NB. But it is expedient, that there be a just proportion observed in this kind of Work, that you take not overmuch Salt-petre to this ablution, or converting it into scoria, and so bring all the Lead into scoria, but the business is so to be managed, that there be left remaining one third part at least, of those three parts of Lead you took, which is not reduced into scoria with the Antimony; then may it be poured out into a Cone, and when ’tis cool, the Regulus is to be knockt off from the scoria, and Cupellated.
NB. He that is minded to wash Metals after this manner by the help of Salt-petre, and to reduce them into scoria, must have an especial care that not a Coal falls into the Crucible, for they will much hurt, and will again precipitate them, which the Salt-petre hath already imbibed, and so render the operation invalid. Besides, it is worth the while to admonish, and tell you that all Arsenick, and Antimony is auriferous, but yet so, as that one sort is richer than another, and that abundance of Copper and Iron hath likewise in it Gold, which no body finds out, nor can it be separated by that old beaten way of Cupellating it with Lead. But some, or other might here say, Where shall I find Arsenick, Antimony, Copper, and Iron, which have Gold in them? Had they any thing of worth in them, others would doubtlesly have extracted it, and not have suffered it to come to my hands whole and sound? To satisfie such an one, I answer thus, tho’ those that work on the Metals, do for the most part know, that there is in Arsenick and Antimony, a Volatile Gold, yet know they not how to extract it thencefrom with profit, for the separating way they take would cost more than the Gold they should have would yield, because (according to their usual way and custom of working) all of it would vanish away with fume. And this is to be understood of Arsenick, Auripigment, Cobolt, and Antimony, all which may (by the way we have here mentioned) be tamed and introduced into Copper, and be made permanent and fixt.
But now, that there should sometimes be Gold implanted, naturally in Copper, and should there also be left remaining untoucht, is so done on this account, because there is not in it so much as to pay the Costs of the separating it by Lead (for verily the Cupellating it with Lead on a Test, requires great expences.) This is the reason why Gold lies immixed in the Copper oftentimes, and cannot be thence extracted with profit.
The same is to be understood of Iron, for a Vein of Iron doth oftentimes offer it self, which is very much impregnated with the more precious Metals, and yet no body either knows, or observes it. For the Ore of Iron is for the most part wont to be forced out by unskilful Men who have no care at all of the Gold, but only of such an Ore as contains a good portion of good and malleable Iron; and suppose they did certainly know, that there were in 100 l. of Iron, some Lots of Gold, by what means (I pray) would they extract it thencefrom? For Iron cannot be dealt withal by Cupellation on the Test, much less can it be separated (as Copper is) by the means of Lead; so that there’s no reason for any one to wonder that there are so few to be found, that promise themselves, or seek after much good out of Iron, seeing it is not so apt a Subject to be separated, and subdued as Copper is. But by the help of Arsenick, Auripigment, or Antimony, ’tis no difficult matter to tame, and bring it under, so as to make it yield forth what it has: And ’tis thus. This Iron, which is auriferous, may first be cemented with Arsenick, as we have afore taught of doing so with Copper, then is it to be precipitated into Regulus’s by means of Antimony, which Reguli being imbued, or mixed with Lead, and reduced by Salt-petre into scoria, and cupellated, the Gold doth at last offer it self (which was hidden in the Minerals, or Ores, and so despised) and that with no contemptible profit. But now if any hath a mind to have the business yet more perfect, he may instead of Lead, add some Gold, and then reduce the Regulus into scoria’s, by Salt-petre, and abstract it from the Gold; for so the Gold you put thereto doth the better hold that other Gold which it has attracted out of the Regulus, and there is made a much more plentiful encrease, than if the Regulus had been scorified upon Lead. Nor are the scoria to be thrown away, but they may be precipitated by throwing in live Coals, whereby the Salt-petre doth again let fall the Regulus which it hath swallowed up, and which Regulus you may separate from the dross when ’tis cold. This Regulus may be afterwards commodiously used in other Metalick Operations, that so it may yield anew out of it self the Gold; concerning which business there will a place fall in to speak of by and by. And besides, those drossy Offals (which for the gratest part are fixt Salt-petre) are also of good worth, which may be reserved for the subsequent Metallick Operation, which may be stiled a perpetual Metallick-working artifice; so that there is nothing at all wasted, but all things are of use. And this way of the separation of Metals is so very profitable, as that any one may get himself sufficient gain for to supply the necessities of Life. But if you have no fansie to meddle with Arsenick, or Auripigment and would willingly shun them by reason of their poisonous nature, they may even be omitted, and you may cement that auriferous Iron, with the Golden Marchasite, melt it with Antimony, and precipitate it into Regulus’s. For even by this means too, the Gold that was in the Marchasite, is brought in use, and yields an increase to that Gold which is extracted out of the Iron and Antimony. But if so be there be no Golden Marchasite to be gotten, that separation may be ordered, even with Iron and Antimony, and if the Iron be but auriferous, the Labour will not be without profit.
This kind of separation or eduction of Gold out of the volatile Minerals, and baser Metals will be an egregious aid or benefit to such as have learned rightly to operate in the Fire, and whom (otherwise) a grievous want of things and small estate afflicts; for there is enough of the aforesaid Minerals, every where obvious, but they cannot be well handled, or wrought upon by reason of their unfixedness and immaturity, and therefore do they lie neglected and as it were wholly useless, and are not made beneficial to any. I know that some do well understand the way of fixing Cobolt, and Bismuth by Salt-petre, and do thence get an abundance of Silver; and likewise there are some that know how to tame and subdue Arsenical Realgars by the help of Salt-petre, so that they suffer themselves to be molten, and yield forth their hidden Gold and Silver. But he that shall so manage the business as to adjoin thereto the auriferous imperfect Metals, such an one will make a more successful work thereof; especially if he gets himself some auriferous Iron, the which he may get for a small matter: And besides, if he makes his Salt-petre himself, then all that whole operation of fixing or separating the volatile Minerals would be done with very little costs, and yield much gain.
NB. But now if any one would yet get more profit by this separatory operation, then he must contrive the doing it not in Crucibles or Pots, but in hearths (or furnaces) where a great heap of the volatile Mineral may by fixing Nitre melt together, and be precipitated into Regulus: then the Regulus may be separated from the Scoria, and be depurated by Nitre in other Furnaces, and be fitted for use; and so by this means may there be so much gain gotten, the like whereof, the great heaps of Ores which Men are necessitated to dig out of the bowels of the Earth with so much expence and charges, will scarce afford.
Likewise all Minerals may by the help of Salt-petre be fixed by the moist way, so as to yield permanent Gold and Silver; whereby (without doubt) full as much, if not more, is obtained, as is by the dry way. The way of operating is this. Dissolve a volatile Mineral, be it Cobolt, or Zink, Wismuth, Calmei, Arsenick, Auripigment, or any other the like mineral, in a strong Aqua-fortis; the solution being made, separate the Aqua-fortis again; then shall you have remaining a white Calx, which is fixed by the virtue of the Aqua-fortis: So that now it will admit of being molten with Lead, of being separated from the Scoria, and of being cupellated. But he that knows how to melt that Calx with Antimony and to precipitate it with auriferous Copper and Iron, gets more Gold than by that operation with Lead. But haply, every one can’t perform that separation; for the excoction or melting, the reduction into Scoria, and Cupellating upon the Test, are operations more known and easier to be done.
Moreover, there are also some Minerals, which may be fixed with the moist fire, that is, with a most strong Aq. fortis, so as to yield their Gold and Silver in the Scoria, but especially Tin, Quick-silver, and Lead: If a vehemently-strong Aq. fortis be but once abstracted from Tin, it makes it so fixt, as that it will not fly away in the greatest Fire, but will melt into a white Glass. But now, if you would have it to yield forth its Gold, you must melt other Metals with it, into which the Gold may insinuate it self, and be made corporeal, such as are Silver and Lead. Lead, if it be dissolved in Aq. fortis, and precipitated by Urine, it gets such a hardness, that it will scarce melt in a Crucible; if you precipitate it with a Lixivium, it becomes glassy; if with Salt-water, it is rendered exceedingly volatile; for common Salt makes all Metals volatile, and on the other hand, Nitre fixeth them both by the moist and by the dry way, binds them, and constrains them to abide in the Fire; and this you are to know aforehand. Now, for the better confirmation of this thing, see how easily the common Mercury is made to abide the fire, if Aq. fortis shall have been several times drawn off therefrom, insomuch that it will suffer it self to be made wholly red-hot. But now, if the same be sublimed with Spirit of Salt, it becomes more and more volatile, so amongst all Salts there’s not one that fixeth Minerals, save this most noble Nitre, and this hath a natural aptness to do it both by the moist and dry way, as hath been even now demonstrated.
And verily, this way of fixing the imperfect Metals (which is done by the help of Nitre, by either the moist or dry way) is to be preferred far before that which is done only with a Fire of Wood, not barely on this account, because it is sooner and speedilier performed, but for this reason too, because it fixeth better and more durably: For if any one shall endeavour to make Arsenick, Cobolt, or other volatile Minerals, permanent or fixt, by the bare force of common fire, How much time, I pray, must he allow it? Haply it will require some months for this kind of Work, if not a whole year, yet at least half a year ’twill need; whereas by the means of Nitre it may be done in one or two daies: For if a volatile Mineral be mixed with Nitre, do fulminate, and be edulcorated, and that fulmination be repeated 3 or 4 times, it will afterwards endure a sufficiently-vehement melting Fire. Or if a Mineral be only dissolved in Aq. fort. and that Aq. fort. again drawn off therefrom, it will even by this means be rendered fixt and constant in the Fire; so great is the force and virtue that lies hid in Salt-petre: And this the ancient Philosophers well knew, and therefore said that the most vehement fire of all was to be used to the fixation of volatile Minerals; and this fire is hid only in Nitre, and is no where else to be found; for the Central Fire hath too soon withdrawn it self from the volatile Minerals and baser Metals, and left them unripe, and they can be advanced to a maturity, both by our common Wood-fire, and by the fire of Salt-petre, and be fixed. And now I suppose that I have more than sufficiently proved, by what I have said, That Salt-petre fixeth Minerals and Metals, both by the dry and moist way; nor can any one reasonably deny the same. Moreover, I judge it not fit to pass this too over in silence, viz. That Salt-petre doth likewise make volatile, not only the unripe Minerals, but also the fixt Metals themselves; so as that they suffer themselves to be sublimed and destilled wholly (like common Sulphur or Mercury) save the fæces, which are somewhat blackish and stay behind. Any understanding man may easily consider here what benefit is to be hoped for from such a Destillation of Metals; for seeing that all things are by destillation brought to the highest purity (as is clearly evident) it may well be concluded, that when in impure metals the pure parts are separated from the impure, something of excellency must therefrom proceed. I will say no more of this matter at present, for I have already clearly enough demonstrated and plainly enough delivered this kind of destillation or purification of metals, in the third part of my Spagyr. Pharmacop. and have there shewn, that every imperfect metal, if it shall be destilled, yields volatile Gold, and that that volatile Gold may be made corporeal, without almost any Cost in a particular way, (and haply also in a universal, which I confess I have not as yet proved) thither therefore referr I the studious Reader of Hermetick and truly Philosophical Arcana and Secrets.
But that the difference of those waies of fixing or concentrating the volatile Minerals, and likewise the imperfect Metals, may rightly be perceived and laid open, and that it may appear how much more compendious and easie that way which is done by Nitre is than that which is done with common fire; it will be a good help to set down here some process for an example, by which it will be manifest how laborious this way of doing it barely with Wood is, and contrarily how easie that way of doing it by the moist Fire of Nitre is.