R. one part of Tin, melt it in a Crucible, when it is melted, take the Crucible out of the Fire, and pour out the melted Tin into another earthen Vessel, and mix therewith one part of Argent-vive, which will presently be absorbed by the Tin, but the Tin will become so brittle and friable, that it may be ground upon a stone to fine powder. With this fine powder mix two parts of good and pure Salt-Petre, by grinding them well together, till the Amalgama cannot be known from the Salt-Petre, but one white powder be made of both. This powder is The Swan of Basilius, of which he prepareth Meat for the King; but I call it The Fulmen of Jove, by which all Metals are destroyed and reduced into nothing. And from this nothing, Metals much better and more noble are generated de novo. Concerning this destruction and regeneration of Metals, consult Paracelsus’s Book of The Vexation of Alchymists, and the Third Part of my Mineral Work, and you shall find, that Paracelsus hath involved this Operation in obscure words, as also Basilius, who delivereth the same in his sixth Key, with the same obscurity, which here, without any covering, I have openly and clearly made manifest.
NB. I would have the studious of this Noble Science know, that Jupiter alone, or Tin mixt with Glass only, in this artificial destillation by the fiery man, yields that medicinal spirit, without the addition of Argent-vive, and leaveth the meat or augment of ☉ and ☽ in the bottom. But that our Ancestors have adjoined Mercury or Argent-vive, I also by experience have found it profitable. But it is chiefly done for this end, that the Tin being rendered friable and fit for grinding, may the better be mixed with the Nitre; for it would be laborious and troublesome to file the Tin to mix and destil with the Nitre, as Baptista Porta teacheth in his Natural Magick. This reduction into Powder by Mercury, is performed in a very short time, and wonderfully promoteth the Labour, whilst the Mercury acting upon the porous Jupiter, penetrateth him, and rendereth him compact. On the contrary, The Fulmen of Jove burneth the wings of Mercury, and maketh him remain stable, so Jupiter is an help to Mercury, and Mercury to Jupiter, and both become more noble by the power and efficacy of Salt-petre; for Jupiter possesseth much combustible sulphur, which nevertheless burneth not per se, without some help; in the effecting of which Salt-Petre is a Master, having neither superiour nor equal. Well doth Basil say, that sulphur only is Nitre’s best Friend, and also its worst Enemy, which we have found to be most true, in this operation.
When the Tin and Nitre grow hot together, they take Flame like Gunpowder; the purer part, like some subtile spirit, vanisheth into the Air, and the more fixed, stable, and better remaineth at the bottom; for the noxious and superfluous Sulphur of the Tin is burnt by the Salt-Petre, which being separated, the rest of the Tin acquireth a more compact and better body. The Mercury also adjoined in this operation, yieldeth whatsoever good he hath, offering his Spirit for Medicine, and his Body for the encrease of Gold or Silver; so that more profit accrues by the addition of Mercury, than if Jupiter were fulminated by Nitre alone. Very few will believe how noble a Sulphur there is hid in Jupiter, which can be made manifest by Nitre only. Truly Mercury can by no way be better deceived and overcome, than by the Fulmen of Jove, which casts a terrour upon all the gods. Therefore they are very wary, lest they be touched with that Thunder, and slain with sudden death. If Jupiter were destitute of his most efficacious Thunder, neither his father ♄, nor ☉, nor ☽, with the rest of the gods, would be subject to him. Mars, Venus, and Mercury would only sport themselves with him. Mars would shew him his Sword, ♀ would intangle him with her amorous Net, and ☿, the deluder of all dreaming Alchymists, would fly away, and laugh at him. Volens nolens they all fear Jupiter, and must allow him the Empire; the conversation of Iove is perilous to all the Metals, even as it often brings subjects into no small danger, to converse with their Prince. Hence the vulgar Proverb, Procul a jove, procul a fulmine; He that keeps from the fire, is not in danger of being burnt.
But leaving those things, we will now address our selves to the operation it self, and plainly shew how it is to be performed. And first, let the studious know that this Work requires a diligent and skilful Operator; but he who knows not how with skill to handle the Fire, I advise him to abstain from this Work. The Art is true and excellent, so that he that understands but a little, may see the whole Work to stand upon a firm foundation drawn from Nature. He that knows the nature of Metals and Minerals, knows that the goodness and perfection of Gold and Silver, the best of Metals, consists in a stable, fixed, and incombustible matter, and on the contrary, that the imperfection of the imperfect Metals, proceedeth from a combustible and stinking Sulphur only; which superfluous Sulphur, if it shall be any way separated from them, that which remaineth, ought necessarily to be purer, more fusible, and constant in the fire. There are many waies by which that superfluous and combustible Sulphur is separated from Metals; of which mention is made in the Mineral Work, and the fourth part of Furnaces. In this operation, the manner of separating it by combustion, is performed by Nitre. In this Treatise also other waies are indicated, yet Nitre is to be used in them all.
But the studious of Art ought to know that in this Operation, not only the superfluous Sulphur of Jupiter and ☿ may be separated and consumed by burning and each Metal concentrated and amended, but also to both, or to ♃ alone other Metals may be added, and by the help of Salt-petre may be fulminated and concentred; for the Fulmen of Iove doth not only concenter and amend his own proper body, but also other Metals adjoined to him. Nor do I know a nearer way of destroying Gold and Silver quickly, than the Fulmen of Jove, which so destroyeth all the Metals, that afterwards without the addition of other things, they cannot by any force of fire be reduced to their former fusile bodies, inasmuch as in melting per se, they alwaies pass into Glass, every one being tinged with that colour which is proper to the metal. Gold is changed into a very elegant glass, like to a Ruby; the glass of Silver hath the colour of a Chrysolyte; the glass of Copper hath a green and red colour like a Jasper; the glass of Mars differs not much from it; the glasses of Tin and Lead remain white. These Glasses being (by an artificial reduction) reduced into their bodies, are much better and nobler than they were before. This sudden fire also clippeth the wings of Mercury, so that part of him is constrained with the ♃ to abide the fire. That swift fluxing powder which is compounded of Nitre, Tartar, and Sulphur, mentioned in the second part of my Furnaces, is also not to be contemned, for when that mass is mixed with ☿, and kindled by a live Coal, the ☿ is altered, as when it is to suffer the fire, it maketh a cracking noise, till it breaks through the fire, but being apprehended by the Fulmen of Jove, it hath no time allowed it to cry out; for when it beginneth to feel the heat, it singeth a Swan-like song, but before it can break out from the Fulmen it is killed. Basilius calleth this The Song of the Swan, alluding to what the Ancients have delivered concerning that Bird, viz. That when she is old, and ready to die, she sings a song, which being ended, she presently dieth. This Saying the vulgar believe of that Bird, which yet is false, seeing that I never yet heard any man say that he had heard the Song of a dying Swan. The ancient Philosophers hereby meant our Metallick Swan. But let any one enquire, whether the Amalgama of ♃ and ☿ may be compared with a Swan; because it may every way be broken, within and without, it is like to the Feathers of the said Bird, and therefore the Philosophers have not unfitly called it a Swan. As for its singing, it is thus; When the Amalgama is mixt with Salt-Petre, and wrapt up in Papers, and one after another of them cast into the Iron man, the ☿ with the ♃ beginneth to sing a Song like the fine Note of some Bird, which endureth no longer than the crowing of a Cock, seeing that the flame presently followeth, which maketh the separation.
But that any one may be more certain of this matter, I will openly and clearly expound the Operation word by word.
R. of Tin and ☿ each ℔ j. make an Amalgama, as I have taught above; grind this with ℔ ij. of pure Salt-Petre, freed from all its fæces, reducing the whole mass into a minute powder, till the Amalgama can be no more felt by the fingers. This fine powder distribute into sixty equal parts, more or less, and put each part into a Paper, so that every Paper may contain about two lothones, or an ounce, wrap them up: This quantity is not to be exceeded, especially if the Iron man and the Receivers be not large; for the lesser Vessels require the less of the matter: For the matter being cast into the red-hot Vessel in Papers, when it taketh flame, giveth a crack or puff like Gun-powder, which is kindled with a Coal. The Labour is easie, which may be called The Work of Women, or Play of Boys. For as soon as one Paper is enkindled, the vapours ascending with smoak and wind, pass into the Receivers, which being quietly settled, another Paper is presently to be cast in that it may sing its Swan-like Song, and pass into the Receivers in a fume. This casting in of the Papers is so long to be continued till they are all spent. You can scarcely put in above ten Papers, or fifteen at the most, in an hour; for if one Paper be cast in too soon after another, the ascending Spirits of the ♃ and ☿ would not all settle, but some would fly out at the hole of the last Receiver, and be lost. By this means the Iron man is nourished by degrees with his food, viz. the white Swan, even as Infants are successively fed by their Mothers.
After all the Papers are in, the fire is to be let go out of its own accord; and when all the Spirits are condensed in the Receivers, the Receivers are to be removed one after another, in which is the Anima of Tin and Mercury, and of that metal which was added, of a white or ashy colour, if Tin and Mercury only were used. But if Gold was added, it will be of a purple colour; if Silver, of a yellow; if Copper, the colour will be reddish. And this is not only to be understood of the matter which passeth into the Receiver, but also of that which remains in the bottom of the Iron man. The Anima hideth it self in the corporeal flowers which ascend into the Receivers, by which it is the more easily acquired, and which otherwise, perhaps, by reason of its great subtilty, would be very difficult to obtain. If you can put your hand into the Receivers, you may take out the flowers with a bent spoon, which hide the Anima; but if not, with an Iron Wier fitted for the scraping them off, or by washing them out with Water, which are to be handled further, as you shall presently hear.
The mass remaining in the stomach of the Iron man, being taken out when it is cold, hath a fiery nature and a white colour, if it were only of Tin and Nitre, but if any other metal was added, the colour will be varied, as above. This mass cannot be reduced to its former body by Fire alone, how vehement soever it be, seeing that when it is melted, it runneth into glass, and that too very difficultly. Nevertheless, by the following operation it may be reduced to its pristine Body: Put it into a very strong Crucible, which cover, and set in a Wind-Furnace that will give a very strong Fire (such as is my Fourth Furnace) the Fire being raised by degrees, let it be made white-hot, and when it is so, the Cover being a little removed, throw into the fiery mass a little Sulphur, Antimony, or Coals in fine powder, put on the Cover again, and lastly, cover the Crucible over with Coals, that all the matter may flow well. In this operation the combustible Sulphur will enter the fixt Nitre, and separate it from the fixed Metal, and with the same, whatsoever of Sulphur, Antimony, or Coals was added, will be turned into black Scoria. The Tin, with the Mercury, and the Metal, if any were added, separateth it self from the Scoria, and returneth into a metallick body, which after it is poured out and cold, is to be Separated from the Scoria. Jupiter hath the aspect of his former body, but is amended, as the proof will shew him that pleaseth to make it; the remaining Scoria are to be kept, because an excellent universal Medicine may be made of them. The Regulus being melted again, is again to be amalgamated with its own weight of Mercury, which Amalgama is to be mixed with its equal weight of Nitre, and put up into Papers, and again cast into the Iron man, as we have shewed before, that the Flowers and Anima may be collected and added to the former. The remaining mass is to be precipitated with sulphur, as before, and the Scoria being separated from the Regulus, to be added to the former, and the Regulus to be again brought with Mercury to an Amalgama, that with Nitre the Flowers and Anima may be again elicited. This Labour is to be so often repeated, until half the Regulus be converted into scoria: That part which remains being examined by the Cupel, will shew how much gold and silver is generated by this Labour. Which profit will serve to buy other Coals and Metals to carry on the Work. The Anima which passed into the Receivers yieldeth a most excellent medicine; so do also the scoria which were reserved at divers times, afford one little inferiour to that; and how they are to be handled, we will teach in order. Therefore by this only operation a universal medicine for humane and metallick bodies is acquired particularly, and from the remaining part, an amended metal paying the necessary costs which are required for the continuing the great Work.
How therefore particularly of Tin and Copper often fulminated, one may get a profit not to be contemned, I will clearly shew; forasmuch as I have not performed that labour only once, but many times; in like manner I will deliver the way and mode whereby an excellent medicine may be prepared for the curing of all curable Diseases, which also I have often done. But how a Universal medicine may be prepared of the Anima of metals, for humane and metallick bodies, I cannot teach; for I have not hitherto had time and opportunity of perfecting so great a Work. Nevertheless, I do not at all doubt, but that the Philosophick stone may be made of this Anima: But by what means I think this may be effected, (saving to every man his own judgment) I will not conceal from the studious of the Divine Wonders. What I have done with my hands, I can render others the more certain of; those things which I have not done, I leave as they are. The beginning of the Labour I have clearly enough proposed; from which, if any man cannot learn more, ’tis best for him to abstain from this kind of Labour.