<69 ) 
a Can<Jie touch or come very near their fides* Yet they do 
not ordinarily find Vitriol in Mines of Gold and Silver (nn- 
lefs mix'd with other metalsj becaufe thofe bodies are fouie- 
whac too compaft for the fuJphureous fpirit to diflbJ ve afilft- 
ed wich aJJ^^^degreeofheat ; whereas all Ores, which touch 
on Copper or jP;r/to abounding in Sulphur, doalfo afford 
Vitriol ; Copper being an open body,and raoreeatily folub^e 
thananyoiher metal : For, it will prefently, though crude, 
difiblve and give a deep tinflure to^ common Volatil Uri- 
nous Spirits 5 which cannot be affirmed of any other metal, 
howfoever prepared ; and therefore no wonder if it be by 
the fteam of fulphur fo eafily converted into Vitriol : And in 
the bowels of the Earth it is, I do conjefture, moftly produ- 
ced after this manner ; 
An Acid Salino-fulphureous fteam (fuch we have proved 
that of Common Sulphur to be j inGnuatingit felf intoa vein 
-of Copper, corrodes it, and uniting therewith becomes Vi- 
triol. So it doth by mixture with Iron and other Minerals; 
whence being wained by water, it produces AcidaU of divers 
kinds, according to the nature of the Minerals, wherewith 
the Acid is united. And that Vitriol and Vitriolate waters 
are thus produced, is hereby confirmed, that many Ores and 
Fyriteshtwig diftilled fer de[cenfum^y\t\ddb\md^ncQ of Cca\> 
mon Sulphur; the remainder afterwards affords ftore of VI- 
triol,although before calcination it would have yielded none; 
the fire enabling the fulphur to corrode, and affociate with,the 
metallick parts ; that which is without mixture of mer-al, or 
which hath thereof a very fmall proportion^ continuing under 
the form of Brimftone. 
This tomefeems thereafon, why Vitriol and Brimftone are 
ufually found togethersthofe minerals and pyrites that abound 
with one, being ufually impregnated with the other 5 Vitriol 
not being a diftinfl: principle , but the genuin off-fpring of 
Sulphur, its Material caufe, and Fire and Air the Efficient 
caufesof its produflion. I fpeak of Vitriol generated in the 
bowels of the Earth ; for it may he^zx\6 /i,often produced above 
ground by the Aerial Salt united with Mineral fubftances, co- 
pioufly contained in Marcafites, which it extricates, and con- 
coagulating therewith becomes a Vitriol. You 
