THE FOURTH PART OF Philosophical Furnaces: (continued 2)

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.

Mention being made of metallick glasses, which belongs to the perfection of metals, I am forced to say somthing also of other Amausa, or coloured glasses, which are called Gems, and are worn for beautifying, which though it be not profitable, yet it is a delightful labour, which knowledge, as well noble as ignoble have long sought, not for gain, but recreation sake, erring from the true way (although prolixly described in many tongues) through ignorance of the art to render crystal or flint fusible, and colouring it, being content with lead glasses made of one part of crystals, or flints, and three or four parts of minium or ceruse, glass of no worth, as not only very soft and unapt for polishing, but also heavier than it ought by means of the lead, and having a yellow or green colour, for every glass made of crystal or flint, and minium or ceruse by themselves, viz. without the addition of other colours, gets a yellow colour from the Lead, hindering and altering other mixt colours; therefore a good stone is not made this way of lead and flint, but Leaden glasses of this sort, Venice glass, Ashes of tin, and colours being added to them, be used diversly of the goldsmiths, namely to colour gold, otherwise of no moment.

Therefore I will give another preparation, namely out of flints &c. crystals alone without minium and ceruse, with metallick colours, having the colour and elegancy of excellent stones; but not harder than glass; for although crystal is harder than iron, yet by melting it is deprived of its hardness in some measure, and is made like to glass, yet so much hardness reserved, as serves to write on another glass, which glasses are easily polished, and in all things and by all, most like, hardness excepted, to natural stones; with which not only various kinds of stones may be made, and other gold, silver, and wooden works or pictures adorned; but also diverse supellectils, as salts, hafts or hilts, cups, &c. and also images and antiquities may be formed (by fusion) like to those cut out of gems by the hand of an ingenious workman, most delightful.

They are made after this manner: first you must look for flints and crystals not coloured, but very white, gathered out of sand or streams, which you must heat in a covered crucible, and quench them glowing hot in cold water, that they may crack and may be pulverised; otherwise they are so hard that when they are powdred, they take part of the morter and so are defiled; therefore it is worth your labor to handle them well. Afterward ℞ of flints prepared, and the purest salt of Tartar, made in glased vessels, but not in copper or iron, equal parts, mingle them and keep them for use.

And if thou wilt make this mass into a gem, you must first mingle some colour (what you desire) afterward so long place it (being put into a clean covered crucible scarce half full) in a very strong fire, till all the salt of Tartar hath evaporated, and the flint together with the colour come into substance fusible like glass: you must then put a small clean iron wier, and draw out a little of the melted mass for tryal; whether it have stood long enough in the fire, whether there be yet pustles and little sands, or whether it being exactly melted, it shall descend to the bottom, which done, you must take off the crucible, and place it under some hot iron or earthen vessel, that it may wax cold with the melted stone; otherwise the mass will be broken in the crucible into very small parts, and would be unfit for greater works: neither must you pour out the melted mass for fear of the attraction of aire, and pustles to arise thence. But being willing to make out of the Mass by Fusion, not Engraving Money or Images; there is no need to leave the mass in the crucible to cool, but presently to pour it out hot in a copper morter, and nothing will stick to the crucible, but all the mass will be poured out without any waste: And this mass, if thou wilt, thou maist powder or break into very small bits for fusion and impression. But the mass when cooled in the crucible, is to be taken by breaking the crucible, and to be reduced into greater or lesser stones by cutting: but melting for money or images; you must place the money or image, which you will imitate, with the backside or hinder-part downward in an iron Ring, a Fingers breadth broad of greater capacity than the money, upon a stone or plain wood, and sprinkle on a little Tripoly, or fine Sand, through a cloth, namely, as much as sufficeth to cover the mold, and upon this to put more, well moistened with water, like ashes of cupels, and to press it, being most tenacious, firmly to the mold, but warily, lest the mold be moved; which done, you must turn the ring, and with a knife lift up the mold, and to take it, being lifted up with ones hands or tongs, the image being left in the sand, to be dryed by heat of the Sun or Fire. Afterward to cast the image, place the ring with the image impressed in the sand under a tile, and administer a strong fire, that the whole ring, with the sand, and the image in the sand may be very hot: then take off the ring, to see if the image have suffered any loss; which, if it have not, you must put upon it so much of the aforesaid glass, coursly beaten, as sufficeth in the fusion to fill the image impressed on the sand; which done, put the ring again under the tile, and administer a fire of fusion, till the glass melt in the ring; to which, touch with a smooth iron and light, (with a handle) being hot the ring being taken first out of the furnace with tongs, pressing the glass well to the mold; and then place it under a hot iron, or earthen vessel to cool; and being cold, take the image from the mold, which answers to it in all things, if thou hast aright proceeded, exactly representing the Carvers art, or a seal impressed on a jewel, which excellent work is most fit to feign, and represent Antiquities and Rarities.

The colouring of the aforesaid mass follows, by which it is made most like to Gems.

It behooveth that colours be taken from metals and minerals, namely from Copper, Iron, Gold, Silver, Wismuth, Magnesia and Granate; of other colours I know nothing of certainty, Copper commonly makes a colour green like the Sea, Copper with Iron, grass-green; Granate a smaragdine colour, Iron yellow or jacynth; Gold the best skie colour; Wismuth common skie colour; Magnesia Amethystine, mixt, they give other colours; E. gr. Gold mixt with Silver gives an Amethyst colour; Iron and Copper, a pale green; Wismuth and Magnesia, a purple; Silver and Magnesia, various colours like an Opal.

Images are also made of divers colours, if the masses of diverse colours be broken into bits and mixt, be put upon the Mold, &c. And if thou desirest an opac mass (green, red, skie colour, &c.) add a little calx of Tin darkning, on which as on a Basis the colours insist. For example; in making a Turcoise stone or a Lazulus, mingle with the Azure made of the silver Marcasit or Zafora (to colour the mass) the calx of Tin, that they may melt together, and before the impression be made, put upon the Mold some prepared gold, then spread and put upon this the aforesaid glass; and the fusion and impression being made, will be made thence a stone having golden veins like lapis Lazulus very delightful; But there must be a calx of Gold not losing its splendor in the fire, such as is made by Mercury, or that which is better, which is precipitated out of Aqua Regia: of which above.

Of the preparation of the colours for colouring the mass of Flints and Crystals.

The plates of copper often heated, are to be quenched in cold water of which more in the Fifth part, from three to six grains of it may be mixed with ℥ j. of the mass for a Sea-green colour. Iron is reduced into crocus by reverberation; of which from four to ten grains are added to the mass for a yellow or Jacynth colour; Silver is dissolved in Aqua fortis, and precipitated with the liquor of Flints after it is edulcorated and dryed, whereof from one to six grains, added to ℥ j. of the mass, they make mixt colours.

Gold is dissolved in Aqua Regia, edulcorated and dryed, precipitated first with liquor of Flints, whereof from grain four to ℈ ss. mixt with one ounce of the mass, make a most elegant Saphire. And if from three to six of that soluble ruby made of the Gold, and the nitrous Regulus Martis be added to ℥ j. of the mass, they make a very polite ruby: Magnesia pulverised, whereof, from six to fourteen grains, to ℥ j. of the mass, make an Amethyst.

Marcasit dissolved in Aqua Regia, precipitated with the liquor of flints, edulcorated and dryed, whereof from one to five grains, to ℥ j. of the mass, give a Saphire, but not comparably so polite as one made with gold.

But being unwilling to calcine Marcasite, let him take Zafora, and mingle to ℥ j. from five to ten grains; Granates of Bohemia, or Oriental pulverised, add from six grains to ℈ j. to ʒ j. of the mass, for little green stones like to the natural smaragd or emrald: other things which remain of the mixture of the colours, are to be learned by experience.

To what uses coloured flints and crystals are appointed, is not here to be treated of; one use excepted, which I set down for the eyes, which are weakened by too much watching, the heat of fire and smoak; see thou have a waxen mold circularly round, of the bigness of a dish or trencher; (the Optiques are wont to call such lentes) to which, put the best clay well mixed with hair: anoint the waxen type with oyl, and exactly apply the best prepared earth of crucibles (and durable in the fire) the thickness of a finger; which being dryed, perforate in some part, that the wax being melted by the fire, may flow forth: afterward burn the mold in an earthen furnace; being burnt, fill it with prepared glass, and place it in a wind furnace till the glass melt; which at length being cooled, take off the type by attrition, and there shalt thou have the crystal resembling the form of the type; which afterward thou must make and polish like spectacles in an iron dish on both sides; and take it out with a strong iron wier, and thou shalt have a good crystalline lent for a small price, which otherwise is scarce made of crystal of so great a bigness. And if thou wilt, thou maist colour the glass green, very pleasant to the sight, and fit a foot to it for greater benefit. And the glass doth not only serve for the Multiplication of light in the night time, that you may see a thing a far off in a chamber, but also for the fixing and calcining minerals by the Sun-beams, and melting of Metals, and multiplying of Pictures, like an hollow glass, and also for other uses it may be compared with an hollow looking-glass, which doth the same of an equal bigness with the hollow glass; nor is there any other difference of them but reflexion. This glass-instrument is made likewise another way, and by less cost and labor, if it be of a polisht looking-glass, if two great orbes are cut out with a diamond, and if they are somewhat softned with Fire, and are left there so long in the heat, until they shall stick like wax very close to the stone, which done, let them be cooled again, which afterward taken out, will represent the form of an hollow glass; to which, it behoves to fix a leaf on the convex part. And the glasses do the same that an hollow metallick looking-glass doth, the reflexion excepted, which is not so strong as of the hollow glass: And although the glasses are sooner broke, yet they are very fit for the making of the following Instrument.

And they are bound together with a strong wier, applyed across on the concave part, and an hole is cut in the brim with a diamond on one side, of the bigness of a pea, then the crevises are exactly closed in every place with the best lute; which done, a silver or copper ring is to be tyed about it, holding those glasses straightly, so that the Instrument may be fitted to the foot, all which well done, those strong wiers are separated or cut off, with which the glasses were bound at first, namely, near the copper ring: afterward very pure Aqua vitæ is to be put in through a funnel, as much as is required for the filling it up; the Instrument being filled, the hole is shut up, which is to be kept for use; and this Instrument is better than the hollow glass; especially, if it have in its diameter the breadth of one foot, and may be applyed to prospective pictures, it doth excellently represent and multiply them.

Behind which, if you place a candle in the night, it gives so much light in the Chamber, that you would think it came from the Sun. It doth also many other things which are here omitted as superfluous. And you may gather the dispersed light in the aire in the night time with it, so that you may read the smallest writing. Such and others of the like things may be done by this furnace, all which to set down, would swell the Book too much. Other things of the metals examination and purification by fusion, in another place.

Take this, Reader, which is given to thee, in good part, at another time thou shalt have better; and do not mistake my writings, as if I did reprove the examinations of metals by the Ancients, fusions and separations, who only would communicate my opinion, and yield my assistance for further proceeding; for I know that dealers in metals giving too much credit to their small proof when they find nothing, do, contemn oars as barren, often abounding with gold and silver; when nevertheless, John Mathes. says expresly in his Sarepta, that minerals oftentimes tryed in a small quantity do yield no gold and silver, which in a great quantity, yield a great deal, wherefore credit it is not always to be given to such tryals, often deceiving, as experience testifies.

And this not only in those minerals which are digged out of the earth; but also in those clayie and sandy minerals, abounding with silver and golden flames; out of which neither by the less nor greater proofs, nor ablution nor Mercury is drawn with gain that thin and fiery dispersed gold: which by some waters is done without fire easily; for I know such mines are found neer many rivers of Germany, and many places in other Nations of Europe, out of which honest gain without much cost and labor may easily be gotten. Neither are they dreams, which I have spoken parabolically of the perfection of metals, for it is possible by art to help nature in the perfecting things. There is therefore no more need of any thing than of knowledge; therefore the nature of metals being known, and their properties, they are easily separated, purged and perfected.

But what I have written of the universal medicine, I have done for the aforesaid causes, which have made me believe the thing, not as professor of the Art. The other things of coloured red glasses and looking glasses I have added, because they are easily prepared by this furnace, as sometimes necessary in some works. Other things of the handling metals are not without cause now omitted, which happily may be sometime delivered in another place, wherefore now we end.

FINIS.