Now seeing that every babling fellow is a Physician, and every prater an Alchymist, this is the cause why (in plain Terms) the Sciences (of Physick and Chimistry) cannot be brought to light.
This now is the Foundation or Basis, viz. That in Sulphur are contained such great Arcana and Virtues relating to both Faculties (viz. Medicine and Alchimy) that no body can ever search them out sufficiently: I say, that there lies such excellent Virtues hidden therein, as may very deservedly cause in all Men great admiration. For after long experience gained in both Faculties, such are the Virtues of Sulphur found and known to be, that there are not many other things that are either its superiour, or which may therewithal compare in Medicine and Alchimy.
Sulphur reproves Aristotle, when as he saith that the species of things cannot be changed: For Sulphur is transmuted; did Aristotle live now adays he would wholly be ashamed and blush.
Thus far he, as for the many more additions that he makes every one may read them in his Works.
As concerning my self, I say thus, That nothing at all can be done in Alchimy without Sulphur or sulphureous Salts; like as without seed, neither Vegetable nor Animal can; as is clearly evident, be possibly generated. Sulphur is instead of Seed, and Mercury instead of a Matrix: But you must not think that I do here speak of common Sulphur only, and common Mercury: [No!] I do comprise under them such as are far more excellent, and this you are well to heed. If now a metal be not sulphureous, it must be brought to a due softness by the force of Fire, which is done thus, viz. Making it red hot and quenching it some times in water. But if so be it is already soft enough, then bare powdering it is sufficient, without so much as ever heating it red hot and quenching the same. Put this powder in Pans of cast Iron, and that there may be the less waste of Fire, let it be encompassed with a wall or mured in a Furnace; fill them half full, and pour thereupon (whether it be Metal or Ore, or Sand, Stone, or Clay, or golden Mineral,) so much of the water which we shall by and by describe, as the Iron Vessel can contain, yet so that the said Vessels want of being top full the breadth of 3 or 4 fingers, least as you stirr it about some of it spil over. This done, put to an hundred pound weight of the Metal or Ore, about one pound of an aureous, silvery, Magnet. Then put Fire under the Pans or Cauldrons, and make the water boil, continually stirring the matter contained in the Iron Pans, with an Iron Spatula.
Now forasmuch as this water is of such a quality as that it can neither dissolve ☉ nor ☽, it leaves both the ☉ and ☽, and by reason of the admixtion of the Magnet, it attracts only the Iron or the Copper. When the water hath attracted as much ♂ or ♀ as it can, it is to be drawn away, and more new put on in the room thereof, and you must proceed on to boiling as afore-mentioned, and thus are you to reiterate this work, until all the ♂ or ♀ shall be extracted out of the Metal, and nothing remain behind save a dead Sand, which may most easily be separated from the Magnet, by the pouring on of common Water, for the sand mixeth in self with it, and the Magnet remains pure in the bottom of the Vessel, which hath received into it self the ☉ and ☽: This ☉ now and ☽ is again easily separated from the Magnet, which said Magnet may be again used for such another work.
Thus now, one only person can by this means daily separate a great quantity of Metal from the ☉ and ☽ it has in it; all the artifice consisteth in the preparation of such a water as extracteth ♂ and ♀ out of the Metals or Ores: And therefore must it be of such a nature, as to dissolve neither ☉ nor ☽, & be nevertheless strong enough to dissolve ♂ & ♀ and to separate them from the ☉: For that the Magnet cannot extract the ☉ out of the ♂ and ♀ unless they be afore dissolved. But as touching the quality (or composition) of this water; ’tis no ways expedient to divulge it, forasmuch as the whole business dependeth thereupon, nor can any thing at all be effected without the knowledge thereof. When now Venus and Mars, or else Venus alone, or Mars alone, are extracted out of the stone (or ore) by the benefit of the said water, the precipitation of them may be made by the addition of some contrary thing, whereby it comes to pass, that not only its sharpness is taken away but also excellent Nitre may be thence prepared afterwards, which is to be separated from the Mars or Venus: The precipitated Mars may be reduced with a strong fire, and so it will be made fluxile, and which easily melts in a Crucible like Venus, and becomes malleable; yea, and of more worth than the best Venus, because it performs very many profitable things in Alchimy, which we forbear to speak of here, for some certain reason.
He therefore that knows such a menstruum or dissolvent, and which requires no costs to make it, and yet notwithstanding doth very well dissolve Mars and Venus (and leave the Sol and Luna): Such an one verily may in all places find plenty of Mars and Jupiter (Venus I believe he means) which contains plenty of both fixt and volatile Sol and Luna: neither need he be much sollicitous about Golden Metals or Ores.
Forasmuch then as the whole Artifice consisteth in the knowledge only of the water, and in the manuals (or contriving) of the placing of the Magnet, and in the separating all the unprofitable matters from the ☉ and ☽; he that does not know such a Magnet and how to prepare such a dissolvent, by whose help ☉ and ☽ may be concentrated, and ♀ and ♂ be separated from them, let him search hereafter even as I, my self have done: But if so be he cannot find out or invent either of them, let him get from me what he desires to know, and I will not omit to satisfy his request, provided it may be done without my detriment and disquiet. But now you must not think that therefore I will give answers to all such as trouble me with their tedious Letters, for my time permits not the doing of such matters.
There is yet another way by which we may expect profit out of such Minerals as contain in them much ♂ if we deal with them on this wise. Let it be reduced with the strong blast of bellows, and you shall find either a greater or lesser Regulus in the bottom (according to the muchness or lessness of the ♂ that the stone contains) which Regulus compriseth in it self the ☉ and ☽ which was in the Mineral or Ore, if such an Iron be malleable, Plates may be made of those Regulusses, with are to be dissolved (in the Cauldrons made of cast Iron) with that secret water, out of which solution, the ☉ may be extracted by the benefit of the Magnet, according to the afore-prescribed manner. But if the said Regulus be brittle, and not malleable, then may it be granulated: Nay, it would not be much amiss to make large Cauldrons and such like Pots thereof by melting, that may be of 2, 3, or 4 Fingers thickness. Nor must we suppose that what the said water dissolves of the Cauldron and takes from it, besides that which it receives from the Plates or Granulated Iron put therein to dissolve, is meerly lost: No, for even it doth in like manner exhibit its Sol too; so that by this means a most rich Mine-pit may be made.