Now, that I may, without any wandring Ambages, describe the Method of Preparing this Salt, which is incomparable and Royal, know in very deed, that this Salt is no other, than common (but rightly prepared) Oyl of Vitriol, Coagulated by white fusible Sulphur into a sweet Salt, which impresseth not on the Tongue, the least Saline savour; but rather seems to be a Stone than Salt, although fusible, like any other liquid Salt. But how that Oyl of Vitriol, or Universal Acidity, may be changed into such a wonderful Stone, not Corrosive, I purpose not to divulge. It is enough for me positively to affirm, it may be done.
Whosoever desires to know more of it, let him implore the help of GOD, and peruse the Writings of Philosophers, that if he be worthy of this divine Gift, he may be helped; if he be not worthy, I cannot help him. For as I acquired that, not without praying and seeking; so also, must every other Man resolve to do: Because, no Man shall ever get more out of me, than what I here have willingly discovered for publick Good. Now follows
The incredible Virtue and Efficacy, which this wonderful Salt manifests in Preparation of Tinctures, for exalting all Metals and Minerals to the perfection of Gold.
Although it is before said, that Salt, or the Stone of Philosophers, is only prepared of Acid Vitriol; yet I thought it necessary also, here to publish, that Oyl of Vitriol may be prepared divers ways, so as one or another may prepare it this way or that way, as he pleaseth. For the common and vulgarly known Oyl of Vitriol, suffers it self (by the help of Sulphur) to be easily transmuted into a Sweet Stone: Because Sulphur alone is endued with Power of edulcorating all Corrosives, and of Coagulating them into such a Stone, or Salt, by the benefit of which, Wonders may be done, both in Medicine and Alchymy. Philosophers do indeed persuade us, that, out of Vitriol, an Oyl of a Blood-Red-Colour may be extracted by Art, with which, White Metals may be tinged into Red: But the way of Preparing this, they described not. This is that, which is most studiously sought by the Adorers of the Chymical Art, but hath hitherto been found by very few; and therefore is generally thought, by almost all Inquisitors, to be impossible, whatsoever Philosophers have writ thereabout, and how clearly, and plainly soever described it. Basil Valentine doth, with Paracelsus, call this our Oyl of Vitriol tinged with a Red Colour, the Blood of the Green Lyon; but Bracesus, the Wood, or Tree of Life; Virgil, a Bough, or Branch, plucked by Proserpina’s help from the concealed Tree: Also, Ovid useth divers other Expressions, in the Description of this Tincture.
This Red Oyl suffers it self to be Coagulated into a Stone, not Corrosive, as well as the Common Oyl: But this Coagulate is totally Red, and the other is White only. Therefore, there is a necessity, that the difference of both be known. For of both these, what the White is able to do, the Red cannot do; and what the Red can effect, is impossible to be performed by the White. That Red Oyl tingeth white Metallick Bodies into Gold, and so tingeth white Chrystals into Gems of all kind of Colours, (according to the Operators Pleasure) as, in Elegancy, they become altogether like to the Native. But the White tingeth not, because it self wanteth Tincture, which notwithstanding may be procured to it: Yet it extracts the Tinctures from all precious, and more ignoble Stones, and by them is so tinged, as it is, thenceforth able to tinge white Metals into Gold, and white Chrystal into beautiful Stones of every Colour, and that with as excellent Splendor, as their Brother, the Ruby, enjoys. In a Word, our Salt of Metals, or Stone of Philosophers alone, and per se, is so great a particular Ruler throughout the whole Kingdom of Chymistry, as by amending, it transmutes all imperfect Metals into Gold, and common Stones into precious: Yet unto it, is denied Ingress into Vulgar ☿. But the fixed ☿ of Metals will abundantly perform that; as is before abovementioned. Now, as touching this Mercury, which those imperfect Metals, viz. ♄ ♃ ♂ and ♀, contain in themselves, our Sulphur is so very fit for tinging that, as, for that purpose, there is no need of other help. Therefore it is most certain, that the Salt of Metals obtains Priority in the Chymical Laboratory. One thing I am freely willing to discover, viz. this: If any one would take away the fixed Tincture, or tinging Soul from precious Stones, as Granates, Rubies, Saphires, Lazure Stones, and other common Stones, and add to them also, a small part of pure Silver, our Magnetick Salt will extract the Tincture from the Stone, and at the same moment, in which it extracts the same, incorporate the added Silver, with the Tincture, and tinge the same into Gold: So, as it will affect a Man with admiration to see, that in one and the same Subject, should be both an attractive, and expulsive Virtue. Perhaps hence, that most ancient Philosopher Pythagoras drew his Opinion, for he believed such a Transmigration, and taught, that the Soul, as soon as it passed out of the mortal Body of Man, it entred into some other near adjoyning Subject, and there inhabit’d. Indeed they, that labour in Metals and Stones, do find such a Process; but with the Soul breathing out of the Body of Man, the matter is far otherwise. For here Bodies are not required, but Spirits, which at the hour of Death receive the Souls of dying Men, and convey them to Places by GOD appointed. According as the Man hath lived, either Well or Ill, so those Spirits will act at the end of Life, each according to their Office; so as, the Souls of pious Men shall be received by Spirits of Light; but impious Souls, by the Spirits of infernal darkness. In the Mortification of Metals and Minerals, Philosophers also want not their peculiar Spirits, which receive and transport the flying Souls of Metals and Minerals. Touching which Transportation of Souls, we made some mention above, where we treated of the Fixation of Metals. * Transduction.Also * this Transduction was highly esteemed by ancient Philosophers, especially by Neusementius, who said: By this Power, viz. By the Spirit and Salt of the World, we deliver the Souls of the Dead from the Prison of Hell. Therefore, whosoever shall be well Skilled in this kind of operating, he will be able to do wonders in this Chymical Kingdom of Metals. For if you add the Spirit and Salt of the World to any Metal dissolved, and by Retort distil the Mixture, they will carry over with themselves, the most pure part of the Metal, viz. its tinging Soul, and leave nothing behind in Hell with Pluto, but the gross and unprofitable Body. Wherefore, whosoever can rightly separate that transduced tinging Spirit of Metals, from the Spirit of the World, he will absolutely be possessed of a fixed Tincture: Because, that strong transporting Spirit doth also fix the volatile Soul of Metals, and render it constant in Fire. And, although that Subject was most volatile, from which the Tincture was distilled by the Salt of the World, as by one only Distillation from common Sulphur, Auripigment, Cinnabarine Sulphur, and the like; yet you will acquire a Tincture, constant in all Fire, not only for Humane and Metallick Bodies, but also for Gems. So very potent Virtue is latent, in these abject Subjects, and in the Spirit and Salt of the World, rejected by the great Troop of proud Men. But the Method of using such Pearls legitimately, for the Transduction of Metals, had need to be Sealed up with the Seal of the laudable Philosopher Harpocrates, lest so great a Treasure be cast under the Feet of sordid Swine. Touching a like Compendium of fixing Volatile Metals, and Minerals, we (GOD willing) purpose hereafter to teach more at large.
Now, we having generally understood, what our Salt of Philosophers is able to perform in the Transmutation of Metals, I judge it not amiss, to discover; how great, profitable and powerful Faculties, it is also endued with, even besides the Transmutation of Metals. But here, by the way it is to be understood, that our Salt of Philosophers is insignized with many other Names, which ancient Philosophers imposed on it, not without pregnant Reasons. For, according as they beheld the various Wonders they were able to perform by the help of that; so they also gave Names unto it; sometimes, they called it the Soap of the Wise; another time, Hercules or the Herculean Key; sometimes, the Key of the Philosophers; &c. and all this by reason of its exceeding great Potency and Virtue, whereby it always rendred it self worthy of one or other of these Names. Why did they call it, the Soap of the Wise? Because it renders those Metallick Bodies, which are washed with it, most purely white. Indeed Washer women have their Soap made of Oyl and Lixivium, with which they wash filthy Garments unto whiteness. Leather-Dressers use a kind of Soap to cleanse their Skins from all Impurities. Also, Fullers have their cleansing Earth, with which they well know, how to purifie their sullied Cloaths. Nor do Apothecaries use their Herbs for Medicaments, before they have washed them in clean Water. So also, common Chymists so long wash impure Metals, by dulcified Corrosives, till they pass into ☉ and ☽. But most experienced Philosophers wash Gold, until it becomes Tincture. Hence is that kind of Soap, which they use for washing, called the Soap of the Wise.
But some may object, saying: I contradict my self; because a little before, I said, Gold and Silver were Homogeneal, and did not at all participate of Heterogeniety. To whom I answer. I confess, I did say so, yet I would be understood, to speak so with reference to those common and known Waters, with which, otherwise Chymists do generally work upon their Metals, dissolve them, separate them one from another, and wash them. Because on Gold and Silver no change falls, but they always remain in one and the same Essence, according as they are progenited by Nature, therefore, I said so. And the Reason, why it is thus, is, because Aqua Regis, Aqua Fortis, Spirit of Vitriol, or other Corrosive Waters, are not true Keys, endued with the Virtue of penetrating into the heart of Gold, or of opening the most firm Closure of the King. For although they do very much corrode Metals, and dissolve them, yet every Metal remains in its Essence, without any Separation of parts. But on the contrary, our Menstruum is a sweet Key, far more conducible, and better than Corrosive Spirits, and therefore, by Philosophers is not undeservedly called, the Key of Philosophers. For there is nothing so closed, but this can open it. Our Royal or Capital Key is a Corporeal Spirit, or a Spiritual Body, which, without any injury to it self, passeth not only through Metals, but also through the hardest Gems, and extracts the fixed Tincture of them, leaving their Bodies white; which exceeded my comprehension, the first time I beheld it with my Eyes.
Therefore, as this Spirit is endued with Power of extracting Tincture, even from any of the hardest Adamantine Stones; so, it is also able to introduce Tinctures into the most hard Stones; and that by reason of its penetrative Power. Our principal Key is that Hercules, which cut off the seven Heads of the immense Hydra. By such an Herculean fortitude, Perseus, the Son of beautiful Danae, suffocated the strong unsatiable Whale or Sea Beast, and freed fair Andromeda, whom he took to Wife. Whosoever desires to know more of these, let him peruse Ovid, in whose Metamorphosis he may find our Key of Philosophers accurately described. Yet his Words can be understood only by those, to whom the Art is already known: Otherwise, it will be impossible, from Fables, to extract the sufficient knowledge thereof. It is GOD only, that gives light to understand abstruse things; namely, to those, who fear, love and adore him: More of which, you may find among pious Heathens, than among the Slanderous Malignant, false, Christians of this time.
This Fable of Ovid, I explained before some of my intimate Friends; and besides, before them shewed the Impregnation of Danae, by Jupiters Golden Shower: Yet they gave no credit to this Demonstration, because the thing seemed so vile. Would you hear it? I set a narrow-mouthed Glass Body, with a flat bottom, upon a Table, and from above through the small mouth; I poured Danae, King Acrisius his beautiful Daughter, into the Glass or Tower; then, by the Counsel and help of Jove, I formed a Golden shower, which (through the Roof, that is, through the small mouth of the Glass) I instilled down, into the Bosom of the aforesaid Danae, which she spontaneously received, and was thereby impregnated, and quickly brought forth her Son Perseus; who afterward, carried upon the winged Horse Pegasus, suddenly helped the fair Andromeda and, freeing her from the Jaws of the Sea Monster, took her to Wife. Afterward, he slew the strong and unconquered Gorgons, and got the * Gold-bearing.*Golden Gardens. If any one looks upon this Fable, with the right Eye of his understanding, he will find, that Ovid hath so clearly and perspicuously described our Hercules, or Philosophers Key of Keys; that every one, having knowledge of our Work, in reading this must necessarily be amazed, to see the whole Art so evidently detected, and as it were exposed to sight. But its being discerned and understood by so few, must be ascribed to the defect of their internal Sight, and the darkness of their Sins, in which they have involved themselves, and are still resolved to abide in. Therefore GOD, according to his Justice, deservedly permits such Slaves of Avarice and Pride to stick in perpetual Blindness, to grope for, and in vain seek, the way of escaping those Evils. For here, the hard is Softned, the soft is Hardned, the fixed Volatilized, the Volatile fixed, the Bitter Corrosive dulcified, but the sweet Converted into a Key, opening all compact Enclosures. More touching so great a Mystery, I shall not at this time relate. But, to whomsoever GOD shall grant this principal Universal Key, he may, according to his Hearts desire, go whither he will, nothing can be able to resist him: For which so great Benefit we owe thanks and Praise to the most wise GOD, for ever, Amen.
Also Virgil, in a few Heroick Words, evidently enough describes the way of preparing our Red Oyl of Vitriol. Therefore I thought it worth while to insert his Words also, that he, to whom GOD shall give the Blessing, may the better understand the occult meaning of the Poet.