And if there were no need of it for this thing, yet would it be of mighty moment, and bring in abundance of profit by extracting Gold and Silver out of the poorer Oars which will not bear the charges of melting, and now there will never be so much Gold and Silver, as that it will not be of any profit to a Countrey.
Nay more, if there were no want of Gun-powder, nor of Gold nor Silver, (which time when ’twill come, and how it should come, for my part I cannot see) yet (having Peter) we cannot be in want of Bread; and how great soever the plenty is of Wine, and Corn, and Fruits, yet there is never wont to be too much. Corn and Seeds being macerated with Salt peter afore they are sown, and the Roots of Vines and Trees being moistned with a very little of its liquor, do not onely grow more plenteously, but also produce more plenty of Fruits, and such as ripen far sooner, and are of a sweeter Tast, than if they were dung’d with that stinking Beasts Dung liquor. If then, Salt-peter be a subject so excellent, as that we can by no means want it, and that it may so easily be prepared out of Wood and Stones in plenty; if above all other things it makes the Earth fruitfull, if it can extract plenty of true Gold and Silver out of the contemptible Sand and Flints, what can we desire more from it, unless it be a sound and healthfull Body, whereby we may in fulness of health quietly and peaceably enjoy such great benefits vouchsafed us by God? But now this very same Salt being justly called the wonder of the World can bestow upon us, this very health we speak of.
I do affirm that Alchymy it self, or the Transmutation of the lesser, or meaner Metals into the greater or more noble, and into Gold and Silver, is not a vain dreaming dotage, and an opinion void of reason, but is the very truth it self, and confirmed by many experiments; the demonstration of which, I do, God willing, this Summer not rashly but advisedly set about shewing it by publick and evident experiments, and its use for the good of the Country.
Now then, forasmuch as the Countrey is every where sufficiently stored with Iron, Lead, Salt and other mineral matters, and such like contemptible subjects, and yet notwithstanding there is not at present any profit arising thereby; verily it cannot be, but that in a few years time (if such melting Houses were in all places made) Men would be rendred Masters of great Treasures. Who knows what God will do, and whether or no it may not so come to pass, that it may be said of the great ones of [our] Countrey as is mentioned in Holy Writ concerning Solomon. And he made Silver as plentifull as the Stones that lie in the Streets, &c.
But that I may yet more open the Eyes of the Studious after all, and show them, by what means all these things may come to pass, and fall out true, I do hereby assure him, that there’s no need of taking those Metals for this Fusion, that are already pure enough as Iron, Lead, Tin, and already fit to be imployed about Mans use; no, those common and sulphureous leaden Minera’s or Oars which are found to be uncapable of yielding profitable and venal or sellable Lead, are well enough for this Fusion and operation we speak of; and so likewise those Irony and Coppery Oars, out of which (seeing they admit not by nature of any fusion or melting) mallable fusile Copper or Iron cannot be extracted. For this Operation of ours needs not Copper, Iron or Lead to work upon, as being content with those poor sort of Oars, and with the bare Salt which the Earth is every where well replenished withall, so that there’s no cause to fear that there will ever be a want of any matter for such an Operation.
But what need I speak much of these unknown, and so very profoundly hidden secrets of nature, seeing I have openly enough taught already, in the second part of the Miraculum Mundi, by what means, pure and natural Gold may be gotten out of every Herb. This very thing I publickly demonstrated in my Laboratory above a year ago, in the presence of most learned Men, Professors, Doctours of Physick, and other Men both noble and ignoble, as their Testimonies, which are [under] hand affirm.
But there’s no need of that, forasmuch as the manner it self of the Operation is published in Print, and manifested to every one, and there can hardly pass over one years space, but that even a thousand Men or more may imitate the Operation and search into the truth it self of the business.
But that the well minded Reader may have a little more light, and may himself see what foundations the work I have undertaken is built upon, I have judged it altogether necessary in a few words to set afore your Eyes, what Alchymy it self is, and whether or no it has any foundation in Nature and Art. For if so be any ingenious Man gives an Herb, an Animal, or a Man any name, certainly he does it not rashly and without any ground, but well knows and understands for what cause he intitles any thing by such or such a name, and it is chiefly done on this account that by such assumed names the nature of the Herb, Animal, or Man, and its properties might be known. A few Examples will illustrate it the more.
What reason have the Physicians and Philosophers of old to call the Herb St. Johnswort, perforata? Because its leaves are full of small holes, and it is so signed by nature, to shew, that it has eminent virtues [and peculiarly appointed] to take away and cure external and internal stabs and wounds of the Body, and this is confirmed by experience. Why are some Herbs called Saxifragers? because their nature is, to cleave assunder and break through great heaps of Stones in their growing up, and to penetrate through old Walls, by the growth of their hard roots. Their Seeds likewise are like unto the smallest Sand and after a sort stonyish and do break the stony matter in the Reins and Bladder of Man’s Body and bring it forth. So a Serpent hath its denomination from creeping, because it wants Feet, and creeps and crawls along on the Earth.
A Shoemaker hath his title from his making and sewing of Shoes. A Black smith is not wont to be called a Gold-smith, because he works not on Gold but on Iron, and he hath his denomination from Iron, which he is occupied about.