The Second, I give to all Citizens, Merchants and others who have time and leasure, and abounding in riches, know not by what means to augment or improve their Gold and Silver. Which way I will shew them, and how to effect it after a much better and honester manner than putting it to Usury, or incommoding or oppressing their Neighbours.
The Third, I present to all Conscientious Physicians that they may learn to prepare Salutiferous and Efficacious Medicines with small charge, little labour, and in a short time; that (as becomes Christians) they may help and succour the Miseries of the sick, and acquire to themselves an honest livelihood.
The Fourth, I dedicate to all persons of great Name and Authority, by the benefit of which, they may preserve their Health entire, and recover it when lost.
The Omnipotent God give us his Divine Grace, that we may make such use of his fatherly bounty, as may tend to the promoting of his Honour, and the Love of our Neighbour. Amen.
Arcanum I.
Being a Gift given to Husbandmen, keepers of Vineyards, Gardeners, &c.
Although I had determined with my self to reserve the Press, mentioned in the [first part of The Prosperity of Germany], (by which the juice might be pressed out of great Trees, the searching after which hath wearied many Mens Brains) for the third part of the same work; nevertheless, it seems good to me to describe it in this Treatise for the good of the publick. And that chiefly for this reason, because the Omnipotent God hath now revealed to me other manners of extracting Salt-petre, in plenty, out of all Wood, and that without a Press; and not only from Wood, but also from all Vegetables, Animals, and Minerals, so that by an easie business, and in a short time, without a Press and putrefaction, Wood, and Salt may be converted into Salt-petre: Yea, in the space of three or four hours, every Vegetable, or Animal, as also Salts of every kind, may be so transmuted, as that they pass into a Fatt, fervid and sulphureous Salt, which afterwards by the benefit of the Air is animated, and converted into Salt-petre. Such a Salt, although it doth not presently conceive flame, and burn like Salt-petre, yet it is now brought to that pass, that in the manuring or dunging of poor and barren ground, it doth the same thing as the dung of any Cattel is wont to effect. Hence by the same Salt every pure Sand destitute of all fatness, is quickly so fatted, that it is rendered fit for the sowing and bringing forth Corn. Few will believe what Salt can perform, when spoiled of its Corrosive force. Therefore Christ saith not in vain to his Disciples, Ye are the Salt of the Earth. That Earth which wanteth Salt is dead; nor can it bring forth Fruit: For this inverted Salt serveth not only for sandy and plainly barren Fields, but also for those which are fruitful, that they may be sowed every year, and bring forth Fruit. Truly it is a great Gift of GOD, of which this ungrateful World is not worthy. It often happens, that a Husbandman, through want of Dung, is forced to let his Fields lie unsown, till he can have an opportunity to sow them; but what a loss is this to those who in the mean time must pay the Magistrates, Taxes, or Duties, for them, and yet make no benefit of them. Were it not better for such to possess only the Third or Fourth part of what they have of such Land as would yield him every year an encrease. Certainly by this means, that Land which otherwise is scarce able to maintain one Country-man, would be sufficient for the keeping of ten, if it were fatened after this manner by an inverted wood or salt. In like manner also Vineyards [and Hopyards] might be so fattened, that the Labour bestowed upon them might not be in vain, but they might abound in Fruits.
So also Fruit-trees, and Meadows, and Pastures, which bear but little Grass, may by the same Salt be so amended, as to bring forth better FruitVid. Prosp. Germ. p. 3. and richer Crops of Grass. But let this suffice, concerning those things in this place, more shall follow (God willing) in the [Third Part of The Prosperity of Germany]. In the mean time the Plenty of Corn and Wine will be in part consumed. But I doubt not but that this excellent Gift of God will be sought into by good Masters of Families, be had in esteem, and even from this time to the World’s end, be put to use for the promoting of the Divine Honour, and the well being of many Thousands of men.
But the manner of expressing of Wood by its proper Fire, and again of coagulating this acid juice, by the benefit of the fixed Salt remaining in the burnt Coals or Ashes, into a Salt fattening of barren ground, or of reducing it into Salt-Petre by the benefit of the Air, is indeed an excellent and singular Artifice, which rendereth all unprofitable Wood highly profitable and beneficial; yea, these are Inventions so profitable, as the like hath been yet published by no man. And this Invention is much better than that of reducing Wood into Pot-ashes, in which all the acid juice passing away in smoak, wholly perisheth, and is lost, and from a great quantity of Wood a very few ashes remain, and out of them there is found but a little Salt (scarcely the Tenth Part) fit for the fattening of ground, or to be turned into Salt-Petre. For it is not the ashes, but the salt contained in them, that serves to both those purposes. Therefore this my method of extracting the juice of wood, and converting it into a good salt, is far to be preferred to the making of Pot-ashes of Wood. Nor doth this press serve only for the pressing out the juice of Wood, where Wood is plenty, but it may be also used with great profit in Moorish places where Wood is wanting, and which abound with Turf, which may be used instead of Wood. For the juice of Turf is equally fit with the juice of Wood for enriching of Land; so that no Country hath cause to complain that the Creator of all things hath not plentifully provided it with some part of that mundane Treasure. Countries that lie high abound with Wood, and the low afford abundance of Turf. Therefore, as in Regions of an higher scituation, an unspeakable quantity of Wood perisheth by putrefaction, and growing, and again rotting, serveth for no use or benefit; so also it is in places lower scituated, with Turf, in which very often vast Tracts yield not the least profit to any man, although in their inward Penetrals are hidden great Treasures. Seeing that it is so in Moorish and Marshy places, if they are overgrown with Grass, and Beasts should be sent to feed upon that Grass, what profit will thence accrue to men? But if they shall be invironed with too much wet or plashiness, (too boggy) so that they are impassible by men, they are of no utility at all.