like fooles despise it, or else know it not. Againe, fire and Azot, are sufficient for thee. And in an other place, Heat perfecteth al things. And elsewhere, seeth, seeth, seeth, and be not wearie. And in an other place, let thy fire be gentle, & easie, which being alwayes equall, may continue burning: and let it not encrease, for if it do, thou shalt suffer great losse. And in an other place, Know thou that in one thing, to wit, the stone, by one way, to wit, decoctiõ, and in one vessel the whole mastery is performed. And in an other place, patiently, and continually, and in another place, grinde it seuen times. And in an other place, It is ground with fire. And in an other place, this worke is verie like to the creation of man: for as the Infant in the beginning is nourished with light meates, but the bones beeing strengthened with stronger: so this masterie also, first it must haue an easie fire, whereby wee must alwaies worke in euery essence of decoction. And though we alwayes speake of a gentle fire, yet in truth, we think that in gouerning the worke, the fire must alwayes by little and little bee increased and augmented vnto the end. CHAP. V. _Of the qualitie of the Vessell and Furnace._ The meanes and manner of working, wee haue alreadie determined: nowe wee are to speake of the Vessell and Furnace, in what sort, and of what things they must be made. Whereas nature by a naturall fire decocteth the mettals in the Mynes, shee denieth the like decoction to be made without a vessel fitte for it. And if we purpose to immitate nature in concocting, wherefore do we reiect her vessell? Let vs first of all therefore, see in what place the generation of mettals is made. It doth euidently appeare in the places of Minerals, that in the bottom of the mountaine there is heate continually alike, the nature whereof is alwaies to ascend, and in the ascention it alwayes drieth vp, and coagulateth the thicker or grosser water hidden in the belly, or veines of the earth, or mountaine, into Argent-uiue. And if the minerall fatnes of the same place arising out of the earth, be gathered warme togither in the veines of the earth, it runneth through the mountain, & becommeth Sulphur. And as a man may see in the foresaide veines of that place, that Sulphur engendred of the fatnesse of the earth (as is before touched) meeteth with the Argent-uiue (as it is also written) in the veines of the earth, and begetteth the thicknesse of the minerall water. There, through the continual equall heate in the mountaine, in long processe of time diuerse mettals are engendred, according to the diuersitie of the place. And in these Minerall places, you shall finde a continuall heate. For this cause wee are of right to note, that the externall minerall mountaine is euerie where shut vp within it selfe, and stonie: for if the heate might issue out, there should neuer be engendred any mettall.