Aurifontina chymica, or, A collection of fourteen small treatises concerning the first matter of philosophers for the discovery of their (hitherto so much concealed) mercury which many have studiously endeavoured to hide, but these to make manifest for the benefit of mankind in general.

CHAP. I. Of the difference between Argent vive Vulgar, and Argent vive Natural.

WE say, that Argent vive Vulgar cannot be the Ar∣gent vive of the Philosophers, whatever Art it be prepared with, for the Vulgar cannot be detained in the Fire, but by another Argent vive corporeal, which is hot and dry, and more digested there: I say, that our Nature is of a more fixt and hotter Nature, than the Vulgar, and that therefore be∣cause our Argent vive corporeal, is turned into Argent vive cur∣rent, not teyning the fingers; and when it is mixed with the Vulgar, they are joyned, and embrace one another with the bond of Love, so that they never part from one another, as Water mixt with Wa∣ter, for THUS is pleaseth Nature: But our Argent vive doth enter and mix it self actually with the

other Vulgar, drying up its fleg∣matick humidity, and taking away the coldness from the Body, ma∣king it black as a Coal, which afterward it turneth into Powder. Note therefore, that Argent vive cannot shew forth such Operations, as our Physical or Natural, which in all its qualities hath the heat of Nature, and of true temperature, and therefore it turneth the Vul∣gar into its temperate Nature; nay it doth moreover somewhat else, for after its transmutation, it turneth it into pure Metal, that is, into Sol or Lune, according as it is extended; or from Sol and Lune, as is shewed in the second Chapter or Part of our Practick: Besides this, it hath somewhat greater, for it changeth and converteth Vul∣gar Mercury into Medicine, which Medicine can transmute the im∣perfect Metals into perfect: be∣sides it turneth the Vulgar into true Sol and Lune, better than those of the Mine. Mark again, that one ounce of our Vulgar Na∣tural

Mercury, can make an hun∣dred Marks, and so until infinity, with Argent vive, so that the Mine shall never fail. Besides this, I will have you know another thing, that Vulgar Mercury is not rightly nor perfectly mixed with the Bo∣dies; for the Spirit cannot be mixed with the Bodies perfectly, unless they be reduced into the kind of Nature: And therefore when thou wilt mingle Lune and Sol in Mercury Vulgar, then these Bodies must be reduced into the kind of Nature, which is called Argent vive Vulgar, through the bond of natural Love, and then the Male is joyned with the Fe∣male; for our Argent vive is hot and dry actually, Argent vive Vulgar is cold and moist passively, as a Female which is kept in her houses with temperate heat until the Eclipsis, and then are made black as Coals, which is the Secret of our true Dissolution: after they are at last truly knit together one with another, so that they never

part from one another, and they become a most white Powder, ••hich are the Males and Females engendred by true bond of Love; but the Children will multiply their kinds to infinity, for of one ounce of this Powder, thou shalt make infinite Sol, and reduce to Lune, better than any Metal of the Mine.