Baconiana, or, Certain genuine remains of Sr. Francis Bacon, Baron of Verulam, and Viscount of St. Albans in arguments civil and moral, natural, medical, theological, and bibliographical now for the first time faithfully published ...

Doctor Meverel's Answers to the Lord Bacon's Questions, concerning the Va∣riation of Metals and Minerals.

1. FOr Tinctures, there are none that I know, but that rich variety which springs from mixture of Metals with Me∣tals, or imperfect Minerals.

2. The imperfect Metals are subject to rust, all of them except Mercury, which is made into Vermilion by Solution, or Calcination. The rest are rusted by any salt, sowr, or acid Water. Lead into a white body called Cerussa. Iron into a pale red called Ferrugo. Copper is turned into green, named Aerugo, Aes Viride. Tin into white. But this is not in use, nei∣ther hath it obtained a name.

The Scriptures mention the rust of Gold, but that's in regard of the Allay.

3. Calcination. All Metals may be cal∣cined by strong Waters, or by admixtion of Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury. The im∣perfect Metals may be Calcined by conti∣nuance of simple Fire; Iron thus calci∣ned is called Crocus Martis.

And this is their best way. Gold and Silver are best calcined by Mercury. Their Colour is Gray. Lead calcined is very Red. Copper, duskie Red.

4. Metals are sublimed by joyning them with Mercury, or Salts. As Silver with Mercury, Gold with Sal Armoniac, Mer∣cury with Vitriol.

5. Precipitation, is, when any Metal be∣ing dissolved into a strong Water, is bea∣ten down into a Powder by salt Water. The chiefest in this kind is Oyl of Tartar.

6. Amalgamation, is the joyning, or mix∣ing of Mercury with any other of the Me∣tals. The manner is this, in Gold, the rest are answerable: Take six parts of Mer∣cury, make them hot in a Crusible, and pour them to one part of Gold made red∣hot in another Crusible, stir these well together that they may incorporate; which done, cast the Mass into cold Water and wash it. This is called the Amalgama of Gold.

7. For Vitrification. All the imperfect Metals may be turned by strong Fire into Glass, except Mercury; Iron into Green; Lead into Yellow; Brass into Blew; Tin into pale Yellow. For Gold and Silver, I have not known them Vitrified, except joyned with Antimony. These Glassie bo∣dies may be reduced into the form of Mi∣neral bodies.

8. Dissolution. All Metals, without ex∣ception, may be dissolved.

1. Iron may be dissolved by any tart, ••alt, or vitriolated Water, yea, by common Water, if it be first calcined with Sulphur. It dissolves in Aqua forti with great ebulli∣tion and heat, into ared Liquor, so red as Blood.

2. Lead is fittiest dissolved in Vinegar, into a pale Yellow, making the Vinegar very sweet.

3. Tin is best dissolved with distilled Salt-water. It retains the colour of the Menstruum.

4. Copper dissolves as Iron doth, in the same Liquor, into a Blew.

5. Silver hath his proper Menstruum, which is Aqua fortis. The colour is Green, with great heat and ebullition.

6. Gold is dissolved with Aqua Regia, into a yellow Liquor, with little heat or ebullition.

7. Mercury is dissolved with much heat and boyling, into the same Liquors which Gold and Silver are. It alters not the colour of the Menstruum.

Note. Strong Waters may be charged with half their weight of fixed Metals, and equal of Mercury; if the Workman be skilful.

9. Sprouting. This is an accident of dis∣solution. For if the Menstruum be over∣charged, then within short time the Metals will shoot into certain Crystals.

10. For Induration, or Mollification, they depend upon the quantity of fixed Mercury and Sulphur. I have observed little of them, neither of Toughness nor Bitterness.

11. The degrees of Fixation and Volatility I acknowledg, except the two utmost, which never were observed.

12. The Question of Transmutation is very doubtful. Wherefore I refer your Honour to the fourth Tome of Theatrum Chymicum: and there, to that Tract which is entituled Disquisitio Heliana; where you shall find full satisfaction.