First, we taught, the 🜍 was to be reduced by our Sal Mirabile, then that a most sharp Aqua Fortis was to be abstracted from it, and after Abstraction the Sal Mirabile to be separated from the white fixed 🜍 by common Water, that the 🜍 might be dulcifyed and rendred fit for Medicinal Uses. Now I teach, that the 🜍 fixed by Aqua Fortis is not to be edulcorated, but the Sal Mirabile to be left with it; being that, which prepares Flux and Ingress for its penetration into Metals, insomuch as Necessity now urgeth us to seek a better Ingress, viz. this way;
The way of adding to Fixed 🜍 a Ferment, by the benefit of which, is acquired Ingress into Metals, penetrative, and amending the same.
Above, where we treated of the way of fixing Sulphur, we taught, that after it was reduced by Sal Mirabile, a most sharp Aqua Fortis was to be poured upon it, and thence to be abstracted, and that in the time of Abstraction, a little Volatile 🜍 would also ascend with the Aqua Fortis, whence the Aqua Fortis waxed Red, and that such a Redness might be separated from the Aqua Fortis, in form of a fixed Powder white as Snow, which might be used in Medicine and Alchymy with great profit. Yea, such a fixed 🜍 white as Snow, doth not only serve for an admirable Cosmetick; but also this small Quantity of 🜍 deserves to be highly commended by Physicians, as a most excellent Diaphoretick, the like of which you can no where find. For indeed, Oriental Bezoar is not comparable to this of ours. Our Bezoar is the true Unicorn’s Horn of the ancient Philosophers. This our Philosophick Unicorn, is that most potent, hoary, and aged, King of the World, who, as soon as he hath devoured his young Son, encreaseth in strength so admirably, as he transforms his Gray Hairs into Red, and triumphs in his being able to give to all his Servants golden Crowns, and also to make them Kings. For he is no more such as he was, viz. Venom, or Black blacker than Black, or a wild and horrible Beast in the Wood, but is changed into our Oriental Bezoar, White whiter than White, Universal Treacle, &c. So great a power doth he possess, after he hath been prepared according to the Method above prescribed.
If any one be desirous to exalt the Faculties of this 🜍, he will not lose his Labour, if before fixation he dissolve ☉ in Aqua Regis, and pour this Solution of ☉ upon the 🜍, instead of another Aqua Fortis; and abstract it from thence again. For so doing, not only the ☉ remains fixed with the 🜍, and gives Ingress unto it; but also the Aqua Regis, or Spirit and Salt of the World, with the Snow-like Soul of 🜍, will carry with themselves over the Helm the clean Soul of ☉, and so produce a far more excellent Medicine, than if only the Soul of 🜍 did ascend alone; as every Man may easily conjecture. But if any one is desirous to operate better, he may, if he will, dissolve the Gold also in a Crucible, together with the Sulphureous Sal Mirabile; and presently after abstract from it a most sharp Aqua Fortis; which way the ☉ is so much the better united with the 🜍. Although I could discover much more touching this way of Operating, yet since (because I have published already as much as is fit) no Necessity obligeth me to such a publication, I will forbear to speak further hereabout.
The way of bringing this fixed Snow-like 🜍 to Redness, the Laudable Paracelsus here teacheth; viz. that it must be made Red by a flaming Fire. Yet it must not be covered (as he mentions) but open: For this way it will wax Red, otherwise it would remain White. Now that 🜍 to which you add ☉, needs no Reverberation; because by the ☉ it is turned into a purple Colour, and the ☉ it self, by help of the fixed 🜍, becomes irreducible, and passeth into Tincture, and so needs no further Exaltation. Therefore to whomsoever GOD shall be so propitious, as to give him this Salt of Metals, together with the knowledge of conjoyning it with the Red Soul of 🜍 and ☉ which ascends, he will shew himself both in Medicine and Chymistry a principal Master: But whosoever is so blind, ignorant, and witless, as he cannot discern what I have here so largely treated of, such a Man assuredly labours with an uncurable Blindness, so as you cannot recover his Health, although you should put double Spectacles on his Nose. Now to describe the method of fixing 🜍 so, as it may retain its Ingress, wherewith to penetrate into Metals, I purpose not in this place; but it shall (GOD willing) be described, where we treat of our Secret Sal Armoniack. Here follows,
The way of Preparing a perpetual Metallurgy of ☉ and ☽, by the help of Fixed Sulphur.
Let the Benevolent Reader know, I do not affirm, that all whatsoever I shall here write touching the perpetual Metallurgy, I my self have tryed, or took care to see elaborated. For the fixation of 🜍 hath not been known to me above two or three Years, during which time, I have been for the most part distempered in my Body so far, as I had scarcely strength enough to prosecute my more secret Arcanum’s, which are far more dear to me, than any fixed 🜍 can be. Yet, in the mean while, I could not choose but employ my Thoughts upon such a Method, which being found, any one might, by the help of fixed 🜍, reap a gainful Crop of Fruit from the transmutation of Metals.
To accomplish this, I could find no way more easy, than for a Man, of Elixiviat Ashes (not of Bones, but) of Wood, well sifted, to make large Cineritiums or Tests, in Iron Molds fit for the purpose, and with that Wood-Ash, mix a small part of the fixed 🜍; and then take care to cupellate Silver mixt with Copper, (with the due addition of Lead) according to the common method of Art, upon such Tests. For thus, the ☽ will be purifyed, and the ♀ and ♄ pass into the Test, as is otherwise wont to happen in all other purifyings of Silver. These Tests, (which you may keep by you, until you have a sufficient Quantity) in the usual manner put into a melting Fornace, that in a strong Fire the ♀ and ♄, which passed into the Test, may co-unite with the fixed 🜍, and so attract it to themselves, as they may come forth impregnated with ☽ and ☉. Now if this Coppery ♄ be cupellated on such a Test prepared with 🜍, the ☉ and ☽ will remain upon the Test, and the ♄ and ♀, as happened before, will pass into the Test. And if you again proceed with them as before, infallibly (by such a way of Cupellating) you will, with the help of fixed 🜍, from ♄ and ♀ acquire gradually a Quantity of ☉ and ☽ not to be contemned. By this way of Operating, in all those Regions, where Coals are cheap, a Man may get a competent Livelyhood. For although in Cupellating there is some loss of the ♄ and ♀, they turning into Scoria’s; yet this small loss, in these poor Metals, is nothing, in comparison of the great Gain, which may be expected from the more Rich. I reckon, this Operation of Cupellating costs no more than the price of the Coals; for the damage made in ♄ and ♀ is richly recompensed by the ☉ and ☽ acquired. I was willing to communicate this to the Lovers of Art. Therefore, if there be any Curious Refiners, to whom this Process is pleasing, let them put it to the Tryal; if they will not, ’tis all one to me: For I will make no Tryal in such Works, as require a Man strong and patient to labour in the Fire. In the mean while, I doubt not, but there will be some, who will amply encrease their Fortunes thereby; upon whose Endeavours, I pray for the Divine Blessing, and offer to their Consideration this ancient Proverb, By Saturn and Mars, by Fire and Art, a Treasure is found. Mars is fixed Sulphur: Much might be said for Saturn also; but that is not so conducent as fixed 🜍, which is much purer than rude Iron, as Experience teacheth.
Touching the further use of fixed 🜍 in the Emendation of Metals, and that in an humid way, by fixing and graduating Aqua Fortis’s, the Acrimony or Corrosive Power of which, is first so broken by the help of fixed 🜍, as they do not dissolve, but only penetrate them, and deduce them to an higher degree, and, according to the nature of the 🜍, tinge the same into whiteness or redness.
It is known to us, that nothing tingeth but 🜍 only; and that, according to its Nature, into redness or whiteness, both in the humid and dry way. In the dry way, the 🜍 must of necessity be so fixed and fusible, as being cast upon the Metal in flux, it may penetrate into it, as Oyl into a dry Skin. You have already heard, that in fixation by Aqua Fortis, from the 🜍 is so taken away its Ingress, easy Fusion and Metallick Fatness, as it rather seemeth like a dry Earth, than a Metallick Substance; in so much, as unto it cannot be procured a ready Ingress into Metals, unless by some singular Art and Industry. Such an Ingress cannot be given to fixed 🜍 in a better way, than by Mercurial mundifyed Metals, viz. by ☉ and ☽, and indeed ☉ unto Redness, but ☽ unto Whiteness. It you would proceed more dexterously, you must legitimately unite fixed 🜍 with the Salt of Metals; then will be acquired Ingress into all Metals, as hereafter in the Description of the Salt of Philosophers shall be seen. But if Fortune shall so favour any Man, as he can find out such a Water, as is endued with the power of dissolving fixed 🜍, he will enjoy so potent a Gradatory Water, as will convert black Leprous ♄ into most white pure ☽: And not only ♄, but also ♃, ♀, and ♂; yet ♄ most readily. Touching such a Gradatory Water, (as far as I have learned by Experience) thus take it: Every 🜍 whitened and fixed by washing amends Metals; but how it should have and acquire Ingress into them, is not known. Therefore, as it is the part of Art and Industry to procure to fixed 🜍 a dry Ingress; so also it is no less the Work of Art and Industry to convert fixed 🜍 into a Water, by which, vile Metals may be exalted to a more excellent degree of Gold and Silver. Therefore, let him, who intends to convert fixed 🜍 into Water, observe, that this Water must not be so strong as to dissolve Metals, but savour only of so much Acrimony as will be sufficient to penetrate them, and deduce 🜍 into an humid form, viz. such as it is tinged with, either white or red, according as the Gradatory Water shall be made, either of red or white 🜍. Whosoever well understands how to change fixed 🜍 into Water, unto him will be opened a Compendious way of Graduating vile Metals into ☉ and ☽. Which Operation is, of all, the most commodious for ♄, because Aqua Fortis more readily preys upon, and dissolves, other Metals than ♄. For it is prejudicial to dissolve any, because in Graduation Metals are not to be dissolved, but only to be penetrated, with conservation of their forms, as they were when put in, and, without any diminution, to be transmuted into better Metals; which in ♄ is most easy to be done. Yet any Aqua Fortis, although you add to it thrice so much common Water, will prey upon and dissolve ♄, ♃, ♀, and ♂, which is a thing to be studiously avoided. Into the aforesaid Gradatory Water, in which the fixed 🜍 is, cast a little common Salt, then the Aqua Fortis becomes Enemy to the Lead, and assaults it, but indeed only to penetrate, (not to dissolve the same) and to introduce the fixed 🜍. After the Lead hath lain in such Water about 14 Days, it will swell and wax white, leaving one half of it self upon the Cupel. But the longer it shall lye in the Gradatory Water, so much the more amended will it be.