In this regard, I come to remember an experiment that I have tried more then one which

gave me to think whether it were Aristotle I took eight or ten pound of common gross
salt, which I made to dissolve in hot water, fouming the froth which may be there and
being left to settle, I put the clear by inclination in a caldron over the fire, where I made
all the water evaporate, so that the salt remained in the bottom white as snow : then I
endeavoured to dry it in a pot giving it at last a good estret of fire for four or five houres,
when it was cold I parted it into four platters of Beuvois to shorten and gain time in fair
weather at a window where the Sun came not and did choose a moist time to facilitate the
dissolution, recollecting every morning that which was resolved in water so long that at
the end of seven or eight dayes the salts dissolution was perfected, nothing remaining but
I know not what thickness or slime in a small quantity which I set apart I put all my
dissolutions into Cornues & distilled all the water which could mount being very fresh for
the saltness idd not ascend but remained fixt in the bottom of the vessel and gave at last a
good estret of fire, with staves of Cotteres having broken the Cornues : I put the salt that
therein remained congealed to dissolve in moisure as before till there remained nothing
but grossness and slime as in the former I distilled that which ascended from the water
and reiterated all those Regiments till all my salt was resolved and distilled into salt
water, that which came seven or eight time. The slime I washed well with water, to
extract what might be the remainder of saltness and so reclacined and washt them till
there rested nothing but slime or pure earth nwithout tast. Of this little salt that I had
extracted, i did as i had done with others so that all my salt without losing any of its
substance went away in sweet water nad in this insensible slime which came at last to one
or two ounces. What then became of the saltness of this salt? Certes herein i have lost all
my Latine and know not what to say thereof only it is gone in verity as i say : If any one
would untie this knot would indeed do me a great pleasure : I will leave it to mix with
others to come to the particular praises of salt without which saith Plinie we could not
live civilly. All the grace, gentility, ornament, pleasures and delights of human life cannot
be better expressed then by this word which extends also to the pleasure of the soul the
sweetness and tranquillity of life and to a Soveraign rejoycing and repose of all troubles
and sorrow. It renews the pricks and a morous desires to beget its like and hath obtained
this honorable quality of Souldiers, and of pleasant day witty cords, and joyous meetings
without hurt to any ; from whence it should be called the graces.
Wells Water
Salt is nothing else but water mingled and settled with dry and burned earth of the nature
of ire which makes it bitter and salt. So that befire we pass from this subject of fresh
water we will here touch upon an experiment of more rare things from thence come many
fair & scret considerations. Sweet water is a body so homogeneal that it would seem to
the fight so clear transparent and liquid in all its parts resembling to it self, that there is in
it but one only substance since that by distillations shee passeth all. But yet there is
another foound substance solid and compact in the for me of earth mingled with its liquid
homogeneity which it separates by Artifice, and it is that which Aristotle saith in the
swarme of philosophers. The earth is concreat by the grosseness of the water. And this
may be scene with water agitated and beaten and after redistilled many times, alwayes
separating the fifith or sixth part which shall pass the first. You must then take a good
quantity of wel water or the same of fountaine, river or rain water, and let it sattle twenty

or thirty houres untill there be some ordure or slime it separates it self.

Take of this water as you may say forty pintes and cause the half to vapour away by very
easie fier that it boil not put these twenty pintes apart and take new water as above of
which you shall evaporate the moity ; and so long continue it that you may have well a
hundred pintes half evaporated ; from this one hundred make to evaporate thirty pintes
nad of sixty, ten, twenty, of fifty, that shall remain twenty of thirty, ten, and of twenty,
ten ; and cast away all these slimes that shall reside, for they are nothing worth and are
but immundicity and ordure, unto the seaventh or eighth evaporation or distillation after
which there will appear in you water infinite little atomes and little bodies which at last
by little and little will be congealed into one solid substance of a grisly colour soft as
dough ; Of which i have seen such admirable affects that men would hardly beleive it in
Cankers, Gangrenes, Hemorrhagies, bloody flux, Women newly laid : in bed ; and at nose
diseases in the stomach and infinit other such accidents that no terra sigillata nor
Bolarmoniac could compare with you may make you may make your round pills
impasting them with the last waters that were extracted which are also of great vertue to
wash wounds inveterate Maladies of the stomach and either the like wherefire you must
keep them well. You may also calcine it for six or seven houres in a small pot well luted
and casting thereon vinegar distilled, boiling, dissolving one part, nourishing the rest,
calcine it again and dissolve it till you have all the salt which will be white and of sweet
tast make it dissolve to oil, you may draw from thence great effects even upon Gold. But
sea-water it yet of more efficacy then that of well and rivers, sweet water (i say) which
shall be separated from salt by distillation : which would be easie to do near the Sea
having to that end four or five alembics of leaden earth and yet more of sweet water
which is drawn by distillation of salt resolved in liquor to humidity.
But there is yet another manner of proceeding in the separation of the substances of
common water : and more spiritual then the precedent. Take very clean water out of well
river or fountain let it settle twenty four houres and take the pure and the clear which you
shall put in vessels of Beauvois earth : well stopped to putrifie in hot dung fourty dayes,
renewing it two or three times every wek filter the water and give only five or six
boylings scumming off the scurses that arise thereon with a feather, then put it in Cornues
of glass not putting thereing but the third art or the moit at most of that which they may
contain and distill of two parts three ; then change the Recipient and accomplish to distill
all the water but with an easie fire. Then strengthen the fire by little and little, till you see
small fumes ascend continue this degree of fire with increasing untill it mount no more.
Let the fire quench of it self and recool the vessel : then gather the salt which shall be so
elevated towards the beck of the Cornue and within the recipient and keep it in a vessel of
earth very close and sealed in a warm and dry place that it melt not nor dissolve. Put the
Cornue to again with that which remains in the bottom and strengthen the fire untill you
see a reddish oil ; end your distillation after cease the fire. Take the black feces that
remain in the bottom stamp them and put them in a sublimatory of good earth of an inch
thick and no more for six houres first a little fire then reinforce it for twelve others, till
the sublimatory be red the fire being alwayes in the same degree : let it cool and gather
the salt which will be mounted and keep it as the former. This is the second Sal Armoniac
volatille, which is extracted from he water : and the one and the other have great power to
the dissolution of gold carrying no danger with then as your common Sal Armoniac may

do ; which hath bad qualities in it there where this is extracted from a substances so
familiar to mans body which is sweet water. Now take all the feces & residences which
remain in the bottom of the vessel, bruise them, and make them dissolve in the first water
which you shall have distilled, after you have warmed it a little that it may dissolve the
salt that may be there. Let them repose then evacuate and put them to distill with half the
water : Then change the Recipient and with a little stronger fire distill the suplusage of
the water and keep them each a part in a cold place. But do no perfect to congeal all the
salt in the bottom of t he vessel, but leave therein a little moisture to create flakes of ice.
If it be not white enough let it calcine for three or four houres in a pot of earth not leaded
after dissolve it in the second water, filter and congeal it and keep it in a dry place, for
this is salt fix and fusible. If in drawing the first Salarmoniac, bolatill, the foul oil that is
nothing worth mounts with it your must put salt and oil in new water and depure and
putrifie it as befire which was to begin again, therefore we must go wisely to work. There
is another manner of proceeding therein, which is shorter for there are more wayes to one
intent and to one end saith Geber. Take rain or fountain water, put it in a Cornue, upon the
sand with a slow fire and distill thereof a fourth part which is more rare and subtill.
Continue afterwards the distillation even to the feces, which you cast away. And see that
you have good store of this mean substance with which you shall reiterate the distillation
seven times being alwayes the fourth part that will first issue out which is the phlegme
and the feces are the slime. In the fourth you shall begin to see the sulphurties of all
colours in the form of huskes and pieces of gold. The seven distillations being perpected
put your mean substance in alembic to the fire with a soft bath : and draw that which may
ascend which shall be yet of phlegm, then you shall see created little stones and pieces of
all colours which will goe to the bottom : stay your distillation and let them settle then
evacuate that which remains sweetly with water : and do so with all your mean substance
and make there little stones to multiply in the bath. When you shall have enough dry them
in hte Sun, or before an easie fire and put them in a glass bottle well sealed, with the fire
of a lampe or the like for three or four months and your matter will be congealed and
fixed except a certain small portion thereof which will arise along the sides of the vessel :
This here is the mean substance of the first matter of all things which is water. But that
we be not deceived or abused all these practises which are but an image and partrait half
rudely hewen out of the manner which we must hold in the extraction of liquors. From
whence they resolve of themselves into moisture, all sorts of salt, as well common, as Sal
alkali, tartar, and other the like the sweet oleaginous substance swimming above the
water with the salt and bitter, which there remaineth dissolved and after extraction of the
water remaineth a congealed salt in the bottom ; that is to say, to separat the oil from salts
: which cannot be done without great artifice : But it is not reasonable to discover it and
divulge all openly but to reserve something therein, for far of doing wrong to the curious
endeavours of some learned men who have takn so much paines and travail to com to the
knowledge of these fine secrets.