Now these are the Tinctures of Metalls, which it is necessary must bee turned into an Alcool, by the first degree of Calcination, then by the second degree of Sublimation, must get an easy, and light flux. And lastly, by the degree of Putrefaction, and Distillation are made a fixt, and incombustible Tincture, and of an unchangeable colour. [Sidenote: The Tinctures of Men.] Now the Tinctures of Mens bodies are, that they bee tinged into the highest perfection of health, and all Diseases bee expelled from them, that their lost strength, and colour bee restored, and renewed, and they are these, _viz._ Gold, Pearles, Antimony, Sulphur, Vitriall, and such like, whose preparation wee have diversly taught in other books; wherefore it doth not seem to us necessary here to repeat them. [Sidenote: Of Dying and Painting.] Wee shall write no more of Tinctures, seeing every extracted colour may bee called a Tincture, which doth indeed tinge things with a permanent colour, which doe not go into the Fire, or preserve colours fixed in the Fire. All these are in the hand, and power of the Dyer, and Painter, who prepares them according to his pleasure. [Sidenote: How many degrees of the Alchymists fire there be.] It is very necessary in this book to know the degrees of Fire, which many wayes may bee graduated, and intended, and every degree hath a peculiar operation, and one produceth the same effect, as another, as every expert Alchymist, by the daily experience, and exercise of the Art knows. For one is as living, and flaming Fire, which reverberates, and Calcines all bodies: Another is the Fire of a Candle, or Lamp, which fixeth all volatile bodies: Another is a Fire of coals, which cements, colours, and purgeth Metalls from their dross, exalts Gold and Silver to a higher purity, whitens Copper, and in brief renews all Metalls. Another Fire is of an Iron plate made red hot, in which the Tinctures of Metalls are proved, which also is profitable for other things. The Filings of Iron heat after one fashion, Sand after another, Ashes after another, a _Balneum Mariæ_ after another, in which manifold Distillations, Sublimations, and Coagulations are done. _Balneum roris_ after another, in which there are made many Solutions of corporeall things. Horse-dung after another, in which the chiefest putrefactions, and digestions are made. [Sidenote: The Celestiall fire.] And after another fashion works the invisible Fire, by which wee understand the rayes of the Sun, and that which is manifested by a glasse, or Crystall, and shews its operations and effects, of which Fire the Ancients wrote nothing at all; and by this fire the three Principles of every corporeall thing may bee separated. This Fire is of such wonderfull force, that by it Metalls may bee melted, and all fat, and fluxible things, may upon the table without any Fire bee together with all combustible things, reduced into coales, and ashes.