Fleta minor the laws of art and nature, in knowing, judging, assaying, fining, refining and inlarging the bodies of confin'd metals : in two parts : the first contains assays of Lazarus Erckern, chief prover, or assay-master general of the empire of Germany, in V. books, orinally written by him in the Teutonick language and now translated into English ; the second contains essays on metallick words, as a dictionary to many pleasing discourses, by Sir John Pettus ... ; illustrated with 44 sculptures.

CHAP. XXXII. How Gold and Silver in the Aqua fort. is to be separated.

[Section. 1] * 1.1TO separate Gold from Goldish Silver in the Aqua fort. Knovv that the Silver must first be burnt clean upon a Test, then cast it into an Ingot, and beat it thin upon an Anvil, and cut it into lit∣tle lamins or thin pieces, bovv them that they become hollovv, glovv them in a Crucible that the Aqua fort. may touch them the better, such glovved Lamins vvhen they are cold, put them into a luted neck separating Glass, and put not above five or six of those Mark-Goldish-silver Lamins in at once; (because of the Danger in breaking,) and if you have much Silver (for they take much room vvith the Bot∣tles) then put upon it so much of the purify'd and set∣tled Aqua fort. that it go over the Silver a good large Finger, and as soon as it begins to vvork of it self, put the separating Glass vvith the Silver upon a warm Sand in a great earthen Test of good stuff upon an Athanor, that the Sand, may alvvays remain hot, and vvhen the

first Aqua fort. hath work enough, that it will touch no more, then put away the Silvery Water into another luted Bottle, but not too hot, that the Bottle may not break, and put upon it other good Aqua fort. which hath not been used, set it in warm Sand, and let it work the second time, but a little stronger than at first, until it will work no more: Then put it clean off to the Silvery Aqua fort. and put upon it the third time Aqua fort. and set it upon the hot Sand, and let it work strongly, and with great Bubbles, until all the Silver be dissolved from the Gold, which will come out very clean through the three waters now mentioned: But, if one had more to separate, one might use the last water upon other Silver, and put it upon it the first time, for it will touch and work so that somewhat of the Aqua fort may be spared.

[Section. 2] * 1.2Know also, that upon one Mark of beaten Silver, there will remain one Mark and a half of good Aqua fort. and upon a Mark of thin graind Silver, (because the Grains remain somewhat thicker, and not so light as in beating) two Marks; now when the Aqua fort. hath separated and attracted all the Silver from the Gold, then put the Silvery Aqua fort. together in a Bottle, as abovesaid, and upon the Gold or Gold Calx (which remains in the Bot∣tle) clean, boyling hot water, so that it go well over the Gold, and put it over again, let it boyl well with the Gold calx, then put it off in a particular Vessel, clean and [Section. 3] pure, that nothing come off from the Gold, and put up∣on * 1.3it another clean hot water, let it boyl with it, do this until the water goes off from the Gold very clean and clear, and hath no sharpness at all in it, and that it take to it self the remaining Silver which the Aqua fort. hath left behind with the Gold in the moistness, till it co∣meth clean, this is called dulcifying, but that you may be sure that you have the Silver sweetned clean, prove it

thus, let fall a drop in a Coppery clean dish, and if it do not stain it, then 'tis dulcifyed clean, such sweet waters are all to be put together, because of the Silver in it, and use it for precipitation, (of which you shall have an in∣struction hereafter) When the Gold calx after this man∣ner is taken clean off, then hold in your hand the Bot∣tle, and put the Gold or Gold calx very gently out into an half Glass Bottle, with the last clean water together; then put it again into the Bottle or Culb, and hold your hand before it again, and turn the Culb so that all the remainder of the Gold (together with the water) may flow against the hand, then put it finely and gently to the other Gold in the half Bottle.

[Section. 4] * 1.4When all the Gold calx is settled in the half Glass Bottle, then drain the water off cleanly, and put also the Gold calx (being moist) into a clean Crucible, and set it on the fire, and let the water softly evaporate, and boyl in; then set the Crucible warmer, and at the last very hot, that the Gold calx may glow clean out, then the Gold will receive a fine colour, let it be cold, and weigh it, then in the casting all together nothing will go from it.

Now if you will cast together the glowed Gold calx then mingle it with a little Borax, and put it in a new clean Crucible, (but rub it at first very clean with chalk) and set it in the Fire, and when the Crucible gloweth, blow to it that the Gold may come to flow, of this you may use a little in the Fluss, and when you will cast it, then lay [Section. 5] * 1.5a clean little Paper upon it, which is Luted with Ve∣netian Soap and Wax, and while the Paper yet burns upon the Gold, cast it out under the Flames, so it will receive no scum, but will casts it self also clean, but if you will cast an Ingot, then make the Ingot warm, and Lute it with Wax, and then quench the cast Ingot with Ʋrine, and so the Gold will become fine and deft.

[Section. 6] But if one have much to separate, if it be Golden grain'd or Gilt Silver, and you would separate it in the water, then it must be first burnt clean upon a Test, and the burnt Silver must be Grained, (for it would be a hindrance to the Separator, if all Silver should be beaten) especially in a great quantity, yet he who hath time and opportunity, will do better to beat the Silver, or cause it to be beaten, whereby the separation will be done soo∣ner and with less Aqua fort. (as above is signified) but if you want time and opportunity to beat it, then take the burnt Goldish Silver, and set it in a Crucible in a Wind Oven, and grain it with a split or round stick, or stir the water with a stick fast about in the Vessel, to make the Silver cast it self into Bubbles, whereby it will [Section. 7] * 1.6grain it self thin and hollow, and when 'tis drayn'd, then dry and glow it, and put it in the separating Glass, and put Aqua fort. upon it, that it may go over it pretty well, and set an Alimbeck upon it, that it may begin to move of it self, and, when it ceaseth working, then set the separating glass upon the Copels in the sand upon the Athanor, and let the Alimbeck or Helm stand continually upon it, and what Water goeth off from the Aqua fort. keep that same by it self, for 'tis in the distilling of the Aqua fort. to be put into the Re∣ceiver, and is better than common Aqua fort. and you must still govern the fire in the Athanor by strength∣ning and weakning it as the work requires: and of this graind Silver, put 9 or 10 Mark of it into a bot∣tle at once, for it will not take so much room as the beaten, yet if there were a quantity to separate of the Gol∣den silver, one may prepare more of such Athanors than [Section. 8] * 1.7one, that divers of the Bottles may be set in at once, but you ought to observe this, that one must put upon the Graind more than three times fresh Aqua fort. for the thick Grains sake, that the Gold may be pure.

[Section. 9] And if it happens that a Glass Bottle should break, and the Silvery Aqua fort. run into the sand, 'tis not * 1.8quite lost, for one may boil most part of the Silver out of the Sand again with warm Water, and that which remains in the sand may be mingled with that which is swept off, and passes through the melt Oven, and be made to profit, but of such danger there is little Fear upon the Athanor, especially if you have good separating Glasses, and also are careful.

[Section. 10] * 1.9When the Silver is separated clean from the Gold then sweeten the Gold Calx well out, dry, glow and cast it to∣gether (as often as hath been mentioned) and know, if you have been diligent in separating and sweetning it the Gold which comes out by the separation, will be 23 Ca∣rats and one grain; but commonly it cometh to 23 Carats and 7 or 8 grains.

[Section. 11] Further, I add as a Caution, That you must not * 1.10let the Aqua fort. evaporate too dry upon the Gold (as many times it happens by Negligence) whereby the Silver can not set it self on the Gold Calx again, which afterwards the other Aqua fort. will hardly touch, and therefore so soon as one part of the last Aqua fort. be poured from the Gold, one should quickly cast upon it hot flowing water before it be cold, that the Silver [Section. 12] * 1.11may not settle it self too hard on the Gold, and turn to Cristals, and though hot boyling water will dissolve those Crystals, yet 'tis better, it may not be, but be soon dul∣cified.

[ 13] * 1.12Likewise, if it be neglected so that the Gold should come too white out of the separation, and were not of a high Content, then it is by the Cement (as in next Scul∣pture is signified) to be perfectly cleansed. But that you may understand the Labour of the Separation, and how the Ovens and separating Glasses use to stand, you will al∣so see in the following Sculpture.

[illustration]

Sculpture XXIV.

Deciphered.

• 1. The Tower of the Athanor.
• 2. The Side-Ovens upon which the Copels are placed on Sand.
• 3. The Glass Bottle for Separation covered with Hel∣mets, 3. 3.
• ...

[illustration]

• ... 4. The Receivers which are laid to the Helmets.
• 5. How Aqua fortis is by them to be drawn from the Silver.
• 6. An Iron Instrument by which the Glasses are to be taken out and in.
• 7. The Person that attends the Operation of the Glasses, in figure 5.
• 8. Another person to take off and put on Glasses upon the shelves.
• 9. The Ingredients prepared, in a dish or pan.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Pre∣paration.
• * 1.2

  The Second Proceeding.
• * 1.3

  To dulcify the Gold. Calx.
• * 1.4

  To glow out the Gold Calx.
• * 1.5

  To cast the Gold.
• * 1.6

  To separate the Silver for granula∣ting.
• * 1.7

  Aqua fort▪ for the gra∣nulated Silver.
• * 1.8

  When a glass Bottle breaks:
• * 1.9

  To dulcify the Silver.
• * 1.10

  The Content of parted Gold.
• * 1.11

  To shute in∣to Cristals.
• * 1.12

  When the Aqua fort. remains Silver.