of salt, and a far clearer oyl will be extracted; the dregs with the stink left in the bottom of the retort, which afterward may be twice or thrice rectifyed again with fresh spirit of salt, until it get the clearness of water, and sweetness of sent resembling Amber and musk. And this transmutation makes of a hard thing, a soft; unlike the former in shape, which though never so soft and liquid, oyly, may again be coagulated, so that it becomes as it was at first, after this manner following. Take the said oyl very well clarifyed, add to it fresh spirit of salt, set it in digestion, and the oyl will attract from the spirit of salt, salt enough for its own recoagulation, and again it acquires the hardness of Amber, of an excellent clear and admirable colour; of which half an ounce is worth more than some pounds of black Amber; of which scarce the eight or tenth part remains in purifying, all the foul superfluities cast away. By this means I think one may cleanse and mend black metals, if so be the manner of their cleaning were known by distillation, sublimation and recoagulation. But thou say’st that metals cannot like vegetables be purified by force of distillation, to which I present our first furnace not given to peasants, but Chymists, purifying metals; so also the possibility of their perfection is shewn by help of fermentation. For as fresh leaven can ferment the vegetables juices, which are perfected by fermentation, the dregs being cast away as one may see in wine, ale, and other liquors, whose lasting and perfection proceeds from no other thing but fermentation purifying the vegetable juices, without which they could not otherwise withstand the Elements, subject to corruption in a very short time, which fermented last some years: so also if we knew the proper ferment of metals, surely we might refine and perfect them, so that they not being any more subject to rust, would be able to prevail against fire and water, and be nourished and fed by them. For so the world heretofore perished with water, and shall at last perish with fire, and our bodies must rot and be purified by fire before we come to the sight of God. And thus far of the fermentation of metals, wherewith they are amended and perfected. Metals also are purify’d and amended like milk set on the fire; whose cream the better part (the substance of butter) in the top is separation from the whey and cheese, and the hotter the place is, the sooner the separation is made even, so it is with the separation of metals; where metals put into a Fitted hot place by themselves without any addition of another thing (the metals being before reduced to a milky substance or curd) are separated in time, by parting the nobler parts from the ignobler, opening a great treasure: and as in winter time milk is hardly separated with a weak heat; just so metals if not helped with Fire, as one may see in iron, which in a long time under the earth is turned into gold without Art. For often iron oar