with Sublimate, and in the common Vitriols of Venus deliver’d by Chymists; and so constant is the disposition of Copper, notwithstanding the disguise Artists put upon it, to disclose the colour we have been mentioning, that we have by forcing it up with Sal Armoniack obtain’d a Sublimate of a Blewish Colour.  Nay a famous Spagyrist affirms, that the very Mercury of it is green, but till he teach us an intelligible way of making such a Mercury, we must content ourselves to inform you, that we have had a Cupreous Body, that was Praecipitated out of a distill’d Liquor, that seem’d to be the the Sulphur of Venus, and seem’d even when flaming, of a Greenish Colour.  And indeed Copper is a Metall so easily wrought upon by Liquors of several kinds, that I should tell you, I know not any Mineral, that will concurr to the production of such a variety of Colours as Copper dissol’d in several Menstruums, as Spirit of Vinegar, Aqua fortis, Aqua Regis, Spirit of Nitre, of Urine, of Soot, Oyls of several kinds, and I know not how many other Liquors, if the variety of somewhat differing colours (that Copper will be made to assume, as it is wrought upon by several Liquors) were not comprehended within the Limits of Greenish Blew, or Blewish Green.

And yet I must advertise you (Pyrophilus) that being desirous to try if I could not make with crude Copper a Green Solution without the Blewishness that is wont to accompany its Vulgar Solutions, I bethought my self of using two Menstruums, which I had not known imploy’d to work on this Metall, and which I had certain Reasons to make Tryal of, as I successfully did.  The one of these Liquors (if I much misremember not) was Spirit of Sugar distill’d in a Retort, which must be warily done, (if you will avoid breaking your glasses) and the other, Oyl or Spirit of Turpentine, which affords a fine Green Solution that is useful to me on several occasions.  And yet to shew that the adventitious colour may result, as well from the true and permanent Copper it self, as the Salts wherewith ’tis corroded, I shall add, that if you take a piece of good Dantzick Copperis, or any other Vitriol wherein Venus is praedominant, and having moistened it in your Mouth, or with fair water, rubb it upon a whetted knife, or any other bright piece of Steel or Iron, it will (as we have formerly told you) present’y stain the Steel with a Reddish colour, like that of Copper, the reason of which, we must not now stay to inquire.

Annotation I.

I presume you may have taken notice (Pyrophilus) that I have borrowed some of the Instances mention’d in this 47th Experiment, from the Laboratories of Chymists, and because in some (though very few) other passages of this Essay, I have likewise made use of Experiments mention’d also by some Spagyrical Writers, I think it not amiss to represent to you on this Occasion once for all, some things besides