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

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

But the Operation which I treat of at present is rather an attraction or precipitation of silver by Mercury, and this precipitation is to be done in the moist way, and is most wondrous easie; nor is it without Encrease or Gain, provided you are willing to wait its time, and ’tis thus.

If one part of purer silver be dissolved in Aq. fortis, and in the solution two parts of Rain-water be added to one Part of Aq. fortis, and there be likewise thrown in three or four parts of Quick-Mercury, and all this be left some daies or weeks in a cold place, unmoved, then the silver precipitates it self out of the Water to the Mercury, and the Mercury dissolves it self into the Water, and both together yield a wonderful representation of growing things, like Mountains and Vallies, and certainly is of a most pleasant aspect. The result of which is this, viz. if they stand so a long time and shall be afterwards edulcorated and reduced by Lead, then the Silver gets no small encrease from the Mercury: But yet there’s no gain to be thence had unless those out growings (or representations of fine things) be suffered to operate and germinate above a Year: And this, few operators will yield to do, and to be withheld so long a time from the fruits of their Labours. Now the reason of this operation is thus: The Aqua-fortis is a moist and cold Fire, and ripens as well as the dry and hot fire, but he need be a skillful Artist that sets upon this Work.

It is evident that some of the ancient Philosophers maturated their Universal Medicine by a moist fire, as you may see in Artephius and others. Othersome Philosophers extracted a certain secret water, or universal Menstruum and dissolvent out of the Nitrous Sea, and did thereby perform most notable things, but they always kept it secret, and the description they have made thereof, hath been obscured, or painted over with Riddles, or dark expressions, when they say, that ♄ draws his secret water out of the Sea, of as clear brightness as the Moon: which way of drawing it belongs not to this place to shew: only thus much is hinted, that out of Nitre may be drawn an Universal Menstruum, which is more excellent than the Corrosive Spirit of Nitre, which said Spirit doth indeed dissolve all things, but after the manner of corrosives, whereas this which ♄ draws and is of the clear brightness of the Moon, hath nothing of Corrosivity in it, but is mild and sweet, and wets not the hands, or tingeth them, as that Corrosive doth; and altho’ such a water be Volatile, and not fixt, yet is it of such a nature as to constringe, and fix other fugitive, and unfixt things. ’Tis a thing most worthy of admiration to consider how those Natures have a mutual love each to the other, and embrace one another, and are converted the one into the other. And thus much may suffice to have been spoken concerning the precipitation of the Metals out of both the dry, and moist solutions.

Let no body seek to fish ought more out of me by their Letters; but as for such as formerly have been my friends, and even now are, or shall hereafter be, to these I will not deny any thing, always provided, that nothing be done against a decorum (as they use to say) or a discreet behaviour.

But now if any one thinks that (if he comes flying from the East or West) I must presently lay aside all my business, and only attend upon doing and answering what he demands: No, that’s a thing my Affairs won’t permit me to do, for I have somewhat else to manage. And therefore would I forewarn such an one, that he enters not on such a Journey afore he be certain whether or no it stands with my convenience or not. For this hath many a time already happened unto me, viz. for some one to come with a desire of knowing this or that secret, who (when I would have told it him, but that I had no time then to accommodate him) hath gone away stomaching at me, and began to reproach me publickly afore all Men, as if I were some inhumane, or merciless fellow, and would not satisfy his request. Some also there have been, who out of the meer malice of their mind have divulged, that I my self have nothing, seeing they can get nothing from me; there are many such perverse kind of men to be found, who make no Conscience of enervating, or sucking out the very Marrow of the Bones of others, so as they may be but benefited thereby themselves; which verily is a great evil and inhumanity. How often have such kind of men come unto me, whom, (when they have spoken with their kind words unto me, and also carry the garb, and outside show of very honest Men, and promised all decent thankfulness) I have satisfy’d, and yet have afterwards fled off from, and broken their Faith: Therefore it is the best way for him who has any singular thing, to bury it over in silence, and so he need not fear of being drained by others, that know how (by the perswasive flattering Art) to get out his skill, and give no thanks afterwards for the same.

If I had not already began to describe the Prosperity of Germany, certainly I would not now begin; but forasmuch as I have taken upon me to finish what I have begun, I will stand to my promise, and will in like manner shortly publish (if God shall see it good) the third and fourth part.

And seeing that in both the following parts, the melioration, or concentration of the Metals, is chiefly to be done by the help of Salt-petre, I was willing more amply to confirm in this second part, that which I wrote in the first part of the Generation of Salt-petre. And I do again and again averr with the greatest asseveration, that such a generation of Salt-petre out of wood is very true, and is founded on Nature her self.

Now must I proceed a little onwards, and withal demonstrate to the simple, that the putrefactory Stomack, in which the wood is digested and putrefied, and which transmuteth all wood, and resolves likewise all Leaves and Grass in a short time, transmutes and reduceth it into Dung, is as the stomack of Animals is, and this may be done in a most vast Quantity, as hath been proved in the [first part of the Prosperity of Germany]; and this no Mortal Man can ever refute, viz. that the essential salt, or salt of Nature, is no other thing but Salt-petre, but is not as yet burning, or flaming up, until it be animated by the air, and conceive a life thencefrom, the essential salt of Vegetables, barely such, is not so, viz. Salt-petre, as hath been sufficiently manifested.

Now whatsoever gives fertility and power of growth, is Nitrous; if therefore there lay hid no Nitre in Minerals, as in stones, why would the Gardiners carry slackt Lime into their Fields, and use it instead of Dung to dung their Fields withal? Whence doth the Salt-petre come that grows on upon old Walls, if not from the Lime? What is the reason that the Salt-petre men do seek after old ruined walls, to make Salt-petre thereout of, were nothing in them? I verily believe that this is an indubitable Argument, that there is Salt-petre hidden in all things: For the salt of the World, or the Universal Essential salt, is nothing else but Salt-petre, when it hath after a due time attracted a life out of the air, to which end my secret circulatory instrument was invented, that such an animation might be the more conveniently brought to pass.

Nor do the other kinds of salts, viz. Sal-Gem, the salt made out of the natural salt fountains, or sea-salt, likewise all salts which are made out of the Lees of Wood ashes, or of Lime, also Alume and Vitriol, all these are not so widely different from salt-petre, but they may easily be transmuted, and converted into salt-petre by the animation of the air, by the help of my circulatory vessel; but for the better perception of the operation, I will subjoin this Example.