Iron is an vnclean and imperfect body, engendred of Argent-uiue impure, too much fixed, earthy, burning, white and red not cleare, and of the like Sulphur: It wanteth fusion, puritie, and weight: It hath too much fixed vncleane Sulphur, and burning earthinesse. That which hath bene spoken, euerie Alchimist must diligently obserue. CHAP. III. _Out of what things the matter of_ Elixir _must be more nearly extracted_. The generation of mettals, as well perfect, as imperfect, is sufficiently declared by that which hath bene already spoken. Now let vs returne to the imperfect matter that must be chosen and made perfect. Seeing that by the former Chapters we haue bene taught, that all mettalls are engendred of Argent-uiue and Sulphur, and how that their impuritie and vncleannesse doth corrupt, and that nothing may be mingled with mettalls which hath not beene made or sprung from them, it remaineth cleane inough, that no strange thing which hath not his originall from these two, is able to perfect them, or to make a chaunge and new transmutation of them: so that it is to be wondred at, that any wise man should set his mind vpon liuing creatures, or vegetables which are far off, when there be minerals to bee found nigh enough: neither may we in any wise thinke, that any of the Philosophers placed the Art in the said remote things, except it were by way of comparison: but of the aforesaid two, all mettals are made, neither doth any thing cleaue vnto them, or is ioyned with them, nor yet chaungeth them, but that which is of them, and so of right wee must take Argent-uiue and Sulphur for the matter of our stone: Neither doth Argent-uiue by it selfe alone, nor Sulphur by it selfe alone, beget any mettall, but of the commixtion of them both, diuers mettals and minerals are diuersly brought foorth. Our matter therefore must bee chosen of the commixtion of them both: but our finall secrete is most excellent, and most hidden, to wit, of what minerall thing that is more neere then others, it shuld be made: and in making choise hereof, we must be very warie. I put the case then, y^t our matter were first of all drawne out of vegetables, (of which sort are hearbs, trees, and whatsoeuer springeth out of the earth) here wee must first make Argent-uiue & Sulphur, by a long decoction, from which things, and their operation we are excused: for nature herselfe offereth vnto vs Argent-uiue and Sulphur. And if wee should draw it from liuing creatures (of which sort is mans bloud, haire, vrine, excrements, hens egs, and what else proceede from liuing creatures) wee must likewise out of them extract Argent-uiue and Sulphur by decoction, frõ which we are freed, as we were before. Or if we should choose it out of middle minerals (of which sort are all kindes of _Magnesia_, _Marchasites_, of _Tutia_, Coppres, Allums, Baurach, Salts, and many other) we should likewise, as afore,