That which will a Nettle be,
Stings betimes, trust you me.
For seeing that a new-born Infant doth abound with so much virtue, as to be able to do so much good, What would not he be capable of effecting, should he attain to a ripeness of years? It will be therefore worth while to hear and see what virtues it is able to exercise upon Vegetables, Animals, and Minerals; and first, we will treat about the Vegetables.
By what way a Trial is to be made, whether or no this Aurum Potabile, or Aqua-vitæ of the Philosophers, be a most high Medicine for the Vegetables.
Every body knows, that the Vegetables which are to grow up, and be multiplied, must be also nourished. This nourishment now is nothing else but a sulphureous Salt, whether it hath its Rise from the Vegetables, or from the Animals, or from the Minerals; for ’tis all a case to the Vegetables, from whatsoever it proceeds, so that they have but their nutriment, by which they may grow, be encreased, and be multiplied. The Husband-man useth the Dung of any Cattel or Sheep, to dung his Lands withal, that the Seed sown in the dunged Earth, may thence extract the Salt, and convert it into its own nutriment, and so grow up, and be encreased; and besides this kind of Dunging he knows none.
But the true Naturalist makes use of the Excrements of other Animals, yea, and the Minerals themselves too, for the dunging of the Ground; concerning which thing, I have written at large in my other Writings, and especially in my Miraculum Mundi; and therefore there’s no need at all of making any farther repetition of the same here. Forasmuch therefore as my Aurum Potabile is also a sulphureous Salt, but yet far stronger, and more efficacious than that which lies in the common Dung of Beasts and Cattel, and so consequently promotes the accretion or growth, and multiplication of all the Vegetables in a wonderful maner. I have judged it a thing worth while to set down in this place the use thereof in the melioration of the Vegetables, that so it may be evidently demonstrated, that this my Potable Gold is the most excellent Medicine for all the Vegetables, and that their Particular Medicine which doth first proceed from the Dung of Sheep and Cattel, doth afterwards display its virtues by an Universal operation. For if the Dung of Horses, Cows, and Sheep (as ’tis barely Dung) could but succour Men and Metals, like as it brings a medical or helping succour unto the Vegetables, then might it by the same reason be likewise called Universal.
But whereas it is an helper to the Vegetables only, and hath no conjoining familiarity with the Minerals and Animals, therefore is it rightly and deservedly to be referred to the order of particular Medicines, which are helpful to the Vegetables only. But yet notwithstanding, the Salt being extracted out of those sorts of Dung, and converted into Saltpetre, (which is a thing easily done) doth then admit of being transmuted into a Universal Medicine: But now, afore such a Transmutation be made, it does not exceed the order or bounds of Particular Medicaments. But this Aurum Potabile of mine merits the name of a true Universal Medicine, as being not only a most high Medicine for the Vegetables, but also for the Animals and Minerals too, and this shall be perfectly demonstrated as follows.
You must get some Vessels made of the best Earth, and strong, and such as being well burnt in the Fire, become like a Stone. And amongst such Earths, the Colen, Siburg, Waldenberg, and other such-like natured Earths, are the fittest for this Work; let them be made very thick, and such as will not imbibe any Water. If you want such as these, cause then your Vessels to be made of Glass; for every porous kind of Earth, though it be glazed over with Lead-glass, yet it is not so fit for this kind of operation; therefore you must of necessity provide your self with fit and convenient Vessels, and have a most especial regard to this admonition. Let such a Vessel be a span long, or high, or deep, and let it have the same breadth or largeness, and let its bottom be perforated with some small holes, like as those Pots which are made for the keeping of Flowers in are wont to be: The Pots being thus prepared and filled up top-full, with clear and lean Sand, you may put or plant therein three or four Seeds of such Herbs that you have a mind to plant, that so if haply one of them comes not to good, the second, third, or fourth may. When the seeds are on this wise put in the said Sand, and shall have been moistened with our Universal Water, the Pots must then be set abroad to the Sun and Air, that so the Seeds may spring up and grow; which seeds, if good, and not too old, will in a few daies time, grow up out of the Sand, as if they had been in any other fat Earth. Now, when they shall have sprouted up so high as a fingers length, you must leave in your said Pots two of the biggest and strongest stalks or sprouts, and pluck up the others, lest they should impede each others growth; and you must let them have room enough in the Pot to grow.
This Vessel thus filled with Sand, and planted with seeds, is to be set upon another strong Dish or Platter, and which is made of the like sort of Stone-like Earth, that so if that medicinal water should happen to penetrate and destil through the sand, it may not be lost, but being saved, may be again poured into the pot-full of sand. Moreover, you must diligently take heed that no Rain-water fall therein and wash away that medicinal water, and so take from the Herbs their nutriment. The sand must not be too much wetted, but lie alwaies somewhat moist, lest by being quite dry, or too wet, the whole Work be corrupted by either the excess or defect of the due, temperament: All things here prescribed being duly observed, the Herb springs up in a short time, and bears Flowers and Fruits sooner and better, than if it had grown in other dunged Earth. The Colours become fairer, the Odours will be stronger, the Virtues also will be greater, and these Herbs do likewise longer keep their virtues, and are not so corruptible as others are. After that all the humidity which you poured first on, shall have been consumed by the Sun and the Air, so as that it is plainly vanisht, there must some other Rain-water (wherein a little of that potable Gold shall have been dissolved) be again poured on upon the Sand, that so the Herb may have its due supply of nourishment, so long as it shall be a-growing, for the whole World knows, that there does not grow ought at all out of sand, which is only wetted with bare Rain-water.