Now that Tin contains much Sulphur, may be thus experimented: Take the filings of Tin and powder’d Nitre, mix and put them into a Crucible over the fire, and they will kindle and consume one another, so as nothing will be left in the Crucible. Or it may be tried thus: Melt some Tin in a Cruce, and when ’tis red-hot, cast in some Nitre upon it, which kindles the Tin, the flame carrying part of it away, and the rest is burnt to dross or fæces. But not to insist on this, it being very notorious that the greatest part of Tin is nothing else but combustible Sulphur, the remaining part being a solar pure Mercury: so that when this Sulphur is by art wholly separated from its pure Mercury, the same is easily ripened to Gold, by being joined with cold Saturn, which the following Praxis will abundantly make out.
’Tis worth our noting here, that this Sulphur of Tin doth not burn away, when the Tin without any addition is put to the fire, but doth then in the heat seize and lay hold of its own Mercury, burning and reducing the same to Ashes, which are very hardly to be reduced to a Metal without some addition: neither will Lead join with these Ashes, but thrusts them out from him, turning them to a white Glass; which is the reason why so few are found, who with profit can separate the Gold and Silver which is in it. Paracelsus in his Cœlum Philosophorum saith expresly that much Gold and Silver lies hid in Tin. We read also of others that have had the Art of it, and have thence extracted great treasures of Gold and Silver; amongst others Bruschius in his Description of Fichtelberg, gives us the History of a Citizen of Eger, on the Borders of Bohemia, some few miles distant from the City Nurnberg, who had the skill of separating the Sol and Lune which is in Tin to great advantage, having been enabled thereby not onely to build an Hospital and Church in the said place, but also richly to endow the same for the maintenance of twelve old Men and three Priests in the said Hospital. This Person, whose name was Sigismund Wan, suffer’d this Art to die with him, but withall left a Prophesie behind him that the said Art 200 years after should rise again, and be made known to the World. Which Prophesie though Bruschius in his foresaid description make no mention of, yet is undoubtedly true: and there is a Book in Manuscript, which is very common amongst the Miners and other Artificers belonging to the said Fichtelberg, which I have seen, and read in it the said Prophesie, though at that time being young and unexperienc’d in the nature of Tin, I little minded it. But since God has been pleased in this my far advanced old Age, without any thing of my seeking, out of his meer grace and mercy to reveal the said Art unto me, it hath given me occasion to call to mind what formerly I had read, and put me upon reading the said Book over again, where I found that his Prophesie was exactly fulfilled, for this Sigismund Wan died in the year 1467, from whence to this present year 1667, are just 200 years. This Prophesie being thus precisely accomplished, I thought fit to set down some part, of the said Bruschius his Relation, from whence it appears that God doth often impart such skill and knowledge to good and honest People, whereby they are enabled not onely to supply themselves, but also to make liberal Provision for the Poor. The words of Bruschius are these, Wohnsiedel has no extraordinary Buildings, besides a stately and richly endowed Hospital, which was built in the year 1467, by a Citizen of the place named Sigismund Wan, though at the time of his building the said Hospital, he was a Citizen of Eger. He had to Wife a Venetian Woman called Barbara, who had great skill in Alchymy, and in particular the Art of separating Gold and Silver from Tin, by which means he became very rich, and having no Children, built the said Hospital, constituting the Magistrates of Eger Guardians of the same, left them a great Summ of Money, with the Interest of which they maintain twelve old Men, and three Priests. Near the said Hospital, is a very fair Church built by the said Sigismund, where to this day a Picture is to be seen, containing the Pourctratures of the Founder and Foundress of the Church and Hospital, with the time and hour of their Deaths. This Sigismund lived at Eger the latter part of his life; and wrought his gainfull Work in the same House, wherein at present dwells Andrew Griffen.
Thus far Bruschius, from whose Relation it appears that there have been those who from the meaner Metals, and particularly Tin, have been able to separate Gold and Silver with great gain, so as to procure great riches thereby. We find also that in those times charity was more exercised than at present, when men instead of building Hospitals, are rather ready to convert them, with their Revenues to their own use. For which wickedness of this Age, God seems to withdraw his blessing from the Earth, so that Mines do not so much abound, nor are so rich by far as formerly. How many places in Germany have we known blest with Gold and Silver Mines, as also with Lead and Tin Mines, containing much Gold and Silver, of which nothing is to be found now? And this same Tin Mine from whence Sigismund Evan extracted so much Gold and Silver, has now for near 200 years yielded no Oar at all. About the same time also there was a very rich Gold Mine, in an adjacent little City called Gold Granach; which is in like manner wholly exhausted and lost. In the same Gold Mine, Antimony, also which is the Root of Gold, was found in that quantity, as from thence it was transported to all parts of Europe, but now very little of it is to be found there, and that which is found, contains no Gold at all, whereas that which was digged there before did abound with it. In like manner the Hungarian and Transylvanian Mines of Antimony so rich in Gold, which flourished about 200 years since, are now quite spent so as no more Antimony is to be found there. Since which time the rich Silver Mines in Jochems that have been discoverd, which yielded an incredible quantity of Silver, but did not continue long so, God, for the ingratitude and wickedness of men suffering it to sink away; of which many more instances might be given but these shall suffice.
But to return to our interrupted discourse. ’Tis well known that all unripe Metals, when by the violence of Fire they are melted and separated from their Oar, do send forth a poisonous Arsenical Exhalation; yea even after they are wholly separated from their Oar, they cease not to exhale poisonous fumes, though not comparable with those they send forth when they are first melted from their Oar: as appears particularly in Tin, for if Wine be over night put into a new Tin Pot, it will give a Vomit the next morning. Copper also does the like; but Lead not so much, or rather nothing at all: whereas Iron gently purges downward, is wholsome and opens obstructions; for Iron is onely endowed with a fix Sulphur, and contains no Arsenick, as Tin doth. Gold and Silver contain neither Sulphur nor Arsenick, and therefore the Wine that is put into them is not at all changed.
Seeing then that Tin has some Arsenick joyn’d with it, which causeth the foresaid alteration in the Wine, whereas in Gold and Silver it is not changed at all, because they are free from all fœtid cumbustible Sulphur and Arsenick; if we desire to rid Tin of its poisonous quality, and make it like Gold and Silver by removing its superfluities, we must do it by Art. We see that Mercury of it self is no Poyson, but becomes so when sublimb’d with Salts or otherwise joyn’d with them, by which means it becomes poisonous and volatile. This is notorious, and all Chymists believe and acknowledge it, and we have as much reason to believe, that the same is the case of Arsenick and Cobalt, viz. that Arsenick would be no Poyson of it self, but by reason of some saline Spirit joyn’d with it in the Earth. We find also that Arsenick when it comes first out of the Earth of a grayish colour is nothing near so poisonous, as it becomes afterwards by being sublimed with Salts, for to make it white and transparent. For though Salts in themselves be not poisonous, yet when Minerals are in certain ways prepared with them they turn them to Poisons, for every volatile Mineral that is joyn’d with saline Spirits is poisonous, but when the same Minerals are fixed, they lose their poisonous quality and become good Medicines, as may be seen in Arsenick, Cobalt, Orpiment and other poisonous volatile Minerals, which being fixed, by running them down with Salt-peter, may safely be exhibited against several Diseases. Which being so it will be easie to infer, that if we can fix the volatile Sulphur and Arsenick which is in Tin, we shall not onely take away its Poyson and make it medicinal, but also make it like Gold and Silver.
Let this then be laid as a sure foundation, that corrosive saline Spirits are the causes of all Poyson, making fix matters to become volatile and poisonous, and consequently that volatile immature metals, as Lead and Tin, when their corrosive Spirits are mortified or driven away, become fixed. It is well known that the combustible noxious Sulphur of Metals, is the sole cause of their imperfection, and that this combustible Sulphur has no greater enemy than Salt-peter, by which it is kill’d and destroyed, and yet no better Friend neither, which though at first sight it may seem contradictorioy, yet is very true; for when the Niter does consume the cumbustible Sulphur, it is indeed its enemy, but when by this Consumption of the naughty Sulphur, the incombustible solar Sulphur of Tin becomes purged from its heterogeneous mixtures, we shall find that indeed Niter is the friend of Tin, as setting the solar Sulphur of Tin free from the captivity of its noxious Sulphur, so as now it can unite with Gold and Silver, and become such it self, which before was impossible. Thus we see that the consuming and mortifying of the superfluous Sulphur, is the life and deliverance of the incombustible Sulphur, and the corruption of the one, the regeneration of the other. To which purpose Paracelsus speaks excellently, saying that Corruption makes things perfectly good, for by means of it the evil that hides and absconds the good, being taken away, the good manifests it self; Which is very true of Tin whose solar Sulphur being hid and held by its noxious Sulphur, the same must be taken away, before Gold and Silver can be extracted from it. Which separation of the combustible from the incombustible Sulphur, must not be done with common Niter, which is too vehement for the nature of Tin, and would destroy the good with the bad, but a more mild and proper Salt-peter must be taken, viz. that which is hid in Lead, which is powerfull enough to kindle and consume the superfluous Sulphur of Tin, and set its solar Sulphur free, as will appear from the following Process.
When therefore thou art minded to set upon this gainfull particular, and together universal Work, I would not have thee to be too covetous nor to begin with too great a quantity of Tin in hopes thereby to become rich of a sudden; but advise thee to begin with onely two or three pound of Tin, and try whether the Art be true or no, and if true what gain may thence be expected. And if thou find’st it to answer thy expectations, thou mayst then work in as great quantities as thou pleasest, but if thou find’st that thou canst not bring it to the desired end, thou must be content to go to School a little longer, and learn to be more a master of Fire; or else leave it off altogether concluding thou art not predestinated to this Work. It is not enough to think thou canst do it, thou must have the Art of it, else thy thinking will little avail thee. What I write here, is no other than the truth, of which the Reader may assure himself.
A Process for to separate Gold and Silver with great profit from Tin.
Set on a Cupel under a Muffel one, two, three pound more or less of Lead, let it be red hot, then cast into it half an ounce, one ounce or an ounce and half of Tin, and you’l see the Tin mount above the Lead, and the Sulphur of the Jupiter will kindle the Salt-peter of the Lead, and turn to yellow Ashes, which still must be taken away with an Iron Instrument for that purpose, as long as any of the said Ashes, mount or appear on the surface of the Lead. When no more Ashes appear, then cast in a fresh quantity of Tin as before, turning the same to Ashes till no more rise. Continue so long with the incineration of fresh Tin, untill all the Lead and Tin be turned to Ashes. Then mix these Ashes with half as much of our secret Sal-Armoniack, and by Retort distill the Sal-Armoniack from it, which may serve again for the same Work. In this Distillation the Sal-Armoniack, draws to it the Sulphur of the Tin, and turns it to Fæces, and the pure part of the Lead and Tin are left in a Regulus at the bottom, which after Distillation may be beat from the Scoriæ: and because the Regulus of Lead in this operation proves somewhat flat and platy, we may lay it cross on an Anvil, and strike it crooked with an Hammer, and so the Scoria will fall from it, which are carefully to be kept, as being of good use, which will appear hereafter. If we desire to make a better separation of the Scoriæ from the said Regulus of Lead, we may put the said Regulus with its Fæces into a Crucible, and having given it a Fire of Fusion, pour out the Regulus into a Cone, and the Scoriæ will abide in the Cruce, as being of more difficult fusion than the Regulus. This Regulus of Lead, must again be set upon the Cupel, and when red hot, we must put Tin to it as before, incinerate the same and gather the Ashes, then mix them with Sal-Armoniack, distill and separate the Scoriæ from the Regulus as before. This labour must be so oft repeated till all the Lead and Tin be turn’d to Ashes, which will be in three or four times, after which onely a small Regulus will be left, which we must refine on the Cupel like other Lead, and thus the Gold and Silver which was in the Tin, will be left on the Cupel, which must be granulated, and the Gold and Silver separated from each other with Aqua Fortis.
The Scoriæ proceeding from this Work must not be despised, being more worth than the Gold and Silver which are left on the Cupel. This work being well performed, every pound of Tin will yield some Crowns in Gold and Silver, which richly pays both cost and pains. And he that has the skill to prepare the said Sal-Armoniack by a compendious way, may expect the greater profit from this Work. The Sal-Armoniack which comes over by Distillation, will serve for the same purpose again, nothing of it being diminished, but what abides with the Scoriæ, which by making a Lye of the Scoriæ may also be saved, by which means a wonderfull Salt is obtained, which abounds with many and great virtues; concerning which we intend (God willing) to treat at large in our third Appendix. I had intended indeed to speak of it here, but I find this Appendix is grown too big under my hands; and therefore shall refer the superlative great virtues of the said wonderfull Salt to my Third Book. Yet to the end, that the Lover of Art in the mean time, till my Third Appendix be published, may not altogether be ignorant of what great things may be performed by it, I have thought good to inform him, that I have often in my other Writings made mention of this Secret Sal-Armoniack, yet concealing its preparation, viz. in my Book of Dialogues, speaking of the Preparation of the Lion’s Blood. In my Treatise of Elias Artista I have called this Salt, Salt of Art, as also the Bishop and High Priest of Metals, and there at large informed the Curious, how by means thereof they may inseparably conjoin Gold and Silver. In other of my Writings I have given it other names. This wonderfull Salt of which I have treated in my Book of the Three Principles, shewing it to be that wherewith Jupiter changed him self into a golden shower, and got entrance through the Tiles into the strong Tower where Danae was shut up, thus beguiling her, and begetting on her Perseus the Destroyer of the Sea-Monster, and Deliverer of the Beautifull Andromeda, whom he took to Wife; and afterward vanquished the Gorgones, keepers of the Golden Apple bearing Orchard, &c.