into Water, in Order to a Philosophicall Work, upon Gold (which yet, by the way, I know prov’d Unsuccesfull) they did once by divers Cohobations reduce a pound of Quicksilver into almost a pound of Water, and this without the Addition of any other Substance, but only by pressing the Mercury by a Skillfully Manag’d Fire in purposely contriv’d Vessels. But of these Experiments our Friend (sayes Carneades, pointing at the Register of this Dialogue) will perhaps give You a more Particular Account then it is necessary for me to do: Since what I have now said may sufficiently evince, that the Fire may sometimes as well alter Bodies as divide them, and by it we may obtain from a Mixt Body what was not Pre-existent in it. And how are we sure that in no other Body what we call Phlegme is barely separated, not Produc’d by the Action of the Fire: Since so many other Mixt Bodies are of a much less Constant, and more alterable Nature, then Mercury, by many Tricks it is wont to put upon Chymists, and by the Experiments I told You of, about an hour since, Appears to be. But because I shall ere long have Occasion to resume into Consideration the Power of the Fire to produce new Concretes, I shall no longer insist on this Argument at present; only I must mind You, that if You will not dis-believe Helmonts Relations, You must confess that the Tria Prima are neither ingenerable nor incorruptible Substances; since by his Alkahest some of them may be produc’d of Bodies that were before of another Denomination; and by the same powerfull Menstruum all of them may be reduc’d into insipid Water.
Here Carneades was about to pass on to his Third Consideration, when Eleutherius being desirous to hear what he could say to clear his second General Consideration from being repugnant to what he seem’d to think the true Theory of Mistion, prevented him by telling him, I somewhat wonder, Carneades, that You, who are in so many Points unsatisfied with the Peripatetick Opinion touching the Elements and Mixt Bodies, should also seem averse to that Notion touching the manner of Mistion, wherein the Chymists (though perhaps without knowing that they do so)