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

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

The greater the suffering, the greater the melioration, so that that affliction which brings with it even death it self, brings with it also so much the more noble and magnificent Regeneration and Resurrection. He that suffers not in this World, shall not have the Crown put upon him after his Resurrection. By how much the greater and more innocent the suffering and affliction of this life is, so much the greater, and fairer a Crown may be expected in the other World.

The Grape is prest so long, till it be rid of all its juice, this juice doth indeed bring a sweet and pleasant delightsomness unto mortal man, but the Grape it self which the juice is prest out of, ceaseth to be a Grape, and perisheth through defect of juice, and passeth into nothing. But unto the noble Vine, hath God given this benefit, that it yearly bears not barely one but many Grapes together: All which being pluckt off, it doth nevertheless produce the following year no fewer, but rather more Grapes; and still remains a blessed and fruitfull Vine, because it is furnisht with roots and fertile Boughs. On the contrary, they that have devoured the good and sweet juice themselves, remain always hungry and thirsty, and that for this reason, because they guzle down the juice too new and fresh, whereby their Bellies swell, and they receive no nutriment therefrom.

This is a thing certain and undoubted, that the bodies of the Metals become by suffering and dying far more excellent and more noble. He therefore that knows that the patient is to be subjected unto its own agent, and doth also understand by what way they are to be conjoined, will never labour in vain, but will reap the wished reward of his pains.

When the agent doth touch onely the superficies of the patient, and penetrates not into its heart or root, there will verily be but a very little good done, save onely this, viz. That the Agent being afore rendred aureous, is able to give unto its patient also a golden nature, and to bring the same to an aureous degree, and to bestow upon it the perfection of Gold: but that melioration which is done onely by it self proceeds on very slowly.

As concerning the manner of enduing the Spirit of Salt with an aureous nature, that so it may the sooner render its patient a partaker of golden virtues, we have spoken of that already, and demonstrated it clearly enough; he that does not understand, we cannot help him any other way.

N. B. When the Eagle, the Servant of Jupiter, hath with his beak and talons pluckt out the coagulated beams of the Sun out of the Cliffs and Rocks, and brings them unto Jupiter, he is so very bountifull, that he sends down the same unto us by the Rain, which is of so much efficacy, as that all the Herbs upon which it falls are bettered, and the martial, venereal, saturnine, Lunar and mercurial Herbs do put on the golden nature of the Sun; so efficacious is the golden Rain of Jupiter, if the Eagle hath first brought unto him the coagulated rays of the Sun.

And that I may be the better understood, and that it may be known, that the Melioration of Metals may be accomplished by a dry Agent, full as well, yea and better, and more profitably than by a moist Agent; I have judged it a thing worth while to adjoyn the following Process under the Title of the Great Country Farmer.

And let the studious Artist know, that the amending of the Metals by the dry way, by the operation of dry Salt, is far more easie, and may likewise be dispatcht in a greater quantity, than is wont to be done by the moist way: and that there is nothing required to this operation save Salt and Coals, be the Metals that are to be fixed, even what they will.

For Example, if a man be desirous to fix Saturn, or to procure unto it a Silvery nature, there needs not pure Lead be taken for this work, seeing he may have the Oar or Vein thereof for much less price; and indeed there is some that is a wild and sulphureous Oar, which yields not, in the melting, any good Lead, and may be had in great plenty in some places of Germany that I know of, for a very small price, or rather for none at all. Such a wild Oar of Lead as this is, which yields neither good Lead, nor is fit for the Potters to glaze their Pots withall, by reason of its hard fusion, doe I chuse for my operation, not onely because it costs less than other such Oars of Lead doe, but for this reason too, because it hath store of Sulphur, and fit enough for fixation.

This Vein or Oar doe I bring into small Powder, and mix as much Salt thereto as need requires, then cast it in upon the Coals, in such a Furnace as I have described to make store of Spirit of Salt in: The Salt and the Sulphur exercising their vehement or powerfull virtues upon the Lead, causeth it to be afflicted with terrible dolours, insomuch that part thereof ascendeth on high [or sublimeth] with part of the Salt, and betakes it self into Receivers fitted on for that purpose. In which sublimation, the Salt and the Lead ascend in a spiritual manner, and contrary to their will, suffer spiritually, and so are constrained to enter into friendship, finding a place of quietude in those cold Receivers, and there setling together. The residue of the Oar, and part of the Salt being burnt up, and emitting no more flores, but falling down through the Grate like Ashes, more new or fresh Coals must be put into the Furnace, and new matter must be thrown thereupon, as afore; and this Labour is to be continued so long, as it shall please any one to follow it. Now by this, the Saturn is far more vehemently afflicted, than in the moist way by the Spirit of Salt; And if unto the Oven [or Receiver] receiving the fume, and in which the flowers of the Salt and Lead settle, there shall be applied yet several Receivers, there will then be therein caught store of Spirit of Salt, which being rectified, may be agen made use of in the moist way. The flowers being taken out of the Oven or Receiver into which the fume goes, are to be agen thrown in upon the live Coals in the Furnace, that they may suffer anew and be sublimed. After that they are all sublimed again on this wise, they are to be agen taken out of the Oven, and be cast in upon the live Coals; and must be afflicted with these Labours so often repeated, untill they become fix and ascend no more, but fall down into the Ashes. Which being washt, will yield a Salt profitable for many things, and will quit all the costs which have been laid out upon Lead, Salt, and Coals; so that the Spirit of Salt which is gotten, and that which is amended in the Lead Oar by the Salt, cost nothing. The Ashes being washt are to be reduced, in a Furnace, by blast, and be so often tormented, till a good portion of Silver be gotten by this operation, which the elaborated matter, being purged by a due separation upon the Tests, will give. And so shall you have Gold and Silver by the benefit of this operation, by which [operation] we have manifested unto you the Great Country Farmer paying his yearly Rent.