The manifold and various sorts of food, whether prepared of Flesh or Fish, if brought to the Table not seasoned with Salt, are not grateful to the Palate; in as much as they neither exhibit a pleasant relish, nor conduce to the health of the Body. Every man will readily assent to the truth of this trite and vulgar Maxim, if he shall consider with an accurate mind, that among all the Seasonings and Sauces of food, Salt holdeth the chiefest place, and that there is no other equal to it, so that among so many, there is no one to be preferr’d to it.
Therefore what great and excellent Treasures, admirable Virtues, and most worthy Endowments, in which, by diligent search, and inquisition the minds of men may be occupied, are contained therein, I have determined in this present Treatise to enquire into, and declare; inasmuch as for the space of fifteen or sixteen years, I have endeavoured nothing more, than that by all my Labours I might serve the Divine Glory, and the publick good. For by my first endeavours I published a Work, treating of Philosophical Furnaces in five parts, and I discovered five Furnaces, adapted to the various modes of Distillation; I also shewed the way of preparing (by an artificial manner) excellent Medicines which drive away various and divers Diseases afflicting the Humane Body, which profitable and artificial Inventions, no man before me hath revealed.
Next follows my Mineral Work, shewing the Original, and emendation of Metals and Minerals: To which succeedeth my Pharmacopœia Spagyrica, in three parts, treating of Vegetables, and by what means efficacious Medicines may be prepared of them.
Next after these, was my Work of the Admirable Nature and Properties of Salt-petre, in which is solidly demonstrated, that that Miracle of all sorts, is the true Universal Solvent of Philosophers, which is subservient to the use of all men, high and low, rich and poor. That little Treatise I have called by the name of Miraculum Mundi, which I have augmented by an Explication and Continuation, and fenced it with a defence and Apology, against the wicked Insults of Envy and Scorn. In all these I have set before the Eyes of this blind World, the Divine Miracles and Misteries of Nature.
After this, came out another Treatise, under the Title of the Prosperity of Germany, in four Books, the two latter of which are not yet Printed, but shall be published in a short time, if God shall prolong my life, which contain very profitable Precepts of the Oeconomy and Administration of things familiar.
Then another little piece, called, The Consolation of Sailers; teaching how they may defend and preserve themselves in all long Voyages, as to the East-Indies and other parts, against Hunger, Thirst, and other incommodities of that kind, to which they are wont to be Obnoxious.
Moreover, A Treatise of Tartar, Vinegar, and Spirit of Wine, shewing their easie attainment and preparation.
To these I have adjoined, a Treatise of Aurum Potabile, and another of true Aurum Potabile, or the Universal Medicine, and other Apologetical Writings, in which I have not only set forth the perfidious unfaithfulness of men, but have also revealed many excellent Sciences, that by all these Writings I might illustrate the Divine Glory, and contribute to the benefit and profit of my Neighbour, by giving him as it were wholsom and excellent food, whereby both his Body and mind may be equally refreshed.
And although the said Meats be wholsome, of a good Savour, and contain their own Salt; nevertheless, it seems to me necessary, to salt them as it were afresh, and to season them with a certain Sauce, that they may be tasted with so much the greater appetite and pleasure. And I have so much the more a mind to do this, as I more studiously endeavour to observe that precept of the ancient Doctors, that no Meat should be brought to the Table without Salt. For it was a received custom in former time in well ordered Families, to set the Salt first upon the Table before any other Dish, and not to take it away till all other Dishes were first removed: The which indicates, that Salt is a most profitable thing, and an highly necessary gift of God, therefore of right claimeth the precedency of other Meats in setting upon the Table, and of remaining there, till they are again removed. But that this most Noble and Divine Gift, may the better be understood by the ignorant, and may be made more known than hitherto it hath been, I cannot pass by, but I must indulge my self, as my time will allow, in a few words, and as it were by the bye, to shadow out, and depict its great and admirable efficacy, for the profit of Mankind. But here I shall speak but of few things, and that very compendiously, the studious of Divine Wonders may find the rest in the Writings of other pious and diligent Men, if he hath a desire to know more.
As for the Original of Salt, which is drawn out of the Ocean, as an Universal Storehouse, Writers are divided into divers parts and Opinions. Some think that those Salt Fountains, which in many, and various places of the Earth break forth from their Springs, and by the help of boiling, yield their Salt, do not take their beginning from the Ocean, but from a Salt peculiarly generated, and brought forth in many places of the Terrene Globe, like Metals. And they establish their Opinion by this Argument; That the Water of those Fountains much exceedeth, oftentimes, that of the Sea in saltness; and on the contrary, the Sea Water being brought by long and tedious Passages through the Earth, necessarily looseth its saltness, and therefore leaving its Salt, it ought to come forth plainly sweet, or insipid. This reason, at the first sight, seemeth so agreeable to truth, that one can hardly think the matter to be otherwise. But most Springs of sweet Water, in their first rise were Salt, which penetrating the passages of the Earth, have deposited their Salt in the same, to nourish the Earth, and that they might come forth sweet for the daily use of Man. Whence they have given rise to so many, and such various Rivers, which again return in that Universal Store-house the Sea, or Ocean, by which incessant and Reciprocal Flux, they are impregnated with Salt, and Communicate the same to the Earth, that it may never labour under a want of due nourishment, but may render Minerals, Stones, Trees, Grass, Beasts, and even Men also, partakers of the same perpetually, and so may serve as well for the Sustentation, Propagation, and Conservation of Irrational, as Rational Animals, the which no man of a sound mind can deny, except he will also deny the Circulation of the Blood in the Body of Man, or Microcosm, which is plainly unknown to not a few, and will say, that the blood in the little Toe, or little Finger, or left Ear, or other places, doth not arise from the Liver, the Universal Fountain of Blood, but that it is particularly generated and produced by the Vital Spirit, in those very parts, which savoureth not a little of Absurdity.
Seeing therefore, that the constant Circulation of the Blood in the Microcosm, can be in no wise deny’d, why should not also such a Circulation in the Macrocosm be admitted as true? For as the Blood of the Human Body arising from the Liver, diffuseth it self through all the Passages and Veins of the Body, as well small as great, and Conserveth the life of the whole, nourisheth all the parts, and augmenteth the good juices, which are changed into Flesh, Bones, Skin, and Hairs in the Members themselves, and leaving the unprofitable Phlegm to be expelled by the Pores of the skin: So also is it with the Nutriment and Universal Aliment of the great World, while the Salt water without intermission, of the great Sea, or Ocean, encompassing the whole Globe of the Earth, by many small and great passages or Veins, passeth through all the parts of the Earth, and nourisheth and sustaineth them with its Salt, that Minerals, Metals, Stones, Sand, Clay, Shrubs, Trees, and Grass may be nourished and grow, and in growing take their encrease. The rest of the Water being freed from all saltness, is exterminated as a superfluity in the Superficies, and being diffused into various Springs, as well small as great, is expelled, no otherwise than the superfluous sweat of the Blood in the Microcosm, by innumerable passages and pores. But that in many places of the Earth, the Water doth not leave its salt, but carrieth it along with it self, that may very well come to pass for divers reasons. For first, the most excellent Governour, by His Divine Providence, hath most wisely ordained and appointed, that a salt water of this kind, which men could in no wise be without, should break forth out of the Earth, and it is thus effected: The Sea-water every where passing through the passages and clefts of the Earth, in some places is dried up by the Central fire, and coagulated into hard and great pieces, which being digged up by men, and dissolved by the help of Water, and freed from its fæces, is boiled up in fit Vessels, and reduced into a pure Salt.
But if it happeneth that other Water passing through those passages, findeth pieces of Salt of this kind, it dissolveth so much of the same as it can carry along with it, and afterwards is boiled into Salt after various manners, according to the greater or lesser quantity of Salt it hath carried along with it.
But that one Salt Fountain is richer in Salt than another, the cause of the difference is in the Water, which passing by, doth more or less associate it self with the Salt, and so is made stronger or weaker.
These few things are sufficient for the refelling of their Opinion, who assert, that Saline Fountains do not draw their original from the Sea, but are generated and produced in a peculiar manner in the Earth, by the help of the Stars.
But if this should seem credible, nevertheless it would seem more credible, that the Sun and Stars casting their Rays and Influences into the Ocean or Seas, should there generate Salt, which afterwards penetrating through the pervious passages of the Earth, should convey due nourishment to the same.
This reason may also be assigned of the greater or lesser quantity of Salt in Fountains or Salt-springs, that those passages which receive salt water from the Sea, differ in scituation of place, and are also differently disposed or allotted by the sea-water it self, which being various and manifold (in respect of saltness) differs much in one place from another.
For by how much the nearer the Sea-water is to the North, it contains so much the less salt, so that oftentimes it scarcely holds the tenth or twelfth part of Salt. But the nearer it is to the South or the East, it is inriched with so much the more salt. For this reason, in many places of the East and West Indies, the sea aboundeth and swelleth with so great a force of salt, that when it is stirred up by the vehement impetuosity of Tempests, it casts out with its surges a copious spume or frothy scum upon the shore, which being afterwards dried by the Rays of the Sun, the Inhabitants are wont to use for the salting of Flesh and Fish. Experience teacheth, that in places of this sort, four pounds of Sea-water yield one pound of salt, and the fertility of those Lands also indicates the great quantity of salt, which without any cultivation or human labour, both Winter and Summer inrich the Inhabitants with most excellent Fruits. But those Regions scituated near the Arctick Pole, or North, do not enjoy so great a fertility, because they want the greater and more penetrating Beams of the Sun, and do not exhibit so great a quantity of Salt, which is the cause of all fertility, and therefore those Regions are denied so large and spontaneous a fruitfulness.
But that Salt which the Unskilful have been accustomed to have in little or no regard, may be had in greater honour, I neither could or would any longer pass by its due Name in silence, and therefore I have called it the greatest Treasure, and most ample Riches of the World.
Moreover, that I may prove and demonstrate, that this common abject salt, known to every man, (in which the life, conservation, growth, and propagation of all the Creatures consisteth, and which is the beginning and end of all things) doth deserve this title, and that a greater Treasure is not found in the Earth; it will be necessary to do this, that I make manifest the infallible Verity of the Mysteries of GOD and Nature.
But I desire of the unprejudiced Reader, that he will not be offended at the vileness of abject and contemptible salt, nor think that I, in giving this Title to it, and calling it the greatest Treasure and chiefest Riches of the whole World, have exceeded or given it too great honour. For so great and honourable a Title doth of right belong to it, and should as yet be insignized with a greater, if a greater by me could be attributed. And I easily perswade my self, that if those who are captivated by the hunger of Gold, shall see this Book, and read the Title, they will conceive no other thing in their minds, than the description of the great Universal it self, or the revelation of great Riches and massy Treasures, which they will hope to find in this Treatise, never dreaming that poor abject and contemptible salt should be set before them, and therefore will say, What is all this noise about a handful of Salt? Who could have thought that Glauber would have dared to have given such a Title to Salt? But I earnestly require of thee, my Friend, that thou wouldst patiently read those things which in this Writing I have put before thine eyes, concerning Salt, and that thou wouldst accurately examine them, that thou maist apprehend me to have written the pure and sincere truth. If they exceed the capacity of thy mind, and thou hast not hitherto learned or understood the same from the Books of others, I would have thee to understand that all men have not knowledge of all things, and that the Omnipotent GOD hath left many Sciences to Posterity, which he hath hitherto concealed from the proud and haughty. Read over and over the true Writings of the ancient Philosophers, that thou maist know, and throughly know, that those men who have searched the most intimate Penetrals of Nature, had salt in great estimation, to have industriously concealed its Mysteries and Arcanums from the ingrateful World, which now in these last times are brought to light, for thee and all others, to be received as incomparable Gifts, with a grateful mind.
Therefore Reader bend thine Ears, and open thine Eyes, overgrown with blindness and darkness, attend to those good things which I shall discourse to thee of salt; if thou wilt make trial, and will search them throughly by an accurate examination, whether they agree with God, Nature and Truth, I doubt not, but thy mind will be enlightened with a great light, and thou wilt become as a man renovated; but if with a proud mind thou shalt refuse to learn and understand those things, or scoff or mock at them, thou shalt be reckoned amongst the number of Fools, and perpetually abide in the same, although Aristotle himself, and all the Professors and Doctors should sit upon thy long Ass-ears, and thou with the same shouldst endeavour as an Ass with a sack to cover thy foolish Pride and proud folly. It is much better for a man to know many things, and measure or estimate himself in his own way or manner, than to know nothing, and bear himself out with the vain pride of his own ignorance. I have never seen any man endowed with true knowledge, who hath preferred himself to others; on the contrary, I have found very many, who being stirred up by envy, hatred, and inhumane malice, do nothing sooner or more readily, than insult and make a mockery at pious men, to whom the Divine Bounty hath granted his Gifts, and as it were, devour them with their Wolf-like Teeth, which diabolical wickedness the Divine Justice in its own time will not suffer to escape unpunished.
Thus much I was willing to say to the proud Caviller; now therefore attend to those things which I shall speak concerning Salt.