88. And if we dissolve one pound of Salt, and as much Niter in three pound of Water, adding thereto one pound of Oil of Vitriol, and distill it in Sand, by Alembick or Retort we shall get six pound of good and strong Aq. Regis to dissolve Sol, Venus, Mars and Jupiter.
89. But when we take two pound of Salt, and dissolve it in three pound of Water adding one pound of Oil of Vitriol, we get five pound of good Spirit of Salt. The Salt that stays behind is called Sal Mirabilis or wonderfull Salt, because wonders may be done with it, as appears from several parts of my Writings, these Salts being of divers vertues according to the nature of those Salts that are added to the Oil of Vitriol in Distillation.
90. These Salts are commonly added to metals, and melted down with them in Crucibles, by which means they become dissolved in the dry way, which is much easier and readier than the wet way of dissolving.
91. In particular by this way we can dissolve Sulphur, which resists all corrosive saline Spirits, and remains undissolved by them.
92. Now to obtain Oil of Vitriol with ease and in great quantity, we may proceed several ways, and especially thus, by dissolving Vitriol in water, adding a contrary to it, which separates all its impurities, by which means the purified Vitriol may with a small Fire be reduced to Oil, so as one pound of Oil of Vitriol will not require above ten pound of Coals.
93. And because Oil of Sulphur is of the same nature with Oil of Vitriol, yea is more proper for some operations than it, therefore we may make use of the same Oil of Sulphur, to prepare strong saline Spirits, especially because the same may be prepared in quantity and very compendiously, according to a particular way described by the Ancient Philosophers.
94. They have taught us the preparation of Oil of Sulphur in their wittily devised Fables, giving to this Oil the name of Venus, whom Vulcan when come to Man’s estate took to Wife: by the word Vulcan, we are to understand every combustible Sulphur, and by the word Venus, its incombustible corrosive Oil, which for this reason probably they called Venus, because when a drop of it falls on burning Coals, it gives forth a red smoak like to Venus, or because this acid Oil like a wicked Woman, has sharp Teeth, and a keen deceitfull Tongue, wherewith they lay hold of Men, and lead them astray in the same manner as this Oil cleaves to, and enters a League with every metal to which it is joyned, forasmuch as all metals proceed from Sulphur, and have great affinity with it, as the Woman hath with Man.
Here follows an Explication of the Poetical Table, teaching us to make the Oil of Sulphur in quantity.
95. We reade that Vulcan, that is, a combustible Sulphur, took Venus to Wife, by which is meant the incombustible Oil of Sulphur; now whilst Vulcan was busie at his work in the Caves of the Earth, for he was a Miner and a Black-smith, Venus betakes her self to Mars, who lies with her; now when Vulcan found his Wife in the embraces of another Man, he calls all the Gods to his help, who appearing, cast an Iron Net over Mars and Venus that they might not escape, but with great shame be exposed to the derision of the Gods.
96. When Vulcan is kindled in a Furnace made for that purpose, that is, labours in metals, the flame carries Venus, i. e. the Oil of Sulphur into Mars his lodging, that is, into the Recipient, which must be fill’d with Steel Wire, where she commits Adultery with Mars, that is, begins to dissolve the same, and produceth a Vitriol, which when exposed to the moist Air, becomes resolved into a clear sweet water, which from the Steel Wire runs into the Vessel appointed to recieve it, which sweet water is nothing else but Arostrus the Son of Mars and Venus, or the martial Oil of Sulphur, or to speak more plainly, the Vitriol of Mars.