Also how, in Fixation, the Aqua Fortis, being abstracted from the Sulphur, carries with it self the most pure Soul of the Sulphur, renders it fixed and durably permanent in Fire; and besides, that it is not only a present Remedy for expelling Diseases most grievous in the humane Body; but also, that it is endued with the Power of transmuting imperfect Metals into ☉ and ☽, yet particularly only, being destitute of such ☿, as can sufficiently extend it self in Efficacy.
Likewise we have taught, how to the more gross part of the 🜍, which remains in the bottom, ingress may be procured for the amending of Metals with Profit, both in the humid and the dry way.
Lastly, we shewed, how much one 🜍 excels another, and such 🜍 was to be accounted more excellent which contained in it self pure ☿; and that especially to be the most excellent, which before Fixation was judged most venemous; and that for this Reason, viz. because every Supream Venome, after Preparation, will become the highest Medicament; and that the Melioration of such Sulphur is much more Efficacious, than common Sulphur. Wherefore in this place, I am willing, again and again, earnestly to commend to the Lovers of Art Antimony, Red Arsenick, Yellow Auripigment, Ash-coloured Cobaltum, Cakimia and Zinck, with Bismuth; because all these are more excellent than common Sulphur. But he, that elaborates such Subjects, so venemous, must studiously beware of the evil Fumes arising from them. For as such a Subject before Preparation is mere Venome, so, in preparing, its venomous Disposition is more and more increased; but after Preparation, that which was deadly, now becomes a most Salubrious Antidote or Treacle, and present Remedy against all kinds of Poisons.
Note: Whosoever is desirous to be securely freed from all Peril, him I would advise, to learn the way of fixing some common 🜍, before he rashly attempts to invade the Fort of such noxious Venoms.
Therefore, whatsoever we have hitherto taught are not vulgar Matters, or Arts well known before, but merely great Arcanum’s, and those very lately invented. For, who could believe, that common 🜍, a Substance easily inflameable and burnable, should in one day be so fixed, as to be able to remain unhurt against all the force of Vulcan? Who could have persuaded himself, that the most venemous Venoms, as Cobalt, Arsenick and the like, may in one day be Artificially inverted, and their mortal Venoms converted into Salubrious Antidotes? Lastly, who could ever have thought, that of the most Volatile Mineral Subjects, as 🜍, Antimony, Arsenick, Auripigment and others of that kind, in the space of one day may be prepared a Tincture (constant in Fire) for humane and Metallick Bodies? No Man, if we had not in this small Treatise so evidently demonstrated that, as it may be plainly understood. Wherefore, as I have formerly said, so I am now ready to affirm, that I, in this small Treatise, have revealed so great and admirable Arcanum’s, as no Man (as far as the Memory of Man can tell) hath publish’d any thing more clearly than I, touching such Secrets.
If any one is desirous to Learn, whence so swift a Fixation of combustible Sulphur, or so sudden Metamorphosis of most deadly Venoms, ariseth; to him, I will now discover the Cause. It is sufficiently manifest, that Spirit of Nitre, as well as Aqua Fortis distilled from Vitriol and Salt Nitre, possess such a fiery Disposition, by which all combustible and Volatile Minerals are ripened. And being ripened, they are also fixed; as if fixed things must of necessity be Mature, and consequently no more noxious or deadly to Mortals. For whatsoever is rough, crude and immature, the Stomach of Man cannot digest, but rejects and casts out that, (by which it may be injured) as Venome: According as is easily discerned in all Catharticks, either Vegetable, Animal or Mineral, which, by reason of their Crudity, are so great an offence to the Stomach of Man, as it frees it self from them, either by Vomit or Seidge. And the more crude and immature Purgers be, the more strongly do they Operate. Hence usually (by the Prescript of Physicians) Purgers that are too violent, before they be taken into the Body, are amended by Fire. As for Example. Squills and Diagridium, which too vehemently Purge, are covered over with Dough and baked in an Oven, for correcting the excessive Purging property in them, that they may cause Evacuations more moderate and more safe. Antimony immoderately Purging, is excocted, or melted in an open Fire with common Nitre and Tartar, by which it is so far corrected, as it Purgeth without vehemency. The same also is so corrected by spirit of Nitre, as it loseth its purging Property, and instead of its Cathartick Virtue, acquires to it self a Diaphoretick and Diuretick Property.
Common Tartar, taken into the Body, performs the Office of a Cathartick: But the same, when the ripening Heat of the Sun, in the more hot Regions of the World, hath took from it, its Acidity, and it, in the Fermentation of Wine, becomes a fiery Spirit, it no more exerciseth a purging Property, but rather hinders Purgers, and so amends them, as they cannot Purge with so great vehemence, as they were wont to manifest, before Correction; as is already demonstrated by Us, where we treat of the Extraction of purging Vegetables. Therefore if the common Fire of Coals, and Spirit of Wine, correct Vegetables and Animals immoderately purging; why should not the most strong Fire of Salt, such as Aqua Fortis is, correct the most venomous Mineral Subjects, and be able to transmute the same (deposing their noxious Qualities) into an Antidote or Treacle?
From all which, it is sufficiently manifest, that in correcting even the most venomous Subjects, Mineral Spirits of Salt are sufficient; being such, as can deprive them of all their pernicious Venome, and change them into salutary Medicaments. Wherefore, I doubt not, but that the ingenious Reader, by these few things demonstrated, will sufficiently understand the cause of this sudden Correction or Fixation of all Volatile and venomous Mineral Subjects. When Ancient Philosophers, by Poetical Parables, described the laborious Navigation of Jason to the Island Colchos, where resided an huge Dragon vomiting Fire, which, with Eyes never closed, diligently watched the Golden Fleece; they added this, viz: that Jason was taught by his Wife Medea, to cast to this waking Dragon an edible Medicine to be swallowed, whereby he should be killed and burst; and that Jason should presently take the Dragon (thus slain) and totally submerge him in the Stygian Lake. Jason, in this ingenious Fable, Hieroglyphically represents the Philosophers; Medea, accurate Meditations; the laborious and perillous Navigation, signifies manifold Chymical Labours; the watching Dragon vomiting Fire, denotes Salt Nitre and Sulphur; and the Golden Fleece is the Tincture or Soul of Sulphur, by the help of which, Jason restored Health to his Aged Father, and acquired to himself immense Riches. By the Pills of Medea is understood the Preparation of Sulphur and Sal Mirabile. By the total submersion of the Dragon in the Stygian Lake, is intimated the Fixation of Sulphur by Stygian Water, that is, Aqua Fortis. Whence, it is sufficiently clear, how obscurely the Ancient Philosophers did describe their Fixation of 🜍 by Nitre, and how secretly they hid it from the Eyes of the unworthy. But, since I, in this Treatise, do as clearly as is possible discover all things, know, that I do it not without Reason. It will be enough for any one, if he rightly understand the Method of performing such a Fixation.
After any combustible 🜍 hath been fixed by Aqua Fortis, or Aqua Regis, and ☉ and ☽ added to it in Fixation, then will that no more be vulgar ☉ or ☽, being such as cannot again be dissolved in Aqua Fortis, or Aqua Regis, nor upon a Cupel have Ingress into ♄, but passeth as it were into a dry Earth, which can neither be reduced by Borax, nor any other common fluxing Powders into a ductile Body. If any one be desirous to know this by Experience, let him dissolve 🝳 of ☉ in Aqua Regis, and pour this Solution upon a Pound of Aqua Regis, and also put this Aqua Regis upon ℥iiij of Butter of Antimony, and abstract the Aqua Regis thence, Then he will find, that Gold, which was in the Aqua Regis, to have mixed it self Radically with the Sulphur and Mercury of Antimony; so as not only the Butter of Antimony becomes fixed and irreducible, but it also renders the Gold so irreducible, as thenceforth it can no more be separated from the Antimony, but remains adhering to it in every Examen: And can only be subduced by our Secret Salt of Metals, volatilized, or rendred fusile, and so be introduced into other Metals for their Amendment.
Therefore, if such a destruction of ☉ can be made by Antimony, less than the half of which is 🜍, but the greatest part ☿; how should the same not be better performed by common 🜍, which is void of all Mercury? I, in all those places where I have taught the Fixation of Sulphur, did always advise, that Aqua Regis to be carefully kept, which was abstracted from the Sulphur; but especially what contained Gold; because together with the Aqua Fortis, the most pure Soul of Gold and Sulphur ascends, and is as much fixed, (I might say, more) as that which remains in the bottom. Wherefore, if what I have here imparted be observed by any Reader, or by none, it shall not trouble me, but I shall remain well contented, that I have done my Part, and performed so much, as no Man before me ever did; because I have openly taught the Method of extracting in a few hours (by the help of Distillation) from ☉ and 🜍, or from ☉ and Antimony, a fixed Tincture. And these I do willingly communicate to the Searchers of Art.