putting in a greater Quantity, they also make with
it that deep obscure Glass which is wont to pass for
Black, which agrees very well with, and may serve to
confirm what we noted near the beginning of the 44th
Experiment, of the seeming Blackness of those Bodies
that are overcharg’d with the Corpuscles of such
Colours, as Red, or Blew, or Green, &c. And as
by several Metals and other Minerals we can give various
Colours to Glass, so on the other side, by the differing
Colours that Mineral Oars, or other Mineral Powders
being melted with Glass disclose in it, a good Conjecture
may be oftentimes made of the Metall or known Mineral,
that the Oar propos’d, either holds, or is most
of kin to. And this easie way of examining Oars,
may be in some cases of good use, and is not ill deliver’d
by
Glauber, to whom I shall at present refer
you, for a more particular account of it: unless
your Curiosity command also what I have observ’d
about these matters; only I must here advertise you,
that great circumspection is requisite to keep this
way from proving fallacious, upon the account of the
variations of Colour that may be produc’d by
the differing proportions that may be us’d betwixt
the Oar and the Glass, by the Richness or Poorness
of the Oar it self, by the Degree of Fire, and (especially)
by the Length of Time, during which the matter is
kept in fusion; as you will easily gather from what
you will quickly meet with in the following Annotation
upon this present 48th Experiment.
Annotation IV.
There is another way and differing enough from those
already mention’d, by which Metalls may be brought
to exhibit adventitious Colours: For by This,
the Metall do’s not so much impart a Colour to
another Body, as receive a Colour from it, or rather
both Bodies do by the new Texture resulting from their
mistion produce a new Colour. I will not insist
to this purpose upon the Examples afforded us by yellow
Orpiment, and common Sea Salt, from which, sublim’d
together, Chymists unanimously affirm their White or
Crystalline Arsenick to be made: But ’tis
not unworthy our noting, That though Yellow Orpiment
be acknowledg’d to be the Copiousest by far of
the two Ingredients of Arsenick, yet this last nam’d
Body being duely added to the highest Colour’d
Metall Copper, when ’tis in fusion, gives it
a whiteness both within and without. Thus Lapis
Calaminaris changes and improves the Colour of
Copper by turning it into Brass. And I have sometimes
by the help of Zinck duely mix’d after a certain
manner, given Copper one of the Richest Golden Colours
that ever I have seen the Best true Gold Ennobled
with. But pray have a care that such Hints fall
not into any hands that may mis-imploy them.
Annotation V.