Chapter V.
Of the Preparation of Tin in Special
Jupiter is manifoldly prepared, yet best in this manner; Put it in
an
apt Vessel in a Furnace of Calcination, and under it make Fire
sufficient
for good Fusion of the Body; stirring the Liquefied Body with an Iron
Spatula
full of holes, and drawing off the Scum that riseth, and again stirring
the Body, in that heat of Fire equally induring, until on the
Superficies
be gathered together a good quantity of that Scum or Powder; which take
off, and again continue stirring until the whole Body be reduced to
Powder.
This Powder sift, and replace it again in the Furnace, adding Fire, not
exceeding the Fire of its Fusion, and stir it often. Keep it in this
Fire
of Calcination for a day natural, or thereabouts, until its whole
Accidental
or Superfluous Humidity be abolished, with its Combustible and
Corrupting
Sulphur. For the Fire elevates and consumes every Fugitive and
inflammable
Substance: then often well wash it with the aforesaid, viz. with
Common-Salt
Cleansed, and Allom, and with Purified and Harsh vinegar, and dry it at
the Sun, or in the Air; and then again Grind, and Wash, and Dry: and do
this time after time, until by the acuity of the Salts, Alloms, and
Vinegar,
its whole Humidity, Blackness, and Uncleanness, shall be consumed,
corroded
and done away.
This being done, add Glass beaten to Powder, to these
aforesaid,
and when you have impasted the whole together, then with sufficient
Fire
make it flow in a Crucible with an hole in its bottom, set within
another,
and the pure and clean Body will descend, the whole earthly and
feculent
Substance remaining above with the Glass, and Salts, or Alloms; for in
that Body descended and reduced, is an equal and perfect Proportion of
clean Argentvive and white Sulphur not burning; because Fire and the
Corrosives
have divided the whole Humidity, and fugitive, and inflammable, and
corrupting
Substance and Blackness; and through that Discensory, by the pasting
with
Salts, Alloms, and Glass, the whole feculent earthy Substance is
separated,
the pure Substance with its Proportion remaining.
Afterward calcine this pure reduced Body again, with pure and
clean
Salarmoniac, until it be in weight equal, or thereabout. When it shall
be well and perfectly calcined, then grind the whole well and long upon
a Porphiry-stone, and place it in the open Air, in a cold and humid
place;
or in Glass Vessels, in a Furnace of Solution, or in Horse-Dung, until
the whole be dissolved; augmenting the Salt if need be. This Water we
ought
to honour, for it is what we seek for the White. These may suffice to
be
spoken of the Preparation of Tin.
Chapter VI.
Of the Preparation of Saturn.
Lead is thus prepared; Set it in a like Furnace of Clacination,
stirring
it, while in flux, as you did the Tin, until it be converted to a most
fine Powder: Sift this, and again set it in the Fire of its
Calcination,
as aforesaid, until its Fugitive and Inflamable Substance be abolished.
Afterwards take out your red Calx, which imbibe and grind often, with
Common
Salt cleansed, and Atrament purified, and very harsh Vinegar: Also as
of
Tin is said, your Matter must be often imbibed, dryed, and ground,
until
by benefit of the aforesaid, this said uncleanness be totally removed:
then mix Glass with these aforesaid, and as you did with the Tin cause
the pure Body to descend, that descending it may be reduced. Again,
Calcine
it with pure Salarmoniac (as of Jupiter is said) and most subtily grind
and dissolve it by the way aforesaid. For that is the Water of
Argentvive
and Sulphur proportionally made, which we use in Composition of the Red
Elixir. These of the Preparation of Saturn, may suffice.
Chapter VII.
Of the Preparation of Venus.
Venus or Copper, is this way prepared: Make a Lay of Common Slat
well
cleansed in a Crucible, and upon that put a piece of Copper Plate, and
over that a Lay of Salt, and then more of the Plate; and so
continually,
until the Vessel be full: which being covered and firmly luted, place
in
a Furnace of Calcination, for one day Natural; then take it out and
separate
and scrape off what shall be Calcined; and again Calcine the Plates
with
new Salt, as before, repeating the Calcination so often, as until all
the
Plates shall be consumed, and corroded by the benefit of the Slat and
Fire:
for the Salt corrodes the superfluous Humidity and Combustible
Sulphureity,
and the Fire elevates the Fugitive and Inflamable Substance with due
Proportion.
Grind this calcined matter to a most subtile Powder, and wash it with
Vinegar;
until the Water come from it free from Blackness. Another time imbibe
it
with new Salt and Vinegar, and Grind, and after Contrition (or
Grinding)
put it in a Calcining Furnace, in an open Vessel, and let it stand
there
three days Natural; then take it out and Grind it very well and
subtily,
and well and long wash it with Vinegar, until it shall be cleansed and
purged from all Uncleanness,
This being done, dry it well in the Sun,
then
add to it half its weight of Salarmoniac, well and long Grinding, until
whatsoever is there subtile shall be dissolved; anew adding clean
Salarmoniac,
if need shall be, until the whole be made Water. Honour this Water,
which
we name the Water of fixed Sulphur, with which the Elixir is tinged to
Infinity. These of the Preparation of Venus.
Chapter VIII.
Of the Preparation of Mars.
Mars or Iron, is best prepared thus: Let it be Calcined as Venus,
with
Common Salt cleansed, and let it be washed with pure Vinegar; being
washed
, dry it in the Sun, and when dryed, grind and imbibe it with new Salt
and Vinegar, and then put it in the same Furnace, as of Venus is said,
for three days. Honour this Solution, viz. The Water of fixed Sulphur,
wonderfully augmenting the Colour of the Elixir. These may suffice to
be
spoken of the Preparation of Imperfect Bodies.
Chapter IX.
Of the Preparation of Sol.
Perfect Bodies need not Preparation, in relation to their further
Perfection,
being perfect; but that they may be more subtiliated, and attenuated,
we
adhibit this Preparation to them:
Rx Sol or Gold beaten into thin Plates, and with them and
Common
Salt very well prepared, make Lay in a Vessel of Calcination, which set
into a Furnace and Calcine well for three days, until the whole be
subtiley
Calcined; then take it out, grind it well, wash it with Vinegar, and
dry
it in the Sun, afterward grind it well with half its weight of cleansed
Salarmoniac; then set it to be dissolved, until the whole (by the
benefit
of Common Salt and Armoniac) be dissolved into a most clear Water. This
is the precious Ferment for the Red Elixir, and the true Body made
Spiritual.
Chapter X.
Of the Preparation of Luna.
Luna or Silver, is subtiliated and attenuated and reduced to
Spirituality,
in manner as above is said of Sol. Therefore in all and every part of
the
Work, do the same in its Subtiliation, as you did with the Gold. And
this
Water of Luna dissolved, is the Ferment for the White Elixir, made
Spiritual.
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