An Hermetic Work.

glass , pour it into fair . water , or rather into a Lee , ancl the Sand or Flints will be dissolved into a thick Oil or Water . $ 3 p ° In this water digest for an hour or tAvo , half an ounce of filed , rasped , or rather scraped Lead , and the Lead Avill extract a spiritual Gold from the said Water or Flints , and ivill thereby become yellowish ; which take forth dry , and Test on a Oopel , and you shall find a Grain of gold , but out of so much common Lead will be only a grain of Silver , which is the proportion to be found in any Lead , whence you may certainly conclude that Avhite Flints and Sand contain in them spiritual Gold , the which being joined with metals become Corporal .

THE THIRD KIND OR MANNER OF PROOF . Dissolve T ? or Lead in Aqua Fortis , and pour it forth into Salt Water , and all the Lead will precipitate and fall to the bottom , in a . white Calx or Powder : mix three parts of this calx AA'ith one part of powder of Flints or Sand , and add half so much Salt out of Lees or other Aleali , mix them and put them into an iron Crusible , Avhere old Nails or bits of Iron be put infill it to the top and cover it close for half an hour to melt ancl

, floAv , till all the sharp corrosive spirits in the Lead be mortified by the L-on , and then the Lead will be reduced to a body as before , Avhich cast into a Taper-pointed Ingot or Cone , and the Regulus of Lead Avill sink to the bottom , the Avhich must be Avasht and cleansed by Salt Peter , or in a fixt Copel under a Tyle , till it purge out the dross or fasces , then Test it , ancl as much of the same Lead severally apart , and the one yields a grain of Gold , and t ' other only a grain of Siher , as before is sufficiently expressed .

The true manner of proving all Flints , Rocky Stones , Pebbles , and Sands , etc . Legitimatel y and Infallibly ; whether they contain much Gold or little ; with a p lain Reason for all . Take four ounces of Sand or Flints , or other Stones , neal them red hot in a Crusible , and quench them in cold AA'ater , and so they become tractable to be beaten or ground to powder . Put these four ounces of poivder into a Glass Cucurbit or Retort , and pour thereon tAvo ounces of Aqua Registo moisten the said powders A'ivell and thoroughl

, ery y , and let it stand so in warm Sand for half an hour , and the said Aqua Regis will extract all the Gold out of the Flints or Sand ; to Avhich pour on two ounces of Avarm water , and stir it very Ave !! about , then strain or filter it through Cap Paper , ancl the Avater wiU pass through the paper with the Tincture , and leave the Sand alone in the Paper ; then pour on more Avarm water into the Paper , and let it run through the Sand again , and so it will Avash away all the remaining Gold and Tincture out of the Sand , and carry it into the Receiver ,

which is likewise to be added to the rest ; then pour upon this impregnated Avater or Liquor , some ordinary Lees or rather some spirit of Urine , and it will so mortifie the Aqua Regis , that the Gold will presently precipitate in a yelloAV powder to the bottom ; cant off the AA'ater ancl wash the said Gold with more fresh water till the powder of Gold be sweet and perfectly clean , after dry it very warily , else the said Gold will fulminate Avith that force as to break the glass in pieces ' , and whatsoever else is about it . But if you mix a

little powder of vulgar brimstone to the said Calx or poAvder of Gold , and let it ' g loAv in a glased Crusible , then it will not fulminate at all . After this mix therewith some Borax and reduce it in a Crusible . And thus you may know AA'hat quantity of Gold is contained in the rest of the Sand or Flints of that nature . N . B . Unless perchance the said Sand or Flints have Iron inixt , whereby then the Gold will become Pale and Brittle . Now in such a case you need not presently mix the said Calx of Gold with Boraxbecause both the

, Gold and Iron would lie reduced together , and so Avould be adulterate , and disappoint you of your expectation in that Trial . But such niixt Gold must be separated from the Iron on the Test with Lead , and so your proof will be good and without error . There is another sort of trial and proof of Sand , Flints , ancl Stones , etc . But since this way is easy and sufficient , Ave shall rest herein . N . B . Yet my Council is , instead of Aqua Regis , to make use of spirit of salt , which

mil he cheaper , with > and g for a Loadstone , and Antimony for the flux . NOAV learn the difference of natural , corporal , solid Gold , ' and that which is volatil and spiritual , Avhich" is the Primnm ens Auri , or first beginning of Gold . lHF ° Consider therefore that corporal Gold by corrosiA'e waters or Salts , is easily extracted ancl reduced , but the spiritual is not so . But UOAV the reason that corporal Gold , by the aforesaid proofs and experiments , is