the Sulphur of Venus, and ſeem'd even when flaming, of a Greeniſh Colour. And indeed Copper is a Metall ſo eaſily wrought upon by Liquors of ſeveral kinds, that I ſhould tell you, I know not any Mineral, that will concurr to the production of ſuch a variety of Colours as Copper diſſol'd in ſeveral Menſtruums, as Spirit of Vinegar, Aqua fortis, Aqua Regis, Spirit of Nitre, of Urine, of Soot, Oyls of ſeveral kinds, and I know not how many other Liquors, if the variety of ſomewhat differing colours (that Copper will be made to aſſume, as it is wrought upon by ſeveral Liquors) were not comprehended within the Limits of Greeniſh Blew, or Blewiſh Green.
And yet I muſt advertiſe you (Pyrophilus) that being deſirous to try if I could not make with crude Copper a Green Solution without the Blewiſhneſs that is wont to accompany its Vulgar Solutions, I bethought my ſelf of uſing two Menſtruums, which I had not known imploy'd to work on this Metall, and which I had certain Reaſons to make Tryal of, as I ſucceſsfully did. The one of theſe Liquors (if I much miſremember not) was Spirit of Sugar diſtill'd in a Retort, which muſt be warily done, (if you will avoid breaking your
glaſſes) and the other, Oyl or Spirit of Turpentine, which affords a fine Green Solution that is uſeful to me on ſeveral occaſions. And yet to ſhew that the adventitious colour may reſult, as well from the true and permanent Copper it ſelf, as the Salts wherewith 'tis corroded, I ſhall add, that if you take a piece of good Dantzick Copperis, or any other Vitriol wherein Venus is prædominant, and having moiſtened it in your Mouth, or with fair water, rubb it upon a whetted knife, or any other bright piece of Steel or Iron, it will (as we have formerly told you) preſent'y ſtain the Steel with a Reddiſh colour, like that of Copper, the reaſon of which, we muſt not now ſtay to inquire.
Annotation I.
I preſume you may have taken notice (Pyrophilus) that I have borrowed ſome of the Inſtances mention'd in this 47th Experiment, from the Laboratories of Chymiſts, and becauſe in ſome (though very few) other paſſages of this Eſſay, I have likewiſe made uſe of Experiments mention'd alſo by ſome Spagyrical Writers, I think it not amiſs to repreſent to you on this Occaſion once for all, ſome things beſides
those which I intimated in the præamble of this preſent Experiment; For beſides, that 'tis very allowable for a Writer to repeat an Experiment which he invented not, in caſe he improve it; And beſides that many Experiments familiar to Chymiſts are unknown to the generality of Learned Men, who either never read Chymical proceſſes, or never underſtood their meaning, or never durſt believe them; beſides theſe things, I ſay, I ſhall repreſent, That, as to the few Experiments I have borrowed from the Chymiſts, if they be very Vulgar, 'twould perhaps be difficult to aſcribe each of them its own Author, and 'tis more than the generality of Chymiſts themſelves can do: and if they be not of very known and familiar practiſe among them, unleſs the Authors wherein I found them had given me cauſe to believe, themſelves had try'd them, I know not why I might not ſet them down, as a part of the Phænomena of Colours which I preſent you; Many things unanimouſly enough deliver'd as matters of fact by (I know not how many Chymical Writers) being not to be rely'd on, upon the ſingle Authority of ſuch Authors: For Inſtance, as ſome Spagyriſts deliver (perhaps amongſt ſeveral deceitful proceſſes) that Saccarum Saturni
with Spirit of Turpentine will afford a Balſom, ſo Beguinus and many more tell us, that the ſame Concrete (Saccarum Saturni) will yield an incomparably fragrant Spirit, and a pretty Quantity of two ſeveral Oyles, and yet ſince many have complain'd, as well as I have done, that they could find no ſuch odoriferous, but rather an ill-ſented Liquor, and ſcarce any oyl in their Diſtillation of that ſweet Vitriol, a wary perſon would as little build any thing on what they ſay of the former Experiment, as upon what they averr of the later, and therefore I ſcrupled not to mention this Red Balſom of which I have not ſeen any, (but what I made) among my other experiments about redneſs.
Annot. II.
We have ſometimes had the Curioſity to try what Colours Minerals, as Tinglaſs, Antimony, Spelter, &c. would yield in ſeveral Menſtruums, nor have we forborn to try the Colours of ſtones, of which that famous one, (which Helmont calls Paracelſus's Ludus) though it be digg'd out of the Earth and ſeem a true ſtone, has afforded in Menſtruums capable to diſſolve ſo ſolid a ſtone, ſometimes a Yellowiſh,
ſometimes a Red ſolution of both which I can ſhow you. But though I have from Minerals obtain'd with ſeveral Menſtruums very differing Colours, and ſome ſuch as perhaps you would be ſurpriz'd to ſee drawn from ſuch Bodies: yet I muſt now paſs by the particulars, being deſirous to put an End to this Treatiſe, before I put an end to your Patience and my own.