1. In the lesser trial I have found, that with the Spirit of Wine, as ’tis generally prepar’d, I can make an Anatomy of all Vegetable, Animal, Mineral, and Metallick Subjects, separate their three Principles, make the volatile fix’d, and the fix’d volatile, and force ’em through a Limbeck.
2. To force the Anima and Salt of Gold through the Limbeck, and to reduce it, well mix’d with its Spirit and volatile Salt, into a potable body like Vegetable Essences.
But because Gold may be reduced into such a sort of Essence, it will not be very hard to render the imperfect Metals and Minerals, with their Three Principles, potable: and these Principles are inseparable in their volatility; wherefore I doubt not but they may be fix’d.
3. Furthermore, I have found by small trials the way of taking all Corrosion from all Corrosive Spirits, by this general Spirit, and of reducing them (by the help of Divine Providence) into sweet Oils or Menstruums; which if it answer the desire in large quantities, (and I don’t doubt it) Glauber with his Alkahest, which indeed is not wholly to be despis’d, must be forc’d to hide: for I have hopes, that by the assistance of Divine Providence, whatsoever subject I shall propose to my self, I can separate and purge its three Principles; lastly, join them, and so produce a better subject and more pure: But ’tis true, seeing I was so often deceived in the lesser trial, I did not interpret it as Truth, but Speculation. However, I can effect very well whatever I have here said, as well in the great as lesser.
4. But forasmuch as so many excellent, as well as new, Secrets, offer themselves, that I can’t chuse but clearly know them, and therefore ’tis impossible that I should make all those Secrets abovenamed profitable to my self: And although I am now about many things, that hereafter a great quantity of them may be expos’d by me to be sold in pounds and hundreds; yet I shall not be so envious to refuse a Communication of them to any man for the named Reward; nor keep from him any knowledge I can give him.
Yet he must know, that it is very troublesome to instruct any man that is altogether ignorant and void of skill in Chymistry; Therefore whoever will learn any of these things of me, let him either come to me, or signifie his wind by his Letters, thus: To Christopher Farnner, Canonicate Quæstor of Spire, &c.
These are the words of the perfidious Farnner, which he hath used in his most false and wicked Writing.
A Specification of those Chymical things.
This, good Reader, is the Beginning or Preface of that Lying Writing, in which he hath exposed to Sale those Secrets he had of me, and found good: Besides, he adds, That those Secrets which he had of me, which do not succeed according to his desire, are not added; but those only whose Truth he has found in the trial.