A COROLLARY.
Although I have, in this small Tract, so largely and clearly treated of Preparing the Mercury of Philosophers, as it seems altogether needless to trouble the Reader, with a further Paraphrase; since from him, I have not concealed any Methods of manual Operation, but have so revealed all things necessary to be known, as he (who, only seeking the bare Letter of the prescribed Method, knows not how to elaborate his own intended Work) may rather be accounted a Man of a dull Capacity, than a Chymical Operator: Yet since unto all insatiable Sons of Avarice, according to this my Description, there seems to be too small a part of Mercury extracted, I (for the sake of those also) will demonstrate yet another Method, by which they may obtain a larger quantity of good tinging ☿, than from Metals can be gained. But first it is required, that every one, who will exercise himself in this kind of Labour, should shew himself a diligent Operator, shunning no Pains: Know, that Vulgar Mercury may easily be so prepared by Art, as to be as much conducent for Tinging, as the Mercury of Metals. Yet they must first procure Tincture to it, by tinging Metals, as by ♂, ♀ and Antimony. For, of its own proper Nature, it hath no Tincture at all in it self; but it must necessarily receive the same from other Metals, (in which GOD and Nature cooperating have insited it) before it can exercise the Power and Faculty of Tinging. But which way such a Tincture may commodiously be taken, and acquired from certain Stones tinged by Nature, or from certain Metallick, and Mineral Subjects, hath been by me, in various places of my Writings, so frequently mentioned, as I judge it not necessary to Discourse further thereabout in this place. But here, I will freely expose to publick view the way of Preparing vulgar ☿ so, as it may be able to extract Tinctures from Metals, Minerals and Stones.
℞. Common Mercury ℔ j. Which as soon as you have dissolved in Aqua Fortis, mortifie the Aqua Fortis by pouring on Spirit of Urine, and when you shall by Retort, in hot Sand, have abstracted thence all the unprofitable Water, and administred a stronger Fire, the Mercury will sublime it self in the Neck of the Retort, white in Colour, but discovering no singular Acrimony upon the Tongue. Such a sublimate as this, is easily dissolved by help of common Water. This Mercurial Water is endued with a power of extracting Tinctures from Metals, Gems, and other more ignoble Stones. In which very Work, even Proserpina, the Wife of Pluto, will scarce elaborate any thing more excellent: Therefore, when this ☿ hath drawn so much Blood from the Red Lyon, as it no longer remains White, but becomes totally Red; then indeed it hath acquired the Melioration of one higher degree; but as yet, it is able to work no Miracles in Tinging. Now, that it may be exalted to so great Perfection, as to be admirably efficacious in Transmutation; this Red Mercury must again be vivified, and again (as we taught above) mortified; and if this Labour be repeated seven, nine, or twelve times, it will be sufficiently impregnated with Tincture. This being done, you have nothing else to do, but to fix this tinging Mercury into a fusile Red Stone, which will thenceforth perform the same (yea perhaps more) in the Transmutation of Metals, than the Mercury of Metals it Self.
Although, I have here revealed the Melioration of common Mercury; yet, I am fully persuaded, no Man will readily set himself about its Preparation, nor adventure, by Tryal, to experience the truth of this. For commonly, every good thing is disesteemed, if it want external Splendor. Some years ago, I did earnestly, and highly commend to some of my most loving Friends, the Exaltation of common Mercury; yet no one of them took so much notice thereof, as ever to set his hand to the Work. Wherefore no Man needs to fear, that Art will be made too common, although I had published the same, described even with a Solar Ray. Indeed, I intended to have divulged more, touching such sublimate Mercury, as may be dissolved with common Water, viz. how many other famous Works may be performed with it, besides the Transmutation of Metals; but for brevity sake, I here desist at present: Yet after a little while, (if GOD permit) I will elsewhere treat of the same. In the mean time, let the loving Reader kindly accept of these: For hence he may be assured of the possibility of exalting common ☿ so far, as to be equal in Virtue to the Mercury of Metals: In which Assertion every studious Artist may safely confide, and persuade himself, that I here give no other Testimony, than I have learned by my own Experience oftentimes.
OF THE
Salt of PHILOSOPHERS.
How, and whence, That is Prepared, and of what use It is in Medicine and Chymistry.
Those our venerable Ancestors, the ancient Philosophers, have indeed copiously written many things, touching this Third Part of the Principle of Metals, viz. Salt: Yet so very obscurely, as it is almost impossible for a Man to learn thence, Fundamentally, any thing of moment: Yea, I might say, it hath happened to very few, to know how, to prepare the Salt of Philosophers, but on the contrary, six hundred have ruined themselves, and lost all their Fortunes in labouring thereabout. After, I also had, for some years together, expended great Labour and Cost, besides what I spent in acquiring both the other Principles, viz. Sulphur and Mercury, (which were understood by me, about two years since) it pleased the most wise GOD at length, also to reveal to me this most famous Salt. Wherefore, I could not refrain from communicating some thing of it to Posterity, for the Glory of my GOD, and for divulging his wonderous Works, not doubting, but that this my Revelation may be of great Concern, to open the Eyes of this blind World. Because, they may be helped by such a Salt, of which, so incredible Works may be prepared, as I am now about to write, and are already sufficiently known to me.
I can unto every Man safely, surely and truly affirm, that whatsoever I here write, are not the idle Dreams of a vain Man, nor patched together out of other Books, but true and solid Experiments, which I my self, with the help of these my hands, have found out. Indeed, I do not here say, that I could give no credit at all to him, who no long time before discovered something to me, touching such Arcanum’s; but I thought his Words intimated Paradoxes and Impossibilities; although I had read Philosophers, who writ: He that hath the Salt of Metals, hath the Stone of Philosophers. I also well know, that the Salts of Metals, according as they been hitherto every where fraudulently presented by Pseudo-Chymists, having no solid Foundation, do not indeed deserve the name of Salts; being no other, than such Vitriols, as by the sharp Spirits of Salts, are prepared of Metals; and are not at all efficacious to meliorate any of the more vile Metals. On the contrary, we certainly know, that our more true Salts do so amend all imperfect Metals, as great and gainful Fruit may be reaped thence, as by the following shall be clearly made appear. But before we write any thing of the Use, of this Royal Salt, it will be worth while to premise something briefly, and truly, touching the Preparation of the same.