The works of the highly experienced and famous chymist, John Rudolph Glauber

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

The same happens in Metals, when the Sun, or any other Star operates upon the moist Earth; the astral Vertues are congregated, and being made corporeal, do exhibit diverse Minerals and Metals, according to the purity of the Matrix, or moist Earth; where the Water is instead of the Matrix, and the Stars instead of the Father, or Seed: likewise, it is not possible for Metals to be generated in the Centre, where all things are dry, but far off from that place, where the Waters moisten the Earth, and with which the Central Spirits can join themselves, and pass into Bodies and Metals.

For a dry spirit cannot coagulate himself into a body, by reason of his dryness, but wants a fit subject, from whence to take its body, which is Water: as soon as ever the sulphureous spirit is mixt with the water, it is no more common water, but the rudiment and beginning of a metallick generation called ☿ by the Philosophers, not the vulgar being already made metalline, but a viscous water, which the metallurgists call Gur or a fermenting spume, which if contained in a convenient place, and Cherished with the due Central heat, and an humidity, is in length of time maturated into a metal.

The Conception therefore, and generation of metals is not only in the profundity of the earth by the mediation of the central spirits carryed upwards, but also in the superfices by the stars casting their invisible beams into a subtle, and fat earth where they are held, and become Corporeal.

For the sidereal fire never ceaseth to infuse its virtues into the earth, and to Impregnate it with various products of vegetables, animals, and minerals, according as it meets with a matrix, nor is this done only in the earth as being most fit for metallick generation, but even in the air in thick Clouds, do they act the same thing.

Truly we frequently see that not only little Animals, as Palmer-worms, Caterpillars, Frogs & other insects are there conceived and thence excluded, and descend mixt with the rain, but tis also evident by Credible Testimonys, that stones of an hundred weight, also Masses of Iron in the form of small Conglomerated drops, exceedingly malleable have fallen down from the air, and also various Comets and other Igneous substances being gathered together in the air: are kindled; their matter being taken away they dy, and falling down upon the earth like a fume of Arsnick they infect it with their brats, whence an harvest of many deadly diseases doth most plentifully bud forth. Nay even thunder and lightning it self is nothing else, but a subtle nitre enkindled, and with the Crack falling stones are procreated in the air; thence it appears, that not only the central fire doth ingravidate the Intrals of the earth: but also the Astral fire seeks a place of creating metals in the superficies or in the air it self, but no where more apt then in the veins and dens of the earth.

I well know, that there are many Opinions of those metals, which are not in the bowels of the earth; but are found above either in the earth, or sand in little grains, but they are for the most part Erroneous. Most men do think that gold which is found on the banks of Rivers and there washed out, was not generated in that place, but were broken off from some veins of gold by the strength of waters, falls, or floods, and brought thither out of the mountains, which indeed may be true, for somtimes torrents do hurry alongst them little shining golden grains which are afterwards taken up on the hairy backs of the beasts, but that all gold found in Rivers, and streams, is by the help of currents washt out of the mountains, seems unlikely, but was rather generated there; for sometimes gold is gathered by a river from whence the fountains are exceedingly remote and distant, which should bring it thither.

Likewise in open Mountains, never seen by any fountains, is gold gathered out of the earth or sand, of which kind is almost all the gold, which the Hollanders buy of the Indians of the value of an hundred or thousand markes, which is not gotten out of the fountains or rivers, but for the greatest part out of the sand in open places, Elevated from the waters.

Such sublime and dry places have been in Germany, also where the auriferous earth was carryed down to the rivers, and separated from the gold, and even to this day where little grains of Zwitter or Tin are washed out, are grains of gold also found, not in low deep places, but scattered about the mountains and are usually melted with the Tin, whence tis that such Tin is generally wont to abound with gold, which thing I have frequently found experimentally.

The cause why gold is oftner found near rivers and streams is this, because that being carryed on with force they wash away the sand, being lighter and leave behind them, the more heavy grains of gold, from which the remaining sand is washed away with less ado; but now the Rhenish gold, such as here is in Germany, and the like, is not pure, but mingled with silver and copper; nor is it always alone, or fine, like a metal, but in the form of an heavy and sulphureous powder, whose combustible sulphur being burnt and removed by fusion, it acquires a golden colour tenderness, ductibility and purity.

But that which is brought from India, is, as to appearance gold, and is some greater, some smaller graines, and not as that with us is, yet not fine, but some is found better than other some.