The works of the highly experienced and famous chymist, John Rudolph Glauber

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

So likewise there’s no need of reducing the Calx of Venus into Copper, but it is twice more precious than other good common Copper, because it can in a few hours space be changed into excellent Verdigrease, and so is 4 or 6 times the value of Copper it self. Further, it is not needful to melt down the precipitated Calx of Silver without any farther profit, but ’tis better to melt it by the means of the liquor of Sulphur or Antimony, for by this operation will it become auriferous, and be meliorated. Finally, you are not bound to melt even the Calx of Sol, without any profit in melting, but you may even thereoutof draw some profit; for if it be amalgamated with the Mercury of ♄ or ☽ it becomes more augmented from the ♄ and ☽; or else it may be used by the Goldsmiths to Gild withal, and by Painters, if its brightness and splendour be first restored unto it, for so it may be used about Painting or writing. So then, from this operation doth result a manifold benefit, and both the Iron and Copper, as also the Gold and Silver are rendered better, and more precious than they would have otherwise been, if they had been separated each from the other after the common manner, by the fire.

Therefore, there is not only a great benefit gotten in that way of operating, in thus extracting Gold and Silver out of their Ores, and out of the Crude Minerals, and in this so compendious a separation of a Mass (or mixture) of Metals; but also, that separation brings more profit than the commonly used and perceived way of separating Gold and Silver by Aqua-fortis doth, in which way the Mass is to be first burnt to purity, and all the heterogeneities are to be taken away upon a Test; then the Silver is to be dissolved in Aqua-fortis, and to be separated from the Gold; this done, then the dissolved Silver is to be precipitated either by Copper, or by putting water thereunto, or else the water is to be thencefrom distilled; from whence, there is not only to be expected no greater profit than what is had (or gotten) out of the Gold separated from the Silver, but withal even half the water is lost. But now here (in my way) the greatest part of the Aqua-fortis is preserved, and is indeed meliorated (if there were Tin or Iron in the Mass) the very bare Crocus Martis only yields as much as the water cost, & the Flos Æris is meer gains; the Calx of Silver is by a solution of Antimony enriched with Gold, the Golden Calx is augmented by Saturn, and Luna, So that the gain is fourfold, besides that Gold which is gotten by Separation out of the Silver; and now may not I justly call this an Artificial extraction or reparation of the Metals, by the moist way; but now, like as this is a very notably profitable way of extracting the Metals out of the Ores or Minerals, & of artificially separating them by the moist way; so likewise may the same be done in the dry way by fusion; if (viz.) the Minera’s are dissolved by Antimony or Lead, & one of the Metals after another shall be thencefrom precipitated; so that it is not so altogether necessary to cupellate such a Mass, and by the separatory water (or Aqua-fortis to separate that, which (by that burning on the Test) shall have been throughly purged; But if all the Metals shall be molten together into one Mass, there may (first) be precipitated the Gold, then the Silver, then also the Copper, and by the help of Nitre be rendred pure and malleable; and this too may be done without much labour or costs; so that as well by the moist, as also by the dry way, all the Metals may be very commodiously and compendiously, and in short time separated the one from the other by the benefit of Salt-petre. Suppose I have a Mass that has Gold, Silver, or Copper and Iron in it, and I would have it suddenly depured; therefore I may only burn it with Sulphur, and by the help of Saturn precipitate one Metal from another, and purifie the Regulus, by Nitre, and such a Mass though it were 100 pound weight could I separated with the easy labour of one day, & for 3 or 4 Dollars costs; but as for such an one as hath no use for solution & precipitation, or hath not convenient melting Pots and Furnaces, he may granulate such a Mass, and thence precipitate the Gold, Silver, and Copper, each apart, and draw off the water from his Mars; then the Mars yields him the price of the water; the Calx of Venus yields the reward of his pains and labour, and the augmentation or melioration which happens to the Calx of Sol and Luna in the reduction is clear gain; so that the Gold and Silver are, as it were gratis, and without any expence separated from each other, and that both by the dry way and by the moist way; for the Silver is equally as well graduated and made auriferous in the dry way, by the fusion or melting in the operating, or by the transfusing (or through melting) with the Antimony; so then good Gold may by this way be precipitated out of any Silver not aureous, provided the business be but dexterously managed.

In the first part of this Book, (where I treated of the concentration of wood,) I wrote, that a Juice might be pressed, by a peculiar Press, out of any wood, which afterwards might be turned into good Salt-petre by the benefit of the Air and time: I likewise there added some reasons, whereby it might be evinced, that it was possible for Art to perform such things, which are no other but the Rewards Nature her self yields, and that the Salt-petre which is wont to be every where digged out of the Stalls, or Stables of Cattle, is nothing else but the essential salt of Vegetables, and Animals, which is in a long tract of time, and by the hidden virtue of the Air, turned into Salt-petre.

But now if any one should haply perswade himself, that if he exposeth that Juice of the Woods to the Air for some Days, or Weeks, that it will presently become Salt-petre, certainly he would be much besides his aim, neither indeed is it lawful to prescribe Nature the time of her Operation.

Does not a Husbandman deserve to be called Ass, or Blockhead, if some few days after he hath sown his Corn, he should go into his Field to see if his Corn were ripe or not? Just thus are you to conceive of this work, for in all things must you expect the due time, in the Generation both of Animals, Minerals, and Vegetables, so that there is not the least need of any farther proof of this matter: For every Generation requireth its own proper time.

But, that very many haply have wearied themselves with imagining about that kind of Press, which I have mentioned in the [first part of the Prosperity of Germany], and yet have not found it, is not to be much wondred at. However it is assuredly true, that such a Press may very easily be prepared, by which you may daily press a great quantity of Juice out of Wood, be it believed or not believed. But seeing that such a Press hath been seen with me, and hath been beheld prepared, and wood squeezed out therewithal, and set to ripen in the Air, sure it cannot be long ere the truth will manifest it self and publickly vindicate it self from all its slanderers.

I say again, that such a Press is found by me, and that it is an artificial one, and is of less costs than will be easily believed. Nay more, every day brings forth new and better Compendiums, so that there will not hereafter be any use or need for the Press, to squeeze the wood out by: but every Vegetable and Animal, may without labour and trouble be in a short time, and without the press, transmuted into good Salt-petre, so that many hundred weight of Salt-petre may be generated, or produced (by the labour of only one person) out of the bare Wood, Leaves, and Grass, (where they may commodiously be had) and yet ’tis not the person aforesaid, but the air that causeth this Generation: for the person doth no more but expose to the air the subject matter, upon which it may operate, and out of which it may bring forth Salt-petre.

But there is nothing which I admire more at, then, that this present Age is so sluggish and averse from searching after the secrets of Nature. Whereas, were but the Properties only of that stupendious, or wonderful subject Salt-petre, well known, there might well be a forbearance of reading many Chimical Books seeing that by it alone may many wonderful things be performed. I have a little afore shown, how both a moist and dry extraction of Gold and Silver, & the other metals is to be done by Salt-petre; and if Nitre were of no other use but this only, yet were it well worthy to be beloved and esteemed by all, and they should as much as in them lies labour not only to produce it in plenty out of vile things, but withal to know how to make use of the same with profit.

But whereas I have not so very openly and clearly described, or published the precipitation which is done as well by the moist, as by the dry way of the extraction and separation of metals; I would not that any one should take it in evil part; for there are exceeding weighty reasons, that make me fear to prostitute such excellent Inventions, or to chew meat (as it were) and thrust it into every Asses mouth. Let it suffice, that I have shewed, that such things are possible. But yet the Art lies not so fixed in my breast, nor is it my mind to suffer it to lie buried with me: No, God hath blessed me therewithal meerly for this end, that I might help and succour others, to the performance of which, I am most ready and willing; but yet not every one without any exception, but such as are ingenious Lovers of the Wonders of God, and know how decently to use all things, least I being too improvidently liberal, should put new Weapons into the hands of mine enemies.

I could have buried-over these things in silence, and haply been at more quiet, but it was no ways possible for me to suppress the wonderful Works of God, so as to withhold them from coming abroad to light, and to the view of Men, to the Honour of God. And whensoever it so comes to pass, that the things delivered at present in this second part, and which shall be delivered in the following third and fourth parts, shall be believed, and be brought to effect and be done: then all the crew of Slanderers and Enemies of the truth shall be confounded with shame, before the whole World, and that Genuine Alchymy, shall again be embraced, and honourably flourish: For Salt-petre must be the Master, as Paracelsus saith, in a certain Chapter where he treats of common salt, and mentions Salt-petre with a commendable Testimony. Nor hath Basil Valentine done a less faithful Work as to his Nitre; but few there are that understand it.