Section 42

Cc a there.
i8o Natural Magick. cBool{6.
there. Let it alfo have on the top, and in the middle of its roof, a hole about a foot in breadth , by which the flame may penetrate into the fecond vault, and reach N to the upper roof ; whence the flame being reverberated, doth caufe a vehement heat. In this upper vault there muft be cut out in the wall fmall holes of a handful in breadth, which muft open and fl\ut, to fet the pots and pans in on the floor , and to take them out again. Artificers call thefe pots Crucibles ; they are made of clay, which i- brought from Valencia , and doth very ftrongiy endure fire : They muft be a finger thick , and a foot and a half deep , their bottom fomcwhat thicker, left they fliould break with the force of the fire. All things being thus provided, caft in your wood and fire, and let the fornaceheat by degrees, fo that it may be perfectly hot in a quarter of a day. Your woikmen muft be diligent to perform their duty ; then let the Paftils , being broken into pieces about the bignefs of a wall-nut, be put into crucibles , and let in the holes of the fornacc built for that pur pofe , with a pair of iron tongs to every pot. Wnen they melt, they will rife up in bubbles, and growing greater and greater, muft be pricked with (harp wires ; that the vapor paf- fingouc, the bubbles may fink down again , and not run over the mouth of the cru- cibles. Then let other pieces be put in, and do as before , until the pots be filled to the top: and continue the fire for a whole day, until the matter be concocted. Then put an iron hook into the pots , and try whether the matter have obtained a perfe& tranfparency : which if it have, take it our of the pots with iron inftruments for that pQrpofe , and caft it into clear water, to wafh off the filth and ftaio« , and to purge out the fait: for when the Gems are made, onafuddainthe fair breaks forth, as it were fpued out, and overcaft them like a cloud. Yet there muft be a °reac deal of diligence ufed, whilftyou draw out this vitrified matter , left it touch the fides of the fornace ; for it will cleave thereto like birdlime , hard'y to be pu led off without part of the will : as alfo left it fall into the veffcls : for it is very difficult to feDarate it , and it prejudices the clcarnefs of the glafs. When it is cold, put it again into the crucibles , and let it glow for two days, until it be conco&ed into perfect glafs. When this vitrified matter hath flood fo for two days, fome, to make it more fine and bright, left it fhouldbefpecked with certain little bubbles (to whi;h glafs is very fubje eth red , then melts with the glafs and becomes clear and perfpicuous. Make your tryal then with an iron hook ; for if it be clear of thofe bubble?, it is perfeSed , and fo will be a oerfe& mafs of Gems Now we will teach the fcveral Colours, Yellow, Green, or Blue, wherein we will caft our Gems.
Chap. IV. To make Colours,
\K7Hile theCryftalis preparing in the fornace, by the fame fire the Colours may be alfo made: Andfirft,
Hon to make Crocut of Iron : Take three or four pounds of the limatureof Iron , wafhitwell in a broad veffel ; for by putting it into water, the w-it;htof the iron will carry that to the bottom • but the ftraws and chip*, and fuch kind of filth, will fwim on the top } fo ycu will have your filing1; clean and wafh d. Then dry it well, and put ir into an earthen gla- zed pot with a large mouth , and pour into it three or four gallons of the befl and (harped vinegar : there let it macerate three or four week*, ftirring it every day fe- ven or eiohr tines with an iron rod : then giving it time to fettle, pour out the vine- gar inro another p gar have con fumed all the filings. Then pur all the vinegar into an earthen vcflel, and fet it on the fire, and let it boil quire away : In the bottom there will remain a flimy durtv matter , mixr wirh a kind of fatnefs of the iron, which the fire by conti- nua- ce will catch hold of : let it burn, and the remaining duff will be Crocus. O- thers file your rufty nail?, and heating them red hot , quench them in vinegar ; then
flrain
Of counter feiting precious Stories. 181
ftrun thetn , and dry the ruft, and let icagain to the fire , till it be red her , the11 quench it again with vinegar ; this they do three or four times : at length they ' oil the vinegar away, and take the remaining Crocus from the bottom. Next remaiiis to (hew
How to reduce Zsphara into Powder.
A lit le window h to be made out of the fide of the fornace , nigh to which muft , be built a little cell or oven , lb joyned to the mouth of the oven, that the flatnc may be brought in through a lit ilc hole. Let this cell have a little door without , to ad- mit the workmms band upon occafion. Let this cell be afoot in length and breadth. Set the Saffron upon a Potters tile, into the cell and fliu? the door : let it be red h or, and after fix hours take it out and put v into water, fo will it cleave into pieces ; lec it be dryed,ftamped, and io finely feirced , that ir may fcarce be felt. But if it can- not be tftvcVd with a peftle and morter ; pour water upon the powder, and ftir ic with your hand?, and let it fettle for a while ; then ft rain it into another veffel, and pour frefa water into the powder ; and reiterate this io often, till that which fet- lerh, beinsbea: and brayed, do pais through with water : then dry it , and it will become very fine powder.
How to burn popper.
Set the filings of Copper, with an equal quantiry of fait mixt in an earthen pot, over the fire, and turn it abouc three or four hours with an iron hook , that it may be burned on all fide* : There let ic burn a whole natural day : t^en take ir out, and di- vide it intotv o parts ; lay the one pare afide , and fct the other with fait on the fire a°ain, for m artificial day : do the fame three or four times , that it may be more pec- fe&ly calcined, always having a care thac ic be as hoc as may be, but that it melt not. When it is borne, it is black.
Chap. V. How Gems are coloured,
' A LI things being thus prepared ; there is nothing more, I think, remaineth to A m«ke *n end of thii work , but to know how to colour them. And we will begin with the way
How to dye a Saphire.
Artificers begin with a Saphire t for when it is coloured , unlefs it be prefently re- moved from the fire, it loleth the tincture ; and the longer it remains in the fire, thebrighteritgroweth. Put a little Zaphara , as they call it, into a pot of glafs, two drachms to a pound of glafs ; then ftir it continually from top to bottom with an iron hook : when it is very well mixed , make tryal whether the colour pleafe you or no, by taking a little out of ihepot. If it be too faint, adde feme more Za- phara j if too deep, put in more glafs, and let it boil fix hours. I hus you may
Colour Cjra»u49
or fea-water, another kind of Saphire. Beat your calcined brafs into very fine pow- der , that you may fcarce feel ic ; for otherwife it will mix with the Cryftal , and make it ccurfer : the quantity cannot be defined j for there are lighter and deeper of that kind: for the molt part, for one pound one drachm will be fufficient.
How to counterfeit the colour of the Jmethtft: To a pound of Crvftal, put a dram of that they call Manganefs , and fo the colour is nude. If the Gem be great, m«k . it the paler ; if fmall, m*ke it deeper : for they nfe inch for rings, and other nfes.
To counterfeit the Topaze.
To
i8z Natural Magic k. 2?oo^ 6*
To every pound of glafs, adde a quarter of an ounce of crocus of Iron , and three ounces of red-lead, to make it of a brighter red. Firft put in the lead, then the crocus.
The Chryfolite*
When you have tmdeaTopaze, and would have a Chryfolite, adde a little more Copper, that it may have a little verdure : for the Chryfolite dirfcretb from the To- paze in nothing, but that it hath a greater luftre. So we are wont
To counterfeit an Emerald.
This (hall be the laft : for we muft let our work be as quick as poflible , becaufe the copper being heavy , when it is mixed with the Cryftal, doth prefently fink down to the bottom of the pots , and fo the Gems well be of too pale a colour. There- fore thu* you muft do: when you give the tin&ure to a Cianus , you may eafily turn it into Smaragde , by adding crocus of iron, in half the quantity of the copper or brafs, wi. if at firft you put in a fourth part of copper : Now you muft adde an eighth
Eart of crocus , and as much copper. After the colours are caft in , let it boil fix ours , that the material may grow clear again: for the cafting in the colours will make them contract a cleudinels. Afterwards let the fire decreafe by degrees , un- til the fornace be cold : then take out the pots and break them , wherein you fliall find your counterfeit precious Stones.
Chap. VI. How Gems may otherwife be made.
THe manner which I have fet down, ts peculiar and ufual to our Artificers , and by them is alio accounted a fecrer. But I will ice down another way , which I had determined always to keep (ccret to my felf ; for by it are made with lefs charge, lefs time , and lefs labour , much more refulgent, bright, and livelier Gems , whofe fuperficies and luftre , the fait fliall not deface in a much longer time. Although thofe old counterfeits which are found at Puteoli , in the mortar of ruined houfes, and on the (hores, are yet very bright , and of a perfeS clearnefs , fo that they feem beyond the imitation of our age: Yet I will endeavour by this way, not one- ly to equal them, but to make much better. Wherefore give ear, and believe : the materials are thus made : Take the comb of a Cock , and cutting his gullet in two, keep the head and the neck.Put it into a pot,and fet it in a hard firejftcp it clofe,that no coles or a(hes arifing with the fmoke, or foote,fall in, and fpoil the luftre of it. When the fire is kindled , you will hear it hifs : when it is red hot, take it up with an iron tongs,and quench it in clear water, and dry it : Do this three times, changing the water left there (hould be any filth j then grinde it on a marble, till it be fo fine that you may blow it about,and referve it for ufe.Thence have you the Philofophers Stone,moft fragrant in fire , and chief in the triplicity. If thou art ignorant of the Philofophers Stone , learn it from thefc verfes, which I found in an old Manufcript.
ArBttt eft hominU , qui conftat Jex element U. Cui p ft addideru, s. in. m, mutate ft bene fcU. Hoc urit os noftrum conftans laps Philofophorum.
Now we have advertif'd you of the materials: let usadvife alfo about the colour. And firft of all,I will (hew you
How to counterfeit a Topax,e. Pur your material into a pot, and cover it with a lid, full of holes ; over which there muft be laid another, that it may exhale, and yet receive no hurt from thefmoke: let it ftand in its fornace to the middle the fpacc of a whole day, and it will be aTo- paze. Now To
Of counterfeiting precious d tones.
To counterfeit a Chryfolite^ cram the Cock, and for every ounce give him to eat two grains of the beloved flow- er of Venus : ftroak him, and in due time thou fhalc fee.
To make an Emarald.
Feed the Cock again, and for every ounce, give him four grains of whear, and he will fhine with a moft bright luftre. But
To make a Jacinth,
give the Cock grainesof the bloody Stone, infteadof wheat, and he will eafily lay hold of them.
Chap. VII. Of SeveralTintiures of Cryftal.
I Have declared tlivers tin&urcsof glafs, and thofe no vulgar and common ones, bucfuch as are rarely known, and gained, and tried with a great deal of labour. Now I will relate fome ways of Gaining Cryftal, and elpecially thofe that arc choice, and kno w n to very few j if not onely to my felf.
To flam Cryftal with the colour of a Jacinth, or a Ruby, without breaking, or wearing it.
Take fix parts of Stibium, four of Orpin, three of Arfenick, as much of Sulphur, two of Tutty s beat them all aiunder , and fift them through a fine feirce : put them into a pot : hang your Cryftal by wires , or cover it over with the powders , and fo fet ic on the fire , that it may be hot, four or five hours ; but ufe no bellows , left it break in pieces , or melt. It is a certain fign of being perfectly coloured , if you take out a piece, and that be of a bright and fhining colour ; otherwife deliver it to the fire a^ain, and after fome time try it again. But you muft have a great care, left ic cool too fuddenly when you take it off the fire , for it will crumble and fall to pieces. If a violet-colcur pleafeth you, take it foonfrom the fire: if you would have a deep purple, let it ftand longer : we can make a violet with Orpin onely.
To turn a Saphire into a Diamond. This ftone, as all others , being put in the fire , lofeth his colour : For the force of the fire miketh the colour fade. Many do it feveral ways : for fome melt gold, and put the Saphire in the middle of it ; others put it on a plate of iron, and fet it in the middle of the fornaceof reverberation; others burn it in the middle of a heap of iron duft. I am wont to do it a fafer way, thus : I fill an earthen pot with unkill'd lime, in the middle of which I place my Saphire, and cover it over with coalsj which being kindled, I ftop the bellows from blowing, for they will make it flie in pieces. When I think it changed, I take a catc that the fire may go out ic i'clf : and then ta- king out the ftone , I fee whether it hath contrafted a iufficient whitenefs ; if.it have, I put it again in its former place, and let iccool with the fire; if not, I cover it a- gain, often looking on it , until the force of the fire haveconfumed all the colour, which it will do in five or fix hours; if you find that the colour be not quite vani- fhed, do again a? before, until it be perfect white. You muft be very diligent, that the fire do heat by decrees, and alio cool ; for ic ofieo happeneth, that fudden cold doth either mike it congeal, orfiie in pieces. All other ftoncs lofe their colour, like the Saphire ; l'ome fooncr, fome later, according to their hardnels. For the Ame- thi't you muft ufe but a foft and gentle fire ; for a vehement one will over-harden it, and turn it to duft. This is the art we ufe, to turn other precious ftoncs into Dia- monds, whio being cur in the middle, and coloured, makeih another kind of adul- terating Gems ; which by this experiment we will make known : And it is
How to make a ftone white on one fide, and red or blew on the other.
I
184- Natural Magick. TSookjb.
I have feen precious ftones thus made , and in great efteem with great perfons, be- in^ of two colours : on one fide a Saphire, and on the other a Diamond , and fo of diver's colours. Which may be done after this manner : For example, we would have a Saphire fhould be white on one fide , and blew on the other ; or fhould be white, on one tide, and red on the other : thus it may be done. Plaifter up that fide which you would have red or blew, with chalk, and let it be dryed ; then commit it to the fire, thofe ways we fpoke of before, and the naked fide will lofe the colour and turn white, that it will feem a miracle of Nature, to thofe that know not by how flight an arc it may be done.