth resolve, is of a very great drynesse, and hath a secret cor­rosive Fire hid in it: so whatsoever is dissolved in Fire, or in the heat thereof, hath a sweetish frigidity put of the Fire. Thus, and no otherwise is Solution to be understood.

Putrefaction what it is, and its kind.Putrefaction is the fourth degree, under which is comprehended Digestion, and Circulation.

Now then Putrefaction is one of the principall degrees, which indeed might deservedly have been the first of all, but that it would be against the true order, and mystery, which is here hid, and known to few: For those degrees must, as hath been al­ready said, so follow one the other, as links in a chain, or steps in a ladder.

The aforesaid order of De­grees is to be observed in making tin­ctures.For if one of the linkes should bee taken away, the chain is discontinued, and broken, and the pri­soners would bee at liberty, and runne away. So in a ladder, if one step bee taken away in the middle, and bee put in the upper, or lower part, the ladder would be broken, and many would fall down headlong by it with the hazard of their bo­dies, and lives.

So you must understand the matter here, that those degrees follow one the other in a just order, or else the whole work of our mystery would be mar'd, and our labour, and pains would bee in vain, and fruit­lesse.

The force of putrefaction.Now putrefaction is of such efficacy, that it a­bolisheth the old Nature, and brings in a new one. All living things are killed in it, all dead things putrefied in it, and all dead things recover life in it.

Putrefaction takes from all Corrosive spirit, the sharpnesse of of the Salt, and makes them mild, and sweet, changeth the colours, and separates the pure from the impure, it places the pure above, and the impure beneath.

What Distilla­tion is, and its kinds are. Distillation is the first degree to the Transmutati­on of all naturall things. Under it are understood Ascension, Lavation, and Fixation.

By Distillation all Waters, Liquors, and Oyles are subtilized out of all fat things Oyle is extracted, out of all Liquors, Water, and out of all Fleg­maticke things Water, and Oyle are separa­ted.

Cohobation. Fixation by Destillation.Besides there are many things in Distillation fixed by Cohobation, and especially if the things to bee fixed containe in them Water, as Vi­triall doth, which if it bee fixed is called Colco­thar.

Allum, if it bee fixed with its proper Water, is called the Sugar of Allum, which also is resolved into a Liquor, which Liquor if it bee putrefied a moneth, produceth a Water of the sweetnesse of Sugar, which is of great vertue, and an ex­cellent secret in Physicke, to extinguish any Metalline heate in Man, as wee have wrote more at large in our Booke of Metalline Disea­ses.

And as you have heard of Vitriall, and Allum, so also Salt nitre, and other Watery Mineralls may bee fixed by Cohobation.

What Coho­bation is.Now Cohobation is, that the dead head be often­times imbibed with its own water, and that again bee drawn off by Distillation.

The force of Distillation in things to be Transmuted.Moreover, in Distillation many bitter, harsh, and sharp things become as sweet as Honey, Sugar, or Manna; and on the contrary, many sweet things, as Sugar, Honey, or Manna, may bee made as harsh as Oyle of Vitriall, or Vineger, or as bit­ter as Gall, or Gentian, as Eager, as a Corro­sive.

Many Excrementitious things lose their great stink in Distillation, Which indeed goeth forth in the water.

Many Aromaticall things lose their good sa­vour.

And as Sublimation alters things in their Quality, and Nature, so also doth Distilla­tion.

What Coagu­lation is, and its kinds.Coagulation is the fixt degree: Now there is a twofold Coagulation, the one by Cold▪ the other by Heat, i. e. one of the Aire, the other of the Fire: and each of these again is twofold, so that there are foure sorts of Coagulations, two of Cold, and two of Fire.

The Coagulations of Fire are fixed, the other of Cold are not.

The one is done only by common Aire, with­out Fire. The other by the superiour Firmament of Winter starres, all which coagulate Waters into snow, and ice.

But the Coagulation of Fire, which alone is here to bee taken notice of, is made by an Artificiall, and Graduall Fire of the Alchymists, and it is fixed, and permanent. For whatsoever such a Fire doth coa­gulate, the same abides so.

The other Coagulation is done by the Aetnean▪ and Minerall Fire in in Mountains, which indeed the Archeius of the Earth governs, and graduates not unlike to the Alchymists, and whatsoever is coa­gulated by such a Fire, is also fixed, and constant; as you see in Mineralls, and Metalls, which indeed at the beginning are a mucilaginous matter, and are coagulated into Metalls, Stones, Flints, Salts, and other bodies, by the Aetnean fire in Mountaines, through the Archeius of Earth, and operator of Nature.

What things cannot be Coagulated.Also wee must know that Fire can coagulate no water, or moisture, but only the Liquors, and Juices of all Naturall things.

Besides also there can no flegm bee coagulated, unlesse in the beginning it was a corporeall matter, into which by the industry of a skilfull Alchymist it may return.

So also any mucilaginous, matter, or spermaticke slimynesse may by the heat of Fire be coagulated into a body and corporeall matter, but never bee resolved into water again.

And as you have heard of Coagulation, so also know concerning Solution, viz. that no corporeall matter can bee dissolved into Water, unlesse at the beginning it was water: and so it is in all Mine­ralls.

What Tinc­ture is, and its kinds.Tincture is the seventh; and last degree; which concludes the whole worke of our mystery for Transmutation, making all imperfect things per­fect, and transmuting them into a most excellent essence, and into a most perfect soundnesse, and alters them into another colour.

Tincture therefore is a most excellent matter, where­withall Minerall, and Humane bodies are tinged, and are changed into a better, and more noble es­sence, and into the highest perfection, and pu­rity.

For Tincture colours all things according to its own nature, and colour.

All things that are to be tin­ged must be fluid.Now there are many Tinctures, and not only for Metalline, but Humane bodies, because every thing which penetrates another matter, or tin­geth it with another colour, or essence, so that it bee no more like the former, may bee called a Tincture.

Wherefore there are many, and various sorts of Tinctures, viz. of Metalls, Mineralls, Mens bodies, Waters, Liquors, Oyls, Salts, all fat things, and indeed of all things which may bee brought to flux, out of the Fire, or in the Fire.

For if a Tincture must tinge, it is necessary that the body, or matter which is to bee tinged, bee opened, and continue in flux, and unless this should bee so, the Tincture could not operate. But it would bee, as if any one should cast saffron, or any colour upon co­agulated Water, or Ice: for so it would hot so suddenly tinge the Ice with its colour, as if it were cast into other water. And although it should tinge, yet it would at the same time resolve the Ice into [Page 70]Water. Wherefore those Metalls that wee would tinge, must first bee melted in the Fire, and bee freed from Coagulation.

And here wee must know, that by how much the stronger fire is requisite for their melting, so much the sooner the Tincture runs through them, as Leaven penetrates, and infects the whole masse with sowre­ness; and by how much better the masse is covered, and kept warm, so much the better is it fermented, and makes the better bread: for ferment is the Tin­cture of Dowe, and Bread.

Feces are of a more fixt na­ture then their Flegme.Wee must also note, that all feces are of a more fixed substance then the liquor of it is, also of a shar­per, and more penetrating nature: as you see in the spirit of Wine which is made of the feces of Wine, and of Aqua vitae, which is distilled out of the grounds of Beer, and burns like spirit of Wine, and is inflamed as Sulphur.

The preparati­on, and Nature of distilled Vineger.Also if of the feces of Vineger another Vineger bee distilled, as commonly spirit of Wine is distilled, there will bee thereby made a Vineger of so fiery, and sharp a nature, that it consumes all Me­talls, Stones, and other things, as Aqua for­tis.

How the Tin­ctures of Me­talls must be made.Moreover, it is necessary, that Tinctures be of a fixt, fluxil, and incombustible nature, so that if a little of a place of any Metall red hot bee cast into them, they will presently flow like wax [...], without any manner of fume at all, and they pene­trate the Metalls, as oyle doth paper, or water a sponge, and tinge all Metalls into white, and red, that is, into Silver or Gold.

Now these are the Tinctures of Metalls, which it is necessary must bee turned into an Alcool, by the first degree of Calcination, then by the second degree of Sublimation, must get an easy, and light flux. And lastly, by the degree of Putre­faction, and Distillation are made a fixt, and incombustible Tincture, and of an unchangeable colour.

The Tinctures of Men.Now the Tinctures of Mens bodies are, that they bee tinged into the highest perfection of health, and all Diseases bee expelled from them, that their lost strength, and colour bee restored, and renewed, and they are these, viz. Gold, Pearles, Antimony, Sulphur, Vitriall, and such like, whose preparation wee have diverfly taught in other books; wherefore it doth not seem to us necessary here to repeat them.

Of Dying and Painting.Wee shall write no more of Tinctures, seeing eve­ry extracted colour may bee called a Tincture, which doth indeed tinge things with a permanent colour, which doe not go into the Fire, or preserve colours fixed in the Fire.

All these are in the hand, and power of the Dyer, and Painter, who prepares them according to his pleasure.

How many de­grees of the Alchymists fire there be.It is very necessary in this book to know the degrees of Fire, which many wayes may bee graduated, and intended, and every degree hath a peculiar operati­on, and one produceth the same effect, as ano­ther, as every expert Alchymist, by the daily experi­ence, and exercise of the Art knows.

For one is as living, and flaming Fire, which rever­berates, and Calcines all bodies: Another is the Fire [Page 72]of a Candle or Lamp, which fixeth all volatile bodies: Another is a Fire of coals, which cements, colours, and purgeth Metalls from their dross, exalts Gold and Silver to a higher purity, whitens Copper, and in brief renews all Metalls.

Another Fire is of an Iron plate made red hot, in which the Tinctures of Metalls are proved, which also is profitable for other things.

The Filings of Iron, heat after one fashion. Sand after another, Ashes after another, a Balneum Maria after another, in which manifold Distillations, Sub­limations, and Coagulations are done.

Balneumroris after another, in which there are made many Solutions of corporeall things.

Horse-dung after another, in which the chiefest pu­trefactions, and digestions are made.

The Celestiall fire.And after another fashion works the invisible Fire by which wee understand the rayes of the Sun, and that which is manifested by a glass, or Crystall, and shews it operations and effects, of which Fire the An­cients wrote nothing at all; and by this fire the three Principles of every corporeall thing may be sepa­rated.

This Fire is of such wonderfull force, that by it Me­talls may bee melted, and all fat, and fluxible things, may upon the table without any Fire bee together with all combustible things, reduced into coales, and ashes.

Therefore after I have proposed, and opened to you the degrees of the Art of Alchymie, and the degrees of the Alchmyists Fire: I will yet fur­ther shew, and declare to you in generall, various Transmutations of naturall things: of Metalls first, [Page 73]secondly of Stones, and thirdly of divers things in generall. The transmutation of Metalls therefore is a great secret in Nature, and it can hardly bee done by reason of many impediments, and repugnancies. Yet it is not against Nature, nor Gods ordination, as many falsly affirm.

The Transmu­tation of Me­talls into Silver and Gold.But that the five lesser, and impurer Metalls, viz. ♀ ♃ ♄ ♂ and ☿ may be transmuted into the greater, purest, and most perfect Metalls, viz. into ☉ and ☽, it cannot be done without the Tincture, or philoso­phers stone.

Now seeing we have before sufficiently opened the secrets of Tinctures in the seven degres, and described them there, it is not necessary that wee spend any fur­ther labour in this, but rather bee satisfied with those things, which we have wrote in other books concer­ning the Transmutations of Metalls.

The Transmu­tation of Iron into Copper.Now there are other Transmutations of imperfect, and impure Metals, as the transmutation of ♂ into ♀, which may bee done divers wayes.

If plates of Iron bee boiled in water of Vitriall, or bee cemented with calcined Vitriall, or being red hot be quenched in oyl of Vitriall.

These three ways Iron may be transmuted into very good, and ponderous Copper, which indeed flows well and hath its weight as well as any naturall Copper.

The Transmu­tation of Iron into Lead.Plates of Iron may bee as it were reduced, and transmuted into Lead, so that it bee as soft as natu­rall Lead but doth not flow so easily and the processe is this:

Take Filings of ♂, and so much of the powder of Borax, mingle them well together, put them in a [Page 74]crucible, and into a wind furnace, let there bee made a strong Fire, but so that the ♂ doe not flow, but stand as it were in a Cement for a whole houre, then encrease the Fire, that it may bee red hot, and flow: then let the crucible cool of it selfe, and thou shalt find the regulus of Lead in the bottome of the crucible, soft, and malleable, as naturall Lead can be.

The Transmu­tation of Cop­per into Lead.But to transmute ♀ into ♄ the processe is this:

First of all bring Copper with ☿ sublimate, and fixt Arsenick to bee white, yea as white as ☽, then beat it small. Take this, and the powder of Borax, of each a like quantity, and first cement it, then let it bee melted into a regulus, and thou hast a true regulus of Lead.

The Transmu­tation of Lead into Copper.Now on the contrary, it is easy to transmute Lead into Copper, neither doth it require much pains, and it is done thus.

Take plates of Lead, strow them over with calci­ned Vitriall, or Crocus of Venus, cement them, and then melt them, and thou shalt see naturall Lead, transmuted into good, ponderous, and malleable Copper.

A Metalline mixture like Gold.Now if this Copper or any other Copper be bea­ten into plates, and strowed Over with Tutia, or Capri Celaminaris, and be cemented, and lastly mel­ted, it will bee transmuted into an excellent red­dish Electrum like, to Gold.

To make English Tin out of Lead.If thou wilt turne ♄ into ♃ make plates of ♄, strow them with Salt Armoniack, cement, and melt them, as abovesaid so will all the blacknesse, and darknesse bee taken away from the Lead, and it will be in whitenesse like fair English Tin.

Now as you have in briefe heard of some Mu­tations of Metalls, so also know that there, are Transmutations of Gemmes, which indeed are va­rious, and in no wise like.

Oyl of Sulphur transmutes Gemmes.For, you see how great Transmutations of Gemmes there lies in oyle of Sulphur. For any Cry­stall may bee tinged, and Transmuted in it, and in time bee exalted with divers colours, as to bee made like to the Hyacinth, Granat, or Rubie.

To Transmute the Loadstone into great strength.Know also that the Load stone may be transmu­ted into a tenfold greater power, and vertue, and it is done thus:

Take the Loadstone, and heat it very hot in coales, but so that it bee not fired, which presently quench in the Oyle of Crocus Martis, made of the best Ca­rinthian Steel, that it may imbibe as much as it can.

Thou shalt by this meanes make the Loadstone so powerfull, that thou maist pull out Nailes out of a wall with it, and doe such like wonderfull things with it, that the common Loadstone can never doe.

Moreover, in Transmutation of Gemmes you must know that the world is placed in two degrees of Tincture, and Coagulation.

To transmute the white of an Egge into Am­ber of any Colour.For as the white of an Egge may bee tinged with Saffron, and then bee coagulated into a faire yellow Amber: with the; smoke of a Pine­tree into blacke Amber: with Verdegrease in­to green, like Lapis Armenius: with green juice into Amber, like the Emerald: and with the A­zure stone, into blew Amber, like a Saphir: [Page 76]with the Wood called red Wood, into red, like a Granat, or Rubie: with a purple colour, like to an Amethyst: with Ceruse, like to Ala­blaster.

So all Liquors, especially Metalls, and Mine­ralls, may bee tinged with fixed colours, and af­terwards bee coagulated, and transmuted into Gemmes.

How counter­feit Pearls are made.So also may Pearles be made like true Pearles in form, so that for splendor, and beauty they can hardly bee discerned from the true: And they are made thus:

Cleanse the white of Egges through a spunge, as purely as may bee, then mingle with it, the fai­rest white Talke, or Mother of Pearle, or Mercury coagulated with Tinne, and brought into an Al­cool, then grinde them all together on a Marble, so that they become a thick Amalgama, which must bee dryed in the Sunne, or behind a fur­nace so long, untill it bee like Cheese, or a Li­ver.

Then of this masse make Pearles as big as thou wilt, which hang upon the bristles of a Hog, and being thus boared through, dry them as Amber, and then thou hast finished them.

If they are not beautifull enough, anoint them over with the white of an Egge, and dry them again, and they will bee most goodly pearls, in form like the naturall, but not in vertue.

In the like manner are Coralls made, with which men endeavour to deceive one the other as with Pearle. The processe is this:

How Counter­feit Coralls may be made.Take Cinnabar, grinde it on a Marble, with the white of an Egge, for the space of an houre, then dry it, as Potters doe their Earth, then make it into what forme thou pleafest: After­wards dry them as much as may bee, and noint them over with the white of an Egge, as thou didst Pearle, and dry them by themselves again.

So thou shalt have Corall like to the naturall in form, but not in vertue.

A Golden or Silver vernish▪Thou must also know, That the white of an Egge may bee of it selfe coagulated into most cleer Vernish, in the coagulation of which Silver, or Gold may bee strewed.

There, are also many other, and various Transmutations of Naturall things: Whereof those which I know, and have had experience of, I will by the way set down, and briefly declare to you.

How wood is made a stone.And first of all know, That any Wood, if it bee put for a certaine time into the water of Salt Gemme, is turned with much admiration into a Stone.

Coales of▪ stones.Also Stones in the Aetnean fire are transmuted into Coales, which are called stony Coals.

Glew of skins.Also Glew is boiled out of Skinnes.

Paper of Lin­nen-cloath.Of Linnen cloth is made Paper.

Silke of Flax.Of Flax boiled in sharp Lie made of the Ashes of Wood is Silke made.

Feathers may be Spun.Also the feathery parts pulled off from quills, and boiled in that Lie, may bee spun, and weaved like Cotton.

Any Oyle or Spermatick mucilage may bee coa­gulated into Vernish.

Any Liquor into Gumme, &c.

All these are Transmutations of Naturall things, of which Science wee have spoken enough, and there-wee shall here make an end.

The Chaos the Matter of the World.IN the Creation of the world, the first sepa­ration began from the foure Elements, see­ing the first matter of the world was one Chaos.

Of this Chaos God made the greater world, being divided into four distinct Elements, viz. Fire, Aire, Water, and Earth. Fire is the hot part, Aire the moist, [Page 80]Water the cold, and Earth the dry part of the greater world.

What separati­on shall be here spoken of.But that you may in brief understand the reason of our purpose in this 8^th. book, you must know, that we doe not purpose to treat here of the Elements of all Naturall things, seeing we have sufficiently discour­sed of those Arcana in the Archidoxis of the separa­tion of Naturall things: whereby every one of them is apart, and distinctly separated, and divided materi­ally, and substantially, viz. seeing that two, three, or foure, or more things are mixed into one body, and yet there is seen but one matter. Where it often falls out, that the corporeall matter of that thing cannot bee known by any, or signified by any expresse name, until there bee a separation made. Then sometimes two, three, four, five or more things come forth out of one matter: as is manifest by daily experience, in the art of Alchy­mie.

What Elec­trum is.As for example, you have an Electrum, which of it selfe is no Metall, but yet it hides all Metalls in one Metall. That if it be anatomized by the industry of Alchymie, and Teparated: all the seven Metalls, viz. Gold, Silver, Copper, Tinne, Lead, Iron, and Quick­silver come out of it, and that pure, and per­fect.

What separa­tion is.But that you may understand what Separation is, note, that it is nothing else then the severing of one thing from another, whether of two, three, four, or more things mixed together: I say a separation of the three Principles, as of Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt, and the extraction of pure out of the impure, or the pure, excellent spirit, and quintessence, from a [Page 81]grosse, and elementary body; and the preparation of two, three, four, or more out of one: or the dissoluti­on, and setting at liberty things that are bound, and compact, which are of a contrary nature, acting one against the other, untill they destroy one the other.

How many kinds of Sepa­ration.Now there are many kinds of separation, many of which are unknown to us; those, which wee have ex­perienced out of elementary, dissoluble naturall things, shall in this place, according to their kinds, be described.

The separation of the Micro­cos me.The first separation of which wee speake, must be­gin from man, because hee is the Microcosme, or little world, for whose sake the Microcosme, or grea­ter world was made, viz. that hee might be the sepa­rator of it.

The body of man after death it twofold.Now the separation of the Microcosme begins at his death. For in death the two bodies of Man are se­parated the one from the other, viz. his Celestial, and Terrestial body; i. e. Sacramental, and Elementary: one of which ascends on high like an Eagle; the other falls downward to the earth like lead.

What the Ele­mentary Body is.The Elementary is putrefied, consumed, and becomes a putrid stinking carkase, which being buryed in the earth, never comes forth, or appeares more.

What a Sacra­mentall Body is.But the Sacramentall, i. e. Syderiall, or Celesti­all, all, is never putrefied, or buried, neither doth it pos­sesse any place. This body appears to Men, and also after death is seen.

Hence Ghosts, Visions, and Supernaturall Appa­ritions.

Whence the Cabalisticall art.Hence by the ancient Magicians, the Cabalisticall [Page 82]Art took it's beginning, of which we shall treat more at large in the books of Cabalie.

After this separation is made, then after the death of the Man three substances, viz. Body, Soule, and Spi­rit are divided the one from the other, every one go­ing to its own place, viz. its own fountaine, from whence it had its originall,viz. the body to the Earth, to the first matter of the Elements: the soul into the first matter of Sacraments, and lastly the spirit into the first matter of the Airy Chaos.

The separation of the Macro­cosme.What now hath been spoken of the separation of the Macrocosme, the same also may bee understood in the greater world which the great Ocean hath di­vided into three parts, so that the universall world is severed into three parts, viz. Europe, Asia, and Africa, which separation is a certain representation of three Principles,Three parts of the World. which can be separated from any Ter­rene, or Elementary thing. These three Principles are Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt, of which three the world was made, and composed.

The separation of Metalls.The next thing to bee known is the separation of Metalls from their Mountains, i. e. the separation of Metalls, and Mineralls.

By vertue of this separation many things come forth out of one matter, as you see out of Mineralls come forth, The drosse of Metalls, Glasse, Sand, Piipi­tis, Marcasite, Granatus, Cobaltum, Talke, Cachinna, Zinetum, Bisemutum, Antimony, Litharge, Sulphur, Vitriall, Verdegrease, Chrysocolla, the Azure Stone, Auripigmentum, Arsenicke, Realgar, Cinnabar, Clay of Iron, Spathus, Gyphus, Ocree, and many more like to these, as also the Waters, Oyles, Re­sines, [Page 83]Calxes, Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt, &c.

Of Vegetables.Vegetables in their separation yeeld, Waters, Oyles, Iuices, Resines, Gums, Electuaries, Powders, Ashes, Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt.

Of Animalls.Animalls in their separation yeeld, Water, Bloud, Flesh, Fat, Bones, Skin, Body, Hairs, Mercury, Sul­phur, and Salt.

What a good separator ought to be.Hee therefore that boasts himselfe to separate all naturall things after this manner, must of necessity have long experience, and perfect knowledge of all naturall things.

Moreover, hee must bee a skilfull, and well practi­sed Alchymist, that hee may know what is combusti­ble, and what not; what is fixt, and what not; what wil flow, and what not; and what things are more pon­derous one then another: also he must be experienced in the naturall colour, smell, acidity, harshnesse, sowre­nesse, bitternesse, sweetnesse, the degree, complexion, and quality of every thing.

The degrees of Separation. What and how many there beAlso hee must know the degrees of Separation, as of Distillation, Resolution, Putrefaction, Extraction, Calcination, Reverberation, Sublimation, Reducti­on, Coagulation, Powdering, and Washing.

What distillati­on separates.By distillation is separated Water, Oyle from all corporeall things.

What resoluti­on.By Resolution are separated Metals from Minerals, and one Metall from another, and Salt from the other Principles, and fat, and that which is light, from that which is heavy.

By Putrefaction is separated fat from lean,Putrefaction. pure from impure, putrid from not putrid.

By Extraction is separated pure from impure,Extraction. and spirit, and quintessence from body, and thinne from thick.

By Calcination is separated watery moisture,Calcination. fat, naturall heat, odour, and whatsoever else is combusti­ble.

By Reverberation is separated colour,Reverberation. odour, what is combustible, all humidity, aquosity, fat, and whatsoever is inconstant, or fluxil, in any thing, &c.

By Sublimation is separated the fixed from the volatile,Sublimation. spirituall from the corporeall, pure from impure, Sulphur from Salt, Mercury from Salt, &c.

By Reduction is separated what is fluxil,Reduction. from what is solid, a Metall from its Minerall, and one Metall from another, a Metall from its drosse, fat from what is not fat.

By Coagulation is separated waterishnes from humi­dity,Coagulation. water from Earth.

By Powdering are separated powder,Powdering. and sand, ashes, and Calx, Minerall, Vegetable, and Animall one from the other, and all powders, which are of an une­quall weight are separated, and by winnowing, as chaffe from corne.

By washing are separated ashes,Washing. and sand, a Mine­rall from its Metall, that which is heavy from what is light, a Vegetable, and Animall from what is Mi­nerall, Sulphur from Mercury, and Salt, Salt from Mercury.

The Preparati­on of Metall is manifold.But passing by the Theorie, we will now fall upon the practise, and come to particulars.

You must therefore note, that the Separation of Metalls is the first by right, and wee shall therefore treat of it after this method, and manner.

IN this Booke it is convenient for us spea­king of the Signature of things in the first place, to declare by whom things are sign­ed, and who the Signator is, and how ma­ny things there be that are signed. You must therefore know, that things that are signed are of 3 sorts. The first sort of them Man signs: the second, the Archeius: [Page 101]the third, the stars of supernaturall things. Therefore upon this account there are three Signators: Man, the Archeius, and Stars.

Moreover, you must note, that impressions signed by men do bring with them a perfect knowledge, and judgement of hid things, and impart the knowledg of their hid vertues, and faculties.

The markes of the Stars cause Prophecies, and Pre­sages, and declare the supernaturall vertues of things, and take out the true judgements, and signes, in Geo­mancy, Chiromancy, Physiognomy, Hydromancy, Pyromancy, Necromancy, Astronomy, the Berilli­sticall art, and other Astrall sciences.

But that wee may explain briefly, and truly all the signes, or markes, it wil be necessary in the first place, that wee speak of those signes of which Man is the Signer. Those being understood; you may the more rightly understand the rest, whether naturall, or super­naturall. It is therefore known, that the Iews carry about them, upon their cloak, or coat a yellow sign. And this is nothing else but that mark, by which they would have you, when you meet them, to know that they are Iews. So a Serjeant is known by his divers coloured coat, or sleeve. So every Magi­grate apparells his servants with his own colours, and liveries.

Every Mechanick marks his work with a certaine signe, that every one may know whose work it is.

For which end Carriers wear the liverie of their master, or city, that it may be known whom they serve and from whence they travell, that thereby they may goe the safer.

So every Souldier wears a marke, or badge, as co­lours, black, white, yellow, green, blew, or red, &c. that he may be distinguished from the enemie. Hence it may bee known that this is Cesars souldier, that the Kings, this an Italian, this a French souldier, &c.

These are signes which belong to order, or office, of which many more may bee reckoned up. But yet because wee have intended to describe the signes of naturall, and supernaturall things, wee shal not fill up this booke with other signes.

As concerning those signes, which Man makes, which doe not only respect order, office, or name, but conduce to the knowing of his knowledge, age, digni­ty, degree, &c. You must know concerning Money, that every kind thereof hath its peculiar triall, and marke, by which it is known how much it is valued at, who is the Master of it, and in what place it is usually currant. Hence is that German Proverb, Mo­ney is no where more in request then where it was coi­ned.

The same also is to bee understood of things that are looked upon and examined by men sworn and appointed for that purpose, before they bee signed: as Cloth which is marked with peculiar marks, by which it may be known, that in examining they were found good, and proved. Why is a seal put upon Letters, but that there is a certain bond, which it is lawfull for no man to violate? For a seal is a con­firmation of Letters, whence they are of all men ac­counted ratified. Without a seale an Acquitance is void, and of no force.

After the same manner many things are marked with few letters, names, or words, as books, which [Page 103]being writ upon the outside but with one word, doe presently shew what is contained within.

The same rule also there is for glasses and boxes in Apothecaries shops, all which are discerned by pecu­liar names, or papers put upon them. Unlesse that were done, who could discern so many Waters, Li­quors, Syrups, Oyles, Powders, Seeds, Unguents, &c. and all simples? After the same manner doth the Alchymist in his Elabatorie mark with names, and papers all Waters, Liquors, Spirits, Oyles, Flegms, Crocus, Alcali, and all species, that thereby hee may when there is occasion make use of any of them, and know them: without the help of which his memory could never bear them.

So also may all houses and buildings bee marked with numbers or figures, that the age of every one of them by the first sight of the number may presently be known.

These and other things that are marked I was wil­ling to shew to you, that these being comprehended, I might bee the better understood by you in the rest, and so the signification of every thing might bee the more plain, and clear.