This is done only by the power and virtue of Salt Nitre, whereby the Metal is penetrated, depurated, and fixed into a more perfect, or exalted in maturity, but cannot be performed with much profit in a great quantity, but it proveth that Nitre hath a virtue of transmuting every imperfect Metal into perfect, which is done in this manner. Let the Metal be laminated into very thin Plates, whether it be ♀, ♄, or ♃, ♂ is indeed corrected by this way, but melteth not in any Crucible, and ☿ also is transmuted into other forms, but not into ☉ or ☽. Make in a Crucible stratum super stratum with Saw-dust, Sulphur, and Nitre, as also with the laminated Metal, of which mention is made in the second part of Furnaces; kindle the mixture at the top, then a great and suddain flaming fire will arise, by which the laminated metal is penetrated, partly fixed, and amended, so that if it be wrought on a Cupel with Lead, it leaveth some ☽ or ☉, which nevertheless before, would have yielded neither, whence it is manifest, that the flame excited by the Nitre hath corrected the Metal. NB. That ☿ is first to be coagulated, and Chalcitis to be pulverized, before they be commixed with the sudden fire of Nitre, and enkindled. In these Labours, although they may be esteemed of small moment, a great Mistery is hidden, which nevertheless will be valued by no man, although it should be discovered in plain and open words, because the process is mean, costeth little, and may be performed in the space of a quarter of an hour.
Point XI.
Metals also grow up in this subject, in the form of Vegetables, before the eye, in the space of two or three hours, to the length of a Finger, or hands breadth, into many branches and twiggs, without Fruit indeed, but is a demonstration that even Metals themselves do germinate in it like Vegetables.
This Point is mentioned only for this end, to shew that Nitre hath a power of making Metals to grow after the manner of Vegetables. Which thing the Liquor of Flints also performeth, of which mention is made in the Second Part of our Furnaces; but the Liquor of fixed Nitre is better; which is prepared by fixing it with powder of Coals and Flints, which is also taught in the Second Part of our Furnaces, so that there is no need here to repeat it. If therefore the metals being prepared in little bits, be put into this liquor, they will grow and encrease after the manner of Herbs, and so quickly, that in a few hours space they will grow to the height of a hands breadth, which is very delightful to the eye, and worthy of a singular meditation, whence so sudden an encrease should proceed. Certainly many things might be written concerning this matter, but because in this place I have promised no more, but to verifie what I have attributed to the salt of the earth in my Miraculum Mundi; let what is said suffice.
Point XII.
There is another augmentation or encrease of the Perfect Metals, very gainful, by the Imperfect, answering to the germination or growth of Vegetables, &c.
As for this augmentation, it is done by a way far distant from the foregoing, viz. in this Sol and Luna are joined with Lead, Tin, and Venus, or with Tin alone, where it is to be left for a convenient time, then the Sol attracteth from the Lead or other imperfect metals, a golden Essence, is encreased and made heavier. The Process is this: Take one lothone (or half an ounce) of Gold, eight or ten lothones (which is four or five ounces) of Lead, let them be melted together; if you please, you may add Tin or Copper; put the Crucible, together with the Lead or other imperfect metals, into a strong Crucible, give a temperate and constant Fire, that the Lead with the Gold may only flow, but not be white hot; cast into the Crucible upon it half an ounce of the best Nitre, cover the Crucible well, that no Coals fall in, and keep it in a constant easie fire, then in such a time the Lead, together with the other metals, which were mixed with it, will be turned into Glass, but the Gold being pure, is separated from the Glass by it self, and will adhere to the bottom of the Crucible, which when the Crucible is broken, take out and weigh, and you shall find your Gold encreased, and that it hath taken weight from the other metals. Although this labour affords no profit, yet it sheweth how the nature of metals are to be known. There is yet another way of trying this thing, thus, viz. Take half an ounce of Gold, join with it 5 or 6 ounces of Lead, and drive away the Lead again upon a good Test, till the Gold sparkle and shine, and you shall find your Gold to be made much heavier than it was before, which weight it hath drawn from the Lead only.
Point XIII.
By the mediation of this from all Imperfect Metals and Minerals, yielding nothing in the usual Examen of Cupels, Gold and Silver is produced in a manifold manner, being an Argument that the Imperfect Metals have somewhat of the Perfect reconded in them, when they are inverted, and shew themselves to our sight.
If we would obtain Gold and Silver from the Imperfect Metals, by the help of Nitre, an equal weight of Regulus of Antimony is to be added to them, that they may be rendred frangible, and fit to be pulverized, so that they may be commixed and fixed with Nitre in this manner: Take an ounce, or an ounce and a half of Copper, Lead, Tin, or Chalcitis, melt it with as much Regulus of Antimony; pulverize the mixture, and mix with it its equal weight of the best Nitre, put the mixture into a crucible, kindle it with a live coal, then the mixture will be reduced by the Nitre into Scoria, which must be melted by a very strong fire, in a Wind Furnace, then the Metal will pass into a Regulus, but the Regulus will remain in the Scoria, which by the casting in of a live coal may be precipitated and brought to Regulus again: but weigh the metallick Regulus according to the Hundred weight, and drive it (if it be Lead) upon a Test, then you shall find it to contain gold and silver, which the metal had not before. If the metal be Copper or Chalcitis, a due proportion of Lead is to be added to it, that it may be wrought upon a cupel, then it leaveth gold and silver, which without this Operation it would not have done. This Work may also be effected by another way, viz. Mix ♄ or ♀ with its own weight of Regulus of Antimony, suffer it to flow well with the metal in a melting Furnace, inject successively by a little at a time, so much Nitre as both the Metal and the Regulus did weigh, then let the Regulus and the Metal be fired by the Nitre, that some of the superfluous sulphur may be burnt and the mixture reduced to Scoria, afterwards give a strong fire, that the Scoria may be well melted, then the Metal will be separated from the Regulus, which may be tested, and the correction of the metal, made by the benefit of the Nitre, will be manifest.