Chapter IV: Part 4

The _Persians_ and _Vestalls_ fire at _Rome_ reverenced as well by the one, as by the other, as very holy, was very carefully entertained. Touching the _Persian_, _Strabo_ in his 15. Book writeth that the _Magi_ had a custome to conserve it under ashes, before which they went every day to make their prayers and devotions, which is not without some mystery. The ashes denoting the sensible world and the body of man which it represents: being nothing else but ashes: and the fire therein inclosed and covered, the sparkle of life, wherewith it is animated and vivified. These ashes furthermore, must be of some gummy trees, to make it of longer durance: namely, of _Juniper_, wherein I heretofore have kept living coals, more than a year, heaping up bed upon bed within the ashes, being all lock’t fast within a little barrell that no air may enter; and this is that which is meant in the 120. _Psalm._ 4. _ver._ with _Juniper_ coals, according to the Hebrew, in place of uncomfortable. With these burning coals the _Persians_ came to light the luminaries of their Temples when they came to be extinguished. But the Vestals in case their fire should extinguish, as it sometimes happened, it was not lawfull for them to light it again, but must draw it from the Sun beams: And did not only attend that it should quench of it selfe, or by some casuall accident, but they renewed it yearly, the first day of _March_ from that of heaven, as _Ovidius_ observes _tertio Fastorum_.

_Adde that new fire was made in the secret house
and the renewed fire took force._

Which _Macrobius_ also toucheth in his second of _Saturnals_, 12. chap. The first day of _March_ the Vestals lighted a new fire on the Altar of the Goddesse; that by the renewing of the year, they should renew in themselves their care of keeping it from going out. Saint _Augustine_ in his third Book of _the City of God_, 18 ch. In what reputation (saith he) this sacred fire was at _Rome_, men may know by this, that when the City was a fire, the grand Pontifex _Metellus_, for fear that this strange fire should not mingle with the other, put himselfe in danger to be consumed by the flames, to make it retire. So that there is nothing more conformable to the tenth of _Leviticus_. That if these poor blind people, which took the Symbols and Mysteries of Religion but superficially, and from the bark, as do also the Jewes, from whom they borrowed all their important Traditions, had known that which was covered and prefigured thereunder, what accompt is there to beleeve that they made thereof? Some do alledge that this sacred fire of the Vestals, was illuminated by means of _fusil_, bruising two pieces of wood one against another, or in piercing them with a borrier as _Festus_ would have it, and _Simplicius_ upon the third Book _of Heaven_, according to _Aristotle_. _Plinie_ in the 16. Book, 4. chap. Men rub two woods one against another, from whence fire is forced; which is received in by a bait made of dryed leaves and put in powder, or in the match of the touchwood of a tree. But there is nothing, which doth better conduce thereunto, then Ivy beaten or bruised with Laurell; the same is of late more practiced by the Savages of the West Indies, as _Gonzale d’Ovidiedo_ in his natural History of those quarters, _lib._ 6. _cap._ 5. binding (saith he) two dry slicks hard one against another, and putting betwixt their juncture the point of a rod well rounded, which they rub thick and thin betwixt the hands, so long till the fire by rubbing, and the rarefaction of the air that followes them may lighten them. Of this new relightning, to shew us, that we must renew and be borne again to a better and more praisable life, not farre different from the Ceremonies of the Christian Church, when on the Eves of Easter, and Whitsontide, at the Benediction of Springs and Fountains, they make a new great wax Taper, wherewith all the other luminaries are set on fire.

Touching _Moses_ fire, it was first sent from Heaven, and lasted to the construction of _Solomons_ Temple, which was again renewed from Heaven; and maintained to King _Manasses_ his time, when the Jewes were carryed captives into _Babylon_, which the Levites kept in the bottome of a Well, where it was found again at their return 70 years after, in the form of a gluish and white water, as hath been said heretofore. _Pausanias_ to the _Corinthians_, sets down, that in the dayes of _Antigonus_ son of _Demetrius_, there appeared a fountain of warm water near to the City of _Mathana_, but from the beginning it appeared not in water, but in great flames of Fire which were resolved into hot and salt water. Saint _Ambrose_ yet discoursing upon this water of the Levites, in the third of his offices, sets down, that this doth sufficiently demonstrate, that this was a perpetual fire which could not be taken from another place, to shew that they must not acknowledge any other God, or other religion, and ceremonies then those that were established by the inspiration of the holy Spirit designed by fire; for we may see what the children of _Aaron_, _Nadab_ and _Abihu_, found in the 10 of _Leviticus_, being willing to take upon them to offer strange fire unto God. Then all false doctrine, idolatry, heresie, and impiety, may be called strange fire, that devours the soul as a feaver doth the body, with the life that maintains it; there where this true fire sent from Heaven, is that of the holy Spirit, which salteth our hearts and consciences, that is to say, preserves them from corruption, according whereunto the Prophet _Jeremie_ spake in his 20. chapter when he had received it. Then it was made _as a burning fire in my heart, and shut up in my bones, and I was weary in forbearing and could not stay_. That the Holy Spirit should not be only light, but very fire, _Esay_ doth manifest chap. 10. 17. _And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his holy one for a flame._ For even so as the burnings, which are a potentiall fire, composed of igneal and burning salts, work not upon a dead part, insensible, and deprived of Natures heat; so the holy Spirit doth not exercise its actions upon cold languishing hearts, that make no account of its ticklings, and invitations, but shew themselves contumacious and refractary; just so as the heat of the Sun, and of the fire, but more and more hardens earth, and clay, in stead of softening it, and melts it as they do wax, butter, and grease. For the acts of Actives are in the disposition of the Patient, where we see fire does divers effects in disagreeable subjects, but not wholly contrary, and directly opposite; as when it blacks a coal, and white chalk where its vertue is imprinted, but all to the contrary; for fire by custome is extinguished by water, it is it, that in this respect inflames and renewes that which was imprinted and hidden in the chalk: whence a fair meditation is presented; that as fire is the symboll of life; water (that is its contrary) and extinguisheth it, must be of consequence the symboll of death; water naturally tending downwards, and fire upwards, wherein consisteth life.

_Strabo_ to this purpose in his 15. Book, speaking of the _Brachmans_, sets down, that which we call death, to be renewing of life, and that this temporall is but a conception as it were, and a _carriage_ which comes about the end of its term, to bring forth to death, to passe from thence to eternall life. Which _Seneca_ imitates in the 103 Epistle. The day that we fear so much, as the last of our life, is a renascence of an eternall day; let us then chearfully leave behind that which serves for nothing but a tedious charge. Why do we so much turn our backs, as if we had not been before this first frail body, in which we remain included and hid? we struggle and temporize therein, to the best of our power, and not without cause, for we have been forced out by a endeavour of our mother in bearing us; and we weep and lament when we arrive to this, which we think to be the last day, but to complaine, cry, and weep, are they not marks and tokens of one that is to be borne? And a little more Christian-like, although a little before; I will lay down this body where I have found it, and clothed it, and will render my self above to the immortall Gods, although I am not without them at this present, but whilest I am detained here within this grievous masse of earth, in the low abode of mortality, my sensuality will fight and combat against this other better and longer life. Now as we have been for nine or ten months, shut up within our mothers belly, not to prepare therein for it selfe, but at last, to come to this place, whither we ought to be sent, when we should be perfectly accomplished and made fit to breath, and remain openly out of this closet, where we were formed. In like manner during the space that we have run through from our infancy to old age, we dye to go whither another originall attends us, and a new state of things. All this doth in nothing derogate from the Traditions of our Church, who celebrated for the nativity of Martyrs the day of their death and martyrdom.

To conclude then, that which was heretofore said of fire, and of the four worlds; that of the Intelligible is all luminous; of the Celestiall, shining, and hot, by reason of its motion; of the Elementary here below, shining, hot, and burning; and of Hell nothing but burning. So these three proprieties of fire, to light, to warm, and to burn, though the effects be divers and strange, and the operations almost infinite, only of the elementary to begin with that which is nearest to our senses. _Rabbi Elchana_ greatly honoured amongst the Hebrewes, sets forth, that out of the 10 fingers of the hand, being addressed and conducted, by the understanding, may proceed more different sorts of works then there are stars in Heaven, the most part whereof come from the action of fire, on which almost all labouring instruments do depend. Fire principally served the first men, who had nothing but it for all working instruments. In regard of its motion, we may sufficiently see, that there is nothing more glistring and moving then the fire, which is the very cause of all motion. Take away heat, there will be no motion, saith the Chymicall Philosopher _Alphidius_, and this motion is accompanied with depuration, for fire will have none but pure things, according to _Raymond Lullius_. For it is not only the pure substance of all others, but it purgeth, mundifieth, and cleaneth all that, upon which it can have Action, of that which therein may be corruptible. _The Lord will wash away the filth of the children of Israel, by the spirit of burning_, _Esay._ 4.4. wherefore the Greeks call ἁγνισικὸς, Purging. So that the Καθαρμὸς or Κάθαρσις purifying, was not made but by fire, as the solemn annuall feast of Candlemasse witnesseth. And in all the Eastern Churches, when they would say the Evangel they burn great Tapers, as we do upon the day of Purification, and that for token of joy and rejoicing, whereof fire is a symbole; and according to that, we make two fires upon the feast of Saint _John Baptist_, conformable to that, in the first of _Luk._ 14. _Many shall rejoyce at his birth_; and fires of joy, in some happy successes of victories, at the birth of Kings children, and the like occasions of alacrity.

We have alledged heretofore, out of the 31. of _Numbers_ 23 that which is said of fire and water, the two purifying Elements, whereby in our baptisms we are accustomed to put a little piece of wax light or match, which they make the Creature to hold when they hold it over the font, the Church being thereby regulated by the pillar of fire which garded the Israelites, and the cloud (baptismall water) by day, whereunto sutes that of Saint _John_, in the 3. of _Matthew_, That in respect of himselfe he baptized with _Water_ unto repentance, but he that commeth after, shall baptize you with the _Holy Ghost_, and with _Fire_, to the remission of sinnes; for fire is a mark of the Holy Spirit, by which grace is conferred, and descended upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost, in the form of fiery tongues, _Act._ 2.3. The Stoicks, although too superstitious therein, made great account of this Element, which they said, was I know not what living thing, the most wise Fabricator of the whole universe, and of all that which is contained therein; to which purpose, as I alledged before out of the 7. of _Wisdome_ 24. that Wisdome the Artist of all things taught me, that it is more moving then motion, for she passeth through all things by her purenesse. Wherein two properties of fire are attributed to Wisdome, Motion, and Purity: And in summe esteemed it to be a God, according to which Saint _Augustine_ in his 8. Book of the City of God, 5. chapter sets down _Zohar_ according to his high elevated contemplations alledging upon _Exodus_ this passage of the 7. of _Daniel_ 9. The Throne of the ancient of dayes, was flames of fire, and a River of fire running lightly issued from his face, his vestment white as snow; saith, that within this shining river of fire, were washed the vestments of the souls that mounted on high, and repurged themselves there from the old scum of the Serpent without consuming it selfe, which did but clear it self from the old filth that it had there gathered. And this is very properly said because we see by experience, that greases are not cleansed, but by other grease, which carries one the other, as doth Soap and Lees, which consists all of grosse and unctuous salts; for if those were not, they would not bite upon unctuosity and fatnesse; witnesse simple water, which doth nothing, by reason of the contrarieties of their natures, which do not suffer them to be able to joine and unite. And where there is no mixtion, there is also no alteration, because that which doth not enter, doth not change (saith _Geber_:) So that Salts being in the nature of Fires, have from them their proprieties and effects, that is to say, to purifie and cleanse all ordures and uncleanness. For as Salt (the same _Zohar_ pursues it) hinders putrefaction, to which every corruptible thing is subject; so the Fire of Gods love, and of Gods knowledge, which is illightned in the soul, repurging it from all corporall coinquinations, causeth, that after it hath been duly purged and cleansed, it remaines for ever in its purity, for as much as fire devours and consumes the filthy scumme thereunto fastned, cloathing it selfe with a new and pure fire, which it could not otherwise do. For if it were not so assisted with this pure fire, the Cherubin which is committed to the keeping of the Gate of the City of _Delices_, with a fiery sword, to forbid the approach to the tree of Life, would not permit it to enter therein; from whence the curiosity of tasting of the knowledg of good and evill excluded our forefathers, and us with them hereditarily.

Hitherto _Zohar_, then which nothing could seem more conformable, nor which carryed it selfe better to our subject. _Every man shall be salted with Fire, and every Sacrifice with Salt._ For to salt, in this regard, to cleanse, and purifie, are but one thing, as also to salt, and to burn, because of their consemblable effects. _Burne my reines and my heart_; where burning, is put for repurging and cleansing, according to the Hebrew, and the Chaldee; and in the 13 of _Zachary_ 9. _I will burn them, as silver is burned._ To which sutes also that which the Apostle writ in the 1 _Cor._ 3.12. _If any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, pretious stones, or wood, hay, stubble; Every mans work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is. If any mans work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any mans work shall be burnt, he shall suffer losse, but he himself shall be saved, yet so, as by fire._ Saint _Augustine_, citing this place throughout the whole scope of his works interpreteth it in the 21. of the _City of God_, 26. chap. for the vanities which men have too narrowly embraced in this age, which we shall not enjoy in another, but they must be abolished and defaced by the repurgation of fire; for that which he had not without provoking love, he shall not lose without burning grief. And at length shall be saved as by fire, because nothing shall be able to remove it from this foundation upon which it shall be built. S. _Ambrose_ to the same purpose, in his third Sermon upon the 118. _Psal._ As good gold, even the very Church when it is burnt, receives not detriment, but its lustre and resplendency encrease more and more. The _Persians_ esteemed that when they voluntarily burned themselves, the soul remained thereby repurged from all iniquities & misdoings, which consumed by the flames as touching the body, which had power to move the Indian _Calanus_ and some others to come from thence, (for God would not that we should advance our dayes by one moment) who, at the time they receive him, he washeth us, and cleanseth us from all preceding faults. Whereby some abusing themselves thereby, attended to receive it as slowly as they could; and others baptized themselves for those which were already deceased. In _Æthiopia_ one who had conspired against the proper person of their _Neguz_, or Emperour, by baptizing himself thereupon, before he was imprisoned, remained quit.

So the proprieties of fire, are in the first place to shine and lighten, and that is, by it, common to the Sunne, but it is thereby much surmounted. And afterwards to warm, digest and bake, which this luminary doth also primitively, as we may see in that the Earth produceth, but for that the naturall heat doth not bring them wholly for our use, to the last and perfect degree of maturity, fire for the most part supplyes its wants, and defaults; for the regard of the concocting of what we eat, for we hardly thereby make our profit being raw, there where it is baked in the fire, it becomes of more facil digestion, and lesse corruptible, as having lesse of crudities; afterwards the fire separates strange things, and not alike, and after, having taken away the corrupting superfluities, namely the waterish humidity, which it driveth out, and the oily unctuosity, which it burns and consumes with the terrestrieties that remain, at last it doth gather together in a new composure, the pure homogenealities; which composure, then consisteth of soul, body, and spirit, from now forwards inseparable, and incorruptible, which relates to the three worlds, the soul to the intelligible, the spirit to the celestiall, and the body to the elementary; but this is not a reasonable soul, or sensitive, nor a vitall spirit, such as is in animals; but substances equipollent unto them: which may be seen in glass, which is an image of the Philosophicall Stone. Whereupon _Raymond Lullius_ enquiring of the confection of the said Stone, and how men may attain thereunto, made answer, hee that knoweth to make glasse, because their manner of proceeding are alike; and such ought that pretious substance to be, which _Hermolaus Barbarus_ in his Annotations upon _Plinie_, and _Appian_, in his disquisition of antiquities, alledgeth to have been found in an old Sepulchre, in the Territory of _Padua_, not above a hundred years since, having this Distique with two others.

_For he shut in with great labour, the digested Elements
under this small vessel; greatest_ Olybius.

The Roman _Morienes_ to _Calid_ King of _Ægypt_ on his Treatise of Metallick transmutation. Whosoever shall know well how to neatify, and whiten the soul, and make it mount on high, and can well preserve its body, and take therefrom all obscurity and blacknesse, with the evill smell, she may then replace it in its body and in the hour of their rejunction great marvels will appear: yet _Rhases_ in his Epistle. So every soul doth reconjoin to its first body: which in any other manner cannot be reunited to another, and from thence forwards shall never separate; for then the body shall be glorified, and reduced to incorruption, and to a subtilty and brightnesse unspeakable. So that it will penetrate all solid things what soever they be; because its nature shall be such, as of a Spirit: that which he borrowed out of _Hermes_, it shall penetrate every subtill thing. An admirable thing that these Chymicall Philosophers under the vaile and curtain of this Art, treating wholly about things so materiall as are metals, and that which depends thereon, with their transmutations by fire, have comprized the most high secrets of Intelligibles and even of the resurrection, whereunto it seems this would seem to strike, wherein bodyes shall be glorified and reduced as into a spirituall Nature, against which no spirituall obstacle can contradict, nor hinder its actions; from this the Apostle in the 15. of the 1. to the _Corinthians_ doth not much vary, _It is sown a naturall body, it is raised a spirituall body. There is a naturall body, and there is a spirituall body: howbeit, that was not first which is spirituall, but that which is naturall, and afterwards that which is spirituall._ I know moreover, an Artifice whereunto I have obtained in divers subjects, that burning an herb, the salt extracted from these ashes and sowed in the earth, a like herb will grow therefrom. But this burning must be made in a very close vessel, wherein we shall say more hereafter about Salt, and yet we will yet bring further another of our experiments which ought not bee disregarded. Of three liquors swimming one above another without either mingling or confounding together, what mingling soever they be; that they may not return into their residence and separated: to represent the four Elements in a little vessel of glass, or a little black enammill grossly beaten will hold place of earth in the bottom, water will do thus, Take calcined Tartar, or gravelled ashes, which is almost the very same thing, and let them go to the moist air taking the dissolution that shall be made thereof, the clearest that you can, and mingle therewith a little blew stone, to give it the colour of Sea water. Note here a maxim, and let this be said by the by, for those that exercise themselves in the Spagirique, that in one of these resolutions into moisture, which are made by themselves, all salts and alums, do depure and subtiliate, more then 12, or 15. dissolutions made with vineger and other like dissolvants.

Every thing that dissolveth it selfe, is of the nature of Salt and Alum, as _Geber_ saith, For air, take fine _aqua vitæ_ which you shall turn into a Celestiall blew, with a little turnsol; and for fire, the oil of Been, but for that it is more rare, take of Turpentine oil, which is made thus, Distill common Turpentine in _Balneo Marie_, there will mount up together both water and oil, so white and transparent, the one as the other: but the oil will swim above the water; separate them by a glasse fonnell, and dye this oil, into a fire colour, with _Orchanet_ and with Saffern. The three liquors will never mingle, what ever trouble you use to them; but will separate themselves distinctly, into lesse then nothing, by swimming one above another: Of the Turpentine, that remains in the Alembique, you shall extract it by Sand, in a _Cornue_ with a stronger fire, then by the bath, a thick red oil, which is most excellent balm: water and oil extracted by the bath are very serviceable also, in many accidents of Medicine and Chirurgery; only the white oil will make scars quickly fall away without pain, or evill impression. But if with the water of the said Turpentine, you dissolve salt of lead, you shall have yet a more Soveraign balm. But we must a little better clear this: for sith we treat here of fire, and of its effects, what hinders but that we may extend our selves at length upon many things which our long labour and experience have acquired? This oil of lead, was one of _Raymond Lullius_, his great secrets: & of many other excellent personages, who have as it were made conscience to remember it: for this hath been to them an entry of more admirable works. Some, as _Riply_, & others, have taken the _minium_ of lead, but it is too easie, & of an uneasie resolution, as also ceruse & calcined lead. For my part I have found litharge, which is nothing else but lead, for a pound of litharge, you shall extract 14. or 15. ounces of lead: put them into powder, and poure thereon distilled boiling vinegar, stirring it strongly with a staffe, and sodainly the vinegar will charge it self, with the dissolution of litharge: Evacuate the clear, and reiterate with new vinegar, so long till all the litharge be dissolved: Evaporate the vinegar, which shall be unsavory as the water, untill the salt shall remain congealed in the bottom. Take thereof a good quantity, and put thereof within your _Cornue_, as much as it will hold half full: and put it on the furnace with an open breech: in the beginning with an easie fire chasing away that which therein may appear a remainder of strange humidity: And when the white fumes shall begin to appear apply thereunto a Recipient big enough, and lute it well in the Jointures; after reinforcing your fire by little and little untill it become a very great one, and the _Cornue_ buried in the ashes, you shal see issue as a little continued torrent after the fashion of a filet of oil, but white as milk, and could as ice, which will come within the Recipient to resolve into an oil of the colour of an _Hyacinth_, and odoriferous, as that of _Aspic_. Continue the fire till there comes no more out of the _Cornue_, and leave it there to settle, al the night long. So now this secret oil, whereof that which _Raimond Lullius_ never more expresly said was towards the end of his short Epistle, in these very terms. Out of black lead is extracted the Philosophers oil, of a golden color, or as it were: and know that there is nothing in the world more secret then it. That which remains in the _Cornue_, put burning charcoals upon it, and that will take fire as the match of a fusee: whence you may draw a fair secret: for as long as it feels not the air, it will not flame, and it may dissolve againe with vinegar, to doe as before. But salt of lead dissolved in water, and yet better then Turpentine, oil will resolve to a greater quantity of oil; and thereof may see more ample marvailes. Take this oil, which _Raimond Lullius_ calleth his wine, and put it into a small Alembic of glasse; in _Balneo Mariæ_, and distill therein _aqua vitæ_, which will come in vains even as that of wine. Draw all out so long till the drops and tears come to appear in the Chap, which is a signe that there is no more flegm: which being out in the bottome, there will remain a pretious oil that dissolves gold and is admirable against wounds, and great accidents, from within, for it holds the same place with potable gold: Lead having great affinity with gold, as _Geber_ saith, with which it agrees in Surdity, in weight, and in that it cannot rust: And _George Riplay_ the most learned _English_ Philosopher, in his book of the 12. portes.

_There is extracted oil of golden colour,
Or like it, out of our subtill red lead:
When Raimond said, when he was old,
Was much more pretious then gold.
For when through age he was near death,
He thereof made, his potable Gold,
Which revived him; as may bee seen.
This is that oil and vegetable Menstruum, &c._

In regard of the burning water therout extracted, more inflameable then the most fine powder of a harguebuze, it dissolves silver into subtill Crystalline flakes, which melt at the fire of a lampe, as easily as butter, and are fix as silver in the same proofs of fire: further see that which the said _Riplay_ sets down in his marrow of _Alchymie_: The body being prepared, put upon this water to the thickness of your thumb which wil straight boil above chalks of the body, without other external fire, by dissolving the body, and by elevating it, in the shape of ice, with the drying of the said water: and so let it bee reiterated, by removing that which was elevated. But to abbridge (for this _Aqua vitæ_ is in very small quantity and very uneasy to make) if you passe two parties of water of the departure, that dissolves the silver upon one party of the salt of lead, this will do the same effect for the transmutation of metals, but not within a mans body, where it must not in any case bee applyed, except after great sweetning, that is to say, a _demi sextier_ of the dissolution of strong water, to make evaporate three or four pails of water, running down within by a filter to the measure that elevates the strong water with the spirits and malignity of this fire against Nature. Think not that I would stay my self here so precisely, nor restrain to the Text of Saint _Mark_, nor upon that, which dependeth upon the religion in this regard, although our principall aim tends thitherward, that wee would not enlarge by the same means to the works and progresse of nature, whose principall key is _Alchymie_, to mount from thence to the _Architype_ the Creator by means of the _Caballe_. But we would not likewise here so reveal occasions to abuse this divine Art, to the ill turnings of perverse ignorants, who to gain a piece of silver would make no difficulty to deceive the world one way or other, as wee could do in revealing unto the means of blanching copper, to the likenesse of silver, with Iscicles accompanied with a Metalline of Orpiment, the which, as yellow gilded as it is, and its red elevations as rubies, being notwithstanding bruised in a copper morter, and sublimed upon burned brasse, passeth within the head of the _Cornue_, white as silver; But if it be well governed, with the foresaid Isicles would make indeed great alterations upon the Copper which men may wel misuse, wherefore we will forbear to speak thereof any further. We may too well say, that the preparation of this body, that _Riplay_ intends silver, is to calcine and reduce it into salt, which is done after this manner. But if in the dissolving there be _aqua fortis_, it sufficeth to calcine it. Take then silver plates of the bignesse and thicknesse of a riall and put them in a Cruset, or a little pot of _Paris_ earth, not leaded, bed upon bed, with prepared Salt, that is to say, dissolved in common water, afterwards filtred, congealed, and decrepited, and leave it 10. or 12. houres with burning coals, (it would be better in an oven of reverberation) draw it from the fire and cast it yet all hot into an earthen vessell, leaded, full of water, salt will dissolve it self therein, and that of the silver which shall be calcined will goe to the bottome: Let them reside well; and separate them warily, by inclination: after put again the plates to bee recalcined with new salt, and reiterated as before, evaporate the water, or the salt if it be dissolved, and that which remains shall be as good as new, to the third or fourth reiteration, all your plates will find themselves reduced into chalk: which you shall easily dissolve in distilled vinegar, for silver, lead, and iron, are not of hard resolution, nor also Copper to take it in _Roche_ of _azur_: Tin much more, and Gold more then all the rest, for that its calcination, is very uneasie. Which _Geber_ knew very well: the compleat calcination of Sol, is most difficult: He renders the causes thereof. But it would be too long to dilace upon all these things: wee will content our selves, to trace some shadows of that which our perquisition and labour hath enabled us to acquire, by the space of 50. years of one side, and another, and proved more then once, not to speake unadvisedly: All which secrets are revealed as is said; by the Fire. And not by mervails, since it analogically discovers the spirituall: _Thou hast tried me with fire, and in mee, there is found no iniquity_; said the Prophet, _Psal._ 16. There where you see, how hee couples fire with iniquities, as if it were it, that revealed them as well as hee did the impurities of mettalls, where it doth the same operation, and effect, as salt doth, in corruptible things; for although metalls, bee the permanent substance of all others, by reason of their most strong composition which doth not permit them easily to cast away out of their radicall form any alteration which men may make them indure in powder, chalk, salt, water, oil, glasse, Isicles, and infinite others: which happeneth not to one of the other elementaries, Minerals, Vegetables, Animals; the which being once changed from their primitive form, they cannot again reintegrate or be put together. By means whereof, to speak of fire without metals, which are its true subject, it would bee as to propose to an Artist furnished with necessaries and instruments, but had no stuffes proper to imploy them, so that would remain to him unprofitable. In metalls then there may be revealed and considered the fairest secrets of nature, by the help of fires action. Which if in some more particularly then in others, she hath shewed a will to recreat, yea to put in evidence her greater knowledge. It seems this was in stones and metals, then which nothing could be presented more fair or agreeable to the sight, nor more profitable and necessary, at least in regard of Iron without which mans life would irksomely passe away, shee receiving so many commodities thereby. But pretious stones beyond the simple contentment and pleasure of the eye, have nothing wherewith men may know to draw out profit or succours in any one of our businesses. And if they be once deprived of their naturall shining form, they never return thereto again, as mettals doe, so puissant and indissoluble is the assembling of their elementarie parties, and their mixtion one with another. Wherefore wee must not marvail if so many good spirits have travelled all their time to meditate upon this subject, and their divers transmutations, having been there unto drawn rather out of those fair considerations which they found therein for their spirits contentation, then for any sordid and greedy desire of gain, which hath made the ignorant so obstinate, who have so cried down this divine Art, sister germane to the _Caballe_: for that which the _Caballe_ is divine and intelligible things, into the profound secrets whereof, shee penetrates, _Alchymie_ is in naturall and elementary, which shee reveals unto us. _Geber_ saith some man cannot know the composition of a thing, that is ignorant of its destruction; which destruction is perfected by the separations caused by fire.

Nature then taketh great pains, care, and pleasure, to labour in metals; and puts in them a very great length of Time, to bring them to the last degree of perfection, which settles in Gold, the most perfect and incorruptible substance of all others, and the homogeneall and equall in all his parties: whence it is taken for distributive justice, for mingle a party of Gold with 3. or 4. hundreds of silver, or Copper, leaving them melted together to sport never so little within a little Cruset, every portion how small soever it may be, of silver or copper, will suck up its equall part and portion of gold. It is moreover so exactly depured, that it cannot be altered or corrupted by any thing, that is either in the earth, water, air, or fire, nor by any corrosive or poyson that you can apply thereunto. It is not corrupted by clay, nor burnt with any burning thing: nor mortified or devoured, by any green colouring, or dividing water, there is nothing in it superfluous or defective: There are (saith _Hermes_) seven Metallick bodies, of which the most worthy and principall is gold, attributed unto the Sun: from whence it hath its name, for the same that the Sun is to the stars, gold is toward the elementary bodies, what thing soever burning it can bee, cannot burne it, the earth cannot corrupt it, nor the water destroy nor alter, because its complexion is tempered in heat, moisture, coldnesse and drinesse, and there is nothing in it superfluous or deficient. By reason whereof, I finde that those are farre wide of their accompt, which to keep themselves from poysoning, would serve themselves with vessells of gold to eat and drink in; for gold respects no more poisons nor venomes, then it would doe of capon broth: So do silver, pewter, copper, lead & iron, which would therewith change immediately. Even as a fearful man, and of small resolution, who at the encounter of a Serpent or other venemous beast, would grow suddainly pale, and come to change colour: The care, curiosity, and assiduous travell of infinite, rare, and meditating spirits, by the space of 4 or 5000 years, have found in metals secrets without number, and yet knew not to do so well, but that they have left much more to enquire into, and to search after: although there be but seven in all, comprehending therein running quick-silver.

Wherein it is wonderfull, that Nature so copious and abundant in all her procreations, which are divers, is pleased in this respect with so small a number. Metals then, being such whose regiment depends on fire; which is one of the proper visible symboles to represent the most hidden secrets, and mysteries of Divinity; invisible, and imperceptible to our senses.

The Prophets also, were willing to serve themselves for the most part of their parables, and similitudes, ænigmaes, allegories and figures; where they have covered and hid that which they would not so openly declare, for they have very seldome expressed themselves, as did _Esay_ in his 5 Chapter, where he interprets that the vision of the Lord of Hosts, whereof he there brought a parable, was the people of _Israel_, and the men of _Judah_ his delectable plant. And in another passage many waters, are many nations. Moreover _Ezekiel_, 23. having spoken of the two sisters _Aholah_ and _Aholibah_, he set downe that this was _Samaria_ and that _Jerusalem_. God by the mouth of _Moses_, in the 28. of _Leviticus_, and in the 28. of _Deuteronomy_, threatned the Israelites, said, if they come to mis-know him, and do not keep well his commandements, that he would make the heaven over their head brasse, and the earth under them iron, which are the two most terrestriall metals, and most hard and rebellious to melt and to handle, opposing them to the durity of this people, as it is there said. _I will bruise the pride of your hardnesse, and will make heaven over you as iron, and earth as brasse, your labour shall consume unprofitably, your earth shall not bring forth its seed, nor the tree yeeld any fruit._ For metals produce nothing, but are barren; the Poets of their side have used many sorts of Metaphores, and figures, as in the 6. of the _Æneid._ an iron voice, for a strong and resounding voice, and _Hesiod_ calleth the infernall dog _Cerberus_, χαλκεόφωνος, a voice of brasse, because it is the most sounding metall; _His voice shall sound as brasse_, _Jer._ 16. and _Origen_ upon the 25. of _Exod._ Brasse is taken for a strong and thundering voice, because of its resounding. Although I should speake with the tongue of Angels, and have not charity in me, I am as sounding brasse, and as a tinkling cymball. _Pindarus_ hath appropriated to Heaven the Epithet of χάλκεοσ οὐρανὸς Heaven of brasse, in the 10. of the _Pythians_; because of the firme solidity of the firmament, as the word importeth. _Homer_ doth the same in the 3. of his _Odes_, calleth it πολύχαλκος, most brasse, as _Euripedes_ and _Anaxagoras_, make the Sunne a fired iron; for the Greek Poets ordinarily doe put fire and brasse one for another; the same doth _Homer_ in many places, as in the 4. of the _Iliads_, where _Apollo_ to encourage the _Trojans_, remonstrates unto them, that the Greeks have not impenetrable bodies, of stone, or of iron, that they should be able to resist blowes of cutting brasse, without hurting them. These are manners of speech, which are not very strange amongst the Prophets, who have thereby figured out the most part of their solutions, under which some mysteries were shadowed; which if men would take altogether raw according to the letter, without allegorizing thereupon, they would find themselves farre from their reckoning, as the Martyr _Pamphilus_ said well in the defence of _Origen_, speaking of those who to shunne allegories were constrained to stumble at gross impertinencies. They think it of this sort, said he, for that they would not admit of allegories in the holy writ, by reason whereof, as subjecting themselves to the literall sense, they imagine and invent to themselves fine fables, and fictions. And indeed how could a man take according to the letter that of the 33. of _Deut._ speaking of _Aser_? _Thy shoes shall be iron and brasse_, for he would not say that _Aser_ was shod with iron and brasse, but he would understand thereby his force and power, denoted as well by the two metals, as by the shoe; I _will extend my shoe against Idumæa, strangers are my subjects_; These are all allegories and figures, as also in the 60. of _Esay_, _For brass I bring thee gold, and silver in stead of Iron, brasse for wood, and fire for stones_. Marke well how the Prophet observes the relations opposing brasse to gold, and iron to silver; and againe, brasse to wood, and iron to stones; for as gold excelleth silver, and trees stones, it is the same in the metallique order, brasse is more pretious then iron. But all tends to denote that the heavenly mysticall _Jerusalem_, which is the Church triumphant, so much more excellent then the Jewish Synagogue, which was but a figure thereof. And certainely hee that would looke more narrowly thereinto, the Prophets never spake any thing improperly, even to the least trade or mechanick arts; for in their ravishments they saw things in their reall being, within the _Zipheret_ or supercelestiall Sunne, which is a clear shining looking-glasse, a living source of all Idea’s, as Idea’s are of formes. This is furthermore well to be observed, for the regard of metals, which they associate commonly iron and copper for their affinity; will iron make a covenant with iron from the North? and brasse? for iron is easily changed into copper, by means of vitrioll, by putting them bed upon bed in a descensory with a strong fire of bellowes, so long till the iron grow liquid and melt into copper, having first moistned them with a little vineger, wherein there should be dissolved sal niter, or salt peter, sal alcali, and salt of tartar, with verdigrease. Otherwise put of vitriol in powder, and distill the water in a cornue, that which shall remaine calcined in the bottome, impost it with its water, and therein quench the glowing gads of iron, or filings of iron, you shall find them by little and little reduced into copper: Otherwise yet, dissolve vitrioll in common water, evaporate the water, and calcine the congelation that shall rest in the bottome; dissolve that in the like water, and it will become green, evaporate a part thereof and put the rest in a cave for a night, and you shall see greene flakes. Make them red in the fire, after dissolve them three or four times with distilled vinegar, drying them every time, and the flakes will become red, dissolve them againe in the same vinegar, and therein quench the gads or other iron work, as above said. In briefe, that by the means of vitriol, iron is converted into copper, as we may see in penknifes steeped in inke made of copperas or vitriol.

These flakes here are an entry to a higher work, and of more things for Chirurgery and Medicine. But all these practises (you may say) are long and troublesome and rather chargeable then gainfull, and profitable. Also our intention here, is not to stretch to gaine, this booke is not to get bread, but to penetrate into the secrets of nature: from thence to mount and elevate his spirit to spirituall things, whereto sensible do serve as a stair or as _Jacobs_ ladder; and there are no rarer considerations and observances, then in fire, and metallique transmutations: Copper on the other side, is changed into steele; if it bee true that some _Rabbines_ quote, upon that passage lately alledged out of the 15. of _Jeremiah_ 12. Iron and Brass, the Prophet (say they) calleth Iron mixed with Brasse, Steel, which sheweth (for we must disdain nothing of theirs) that Damake Steel was composed of Iron and Copper, that is to say, of Iron halfe covered in Copper, and softned to restrengthen it the more by means of lead. Whereupon make what _Abuhali_ sets downe in a Book of the nature of things.

Make a little long trench within a barre of iron, and cast thereinto melted lead, then make it evaporate with a strong fire as of a coupelle. Put againe therein new lead four or five times, and the iron will grow soft, which you may afterwards make hard againe quenching it in forge water, to make lancets, and other subtill cutting irons, yea that shall cut other iron, without splinters or gapping. And indeed we have found by experience, that to temper well a harnesse against the shot of harquebuse, we first sweeten it with oils and gums, with wax and the like incerative things; and after we harden them by frequent extinctions, in waters that make it fast againe. _John_ the Grammarian expounding this place of _Hesiod_, they wrought in brasse, for iron was not yet knowne, was forced to relate the word χάλκος to the people _Chalybs_ in _Scythia_, who (saith he) first found out the use of iron and steel: the Poet _Lucretius_ in his 5. booke imitates _Hesiod_ in this kinde,

_Antient arms were hands and nails,
Stones and fragments of tree boughes,
And flames and fires, were first knowne,
Afterwards the force of Iron and Brasse,
But the use of Brasse, before Iron._

Steel furthermore is made of the most pure and subtiliate iron; for that it participates lesse of the earthinesse, then iron. The artifice of it, is sufficiently knowne, and is common in forges. But to come to that of _Damas_, you must first resweeten it of its too much bitter tartnesse, and after it is reduced into filings to make it red in a cruset, and quench it many times with oil of Olives, where there hath often times been quenched molten lead, suddenly covering the vessell, for fear lest the oil take flame. There are yet other secret observations, which our intention is not to reveal all; it is enough to have attained to the maxims.

Now for that there is such an affinity between iron, and copper, that they may easily be converted one into the other; the same may likewise be done with lead, and tinne, by means of Sal Armonaick, and of certaine incerative powders of Borax, Salt peter, salt of Tartar, Salalchali, and other the like, which are called Atincars. _Panthee_ in his _Voarchadumie_, oil of glasse. Quicksilver also, is changed into lead or tinne, according as it is congealed to an imperceptible vapour, either of the one, or of the other, in this manner. Melt lead or tinne in a cruset, then let them a little cool, so long that they may be taken, but yet hot, or with a staffe of a torch, or the like, make a trench therein, wherein you shall put quicksilver which will be suddainly congealed, but bruiseable into powder. Reiterate that two or three times, and make it afterwards boil in the juice of _Mercuriale_, and will convert it selfe into metall according to the odour of that it was congealed; there is losse therein and that not a little; but yet at least, we may thereby see a possibility of transmutations of metals: In this respect, furthermore of lead, and tinne, there presents a very fair consideration, very uneasie to comprehend, and doth merit, that the cause thereof should bee sought after. We see by experience, that these two metals, each apart, are very soft, and of a tender fusion, yet being mingled they grow hard, and become firm and solid, touching which see what _Averroes_ sets downe in his Book of Vapours. That which doth consolide, and strengthen tinne, is lead; and reciprocally, lead tinne; for the glewish viscosity, which binds their parties, must consist of moisture and drynesse, this being done, there is no conglutination of tinne with tinne, therefore lead is mingled therewith, which is more moist, and with lead, tinne, which is more dry: so that those two mingled together, strengthen one another, better then being separated, and of their mingling, comes to procreate a glewing viscosity, which causeth in them a greater durity then they had, and binds them more firmly, just as sand, and chalke in the composition of Morter, which _Albertus_ also confirmes in his fourth and fifth chapters of Minerals. But wee will put off all these metallique particularities, and their divers transmutations, to our Treatise of Gold and Glasse, upon the 28. of _Job_, where under gold we wil comprehend all that shal depend on metals: and under glasse, stones, as well naturall, as artificiall; and all vitrifications, and enamels. Here we will take but that which will conduce to our subject, which is to treat of things intelligible, by the sensible: after the imitation of the Prophets, and chiefly metals and fire, whose operation is better known in metals, then in the other composed elements. The Prophets then have set down iron and brasse for a firme resistance. _My strength is not the strength of stones, nor is my flesh brasse, Job 6._ and in the 18. _Psal. Thou hast made my arms as a bow of brasse_. Furthermore in the 4. of _Micah, I will make thy horne iron, and will make thy hoofs brasse_.