
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~034v~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For melting or transmuting a jewel put inside a
box



Take a box of boxwood banded with rings, as you see,
into which will easily fit another small box, like that which
you see marked B, and make sure that it does not touch the bottom of the
large one marked A, but that there is some distance. That which enters
the large box must be smooth, but the rim must be made with
rings so that, being joined, it appears as if they are one and the same
box. You must also have a round leather cover of the
same length as the box, as you see marked C, which will
fit leteasily & surround the aforesaid
boxes thus placed one within the other. But before you do your
trick, you must put at the bottom of the larger boxpowdered
gold or silver, or mercury amalgamated with silver,
and then place the little box marked B on top. After, holding
the box with your index finger on top, you present
it, and seeing only the bottom of the smaller
box marked B, one places a jewel or something
similar in it. This being done, placing the box on the
table, you cover it with the leather box, and
making the requisite gestures, you will remove the leather
box, & without showing the inside, will put it on the
table & let it be recognized that the jewel is
in the placed in the bottom of the small box marked
B. Then you will gently place the leather box back,
& after saying
inhonorificabilitidinitadtudinibus, you will take
the top of the leather box with two fingers,
and with the clasping it more firmly than usual, at the same
time you d will lift pe the
smaller box that is inside & which contains the
jewel, & you will gently put both on the table,
then you will pour the powder or amalgam that is at the bottom of the
large box, then replace the leather box with
the box inside it, as it was at the start. Then, removing the
leather box without removing the smaller one, you will
show the jewel at the bottom which has returned to its previous
state, holding your index finger on the rim of the box
so that it does not slip.

