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.