B. Attend diligently to what I say, therefore, for its impossible for you to apprehend all things at one very dash [as I may say, and at first.] We will first of all treat about the Gold only, and of other Secrets afterwards in due time. But yet [by the by] I would have you observe in this place, this one thing; that as touching that Sulphur, which made the Gold white and brittle, there must needs be a notable Friendliness betwixt them, because it was so easily extracted out of the Tartar by the Gold. And upon this Account there may be ground to suppose, that if the Gold were left lying longer in that close Cementation, that Sulphur which rendered the Gold so white, might haply be rendred Red, and fix in the Gold. For every Sulphur is a Tincture, when it is made fixed, and gets an Ingress, from the other Metals. Do not undervalue this Secret, but fish out the Property of this thing, by a more accurate Meditation, for you will draw from thence much Good.
A. Verily, I can methinks conjecture, that this very knack hath more in it than it shews for; I will search thereinto more accurately; perhaps this very way is a nearer one, than that which requires the inversion of the Gold. I remember that I have read amongst the Sayings of the Philosophers, this Expression; That their Gold does not tinge, unless it be first tinged, nor receiveth it a Red Colour, unless it be made first White. I perceive, that Nature is more abundantly stored with infinite Riches, and that it cannot be so easily Searcht out to the bottom, and the longer a Man seeks, the more he finds and meets with; insomuch that at last, there is such plenty of good things offering themselves to such Seekers, that it makes them puzzeld which to choose, seeing they so commend each others Benefit and Profit. Besides, your words are very hard to be understood, and hard to be born. For it seems a thing exceeding all belief, that the most constant Fire-during-Metal, Gold should be so changed, as to be no more Gold, and very hardly, yea, not at all reducible by the help of Art into its former Body. I do often meet with that Opinion and Decree of the Philosophers in my frequent reading of their Books, viz. that Gold must be putrefied, if any better and nobler thing is to be generated thereout of: But whereas it seemed unto me a thing beyond the Power of Nature, and altogether impossible, for such a constant Matter to undergo any Putrefaction, I supposed that the Philosophers pointed at some other thing by that Putrefaction of theirs. Mean while, I earnestly expect from you a Demonstration of the possibility and Truth of this thing.
B. Come then, on God’s Name, a little nearer me, and heed well the things which shall be shewn unto you.
We will here take half an Ounce of common Gold, and put it into this Aqua Fortis, made of Vitriol and Saltpeter, whereto we will add the same weight as the Gold is of, or a little more, of our Saltarmoniack, without which, the Aqua Fortis alone, and by it self, is not able to dissolve the Gold.
A. Pray, Sir, why do you say, Our Salarmoniack? Are there several and different kinds of it? For my part, when I dissolve Gold, I put into the Aqua Fortis, that [common] Salarmoniack, which is every where to be had in the Merchants Warehouses, and is very fit to dissolve Gold into a Yellow water.
B. You speak very well after your own way; And I confess, that every Salarmoniack mixt with Aqua Fortis is very good to dissolve Gold; nor is this any new way, for ’tis in very much use amongst all the Chymists, who are wont on this wise to dissolve their Gold, but yet that which is thus dissolved, still remains Gold, and doth easily admit of being again precipitated out of the Aqua Fortis, and of being reduced by Fusion into the former Body, it had afore its Solution. But if so be, that the Solution shall be made by the help of our Sal Armoniack, then is the Case vastly altered, and your attempting its Reduction again will be in vain. For if Gold be but dissolved barely once with our Saltarmoniack, it admits not any more of melting, nor doth it of it self return again into a malleable Metallick Body, but gets a Reddish Scarlet kind of Colour in the Tryal [or Crucible] and remains an unfusil Powder. And if you add some Borax thereunto, and set it in the Fire then to melt, it will pass into a Red Glass, which is a sign of its being plainly destroyed, and of its being transmuted into another Body. And therefore I dare aver, that there is seated in our Salt Armoniack a power of inverting, and transmuting Gold, and of making it fit for the Philosophical putrefaction, which thing is impossible to be done by any other Salts whatever they be, and what Name soeever called by.
A. Certainly, this is a Divine miraculous thing, to subject Gold, so mightily constant in the Fire, unto Putrefaction, and to reduce it by Putrefaction, into a nothing: For I have read too and again, amongst the Philosophers Writings, that it is an easier thing to make Gold by Art, than to destroy Gold made by Nature. And therefore this Salt must needs be a very wonderful one, which is able to effect these and other, the like almost incredible things.
B. Well may you term it a wonderful Salt, for so it is, the like of which, no Man will find in the whole World; though to such as know it, it is so vile and mean a thing; insomuch that scarce any one would think it likely, that such things could be done thereby, as are wont to be, should it be but named by its own proper Title. Does not, I pray, that Philosopher, Cosmopolita [or Sandivow] confess, that he hath oftentimes declared the Art, and Secret of the whole Philosophick work, word for word, sometimes to one, sometimes to another, and yet they would not at all believe him, by reason of the meanness, or vileness of the Work? And does not he make frequent mention of his own, and not the common Sal Armoniack? But that you may yet give more belief and credit to our Salt, I would have you read the Turba of the Philosophers, wherein you will find all those things which they have published concerning their Salt: And amongst others, hearken to those few words, which the Rosary mentions: Our Salt dissolves Gold into a red Colour, and Silver into a white Colour, and transmutes them out of their Corporeity into a Spirituality, and with our Salt, are their Bodies calcined. And for this reason, Lumen Luminum, also says, That if the Omnipotent God had not created this Salt, the Elixir could not have been perfected, and the Study of Chymistry would have been in vain. Avicen saith, If thou hast a desire of getting Riches, prepare Salts, that they may be changed into a clear Water, for by the Fire are Salts changed into Spirits: Salts are the Roots of thy work. Hermes saith: All Salts are Enemies to our Work, and to our Art, save the Salt of our Lune: Arnoldus saith, Every Salt that is well and rightly prepared, is of the Nature of Salt Armoniack, and the whole Mystery of our Art consists in the Preparation of common Salt: He therefore that knows Salt, and its Solution, to him is the Mystery of the ancient wise Men known. And therefore bend the utmost Meditations of thy Wit upon the Nature of that Salt only, in which the Wisdom of the ancient wise Men, and every Mystery, is found hidden and concealed. The Writings of the Philosophers are full of those and such like Sayings, and they do every where mightily insist upon Salt. And now, what think you of these Testimonies; what! do the things I have spoken, yet find any belief in your Breast?
A. Yes Verily, and now I am on your side; but yet I do as yet desire, and heartily wish for this one thing, that you would for once let me see your Labour, whereby I may convince other incredulous Persons, and make them believe too.
B. Well, I am content; and come let us go to work, and let us put the Gold in its requisite Menstruum, and place it in warm Sand, thereby to hasten forward the Solution of the same; though there is strength sufficient in our Menstruum, to dissolve the Gold in the Cold without Fire. We shall in a short time see it of a yellow Colour: And behold that very Colour, and the Gold it self is so changed, as it is never more reducible into its former golden Body. Thus have you now the entrance and beginning, which as yet is vastly distant from the wisht for end: And when you now see the beginning, know, that is the first day of our Philosophick Labour. Next, let us proceed to the Putrefaction of the dissolved Gold, without which, no Colours present themselves to our view. Behold in this very moment, Sol begins to wax black, and in a little while after it will conceive such a thorough blackness, that it will be like to Ink, and may serve to write withal on Paper. This blackness, the Philosophers call the Head of the Crow, by that Name pointing out unto us their Putrefaction; by which, the second day bf our Philosophical Labour is finished.