The works of the highly experienced and famous chymist, John Rudolph Glauber: containing, great variety of choice secrets in medicine and alchymy in the working of metallick mines, and the separation of metals. Also, various cheap and easie ways of making salt-petre, and improving of barren-land, and the fruits of the earth / Translated into English, and pub. for publick good by Christopher Packe.

  • Glauber, Johann Rudolf, 1604-1670.
Date:
1689
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The works of the highly experienced and famous chymist, John Rudolph Glauber: containing, great variety of choice secrets in medicine and alchymy in the working of metallick mines, and the separation of metals. Also, various cheap and easie ways of making salt-petre, and improving of barren-land, and the fruits of the earth / Translated into English, and pub. for publick good by Christopher Packe. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    y V • B. Although‘ I am not minded pubiickly to difclofe an Arcanupi ot fuch great moment, and fo great a a Myftery, and to throw fuch a precious Pearl afore Swine* yeti am of the mind to prepare feme quan¬ tity thereof, and to part with fo much unto the Sick that need it, and that fliall defire the fame from me, as is requifite for their life. And not only to the Sick, but to others too, that are willing to apply it to other Ufes and Experiments ^ but efpecially unto thofe who would fain try, whether or no. even this very Blood will turn it felf ( according to my Defeription ) into a white Milk, and then into a Red Stone, and, by a Reiteration of the work, pafs through all Co¬ lours. This defireoufnefs, or inquiry after the Truth cannot at all prove any ways difadvantageous to me, or mine. For the Art it felf will always remain an unlefs it chance to happen, that lome one or • other Searcher, which is of amore fubtile Ingenuity, (hould, by his diligent and ferious inquiry, fearch out the very Foundation of the Art it felf. Which if it Ihould fo come to pafs, he muft then think, that God liath vouchfafed this Gift unto him, and that he now confiders, and well knows, what efteem he ought to fet upon it) and by what means he ought to hide it. However, this is moft certain, and indubitably true, that this Dodirine, and inftru<3:ion of mine own pre- feribed in my Writings, will be a fpurring encourage- ■ ment to abundance of Men (that have hitherto ex¬ ceedingly doubted of the Truth of this fo great a Myftery, and fhall now come to know it, laid open by me with fuch evident Demonftrations, ) and caufe them to fearch with a greater and more ferious ftudy, and to caft off all other unprofitable Coc^ions what- foever. For to what purpofe is it toufe many things, about that which may be done by fewer and more ealie. All things have their time, and fo has this Arcanum too its own proper time. 'But we Ihall fpeak more of thefe things in the following Defeription of the fecond univerfal Medicine. All thefe things which thou haft I hitherto fecn,are indeed very good ^ but we are as yet far off from the end. Have you not likewife read in i the Philofophers Writings, that the white Swan doth alfo ftiew it felf in the Work ? Now, if by but as yet One days ftiining, the Sun flaall have illumnated by its brightnefs the Dragons Blood, you (hall fee it turned into a white Milk, which Milk the P’hilofo- phers have written off, and which at length goes into a Coagulum^ or Cheeflike Curdling. Look therefore now upon that Milk,which you fee to admit of Coagu- tion and Condenfation, by little and little : And thus with this golden Gheefe do we finilh the Philofo- phical Labour of the Fifth day. A. God be thank^d^ that this days Labour hath alfo fucceededy as rse could a>i(h. But forafmuch as thofe things which you mentionedy but now come in my miridy viz. that we, are far off from the end of the wor^ yet^ and yet too morrow is the Sixth and laji day of this our Fhilofophical weeb^ -y and farther, feeing you faid prefntly after the beginning of this our ConferencOy that the whole tForl^would be fni(hed in fix Vaysfpacey and th.it on the feventh J)ay we may ceafe from all cur fFork. and Laboursy and fandifie ity or keep it holyy and give God due thankj for all thefe his Benefits bejiowed on ns : Seeing (I fay) that dV thefe things come now tn my mindy ^tis no wonderyif they likewife create in me a great deal of Care and PuzzUngy • to thinbyhow this can bcythat alithife things that remain yet behind may be perfeP,ed.y and brought to a full end tn one day, B, Ceafe your Care [my Friend!] nor do tou cught elfe this Sixth Day, but hourly encieafe the Fite by Decrees, and ftir if up niorc and more, thaf Co you may, fee, by wb.at means our whi-c CnacuLt.d Milk will by little and little pafs into a yellow Co¬ lour, and will at length be thoroughly Red, and abide molr confiant in the Fire. This fixed Rcdnifs, the Pliilofophers call their Salamander : The Fotts fells us a Tale, of a certain Worm that lives in tlie Fire, which cannot be burnt or confumed thcrcliy. There¬ fore, after the Philofophers have brought their work through all the Colours, and have at length attained fo far, as that there appears no other, but a mere fixed kednefs, they named it their Salamander, with which (if you except only Inceration and Multipli¬ cation) they ended their work, and fo do we alio finifii thefe our prefent Labours. A. Praife and Glory be to Gody by whofe t)ivine help, we have if by fo happy and defired a Snecefs ) promoted our worl{^ to its moji defired end. Amen. And thus will we now put- an end to our work, that Co we may fandifie to morrow, which is the feventh Day, to the Honour and Glory of the Divine Bouiity. A. Ah, my dearefi friend-y let me intreat you not to involve me by your immature departitrey in greater trou¬ bles and difficulties. There are divers fcruples and doub sy and thefe weighty ones too, that perplex my mindywhich un¬ lefs you remove afore,your going jway( but I hope you'll (lay) 1 fhall of a certain Truth be tormented all this enfuing Night with the mofi bitter Pill of Vifquiet and Anxiety, and then you may well guefs with what mind I am likely to celebrate the to marrow Sabbath. For I am yet as plainly ignoranty what ufe to put that Salamander to. As con¬ cerning thofe things, which you have, faithfully difc'ofd unto me hithertOy I trujiy I Jhall not err in their Opera¬ tion, but as touching Inceration and Multiplication, in which, as m two Cardinal main Points, the very ffPiUar or] hinge of the whole Operation tyeSy as you fa'd, I muji needs confefs my felf more Blind, as to them, than Tife- fias was : i muH needs fay, that I behold the promifed Land fituate afore mine Eyes, but the way that Uadeth thereunto is hedged in with fuch Thickets , and fo many Brambles ythat J do not fee which way Khali extricate my felf out of them.^ Vnlefs the mercy of Gcd, and your help come in to my affifiance, / fee ihat all my Labours will be in vain. B. ’Tis no fmall trouble you bring nie, by your im¬ portunity, don’t you fee the approaching Evening. You A^I jult according to the Cuftom of importunate Men, who having once gotten ones out-held Finger, do fnatch in the whole hand. At firft, you only en¬ treated me to difeover unto you the Matter and Key of the Alt, and faid, that you would eafily find out the reft your felf. Why then do you not feek there¬ after,and let me go ? , A. Good Siry be not difpleafed with this my importunity, proceeding from ihe ioo eafnefi deftrey 1 have, of knowing, fo great a Secret: And Chrifi himjelf fAth, if ye fhall kytock^y the Gate fhall be opened unto you. B. Well, fince I fee, that I muft expeff no quiet from you, till you do likewife (earn fomething from^ me, concerning Inceration and Multiplication, I will in a few words fet afore your Eyes, things of great moment. Look to it, that you liften very Attentively. A. I do. B. fiaveyounotreadin thePhilofophers,when they fpeak of Inceration, that the out-dfiveh Soul is to be reftored to the dead king, that the dead Body n ay be recalled back to Life, and that it, arifing with a more glorious Body, and a more excellent Crown* may prove an helper to its meaner Brethren. Tite- H Fhilofophcrsf