alchemists observe of silver.

☿ Denotes the inside to be pure gold, but the outer part of the colour
of silver and a corrosive underneath, which, if taken away, would leave
it mere gold, and this the adepts affirm of mercury.

♀ Denotes the chief part to be gold; whereto, however, adheres another
large, crude, corrosive part, which, if removed, would leave the rest
possessed with all the properties of gold, and this the adepts affirm of
copper.

♂ Likewise denotes gold at the bottom, but attended with a great
proportion of a sharp corrosive, sometimes amounting to a half of the
whole, whence half the character expresses acrimony; which, accordingly,
both alchemists and physicians observe of iron, and hence that common
opinion of the adepts that the aurum vivum, or gold of the philosophers,
is contained in iron, and that the universal medicine is rather to be
sought in this metal than in gold itself.

♃ Denotes half the matter of tin to be silver, the other a crude
corrosive acid, which is accordingly confirmed by the assayers; tin
proving almost as fixed as silver in the cupel, and discovering a large
quantity of crude sulphur well known to the alchemists.

♄ Denotes almost the whole to be corrosive, but retaining some
resemblance with silver, which the artists very well know holds true of
lead.

♁ Denotes a chaos--world, or one thing which includes all: this is the
character of antimony, wherein is found gold, with plenty of an