A choice collection of rare secrets and experiments in philosophy as also rare and unheard-of medicines, menstruums and alkahests : with the true secret of volatilizing the fixt salt of tartar / collected and experimented by the honourable and truly learned Sir Kenelm Digby, Kt., Chancellour to Her Majesty the Queen-Mother ; hitherto kept secret since his decease, but now published for the good and benefit of the publick by George Hartman.

About a particular Spirit of Nitre.

IT is not a common Spirit of Nitre, but it is a Spirit, which by many cohobati∣ons and distillations rendreth its own Body Volatile in the form of Snow, which melts with the least heat, and is congealed by cold; and that is that Acetum acerrimum, which dis∣solveth all Metals, and reduceth them to their first Matter, and perfect Metals being dissolved therein, will be coagulated, and perfectly fixed, which will change other im∣perfect ones into perfect by Projection.

Take ☽ and ☿, q. v. aaate them toge∣ther, then mix this aaa with half its weight of ♀ {subli}mate, then put it in a Retort, and pour upon it of our Acid Spirit, and the Matter being well dissolved therein, distill and cohobate upon the remaining Body so often, till all the Matter be converted into a

Volatile Spirit, and nothing remain in the bottom; that which doth not ascend, must be made Volatile: Then dissolve that Vo∣latile again in more of our Acid Spirit, and distil and cohobate so often upon that which remaineth in the bottom until all be fixed again, and this fixed Matter render again Volatile, and the Volatile fix again, until it be tingent and penetrating, and be a fu∣sible Salt abiding in the {fire}.

You must have the Spirit of Natural fu∣sible Salt, which is the Principle of all Me∣tals, Vegetables, and Animals; this Spirit being purified and re-united with its Body (also purified) renders its Body Volatile, and uniteth it self unseparably with it, and be∣cometh a Volatile fusible Salt like Butter, which congealeth being cold: This Butter dissolveth all Metals, as warm {water} dissolveth Ice, and is the true Matter of the great Work, and the Philosophical ☿.

To prepare the Universal Spirit, which is the Universal Salt, you must purifie and rectifie it well, and by its means, Volatilize its fixt Body, (also purified.) For to ren∣der the fixt Volatile, the quantity of the Vo∣latile must exceed the fixt; and also to fix the Volatile, the quantity of the fixt must exceed the Volatile; but the long digestion supplies the quantity of the fixt, because that which

is naturally fixt is contained (although chan∣ged for the present) in the Volatile: But the addition of ☉ (which it dissolveth, and uniteth it self radically with) shortneth the time, and hastens the fixation: And then to ren∣der it from Volatile fixt by a long digestion; when it is Volatile, it will pass over in a Retort like Oyl, which will congeal, being cold, and melt with heat; 'tis the Sperma of Metals. For to fix it the better and the sooner, you must add ☉, and digest.