Part 15

[Sidenote: How all sorts of Wood may be preserved.]

[Sidenote: Fixed oyle of sulphur.]

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, 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.

[Sidenote: Which are potable things, and how they are preserved.]

[Sidenote: Which is an enemie to them.]

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: 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.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: Mead is preserved with oyle of Sugar.]

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

[Sidenote: How Vineger is preserved.]

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

[Sidenote: How Milke is preserved.]

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

[Sidenote: 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 breed in it: and if there bee any in before, it will kill them, and make them fall out of the Cheese.

[Sidenote: How Honey is to be preserved.]

[Sidenote: 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 into it, all the Honey is turned into Emmots, and spoiled.

OF THE NATVRE Of Things.

_THE FOURTH BOOK._

_Of the life of Naturall things._

[Sidenote: What use the Aire is for as to the life of things.]

[Sidenote: What the life of things is.]

[Sidenote: What things have life.]

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, a thing that is invisible, impalpable, a spirit, and spirituall. Wherefore there is no corporeall thing, which hath not a spirit lying hid in it, as also a life, which, as 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.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: The division of the Spirit according to the variety of bodies.]

[Sidenote: The Spirit is the life of all Corporeall things.]

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, and balsome of all Corporeall things. But now wee will proceed to the species, and briefly describe to you in this place the life of every naturall thing in particular.

[Sidenote: What the life of man is.]

The life therefore of all men is nothing else but an Astrall balsome, a Balsamick impression, 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.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: 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 part 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 the smooth side outward. As therefore you have heard of the garment of skins, so also it may bee said of Mercury.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: What the life of Salts is.]

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

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: What the life of Pearls is.]

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

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: The life of Flints what.]

The life of Flintes is a mucilaginous matter.

[Sidenote: The life of Marcasites what.]

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

[Sidenote: The life of Arsenicks.]

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

[Sidenote: The life of Excrements]

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

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: The life of Rozzens.]

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.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: The life of Wood.]

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

[Sidenote: The life of Bones.]

The life of Bones is the liquor of Mummie.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: 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 it is congealed into ice, it is dead, and its mischievousnesse is taken from it, that nobody can bee drowned in it.

[Sidenote: 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 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.

[Sidenote: What the life of Aire is.]

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

[Sidenote: What the life of Earth is.]

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

OF THE NATVRE Of Things.

_THE FIFTH BOOK._

_Of the Death, or ruine of all things._

[Sidenote: What Death is.]

[Sidenote: The preparation of Mercury Sulphur and Antimony.]

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 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, 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 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 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.

[Sidenote: What the Death of man is.]

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, 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.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: What Calcination with Salt is.]

Calcination with Salt is that the Metall be made into very thin plates, and strowed with Salt, and cemented.

[Sidenote: Calcination with Sulphur.]

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

[Sidenote: Calcination with Aqua fortis.]

Calcination with _Aqua fortis_, is that the Metall bee made very small, and dissolved in _Aqua fortis_, and precipitated in it.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: Calcination with Quicksilver.]

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

[Sidenote: 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 dead, because it hath no more the form of Gold, but is a white Metall like fixed Silver.

[Sidenote: A two fold preparation of Crocus Martis.]

But let us proceed to shew how Metalls may bee yet further mortified. First therefore of Iron, 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.

[Sidenote: The mortification of Copper.]

[Sidenote: The Vitriall of Copper is made two wayes.]

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, 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 quickly be, wash off this greennesse with cleer fountaine-water, 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 is 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.

[Sidenote: 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, 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.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: How verdegrease to be used in physick is to be prepared.]

[Sidenote: The Balsom of Copper.]

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, 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.

[Sidenote: 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 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 _Aqua fortis_ 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 colours 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.

[Sidenote: The preparation of Verdegrease to be used in Alchymie.]

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