Let the nature and property of a Char-coal of Wood be considered, the which is such, as that if it be kept in the greatest Fire for many years, and all external air kept out from it; it will neither ever melt, nor ever lose ought of its body, but will come out again in the very same form as it had at your putting it into the Fire.
So likewise a Wood coal is able to endure an hundred, yea a thousand years in the Earth, Water, or even the most sharp corrosive Waters unhurt. This so most sharp a tryal, neither Gold nor Silver though they be the purest and most constant are able to undergo. And although a Coal be thus durable, yet nevertheless will I dissolve it in half an hours space, and convert it into a red fusile Salt, which is dissolvable with Water, and yields a wonderfull liquor which is the effecter of incredible operations both in Medicine and in Alchymy.
LIX. What Sal Mirabilis is to be used to dissolve the Coles.
The Sal Mirabilis is diversly prepared, as appears in the second part of Miraculum Mundi; but what way soever it be prepared by, it may be commodiously applied to the solution of Char-coals, nor needeth it any farther preparation, but even just so as it is taken out of the Cucurbit and is as yet corrosive is to be used to dissolve all things.
LX. The manner of reducing any Char-coal in half an hours space to its first matter, that is, into a sulphureous Salt, by the Sal Mirabilis.
Melt two or three ounces of Sal Mirabilis in some Pot or Crucible, and throw in a peice of Wood-coal or Char-coal, and cover the Pot with its Cover, and let it flow for one half hour, that so the Salt may dissolve as much of that Coal as it can, and may leave the rest of it which it cannot dissolve, undissolved. Then pour out your matter and you shall find a red Stone of Salt, which being tasted upon the Tongue burns it like Fire, as all Alkaly Salts do. For the corrosive force is inverted by the Vegetable Sulphur, and changed into an Alkaly.
This red Carbuncle being dissolved in Water yields a green Solution, which being filtred, and let stand still for some hours, appears of a white colour, and being let alone quiet longer, acquireth a yellow colour. One drop thereof gilds over an imperial as Sulphur does, if it be therein put. For the Char-coal is no other thing but a Sulphur of the same nature as the Mineral Sulphur is of, and penetrating all the Metals, suffers it self to be fixed with them, and doth after another manner perform all those things that the Mineral Sulphur is wont to do.
The very well skilled Sendivow in his Dialogue concerning the Sulphur of the Wise Men, saith he is strongly guarded, and sits Captive in a dark Prison, and is not easily freed; but Salt gives him a deadly wound.
A Sulphur therefore sits in this black Coal in a dark and obscure Prison, shut up with strong Bands, and is a Captive, nor can any one free him from those Bands but onely Salt. But being once released out of Prison, he is wont to come in view, and not before.
Thus now have we brought forth Sulphur out of his obscure Body. And now will we also bring him forth to publick view.