or if you had wrapped
your Theft in yellow Wax, that it
might have been conserved from
the Fume of Lead, then it would so
have penetrated into the Lead,
as to have transmuted the same
into Gold. But now a Sympathetick
Operation was performed in
Fume, and so the Medicine permixed
with the Fume, flew away:
For all Gold, Silver, Tin, Mercury,
and like Metals, are corrupted
by Lead Vapours, and
likewise converted to a brittle
Glass. While he was thus speaking,
I shewed him my Crucible,
who, viewing the remaining Substance,
perceived a most beautiful
Saffron-coloured Tincture,
adhering to the sides of the Crucible,
and say'd, To-morrow at nine of
the Clock, I will return, and
shew you; how your Medicine
must be used to transmute Lead
into Gold. In which promise of
him, I rested secure. Yet, in the
mean while, I again and again
requested information of him,
whether this Philosophick Work,
required great Charges in the preparing,
and a very long Time.
O my Friend, answered he, you very
accurately affect to know all
things, yet I will open this to
you; The Charge is not great, nor
is the Time long. But, as touching
the matter of which our Arcanum
is made, I would have you to
know; there are only two Metals
and Minerals, of which it is prepared.
And because the Sulphur
of Philosophers is more abundant
in these Minerals, therefore it is
made of them.

Then I again asked him: What
the Menstruum was, and whether
the Operations were made in Glasses,
or in Crucibles. He answered;
The Menstruum is a Celestial Salt,
or a Salt of Celestial Virtue, by
the benefit of which, Philosophers
only dissolve the Terrene Metallick
Body, and in dissolving, the
noble Elixir of Philosophers is
produced. But the Operation is,
performed in a Crucible, from
the beginning to the end, in an
open Fire. And the Whole Work
may be begun, and plainly ended
in no longer time, then four dayes:
Also in this whole Work, no greater
Cost is required, then the value
of three Florens. Lastly he added;
Neither the Mineral, from Which,
nor the Salt by Which, is of any
great Price. I again said to him:
My Master; This is strange, for
it is repugnant to the sayings of
various Philosophers, Who have
writ, that at least seven, or nine
Moneths are imployed in this
Work. He answered: The true
writings of Philosophers are only;
understood by the truly Adept.
Therefore, touching the Time,
they would write nothing certain;
yea; I say, no L