The third and most beautifull Flower of all that grow in our Garden, is the fair Flower Amaranthus, which of all other doth longest keep its colour; the white Lillies shed their Leaves as soon as they are ripe, and Violets in a short time wither and lose their colour; but the Amaranthus keeps her colour Winter and Summer. And the same may be said of our metalline Flowers, the Silver attracted by our Magnet is the white Lilly, which when joyn’d with our blood-red Gold, produces our blew Violet, and out of this Violet, by means of the Fire, is afterwards produced the fix and permanent Amaranthus. When a Philosopher knows where to find, and how to pluck these three Flowers, he may well wear them as a Garland of Honour. Thus much I have added to point out these Flowers to the Sons of Art, and to stir up a desire in them to pluck them for themselves. At the present, time doth not permit to add any more, wherefore I hope the Courteous Reader will accept of what he finds here, intending in my third Appendix, God willing, to speak more fully of other like Flowers, which with the help of our secret Sal-Armoniack, may with more ease and in greater abundance be gathered than those now mentioned. I intend also therein to treat of a far more profitable use of our secret Sal-Armoniack. For although our secret Sal-Armoniack, which by manual labour is prepared of two Contraries, viz. Oil of Vitriol, Spirit of Salt or other corrosive acid Spirits, and urinous Spirits, be of great use for the meliorating of Metals, and the preparing of many good Medicines, yet is all this but Children’s play, if compared with what may be done with our most secret Sal-Armoniack, which is not prepared by Art, but created of God, and may be had every where in abundance without money. Yea, the Philosophers say that all men have it, that Adam brought it with him out of Paradise, and after death took it with him to his Grave; which is the constant assertion not onely of Heathen, but also of Christian Philosophers, who have asserted the same with many arguments, amongst whom are Albertus Magnus and his Disciple Thomas Aquinas, who were holy and religious men, and therefore very far from obtruding lies upon the World. There are also many Writings of unknown Philosophers, who assert, that all both rich and poor, always carry the matter of the Stone about with them, yea, that they bring it with them, from their Mothers Womb: which though it may sound strange to the ignorant, because Man doth not appear in a mineral form, but in Flesh and Blood, yet sure it is that the mineral virtue is hid in him, for if it were not so Albertus could never have found Gold between the Teeth of dead Mens Skulls.
And for a conclusion, I Glauber do here protest, that this most universal Sal-Armoniack is able to change common Mercury in two or three days time, that it shall be no longer Quicksilver, nor whiten Sol Lune or Copper, but rather exalt them in their colours, and change them into true Tinctures. This Sal-Armoniack also has the power to fix (though it be unfixt it self) all volatile Minerals, viz. common Sulphur, Mercury, Antimony, Auripigment, Zink, Bismuth, Arsenick, Cobalt, Galmey, and other such like in twenty four hours, so as afterwards they will suffer themselves to be melted, without sending forth any smoak, and may be taken inwardly for the cure of many Diseases, concerning which I intend suddenly to give a fuller and further account. And therewith conclude this small Treatise of the wonderfull Powers and Virtues of our secret Artificial, and most secret natural Sal-Armoniack. The godly and upright will easily apprehend what is here written, but the ungodly never. In our third Appendix we intend to enlarge on these and the like high Secrets, and declare the further profitable use of our Mercury of Tin, as being the onely means, without troublesome or chargeable labour to obtain to an universal Medicine.
The End of the Second Appendix.
THE
THIRD APPENDIX
TO THE
SEVENTH PART
OF THE
Spagyrical Pharmacopœa.
Wherein is Treated of the Further Use of our Wonder-working Alcahest or most secret Sal-Armoniack. And more particularly, of the way to Extract the Tinctures of Gold, Iron and Copper; as well as of all precious and common Stones; and to introduce the said Tinctures again into other white Metals and Stones, so as permanently to colour and meliorate the same.
Faithfully Translated out of the High-Dutch Original.
Courteous READER,
In the fore-going Second Appendix to my Pharmacopœa Spagyrica, I promis’d the publishing of a Third Appendix, wherein I intended to communicate to the Lovers of Art, the remaining Vertues of our Secret Sal-Armoniack; but finding that my Candid publication of so many great and useful Secrets are so coldly and carelesly received by an ungratefull World, I have thought good to cover the same in silence. However that I may not be wanting to contribute what I can in this my Third Appendix, for the satisfaction of the ingenious Seekers and Lovers of Art, I design to conclude my Spagyrical Pharmacopœa with the Discovery of a Wonder-working new-found-Alcahest, which by its surpassing Virtues does far excell all those before-mentioned. Which new Discovery will without doubt be more acceptable to the Lovers of these Secrets, than to Treat further concerning the already Communicated Sal-Armoniack; which whosoever shall take the pains to prepare, will find much more than I have set down concerning it; and therefore think it not needfull to enlarge any further on that Subject, in the mean time neglecting things of greater and better concern. I say better things, because the discovering of this New-found Alcahest will afford more light by far to Seekers, than the former could: For which reason I have thought good to set all other things aside, for to Treat of the Alcahest which has not its like in the Universe, as I hope by God’s assistance in this Discourse to make out and demonstrate.
Now because I here write of an Alcahest or Wonder-working Sal-Armoniack, I think it not improper to explain the word Alcahest, and to make known the meaning and importance thereof, which may help us to discover the true Use and Vertues of the same. Some tell us that the word Alcahest, is a Corruption of the German word Algeist, that is to say, All-Spirit, from its very spiritual nature, and because it reduces gross Bodies to Spirit. Others by transposing of its Letters, make a Dutch word of it, importing hasty or swift running, flying, &c.