R. of this copper one part, and of latton [Orichalcum] two parts, melt it with a very quick Fire, and first indeed the latton, to which afterward add the friable copper; pour out the mixture melted and thou shalt have a very hard metal unfileable, yet not so brittle, but like steel, of which diverse things may be formed serving in stead of iron and steel instruments; take of this hard metal three parts of the best tin without lead one part, melt and effuse it, and the matter of looking-glasses will be made. This mixture is a hard white metal making the best looking glasses, but if this labor seem tedious, take of copper three parts, of tin one part, of white Arsenick half a part for the matter of looking-glasses, which are fine but brittle, as well in the melting as polishing, therefore carefully to be handled. I must here set down a thing worthy to be observed, and known to few; viz.: a false opinion of many, especially of those who attribute knowledge to themselves of the proprieties of metals. In the second part (of subtile spirits) mention is made of the pores of metals, for experience witnesseth, that those subtile spirits as of harts-horn, tartar, soot, and sometimes those sulphureous ones of salts and metals do evaporate through pewter vessels, which at the first hearing every man cannot conceive, for whose sake this discourse is made. Make two balls of Copper, and two of pure Tin not mixt with lead, of one and the same form and quantity, the weight of which balls observe exactly, which done, again melt the aforesaid balls or bullets into one, and first the copper, to which melted add the Tin, lest much Tin evaporate in the melting; & presently pour out the mixture melted into the mold of the first balls, and there will not come forth four nor scarce three balls, the weight of the four balls being reserved; if then metals are not porous, whence I pray doth that great alteration of quantity proceed? therefore know that metals are porous more or less; gold hath the fewest pores, silver hath more, Mercury more than that, Lead more than Mercury, Copper more than Lead, and Iron than copper, but tin hath most of all.
If we could destroy metals, and again educe them destroyed from power to act, surely they would not be so porous. And as a child without correction is unapt to any goodness, but corrected is endued with all kind of vertue and learning, so also we must understand of metals which left in their natural state, namely drawn out of the earth without correction and emendation remain volatile, but corrupted and regenerated are made more noble, even as our bodies destroyed and corrupted, at length shall arise clarified before they come into Gods sight. Well said Paracelsus, that if in one hour metals were destroyed an hundred times, yet they could not be without a body, reassuming a new species and indeed a better, for it is rightly said, Unius corruptio, alterius generatio; for the mortification of a superfluous sulphureous body is the regeneration of the Mercurial soul, for without a destruction of metals perfection cannot be; therefore metals are to be destroyed and made formless, that thereby the superfluous earthy combustible sulphur being separated, the pure fine Mercurial species may spring forth. Of which thing more, when we Speak of Artificial stones.
Of the smoothing and polishing of looking-glasses
A looking-glass, though it be very exactly melted and proportioned, yet is of no value if not rightly polished and smoothed; for easily in the smoothing any part it may suffer some dammage hurtful to it, and it is necessary to take from them first, the grosser part by the wheel, as the custom is with Pewterers and Copper-smiths with a sandy stone, then to apply to them a finer stone with water, until they are sufficiently smoothed by grinding; which done, the looking glasses are again to be taken from the wheel and to be moved to the small wooden wheel covered with leather, rubbed over with a fine prepared glazing stone until the crevises contracted in the turning no more appear, having got a cross line, afterward another small wheel covered with leather is required, to which a bloodstone prepared and washt with the ashes of tin rubbed on, to which likewise by the aforesaid means, according to the same line, the looking-glasses are so long to be moved till they get a sufficient fineness and brightness. You must keep such looking-glasses from the moist air, and breathing, and to wipe them when infected with air and breathing not with any woolen or linnen cloth, but with a Goats or Harts skin, and not any way, but according to the cross line, with which the looking-glasses are smoothed. They may also be smoothed by lead artificially melted, by first rubing them with a smiris and water, and then with a finer smiris and lead; lastly with a blood stone and ashes of tin: likewise also with whetstones, by changing for a finer every time, whence at length also they acquire a splendour by the ashes of tin.
Also the outward part of the looking-glasses (convex) may be smoothed, which represents the species short, and spreads the dispersed rays: but the inward part (hollow) gathers and multiplies, and puts forth or exposeth the Image.
Let these things suffice concerning the melting of looking glasses, & polishing requisites, for the collection of the Sun beams, and although from the aforesaid mixture other kinds of looking-glasses might be made representing wonderful shapes and several excellent things, as Cylindrick, Pyramidal, Parabolick, &c. they are omitted as impertinent to this place, yet I could shew a way to make them, because I have undergone no small labors and charges in the searching of their preparation and use, if it were necessary. But of all looking-glasses that is most useful whose preparation we have shewn, whose diameter is at least two or three spans, if thou wilt perform any special thing; although it be but of one or two spans, yet it gathers abundance of beams, so that thou maist melt tin and lead with it, if it be well shaped: yet the larger are the better. Nor ought they to be too deep, that they may cast their beams the further, and better perform their actions or functions, let them have the twentyeth or thirtyeth part of the sphere (the section being exactly observed) which is the foundation of the Art.
Of Artificial Gems, and Metallick Glasses.
As for metallick glasses pertaining to Alchymy, and much conducing to the perfection of metals, and esteemed by the Ancient Philosophers, I would not omit to say somewhat in this place, because they are easily made by this furnace.
And indeed the Ancients have found these glasses questionless by chance, in reducing the calcined bodys into glass by a strong fire, for very many secrets by this means not sought for are found out. Oftentimes it happens to our labors, that past hope we find somthing better or worse, than the thing sought; and I think it hath thus happened with these glasses, but however it be, I am sure these glasses have stood us in much stead; for Izaak Holland saith plainly, That vitrified metals being again brought to metals, by that reduction do give better and nobler metals than the first vitrified; and indeed gold gives a tincture, but silver gold, and copper silver; and so consequently the glass of other metals give better metals in reduction, the truth of which experience proves, and although I have not yet made great tryal in this work, yet I know that metals brought into dead ashes to be turned into clear glass cannot be again reduced into metals without great profit: yet one metal is more pliable than another, nor are our glasses the Artificial stones of gold-smiths fixed to other large ones for ornaments sake, made by the addition of glass made of fusile sand; but ours are made of the juice of metals. But I do not deny the vertue of Venice glass, and others in the mundifying of metals, chiefly copper and tin, which yet is not comparable with metallick juices. I freely confess I have tryed this thing twenty times, and I never was deceived by it: but I know not whether it may prove so in a greater quantity, because I never tryed it, doubting of my vessels not fit to retain fusible glasses a requisit time: for I have spent much labor in making these kind of vessels, but hitherto in vain. For there is very great hope of gain, if thou hast very strong crucibles, nor is this perfection of metals without reason, for whilest the metal is burnt to ashes, much of the superfluous combustible sulphur is burnt (as you may see in Lead, Tin, and Copper, from the sparks appearing in their calcination whilest they are stirred and separating) which if again reduced (viz. being calcined) its better and heavier part (by benefit of melting) sinketh to the bottom, the worser flowing on the top is changed into dross or glass. And so the separation of metals is made by the help of the Fire alone, to the ignorant and unexpert incredible: but consider gilt silver to be separated in fusion, which is as it were corrupted by the common sulphur, and the metallick species, being lost, it turns to a black dross before that in melting it forsakes the gold: which way also silver is separated from copper, and this from iron. Observe also that black and crude Antimony, being reduced into ashes by calcination, and melted is separated by a strong Fire, the purer parts descending pure and white like silver, but the impure parts ascending are changed into glass or dross, which separation would never be made without incineration although the Antimony should have stood long influx.
Thou seest therefore the power of Fire alone in melting metals, wherefore believe thou that thy labor shall not be in vain if thou knowest how to help the Fire. Exercise thy self therefore in it, for thou art sufficiently instructed, and this furnace will help thee; without which it is impossible to manage such things well, as experience testifies, confirming my words.