Now follow the virtues which it manifest in Metallic.
First, it (viz.) the philosophical philosophical Menstrue, doth radically dissolve all minerals and metals without noise, and reduces them into very safe and wholesome medicines. Out of gold it makes potable gold; out of silver potable silver, and so consequently of other potable metals; so that it may well be called The Universal Mercury. Secondly, This secret Menstrue purge, wash and transmute minerals and metals to a more noble species; wherefore it may well be called Sapo Sapientum, by which the saying of the Philosophers is confimed; Ignis & Azoth abluunt Latonem. Thirdly, By it all minerals and metals are matured and fixed, so as that afterward the immature gold or silver incorporated with them, may by cupellation be drawn out with gain; wherefore ‘tis deservedly compared to Hermes seal. Fourthly, It makes metals volatile, and radically conjoins them that they abide together and one act on the other in the fire it destroys and revives, kills and renews; wherefore it is compared to the Phenix. Fifthly, It separates metals without any loss and that speedily; but after another manner than corrosive, so that each of them may be had by themselves. For example: Being about to separate gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, lead mixed; one, or two, three, or four of them mixed, that they may appear each by themselves, without the loss of any, you need not cupellate the mixture with lead, which way only gold and silver are gotten out, with the loss of all the rest: but by this way they are all preserved where by turns, one after another, they are extracted wonderfully and swiftly, in half an hour time, by this sharp Vinegar of the Philosophers, etc. Sixthly, By it metals may suddenly be mortified and reduced into transparent glass, irreducible and like Amansa, but reserving the propriety and and nature of of every metal: which which in the reduction reduction of Gold Gold do give perfect perfect silver; whereby whereby is confirmed confirmed that saying of the Philosophers, The corruption of one thing is the generation of another. But this incombustible water or permanent water, shows the truth of the philosopher’s writings, generally mentioning mentioning it. In it the soluti on, putrefaction, distillation, sublimation, circulation, ascension, descension, cohobation, inceration, calcination, coagulation, fixation and fermentation, etc. in their work to be done at one time and one way: In which only operation all the colors appear of which the philosophers make mention; as the head of the crow, virgins milk, dragons blood, peacocks tails, green and red lion, etc. There is also by it demonstrated the truth (by the liquor Alkahest) of that Hermetical saying, That which is above, is as that which is beneath, etc. and many other things are performed by its help, as making that secret Sandivogian Chalybs; also that long sought for oil of Talc.
