f Fire. This is
my experience, after this time, we
could never find the like Aqua-fortis.
I Helvetius saw this Gold
white, and without Tincture.

The same.

There is yet one other Example
very rare; of what was done at
the Hague by a Silver-Smith, whose
name was Grill: how he in the year
1664. by Spirit of Salt, not
prepared in the Vulgar manner,
transmuted Lead so, as from one
pound, he received three parts of
the best Silver, and two ounces of
most fixed Gold.

At the Hague, a certain Silver-Smith,
and a much exercised Disciple
of Alchimy, but according to
the nature of Alchimy, a very poor
man; did sometime since require
Spirit of Salt, not vulgarly prepared,
of a loving Friend of Mine, a
Cloath-Dyer, by name, John Casparus
Knottnerus. My Friend giving
the same to him; demanded,
whether he would use that Spirit
of Salt, he now had, for Metals,
or not? Grill made answer; for
Metalls. And accordingly he afterward
powred this Spirit of Salt
upon Lead, which he had put into
a Glass Dish, usual for Conditures
and Confections. The space of two
Weeks being elapsed, supernatant
on the Spirit of Salt, appeared a
most splendid Silver-Starre, so exceeding
curious, as if it had been
made With an Instrument by a most
ingenious Artist. At the sight of
which, the said Grill, filled with
Exceeding Joy, signified to us, that
he had seen the Signate Star of
Philosophers, touching which he
had read in Basilius, as he thought.
I, and many other honest Men,
did behold this Star supernatant
on the Spirit of Salt, the lead in
the mean while remaining in the
bottom of an ash colour, and swollen like
a Sponge. But in the space
of seven or nine dayes, that humidity
of the Spirit of Salt, being absumed
by the exceeding heat of the
Aire, in July, did vanish; but the
Star settled down, and still stood
above that Earthly Spongeous Lead.
That was a thing worthy of admiration,
and beheld by not a few
Spectators. At length Grill himself
having taken part of Cinereous,
or Ash-like Lead, with the Star
adhering, cupellated in a Test,
and found from one ounc