The Chemical Writings of Brother Basilius Valentinus: The Treatises of Heinrich Eschenreuter

certainly, because by nature they are not of such a high grade. I once presented this Tincture Tincture A potent alchemical substance, often a liquid or powder, capable of "dyeing" or transforming the inner nature of a base metal into a noble one. to a merchant in Erfurt who could not believe that metals could be transmuted transmuted The alchemical process of changing one chemical element or metal into another, such as lead into gold., and he wretchedly scolded those who claimed such things. This caused me great pity, and I was thus forced to bring the proof before this unworthy man’s very eyes; because of this, he then had to retract retract original: "revociren," meaning to formally withdraw or recant his previous statements. his words, though doing so nearly cost me my life. Alchemists often claimed that revealing their secrets to the unworthy or the public led to persecution or physical danger.

The Sixth Particular and Tincture for Silver and Gold. original: "auf ☾ und ☉," using the planetary symbols for the Moon (Silver) and the Sun (Gold).

Take one pound of the best Antimony ore Minera Antimonii, crush it very small, and put it into a glazed vessel with a narrow mouth, and pour well-distilled rain- or snow-water upon it. Take then twenty-four loth A traditional German unit of weight; 24 loth is roughly 350 grams. of good, purified and well-prepared Antimony The symbol ♁ here refers to the "Regulus" or the purified metallic heart of the antimony ore. and eight loth of the whitest Salt The symbol 🜔 refers to common salt or the alchemical principle of Salt.; these two pieces must first be rubbed very small upon a marble stone. Then you shall see how, through the working of the Almighty, these two attractive materials draw the hidden secret of nature Geheimnus der Natur out of the air to themselves; for the Salt original: 🜔 carries in its heart a fire, which the ancients [kept] hidden