N. B. Sometimes there comes over with the spirit of wine a little red oyl, which the strong spirit of salt hath separated from the spirit of wine, and it is impregnated with the Tincture of Gold. It is an excellent cordial, few are found like unto it, whereby weak people decayed by sickness or age, may be kept alive a long time, they taking daily some drops of it, who else for want of the humidum radicale, would be forced to exchange their life for death.
Here some body may ask, whether this Tincture is to be counted or taken for a true Tincture of Gold; or whether there be another better to be found?
To which I answer, that though many may hold it to be such, and I my self do call it so here, yet that after due examination it will not prove to be such: for although some vertue is taken from the gold by this way, yet it doth still keep its life, though it be grown weak and pale, because it can so easily recover its former sound colour by a contemptible mineral: if its true Tincture or soul were gone from it, surely an inferiour mineral could not restore it to life, but of necessity there would be required such a thing for to do it, which hath not only so much, as it hath need of for it self, but hath a transcendent power to give life unto dead things. As we may see by a man or any sensible beast, that if they have lost their vigor by adversities, in that no life more is perceived in them, yet by medicines fit for the purpose, they may be refreshed, and brought to their former health, so that their former disease appeareth no more in them: but if their soul be once gone, the dead body can by no medicines be restored unto life again, but must remain dead so long, till he in whose power it is to give and to take life, have mercy upon it. So likewise it is to be understood of gold, when its colour is taken from it, and yet its life is left, which by the help of Antimony, being its medicine, as also by the help of iron or copper can be restored unto it, so that it recovereth its former fair colours, so that you cannot see at all, that it ailed any thing before. But if its life be gone from the body, it is impossible for any ordinary metal or mineral to restore it to life, but it must be done by such a thing, which is more than Gold it self hath been: for even as a living man cannot give life unto a dead man, but GOD must do it who hath created man; so Gold cannot restore to dead Gold, the life which hath been taken from it, and how could it then be done by an unfixt mineral? But there is required a true Philosopher for to do it, such a one as hath good knowledge of gold and its composition.
Now as we heard that like cannot help its like, but he that shall help, must be more, than he that looks for help from him: Hence it is evident, that the Tincture, whose remaining body (from which it is taken) is still gold, can be no true tincture; for if it shall be a true tincture, it must consist in its three principles, and how can it consist therein, the body from whence it came being yet alive, and possessing invisibly all its three principles? How can a mans soul be taken from him, and yet the body live still? Some will say, that for all that, this may be counted a true tincture, although the body still remain gold, and have kept its life: even as man may spare some blood out of his body, which though it will make him somewhat pale, yet he liveth still, and the lost blood may be supplyed again by good meat and drink. But what lame and senseless objections are these? Who would be so simple as to think, that a handful of blood may be compared to a mans life? I believe no wise man will do it. Although life goeth forth with the blood, yet the blood is not the life it self; else the dead could be raised thereby, if a cup full of it were poured into a dead body; but where was such a thing ever heard or seen? With such groundless opinions some did presume to censure the truth, set down in my treatise de Auro potabili vero, saying, Geber and Lullius were also of opinion, that a true tincture can be extracted out of gold, the same nevertheless remaining good gold: but it may be asked, what it hath lost then for to yield a true Tincture, since it remained good gold? Here no body will be at home for to answer I doubt. What are the Writings of Geber or Lully to me? What they have written I do not despise, they were highly enlightned and experienced Philosophers, and would defend their writings sufficiently, if they were alive: and what I write, I am also able to maintain.
Do those men think, that the writings of Geber and Lully are to be understood according unto the bare letter? shew me a tincture of gold which was made by the writings of Geber or Lully? if it were so, then every idiot or novice, that could but read Latine, would not only by their writings be able to make the Tincture of gold, but also the Philosophers stone it self, whereof they have written at large; which doth not follow, because it is seen by daily experience, that the most worldly learned men spent many years, and have been at vast charges, and taken great pains, and studied in their books day and night, and found not the least thing in them.
Now if such Philosophers were to be understood literally, doubtless there would not be so many poor decay’d Alchymists. Therefore the writings of such worthies are not to be understood according to the letter, but according to the mystical sense hid under the letter.
But because the truth is eclipsed in their books by so many seducing and sophistical processes, there will hardly any man be able to pick it out from so many seducements, unless a light from God be given to him first, whereby he may be able so to peruse the dark writings of those men, that he know how to separate the parabolical speeches, from those that are true in the letter it self: or if an honest Godly Chymist by the grace of God in his labours do hit upon the right steps, and yet do doubt, whether he be in the right way or no, then by reading of good and true Philosophers books, he may at last learn out of them the firm and constant truth: else hardly any ones desire may be obtained out of their books, but rather after the pretious time spent, means and health wasted, a man shall be forced to fall a begging at last.
In like manner, if the true tincture be taken from Copper, the rest is no more a metal, nor by any Art or force of fire can be reduced to a metallical substance.
N. B. But if you leave some tincture in it, then it may be reduced into a brittle gray body, like unto iron, but brittle.