PART THREE.

lower regulus which this flowing mixture sent downwards, is to be taken. But which one it is, cannot be perceived from the words: because, however, the intention of Paracelsus here is to destroy gold and silver by the admission of the said species, and reduce them to Nothing, from which Nothing subsequently the increment of the Sun obtained from the addition in the reduction may be gained, it seems probable to have thought that not the dross of this mixture, but the regulus should be taken, the tin, arsenic, and the Schlich entering and uniting them with the Gold and Silver. For it is the property of the Antimonial regulus to join contrary metals and minerals. Tin joined to ductile metals, about to suffer fire with them, reduces them to dross, which Sulfur, Vitriol, and Schlich also perform, and for no other reason are they cited by Paracelsus than to corrupt the Sun and Moon and reduce them to dross. But what kind of Schlich (Schlich) he wishes here, because he did not add the surname of Gold, silver, iron, copper, lead, or tin, no one could easily have divined. For this is called Schlichtum by Chemists and Metallurgists, when they dilute the optimally ground mine with water, by washing away its lighter parts, the mine or heap or stone, with the heavier and more noble part of the metal remaining at the bottom of the vessels, which when examining, they conjecture from thence the value of the metal or mine: calling this work Schlichten, or to reduce into Schlich, or even Sicheren: and because all metals can be reduced into Schlich or Calx, this word Schlich or Calx can fit all metals. Otherwise from that