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 ounce of this Lead, twelve ounces of Cupellate Silver, and from these twelve ounces, he also had two ounces of the best Gold. And I Helvetius am able to shew some of this Spongeous Lead with part of the Star yet adhering, & besides the pieces of the Star the Silver and Gold made thereof. Which when this Subtile (and Likewise Foolish) Grill understood, he would not be known to Knottterus, whether he had used the Spirit of Salt, or not; but thenceforth attempted to learn of him the Art how to make it; yet some time being Elapsed, the worthy Knottnerus had for got what Spirit of salt (for he was expert in various kinds thereof) he had given him; not being able to call the same to mind so suddenly: in the mean while, he and his Family were visited with the Pestilence and dyed: the other falling into the Water was drowned. After the death of these two, none could find out the way of either of their Operations.

Certainly here is cause of Admiration, that the Internal Nature of Lead, by the simple maturation of Spirit of Salt, should appear in an external form so noble. No less admirable and wonderful to the mind is this, viz. that the mirifick Stone of Philosophers can so exceeding swiftly transmute Metals; having virtue potentially insited in it self, so as it is deduced into Art, as in Iron by contact of the Magnet. But touching These enough for the Sons of Art.

CHAP. III.

Since promises are so much the better esteemed, by how much the sooner they are fulfilled, I, without any dilation, immediately come to my promised Declaration of the following History, which thus take.

At the Hague, on the sixth Calend of January or the 27th. of December, in the year 1666, a certain man came to my House in the Afternoon, to me indeed planely unknown, but endued with an honest gravity, and serious authority of Countenance, cloathed in a Plebick Habit, like to some Memnonite of a middle Stature, his Visage somewhat long, with some Pock-holes here and there dispersed: his Hairs were indeed very black, yet not curled, little or no no hair on his Chin, and about three or four and fourty years of Age: his Countrey (as far as I am able to conjecture) is the Septentrional Batavia, vulgarly called Nord Hollund.

After salutations ended, his new Guest, with great Reverence, asked, whether he might have freedom to come to me; because for the Pyrotechnick Art sake, he could not, nor was he willing to pass by the Door of my house; adding, that he had not only thought to have made use of some Friend to come to me, but had also read some of my little Treaties, especially that, which I published against D. Digbies Sympathetick Powder, in which I discovered my doubt of the true Philosophick Mystery. Therefore, this occasion being taken, he asked me, whether I could believe, that place was given to such a Mystery in the things of Nature, by the benefit of which a Physician might be able to cure all Diseases universally, unless the Sick already had a defect either of the Lungs, or Liver, or of any like noble Member? To which I answered. Such a Remedy is exceeding necessary for a Physician, but no man knows, what and how great are the Secrets yet hidden in Nature, nor did I ever, in all my Life see such an Adept Man, although I have read and perused many things, touching the verity of this thing, or Art, in the Writings of Philosophers. I also enquired of him, whether he (speaking of the Universal Medicine) were not a Physician? But he answering by denyal, professed, that he was no other than a Melter of Orichalcum, and that in the Flower of his years, he had known many things, from his Friend, rare to the Sight, and especially the way of Extracting Medicinal Arcanums by the force of Fire, and that for this very cause, he was a Lover of this so noble Science of Medicine. Moreover, long after other discourses, touching Experiments in Metals, made by the violence of Fire, Elias the Artist spake to me thus; Do not you know the Highest Secret, when it is offered to your sight, viz. the Stone of Phylosophers, you having read in the Writings of many Chymists most excellent, touching the Substance, Colour, and strange effect of the same? I answered, not at all; except what I have read in Paracelsus, Helmont, Basilius, Sandivogius, and like Books of Adept Phylosophers extant. Nevertheless, I think, I am not able to know the Phylosophick Matter, whether it be true, or not, although I should see it present before me. Whilst I was speaking thus, he pulled out of his Pocket an Ivory Box, in which he had three ponderous Fragments, in magnitude scarcely equalizing a small Walnut; these were Glass-like, of the colour of pale Sulphur, to which the Interior Scales of that Crucible did adhere, in which this most noble Substance was liquified, for I suppose the Value of it might equalize twenty Tun of Gold. But after I had plighted my Faith, I held that [Greek: cheimhêlion], [or pretious Treasure] of this Stone, within these my hands for almost a quarter of an hour, and from the Philosophick Mouth of the Owner, I heard many things worthy of note, touching the Wonderful Effect of the same, for humane and Metallick bodies. Indeed, I, with a sad and afflictedly afflicted Mind, restored this Treasure of Treasures to him, the Lord and Possessor, who gave the same into my hand for a very short space of time; and yet I did that (after the manner of Men overcoming themselves) not without the greatest action of thanks, as was fit in such a Case. Afterward I asked him, how it came to pass, (since I had otherwise read, that the Stones of Philosophers, were endowed with a Rubinate, or Purple Colour) that this his Philosophick Stone was tinged with a Sulphureous Colour? He answered me thus: O Sir; this is nothing to the purpose: for the Matter is Sufficiently mature. Moreover, when I entreated him, that he would give to me, for a perpetual remembrance, one small part of the Medicine included in his Box, although no more in bulk than a Coriander-Seed; he denied, answering: O no! For this is not lawful for me to do, although you would give me this whole Roome full of Gold in Duckets; and that not by reason of the price of the Matter, but by reason of another certain Consequence; Yea, surely, if it were possible, that Fire could be burned with Fire, I would sooner cast this whole Substance into the devouring Flames of Vulcan, before your Eyes. A little after this, he also asked me, whether I had not another Room, the Windows of which were not to the Street-side; I presently brought this Phænix, or Bird most rare to be seen in this Land, into my best furnished Chamber; yet he, at his Entrance (as the manner of Hollanders is, in their Countryes) did not shake off his Shooes, which were dropping wet with Snow. I indeed, at that very time, thus thought: perhaps he will provide, or hath in readiness some Treasure for me; but he dash'd my hope all to pieces. For he immediatey asked of me a piece of the best Gold-mony; and in the mean while layed off his Cloak, and Country Coat; also he opened his Bosom, and under his Shirt he wore in green Silk, five great Golden Pendants, round, filling up the magnitude of the Interior Space of an Orb of Tin. Where, in comparing these, in respect of Colour and Flexibility, the difference between his Gold, and mine, was exceeding great. On these Pendants he had inscribed with an Iron Instrument, the following Words, which, at my request, he gave leave I should coppy out.

The form of the Pendants, and
words engraven thereon, are as
follows.