A Square within a Circle.
In the Sun
and Salt are
all things.
II. A Demonstration whereby it is proved that Fire and Salt are most noble Creatures of God, and that in Fire there lies hid the purest Salt, and in Salt a most efficacious Fire.
That Fire and Salt are most noble Creatures of God I have evidently enough demonstrated in my little work concerning the nature of Salts. But that there is a subtile saltish spirit in any fire, and that between the heat of the Sun, and of our Kitchin fire, as to their saltish spirit, a great difference doth interpose is sufficiently and over sufficiently known. But to comprehend or lay hold of, to concenter such a pure saltish spirit of Sol, to render it corporal, palpable or perceivable, and visible, remains hidden and unknown to us by reason of our sins; because God reserves so great mysteries for his own alone, of whom he is honoured and feared: for God himself useth no better similitude than the fire, whereunto the Ancients exhibited divine honour, and by the help of the same, perfected all their Sacrifices: So among the Caldeans, Fire, and God are called by one and the same name of Esch: and among the Heathens, the chief Philosophers, yea Hermes himself thought the Sun to be a God, and worshipped it for a God. These things are found expressed by Mutius concerning the nature of Gods, and therefore those things are not necessary which may be here repeated. Yet that is well to be noted, that God hath always appeared to his Saints under the shew of fire, and hath talked with them out of it, it being that which is full of the greatest mysteries, yet observed but by a few, as in a peculiar little work concerning the concentration of the Heaven and the Earth I will more plainly and fully declare. I affirm therefore, that it can scarce be, that the admirable, yea incredible nature of fire should be described without the revelatian of the highest or greatest mysteries of God. Therefore it is better that such Secrets are passed by in silence, than that precious pearls should be cast before Swine, who are wont to receive them with laughter, and proclaim that they are nothing but the mere sophistries of triflers, even as is evidently manifest from the description of J. H. S. of the Philosophers Stone, wherein Nature, he saith, makes not use of Glasses, Vessels, Fire, Salt, Urine, and the like in the bowels of the Earth; and the universal Elixir may very fitly be prepared by him, who also hath not handled any Chymical Labours, or was never busied about Fire or Salt: Let it shame the man of such stinking lies, wherewith he endeavours to cover his own ignorance, I on the contrary affirm, that all those that know not how to handle Fire and Salt, do in very deed know nothing, but do give credit unto those things only which they hear, or read in others writings, and also for that cause are unworthy of the name and title of true Philosophers; for true Philosophy is to be thoroughly or perfectly learned by the help of Fire and Salt alone, the which God willing shall be more evidently demonstrated.
III. It is moreover demonstrated, that in all Salts an admirable Fire doth lurk as being laid up therein, through the indeavour whereof very many admirable things may be perfected as well in Medicine as in Alchymy: and also that it may be altogether performed, that out of Vitriol the Stone of the ancient Wise men, out of Salt Peter a spiritual Gold, and an excellent yellow tincture, and out of common Salt the true Pearl of the Philosophers may be prepared.
In all Salts, that a most potent Fire doth lurk as being laid up therein, those have best known who have the labours of the fire thoroughly viewed and certainly known. For through the efficacy and operation hereof, salts are reduced unto a fiery force, or power, or unto a moist fire, out of which they before arose, after the laying down of their earthliness, yet one salt draws out one fire far unlike to the fire of another, so that this is volatile, the other is fixed, and remaining constant in the fire; another is partly volatile and partly fixed, even as the operation shall procure this or the other property unto them, yet all such fiery salts may by the benefit of Art be concentred, and made more efficacious than they were made by some one distillation. For example sake. If any one beholdeth Vitriol, and considers of the nature thereof, he shall in very deed certainly find that by the help of, a strong fire, there may be allured or extracted out of it that which was in the beginning, to wit, a fiery spirit, which by the aid of external fire, being reduced into a narrow Central room, or Con-centration, draws out that internal fire, uncloathing it self of, or displaying so great virtues, that it reduceth into a Coal all things which it moisteneth or encompasseth, even like as if it had been burnt up by common Kitchin fire, or by Glasses receiving the Sun-beams and burning up all things that are objected against it. Concerning these fiery salts, and the preparation and use of them, I being here to deliver a few things, I will take my beginning from the fire of Vitriol, and the preparation of the same, the various and manifold use whereof shall be afterwards explained in its own place.
IV. Of the Preparation of the Fire of Vitriol.
Retorts made of the best earth do draw out the fire of Vitriol by distillation after this manner following.
Common Vitriol is calcined in earthen pots unto a redness, and reduced into a powder, it is put into an earthen Retort, and placed in a Furnace, and a great vessel adjoyned to the neck of the Retort, which is to receive the Spirits going forth; the fire is kindled by degrees, and is gradually increased untill the Retort be brightly red hot, in which degree of fire it is so long to be urged untill no white Clouds or little vapoury Mists do any longer appear. This operation is perfected in 24 hours space at the most. But if the Retort shall be very large all the Oyl cannot be extracted in the space of 24 hours, but will require a longer time for the operation, which experience it self will determine: after all the Spirits are distilled off and settled to the bottom of the Receiver, the clay luting which joyned the Receiver to the neck of the Retort is to be mollified with a wet cloth put round about it, and the Receiver taken off, and the spirits poured out of it into a glass body well coated with Clay, the which (having an Alembick put on) is to be set in sand, that the volatile Spirit may slowly and gently be drawn off, and kept for its use afterwards to be taught. Also afterwards the phlegm is to be drawn off, and reserved for its own uses, because it hath its own peculiar virtues. At length also the last spirit is to be received in a peculiar vessel, the which, after that it hath ceased, and fiery drops do follow, the fire is (by degrees) to be removed, and when the sand is cold, the gourd is to be taken out, in which (the Alembick or head being taken away) thou shalt find a fiery Oyl of a black or somewhat reddish colour, the which is again to be rectified in an open fire in a Retort well coated, that it may be rendred more fiery and clear.
By this oyl admirable things, and those not only profitable for Physicians but also for Chymists, and other Artificers, are perfected as we shall straitway see.