For we may extract ☉ and ☽, out of all the common meaner or viler Metals, so that an expert Chymist needs not seek after peregrine, or strange Materials. An excellent purification, fixation, and augmentation may perfectly be done by the help of Salt-petre, which being a thing that but few know of, so seems it impossible, and yet the things I propound are most true. It makes bodies volatile and spiritual, and by and by again makes them fixt and compact: So that unto it alone is that saying of the Philosophers due, (Make the fixt volatile, and the volatile fixt) and to no other Subjects: Now if Metals be not spiritualized, there’s no hopes of their augmentation. Of something must a nothing be made, and again out of the nothing must something proceed: So saith Paracelsus, which likewise is very true, though there are but a few that believe the same.
The melting together of variously mixt corporeal things, yields forth neither ☉ nor ☽: But contrarywise a spiritual Union which is done with a most strong heat, is a notable author (or promoter) of Multiplication; for the Spirits do most notably penetrate, and by variously acting upon each other, do induce alterations and meliorations, which is denied to dead bodies to perform. The Spirit doth diversly bestow a life, and vivifieth, but the body is of no other use, but to yield an house or habitation to the Spirit; the which is well to be regarded.
Those metalline Spirits (when the work is finished) do insinuate themselves anew into other bodies, which bodies they make far better than the former were, and all this by the help of Salt-petre.
Basil brings in Salt-petre speaking of it self on this wise. He that intends my death needs be a prudent Man, that so he may expel (or force out) my soul from me; when this is done, I adventure upon all the things I am able to do, but I can do nothing that has in it firmness (or substantially) in the bottom, (or radically): Venus is my chearful Woman, whom (in this place) I take to Wife, but the wedding is celebrated in the very inward parts (or center) where the sweat flows out of us both in a most plentiful manner. So the subtile (part) in us, expelleth all defilements, whence it is, that we leave behind us most rich Children, and do reserve (or keep in store) most eminent Treasures for the dead bodies, which we give them by our Will and Testament. Who would speak more clearly, and would not understand these words of themselves, (or as they are) without any interpretation.
The ancient Philosophers wrote, that at the rising of the Sun is a Bird found in those hotter Countries; which builds his nest with Gold; and when he is grown old, and can live no longer, he gathers together exceeding dry Wood, which being kindled by the heat of the ☉, consumes both the Nest and the Bird too, from the allies moistned with rain Water, they say there arise Worms which will be again changed into other Phœnixes.
These sayings are indeed Fabulous, yet nevertheless there is a most high secret disclosed by them: for if we rightly consider all circumstances, we shall find that Salt-petre is hereby meant, which gathers the Gold into his Nest, that is, extracts the Gold out of Metals, Stones, and Minerals, and doth afterwards increase his Family by the burning them. This to a wise man is enough.
Now that this Arcanum may be the more manifest, I will add over and above, another way of extracting the fixt and volatile Gold out of Stones and all kinds of Minerals, by the help of Salt-petre, and of making them corporeal.
We may very well compare this work to a fishing Trade, concerning which the Philosophers have written many things, but very obscure; Sandivog, hath more clearly treated of that thing, but Isaac Holland clearest of all. Verily this Philosopher was an excellent fisher of Pearls and an excellent presser of Cheese, and for this very reason he assumed to himself such a name. For Isacus by transposition of Letters is the same with Casius, (or Cheese) So that it may be said to be Holland Cheese; not that Hollandus was in very deed a maker of the usual Cheese with milk, but that he bears some kind of resemblance (in his work) with such Men: For he bestowed abundance of labour about working on that Universal, that hath some Cheese-like fashion in it.
Even as the Hollanders gather the greatest quantity of Milk more than all Nations besides, out of which they press their Cheeses, and so sustain them and theirs; so the more skilful Chymists do frame or make Cheeses after a Philosophical manner, and that out of Metals, Salts, and Herbs: and this very much agreeable to that method, according to which we see the Hollanders proceed in making their Sheep-milk Cheese, where they boil in the Milk some green Herbs, and so do thence extract a colour afore they set about the coagulating Or curdling of it. That is, they dissolve ♄ or ☽ in Aqua-fortis, and a Golden matter, though it be but ♀ or ♃ (if they have not at hand any better) in Aqua Regia: They mix together both solutions having both of them the form of Virgin-milk, and they add as much salt as is sufficient. (NB. ’Tis better to add Salt-water, or Spirit of Salt,) and you shall presently see that milk to be coagulated, like as (when we pour on some Salt-water or Spirit of Salt upon Cow or Sheep milk) we observe daily to happen: where the Water is partly separated by decantation, and partly by expression from the coagulated or cheesy substance wrapt up in a Linen cloth, that so a Cheese may thence be made.
Just so do we proceed in the making of our metallick Cheese; for when we pour Salt-water or Spirit of Salt upon the solution of ☽ or ♄ mixt with that (solution) which is of a goldnish Nature, viz. of ♀ or ♃: we presently see a precipitation made; which done we abstract the clear water swimming at top of the precipitated matter, by inclination or pouring off; the which we may keep for farther uses, principally for the solution of other Metals and golden Subjects. We put the Cheese or white Coagulum abiding in the bottom of the Vessel, into a Linen cloth, and by strong squeezing it free it wholly from the wateriness, which said water is to be kept as well as the former, for being used about making new Cheeses, it makes them of the better savour, and more aureous and vendible.