This subtil Fire forthwith obey.
Here the Philosopher tells us, that every combustible Sulphur, may be burnt, and reduced into nothing, but no otherwise, than by a kindled and combustible Fire, by whose Flame nothing that is good, but only the superfluous and noxious Sulphur by which all the inferiour Metals are destroyed, is taken away. And therefore justly reputed imperfect, as long, and as often, until this unprofitable Sulphur is taken away from them, either Particularly, by Dissolving and Coagulating, Distilling and Rectifying, or else by an Universal fixed Mercury by projection, by which means the hurtful combustible Sulphur is fixed, and, without Combustion, transmuted into a nobler Metal. For this is very possible, that any combustible Sulphur, by an easie way and small Charge, and in a short time, viz. in one day, Particularly, may be so fixed, and made constant in the Fire, that, without being burnt, it may be able to endure the strongest Fire, the which is handled more at large, in my Three Principles of Metals. From hence it follows, that no imperfect Metal can be transmuted, with Profit, into a Perfect, before it be free’d from its combustible Sulphur, which may be done several ways. Now, he who hath a mind to get any good out of the imperfect Metals, must learn how to separate their unprofitable Sulphur, either by one means or other, as I have sufficiently taught. For in this, viz. in the Separation of the combustible Sulphur, from the incombustible, consists the whole Art; which every one ought to attend without other thoughts. Now after we have understood out of this Theory, in what the Melioration of the Metals consists, or how it must be effected, it is necessary to know the exact Practice, or Process, as the Operations succeed one another: For to this work belongs, not only Distillation and Rectification, to separate the pure from the impure, but also the most subtil and clean parts, after they are separated from their Feces, must be made fixed, subtiler, and constant, viz., so constant, that the Corroding ♄, may not overcome them, but against his Will, leave them constant upon the Cupel. This is one of the greatest Secrets in Alchymy, yet taken notice of but by few, and therefore few there are who reap any Profit. For the greatest part of Operators are persuaded, that if they had but Red Metallick Tinctures, that they could immediately tinge with them, but in the end they have understood, that more than unfixed Tinctures are required. It is an easie Matter, to make Red Tinctures out of Stones and Metals: But these are not permanent on the Cupel, without true Fixation, which the Philosophers call Perpetuation in the Fire. Nothing in the World can tinge, so that the tinged Metal can endure the Cupel, as long as the Tincture is still Metallick. For whatsoever is made out of Metals, and by a strong Fire may again be reduced into a Metal, cannot be called a true Tincture, for whatsoever yet contains a combustible Sulphur, perisheth upon the Cupel with Saturn, and nothing abides, but what is totally deprived of that. For even the Saturn contains much combustible Sulphur, therefore he so readily acts upon Sulphureous Metals, and draws them with himself in to the Cupel, which he cannot do to Gold and Silver. But because we also know this, that when by the help of common fixed Gold, a combustible and fugacious Sulphur is well united and fixed, that the combustible Sulphur adheres so closely to the fixed Gold, that it also remains fixed with it, and can never be separated from it. Now, if the weight and proportion be well adjusted, then the fixed Sulphur enters with the Gold into Lune, and Tingeth it into constant Gold. But if the conjunction of the Sulphur and Gold, be not well made, or too much of the Sulphur be put to the Gold, it takes away the Ingress of the Gold, so that it remains with the Saturn, and cannot enter the Silver. It is also to be observed, that if the Sulphur of ♂, ♀ or ♁ be legitimately united with ☉, and yet be not kept long enough together, it will produce no good; and therefore the Transmutation of Metals is not so easie a thing, as many imagine; it is not enough to make a Tincture; to fix it, is more; and to give an Ingress, is hardest of all. And these three things ought to be well known, if one would effect any good in the Transmutation of Metals.
Now that we may farther hear, which way Tinctures may be drawn out of the Red Metals, fixed, and made constant in the Fire, and how to give them an Ingress, I have undertaken to Reveal to the Lovers of Art. And none needs to doubt, but what I here Write are my own Inventions, which I have not only once or twice, but many times experimented, and always found good, although in small quantities, provided no accident hath hindered me. If a Glass break in the labour, or a Crucible runs out, by which one suffers loss, that is not to be accounted a loss, because it comes by accident and not from the Art, and therefore not to be imputed to the Art. If an Art be never so well described, and an Unskilful Workman intermeddle with it, the Work may be easily spoiled, and therefore the fault cannot justly be charged upon the Art, as it is too often done. I shall here acquit my self of this unjust charge, if out of a good Intention I here discover the Art, as I have often done, without concealing any Manual Operation, and hereafter shall not care what Ill Men say or judge of it, if any one, through his want of Skill, should lose his labour. I here Write nothing, but what I have often done my self, and found good; for what should move me to publish any false thing, that might seduce others to labour in vain, even when I am ready to dye? I never sought any Profit by any of my Writings, no, not when I was young, and might have occasion for it. And now, when both my Feet are in a manner in the Grave, and I am certain not to live much longer, although I am heart-whole, nor find I any dolour about me, yet my Limbs being weak, I am forced to keep in my Bed, where I Write this. I say, Why should I, so near my end, write any thing hurtful to my Soul? I write this for my farewel, to do good to the World, even as the Swan, when she is near her death, sings a pleasant Song, and such I would that every one should take these my last Writings to be. But if it shall please God, I hope this will not be the last; which is only a small Work, to shew the probability and verity of the Transmutation of Metals, and to help Skilful Chymists to great Riches. But if God shall yet spare my Life, I shall write of higher matters, and shew such a light to the blind World, as hath not yet been revealed by any Man. In the mean time, I desire the Ingenious very well to consider this particular, and to try his Fortune, every thing is easie to be done, and needs no beating of the Brain, for all the labour is clearly laid down, without any reserve, therefore I would have none be so arrogant, as to impute the fault to me, if he miss his Intention, but rather to himself, through his own unskilfulness or negligence. Yet this is also to be considered, That sometimes a true skilful and diligent Operator cannot imitate an easie thing, being hindered by the Almighty, who for certain Reasons keeps his Hand over it, and will not let every Man grow Rich.
Now follows the Fundamental Process, how to make good Gold out if Silver, with profit, and how to separate, after a particular manner, good Gold and Silver, out of Iron, Copper, Tin and Lead.
℞. A pound of Steel Wier, more or less, according as you will begin your Work in a greater or lesser quantity, dissolve it in Spirit of Salt, filter the Dissolution, and abstract the Phlegm from the Solution, in Sand, for in the Abstraction there will come over no acidity, (because the Mars holds it after a Magnetick manner) but yet this is not without virtue, for it carries over with it self a very subtle Martial Spirit, of which a little put into ones Mouth, penetrates the Tongue, so that the taste thereof remains long after. And this penetrating taste and smell, is nothing else but the most subtle Narcotick Sulphur of Mars, which is set at liberty in the Solution, and carried over with the sweet Water, in the deflegming. It doth wonders in Internal Obstructions; and Externally it easeth all Pains, because it is Narcotick and Stupefactive; It serveth for Physicians and Chyrurgeons in many cases, but because I have already written of this, I need not here repeat it. And this you ought to note, that you draw not off the Phlegm to dryness, but the Solution of ♂ must remain in form of an Oyl. This sweet Oyl of ♂ is the Opake Tree of Virgil, from which he hath taught us to pluck its Golden Branches, and how this is to be done, he hath also obscurely hinted, but I here publish it plainly. Virgil saith, that those Golden Branches are the gift of Proserpina, but what was to be understood by this Proserpina, which the Heathens have said to be the Wife of Pluto, is not here expressed, but only this, that this Golden Branch was Consecrated to the Goddess Juno. He that will have the foundation of those Heathenish Gods, cannot better accomplish his Desire, than by Reading the last Edition of the Dictionary of Eight Languages, written by Ambrosius Callepine, for there he will find many curious secrets of the Ancient Poets illustrated. Now concerning Proserpina, many Philosophers and Chymists understand the Corrosive Oyl or Butter of Antimony, of which I have already made mention, although obscurely, in my Treatise De Sale Philosophorum, but shall here give it you more plainly. Now, it according to a due weight, you put some of this Proserpina to the Solution of Mars, and unite them well together, and then distil this mixture by a Glass Retort well Coated, there first comes over a certain unprofitable Humidity, then a white Oyl of Antimony, which is to be kept by it self, and when you see yellow drops begin to fall, you must then change your Receiver, then give a stronger Fire, and the Proserpina brings over with it self the Tincture of Mars, as red as Blood. This Blood-red Oyl of Mars and Antimony is the Golden Branch, plucked from the obscure Tree, which may easily be fixed into a particular Tincture, as we shall hear anon. Now when you have pulled one Golden Branch, you may also pluck a second and third, for they will easily follow. As for the manner of plucking more such Golden Branches, it is thus: You must dissolve the remaining ♂ with Spirit of Salt, and there will remain many Feces, but the Solution will be clearer and better than the first, although less in quantity: Now, after (as I told you before) you have put to it the due quantity of Butter of Antimony, for which purpose that which came over in the first Distillation will well serve, and when you have driven this over by a Retort as before, the Proserpina again brings over more of the Tincture in a Blood-red Oyl, which may as the first, be fixed into a Tincture. After this manner you may pluck many Branches, one after another, but it is not convenient, because the Solution of Mars is diminished by every Distillation, and at length your Branches would be very small, therefore it is better when you have plucked the first Branch, so go to another Tree, and thereto pluck a Golden Branch, for the Tree is not so precious, and you may collect the Trees from which you have pulled the Branches, and dissolve them in Spirit of Salt, and then pluck from them more Branches. Proserpina hath learned this spoiling and bearing away, of her Husband Pluto, for he stole Proserpina from her Parents, and carried her with him into Hell, and made her his Wife. N. B. Pluto carried Proserpina into Hell, but Proserpina doth the contrary, carrying the dead Bodies and Souls out of Hell. For she hath her Original only from the Spirit and Salt of the World, which Spirit and Salt of the World have power to carry the Souls of the dead Bodies out of Hell, as you may see in the Books of Philosophers which say.
Sal & Spiritus Mundi, ducunt Anima Mortuorum ex Orco.
The Salt and Spirit of the World, bring the Souls of the Dead out of Hell.
Let this suffice concerning the bringing over the Metallick Souls or Tinctures, which is done by Proserpina. But there is yet other ways to draw out the Tinctures of Metals out of Red Bodies, and they are chiefly to be had by means of our secret Sal Armoniack in a far greater quantity, than by the help of Proserpina, which is somewhat troublesome, but yet these are more easily and perfectly acquired by our Alcahest. Now, after we have heard how to draw Tinctures out of Metals and Minerals by the help of Proserpina, it is further necessary to know how to fix those Volatile Tinctures, so that they may not only endure the strongest Fire, to which they may easily be brought, but that is not enough, they must be made so fixed, that the Corroding Saturn may not have power to injure them upon the Cupel; if that be not done, these Tinctures can profit nothing to Metals. I have seen very many who very well know, how to Extract Tinctures out of Mars, Venus, Vitriol and Antimony, but they wanted the Fixation, the perpetuation upon the Cupel, and also Ingress, and therefore they could do nothing with them. These following ancient Verses are read by many, but understood by few, viz.
Fixum si solves, faciesque volare solutum
& volucrem figes, faciet te vivere tutum.