But that testimony which the most imploy themselves in, in seeking by an Hazel rod (which my self have many times experienced) is fallacious and uncertain.
This is the Work of the Art, if any one conjoyning Metals in the Fire under a certain constellation, melt them into an electrum and make of them a little Ball, perfortated in the middle, wherein a wand of hazel of one years growth wanting little boughs, is to be implanted, which carry streight out before thee where thou conjecturest Metals to be, when the little Ball, bows the Rod & bends towards the ground it is without doubt that thereunder are metals, & that the labour undertaken about them will not be in vain.
This testimony proceeding from the Natural and infallible foundation of Philosophie, is deservedly to be preferred before all other Arts concerning the finding out of Metals.
Nor mayest thou wonder thereat, for we are unacquainted with most things; who is it that can certainly unfold why the Magnet atracts Iron, and heated Amber attracts Straw, Grass, Thread and other Vegetables? the whole Earth is full of unsearchable Wonders and Secrets of GOD which are to be diligently observed by us.
Now as to the causes, why so many kinds of Metals are generated so unlike amongst themselves; some think one thing, and some another; many will that the Seven Metals onely have their product from the Seven Planets, viz. Lead from Saturn, Tin from Jupitur, Iron from ♂. Gold from the Sun, Copper from ♀. Quick-silver from ☿. and Silver from the Moon; but I am not of that Opinion; for how can the Sun, ☽, or any other Planet seek out to it self in the profundity of the Earth, a peculiar place where to sow its Seed, and procreate a Metal conformable to it self; whereas we see that no Metal is digg’d out of the earth, alone, but alwayes mixt with others; for thou shalt never find Lead but there is silver in it, more or less; no Tin is dig’d or washed out but it hath Gold and Silver; all Copper and ♂ contains Silver, and sometimes much ☉ which is neither conceived of, or believed by the Metallurgists, nor is ever Gold found without Silver or Copper, and ☽ is very seldom void of ☉ or other Metals; but if each Planet should generate its own Metal, how comes it that another is adjoyned to it? I speak of those Metals only, which are either solely contained in their own Veins, or else are found and washt out in grains in the Earth or Sand, either pure or mixt with stones.
I exclude those which are (two or three mixt with each other) each in his own proper Vein, and are a burden or impediment, to one another, as Metallists speak, and are often carried along a great while together, and not seldome do come together making one Vein, and are by and by separated and dispersed into various little Veins; and now, if each Planet should create his own proper Metals verily he would also chuse his own place, and would not suffer another to possess his proper nest, and disturb his operation.
But let us allow to each his proper Metal, and then what Starr should we assigne to Bismuth Cobolt, ♁ and Zink for their Generator, they being undeservedly excluded from the Metalline Company, wherewith they are nearer affined then ☿, being fusible with other Metals, and brought to use by the Artificers hand, which with ☿ Cannot be done; indeed some are to be found alone, in Veins, as Lead and Silver, but ☉ being any where found and cleansed from every Mineral, and washed out of the Sand, yet never wants Silver and Copper; Tin and iron are also gotten out of the Sand, and Earth in small pieces, never simple, but mixt with stone; these grains or pieces yield the most Excellent Tin, (Called by the Germans Seiffenzin) and for the most part contains more Gold than that which is digged out of the pit, Because while those litle granulated stones are washed out (Switter or Sintranpen) many granulated ones containing much Gold, commix themselves therewith, and are excocted and melted together with the Tin; in like manner the little grains of Iron yield the most Excellent Iron. The Miners find ☿ either runing or inclosed in a Red stone but to be excocted and vivified by Art; sometimes also Copper is found in very little stones (Recauplein) like the Angulated Piris Stones; otherwise all Metals grow in their own Mines or Veins of the Mountains, out from whence being gotten with greatest labour and cost, together with hazzard of life, are purged from the Mine, by beating, washing, and melting; but how each are to be known, exploded, digged, beaten, washed, melted, and separated from heterogeneous things, is copiously demonstrated by the most Famous and Antient Metallists, George Agricola and Lazarus Erker.
I do therefore conclude that Metals, and Semimetals or Minerals, have their birth from one common Seed, but are by accident severed into various forms and shapes.
For the Vertues of the Stars being jointly carried into the Centre of the Earth, do not remain alone, but being mixt each with the other, goe back into the Caverns of the Mountains, seeking a place of Rest, where they may make themselves a Body; which if it be pure, makes also a pure Metal, if impure, an unpure Metal; and such place is most like unto a Matrix, conceiving Seed from the Male, which if it forms into a body, cherisheth, and being excocted to maturity, perfects it. Now the Astral Spirits supply the room of man-like sperm, which being received into the moist Earth, in Caverns, as in a Matrix, is nourished, and fashioned into diverse metallick Forms, and palpable Bodies, according to the purity of the place.
Hence also ’tis evident, That various kinds of Metals are generated out of one Seed accidentally, because the Metals, whilst in being, do grow riper by little and little, and are more and more meliorated, and daily experience doth demonstrate, that they are nobilitated, not only under the Earth, but even above it. Hence ’tis, that the Miners diging out an immature Mineral, as Bismuth, Cobaltum, or Zinck examining it, as they do silver, and finding nothing, say, that they came sooner there than they ought, which Minerals being exposed to the Aire, and then exploded, and tryed after some years, are found to contain much silver.