The Golden Calf, Which the World Adores, and Desires eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 66 pages of information about The Golden Calf, Which the World Adores, and Desires.

The Golden Calf, Which the World Adores, and Desires eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 66 pages of information about The Golden Calf, Which the World Adores, and Desires.

The next day, the rumour of this wonderful Metallick Transmutation was spread all over our Hague; whence many illustrious men, and lovers of Art, made hast to me, among which, by name, the General Examiner of the Moneys of this Province of Holland, D^n Porelius, came to me, with certain other most illustrious men, earnestly desiring, that I would communicate to them some small particle of my Artificial Gold, to prove it by legitimate Examens:  these, for their curiosity sake, I willingly gratified; and we went together to the house of a certain very curious Silver-Smith, by name Brechtelius, in whose Workhouse, the Excellency of my Gold was evidenced, by that form of Probation, which Skilful Artists call.  Quarta, viz. when they in a Crucible melt three or four parts or Silver, with one part of Gold, and then by hammering, reduce that mixture into thin Plates, on which they pour a sufficient quantity of Aquafortis, by which the Silver is dissolved, but the Gold settles to the bottome, like a black powder.  Afterward, the Aquafortis is poured off, and the golden powder, is again put into a Crucible, and by strong fire reduced to Gold.

But when this work was ended, we supposed, that one half of the Gold was vanished, yet in very deed it was not so:  for we found that the Gold, besides its own weight, had transmuted some part of the Silver into Gold, viz. two drams of the Gold, transmuted two scruples of the Silver (through the abundance of its Tincture) into like Gold Homogeneal to it self.

After this, we, suspecting that the Silver was not well separated from the Gold did presently make a mixture:  with seven times as much Antimony.  And after this Examen, we lost eight grains of Gold; but when I had again evaporated the Antimony, I found nine grains of Gold, yet in colour somewhat pale.  Thus, in the best Tryal of fire, we lost nothing of this Gold, And this infallible kind of Probation, I thrice performed in presence of those most noble and illustricsus Men, and found, that every Dram of Gold acquired from the Silver for an augmentation to it self, one Scruple, of Gold:  and the Silver, is pure good, and very flexible.  So according to this, the five drams of Gold, attracted to it self from the Silver, five Scruples; and (that I may together, and at once, comprise all that remains to be said) the whole weight that that Laudable Powder, in quantity so exceeding small, did transmute, was six drams, and two Scruples, of a more vile Metal, into Gold, in such wise fixed, as it was able perseveringly to sustain the most intense Torture of Fire.

Behold! thus have I exactly, from first to last, commemorated this History.  The Gold I indeed have, but where, or in what Land or Countrey.  Elias the Artist is at this day hospited, I am wholly ignorant for he told me, his purpose was to abide in his own Country no longer then this Summer; that after he would travil into Asia, and visit the Holy Land.  Let the most wise King of Heaven (under the Shadow of whose divine Wings he hath hitherto layn hid) by his Administratory Angels accompany him in his intended Journey, and prosper it so as he living to a great Age, may with his inestimable Talent greatly succour the whole Republick of Christians, and after this Life gloriously behold, and take of the prepared Inheritance of Life Eternal.  Amen.

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
The Golden Calf, Which the World Adores, and Desires from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.