Because it is purified from all its impurities, and because its coldness stands external as _Luna_ doth, and its heat is internal.
Because the four Elements in it are pure, and separated from all sulphurous stink and blackness, which _Saturn_ received in the Mine; it is almost Medicinal, and like unto Nature: And because it is so pure, it affords some of its internal virtue outwardly, as that of Sweetness; but the heat is so covered with the cold, that it cannot put forth its power externally by reason of the cold which is external (the heat of _Saturn_ lies internal, even as in _Salt-Nitre_) as doth the Taste, the Spirit of Tasting is the most subtile in all things, as is taught more at large in the Book of Vegetables, how the Air doth dilate it self from all Herbs and Flowers externally; for the Spirit of the Air lies in the inward part of all things; for God created nothing in this world but it hath its peculiar Taste or Air, the Air and the Taste are one Spirit, the Taste goes out of the Air, as Smoke from the Fire.
But how comes it to pass, that a thing which hath a sweet Air, is bitter in Taste? The cause is, because the _Fæces_ of that thing are putrid and stinking in the Elements, that is the Choler or Heat; for whatsoever is unnaturally hot, hath a bitter Taste; the Air and the Taste are both one Spirit, and as the Spirit of the Air presses outwards through a hot thing, so doth the Air embrace the Taste about, and descends the subtile Taste, that it should not be burnt by the vehement burning Choler, as in the Herbal is at large express'd.
But the cause why _Saturn_ is sweet in Taste is, that it is almost pure and clean, having scarce any unnatural heat in it, which can burn the subtile Tast, therefore it hath the Taste externally, and the Taste hath the Spirit of the Air lock'd up in it.
My Child, know what I said before, that a thing wherein is much burning heat, the Air locks up the Taste therein, because the Taste shall not be corrupted by the unnatural heat. So the Taste includes the Air in it, when it issues forth from a thing which is externally cold; for the subtil Spirits of the Air or Sent of a thing can endure no Cold, as we see daily in Herbs and Flowers that they yield no Sent in the Winter, as they do in the Summer; but they hide themselves in the Winter, and the Spirit hath the Sent inclosed in it, and the Spirit of Sent or Air. Behold a man that hath taken Cold, immediately he loses his Sent, and his Tasting is diminished. Even so it is here with _Saturn_; it is quite cold, so that the Taste manifests it self with the Spirit of Sent; for the Spirit of the Taste hath the Smell in it. Look upon Sugar which is well clarified from its _Fæces_, how sweet it is in Taste, yet it yields no Sent, yet there is an extraordinary sweetness in Sugar. What is the reason of this? Sugar is very cold externally, therefore is it white as Snow, and of a sweet Taste; yet Sugar internally is hot and moist, of the temper of Gold, and of such great virtue that it is called the Philosophers Stone, as it is approved, and very prevalent to cure all the Distempers of mans Body, as appears by its operation. The reason why I say this, my Child, is, that you should altogether understand its internal & external, and the Spirits which are in these things, whereof we discourse; that thereby you should know Gods wonderful works, and what wonders he works in these inferiour things, which are all made for our use.