Part 16

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, and Silver with a most deep colour.

[Sidenote: How Æs vstum, or Crocus of Copper is to be made.]

Now to turne Copper into _Æs 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.

[Sidenote: 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:

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: How to make a sweet Precipitate.]

[Sidenote: And the use of it.]

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, 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.

[Sidenote: How Quicksilver may be Coagulated.]

[Sidenote: How Quicksilver may be turned to Cinnabar.]

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. 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 _Hæmatites_.

[Sidenote: There are two kinds of Ceruse.]

[Sidenote: 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-vinegar, 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.

[Sidenote: 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 remaine of the Lead in the melting of it, which also Potters use to glaze their vessels, and such Minium is used for Painting, but not for Physicke, or Alchymie.

[Sidenote: 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, 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.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: The Mortification of Gold.]

The Mortification of Gold that it may be 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.

[Sidenote: How the sulphur, and the Vitriall of Gold are made.]

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

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:

[Sidenote: The mortification 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.

[Sidenote: 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_.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: The Mortification of the Loadstone.]

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.

[Sidenote: The Mortification of flints and stones.]

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

[Sidenote: The Mortification of Marcasites.]

The mortification of Marcasites, Cachyma’s, Talke, Cobaltus, Zinri, Granuti, Zunitter (_see Transcriber’s Note_), Unismut, 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.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: The Mortification of excrements.]

The mortification of Excrements, is the coagulation of Aire.

[Sidenote: The Mortification of Aromatical things.]

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

[Sidenote: Of Sweet things.]

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

[Sidenote: Of Resines.]

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

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: Of Wood.]

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

[Sidenote: Of Bones.]

The mortification of Bones, is their Calcination.

[Sidenote: Of Flesh.]

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

[Sidenote: Of Water.]

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

[Sidenote: 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.

OF THE NATVRE Of Things.

_THE SIXTH BOOK._

_Of the Resurrection of Naturall things._

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: Death is twofold.]

[Sidenote: What things may be raised againe.]

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, 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, _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 again. 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 saist unto this Mountaine, Goe and bee removed thither, and it shall bee removed, and all things bee possible to thee, and nothing impossible.

[Sidenote: What things can not be raised againe.]

But to return to our purpose, what difference then there is betwixt dying, and being mortified, and 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. Yet it happens that this is also done by divers diseases, and 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.

[Sidenote: It is one thing to Dye, and other thing to be Mortified.]

Wherefore there is a great difference betwixt dying, and being 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 see 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, but it becomes only drosse, and not a Metall. For it is dead, and death is in it, neither hath it any more balsome of life, but is quite destroyed in it selfe.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: What the Ashes of Metalls is.]

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

[Sidenote: 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 indeed 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.

[Sidenote: 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 in 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.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: 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, that both may ascend together, bee made volatil, inseparable. And as you prepare Gold, so may you also prepare potable ☽ ♀ ♂ ♃ ♄ and ☿.

[Sidenote: The raising againe of things is proved by the Whelpes of a Lyon.]

[Sidenote: How Lyons are made alive againe.]

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, 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 by this roaring, they would remain dead, and life would never bee perceived in them. Wherefore it is apparent, that by this roaring they receive their life.

[Sidenote: The reviving of dead Flies.]

So also you see in all Animalls 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.

[Sidenote: 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.

[Sidenote: _Hermes_, and _Virgils_ 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.

[Sidenote: The Resuscitation 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.

[Sidenote: 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.