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//-->Francis Bacon - Experiments touchingSulphur and MercuryThis section on the making of gold is included Century IV of Francis Bacon'sSylva Sylvarum, or a Naturall Historiein ten Centuries...London, 1627, which was part of Bacon's unfinishedInstauratio Magna.This text was transcribed by Marcus Williamson.Experiments in Consort touchingSulphoreandMercury,two ofParacelsus Principals.There bee twoGreat FamiliesofThings;You may terme them by severall Names;SulphureousandMercureall,which are theChymistsWords: (For as for theirSal,which is their Third Principle, it is a Compound of the othertwo;)Inflammable,andNot Inflammable; MatureandCrude; OilyandWatry.For wee see that inSubterraniesthereare, as theFathersof theirTribes, BrimstoneandMercury:InVegetables,andLiving Creaturesthere isWaterandOile:In theInferiour OrderofPneumaticallsthere isAireandFlame: And in theSuperiour,there is theBodyof theStarre,and thePure Sky.And these Paires, though they be unlike in the Primitive Differences of Matter, yet theyseeme to have many Consents: ForMercuryandSulphureare principall Materialls ofMetalls; WaterandOyle,areprincipall Materialls ofVegetables,andAnimals;And seeme to differ but inMaturation,orConcoction: Flame(inVulgar Opinion) is butAire Incensed;And they both have Quicknesse of Motion,and Facilitie of Cession, much alike: And theInterstellar Sky,(though the Opinion be vaine, that theStarreis theDenser Partof hisOrbe,)hathnotwithstanding so much Affinity with theStarre,that there is a Rotation of that, as well as of theStarre.Therefore,it is one of the greatestMagnalia Naturae,to turneWaterorWatry IuyceintoOileorOilyJuyce: Greater in Nature,than to turneSilver,orQuick-silver,intoGold.The Instances we have,whereinCrudeandWatrySubstance turneth intoFatandOily,areof foure kindes. First in theMixtureofEarthandWater;which mingled by the help of the Sunne,gather a Nitrous Fatnesse, more than either ofthem have severally; As we see, in that they put forthPlants,which need both Juyces.The Second is in theAssimilationofNourishment,made in theBodiesofPlants,andLiving Creatures;WhereofPlantsturne the Juyce of meereWaterandEarth,intoa great deale ofOily Matter: Living Creatures,though muchof theirFat,and Flesh,areout ofOily Aliments,(as Meat,and Bread,)yetthey Assimilate also in a Measure theirDrinkofWater,&c.But these two Wayes ofVersionofWaterintoOyle,(namelybyMixture,andbyAssimilation)are by many Passages,and Percolations,and by long Continuance of softHeats,andby Circuits of Time.The third is in theInceptionofPutrefaction;AsinWater Corrupted;And theMothersofWaters Distilled;Bothwhich have a kinde ofFatnesse,orOyle.The Fourth is in theDulcorationof someMetalls;AsSaccharum Saturni,&c.The Intension ofVersionofWaterinto moreOyly Substance,is byDisgestion;ForOileis almost Nothing else butWater Disgested;And thisDisgestionis principally byHeat;WhichHeatmust be eitherOutward,or Inward:Againe, it may be by Provocation, or Excitation; Which is caused by the Mingling of Bodies alreadyOily,orDisgested;For they will somewhat Communicate their Nature with the rest.Disgestion also is strongly effected bydirectAssimulation,ofBodies CrudeintoBodies Digested;As inPlants,and Living Creatures,whoseNourishmentis farre more Crude than their Bodies: But thisDisgestionis by a great Compasse, as hath beene said. As for themore full Handling of these two Principles, whereof this is but a Taste; (the Enquiry of which is one of theProfoundest Enquiries of Nature,)We leave it to theTitleofVersionofBodies;And likewise to theTitleof theFirstCongregationsofMatter;Which like a Generall Assembly of Estates, doth give Law to allBodies.
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