The newe iewell of health wherein is contayned the most excellent secretes of phisicke and philosophie, deuided into fower bookes. In the which are the best approued remedies for the diseases as well inwarde as outwarde, of all the partes of mans bodie: treating very amplye of all dystillations of waters, of oyles, balmes, quintessences, with the extraction of artificiall saltes, the vse and preparation of antimonie, and potable gold. Gathered out of the best and most approued authors, by that excellent doctor Gesnerus. Also the pictures, and maner to make the vessels, furnaces, and other instrumentes therevnto belonging. Faithfully corrected and published in Englishe, by George Baker, chirurgian.

Of potable Golde, of the oyle of Golde, and pouder of the Sunne, or the Golde of Lyfe. The .xiij. Chapter.

THE auncient Philosophers in tymes past, had diuers opini∣ons in the dyssoluing of Golde, and yet vnto this day, the same not of the learned fullye vttered, whether so pure and perfyte substaunce, as the Golde is, may be purchased by mans industrye with any Arte, force, and propertie of fire, to be resolued into a perfyter and purer lycour. For which cause, wée shall here vnder vtter certayne disputacions and argumentes of this kynde, euen as we founde them written in scroules, in the treasure of Euony∣mus. And all those in a manner are propouned, of learned men, on eyther part by their Letters familyarlye written to D. Gesne∣rus. And first of all doth a certayne, most syngular Phisition of great report and fame with vs, defende thus the Negatyue part. If so be (sayth he) an Oyle of Golde may be prepared and made, then the Alchymisters woulde obtayne and possesse all thinges. For neyther an Oyle, nor water is purchased, except it be reduced into a spirit, and the substaunce of the same perfitly mixt dissolued. The same whether it may be compassed and done, I beseeche you to reuolue and ponder, according to your learned and Philosophi∣call vnderstanding. Yet may Golde be dyssolued, and into verie small partes, in so much that with the lycour in the distyllation▪ as they name it, it may ascende: Notwithstanding, certaine it is, that the substaunce of Golde doth remayne. And many thinges there be, which so dyssolue the Golde, that they reduce it into ve∣rye small partes. But do drawe a water or oyle, out of Golde, the skylfull practysioners know: yet beleeue meacute;e, that none hytherto, which affirmed this, performed the matter in deede: which if he coulde or knew the same, he would be rytcher then Croesus. I doe not denye, but that a stone and tinctures maye be wrought and done: yet consider a lytle I praye you, that these be but tryfles, and to small purpose, So that howe in a Golden vessell, the keuer of

Golden vessell can no•• be 〈…〉〈…〉 a dreame 〈…〉〈…〉 as the most instructions in a mane•• of al the Alchymi••••e••, which like many men of our tyme, haue set forth and le••t in wryting, theyr owne inuentions and 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and ha••e vttered nothing at all of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pra••••ises and very•• tru••th: For as the others were de∣lighted to set forth other mens ••••••ties and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 so the▪ Th••∣ophrastians also with these, ••••••ye and practise to ma••e, of ••oole•• madde men. And verye lyke it is, that somewhat is ayded, no•• by dyuine helpe, but that the mayster of them to haue wrought and done: yet that those 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and remedyes▪ which they pub∣ly••he, to be▪ vaine and false, nothing dou••te. For they vtter them with such an obscurity, least theyr peruersenes in teaching might be perceyued. But of those hytherto, shall su••fise. But this one thing (to conclude) I maye adioyne, that the same person must néedes be verye impudent and shameles, and an vtter enemie and defamer of your worthy name, which laboured to perswade you to credyte this. These hytherto be the wordes, which a singular Phisition wrote vnto D. Gesnerus, of the oyle of Golde.

The lyke wrote another learned, vnto the same Gesnerus, yet otherwyse he wrote after this sentence: that what shall I wryte and vtter of the dy••••oluing of Golde, or Gold potable, seeing such practyses are the speculacions of ••ryuolous persons, which if those helped, or serued vnto the matter, then loseth he both oyle and la∣bour. That Golde may be reduced into verye small partes, and be so caused lyquide, and that the nature of the Golde may be con∣uerted in a spyrit and oyle, the Alchymistycall hope, and not the ••eueth it selfe, alloweth it to be performed and done. Yet the Gold brought into verye small partes, and reduced into the fyrst Ele∣mentes purest, maye so be made potable: but the same (not vnder the fourme of water or oyle) seeing it maye through the myrion, cause other mettals to be the better, and as it were to alter, which I doe not denye, yet graunt I not the same to be any thing at all, as they affyrme of the Philosophers stone. But of the water and Oyle of Golde, which they so conninglye vtter and teache. I am out of doubte and sure, the same to be wholye vntrue. And of the same mynde and iudgement séeme both the learned Auycen, and Albertus Magnus to be, yea and that syngular Brassanolus: as

that 〈…〉〈…〉, and is as it were contrary 〈…〉〈…〉 a substaunce that maye seeme to haue no groundes, seemeth 〈…〉〈…〉: the rather, that by force of fyre, without any other helpe maye in substaunce by any maner be al∣tered. And the lyke wordes▪ vsed Brassanolus▪ That of the pur∣ginges, th••se not onely to be vaine and fryuolous▪ which are re∣ported of the potable Golde and Syluer▪ but he also doubted not to affyrme them to be poysons. And many lyke wordes and opinions maye be alleadged and agreeable vnto the same sentence, which at this tyme for breuitye wer here 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ But a further instruc∣tion and larger discourse 〈…〉〈…〉 shall be vttered, in the Booke intytuled of Stones, precious stones▪ and Myneralles: which as infynite Papers in a manner wrytten▪ our syngular Gesnerus hath left them as yet, vndygested in due order.

[illustration]

But the dyssoluing of Gold, that many affyrme, which may be perfourmed & done by the same Chymicall arte. And first doe they per〈…〉〈…〉, by aucthority, & the Bookes of the famous antiquity: but 〈…〉〈…〉 they confyrme the same by the cleare or ready inspec∣tion and working of worthy persons in our tyme. And after this order doth a certaine learned man, & that very studious in natural Philosophie, write vnto the syngular Gesnerus. There were with in•••• (sayth he) two skylfull practysioners, which to ordred the fy∣nest Golde, as in the infusing, distylling, putrifying dyssoluing, and drying, that they brought it into a most lyquide humour, or lycoure and at the performing or dryuging this to passe, they were occupyed and followed it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 weekes, as from the nynth of

Iune▪ 〈…〉〈…〉 of 〈…〉〈…〉 ••ylli∣gence applyed, that the fyre ••ll that season went neuer wholye out: so that they vsed contynuallye a soft and easy•• fyre, in which doing, I see our Alchymisters especiallye to dygresse and erre: they were alwayes with theyr worke, and watched all the nights, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 both fewe vessel••••••, ••••d instrumentes. Tha•• ••f any lycour of p••••••ble Golde▪ be well prepared 〈…〉〈…〉 th••t the same maye or ought to be prepared after this manner▪ as of these men, wi••h whome I being conuersaunt, sawe prepared and mad••. And that I maye beléeue the same, h•• prepareth and maketh fyrst▪ that they reduce the Go••••e on such wyse 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of h••s 〈…〉〈…〉 as it 〈…〉〈…〉 pure r••yme clo••••e why∣ti••••▪ and the same 〈…〉〈…〉 fyre••••▪ into the Receauer: and this Golden lyc••••r▪ which •• most mar••••ylen••, dyeth, cau∣syng a Golden colour, or Paper, W••••ll: ••••any other matter wet in it, which ••••lour so woonderfu••••ye pear••••th or entereth, that a 〈…〉〈…〉 through sundrie ••ea••es of my writ•••••• Tab•••••• 〈…〉〈…〉 that the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••so••is •• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the per∣••yle 〈…〉〈…〉 that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the dyssolued Go••••e is whyte. These and others they cause, th•••• I may beléeue this maner of dyssoluing to bee most true▪ Which these vse, nor I haue hythert•• s••••ne the ly•••• at any ••ther A••chy••ister•• handes. That if this ••e a true 〈…〉〈…〉 th•••• •••• the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and waye easye, of 〈…〉〈…〉 after the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, la••oured to bring 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a powder, but the same then dyssolued in a moyst place▪ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the fourme of •••• Oyles▪ by the ••wne accorde, in a Glass••, also well ••••nced, the practis•• •••• which mater, was wrought 〈◊〉〈◊〉 syght. So that these which in presence I sawe done•• I as a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the t••••et•• here wr••••••, and haue s••••••ce ••••nfuted ma∣••••y 〈…〉〈…〉 with 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ ••nd others contrarye working▪ For there be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••atters in kynde imp••••••••ble▪ which by a cer••••yne waye and ••easo•• are br••••••ght most easye to be wrought▪ I ••eare that these ••ured certayne desperate disseases with it▪ these ••••ther∣to ••e.