In like manner, Copper may by the help of such Labours be very much amended, and gets no small portion of Silver, if it be added: so that with a little fire and a very few expences, every sort of Copper, though it has endured the fire scarce twenty four hours, is wont to be so much bettered, as to shew in the Touchstone the marks of two, three, and sometimes six Lots, according as it has been diligently and circumspectly handled. Hence comes it to pass, that by vile and every-where obvious Subjects any Silver and Lead may be maturated by little and little into Gold, and so may Copper it self be ripened without any detriment into good Silver, by a few repeated Labours. Now these operations requiring but small costs, and but a few labours to accomplish it, may be exercised without intermission, and bring vast profit. These inventions are such as never were as yet thought on by any, and so never at any time saw the Light. But now they that saw and learned, in my Laboratory, the great incineration, did not all of them see this Labour and Artifice, and apprehend its use, but such of them onely that stayed out constant, even to the end of the whole Demonstration in my Laboratory. And as for such as too soon forsook their Master and the School, they are (and indeed very deservedly) altogether ignorant of this operation. For should they have been masters of this Arcanum too, they would verily have detrimented me more, which God of his mercy prevented, and hereby provided, that all [my Arcana’s] should not fall altogether into mine Enemies hands. The Furnace which I used about the said Incineration and Melioration of Metals, is as yet in my Laboratory, and will haply there remain all this Winter. But as for mine own part, I have determined with my self to leave off Chymical Labours, communicating them to others, with whom this more compendious bettering of the Metals will be yet longer to be seen. Therefore all the whole Drove of my Enemies, though never so big, will not at all be able to oppress the truth, what mad attempts soever they make against it. For although one or another of them hath theevishly stole from me my Secrets, yet presently the Divine goodness hath largely supplied me with others. I have now laid a sure Foundation in Alchymy, and have kindled a Light for both Friends and Enemies, which will very hardly be extinguisht as long as the World endures.
But now, that some little knowledge may be had of this more compendious Incineration, and bettering of Metals, viz. of Iron, Copper, Tin and Lead into Silver, and of Lune into Gold; I say that it is to be done in a twofold manner. The first is, when the Metals are destroyed either with common, or else with prepared and moist Chymical Fires, and converted out of their own Metallick being into an Earthy nature and Essence, are imbibed with spiritual Salts, and burnt by a close Cementation, so as by their mutual efficacy and actings upon each other, to amend themselves, and afterwards by reduction and separation to yield forth Silver and Gold with profit. And this Labour admits of being exercised in as great a quantity and plenty as any one pleaseth, and is clearly void of tedious troublesomeness, and great expences, for one onely person may discharge this Operation in one onely Chimny, and that with no small quantity of matter too. Nay more, (and which is of greater moment) if any one shall in this operation make use of such Salts as they call Graduating Salts, which are easie to be got, and cost almost nothing, he will get far greater profit, especially if he shall put Copper-plates to be burnt with the Metals reduced by the said Cementation into ashes which said Plates, those Graduating Spirits will penetrate wholly and throughout, and in this penetration, better them, and bring them unto a more noble degree, so as to give on the Test, Silver impregnated with Gold. Nor is it necessary that those Copper-plates be separated by Lead in the secret Pot, so to get the Gold and Silver made in them, by the said operation, though they have already gotten a meanly-white Colour. ’Tis better and more profitable to put them yet again in some new Cementations, and urge them more with the violence of the Fire, and they will be enriched with a greater access of Gold and silver, then afterwards are they to be Separated by adding a due [quantity of] Lead, which is [thus] done, when the Lead containing the Gold and Silver, together with the Copper, are melted together into a great Cake, these are to be put in the Furnace, which the Germans call Seigerofen, that so the Lead melting may flow down, and in flowing or running down may carry away with it all the Silver and Gold that was in the Copper. By this Artifice is the Copper conserved, and is to be a new made into Plates, and to be used about new Labours, and be again enriched with Gold and Silver by Cementation.
N. B. There is not at all any need of any peculiar Lead for this Separation of the Copper, forasmuch as that Lead may be used thereabouts which is molten out of the Powders of the Cement, and already contains in it Gold and Silver, which Metals are conserved by one and the same work in the labour of Separation, and are already gotten by the Gradatory Cements out of the Minerals, and the more imperfect Metals.
And this now is my more compendious Incineration and Cementation of the imperfect Metals, to make them better and more perfect. This Operation have I shown to some Friends in my Laboratory, which will moreover be in many places exercised with profit. And now any one may easily foresee and guess, what shame mine Enemies, (who with their Diabolical Clamours and Calumnies, say my Writings are unprofitable and all over full of Lyes,) must at length be confounded withall, and how basely they have behaved themselves. Nor verily is it to be doubted but that there will be such frequent exercise and so familiar a practice of Alchymy (which is an Art that produceth infinite benefits) throughout all Europe, that even abundance of Work-men [or Trades men] will leave their Trades, and many Countrey-men leave their Plows, and set themselves about Alchymy, and by the Assistance of my Writings get themselves Food and Rayment in an easier and pleasanter way, even out of the contemptible Sand, and abject Stones. Whereupon it will of necessity follow, that in all those places where now poverty is rife, plenty of Gold and Silver will again come in sight. These are new fruits which God bestoweth in this Age. And every one that gets so far as to obtain their fruits, let him have regard to the poor and needy, and not forget his Benefactours from whom such things proceeded lest he pull upon himself the wrath and anger of God.
Moreover, there were some other Arcana’s ocularly demonstrated in my Laboratory, during the shewing of those meer prolix secrets, the reckoning up of which here I judge needless. Some of them are of no small concernment, which by the same Sinister or unlucky mishap fell into the hands of mine Enemies, and will without all doubt be by them manifested. For that very reason will I my self reveal some, in my second Century (God permitting) that it may not be concealed from any one, what excellent secrets I have disclosed for the use of mankind.
’Mongst other Arcana’s, this is none of the meanest, which, [viz.] teacheth to extract Copper, (by Waters of almost no cost or charges, out of poor Oars of Copper which are every where obvious, and are not rich enough to defray the charges necessary for a melting Fire,) and bring it to use, and that in great quantity, and so easily as that without question the poor Countrey-men that can very hardly sustain themselves, their Wives and Children, will for the time to come set about such an Operation, and get such Minera’s or Oars, or even the Scorias of them, to extract the Copper out of them and sell it, and so provide themselves Food and Rayment against a sharp Winter, whereas otherwise they must live miserably in want and poverty. The Operation it self is this.
How Copper may easily and very profitably be extracted and made corporeal (without any melting or fusion) by a certain Water of very small expences.
There are two sorts of Oars or Veins of Copper met withall, some are mixt with Sulphur, and refuse extracting with Aqua Fortis; insomuch that you must first remove the Sulphur from them by rotting as it were and burning them, afore that Salts or sharp Waters can display their virtues upon them. Now that roasting (or calcining) then, is to be done on Hearths by the flame of Wood, on which, that metalline matter broken into Powder, is to be uncessantly stirred with Iron Instruments, so long till it emits no more sulphureous stinch: This done, they admit of extraction with Aqua Fortis.
Other Minera’s or Oars which have no Sulphur admixt with them, need not this calcining, for they are to be onely heated red hot in the Fire and quencht, with Water and so broken to pieces, and then are they made fit for extraction.
But all sharp Waters which dissolve Copper may be used to extract the Copper out of poor coppery Oars, and that with profit, when the Waters are of no great costs, but are to be had for a very little charges. Such are an Acetum or Vinegar of Corn, Acetum of Woods, which any Countryman may get easily and in great quantity; also, Water of common Salt, Water of the Lees of Wine, out of which adust Wine (or Brandy) or Spirit of Wine is prepared, and which else are cast away. These two latter are of the meanest price, and may therefore be easiest of all gotten. The Operation it self is this.