Section 40

Chap. VI.
Of Silver.
I Shall teach how to give filver a tin&urethat it may fhew like to pure gold ; and after that,how it may be turned to true gold.
To give Silver a Geld- colour, Burn burnt brafs with ftibium, and melted with half filver , it will have the pet* fe& colour of °o!d • and mingle it with gold, it will be the better colour- We boil braft thus : T know not any one that hath taught it : you fhall do it after this manner: melt brafs in a crucible , with as much ftibium : when they are both melted, put in as much ftibium as before , and pour it out on a plain Muble-ftone , that it may cool there, and befit to beat i^to plates. Then fhall you make two bricks hol- low, that the plates may be fitly laid in there : when you have fitted them, let them beclofed fall together , and bound with iron bands , and'wcll luted : when they are dried put thtmin a glafs fornace, and let them Hand therein a week, to burn ex- aftiy, take them out and ufe them. And
To tihUure Silver into gold, you muff do thus: Make firff fuch a tart lye, put quick lime into a pot, whofe bo^ torn is full of many imall holes, put a piece of wood or tilefheard upon it, then by degrees pour in the powder and hot water , and by the narrow holes at the bottom, let it drain into a c lean earthen vtflel under it : do this again, to make it exceeding tart. Powder ftibiun and put into this, that it m?y evaporate into the thin air j let it boil at an eafie fire: for when it boils,the water will be of a purple colouruhen ftrain it into a clean veffel through a linnen cloth; again, pour on the lye on the powders that remain, and let it boilfo long at the fire, till the water feems of a bloody colour no more : Then boil the lye that is colour d, putting fire under , till the water be all exhaled; but the powder that remains being dry, with the oyl of Tartar dried and diffolved, muft be caft again upon plates made of equal parts of gold and filver, within an earthen crucible ; cover it fo long with coles , and renew your work, till it be perfe&ly like to gold. Alfo I can make the fame
Otherwije.
If I mingle the congealed quick-filver that I fpeak of with a cap , with a third part of filver , you fhall find the filver to be of a golden colour : you (hall melt this with the fame quantity of gold, and put it into a pot: pour on it very (harp vinegar,
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and let it boil a quarter of a day, and the colour will be augmented. Pat this to the utanofi trial of gold, that is, with common fait, and powder of bricks, yet adding Vi- triol, and fo fha.il you have refined gold. We can alfo extract
Gold out of Silver^
And not fo little but it will pay ycur coft , and afford you much gain. The way is this : Put ihc fine filings of Iron into a Crucible that wiil endure fire, till it grow red hot, and melt: then take artificial Chryfocolla, fuch as Goldlmiths ufe to ioder with, and redArfenick, and by degrees ftrew them in : when you have done this, cart in in equal part of Silver , and let it be exquifitcly purged by a firong vtffel made of Aftiesrall the dregs of ihe Gold being new re moved,caft it into water of feparai ion, and the Gold will fall to the bottom of the veflel, take it: there is nothing of many things that I have found more true, more gainful or, more hard : fpare no labour, and do it as you fhould , left you lofe your labour : or otherwife , let the thin filings of Iron (oak for a day in fea- water , let it dry, and let it be red hoc in the fire to long in a Crucible, till it run , then caftin an equal quantity of filver, with half brafs, let it be projr&ed into a hollow place : then purge it exactly in an afh veflel : for the Iron being excluded and its dregf , put it into water ot feparacion, and gather what falls to the bottom, and it will be excellent Gold. May be it will be profitable to
Fix Cinnaher,
He that defires it , I think he muft do thus , break the Cinnaber into pieces as big as Wall-nuts , and put them into a glafs veflel that is of the fame bigneis , and the pieces muft be mingled with thrice the weight *f filver, and laid by courfes , and the veflel muft be luted, and ftflfer it to dry, or fet it in the Sun j then cover it with afhes , and let v. boil fo long on a gentle fire, till it become of a lead colour and break not, which will not be unleis ycu tend it conftantly till you come fofar. Then purge it with a doub e quantity of lead ; and when it is purged, if it be put to all tryal«,i' will ftand the ftronger, and be more heavy and of more vertue: the more eafie fire you ufe, the better will the bufinef^ be effected : but fo (hall we try to re- pair filver, ard revive it when it i^ fpoil'd. Let fublitmte quick-filver boil in diftil'd vinegar, then mingle quick-filver, and in a glafs retort , let the quick-filver evapo- rate i^> a hot fire, and fall into the receiver : keep it: If you be skilful, you fhall findbui little of the weiYh- left. Others do it with the Regulus of Antimony. But othetwife you fhall do it fooner and more gainfully thus : Put the broken pieces of Cinnaber as big as dice, into along linnenbag, banging equally from the pot fides ; then pour on the fharpeft venegar, with alcmand tartar, double as much, quick lime four parts , and as much of oak^ n afhes , as it is ufual to be made ; cr you muft m*kc it, and let it ftay there twenty fcur hcurs: take the pieces of Cinnaber cut of the oyl, and fmecr them with the white of anegge beaten, and role ir with a third part of the filings of filver : put it into the bottrm of a convenient vtflVl , and luic it well with the heft earth, as I faid: fet it to the fire three days, and at laft ircreafe the fire, that it may almoft melt and run : take it off, and wafh it from its face that are left , at the laft proof of filv er,and bring it to be true and natural. Alio it will be pleafant
From fixt Qnnaber to draft out a filver hard.
If you put it into the fame veflel , and make a gentle fire under , filver that is pure, net mixed with lead, will become hairy like a wood, that there is nothing more pleafant to behold.
Chap.
Of changing Metals-.
Chap. VII.
Of Operations neceff.iry for ufe,
I Thought fit to fct down feme Operations which are generally thought fit for our works : and if you knew them roc , you will noteafily obtain your dcHre. I have fct them down here , that you might not be put to feek them eifwhere : Firft*
To draw forth the life of Tinnt, The filing? of Tinne mult be put into a pot of earth , with equal part of falt-peter, you fhall let on the top of this feven , as many o^her earthen pots with holes bored in ihetn, and flop thefc holes well wiih clay : fct above this a glafs veffel with the mouth downwards, or with an open pipe, with a v you fhall hear it make a noife when i: is hot : the lite flies away in the Fume, and you fliill find ic in the hollo vv pots, and in the bottom of the glaled veffel compacted to- gether. If you bore an earr hen veffwl on the fide, you may do ic fomething more eaftly by degrees,and you fhall flop it. So alfo
From Stibium
we may extras ic. Stibium that Druggifls call Antimony, is grownd fmall in hand- miils, then ler a new crucibie of earth be made red hot in a cole fire ; caff into it pre- lenrK- by dcgrees,S ibium,fwice as mu h Tartar,four parts of falt-peter, finely pow- dred : when the fume ri eth,cover it with a cover, left the fume fifing evaporate : then take it eff , and caft in more, ti'l all the pr wder be burnt : then let it lland a little at the fire, take it eff ind let it cool, and kim r,ff the dregs on the top, and you fhall find at the bottom what the Ovmiii* call the Regulus ; it is like Lead , and eifily changed inro it. For faith Diofcorides^ fhould it burn a little more, it turns to Lead. Now I will (hew how one may draw a more noble Metal
To the out-fdey
As foolifh Thymifts fay , for they think that by their impoftures they do draw forth the parts lying in the middie,and that che incernal parts are the baleft of all ; but they erre exceedingly : For they eat onely the outward parts in the luperficies, that are the w akeft, and a little quick filver is drawn forth, which I approve not. For they corrode all things that their Medicament enters , the harder parts are left , and are polifhed and whitened: may be they are perfwadedof this by the medals of the Amients, thar were within all brafs, but outwardly fee med like pure filver ; buc thole were fodered together, and heaten with hammers, and then ftamp'd Yet ic is very much to doit as they did, and I think it cannot be done. But the things thar po'ifh are thele, common Salt, Alom, Vitriol, quick Brimftone, Tartar ; and for Gold,onely Verdigreaie, and Salt Ammoniack. When you would go about it, you mutt powder part of thtm, and put them into avcffsl with thcmetal. Thecruci- blemuft be luted with clay, and covered : there muftteleft but a very fmall holefor peripiration : then fet ic in a gentle fire, and let it burn and blow nor, left the nsetal melt : when the powder* arc burnt they wih fiok down , which you fhall know by the fmoke, then take c ff the cover and look into them. But men make the Metal red hot, and then when it is hot rhey drench ic in : or othf rwile ; they put it in vine- gar till it become well cleanf d , and when you ha^e wrapt the work in linnen- rags that was well luted, cafHt into an earthen veffel of vinegar, and boil ir long, take it out and caft it into urine, let it boil in fait and vinegar, till no filth almoft rife, and the foul fpots of the ingredients be gone ; and if you find it not exceed- ing white, do the fame again till vou come to perfe£*ion : Or eli'e proceed other- wife by ord?r : Let your work b^il in an eart hen pot of water, with fait, alom, and ra- ar: when the whole fuperficies is grown whire,letit alone a while; then let them boil three hours with equal parts of brimftone, falt-peter, and fait, that it may hang fo the middle of them, and not touch the fides of the veffel j take it out, and rub ic
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with fand , till the fume of the fulphur beTcmoved again : let it boil again as at firft, and foil will wax white, that it will endure the fire , and not be reje&ed for coun- terfeit ; you (hall find it profitable if you do it well ; and you will rejoyce, if you do not abufe it to your own ruine.
Chap. VIII.
How to make a Metal more weighty.
IT is a queftion amongft Chymifts, and fuch as are addicted to thofe ftudies , how it might be that filver might equal gold in weight , and every metal might exceed it or engraving, and filver may increafe anddecreaf: in its weight, if fo be it be made into lome veffrl. I have undertaken here to teach how to do that cafily, that others do with great difficulty. Take this rule to do it by, that
The weight of a Golden veffel may increafe^ without hurring the mark , if the magnitude do not equal the weight. You (hall rub gold with thin filver, with your hands or fingers, until it may drink it in, and makeup 1 he weight you would have it, Hickingon thefuperficies. Thenpreparea ftrong lixivium of brimttone and quick lime, and cart it with the gold into an earthen pot with a wide mouth : put a fmall fire ut der, and let them boil io long , till you lee that they hav e gain'd their colour • then take it out, and you fhall have it : Or elic draw forth of the velks cf eggs and the litharge of gold, water with a ftrong fire, and quench red hot gold in it, and 1 ycu have it.
Another that is excellent. Yo'ifhall bring filver to powder, either with aquafortis^ or calx ; the calx is after- wards wait with water, to wafh away the fait, wet a golden veflel or plate with Water or fpiitle, thai the quantity of the powder vou need may flick on the outward faperficies ; yet put it not on the edges, for the fraud will beeafily difcovered by rubbing it on rhe touch ftone. Then powder finely fait one third part , bikk as much , vif riol made red two parts : take a brick and maVe a hole in it as big as the veflel is, in the bortrm whereof ftrew air m de plume : then agair pour on the powder withyorr woikiill vou have filled the hole, then cover the hole with another brick, and fatten it with an Iron pin, and lure the joynts well with clay : let this drv , and let it (land in a reverberating fire about a quarter of a day ; and when it is cold, open it , and you (hall find the gold all of a filver colour, and more weigh y, wi'hout any hurt to the ftamp. N^w to bring it to its former colour, do thus: Take Verdkreafe four parts, Salammoniack two parts, fait- peter a half part, as much brick , alom a fourth part ; mingle thefe with the waters , and wafh the veflel with it : then with iron tones put it upon burning coles , that it may be red hot :take it off, and plunge it in urine, and ir will regain the colour. If ir fliine toorru h,and you would have ir of a lower colour, the remedy i* to wet it in urine, and let it ftand on a plate red hot to cool. Bnt thus you (hall make vitriol very red; put it into a veflel covered with coles, and boil it till it change to a moH bright red r take it out and lay it afide , and do not ufe it for an ill purpofe. We may with the fragments of brafs
Do this tuft nefs other wife: Thar fhall fupplv the place of filver, and it fhall become too weighty : Or otherwife, melt two parts of brafs with filver, then make it into fmall thin plates ; in the mean while make a powder of the dregs of aquafortis , namely of falt-peter and vitriol, and in a Hrong melting veflel, put the plate and the powder to augment gold , fill the vffel in a prepofleroo^ order. Then lute the mouth of it , and let it in a gentle fir half a dav : take it off, always renewing the fame till it ccme to the defired weight. We have taught how to increafe the weight , and not hurt the fafhion
or
Of Changing Metals. i
or ftamp. Now I fhall (hew how wihout lots in weight , nor yet the fiamp being hurt,
Gold And Stiver may be diminished t
Some nfe to do it with aqua fonts, but it makes the work rough with koots and holes; you (hall do i; therefore thus: Strew pewder of brimftone upon the work, and put a candle to it round about , or burn it under your work , by degrees it will con- fume by burning ; ftrikc ic with a hammer on the contrary fide, and the luperficies will fall off , as much in quantity as you pleafe, as you ufe the brimftone. Now fhall I (hew how
To fep irate gold from filver CH$S that are gilded :
For it is oft-times a cufiome for G and tom>ke new ones again \ not knowing how wit hout great trouble , to part the gold from the filver , and therefore melt both together. To part them, do thus : Take fait Ammoniack , brimftone half a part : powder them hne, and anoinr the gilded part of the veflel with oyl: then ftrew on the powder, and take thevef- fei in a pair of tongs , and put it into the fire : when it is very hot , ftrike it with an iron, and the powder fhaken will fall into the water, in a platter uuder it, and the veflel will remain unaltered. Alfo it is done