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

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

I sometime saw a dutch Merchant having a lump of this kind of gold well nigh fine or of Twenty four Carracts weighing some Lotons, but generally they are of the bigness of a midling sand. But that which is washt out in Hungaria, and Transilvania is esteemed the finest of all, which I have found equivalent to duckets.

Now I suppose that I have sufficiently demonstrated, that all gold is not generated by the central fire in the belly of the earth, but also in the superfices thereof, by the vertue of the superiour stars, and not only gold, but other, metals and minerals, especially ♂ and ♀ are in like manner generated, and ♂ most frequently, which is plentifully found every where in round or angulated little stones, for the most part of a golden Nature, and though commonly neglected yet deserve well to be observed.

Such also are those flints which are within of a reddish colour conteining a golden iron, for there is a great familiarity and friendship between ♂ and ☉, where under lys hid, a great secret and in the third part shall be explained more at large.

Now for a further conviction of such as are incredulous, the metals are generated upwards or here above in a moist earth without the central seed, this example is conducible in marshy parts, and places that are always moist, the Superiour Stars have a fit Subject to generate Metals in, witness Holland, where they yearly dig a peculiar turf or earth, which they burn instead of wood, which contains, besides sulphur, Arsnick, ♂ and ♀ yet, all, is not thus, but only that which is dig’d out of the most deep places, and is called bactert, the rest called been seldom contains any thing other thing than, sulphur & a little Arsnick, whereas the other hath very much, sulphur and Arsnick being an unwholesome fire to such as are not there unto accustomed, which although it be in depth Twenty Thirty or Forty feet, yet do they scarce extract or dig out five or six, or at the utmost ten foot, because in some depth it wants sulphur altogether, and is unfit for the fire.

Now then such as try for bituminous Turf, or such as search for the depth of a Marsh, or seek after a sandy bottom, drawing forth the earth with long borryers or Caugers, do find that by how much the deeper they go, so much the less, sulphur they find, and at the bottom none at all.

Whence tis evident that sulphur Arsnick, or that Mineral that lys hid in the earth received his Original from above, and not from beneath. But the most Metals are produced in the earths bowels, and the fewest nigh the Circumference, whose seed is found more powerful in the deep, than in the Circumference; for the sidereal virtues do constantly hasten to the centre, and not finding further passage fight together, and strive each against the other, and cause a huge heat, by the repercussion whereof the whole globe grows warm, and is gravidated with all kinds of Minerals.

Thus then are all Minerals, and Metals procreated, as well in the deep as in the Circumference, out of a most subtle Astral seed, with a sutable moisture wherein it frameth a body to it self, nor let any wonder that Metals are generated of an insensible, and most subtle warm vapour, if joyned with humidity, they fall not down from heaven as a stone from an house, but descend spiritual, and getting a fitting place in the earth do (by the waters mediation) put on a body, and get their weightiness from the earth, even as the seeds of vegetables and Animals, which (as is most evident) give only the form, increase and life, but supplys not the place of the body it self.

But most false is the foundation of such as imagine, that Metals have there Original from common running, ☿ and burning sulphur (each being a semi-mettal) tis indeed certain that metals are born of ☿ & sulphur but not the common, but such aforementioned, viz. Astral, a sulphureous warm, dry, and spiritual soul, and terrestrial viscous water, from whose mutual conjunction (as of Male and Female Seed) all Metals are born.

That Erroneous Opinion hath been the cause of many labours on, ☿ and they are not a few, who have wasted all they had by this, their philosophy. And how many have attempted to fix common, ☿ either with or without Gold or Silver, and do at this day attempt the like, with hopes of turning it into Gold or Silver, but all in vain, my self have to my loss tryed it, and how far I have come, the third part shall declare.

In like sort as great a number have attempted to extract runing, ☿ out of Metals, intending to fix it (as the first of Metals) into Gold or Silver, but all in vain, for as the beginning was foolish, so the end terminates in loss; and such have chiefly with much trouble sought after the ☿ of ♄ or Antimony being perhaps seduced by the sayings of the Philosophers, who affirm that ♄ the father of all Metals reduced into ☿ may be easily Changed into Gold, but this is not that running ☿ but a viscous water, that may be handled like the first being of Metals, according as the Artificer willeth, and may be changed into any form. I cannot tell what madness possesseth men that aim to reduce ♄ or ♁ into running ☿ in hopes of a more easy fixing it, whereas neither of both ever was running ☿ and in my opinion will never be, but grant it may be made ☿ to what will it be more profitable then ♄ it self, it being hereby made more volatile, and not more fixt, but say they ☿ is a purer substance then ♄ and will therefore the more freely be amalgamated and fixed with the Sun and ☽ no, by no means. Well! I will grant that ☿ may be made of ♄ or ♁ which yet I can hardly believe, what will it profit thee? Nothing at all; but now I readily believe, and have experienced that ♄ and ♁ being after a Philosophical manner reduced into ☿ that is, into a viscous water, is most easily joyned with the ☉ and ☽ and is to be fixed even without them, but twas never seen that, the putatitious ☿ of ♄ did ever accomplish any praise worthy thing in the Meliorations of Metals. I grant that running ☿ may easily be made out of any Metal by the addition of vulgar ☿ and I have tryed it, but what profit comes therefrom; enquire of those that have to their loss practised thereabouts.