The works of the highly experienced and famous chymist, John Rudolph Glauber

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

Now we know that among all Salts that are in the World, there is none to be found, which in Distillation or Sublimation doth sooner volatilize the most subtil part of Minerals, Vegetables, and Animals, and carry them over the helm, than a good Sal-Armoniack: Wherefore the said Name may well be given to it, by reason of its volatilizing all things, and carrying them swiftly over the helm.

And forasmuch as I have already spoken concerning several of these volatilizing Salts, calling the first Common Sal-Armoniack, the second secret Sal-Armoniack, and the third most secret Sal-Armoniack, I find my self destitute of a Name by which I might call this my New found Sal-Armoniack, except I should give it the name of Eagles Wings, which I am the rather inclined to do, because in some of my former Writings, I have by way of Allusion expressed the said Volatilizing Salts by the Name of Wings, comparing the first and weakest of them to the wings of a Dove, the second to those of a Raven, and the strongest of all to Eagles wings. And seeing the Sal-Armoniack of which I am now to Treat, is far more powerful than any of them all, I may well give it that name, and the rather, because Antient as well as Modern Philosophers have given the name of Eagles wings to common Sal-Armoniack; some of them, ’tis like, not knowing of any better. Thus Paracelsus sets down the way of volatilizing his unripe Mineral Electrum by means of the Spread Eagles wings; and in many other places of his Writings, he calls Sal-Armoniack an Eagle, because this Salt, of all Salts, as the Eagle of all Birds, takes the highest flight, and therefore also is called the King of Salts.

The Heathens attributed a Flying Eagle to their cheifest God Jupiter; and the Holy Apostle and Evengelist St. John, because in his Gospel he takes a higher flight than any of the other Evangelists, is represented with an Eagle standing by him, as being his proper Embleme. We also find in the Writings of Philosophers, the word Eagle is made use of by them to signifie any thing which by Art is exalted to the highest degree it is capable of; and therefore this Sal-Armoniack which in its flight excells all those before spoke of, exalting things to the highest top of Perfection, may well be styled the Eagles Wing. Pliny makes mention of a great and monstrous Bird called a Griffon, found in the Eastern parts of the World, and of that strength, as to be able to carry away an Armed Man on Horseback, Horse and all, to his Nest: which strong Bird is a good Embleme of the surpassing force of this our Eagles wing, which like the Griffon is also provided with strong Talons, with which it lays hold on heavy things, and carries them away with it, as we shall hear by and by. For every good Sal-Armoniack hath these two Vertues, of being sharp and piercing as well as volatile: the sharpness are its Talons, whereby it seizeth and lays hold of things; and its volatility, are the Wings with which it carries them away. Now the stronger these talons, and the larger these wings of Sal-Armoniack are, the more will thereby be effected: The Common Sal-Armoniack is the weakest of all, our Secret Sal-Armoniack is as strong again, and our most Secret Sal-Armoniack far excells them both; but this we treat of here, is by much the strongest and most active of them all, and therefore may well be compared to the King of Birds.

This same Sal-Armoniack may also with great reason be called Lucifer, as afording a bright-shining Light to Chymists, whereby they may discover great Secrets: For as the bright Morning Star in the Firmament, does go before the Sun, and gives notice of his rising, and therefore is called Lucifer, that is the Harbinger or Bringer of Light. And as the said Star doth not only Usher in the Day, but also shut the same, and bring on the Night, being therefore also called Vesperus; we shall find a fit resemblance of all this in our Philosophick Lucifer, forasmuch as the same makes known and discovers to us, the rising as well as setting of our Spiritual Sun, and is a double Key which shuts as well as opens.

But to shew more particularly that my New found Alcahest or Spiritual Sal-Armoniack, hath this resemblance with the Morning-Star, Lucifer; I say, that, as the said Star ushers in the Suns rising; so likewise our Sophick Lucifer goes before our Spiritual Sun, and ushers the same over the Helm. And as the Firmamental Sun, when it riseth above the Horizon, doth by its Light, and Vital heat quicken, vigorate and refresh every thing; in like manner our Philosophical Sun, or Spiritual Gold, when by means of our Lucifer, it is brought from under its earth or dark Chaos, quickens and rejoices whatsoever is contain’d within the compass of our Sophick Heaven.

And as in the Heavens the Sun’s rising follows soon after the appearing of the Morning-Star, following the same, as it were, at the heels; so likewise our Lucifer, when by the Artists, She is joyned with the dark Chaos, in which the Sophick Gold lies hid, and begins to feel the Fire, swiftly comes over (for such is the nature of an Alcahest) and brings tidings of the Philosophick Suns rising, which indeed follows it at the heels. Again, As the Sun of the Firmament, leisurely follows the Morning Star, not leaping forth all at once; so our Sophick Lucifer brings over Gold, not all at once, but gently and by degrees, at first appearing very little, and afterwards discovering it self more and more, till at last it shine forth in its full Meridian Glory.

Neither ought it to be thought strange, that I compare our Alcahest to Lucifer, our Gold to the Sun, and our Alembeck or Vessel to Heaven; seeing that others have done the same before me, and particularly Hermes Trismegistus the Father of all Philosophers, has made use of this Allegorical way of expressing himself in the description of his Universal Tincture, as may be seen in his Smaragdine Table at the latter end of Mirac. Mundi.

Thus the Reader may see how the Philosophers of old took pleasure to represent their high Secrets in Parabolical expressions; which may further be traced in Morienus his Description of the Universal Tincture, in Paracelsus his Book entitled Cœlum Philosophorum, which contains great Secrets concerning the Transmutation of Metals, but much in Symbolical, and Allegorical expressions.

But to return to our Alcahest, whose name imports a strong Spirit which lays hold of Heavy and fix things carrying them upwards with it self, that is Volatilizing them. The Eagle, as a King of Birds, seizeth Hens, Gees, Hares, &c. with his Talons, and carries them up to his Nest; but as for what Pliny writes of the Griffon, seems rather an Allegory than a true History, because Pliny among other things relates of this Bird, that with her strong Talons she digs up Gold from out of the high Mountains and Rocks, and makes her Nest with it: Now how improper this is for a Bird to make her Nest with Gold, and not rather with Feathers and other soft materials, is apparent enough at first sight. Wherefore we may safely conclude, that the Ancients by this great and strong Bird, have denoted to us a violent and high volatil Alcahest, such as ours is, which lays hold not only of the Spiritual, but also of the Corporal Gold which is in Metals, Stones and Rocks, and plucks up the same with its sharp Talons, and with its strong Wings carries up the same to the tops of Mountains, there to make her Nest. Thus we see how this Story may be verified: For indeed the Talons of our Alcahest are much sharper, and her Wings much stronger, than those of the Eagle or Griffon; for when we pour the same upon any colour’d Metals or Stones in a Glass placed in a heat of Sand, it presently lays hold of them, and digs up not only the fix Gold that is in them, but also all their fix and volatile Tincture, and carries it to the top of an high Mountain, that is the head of the Alembeck. Nor doth it only exert its power upon imperfect Metals, or upon Sand and Flints, which are of a Dissimilar and Heterogeneous nature, and therefore more easily separable, but shews forth also its surpassing strength, upon six Gold and hard precious Stones, which are Homogeneous and of very difficult Separation, penetrating their compact and shut-up Bodies, drawing from them their fixed Tinctures or Souls, and carrying them up to the tops of Olympus. Neither doth it only extract Tinctures from dissolved Metals and powdred Stones, but also from those that are whole and entire, robbing them of their Tinctures without destroying the frame and figure of their Bodies, which indeed is wonderful. And as it thus extracts these Tinctures, so it can wonderfully introduce the same again into other hard and compact Bodies: All which it performs by reason of its surpassing subtile and piercing nature; as being neither Earth, Water, nor Air, but a meer Fire, penetrating all things, and which nothing can withstand or resist.

Take this instance of it; Fill a Glass-body with Earth, Water, or Air, and you’ll find that none of them will be able to penetrate the Glass, but put Fire into it, and it will pierce the same without the least resistance. Wherefore the Philosophers speaking of our Secret Fire, say: Our Fire is stronger than the Common, because it turns Gold that is most fix into a meer Spirit, which common Fire can no way perform. All men know that Gold cannot be destroyed by any common Fire, whereas our secret Fire carries over Gold in form of a Spirit, as if it were a volatile Mercury: Judge then whether this be not a wonderful Fire, which as it were in a moment, makes fix Gold spiritual and potable.