A Discovrse of Fire and Salt Discovering Many Secret...

Yet there are divers sorts of salt, that have different properties and vertues, according to the things from which they are extracted; for salt retains a propriety of the thing from whence it came, saith Geber in his Testament, yea as many odors, and sapors as there are, they all do depend upon salt; for where there is no salt, there is no smell nor tast; and yet of all the tasts which Plutarch in his Naturall causes doth limit to eight, Plinie lib. 15. cap. 27. extends them to 13. there is not one, that is not salt, because tast (as Plato will have it) comes from water, which creep athwart the stalk of every plant, and keeps the saltness that it cannot passe as it is more grosse and terrestriall, as wee see in sea-water when it is distilled; where when they passe it through sand, where it leaves its saltnesse. But it may be said to Plato, that the tast doth not only ly in plants, but also in Animalls and mineralls, and all other compounded Elements.

It is that which he and Aristotle and other rationall Philosophers, are only satisfied with, that which their arguments and discourse do imprint in their phantasies: esteeming that it cannot be otherwise, then that which their reasons do demonstrate unto them, for the most part false and erroneous; there were if they would penetrate empirickly by the experiments, they might have been shewed by the finger of the eye, the truth of the thing, they might have been better ascertained therein, as the Arabians have since done; and the Chymicall Philosophers, who will assure themselves of nothing, but what they have oftentimes tried without variation to the sense. It is a maxime of all Naturalists, received for Infallible, that the transparence comes from this, when the water in the composition and mixtion superabounds, over the earth, and darkenesse on the contrary, when Terrestreity predominates the water, and it would be accounted an irremissible crime Læsæ Majestatis to doubt thereof, for who is there that doubteth it, will they say, that it is not so? I will reply that it is I, to whom experience shewes the contrary, at least for that the cause of transparence, and opacity, doth not proceed from that which they alledge. Take Crystall and passe it never so little through hot ashes, so long as one would rost a chestnut you wil find it all dark, without any more transparence within or without in the superficies, and that without any losse of its substance, or diminution of its weight.

And on the contrary in a strong expression of fire blowing upon the lead, then which nothing can be darker, it will convert into a forme of a hyacinth so transparent, that one may read a small letter through it; though it were an inch thick, and this hyacinth by the same fire returne into lead, and lead into an hyacinth.

If then these profound Contemplators of nature, and her effects, had been willing to accompany their Imaginary discourses, with experience that reveales infinite secrets by fire, they could never have fallen into such absurdities: and had manifestly seen without any vail or obstacle all full of things whereof they remaine in irresolution and doubt not having spoken therein but as blind men and by guesse, for we cannot discover the secrets of things to proceed therein directly, nor come to it by entring on it, after the manner of speech, by the foregate: for nature goeth in her workes rarely and in secret, as by the posterne gate: or by setting ladders against the windowes: The Greeks call that διάλυσις, solution; No man can know the composition of a thing, said Geber very well, that was ignorant of its destruction. And this is done by fire, which separates the parts, as hath been said before. There are then two divers substances of salt, therefore it causeth divers effects, the one is sweet, glutinous and inflamable, of the nature of aire, nourishing, binding. The other sharp, mordicant and separative that begets nothing. The Poets in their mythologies have called this the Ocean, and the sweet wherewith the pickle of the Sea is moistened and made liquid Tethys as Plutarch hath it in his Osiris which giveth milk to and nourisheth all things.

But simple water of it selfe alone would not be sufficient to nourish, if it were not assisted with things fastened to the earth, the salt therein inclosed and therewith mingled, having a sweet and glutinous unctuosity, for as in the Sea-water there are two substances, sweet and salt, there are subalternately two in salt: But we cannot say that they doe nourish or produce any thing. Therefore is it, that they use to raze Traiters-houses, and sow them with salt as reputed unworthy to produce anymore. Salt indeed produceth nothing as it is, where its sweet substance is so drowned with the salt, that it cannot expresse it selfe in action, so as it is, except it be freed out of prison, for the saltnesse predominates over it, and covers it. But for replication thereunto which was said before, that fresh water alone, doth neither nourish nor produce any thing: which we see to the contrary, by experience in many waterish herbs that grow in the midst of waters, and in flints that it engenders shells, and fishes, and wormes: to be short, that its procreation doth extend to the three composed kinds of Minerals, Vegetables, & Animals: And indeed put little pebbles in a phial, and water thereon, every day, renewing it daily, at the end of certaine time, you will find them so great, and so bigge, that they cannot come out at the neck by which they were put in.

But indeed all this proceeds from the slime, which is mingled with the water, as frogs, and other things, which are procreated in the middle Region of the aire of the slime which the Sun beams hath thence raised with the water, for al rains, snowes, and other such impressions participate much of the slime; from thence it comes that the snow doth smoak and fatten the earth, and the water of raine, is more connaturall to trees, herbes, and seeds, chiefly those which fall by stormes and thunders, then those of wels and rivers: whereof Plutarch forceth himselfe to bring forth many reasons in naturall causes, which have no great apparence: There is yet more to say, for that they are better baked and accompanied with more subtle and hot slime, and are of lighter concoction and nourishment then plants; as of meate in the stomach of Animals, some more then others, where the waters here below are more raw and indigested: we insist a little in water, because salt is nothing else, but water mingled and setled with dry and burned earth, of the nature of fire which makes it bitter and salt. So that before we passe from this subject of fresh water, we will here touch upon an experiment of more rare things from whence come many fair & secret considerations. Sweet water is a body so homogeneal, that it would seem to the sight so cleare, transparent, and liquid, in all its parts, resembling to it selfe, that there is in it but one only substance: since that by distillations shee passeth all.

But yet there is another sound substance, solid, and compact, in the forme 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 grossenesse of the water. And this may be seene with water agitated and beaten and after redistilled many times, alwayes separating the fift or sixth part which shall passe the first. You must then take a good quantity of wel water, or the same of fountaine, river or rain water, and let it settle twenty or thirty houres untill there be some ordure or slime, it separates it selfe.

Take of this water as you may say forty pintes, and cause the halfe to vapour away by very easie fire, that it boile 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 halfe evaporated; from this one hundred, make to evaporate thirty pintes, and 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 appeare in your 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: Abundance of fluxes of blood. Of which I have seen such admirable effects that men would hardly beleeve it; in Cankers, Gangrenes, Hemorrhagies, bloody flux, Women newly laid in bed; and at nose, diseases in the stomach, and infinite other such accidents that no terra sigillata nor Bolarmoniac could compare with. 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 other the like; wherefore you must keepe 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 againe, and dissolve it till you have all the salt which will be white and of sweet tast, make it dissolve to oile, you may draw from thence great effects even upon Gold. But sea-water is yet of more efficacy then that of wels 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 foure or five alembics of leaden earth, and yet more of sweet water which is drawne 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 spirituall then the precedent. Take very clean water out of a well, river or fountain, let it settle twenty foure houres, and take the pure and the cleare, 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 week, filter the water, and give only five or six boylings, scumming off the scurfes that arise thereon with a feather, then put it in Cornues of glasse, not putting therein but the third part, or the moity at most, of that which they may containe 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 selfe and recoole the vessell: 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 againe with that which remains in the bottome, and strengthen the fire untill you see a reddish oile; end your distillation, after cease the fire.

Take the black feces, that remain in the bottome, stampe 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 alwaies in the same degree: let it coole and gather the salt which will be mounted, and keep it as the former. This is the second sal Armoniac volatill, which is extracted from the 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 doe; which hath bad qualities in it, there, where this is extracted from a substance so familiar to mans body, which, is sweet water. Now take all the feces & residences, which remain in the bottome of the vessell, 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 halfe the water: Then change the Recipient, and with a little stronger fire, distill the Surplufage of the water, and keep them each a part, in a cold place. But doe not perfect to congeal all the salt in the bottome of the vessell, but leave therein a little moisture, to create flakes of ice. If it be not white enough, let it calcine for three or foure houres in a pot of earth not leaded, after dissolve it in the second water, filter and congeale it, and keep it in a dry place, for this is salt fix and fusible.

If in drawing the first Salarmoniac, volatill, the foule oile that is nothing worth mounts with it, you must put salt and oile in new water, and depure and putrifie it as before, which was to begin againe, therefore we must goe wisely to worke. There is another manner of proceeding therein, which is shorter, for there are more ways to one intent, and to one end, saith Geber. Take raine 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 meane substance, with which, you shall reiterate the distillation seaven 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 sulphurities of all colours in the forme of huskes and pieces of gold. The seaven distillations being perfected put your meane substance in an alembec, to the fire with a soft bath; and draw that which may ascend, which shall be yet of phlegme, then you shall see created little stones, and pieces of all colours which will goe to the bottome; stay your distillation, and let them settle, then evacuate that which remains sweetly with water: and doe so, with all your mean substance, and make there little stones to multiply in the bath.

When you shall have enough dry them in the Sun, or before an easie fire, and put them in a glasse-bottle well sealed, with the fire of a lampe or the like, for three or foure months and your matter will be congealed and fixed except a certaine small portion thereof, which will arise along the sides of the vessell: 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 portrait halfe 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 Salalkali, tartar, and other the like; the sweet oleaginous substance swimming above the water with the salt and bitter, which there remaineth dissolved, and after the extraction of the water, remaineth a congealed salt in the bottome; that is to say, to separate the oile 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 fear of doing wrong to the curious endeavours of some learned men who have taken so much paines and travail, to come to the knowledge of these fine secrets.

It hath pleased me in some sort to runne through the foresaid experiments of water as well for the importance and rarity which they have, as for that it depends upon salt whereof water makes the principall part: and likewise of the sea, from whence separating the sweet substance the salt remains solid congealed; and of this salt resolved by it selfe, to moisture, they extract by distillation the greatest part of sweet water; by meanes whereof, without departure from this subject of salt, it will not be amisse, to touch here something of the Sea, whose water is as a body, the salt enclosed not perceiveable to the sight, but well to the tast, are the vitall spirits, and the oleaginous inflamable substance envelopped within the salt; the soule and the life of the nature of aire, or of wind; remember because wind is my life. There are then two substances in the Sea, and by consequent in salt; the one liquid, and volatile, which ascends upward, and is double, water namely and oile; the one and the other sweet and fresh:

And the other fix, and solid, which is bitter and salt; wherefore it was that Homer called the Ocean the father of Gods and of men, for by stretching out of all side crossewise, the Conduits and spongiosities of the earth which hee holds encompassed round about; as a dry hanging on to some rock there within by a providence of nature is made a separation of substances of the fresh, namely, and of the salt: for the Marine water, passeth through these Conduits, they unsalt it, even as they should distill it by an Alembic or Cornue, or as one should passe it through sand many times, part whereof should remaine baked in the earth for the production and nouriture of vegetables: part passeth through springs, wells, and fountaines, whence all flouds and rivers are formed, Eccles. 1.7. All rivers runne into the Sea, yet the Sea is not full, unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they returne againe. And part elevates it selfe aloft, by meanes of the Sun and starres, which draw and suck them, as well for their nouriture, as for the formation of raines, snowes, hailes, and other aqueous expressions in the aire.

The salt which is more grosse, heavy and terrestriall remains invisqued in the veines, and conduits of the earth, where heat inclosed bakes it, digests, alters, and changes it into another nature for the production of all sorts of Minerals, by meanes of the portion of fresh water mingled therewith, which dissolves and washeth off these salts, so that finally, having been brought to their last perfection according to natures intention, shee enformes that which shee hath determined. The Sea then is not so barren and unfruitfull as some poets and Philosophers have made it; Plato himselfe, in his Phedon, where he saith, that nothing could be there procreated worthy of Jupiter: because all the Animals procreated therein are wild, untameable and indocill, and in which there is neither amity nor sweetnesse. But what shall we say of the Dolphin that saved Arion, and of many others, alledged by Plutarch in his treaty: What animalls are the wisest, those on land, or those in the water? of fishes likewise wherewith the Indians are served, as with a chained Grayhound? But it is very smal, to take fish, never letting go what he hath once fastned on. Truely a Brach nor couching spaniell, cannot bee more spirituall, or docible than this fish, at least if it be true what is related to have often times been seen by the eye, in the thirteenth booke of Gonzalo d’Ovidiedo of his naturall history of the Indies. Chap 10.

And of Peter Martyr, of another sort of fish called Manati, which being taken at Sea very little, and from thence put into a standing lake, became tame, and privately would come, and take bread from mens hands: and would not faile to come a good way off, when hee was called, leaving himselfe to be handled at their pleasure, and carried them upon his back, as on a bridge crosse the lake, from one side to the other: But fresh water fishes, are they more docile then those of the Sea? The Ægyptian Preists, above all others abhorred the Sea, calling it the finall end, the death, and destruction of all things: because the water thereof, killeth all Animalls that drink thereof: and is as the sepulcher of all rivers, that goe lose themselves and die therein; and the earth is the same for all bodies, from whence none are spewed out. To this purpose Chiia in the Zohar deploring ‘the death of Rabbi Simeon author thereof, after he had cast himselfe on the earth and embraced him, used such a language, O earth, earth, dust, dust, how hard and unpitifull art thou? For whatsoever is most desireable to the sight, thou makest old and deformed, thou breakest in peices the shining Columnes of the world. How doest thou quench the cleare resplendent lights which received theirs from the eternall living spring, wherewith the whole world was illustrated!

The Princes and Potentates given to the people to governe them, and to administer Justice unto them, by which they are maintained, and subsist, waxe old and end in thee: and thou remainest alwayes persistent in thy selfe, not being able to satisfie or satiate thy selfe with so many bodyes, that returne thither: so that the world is therein confounded and lost, and afterwards renewes it self of a suddaine.’ But for the regard of the Sea, the Ægyptian Priests had it in such detestation, that they could not endure to see the very Mariners, nor the Islanders as people which on all parts were cut off from humane commerce. And the Britains, (separated from the world by an element which they say is the fifth,) so austere, outrageous, and unpittiable: and for that cause they abstained from salt, because that among other things it provoked to lasciviousnesse. The occasion also for which they so much rejected the Sea, was something mysticall and allegoricall: because it doth not wash spots or uncleannesse. So that Homer made, and not without reason, that Nausicaa Alcinous daughter, washed her linnen and clothes in a fountaine of fresh water on the Sea shore, for the truth is that Sea-water doth not wash. That which Aristotle, (as Plutarch puts it) in the first of the Symposiaques 9. question, referre to the pickle wherewith the Sea-water is alwayes filled, so that there being nothing empty therein it could receive no filthiness.

And lee, is it not the same; yea more full of salt; yea more unctuous and fat then that of the sea? so that according to Aristotles testimony, men put sea-water in their lamps, to make them shine clearer, and cast upon the flame, it becomes lighted; in which there may be also mystery contained, concerning fire and salt, and their affinity together.

Join hereunto that wee may see that salt is an enemy to all filthinesse and uncleannesse; and will not thereto adjoin or associate; no more then fire, which will nothing but pure things, said good Raimund Lullius. Yet to the aforesaid purpose, Plutarch in his naturall causes, sets down that the sea-water, doth neither nourish nor feed, trees, or plants; because being grosse and heavy it cannot mount into their stalks, which thicknesse and grosness is seen, for that carryeth greater burthens then the fresh water: and this comes from the salt therein dissolved, and it is earthly and consequently more uneasy to sinke. Moreover trees being (according to the opinion of Plato, Democritus, Anaxagoras, and others,) a terrestriall Animall, it cannot give it nourishment; for bitter doth not nourish, but sweet only. But what shall wee say of so many fishes that are procreated and nourished in the sea, of herbs also, and of trees? Francisco de Oviedo lib. 2. ch. 5. sets down that in the first discoverie of Christopher Columbus, they found as of great green and yellow medowes in the main sea, more then two hundred leagues from land, of certain herbes called Salgazzi, which go floting on the top of the waters, as the winds carry them from one side to another. In the relation of Francis Vlloa, he sets down that the root of the herbs, whereof he gives the description and figure, do not sink more then 12 or 15 fadome in the water, yellow yet, as wax.

But wee sufficiently see trees and bushes growing along the sea-shore, and even in the very sea: yet Plutarch insisteth that those that grow along the shore of the Red-sea, are there procreated & nourished with the slime which the flouds carry thither, and fall therein; which he might have spoken more properly of the greater sea, otherwise called Pontus Euxinus. And Plinie lib. 18. cha. 22. that the herbs which grow within the water are nourished with rains: but it would follow, that if so, they should procreate in all other places where it rains indifferently.

Aristotle with better reason refers it to the grosse and unctuous saltnesse which is therewith mingled. Salt being fat and unctuous, which is the cause that salt water doth not so easily quench fire, as fresh water. But this saltnesse is equall throughout all the sea. Plinie himself lib. 19. ch. 11. specifies, Certain herbes which salt waters do much profit. These are secrets of Nature to which mans discourse can hardly arrive. For herbs by a providence thereof may well suck and draw from salt water, a fresh or sweet substance wherewith they are procreated and nourished as the fishes.

But this is not our principall drift: we have here endeavoured to shew that Salt is not unfruitfull, but the cause of fertility provoking venereall appetite, whence Venus is said to be begotten of the sea; if men give salt unto animalls to heat them the more, and make them eat salt as Plutarch puts it in his 3. queston of Naturall causes. And wee see by experience, that in ships laden with salt, rats and mice, are sooner engendred then in others; this which must so much the more cry down salt in regard of holy things, from whence all mutability and lubricity must be bannished; but salt is in the number of things that are applyed to the good, and to the bad part. Of the good we have heretofore alledged many places. Of the bad for the sterility, Gen. 14. 3. All shall assemble themselves in the wild valley which is now the sea of salt. And in the 19. chap. 26. as also in the 10. of Wisdome, v. 7. of Lots wife, who for her incredulity and disobeying the Angels voice, she was turned into a pillar of salt: And Judges 9. 45. the habitations of Rebells and Traitors were razed and sowed with salt. And in the 2 of Zephaniah v. 9. Moab shall be as Sodome, a desolation of nettles, and thistles and heaps of salt.

But we see upon the ebbing and flowing of the salt pits in the Marshes of Zaintonge, where they empty the durt, which are as salt as the sea it self, where it produceth the best wheat, that possibly can be, and in great quantity, and very excellent wines also: But there is another consideration in that, as in Marle, and in the dry places of Ardonne, where they burne the cuttings of trees, of 7 or 8 years, as also quick chalk which supplies the place of dung in their grounds: for those ashes would produce nothing of themselves, no more then Marle or salt, but they are the cause of production because they warm and fatten the land. There is yet another reason, that Plutarch alledgeth, That throughout where there is Salt nothing can grow thick, or be close together; which constipation would hinder herbs to thrust out: Moreover many medicaments and remedies do come from salt: whereupon I will not here lose time, on that which Plinie, Dioscorides and others, have set down and treated of cursorily and in hast, with closed eyes one after another, not having made proof thereof; add to this, it is so triviall and beaten as nothing more, but will touch here, in passing the Countrey, an experiment, whereof I have seen very admirable effects in burning feavers and unquietnesse, where they could not take rest. It is a frontall made in this manner.

Take the yolk of a fresh Eg, and as much gross salt, beat them together in shape of an ointment, which you shall apply to your forehead, between two folded linnen clothes: It doth not coole the brain, nor cause such accidents; as conserve of Roses do, Oxyrhodinon likewise, and brings much more comfort.

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