of the generation of all kinds of stones.

t

he matter of stones is the same as of other things; and according to the purity of places they are made in this manner. when the four elements distill their vapour into the center of the earth; and the archeus of nature sends forth the same, and sublimes it; this whilst it passeth through places, and the pores of the earth, takes along with it self all the impurity of the earth unto the very superficies, which afterward the air congeals (for what the pure air makes, the crude aire congeals, because aire hath ingresse into aire, and they join themselves together, for nature is delighted in nature:) and so are made rocks, and stony mountains, according to great and little pores. and by how much the greater are the pores of the earth, by so much the better is the place purified. since therefore by such a breathing place or vent, a greater heat, and a greater quantity of water passeth, therefore the sooner is the earth depurated: and so afterward in those places metalls are more easily brought forth.[pg 15] even so very experience testifies, that gold cannot be got, or found any where but in mountains, and seldome or never in plain, and levell ground: for most commonly such places are moist, not with the vapour, but with elementary water, which drawes to it self that vapour, and so they embrace one another, as that they can hardly be separated; afterwards the sun of the heavens digesting them, makes that fat clay which the potters use. but in places where there is grosse sand, and whither the vapour doth not bring with it that fatnesse, or sulphur, it brings forth herbs and grasse in meadows. there be other kind of stones, which are called precious stones, as the diamond, rubies, emerald, and such like gems as these, all which are generated after this manner. when the vapour of nature is sublimed by it selfe, without being joined to the fatnesse of sulphur, and comes to a place of pure salt water, there are made diamonds; and this is in cold places, whither that fatnesse cannot come, because that fatness would hinder the making of these stones. for wee must know, that the spirit of water is sublimed easily, and that with a small heat; but oil, and fatnesse cannot be carryed up but with a great heat, and that also into hot places; for when it is come from the center, if it meet with any little cold, it is congealed, and is at a stand, but the vapour ascends to its due places, and in pure water is congealed into stones by grains. but how colours are made in gems; wee must know that they are made by reason of the sulphur in this manner: if the fatnesse of the sulphur be congealed, then by that perpetuall motion, the spirit of the water passing through, it digests and purifies it by virtue of the[pg 16] salt, untill it bee coloured with a digested heate, red or white, which colour tending toward a further perfection, is carryed up by that spirit, because it is subtilized and made thin by so many reiterated distillations; the spirit afterward hath a power to enter into imperfect things, and so brings in a colour to them, which afterward is joined to that water, being then in part congealed, and so fills up the pores thereof, and is fixed with it, with an inseparable fixation. for all water is congealed with heat, if it be without spirit, & congeled with cold, if it hath a spirit; but he that knows how to congeal water with heat, & to join a spirit with it, shall certainly find out a thing more pretious then gold, and every thing else. let him therefore cause that the spirit be separated from the water, that it may putrifie, and bee like a graine. afterwards the feces being cast away, let him reduce and bring back the spirit again from the deep into water, and make them be joined together again: for that conjunction will generate a branch of an unlike shape to its parents.