I. Of the Original of this Salt

Touching the Original of this Salt, I have before shewed which way it should be made of F. and common Salt. Yet I would not have these words be so taken, as if the same could be prepared no other way than this. The methods of preparing it are various; for it may be prepared of G. only, without the mixture of common salt, yea, of allume, sulphur, or common salt, without the addition of H. or without the benefit of the Fire of any other salt. No salt can be found, which is not a commodious matter for this salt of Art; yet it may be collected from one more easily, and more copiously than from another. But because we exhibited one only way of preparing that before, as well for other reasons, as because of want of time, and lest we should be too tedious to the Reader; therefore we now think it convenient to signifie, that these wonderful salts may be prepared, and that they are endowed with special virtues denied to others, which they exercise, as well universally as particularly, in Vegetables, Animals, and Minerals. For, Who can deny that salt to be of another nature, which remains after the Destillation of spirit of common salt, and that which is left in the Destillation of Aqua-fortis or R. although they be salts of a most diverse nature, of which these are prepared?

Yet every one of these is endowed with power of dissolving and fixing. But that which is made of Sal Armoniack volatilizeth all bodies so, as the souls of them pass over by Alembick; in like manner a spirit separated from Sal-Armoniack, by the help of C. manifests other virtues and properties, than those which are found in the Spirit of common Salt. To one more accurately considering these, Arcanums of great note will exhibit themselves: But more of these elsewhere.

Of the Name of this Universal Salt.

On this Salt we impose the name of, The Universal Salt of Philosophers, respecting those excellent Powers and Virtues, with which it is endowed above any other Salt. We deservedly call it Universal, because it is the highest of those Medicaments which proceed from Minerals, Animals, or Vegetables; as in the following Treatise shall be demonstrated: Of Philosophers is added, because the demonstration of this matter is necessarily grounded on Philosophick foundations.

Of the Virtues of this Universal Salt.

Touching its virtues, they are innumerable, and we judge it impossible to discover them all; for if I should undertake only to write what I know of the virtues thereof, a whole years time, day and night labouring, would scarcely suffice. Perhaps GOD will discover more to others; perhaps they, who are younger than I, may find what is to me unknown. By me the first, by me the Guide is opened to the Searcher an entrance to things more excellent.

My purpose is to communicate to others those things, which the most Bountiful GOD hath largely conferred on me, for His Honour, and the profit of my Neighbour: I intend, I say, to divulge the wonderful Works of GOD, but at this time (by reason of various businesses and hindrances) I shall only make mention of some of the virtues, which I find to be in my Sal Mirabile, or Salt of Art, reserving the more special explanation of all things to a more commodious time.

This Salt is rightly called Universal, because it is the principal Medicament of the three Kingdoms, viz. of Animals, Vegetables, and Minerals, and hath power to perfect and augment the same. I remember that heretofore I have attributed to Nitre the Dignity of this, and not without reason; yet in many things it is inferiour to this Sal Mirabile, so as it deserves not to be compared with the same. Therefore in no wise correspondent to Verity are those Writings, which teach, That by the help of a certain Corrosive, a transparent Salt may be extracted from a Metal, and that Salt, dissolvable in water, is the true Salt of the Wise. Such Writings are of no other use, than to seduce the Ignorant by Lyes.

For the salt in which a Metal is dissolved, deserves no more to be called or esteemed a simple salt, but receives the condition of a metallick Vitriol, whether that Vitriol is green or yellow, of Sol and Luna, or white, of Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn; or blewish-green, of Mars and Venus; for what is to be an Universal Medicine, extending it self to all Kingdoms, must necessarily have no extraneous thing mixed with it. This is consentaneous even to the Judgment of Rusticks.

The true Universal Salt should be partaker of no metallick matter; but altogether pure, and most easily able to put on the nature of all things contained in the kingdoms of Vegetables, Minerals, and Animals, and so exhibit it self a most excellent Medicine. And since these Properties are most fully found in our Universal salt, there is no reason we should ascribe to it less Honour, or not preferr it before all salts.

Intending to expose the Verity of these sayings to all, we begin first with Vegetables.

Of the wonderful power of the Universal Salt in the kingdom of Vegetables.

I said in my Miracle of the World, and the Continuation thereof, that a sulphureous sweet salt is the most excellent Medicament of all Vegetables: The Truth of which no man hath cause to doubt; for I have shewed in various places, that barren grounds are made fruitful by the addition of that. Of this salt, which we may use instead of Dung, there is great diversity, for it is prepared of Wood-ashes, of Stones burnt to Lime, and of other bodies putrefied by length of time. But the Chief of all these is Salt-petre, being the salt of Vegetables, Animals, and Minerals putrefied, especially because it is endowed with a certain occult and sweet Fire. Also the signature proper to it, clearly exposeth to our sight its augmentative virtue; for it exhibits not it self in a Cubical form, as is observed in corrosive salts, (altogether adverse to the augmentation of Bodies) but Dart-like or acuminate. By this signature Nature intended to shew of what condition and virtue salt-petre is. And indeed, if Experience be consulted, the things we have proposed will be found true, viz. that in Nitre is a principal Virtue, augmenting Bodies. As for example: R. what Corn you will, steep it for a night and day in Rain-water, wherein Nitre is dissolved, commit it to the earth, and you will find, that it not only shoots up more copious stalks and ears, and hath a more swift germination and ripening, but also is endowed with a much more acceptable taste, than other Corn in the vulgar manner produced by the help of the Dungs of Animals. But of this matter, more at large elsewhere.

Pure Nitre is a salt genited in old Stables, from the Dung and Urine of Animals. Urine and Dung are no other than Vegetables themselves, putrefied by digestion in the stomachs of Animals; which concoction is wont to be perfected in 24 hours space: But Vegetables and Animals, out of the stomachs of Animals, cannot be putrefied without long time, especially when they have acquired some undue hardness.

Thus we see Putrefaction differs in respect of time, yet it acknowledgeth no diversity; for whether it be made in the stomach of an Animal, or out of it, it is all one, and never different in virtues. By this medium the Vegetable kind hath its propagation and encrease, but altogether in a rustical manner, because a better way is not yet known.

Indeed, unto Philosophers is known a more easie and more compendious way of reducing Vegetables, Animals, and Minerals to their first matter, or into a sulphureous sweet Salt; yet they reserved the same among their Arcanums, lest such a most noble Art should be made too common.

As it is altogether impossible that the seed of any Vegetable set in dry Herbs should grow, or Man himself, or any other Animal, should be able to sustain Life, encrease, or be multiplied, with the only use of Sand or Flints; but earth moistened with a saline liquor, is required, unto which the seed must be committed; and in Man such Aliment must be digested in the stomach, as will easily be changed into nutriment of the Parts: so it is impossible to augment Metals, unless they have been before reduced to their first matter, and so spiritually conjoined each to other, as one may give nourishment and encrease to the other. All these things are far more easily and more readily performed by Art than by Nature.

By Art that all Vegetable, Animal, and Mineral subjects may most easily and swiftly be reduced to their first matter, which is a sulphureous sweet Salt; and by that means be multiplied, the true Universal Salt clearly demonstrates; which salt, if we observe its signature or long figure) is not only more excellent than Salt-petre, but is also generated easily in the air. We have discerned sand or a stone to imbibe this salt, if exposed to the air, and from an ingenited virtue thence to grow, yea, and that which first grew being taken away, in a few daies space another hath shewed it self, and so to Infinity. Indeed these things seem impossible, but they are not so to him who rightly knows Nature; for that augmentation is effected in a Magnetical manner, of which we do more fully treat in another place.

Hence, not without good cause, do we ascribe to this Universal Salt the title of HERO, and a most rich and liberal Monarch.