In the name of the Lord, therefore adjoyn thou unto thy fishing Net; that is, unto the mercury of Lune, such a matter in due weight and measure which admits not of melting, and which suffers not the mercury of Lune to conflux, or melt together. Such are wooden Coals being reduced into a fine powder, with the which being mixt with the mercury of Lune, thou shalt fill thy distilling vessel, whether it be earth, or iron, or glass which is the best of all, even unto the half part, and shall set it in the fire, the which is to be gently increased by degrees, untill the glass become burning bright, keep the vessel so long in this heat untill all the spirits are departed, which ceasing, thou shalt take away the vessel being cold, in which thou wilt find the remainder of the mercury which did not ascend, reduced into a corporal or imbodyed silver, or at least wise such, to which adding a little borace is easily reduced into silver, the which doth contain somewhat of gold; but keep thou that subtile and pure matter which ascended in distillation as a precious treasure, and meditate after what sort, or by what means thou mayst be able to fix this precious Pearl, and convert it into a fusible, or flowable, and piercing stone.
But in what respect, or in what manner this thing is to be done, in very deed I cannot tell, because I am he who have not hitherto had leisure, nor time of perfecting that thing, and therefore I have been willing here to shew onely these things which I have seen with my eyes, and handled with my hands.
Another shall be able by his own judgment to make tryal, and to see what God will bestow upon him, I have shewn in stead of the mercurial Statue or Image, that which shall suffice at present.
XVII. A more easie manner of obtaining a Philosophical Pearl.
If thou shalt be desirous of obtaining a Philosophical Pearl after a more easie manner, thou must of necessity thus operate.
Unto half a Loton, i. e. two drams of the mercury of Lune, add a little of the powder of Coals, and put the conjoyned matters into a small glass, the which set in a crucible encompassed with sand unto that height which the matter in the glass it self shall determine. On the mouth of the glass put a small piece of some glass that it may be well covered, and so place thou a less crucible with the upside downward upon that little glass, that its (top) utmost and highest bound being overwhelmed with the said sand may drive away all air from that little glass.
Set that crucible being in this manner co-fitted, and containing the little glass shut up between them in live Coals of Wood, and make them bright burning hot, that that may remain fired for a quarter of an hours space, then let them cool, and thou shalt find a little lifted up by sublimation, the rest being melted by borace, will afford a silver impregnated with gold, yet without gain, the which demonstrateth onely in the space of half an hour, what may be done: but what gain may be obtained by this very operation shall hereafter be shewn.
Furthermore it is here to be seen how most beautifull a Pearl doth bewray it self, although very little of it come forth, because in this labour no small part thereof flies away into the air, and sheweth onely its colours alone in the glass, far more beautifull than gold, silver, and precious stones; if any one shall rightly operate, neither shall there be any Painter who shall express it by imitating and painting.
For this time take what hath been spoken in right and good part, and immediately weigh thou so great a thing the more exactly, pray, labour, seek, and in seeking thou shalt find such things which thou couldst never before have believed.
The Brethren of ignorance, my enemies, will here object against me, and say, that these most elegant colours have drawn their original from the silver: unto those I briefly answer, That they were indeed extracted out of the Salt by the help of the silver, but that they do not (per se) or by themselves pertain to the silver, for if they were of the silver they would also be solved by aq. fortis, the which, since it is not done, they are not silver, but the meer Anima or Soul of the salt. That this thing may be confirmed by a more evident argument, I bring the solution of Saturn or Lead, the which it self also can fish out the same Pearl from Salt, without Silver. If anyone shall operate after the same manner which I but now shewed, I also add this, that I am hereafter to teach a way whereby Saturn may be able to fish pure simple gold out of all salts.