Of the preservations of Naturall things. The enemies of things are to be knowne.T
hat things may bee preserved, and kept from harm, it is necessary in the first place to know what is an enemie to them, that so they may be preserved from that, & not be hurt, or corrupted by it either in substance, vertue, power, or any way whatsoever. Much therefore in this case depends upon the knowing of the Enemie of all Naturall things. For who can take heed of danger when hee doth not know what can hurt him?[Pg 20] Truly no body; Wherefore it is necessary to know ones Enemie, For there are many sorts of Enemies. Wherefore it is as necessary to know evill things, as good things: for who can know what is good, without the knowing of what is evill? Truly no body. So no man can know what a blessing health is, that was never sick. Who knows what joy is, that was never heavy, or sad? And who can rightly understand what God is, who knew nothing of the Devil? Death is the enemie of things.Wherefore when God made known to us the Enemie of our Soul, viz. the Devill, he also signified to us the Enemie of our life, viz. Death, which is the Enemie of our body, of our health, and the Enemie of Medicinall, and all naturall things: also he made known to us how, and by which means it may be shunned. There is a Contrariety found in all things.For as there is no disease against which there is not created, and found some remedy, which should cure, and expell it: so also there is alwaies one thing ordained against another, one Water against another, one Stone against another, one Minerall against another, one Poison against another, one Metall against another: and so in many more things, all which it is not requisite here to recite.
Now how, and by what means every thing is to bee preserved, and kept from hurt, wee must know, that many things are to bee preserved in the Earth, and especially all rootes doe for a long time remaine in the Earth without losing their vertue, or being corrupted: in like manner herbs, flowers, and all fruites continue in the water incorrupted, and green: there are also many fruits, and apples that may be preserved in water from all manner of putrefaction, untill new fruit come againe.
[Pg 21]
How to preserve flesh and blood.
So also flesh, and blood, which indeed are putrefied, and grow unsavoury quickly, are preserved in cold fountain-water, and not only so, but by the addition of new and fresh fountaine-water, may be turned into a quintessence, and bee forever preserved from putrefaction, and an ill savour, without any balsome. And this doth not only preserve the flesh, and blood of dead things, but also of the living, wherefore Mans body may bee preserved from all manner of putrefaction, and divers diseases that proceed from putrefaction, better then common Mummie. Now that blood may be preserved of it self from putrefaction, and stinking, and not as a quintessence, & so as it may preserve the blood of the living (as we now said) thou must follow this processe.
How the Arcanum of mans blood is to be prepared.
Let the blood bee separated from its flegm, which is separated of its selfe, and is driven to the upper part. This water poure gently out of the vessell, and in stead of it put as much of the water of the salt of blood, which water wee teach to make in our Chirurgerie: That water doth presently mixe with the blood, and preserves it so, that it will never bee putrefied, or grow unsavory, but continue many years as fresh, and very red as it was the first day: and this indeed is a great wonder. But if thou dost not know how to make this water, or hast it not in readiness, then poure upon it so much of the best, and most excellent balsome, and this will doe the same. Now, this blood is the balsome of balsomes, and is called the Arcanum of blood, and it is so wonderful, and of such great vertue, that it is incredible to be spoken; wherefore thou shalt conceale it as a great secret in Physick.
[Pg 22]
How metalls may be preserved.
In preserving of Metalls, their Enemies are first to bee known, that so much the better they may bee preserved from harme. What are the enemies of metalls.The chiefest Enemies of Metalls are all sharp corroding Waters, all Corrosive things, all Salts, crude Sulphur, Antimony, and Mercury. But that you may know particularly how they show their enmity, it is thus. Sharp Waters, and such things as are Corrosive, and Salts shew their enmity, in that they mortifie, dissolve, calcine, corrupt Metalls, and reduce them to nothing.
How the fume of Sulphur doth discolour metalls.
Crude Sulphur shews its enmity in the fume thereof: for by its fume it takes away from Copper its colour, and rednesse, and makes it white. From white Metalls, as Silver, Tinne, Lead, and Iron it takes away the whitenesse, and makes them red, and yellowish. From Gold it takes away that faire amiable yellownesse, and golden colour, and makes it black, and so foule, that nothing can bee more foule.
How Antimony spoiles and discolours metalls.
Antimony shews its enmity in this, in that all Metalls with which it is melted, or mixed, it spoiles, carryeth away, and preys upon, and also not unlike to Sulphur, by its fume it takes away from Metalls their true, and naturall colour, and brings in another.
Quicksilver distroyes metalls, and how.
Quicksilver doth destroy Metalls upon this accompt, in that it enters into Metalls, with which it is joined, and dissolves them, so that it makes an Amalgama of them: Wherefore the fume thereof, which wee call common Mercury, makes all Metalls brittle, that they cannot bee malleated, and calcines them, also it makes all red Metalls of a golden co[Pg 23]lour, to bee white: but it is the greatest enemie of all to Iron, and Steel; for if common Mercury doe but touch a barre of Iron, or Steel, or that be but smeared over with Mercuriall oile, that bar will afterward be broken like glasse, and be bowed; which indeed is a great secret, and deserves to be kept exceeding close. In like manner must the Loadstone be kept from Mercury, for the like enmity it shews to that as to Iron. How the loadstone may be spoyled.For any Loadstone that Mercury hath but touched, or which hath been smeered with Mercuriall oyle, or only put into Mercury, will never draw Iron more. Let no man wonder at this, for there is a naturall cause for it, and it is this, viz. because Mercury extracts the spirit of Iron, which was hid in the Loadstone, which spirit draws the spirit of Iron to it: and this is not only in the Loadstone, but in all naturall things else, so that alwaies a strange spirit in a body which is not of the same Nature with it selfe, drawes to it self a body which is of the same Nature: and this wee must know to bee so, not only in the Loadstone, but also in all other naturall things, as Mineralls, Stones, Hearbs, Roots, Men, and Brutes.
What antipathy there is betwixt metalls themselves.
That Metalls have an enmity, and hate one the other naturally, as you see in Lead, which is naturally a very great enemy to Gold. For it breaks asunder all parts of Gold, it makes it foule, weak, spoiles, and destroyes it even to death, more then any other Metall.
Tin also hates, and is an enemy to all Metalls: for it makes them base, immalleable, hard, unprofitable, if it bee mixed with them in the fire, or in melting.
Since therefore you have now heard of the Enemies[Pg 24] of Metal............