To which I answer, that it was not a true tincture, but only that the sulphur in the spirit of wine was exalted or graduated by the corporeal salt of tartar, and so got a red colour, which it loseth as soon as the salt of tartar is taken from it, and reassumeth its former white colour: even as it hapneth also, when the salt of urin, or of harts-horn or soot, or any other like urinous salt is digested with spirit of wine, that the spirit turneth red of it, but not lastingly, but just so as it falls out with the salt of tartar, for if by rectification it be separated again from the spirit of wine, each (_viz._ both the salt and also the spirit of wine) doth recover again its former colour, whereby it appeareth, that (as above said) it was not a true tincture. He that will not believe it, let him dissolve but ℥ i. of common white salt of tartar in ℔ i. of spirit of wine, and the spirit will turn as red of it, as if it had stood a long time upon several pounds of blew or green calcined salt of tartar; and if I had not tryed it my self several times, I should have also been of that opinion: but because I found it to be otherwise, therefore I would not omit to set down my opinion: though I know I shall deserve small thanks of some, especially of those which rather will err with the greater number, than to know and confess the truth with the less number. However, I do not say, that the supposed tincture of the salt of Tartar is of no vertue or useless; for I know well enough that it is found very effectual in many diseases: for the purest part of the salt of Tartar hath been dissolved by the spirit of wine, it being thus coloured thereby, and therefore that tinctured spirit of wine may very fitly be used. But as for the Tincture, which is extracted out of the prepared pebles, it is clean of another condition: for if you abstract the spirit of wine from it, though it also cometh over white, yet there remaineth a deep tinctured salt, whose colour is lasting in the strongest fire, and therefore may be counted a true Tincture. _How by the help of this liquor out of Gold its red colour may be extracted so that it remains white._ This oyl or liquor of pebles is of such a condition, that it doth precipitate all metals which are dissolved by corrosives, but not after that manner as the salt of Tartar doth; for the calx of metals which is precipitated by this liquor; (because that the pebles do mingle themselves therewith) is grown much heavier thereby, than if it had been only precipitated with salt of Tartar.