The Separation of Minerals

After that wee have explained (as hitherto wee have done) the separation of metals from their Earth, and matter, as also of one Metall from another, and how it is done having passed through it with as much brevity as might be: it will in the next place bee necessary that wee treat also of those things out of which metals grow, and are generated, as are the three Principles.

Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt, as also all Mineralls, in which the first being of metals, i.e. the spirit of metals is found, as is manifest in Marcasites, Granats, Cachymies, red Talke, the Azure stone, and the like, in which the first being of Gold is found by the degree of Sublimation.

So in white Marcasite, white Talke, Auripigmentum, Arsenick, Litharge, &c. the first being of Silver is found: In Cobaltus, Zinetus, &c. the first being of Iron: In Zinetus, Vitriall, Verdegrease, &c. the first being of Copper: In Zinetus, Bisemutus, &c. the first being of Tin: In Antimony, Minium, &c. the first being of Lead: In Cinnabar, the first being of Quicksilver is found.

Concerning this first beginning you must know, that it is a volatile spirit, as yet consisting in volatility, as an infant lies in the wombe of its Mother, which[Pg 91] sometimes is made like to Liquor, sometimes to Alcool.

Whosoever therefore desires to busie himself about the getting of the first being of any such body, or to separate it, must of necessity have much experience, and knowledge in the Art of Alchymie.

For if he shall not diligently and skilfully work in Alchymie, he shal attempt many things in vain, and accomplish nothing.

But after what manner the first being is to be separated out of any Minerall, is sufficiently explained in the booke called Archidoxis, and need not here tediously bee repeated.

But as concerning the separation of Mineralls, you must note, that many of them are to bee separated by the degree of Sublimation as fixed from those which are not fixed, spirituall and volatile bodies from fixt bodies, and so accordingly of all the members, as is declared concerning metals. For of all Mineralls there is one, and the like processe through all degrees, as the Art of Alchymie teacheth, &c.

The Separation of Vegetables

How Vegetables are separated.

The separation of those things, which grow out of the Earth, and are combustible, as fruits, hearbs, flowers, leaves, grasse, roots, woods, &c. is made many wayes.

For first by Distillation the Flegm is separated from them, then the Mercury, then the Oyle, then the Refine, then the Sulphur, and lastly the Salt.

All these Separations being made according to the Spagiricall Art many notable, and excellent medicines come from thence, which are to be used as well within, as without the body.

But now seeing idlenesse is so much in request amongst Physitians, and all labour and study is turned only to insolency; truly I do not wonder, that all such preparations are every where neglected, and coales sold at so low a price, that if Smiths could be so easily without coales in forging, and working their metals, as Physitians are in preparing their Medicines, certainly Colliers would long since have been brought to extream want.

A reprehension of Physitians.

In the mean time I will give to Spagiricall Physitians their due praise. For they are not given to idlenesse, and sloth, nor goe in a proud habit, or plush and velvet garments, often shewing their rings upon their fingers, or wearing swords with silver hilts by their sides, or fine and gay gloves upon their hands, but diligently follow their labours, sweating whole nights, and dayes by their furnaces.

The commendation of Chymists, and how they differ from other Physitians.These doe not spend their time abroad for recreation, but take delight in their laboratory.

They wear Leather garments with a pouch, and Apron wherewith they wipe their hands. They put their fingers amongst coales, into clay, and dung, not into gold rings. They are sooty, and black, like Smithes, or Colliers, and doe not pride themselves with cleane, and beautifull faces.

They are not talkative when they come to the sick, neither doe they extoll their Medicines: seeing they well know that the Artificer must not commend his work, but the work the Artificer, and that the sick cannot be cured with fine words.

How many degrees of Alchymie there be.

Therefore laying aside all these kinds of vanities, they delight to bee busied about the fire, and to learn the degrees of the science of Alchymie: Of this order are Distillation, Resolution, Putrefaction, Extraction, Calcination, Reverberation, Sublimation, Fixation, Separation, Reduction, Coagulation, Tincture, &c.

But how these separations may bee done by the help of distinct degrees according to the Art of Alchymie, hath been in generall spoken of already. Wherefore it is needlesse here to make repetition.

But to proceed to particulars, and briefly to explaine the practise, you must know that Water, Spirit, Liquor, Oyle, &c. cannot bee separated after one and the same processe, out of Flowers, Hearbes, Seeds, Leaves, Roots, Trees, Fruits, Woods, by the degree of Distillation.

For Hearbs require one processe, Flowers another, Seeds another, Leaves another, Roots another, Trees[Pg 94] another, the Stalkes another, the Fruite another, Woods another.

The degrees of fire in Distillation.

In this degree of Distillation, there are also foure distinct degrees of Fire to bee considered.

The first degree of Fire in Distillation is Balneum Mariæ, this Distillation is made in Water.

Another degree of Fire is Distillation made in Ashes.

The third in Sand.

The fourth in a naked Fire: as also Distillation may bee made by Aqua fortis, and other sharp Waters.

With what degrees of fire every Vegetable is to be Distilled. To the first degree of Fire belong, Hearbs, Flowers, Seeds, and such like.

To the second, Leaves, Fruits, &c.

To the third, Roots, and Boughes of trees, &c.

To the fourth, Wood, and such like.

Note, that every one of these must bee beaten small, and bruised before they bee put into the Still.

And thus much bee spoken concerning the Distillation of Waters out of the Vegetable substances.

As concerning the Seperation and Distillation of Oyls, the processe is the same as that of Water, only some of them are to bee distilled per descensum, and cannot ascend as Waters, the processe of these in this case is to bee changed.

But Liquors are not separated in Distillation as Waters, or Oyles, but are expressed from their corporeall substances with a presse.

[Pg 95]

And here wee must know, that there are some Oyles that are pressed out, and separated after the same manner, by a Presse as liquors are, and that for this reason, because they should not contract an ill odour from the Fire, as otherwise they would doe.

Of this Order is the Oyle of Almonds, Nuts, hard egges, and the like.

Also wee must note, that all Oyles, if they be prepared, and coagulated according to the Spagiricall Art, yeeld a kind of Vernish, Gumme, Amber, or Resine, which may bee also called Sulphur, and that which remaines in the bottome of the Still may bee calcined, and brought to ashes, and from it may bee with warme water alone, the Alcali extracted, and separated from it.

The Ashes which is left behind is called the Dead Earth, out of which never any else can bee extracted.

The Separation of Animals

It is necessary, that Anatomie goe before the separation of Animalls, that the bloud may bee apart, the flesh apart, the bones apart, the skinne apart, the bowels apart, the tendons apart, &c. and after this must every one of these bee separated by it self by the help of the Spagiricall Art.

Therefore the separations in this place are chiefly 4.

Four degrees of the separation of Animalls.

The first draws forth a waterie, and flegmatick humidity from the bloud. For from the bloud being after this manner, according to the processe shewed in the book of Conservations, Mummie, &c.prepared, there comes forth a most excellent Mummie, and so excellent a Specificum, that any fresh wound may bee cured, and consolidated in the space of twenty four hours, only with one binding up.

Balsome, &c.

The second is the separation of fat from flesh; for that being separated from Mans flesh is a most excellent balsome allaying the pains of the Gout, and Cramp, and such like pains, if any part affected bee anointed with it warm. It helps also the tendons of the hands, or feet, being drawn together, if they bee daily anointed with it. It cures also the scab, and all kinds of Leprosy.

Therefore it is the chiefest Chirurgical specificum, and in all cases, as in wounds and the like most profitable, &c.

The third is the separation of waterie, and flegmatick moisture, together with the fat extracted out of bones.

For if these two bee carefully by the Art of Alchymie separated from Mens bones by the degree of Distillation, and the bones bee reduced, or burnt into most white ashes by the degree of Calcination; and then these three bee again after a right manner joined together, so that they resemble butter, they become a most wonderfull specificall Arcanum, with which you maist soundly cure any fracture of bones without any pain at three bindings up, so that you dost handle, and set the fracture according to the rules of Chirurgery, and then apply that specificum by way of plaister, &c.

This also doth most speedily cure the wounds of the skull, and any other contusion of bones whatsoever.

The fourth, and the last is the separation of Resines, and Gummes from the Skin, Bowels, and tendons. For this Resine being extracted, and separated out of them by the degree of Extraction, according to the Spagiricall Art, and coagulated by the beams of the Sun, become a cleer transparent Glew. Out of this glew being prepared, extracted and separated out of Mans body, as is prescribed, a most excellent Arcanum, and specificall stiptick comes forth, wherewith Wounds, and Ulcers may speedily bee consolidated, and their lips bee brought together: (even as two boards are glewed together with glew put betwixt them) so that you put two or three drops of it being resolved into the wound. This also is a singular Arcanum for Burns, Falling of the nails, Scabs, &c. if the place affected bee nointed with it.

For the skin will presently bee brought over the raw flesh.

There might many other separations of these and other things bee reckoned up. But seeing wee have mentioned them in other places, it would bee but lost labour here to repeat them. It wil bee necessary that wee speak of those things here, of which wee have made no mention elsewhere.

The last Separation is the last Iudgment

And lastly in the end of all things shall bee the last separation, in the third generation, the great day when the Son of God shall come in majesty, and glory, The Manner of the last Iudgement.before whom shall be carried not swords, garlands, diadems, scepters, &c. and Kingly jewels, with which Princes, Kings, Cesars, &c. doe pompously set forth themselves, but his Crosse, his crown of thorns, and nails thrust through his hands, and feet, and spear with which his side was pierced, and the reed, and spunge in which they gave him vineger to drinke, and the whips wherewith he was scourged, and beaten. He comes not accompanyed with troopes of Horse, and beating of Drums, but foure Trumpets shall bee sounded by the Angells towards the foure parts of the world, killing all that are then alive with their horrible noise, in one moment, and then presently raising these again, together with them that are dead, and buryed.

Matth. 25. For the voice shall bee heard: Arise yee dead, and come to judgment. Then shal the twelve Apostles sit down, their seats being prepared in the clouds, and shal judge the twelve Tribes of Israel.

In that place the holy Angels shall separate the bad from the good, the cursed from the blessed, the goats from the sheep. Then the cursed shall like stones, and lead be thrown downward: but the blessed shall like eagles fly on high.

Then from the tribunall of God shal go forth this voice to them that stand on his left hand: Goe yee Cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill, and his Angells from all eternity: For I was an hungry, and yee fed me not; thirsty, and you gave no drink; sick, in prison, and naked, and you visited me not, freed mee not, cloathed me not, and you shewed no pity towards me, therefore shalt you expect no pity from me.

On the contrary, he shal speak to them on his right hand: Come yee blessed; and chosen into my Fathers Kingdome, which hath been prepared for you, and his Angells from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me meat; thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; naked[Pg 99] and you covered me; sick, and you visited me; in prison, and you came unto me. Therefore I will receive you into my Fathers Kingdom, where are provided many mansions for the Saints. You took pity on me, therefore will I take pity on you.

All these being finished, and dispatched, all Elementary things wil returne to the first matter of the Elements, and bee tormented to eternity, and never bee consumed, &c. and on the contrary, all holy things shall return to the first matter of Sacraments: i.e. shall be purified, and in eternall joy glorifie God their Creator, and worship him from age to age, from eternity, to eternity, Amen.