by some Chymists that seem more Philosophers then the rest, and
especially by the above mentioned _Claveus_, is (for distinction sake)
called _Mercurius Corporum_. Now this Metalline Liquor being one of
those three Principles of which Mineral Bodies are by _Spagyrists_
affirmed to be compos'd and to be resoluble into them, the many
notorious Differences betwixt them and the Mercuries, as They call
Them, of Vegetables and Animals will allow me to inferr, either that
Minerals and the other two sorts of Mixt Bodies consist not of the
same Elements, or that those Principles whereinto Minerals are
immediately resolved, which Chymists with great ostentation shew us as
the true principles, of them, are but Secundary Principles, or Mixts
of a peculiar sort, which must be themselves reduc'd to a very
differing forme, to be of the same kind with Vegetable and Animal
Liquors.
But this is not all; for although I formerly told You how Little
Credit there is to be given to the Chymical Processes commonly to be
met with, of Extracting the Mercuries of Metals, Yet I will now add,
that supposing that the more Judicious of Them do not untruly affirme
that they have really drawn true and running Mercury from several
Metals (which I wish they had cleerly taught Us how to do also,) yet
it may be still doubted whether such extracted Mercuries do not as
well differ from common Quicksilver, and from one another, as from the
Mercuries of Vegetables and Animalls. _Claveus_,[21] in his Apology,
speaking of some _experiments_ whereby Metalline Mercuries may be fixt
into the nobler metals, adds, that he spake of the Mercuries drawn
from metals; because common Quicksilver by reason of its excessive
coldnesse and moisture is unfit for that particular kind of operation;
for which though a few lines before he prescribes in general the
Mercuries of Metalline Bodies, yet he chiefly commends that drawn by
art from silver. And elsewhere, in the same Book, he tells us, that
he himself tryed, that by bare coction the quicksilver of Tin or
Pewter (_argentum vivum ex stanno prolicitum_) may by an efficient
cause, as he speaks, be turn'd into pure Gold. And the Experienc'd
_Alexander van Suchten_, somewhere tells us, that by a way he
intimates may be made a Mercury of Copper, not of the Silver colour of
other Mercuries, but green; to which I shall add, that an eminent
person, whose name his travells and learned writings have made famous,
lately assur'd me that he had more then once seen the Mercury of Lead
(which whatever Authors promise, you will find it very difficult to
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