It is to admired, that how black or smutty soever any thing be, after it is wash’d by Fire, it becomes snow white; which the Mercury driven by Fire from black Sulphur and Mars, is alone a sufficient proof of, in which whiteness the fairest Red lies hid. That Ysopaica, or the Art of Washing with Fire, and thereby changing Black to White, was in use amongst the Ancients, seems probable from David’s words, when he cries to God; Purge me with Hysop, and I shall be clean, wash me, and I shall be whiter then snow: David here desires nothing else, than to have his Soul, which was cole black by Sin, washed and purged by the Fire of the Holy Ghost, and therefore by way of Comparison he mentions Ysopaica, or the Art of Washing black things white by Fire. In a word, this Art of Washing things snow-white by a Philosophical Purgatory Flame, appears to be the head skill of Philosophy, Physick and Alchimy.
And forasmuch as I have here made mention of Ysopaica, I hope I shall not be thought tedious, if I set down some more instances of cleansing black and impure things by Fire. For seeing this excellent and incomparable Art has for some hundred years been in a manner wholly lost, Paracelsus being the first that hath renewed the knowledge of it, I have thought good at present to restore this Royal Art to its former lustre and glory, wherewith it shone forth in the Schools of the Kings of Egypt, where those of the Blood Royal were taught and instructed in the same. In which Schools Moses also (as being the Adopted Son of Pharaoh’s Daughter) had his Education, being there instructed in all the Wisdom and Skill of the Egyptians.
In those times this Ysopaica, or Art of Washing with Fire was in great esteem and flourished, which was the cause of the great Riches and Puissance of the Egyptians, which continued till the Monarchy was made subject to the Romans; and yet even then, being Possessors of Ysopaica and Chrysopeia, they soon put themselves into a condition again of disputing their Liberty with the Romans, and rebelled against them; and though by the prevailing Power of the Romans they were still overcome, yet did they often reiterate their Revolt; until at last the Emperor Diocletian being informed that their Art of Chymistry was their inexhaustible Treasure, which still encouraged them to rebell, sent a great Army amongst them, with Orders to Ransack all Places for Books treating of that Art, and commit them to the Flames; which done, they quietly afterwards endured the Roman Yoak, which before, on every occasion, they were ready to shake off. By the same means also the said Art has been as it were totally lost, which I am not without hopes to restore again, and if Death should chance to prevent me, yet will it assuredly be done after my Death by Elias the Artist. I have indeed already in some of my last Treatises so plainly writ of this Art, that any one, who is any thing skilful in the Fire, may become Master of the Art.
To return then to Ysopaica, I say, I have already communicated the use of a Burning Spirit, by means whereof all stinking, impure, Vegetable, Animal, and easily inflamable Mineral Subjects, may be washed to the highest degree of Purity, with which great things may be performed, especially in Physick, and such as are impossible to be done by any known way. Indeed by this alone most profitable discovery, I have discovered a new World of Art, which for so many hundred years has been unknown; and I doubt not, but this way of washing with Fire will serve for a shining Light to lead Physicians to the true Spagyrical Physick.
Thus much shall suffice to have spoken concerning the moist fiery washing by means of a Burning Spirit; it remains now to declare in what manner the Compactest Metals, and Precious as well as Common Stones, may by a dry cleansing Fire be meliorated. For a Spirit of Wine is much too weak to pierce the Bodies of Compact Metals, and to wash them to a perfect cleanness; wherefore we are to look out for a stronger Wash-Fire, which may be able to Master the fixt as well as unfixt Metals. Now Art hands to us a certain dry Wash-Fire, wherewith the Ancients meliorated all Metals and Stones; but this dry Fire has never been published, neither know I any Author that hath writ plainly of it, save only Paracelsus in his Cœlum Philosophorum, where speaking of Mercury, he describes this flaming Wash-Fire, viz. ℞. Of Tartar part j. Sulphur p. ij. Nitre p. iij. being well mixed together, use them. Paracelsus calls this Composition a good fluxing Powder; but hints at other things, as appears by those words he places before the Description of the said Fulminating Powder, viz. Pulvis adole Verbenas, which words conceal a great Mystery, as will presently appear.
The Composition of Paracelsus may be meliorated by taking only one part of Sulphur, Tartar ij. and Nitre iij. and is a very good Wash-Fire. There be also many more and better Wash-Fires for to Purifie and exalt Metals, of which we shall hear anon. Follows now the use of the foresaid Wash-Fire.
And first it is to be observed, that to the end this Fire may have the better effect, the Ingredients must be pure, dry, and very well poudred, for by how much purer the Ingredients be, the stronger is the Fire. When therefore we have a mind to wash any Metal therewith, suppose impure Sol or Luna, we must file the same very small, and then mixing three or four parts of the said Powder with it in a Crucible, kindle the mixture with a red-hot Coal, and the Flame thence arising will consume all the impurities of the Metal, or separate them as dross, the pure Metals sinking as a Regulus to the bottom. And if the Operation be duly performed, the Regulus will be as fine as if it had pass’d the Cupel.
If we desire yet further to increase the strength of this Fulmen or Wash-Fire, we may take instead of Tartar half the quantity of the Saw-dust of dry Lime-tree, which affords a much stronger Flame than Tartar, and consequently better purges impure Metals. With this strong Fire we may in a moment purifie a small quantity of Sol or Luna if we please, in a Nutshel; which I don’t mention here as a thing of Profit, but only of Curiosity, and to shew the force of this Fire.
N. B. If we desire to make use of this Wash-Fire to Profit, we must not take a Common Nitre of Sulphur, but such a Sulphur as burns faster than the Common, and the Nitre must be purified, whereof more hereafter.