CHAP. LVI.
From all that hath been said from the beginning hitherto, may be gathered by a piercing eye, that in our Operation our Bodies do not abide in the top of the Alembick, as the Bodies of Fools do: Of which Aros saith: The Bodies of the unwise, do only stick to the Cover or Head of the Vessel, and therefore they cannot effect any thing that is true. Hence also may be gathered, that Sulphurs are retain’d by 🜍, Bodies by Bodies, and Spirits by Spirits; and every imperfect thing is perfected by one thing, that is by ☿ alone, that is, by a substance, which is produced by our foresaid famous, excellent and glorious Magistery. Wherefore for a final Conclusion we say, that the Blessed stone is one, the Medicine one, to which nothing extraneous is added, nor taken from it, only its superfluities removed. Understand this, as Hortulanus saith: That, That is not extraneous, into which it must be changed, that is fixed, viz. ☉ and ☽. Therefore this stone is Mineral, because it is produced from all Mineral things. But because Hortulanus saith, that Hermes the Father of all Alchimists, was Possessor of the three parts of Philosophy, of the whole World, viz. Mineral, Vegetable and Animal: The true knowledge of which three Kingdoms, the said Hermes had joyntly, or severally in the work of the Sun; which parts are contained in one only Stone, viz. in ☿, that is under the name of ☿, because every thing of which the Stone is made, whether it be Animal, Vegetable or Mineral, is called by the name of ☿. We have also before shewed, how this Philosophy, or Science is compleated in the work of the Sun, by means of a Mineral ☿. Now to the end that this Science, or most excellent Point of Philosophy, may be perfect in every Point, we must see how this Stone may be had, by means of a Vegetable ☿, from Vegetables, and by an Animal ☿, prepared from Animals. And first, we will shew how the Stone may be made, with a Vegetable ☿: For except the Great stone might be made from many other things, besides those mentioned in the former part of my Discourse, that saying of Alphidius would not be true: That there be many other Subjects, which solve and congeal. And Hortulanus saith, the Philosophers have called every thing, the Stone, from whence the Four Elements may be separated, by our Chymical Artifice: Now this may be done, from every Vegetable and Animal; wherefore from every Vegetable or Animal, may the Great stone of the Philosophers be prepared.
The two last Chapters of this Anonymous Philosopher, contain a short Repetition of the Matters handled in his whole Book, wherein he asserts, that the Preparation of the great Elixir, he sets down, is far more subtil, excellent and Skilful, than that of Geber: Because the Operations which Geber doth successively, one after another, he shews, how they may be done all at once; for that when he dissolves, he at the same time, in the same Vessel, with the same degree of Fire, and in the same Furnace, doth also Sublime, Calcine, Cleanse, Wash, separate and conjoyn: Because, when the hard Body is put into the dissolvent, to be dissolved, it presently turns Black, and is throughly dissolved, calcined, sublimed and joyned with the Spirit. And I leave it to every judicious Person to judge, whether this way must not be very ingenious and Artificial, which at once, so easily and suddenly finisheth all these Operations, belonging to the work of the Stone. Neither was it without Reason, that the Author affirms, that the possibility of this Accurtation cannot well be believed, or apprehended by any, but those who have seen it.
N. B. Now that all these Operations may be done at once, my self can witness, as having before my Sickness performed the same with mine own hands. And however this may sound very strange to those, whose Experience never reached so far, yet is it an undoubted Truth with all those, whom God hath been pleased to illuminate, giving them the understanding and performance of this great (I had almost said, Holy) work.
Our Author in his last Chapter concludes, that of all things from whence the Elements can be separated, the Stone of the Philosophers may be made; to the Truth of which, also I can set my Seal. For when about half a year since, I had recommended to an old Friend of mine, the manner of preparing the ☿ of Wine, and that the said Friend by reason of his business could not come to me, to overlook the Work himself, because he lived in another City, and I by reason of my Sickness kept my Bed: It was concluded by us, that a third Friend should come to my House, and carry on the Work, from the beginning to the end, which accordingly was done in three or four Days. But forasmuch, as in so short a time, we could not prepare any great quantity of the Spirit of Wine, we had but little to burn away, and consequently could not get much ☿, or Cælestial ☉. Now it happened, when we were separating the ☿, we had caught, from the Phlegme, that the Fire, by mistake was too strong, so that after the Phlegme was come over, we found the remaining Heavenly Salt, or ☿ of Wine in the bottom of the Glass molten to a Red stone, which could not be dissolved with common Water. Whereupon I ordered some Aqua Regis to be poured into the Glass, to dissolve the ☿, which presently succeeded, the Solution being Blood-red. But the ☿ being by this means spoyled, as to any Medicinal use, I resolved to try what it would do on Metals, and accordingly put a little piece of fine ☽ into the Red Solution, left it there two days, and then taking it out, found it changed into ☉ as far as could be judged by the Eye, or Touchstone. But because I could hardly believe, that ☽ could be so easily turned to ☉, I put it into a strong Aqua Regis, to see whether it would be dissolved in the same, as other common ☉, and put a piece of common ☉ with it, to try which of both would be first dissolved: Whereupon I found, that the Aqua Regis rather laid hold on the common ☉, than my transmuted ☽, the half of which was only dissolved, and I have the other Part still to shew. Which tryal made me so desirous of proceeding to another, that I got a new instrument prepared, for to make the ☿ of Vegetables and Animals, but have as yet been unable to undertake the Work, by reason of Bodily weakness, and for want of some faithful assistant. Yet am not without hopes, but that with the first I may make some further Tryals, all things being in a readiness for the Work, to which God be pleased to afford his Blessing, Amen.
From this Relation it is evident, that a Vegetable ☿ is able to meliorate Metals: That it excels for Physick cannot be doubted, and therefore the said ☿ may be called a Master in both Faculties. Now if a Vegetable ☿ will do this, what may be expected from a Metallick drawn from pure Metals, and brought over by the Spirit of Wine? Without doubt, much more than the ☿ of Wine alone, without any Metalline addition. If it please God, I intend to second this Treatise with another larger, concerning the ☿ of Metals. In the mean time, I here make an End.
OF THE
Secret Fire of Philosophers.
By which, They not only brought to Maturity their Universal Medicine, but also fixed particularly all the inferior Metals, into good Gold and Silver, with great Profit.
Written for the Sakes of all the Lovers of Divine and Natural Wisdom.
Faithfully Translated out of the High-Dutch.
Reader,
Seeing that in several of my Writings, I have made mention of the secret Fire of Artephius, which Pontanus very well called Proprium Agens, for no better name can be given it. I thought it convenient to publish this small Explication of it, that it may be known to those, who have not yet heard of it, not doubting, but by this discovery a great Light will be opened to all the Lovers of Metallick improvements: For almost all Philosophers, in their Writings, are dark concerning this; and yet without this, no great Matter is to be effected in Chymistry: Which daily Experience sufficiently testifies. Therefore I am resolved briefly to explain, yet fundamentally and plainly, by Gods help, this thing which hath been so long hid from the World.
Of the Secret Fire of Philosophers, by which they have maturated their Tinctures.
First you must know, that no Philosopher hath made any mention of it, but hath passed it over in silence, only that ancient Philosopher Artephius hath taken some notice of it, but so obscurely, that very few of his Readers, have been able to learn any thing from him. He saith, that himself, like others, had been covetous and envious, so as to write nothing of it; but after he was nine hundred years old, he first began to write of it. N. B. It is not credible, that he should have lived to that Age, but perhaps some Body hath added a Cipher to it. ’Tis like he was ninety years of Age, for the Ancients have often mistaken an hundred for ten. But be it as it will, he was the first, that said any thing of this Fire. Pontanus writes in his Epistle, that although he knew the true Matter, yet he erred two hundred times, and should never have obtained it, if he had not learned the secret from his Writings. The reason of hiding this Secret so long, hath been only the wickedness of Men, who seek not after these great things, that they might honour God, and succour the Poor, but rather, that by great Riches they might be able to enslave their Neighbours. But when such Men, who have forsaken the Vanities of the World, seek after them, God puts it into their hands, so that striving nor running in this helps nothing, but only Gods blessing. Observe this well, and thou wilt not err. If our eyes and hearts were not blinded by the Pride of the Devil, we should easily see and know, what Fire nature useth in the Earth, to bring Metals to Maturity: By which we might easily learn, what Agent the Artist wants to maturate and bring to perfection all imperfect Metals into Gold and Silver, as good as if Nature had done it in the Earth. Now when we open our eyes and look about us, we find nothing else, but an Acidum or Universal Agent, that is, the Sulphurous Salt of Vitriol, by which all Metals in the Earth are generated, so that some, by a long time are fixed, and some by a less time, partly remain unfixed, according as the Oars contain more or less of this Agent. And if by a strong Fire, one should melt this Metal out of the Oar, the greatest part of the Acidum, together with the Rocky part would come into a Cinder or Slate, but in the Metal, although it be melted and hammered, there yet remains some of the Agent, which the Fire, in the first melting, could not separate from it, especially when the Metals are yet crude; as if the Agent should say, I will not be separated from my Patient, for he cannot yet subsist without me, and also saith the Patient, I cannot yet suffer my Husband, or Agent to be separated from me, for we have not been long enough together. But when the melting Fire comes to it again, then no excuse will serve, but the stronger overcomes the weaker, and the Agent and Patient must part by force. Now what in this violent Separation, the one can carry away with it of the other, it leaves not behind, as we see when the Oar of Iron is melted, that the violent Fire, forceth away the Agent from the Patient, and converts it into Cinders, but yet these are not purely Cinders, for they have attracted a great quantity of the Mercurial Patient, viz. Iron, which is not turned into Cinders, for if they be melted again, you will have a good quantity of Iron out of the Cinders, and this may be done for several times. If the Agent and Patient had not a great Agreement, they would certainly have been more nearly parted in the first melting, and there would be no need of a Second or Third Fire, and if the Agent should be separated from its Patient, by the force of Fire against its Will, yet it cannot be exactly and wholly separated, but the Patient as the Female Mercury, doth its endeavour to retain as much as it can of its Agent, or dear Sulphurous Husband with it self, as we have sufficiently seen, that no melted Iron is found without its Agent or Acidum. Which appears, if upon a Plate of Iron, you pour a little Water, it presently Rusts, which could not be, if there were no Acidum in the Iron; for the Acid adhering so close to the Patient, the melting could not force it away. Now when Rain water falls upon it, the Acidum out of Love attracts it to it self, and works to its utmost Power, upon the Patient, so that it becomes Rusty.
Which doth not so happen to such Metals, as are already brought to sufficient Maturity, and therefore have no more need of the Agent, as Gold and Silver, for after they are melted, they do not Rust by Wet, for their Proprium Agens, or Vitriolick Salt, has done its Office, bringing its Patient to Maturity, and therefore is easily separated from its Patient in melting. Copper also, in melting, still retains somewhat of its Agent, and therefore easily Rusts, yet not so easily as the Iron, because it retains not so much of the Acid in melting, as Iron doth. Lead and Tin retain less of it, than Copper and Iron, and therefore do not so easily attract the moist Air and Rain, but only lose their Splendour by it. Gold and Silver retain but a very little of it, and therefore they cannot easily Rust, but being moistened with strong Corrosives, lose their glorious Luster: Mercury retaineth all its Proprium Agens, having lost nothing of it. It is also to be observed, that although Sulphur (which contains in it self a pure vitriolated Acid Salt) be an Universal Agent, by which Nature in the Earth generates and maturates all the Metals, yet notwithstanding every Metal hath besides Sulphur, a particular Proprium Agens, which assists the Universal Agent in its Action. Gold hath, besides the Universal Agent, somewhat of common Salt. Silver and Saturn have besides the Sulphur, and Vitriolick Salt, somewhat of Saltpetre. Mercury hath properly for its Agent, a subtil, fiery and concentrated Spirit of Saltpetre, which keeps him always fluid and current. And this is the reason, that Salts or Spirit of Salts, (as Spirit of Vitriol, common Salt, Saltpetre, &c.) do more easily dissolve such Metals as participate of their own Salts; for example, Silver, Saturn and Mercury participate (besides Vitriol) of a nitrous Salt, and therefore Spirit of Nitre doth easily work upon those three Metals, and dissolve them: For because these three Metals have a nitrous Salt in them, therefore the Spirit of Nitre hath a good Friend in them, which opens the Gates to it, and lets it in, for the Friend within corresponds with him which is without, as for Example: If an Enemy set down before a Town to take it, and hath good Friends within, that open him the Gates, he may easily enter, but if his Enemies that are within defend themselves, and resist him, he can do nothing, but must march off without it. Seeing that an Aqua Fortis made of Vitriol and Saltpetre, doth readily touch and dissolve only Silver, Saturn and Mercury, it comes to pass from their near Relation; but the reason why they touch not Gold, is, because it hath no affinity with them, for Gold hath no Spirit of Nitre, but of common Salt in it, but if you put a little common Salt to the Spirit of Nitre, it then easily dissolves Gold, becomes to be of another Nature, and then will not dissolve Silver, but Copper, Iron and Tin, because these Metals contain much spiritual Gold, and therefore are easily dissolved by this Spirit of Salt. Now because I have here shewn the reason, why an Aqua Fortis made of Vitriol and Saltpetre dissolves only Silver, Lead, and Mercury, and not Gold, and when common Salt is added to it, that it dissolves Gold and not Silver, it is for the same reason, that Salts dissolved in Water, and impregnated with the Universal Acid or Oyl of Vitriol, will as well dissolve the Metals, which are boyld in them, as their Spirits will. For Example: Suppose I had no Aqua Fortis, and yet would dissolve Silver; I could do it as well by dissolving Saltpetre in common Water, acuated with the true Oyl of Vitriol, but yet not so easily as Aqua Fortis, and if you should add a little common Salt to it, it would not touch Silver, but dissolve Gold. And suppose, I had no Oyl of Vitriol, and yet would dissolve Gold, I might do it by dissolving Saltpetre and common Salt with Allom in Water; yet not so well as by Aqua Regis. This is not said to that end, that I would advise you to dissolve Metals by Salts and Oyl of Vitriol, (for the distilled Waters are better than the undistilled Corporeal Salts) but that you may the better understand and comprehend with what Salt each Metal hath an Agreement to unite easily, that you may the better learn to know the Proprium Agens of each Metal, for if you will do any excellent thing, in the Metals by their Proprium Agens, you must first know them well, by which you will know, what every Metal Loves, and how it will be treated: Now we cannot learn this better, than when we consider, what Spirit, or Natural Agent was driven from the Metal by the melting Fire, which if it had remained longer in it, in the Earth, the Metal would have been maturated by it. We find, that in all Oars of Silver, Lead and Mercury, is found a nitrous Salt, which is driven from it by the strong Fire, now if such a Metal being immature, and not only taken too soon out of its Matrix, but also by the melting Fire deprived of its Fecundative Spirit, is to be made grow again to be meliorated, you must of necessity restore that to it, which the Fire hath taken away. Now because from Lead there is taken away a nitrous Spirit, besides common Sulphur, you must restore a nitrous Salt for its Agent. And because from Mars and Venus, a Vitriolick Sulphur was taken away, that must be restored to them again. And because from Jupiter, in melting, an Arsenical Sulphur and Spirit was taken away, you must restore it again to the dead Body, to revive it, and to make it grow. If from Gold its Sulphureous Salt be taken away by melting, which the Gold easily lets go for the reason already alledged, and yet you would maturate this Gold farther, and make it yet better than Nature hath done, you must put it into its Matrix again, uniting it with the Sulphureous Spirit of Salt, and so let it generate or grow afresh, and you will receive more than Nature hath given: For Nature can give no more, but a perfect Body, which if you will have yet more perfect, you must put it again into its Matrix, with its natural Agent, and by the help of external Fire, awaken or excite the inward natural Fire, that its Body may be maturated into a more than perfect Tincture. For Nature can give no more than perfect Bodies, viz. Silver and Gold: But if Art begins again where Nature left, it can make the perfect Bodies more than perfect, with this more than perfect Tincture, you may in a moment bring to perfection the imperfect Metals, if you put it to them in melting: To which perfection, a great many years would have been required, before their Proprium Agens could have brought them. For if you would maturate the imperfect Metals into Gold and Silver, by their proper Agents, it would require a long time, but yet it might be done with very great profit, for no other costs are required, but outward Fire, to keep the inward Secret Fire in continual Action; and this work of maturating the inferior Metals may be done in as great a quantity as you please, which makes the profit so much the greater, and this fixation requires no great Cost, for Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn cost but little, and the Agent may also easily be had, so that all the Expence is only the Fire, which yet will not be very chargeable neither, so that this Fixation may every year bring in great profit to him that well understands it. If I was younger I should not forbear to go about this particular Melioration of Metals in the whole, to do good with it to many thousand poor People, but my time is now past. God hath been pleased not to shew me this light till within this three years, in which I have lien in Bed, and so I can expect no great benefit by it, as having no Children who are fit to carry it on. But because I can do nothing more my self, I commit it to others, to whom I have already given a good insight; but to discover it more clearly and indiscriminately to the good and bad, being restrain’d by several Reasons I dare not do it. Now it yet remains to give a hint, how the perfect Metals, as Gold and Silver, must be ripened into a more than perfect Tincture, to make the imperfect Metals perfect by Projection.
Now here followeth a Fundamental Process, without any Legerdemain, how to bring Gold and Silver into a Tincture.
℞. Of Gold j ℥, of Silver iij ℥, dissolve the Gold in Aqua Regia, and the Silver in Aqua Fortis, pour these two Solutions together, and the Silver will attract the Gold, and they will both precipitate into a gray Powder, but if for want of Salt they should not easily precipitate, pour into them some Salt Water, for the Silver will not fall except there be Salt enough. When nothing more will precipitate, it is a sign that these two Bodies, like Husband and Wife, have embraced each other, and are united; then set the Glass in which they are in Sand, that the Liquor may boil, and those two Bodies will be the better united; stir it often, and let it stand so warm for 24 hours, then let it cool, and these two Bodies will grow up together like Herbs or Flowers, filter the Liquor from the Calx, and sweeten the Calx with Common Water, dry it and powder it well, then it is ready to be fixed into a Tincture with the Proprium Agens or Secret Fire. Now concerning the proper Agent of Gold and Silver, I say that it is a Mercurial Antimonial Water, which also Artephius Confesseth; To obtain which, proceed thus: first put the Conjunction of Gold and Silver into a clean Crucible, which put into a Coal Fire, so that the Gold and Silver may become warm in the Crucible, and yet not be red-hot nor melt, and the sharp Spirits which remained after Edulcoration will pass away in Smoak; when it Smoaks no longer, take it out of the Fire and let it cool, and weigh the Gold and Silver, and so you will perceive how much heavier they are than they were before, for so much have they taken from the Spirits of the Salts, which dried Salt Spirits must prepare the Antimony, our Secret Fire, or Proprium Agens to fix the Gold and Silver into a Tincture. For Example: We have dissolved and precipitated j ℥ of Gold, and iij ℥ of Silver, and after the exsiccation of the Calx, it weighs vi ℥, and so ij ℥ of the Spirits of the Salts are Coagulated with them, and make the increase. For this you must know, that Silver hath this Nature and property, if it be dissolved in Aqua Fortis, and precipitated with Salt it attracts much Spirit from the Aqua Fortis and Salt, which Water cannot wash from it; but Gold attracts not so much as Silver, for the Gold attracts Nitre, and the Silver Common Salt. I could easily shew the reason of this, but that it would be too tedious. Saturn attracts more Common Salt than Silver, and these Spirits of Salts are also a Proprium Agens to Mars and Saturn, as they are to Silver and Gold, and work upon Saturn and Mars, altogether in the same manner as on Gold and Silver, the only difference is, that the Tincture of Saturn and Mars is not of that extent as that of Gold and Silver, although both of them in this work have one and the same Agent: Now this Agent which is Spirits of Salts Coagulated, as well in Gold and Silver, as in Saturn and Mars, must first be brought into a Mercurial Water, before they can rightly act upon Metallick Bodies, by penetrating, maturating and meliorating them; to bring them to which, you must proceed thus: If the four Ounces of Gold and Silver have Coagulated two Ounces of Spirits of Salts, you must add to it two Ounces of very clean and well pulverised Regulus of Antimony, grind them very well together, put this Mixture into a Coated Retort, and distil the Mercurial, Antimonial Water, which will also carry over with it the Animæ of the Gold and Silver, in form of Butter of Antimony, yet of a high colour, for the Anima of Gold is highly exalted by the Antimony, or Mineral Aries. This red Solar Butter is the Secret Fire of Artephius, or the Proprium Agens of Pontanus, to bring the Gold and Silver into a Fixed Tincture, which Artephius hath used for Gold and Silver, but Pontanus (as appears by his Epistle) did not make his Tincture out of Gold, but out of Mars; for he calls God to Witness, that the matter of his Stone, out of which he prepared his Tincture, contained many Terrestreities and Superfluities, which he did not separate from it, and yet the Proprium Agens, together with what was good in it, viz. Iron, came to be a Tincture. Out of this sufficiently appears, that he did prepare an impure Metal, as Mars, into a Tincture.
And this is very credible, for such a fiery Agent which I have taught here to prepare, is as well a true Tincture it self, as the Animæ of Sol and Lune, and that so high that it is sufficiently powerful to penetrate, meliorate, and transmute hard, gross, and impure Metals and Bodies, by its tender, clean, Golden, Mercurial Power, and to reduce them into Tinctures. N. B. I would have none to doubt, but that such a clean, fiery, and Golden Agent, when it is used for the exalting and meliorating of clean Gold and Silver, will give a much higher Tincture than with gross and unclean Metals; for if Gold is inwardly so exalted and meliorated by this Antimonial Mercurial Water, it must needs give a far more extensive Tincture. Now how this our Mercurial, Antimonial, Saturnine Water, is to be applied to fine Gold and Silver, to exalt their Colours, and transmute them into Tincture, I shall here shew to the best of my knowledge, and it is thus. The two Ounces of Spirit of Salts, which were coagulated by the four Ounces of Gold and Silver, and by the addition of two Ounces of Regulus of Antimony, did again leave the Gold and Silver, by working upon and dissolving the Antimony, and did in the distillation carry over the most pure and tender Mercury of Antimony, together with the Tincture of Gold, in form of a Red Butter, for Antimony is of this nature, that it draws the colour out of Gold, and carries it up with it self in Distillation, which the Ancients called carrying the Souls of the Dead out of Hell. This Red Butter impregnated with the Anima of Gold, Artephius called his Secret Fire, and is the Proprium Agens of Pontanus, which doth not only maturate Gold and Silver into perfect Tinctures, but also Mars and Saturn, in their whole substance, without separating the pure from the impure. From the remaining Gold and Silver you must wash your Regulus of Antimony by the help of Salt Petre, then separate your Gold and Silver by Aqua Fortis, and you will have no loss but only of the Tincture of Gold, which the Oyl of Antimony hath carried over with it. Neusementius calls this his Solar Red Oyl or Butter of Antimony, but I call it my Mercurial Antimonial Aurifick Water, which name doth properly belong to it, which I thus prove. Take of this distilled Golden Mercurial Water, of Leaves of Gold and Silver, each equal parts, put them together in a fixing Glass, and set it in a Sand Cuppel, which is heated equally by a dull Harry, and kept in the same degree of Fire, and the Mercurial Water will dissolve the Gold and Silver, and they will turn together into a Stone. The Spirits of Salts after they have dissolved the Gold and Silver, together with the Mercury of Antimony, will separate themselves by degrees from the Mercury, because they are not of the same matter, therefore they cannot become a Tincture with the Gold, Silver, and Mercury, which Pontanus very well hints. This separation of the Salt Spirit from the Tincture requires its time, and will not be hastened. N. B. But if you know how to separate the superfluity of the Spirit of Salt from the Golden Butter, by a subtile Art, and then dissolve your Gold and Silver in it, you will gain a great deal of time in your fixation, for the superfluous moisture very much hinders, which the Ancients have hinted under a Fable, as the Learned Bracesous sufficiently admonisheth in his Treatise de Ligno Vitæ. This Salt Water is called by the Poets Minerva, concerning this you may read the Philosophers, and chiefly Bracesous, what he saith Minerva was, and you will find which way it must be separated from the Tincture. N. B. Be not in doubt, because Bracesous teacheth how to prepare his Tincture, not of Gold and Silver, but of Mars, for it may as well be made of Mars, only that is not so extensive as the Tincture made of Gold, otherwise the labour is the same, and differs not at all. I repeat this once more, that if you will shorten your labour, you must send away Minerva in peace, because she hinders the fixation. Some perhaps may wonder, what the Silver can contribute to this Tincture, because it is white, and hath no colour: I answer, that the inward parts of Silver are not white but red, and therefore may become a Tincture. After the same manner Saturn is not red outwardly, and yet with Mars becomes a red Tincture, as Silver doth with Gold. This I thought fit to say here concerning the Secret Fire of Artephius: If you will know more of it read Artephius, Pontanus, Paracelsus, Bracescus, Neusementius, Cosmopolita, and others, who have made mention of it, and you will there find larger Instructions.
Now as it is possible to transmute not only Gold and Silver, but also the other inferior Metals into Tinctures, by the Proprium Agens of Metals, so you may also fix into Gold and Silver, the inferior Metals particularly, with an incredible profit, for the inferior Metals may be put in in great quantity, with a cheap Agent, and so be maturated into Gold and Silver, which hitherto hath been known to very few in the World, but I do not doubt but hereafter it will be better known, by which many honest Men will be delivered from Slavery. For as you have already heard, the Proprium Agens of the inferior Metals is cheap, so that the imperfect Metals may be with small costs, by the addition of their Natural Proprium Agens, which was driven away in their melting, by the help of External Fire, maturated into the perfection of Gold and Silver. N. B. If you can have Metals yet in their Oar, that have not been in the Fire, and add to each of them their Proprium Agens, and put them in close Vessels into a fixing Furnace, and maturate them with a requisite heat, then the fixation will the sooner be done, than with those Metals which have been already melted; yet those Oars must be well washed and separated from their Mine-Earth, before you put them with their Proprium Agens to be fixed. N. B. This fixation of the unripe Metals into Silver and Gold, as also of Gold and Silver into a Tincture, by their Proprium Agens, may also be done by the humid way, if you dissolve your Metals in their proper Menstruums, and then digest them for a sufficient time. N. B. For such a moist digestion or fixation Vegetables are more fit than Minerals, and Animals fitter than both, yet all of them be made use of to fix both the common, and Metallick Mercuries, as well universally into Tinctures, as particularly into Gold and Silver. But for the course Metals and their Oars, the universal Agent, viz. Sulphur, Arsnick, with their Compeers, as Cobolt and Orpiment are the fittest. Gold and Silver have also their peculiar Agents, by which they are maturated into Tinctures, of which the Animal Agent is found to be the best, for it is of this nature, that it turns the inward hidden colours of Gold and Silver outwards, and renders them visible, which no other universal subject can do like it. For if you cannot bring outwards the inward colour of Gold and Silver, it is impossible to make Tinctures of them. For Gold and Silver, as nature hath produced them in the Earth, have no abounding colour to tinge other Metals withall, but no more than is required for their own perfection; but when they are exalted in their Colours by Art, they are able plentifully to communicate their Colours to other Metals, but else not. Now what kind of Animal Agent this is, by which the Exaltation of Colours may be made, I dare not make common; he that will know more of it, must enquire of Adam, who brought such an Essence with him out of Paradise. You may also read my fifth Century together with the Explication, where this Subject is treated of. Now as the Proprium Agens of the Metals, which is their Spirits, viz. Sulphur, Arsnick, Cobolt, Orpiment, and the like Metallick Spirits, are fixed with the Metalline Bodies, and with them become fixed Metals, because they are half Metals already, so on the contrary, Salts which also are good Agents to Maturate Metals, yet become not Metals themselves, as Sulphur, Arsnick, Antimony, Orpiment, Cobolt, Zinck, Bismuth, Lapis Calaminaris, and other Realgars or Metallick Spirits; for Salts do not participate of a Metallick Nature, therefore they cannot become Metals; but when they touch, dissolve, volatilise, and again fix Metals, it is only done by their Acidity, which is a kind of that Acidity which is naturally in Metals, and this is to be understood of Common Mineral Salts, as Common Salt, Salt Gem, Salnitre, Allome, Vitriol, and the like, which naturally grow in the Earth, in Stones, in Rivers, and also out of the Earth, which are dug out by Men and purified, and so imploy’d for several uses. These Salts have a great affinity with the Metals, but cannot become Metals. But the Vegetable and Animal Salts are of another nature and property, they associate themselves with Metals, because they somewhat participate, though but little, of the Metallick nature. The Animal Salts are principally Volatile, and make a good Sal Armoniack, which hath a great affinity with the Metals, as I have in my Writings sufficiently shewn. The Salts of Vegetables are altered in the Fire, and become fixt Alcalies, which are also of good use to Metals, as you may see in my Writings. But the Volatile Salt of Animals far exceeds all other Salts, in its virtue; for it makes not only all Metals, how fixed soever they are, wholly volatile, and separates the cleanest Tincture of Metals, Minerals, Precious and ignoble Stones, that is, it separates their immortal Anima from their gross and unprofitable Bodies, with which you may perform incredible things, both in Physick and Alchymy; But this wonderful Salt also makes the most subtile, as well good as bad Spirits, incredible quick, surmounting Human Understanding, visible, tangible, Corporeal and fixt, which concentrated and fixed Spirits, have ingress and egress through Doors lockt up, by which strange and incredible things may be done. So great a power hath the Almighty bestowed upon the Animal (chiefly the Microcosmical Salt) above all other Salts, which is known to few. For the Microcosmical Salt, and for want of that, the Volatile Salt of other Animals, Birds, Fishes, as also of Herbs and Woods have power to volatilise all fixed things, and again to fix the volatile. In which volatilising, the purer parts are separated from the grosser, the which being fixt again, you have a Tincture, and there is no nearer, easier, or cheaper way in the World to attain to true Metallick Tinctures, than by the means of Volatilising Salts. Take a similitude from the Spirit of Corn or Wine, so long as it is yet in the fæces of the Corn or Wine, it is little esteemed, but when it is driven out by Distillation, and cleansed by Rectification, and so exalted in its Virtue, then it is Esteemed, because much good may be done with it. So and no otherwise you must esteem of Metals, in which such rare Tinctures are hidden, which then are not esteemed, because few know what great things may be effected by them. The like great treasures are also hidden in great quantities, which by the Ignorant are not esteemed or sought after, notwithstanding that the Ancient Philosophers have highly recommended to us the Extractions, Distillations and Separations of the noblest Tinctures to be drawn out of gross despised Metals and Stones, yet their profitable Doctrines and Admonitions have taken with very few.
Basil Valentine confesseth in his Manuals, that the Work of the Philosophers can be compared to nothing better than to the known labour of making Spirit of Wine, which preparation is known even to Rusticks. The distillation and separation of the Tincture of Philosophers is as easie as to make Brandy, and yet it is done but by very few.
Paracelsus in his Cœlum Philosophorum, speaking of the Spirits of Metals, saith plainly, that it is so easie to make Gold and Silver, that it is not worth while to write of it. Virgil also sheweth, how easie a thing it is to pluck the Golden branches from the Opake Tree of Vitriol, and how easily they will follow one another, if you but hold forth your Hand, and when you have cropt one, be bids you also take a second. What could be said plainer? But yet I tell you, that these Golden Branches are much more easily, and in greater quantity to be obtained out of the Red Earth or Stones, than out of Metals; but he that will not believe it, may remain in the dark. It is enough for me, that I have plainly declar’d the truth to the ungrateful World, without any reservation. But our Sal Armoniack (I do not mean the Common) is a good Proserpina, which easily carries over the Tincture of Stones and Minerals. And he that will pluck these Golden Apple bearing Branches with profit, must very well consider after what manner to prepare his Proserpina, that she may touch and carry over only the cleanest Tinctures, and leave the gross Bodies behind. The Artist must also be sufficiently experienced, how to separate Proserpina or Minerva from the Extracted Tincture, for Minerva is a hinderance to the fixation of the Tincture. And this is the principal secret in this Mystery. For all Tinctures of Metals and Stones, after they are separated from their gross Bodies, by our Proserpina, they are volatile, and so remain till they are separated from our Proserpina. Although Proserpina is a two-fold Key, which both opens and shuts, makes volatile and fixed, yet this is to be observed, that there are but very few who know how to use this Volatilising and fixing Salt; and therefore I advise to separate it from your Tincture, and then fix your Tincture. But if God shall so favour you, as to shew you how to fix this Proserpina, or, to speak plainer, our secret Sal Armoniack, with this Tincture which it hath drawn out of Metals and Stones, both together without any separation into a fusile, red, penetrating, and tinging Stone, then you may for that bless God all your life, for you may have always plenty, without any want, for there is no richer particular, nor universal Tincture in the World.
For what can be a greater Art than by the help of our Sal Armoniack, in a few hours, to draw a pure Tincture out of gross Metals and Stones, to bring it over by Distillation, to purifie it to the highest by Rectifications, and then again to render those Volatile Tinctures in a few hours, fixt and constant in the Fire, so that by them you may immediately tinge the inferior Metals, particularly into good Gold? I Glauber truly say this, that this highly profitable Labour, to draw the Tinctures out of Metals and Stones, by the help of our Sal Armoniack, to exalt them, and again to fix them, requires hardly twenty four hours time from the beginning to the end. Which to the unskilful will seem incredible, but whether it be believ’d or no, is all one to me. It is the Will of God, that his great Gifts shall not come among the impious, but only remain among those, whom he esteems worthy of those high Secrets, and them who also will make good use of them. Virgil at first gave but a hint of it in few Words. Afterwards Cosmopolita did explain this great Work at length. Then Neusementius published it yet plainer, but the Work is most clearly and largely described in all its Circumstances, by the pious Brasescus, in his Dialogue de Ligno Vitæ, but it is received by very few, because the proud Toletanus despised this cheap Martial Labour, as if Mars contained no good at all, but that it was only to be found in Gold and Silver. I ingeniously confess, that I am acquainted with several good Secrets, by which one may reap Profit out of Metals, yet none of them is cheaper and easier, than the Work of Virgil upon Vitriol, or the Opake Tree, to break off the Golden Branches one after another, by the help of his Proserpina, or Eagles Wings, or Griffins Claws. But if one would reap good Profit by this Labour, he must be furnished with a good quantity of Griffins Claws and Eagles Wings, which also is easie to be had in great quantity, for I have sufficiently taught how to prepare them. Further, it is needful to know, after we have drawn the Tinctures, out of Red Metals and Stones, by our Alcahest, how to perfect them, because they are yet Volatile, no Metal can be meliorated by them, therefore they must be fixed before they can be used. This Fixation may be made in the space of six hours, so that these Tinctures retain their ingress and fusibility, so that if they are put upon a red hot Plate, they melt in a moment, enter and tinge as readily, as Oyl doth dry Leather; which all Tinctures do not, but must be brought to it by Art, but our Tincture only which is made by Volatile Spirits, doth it: The reason is this, all gross and fixed Bodies are naturally influxile, on the contrary, all Volatile Spirits again Coagulated into fixed Bodies, must of necessity be fluxible and penetrating. Observe this well, for it is plainly enough spoken. Concerning this, see the Epistle of Arnoldus to the Pope, and there you will find this Observation. Without this Secret Sal Armoniack, no good can be done in Alchymy. Thus I end my Explication of the Secret Fire, by which all Metals particularly and Universally, are maturated, with incredible Profit, to the perfection of Gold and Silver. Now it remains to give some hint, how these Secret Fires or Agents, separately by each Proprium Agens, may be after a peculiar manner, maturated into Tinctures. You have heard that common Sulphur is the Proprium Agens of Saturn, which becomes fixed with the Lead, and in this Fixation it also fixeth and tingeth its Patient the Lead, into ☉ and ☽. You have also heard, that Arsenick or Cobolt is the Proprium Agens of Tin, and that Arsenick the Agent is easily fixed by its Patient, Tin, and with the Tin becomes ☉ and ☽. And also, that the common ☿ is fixed into good Silver, with Lead. And all Volatile Realgars, as Orpiment and its Compeers, may be fixed into good Gold with ♂ and ♀, which is the naked Truth, of which I would have none to doubt, for I my self have several times performed these cheap Fixations, and because I am sufficiently satisfied in it, I dare satisfie others.
I have thought it unnecessary to describe, at large, all the Manuals which belong to this cheap Fixation of the inferior Metals, and also to the Coagulation of the Volatile mineral Spirits, into constant Gold and Silver. I have therefore published it as short (yet comprehensive enough) as I could, that you may speculate into it your selves, and then you cannot fail, except God prohibit you, which often happens to evil Men, which see easie things done before their Eyes, which yet they cannot imitate. Now to put an end to this business, and to prove that the Universal Agent, the common Sulphur, which is the Grandfather or Demogorgon of all Minerals and Metals, hath also its Proprium Agens, by which it may be maturated into a Universal Medicine or Tincture, I have thought fit to acquaint the World with this easie and cheap Fixation of Sulphur; chiefly, because I have already, some years since, treated of this easie Fixation of Sulphur, but I have not there discovered every thing so plainly, that every one may prepare it. But now I intend, God willing, to publish it so clear and comprehensive, that even any Mechanick may not only understand, but easily imitate it. I pray God to assist me in it, Amen. Some years ago I taught, how, by the help of my Sal Mirabile, to fix any common Sulphur, but chiefly, such as is yet bound up in Wood or Sea-Coals, and doth not so easily fly in the Fire, but is easier to be handled with a red hot heat, than the open Fluxile common Sulphur. This curious Work I have shewed to some Friends with my own hands, and highly recommended it to them, to take it in hand, and bring it to a good end, because I was certain, that it must become a rich, and far extending Tincture. But seeing the Sulphur would not presently be fixed, they left the Work: Whereupon I farther divulged this Work by writing, and made it common. Notwithstanding which, as yet very little hath been attempted about it, because every one is in haste, and hath not Patience to wait for a good end, not considering that every thing must have its time, and that haste makes waste. Must not the Plowman, when he sows his Corn into the Earth, to have an hundred fold encrease, wait the due time before he can have this Multiplication? Why should not then also a Chymist wait his time, for this profitable Fixation, that will recompense him a thousand fold? Now to return again to our business, to shew that any common Combustible Sulphur, which otherwise is an universal Agent for all Metals, to maturate them into Gold and Silver, hath also its own Proprium Agens, by which it is not only maturated into ☉ and ☽, but also into a true universal Tincture; and this is done only by certain Salts, that have Power to fix the Sulphur, and make it constant in the Fire. Cosmopolita minds us of this very well, when he saith, that Salt, in the conflict with Sulphur, gave him a deadly Wound, which is very true, and besides Salt or strong Spirit of Salt hath Power to fix it, if they be several times drawn off from it. How this is to be done, I have taught in my Three Principles of Metals. But such a Sulphur as is fixed by Aqua Fortis, is also quite killed, and its ingress into Metals is taken away, but may be restored to it again, so that it easily enters Metals, and tingeth them throughly. Paracelsus saith, you must reverberate the fixed 🜍, till it comes to be Red, and then draw out the Tincture, with Spirit of Wine, and then fix ☽ or ☿ with it into Gold. Neusementius teacheth to drown the Dragon in the Stygian Waters, that is to fix him, and when he is come to the highest degree of fixity, that then you must revive, or Volatize him again, and then fix him the second time, and then he hath a better ingress into Metals to tinge them. Bracescus teacheth also, to extract his fixed Sulphur, out of the fixed Scales of Iron, and to fix them into a Fluxile and penetrating Tincture. Cosmopolita teacheth it after this manner, viz. how to deliver Sulphur out of his Prison, and that he will give to his Redeemer a Crown of Three Kingdoms for a Recompence. Out of these, the true Fixation of Sulphur is sufficiently to be learned, and needs no farther instruction, but yet I cannot forbear here to set down my way, how to fix it, that the Artist may so much the easier attain his End. And this Fixation of Sulphur may be done after several manners.
And First in this: I have taught, how Sulphur may be fixed into a Red Carbuncle, persisting in the Fire, where I have treated of my Sal Mirabilis: It is true, this way of fixing is done without any cost, yet it requires a certain, tho no very long, time, which is the reason, that hitherto few have tryed any thing in it, and yet it is very difficult to come easier and cheaper to the Fixation of Sulphur; and besides, there is this advantage in fixing the Sulphur with the Sal Mirabile, that it retains its easie Flux and Ingress into Metals, which that fixed by Aqua Fortis doth not, but into an unmeltable Earth, which hath no ingress into Metals except it be procured by Art, which every one cannot do. Yet Neusementius hath clearly described it in these Words: When thou hast brought thy Subject to its highest Fixation, to wit, by the Abstraction of Aqua Fortis, (which Fixation he also clearly teacheth, when he saith, that you must drown the Dragon in the Stygian Waters, and so make him fixed) and after the Fixation make him Volatile again, that then he acquires his ingress, and is fit to tinge, which is so plainly exprest, that it is impossible to express it plainer, yet these excellent Writings, are written only supervacaneously, and understood and imitated but by few. I still add even to superfluity, one way more how to fix any Sulphur whatsoever, to do wonders in Physick. ℞. Sea-Coals, or in defect of them, Wood Coals powdered, good Saltpeter, Common Salt, and Oyl of Vitriol, of each a like quantity, put these four things into a Glass Retort well coated, fix a Receiver to it, and in an open Fire distil off all the Humidity, urge it at length with the strongest Fire, and a Green Liquor of Sulphur will come over, which the Ancients called the Green Lyon, which dissolves ☉, and when they are digested a good while, or the Green Liquor is often abstracted from the ☉, then they are fixed together, and the Liquor of Sulphur, together with the ☉, turns into a Red tinging Stone. N. B. If you will that the Sulphur shall not come over, but remain fixed behind, you may instead of the common Salt, which makes the Sulphur Volatile, put Saltpetre, which is of this Nature, as well as Oyl of Vitriol, to make any Sulphur fixed, but common Salt makes it Volatile. Jason killed or fixed the always watching Dragon with a strong Water of Saltpetre. Bracescus, Basilius, Paracelsus, Neusementius and others have done the like, he that will truly follow them; cannot err, but it is impossible to explain to the ignorant any thing, so that he may presently imitate it. You must yourself take the thing in hand, and proceed diligently, else nothing can be done: Let this suffice to be said concerning common Sulphur, which is an Universal Agent, to maturate all Metals, and it self is fixed with Metals, into ☉ and ☽; and also by Saltpetre and Vitriol is fixed into a true Tincture, as is here demonstrated. Here I put an end to the Explanation of the Agent, and Patient of Metals, how to fix them particularly into Gold and Silver, and Universally into Tinctures. It yet remains to give a small Explication of the Fixation of Sulphur.