An Hermetic Work.

more than perfect ; a shining Carbuncle : a most temperate splendour , whose most subtile and depurated parts are inseperably united into one , with a concordial mixture exceedingly equal , Transparent like a Chryslal , Compact and most ponderous , easily fusible in fire , like rosin , or Wax , before the flight of quicksilver : yet flowing without smoak , entring into solid bodies , and penetrating them like o _ yle through Paper , dissoluble in every liquor , ancl comiscible with it , fryablc like glass , in a powder like

Saffron : but in the whole Mass sinning red like a Eubio ( which redness is a si < m of a perfect fixation and fixed perfection ) Permanently colouring or tinging ; fixt in all temptations ancl tryals , yea , in the examination of the burning Sulphur its self , and the devouring waters , and in ttie most vehement persecution of the fire , always incombustible , and permanent as a Salamander , etc . Item , The Philosopher ' s Stone being fermented in its parts in the great world , transforms itself into whatsoever it will by the fire : hence a Son of art may 2 _ erceive why the Philosophers have given their Azoth the name of Mercury , which adheres to bodies , etc .

And further , in tho same place it is fermented with Metals , viz . The Stone being in its hig hest whiteness , is fermented with pure Silver to the white . But the Sanguine Stone , with pure Gold to the red . Ancl this is the work of three days , etc . Thirdly , Helmont in the Boole of Eternal Life . Fol . 590 . I have oft seen the Stone and handled it , ancl have projected the fourth part of

one grain wrapped in paper , upon eight ounces of quicksilver boyling in a crusible , and the quicksilver with a small noise presently stood still from its Flux , and was congealed like to yellow wax , ancl after a flux by blast , we found ei ght ounces wanting , eleven grains of the purest Gold ; Therefore one grain of this powder would transmute nineteen thousand , one hundred and eighty-six parts of Quicksilver into the best Gold : so that this powder is found to be of Similary parts amongst

Terrestrials , ancl doth transmute infinite plenty of impure metal into the best Gold , uniting with it , ancl so defends it from Canker , rust , rottenness , and death , and makes it in a manner immortal against all tortures of fire and art , ancl transfers if to a Yirginean purity o £ Gold , requiring only a fervent heat .

Item , In his Tree of Life , fol . 630 . I am constrained to believe there is a Gold and ' Silver making Stone or powder ; for that I have divers times made projection of one grain thereof , upon some thousand grains of boyling quicksilver , to a tickling admiration of a great multitude . And further as before is rehearsed in the first Chapter . Ho also saith , He who gave me that powder had so much at least as would transmute two hundred thousand pounds worth of Gold .

Item , He gave me about half a grain and thence wore transmuted nine ounces and three quarters of quicksilver into gold , and he who gave it me was but of one evening ' s acquaintance , etc . Besides , The most noble expert man" in the art of Fire , Doctor Theodor , Betius of Amsterdam , gave mo John Helvetius a large medal with this inscription , Theo-Bivine Metamorphosis , etc . It was of Count Buss his making of Sti / ria , and Oarynthia in Germany , of which one grain transmuted three pound of quicksilver into pure Gold at all assaj'es .

Item , It is written that sixty years since Alexander Scotiis made such a projection at Ilanaw in high Germany , etc . I cannot here pass by Dr . Kufl-er in an extract of his E p istle . First I found ( in my Laboratory ) an Aquafortis , ancl another in the Laboratory of Charles de Boy ; I poured that Aqua fortis upon the Calx of gold prepared after the vulgar manner , ancl after its third Cohbbation , The Tincture of that gold did rise and sublimed into the neck of the retort , which I mixed with two ounces of silver preci pitated in a common way , and I found that ounce in an ordinary Flux transmuted an ormce and an half of the said Silver into the best gold , and a third of the remainder into white gold , and the rest was the purest Silver fixt in all examinations of tbe Fire ;