CHAP. V.
Of the qualitie of the Vessell and Furnace.
THe meanes and manner of working, wee haue alreadie determined: nowe wee are to speake of the Vessell and Furnace, in what sort, and of what things they must be made. Whereas nature by a naturall fire decocteth the mettals in the Mynes, shee denieth the like decoction to be made without a vessel fitte for it. And if we purpose to immitate nature in concocting, wherefore do we reiect her vessell? Let vs first of all therefore, see in what place the generation of mettals is made. It doth euidently appeare in the places of Minerals, that in the bottom of the mountaine there is heate continually alike, the nature whereof is alwaies to ascend, and in the ascention it alwayes drieth vp, and coagulateth the thicker or grosser water hidden in the belly, or veines of the earth, or mountaine, into Argent-uiue. And if the minerall fatnes of the same place arising out of the earth, be gathered warme togither in the veines of the earth, it runneth through the mountain, & becommeth Sulphur. And as a man may see in the foresaide veines of that place, that Sulphur engendred of the fatnesse of the earth (as is before touched) meeteth with the Argent-uiue (as it is also written) in the veines of the earth, and begetteth the thicknesse of the minerall water. There, through the continual equall heate in the mountaine, in long processe of time diuerse mettals are engendred, according to the diuersitie of the place. And in these Minerall places, you shall finde a continuall heate. For this cause wee are of right to note, that the externall minerall mountaine is euerie where shut vp within it selfe, and stonie: for if the heate might issue out, there should neuer be engendred any mettall. If therefore wee intend to immitate nature, we must needes haue such a furnace like vnto the Mountaines, not in greatnesse, but in continual heate, so that the fire put in, when it ascendeth, may finde no vent: but that the heat may beat vpon the vessell being close shutte, containing in it the matter of the stone: which vessell must be round, with a small necke, made of glasse or some earth, representing the nature or close knitting togither of glasse: the mouth whereof must be signed or sealed with a couering of the same matter, or with lute. And as in the mynes, ye heat doth not immediatly touch the matter of Sulphur and Argent-uiue, because the earth of the mountain cõmenth euery where between: So this fire must not immediatly touch the vessell, containing the matter of the foresaide things in it, but it must be put into another vessell, shut close in the like manner, that so the temperate heate may touch the matter aboue and beneath, and where ere it be, more aptly and fitly: wherevpon Aristotle sayth, in the light of lights, that Mercurie is to be cõcocted in a threefold vessell, and that the vessell must bee of most hard Glasse, or (which is better) of earth possessing the nature of Glasse.