X. To the firft objeaioh it is tfeus anfwered;

We fay, that it is not apparent out of the books
3f any of the antient Philofophers i that they e-i
ver dreamed of this natural and mineral 'EieBrum
But more to the purpofe : thofe are called Spjr
itSj^ which flie from^ thgjig s but the £hcirfm^
lieth not from the tire : therefore it is no Spirit}
IS Quickfiiver and therert> and alfo mean mine-
als.

2i We novv come t<5 the next. We grahc
Aat the minere of every metal is converted iil-
o metal bj the fire, which confiftsof Mercury
ind Sulphure. This Axiome is evident in thofc
netals which are imperfect > and flie from the fire
ither in their minere or in themfelves, after they
reduced into metall 5 and alfo the Gold mi-
re , although before melting it flie from the
e > before the Gold be moken and cottverted
Q % iiic^

3^2 ^ The Rofie Crucian Crown. JtJook 3 ,

into metal 5 yet becaufe Gold never fliech afcec
it be molten > but is found fixed in all probation*
therefore it is accounted the worchieft of all me-
tals which confili of Sulphur and Mercury*

;• Now to the thirds I fay> that I think ic ra-
ther is of a ftony and metallick nature joyned to-.
gether ; by which mixture it differs from a ftone^
and alfo from metal : but becaufe it confifteth of
Mercury, Earthly Salt and Sulphur mixed > there-
fore it gets unto it a mixt nature of them ; fo
that ic is half ftone^ half metaL

Wherefore it is to be judged that it confifteth
of three natures mixed together ; that is to fay?
tninerah metallicki and ftony ; and is the be(i of
all thofe which grow in the Archeas of the Earth ;
for it exceeds mean minerals i» fixation and con-*
(hncy > becaufe they paffe away in fume by long
, melting* and vanifh to nothing ; or eife they mek
cafily in moyfture>as falts,(^r. But this Ele^hmm
or Amber remaineth fixed and conttant as well in
the fire as water.

It e?cceeds metals in digeftionj colour and dig-
ility^ In digeftion , becaufe ic is en ewed with
the figne of greater and more perfect digeftion :
for as Gold is more yellow by reafon of his gr-ea-
t€r heat and more perte6t digeftion 5 So this S-
/r^n^W)becaufe it hath a higher colour then Gold
hathi therefore ic is more digefted in colour : for
as Gold exceeds other metals in colour , fo E/f<*
Urnm exceeds Gold ; for Gold is yellow * but E-
Itltrum rcdawhich is a higher colour then yellow.
And asjilyer isthe.Z^g^ of white metals* fo
Gojdjsthe 5»^of red metals ; So EUBrum is to
^IdTas^cbe liSyert is loSolin dignity or value j

for