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THE

TRIUMPHAL CHARIOT OF ANTIMONY


BY BASILIUS VALENTINUS

Produced by

R.A.M.S.
Restorers of Alchemical Manuscripts

WITH THE COMMENTARY OF

THEODORE KIRCKRINGIUS,
A Doctor of Me !c!"e

#F!r$t %&'(!$)e *$ Tr!&+%),W*-e" A"t!+o"!!... A" T*- -e'e" &rc) /o)*"" T)0( e". M!t e!"er Vorre e, Doctor!$ /o*c)!+! T*"c1!!., Le!%$!-, 1234. F&rt)er e !t!o"$ !" Ger+*" 5ere !$$&e !" 1211, 1264, 1272 *" 1787. A L*t!" e !t!o" 5*$ %&'(!$)e !" 1242. A" E"-(!$) 9er$!o" 5*$ %&'(!$)e !" 1223, *" t)ere 5ere *($o 1227, 127: *" 12:8 e !t!o"$.;

Whereas I, Basil Valentine, by Religious Vows am bound according to the Order of St. Benedict, and that requires another manner of Spirit of oliness, then the common State of !ortals e"ercised in the prophane business of this World# I thought it my duty before all things, in the beginning of this little Boo$, to declare what is necessary to be $nown to the pious Spagyrist, inflamed with an ardent desire of this %rt# as, what he ought to do, and whereunto to direct his aim, that he may lay such &oundations of the whole matter, as may be stable# lest his Building sha$en with Winds, happen to fail, and the whole 'difice to be in(ol(ed in shameful Ruine, which otherwise, being founded on more firm and solid )rinciples, might ha(e continued for a long series of time. Which %dmonition I *udged was, is, and always will be a necessary part of my Religious Office# especially, since we must all die, and no one of us, which now are, whether high or low, shall long be seen among the number of !en. &or it concerns me to commend these !editations of !ortality and )osterity, lea(ing them behind me, not only that honour may be gi(en to the +i(ine !a*esty, but also that !en may obey him sincerely in all things. In this !editation I found that there were fi(e principal eads,

chiefly to be considered by the wise and prudent Spectators of our Wisdom and %rt. ,his first of which is, In(ocation of -O+. the second, .ontemplation of /ature. ,he third, ,rue )reparation. ,he fourth, ,he Way of 0sing. ,he fifth, 0tility and &ruit. &or he, who regards not these, shall ne(er obtain place among true .hymists, or fill up the number of perfect Spagyrists. ,herefore touching these fi(e eads we shall here following treat, and so far declare them, as that the general Wor$ may be brought to light and perfected by an intent and studious Operation. In(ocation of -O+ must be made with a certain drawn from the bottom of a pure and sincere free from all %mbition, ea(enly Intention, eart, and .onscience,

ypocrisy, and all other Vices, which ha(e

any affinity with these, as %rrogance, Boldness, )ride, 1u"ury, !undane )etulancy, Oppression of the )oor, and other dependent <

e(ils, all which are to be eradicated out of the

eart# that when

a !an desires to prostrate himself before the ,hrone of -race, for obtaining bodily health, he may do that with a .onscience free from all unprofitable Weeds, that his Body may be transmuted into an oly ,emple of -O+, and be purged from e(ery uncleaness. &or -O+ will not be moc$ed 2which I earnestly admonish3 as Worldly !en, pleasing and flattering themsel(es with their own Wisdom, thin$4 -O+, I say, will not be moc$ed, but the .reator of all things will be in(o$ed with re(erential fear, and ac$nowledged with due Obedience. %nd for this there is great Reason. &or what hath !an, that he must not own to be recie(ed from this his Omnipotent .reator, whether you ha(e respect to the Body, or to the Soul, which operates the Body5 and also promised 'ternal Sal(ation5 ath no he, for sustention of ath not he also pro(ided this, out of his meer !ercy communicated to us his 'ternal WOR+, food and cloathing for the Body, and all those things without which the Body cannot subsist5 %ll these, by humble )rayer a !an obtains of that most e"cellent &ather, who created ea(en and 'arth, together with things Visible and In(isible, as the &irmament, 'lements, Vegetables, and %nimals. Which is so (ery true, that I am certainly assured, no Impious !an shall e(er be parta$er of true !edicine, much less of the 'ternal ea(enly Bread. ,herefore place your whole Intention and ,rust in -O+, call upon him and pray, that he may impart his blessing to you4 let this be the beginning of your wor$, that by the same you may obtain your desired end, and at length effect what you intended. For the Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom. Whosoe(er purposeth in himself to see$ after that, which is the greatest of ,errene things, especially the $nowledge of e(ery good thing, that is in the .reatures, and -O+ hath liberally imparted to !en, and implanted 2as to their effecti(e power3 in Stones, erbs, Roots, Seeds, %nimals, )lants, !inerals, !etals, yea and indeed in all things# let him cast away all 'arthly thoughts, re*ect all that depends on them, and hope for freeness of 4 eart,

and pray unto -O+ with great lowlyness of mind4 So doing, his hope of freeness may at length be turned into freedom. Which no !an will doubt, who $nows, that he alone is -O+, who deli(ered Israel from all his 'nemies# which deli(erance he did in (ery deed effect, not only for Israel, but also for all !en ma$ing humble supplications to him, and praying with bro$enness of eart. ,herefore let )rayer by the first point of our %dmonition, which also is, and by us is called In(o$ation of -O+, which if made, not with ypocrisy and a feigned eart, but with such &aith and ,rust, as that, with which the .enturion in .apernaum prayed# with such lowlines of mind, and confession of Sins, as the Woman of .anaan was endued with# with such .harity as the Samaritan shewed to the !an wounded in the way to 6ericho, pouring Wine and Oyl into his wounds, paying his .harges in the Inn, and gi(ing order he should be (ery carefully loo$ed to# 1astly, if a !an7s .hristian .harity e"tends itself so far, as if he obtain what he prays for, he would willingly communicate of the same to his /eighbour, then he shall unobtainably obtain Riches and ealth, this of his )rayer.8

8What the Author hath premised here at large, and elsewhere often inserted touching Piety, the worship of GOD, and Invocation of his Name, I purpose neither to praise nor dispraise; et them !y "udged !y signs of his own earnest Piety, Arguments of his sincerity and signate Impresses of his fervent #eal $!y so many %autologies and &eiterations' often !oiling up( )very *an, according to the Opinion of his mind, and the presuasion, in which he was educated from his +hildhood, will more or less esteem of this( It was my !usiness to translate the Authors writings into atin, in such a *ethod and Order, as I thought would in no wise give any distaste to the delicate Palat of the &eader; also to indicate that, which seems pertinent to the !usiness of every +hymist and true ,pagyrist, and not to neglect the other( -or since Piety is availa!le for all things, as divine Oracles teach, and the principal e.ercise of Piety is Prayer; !y which +elestial Gifts are o!tained of GOD the giver of all good things; our Author wills, that unto him the mind !y lifted up, even in the midstof the Operations of +hymistry full of la!our and toil( If prayer effected no other thing, it certainly collects the mind $called away from all other things' into it self and renders it apt for that which is in hand; whence it comes to pass, that it reflects upon many things, and considers them, which otherwise would not enter the mind, if it set a!out its Wor/ perfunctorily, and distracted with vaious +onceptions0 And so !y the help of Prayer we receive many things, which we $if

not ungrateful' must needs ac/nowledge we have o!tained from GOD(1ow often this is found to !e of use in ,pagyric Wor/s every *an /nows, that hath any time entirely devoted himself to this !usiness; vi#( how often those things which he long sought and could not find, have !een imparted to him in a moment, and as it were infused from a!ove, or dictated !y soem good Genius( %hat also is of use in dissolving all &iddles, or )nigmatical Writings0 -or if you !urn with a great desire of /nowing them, that is Prayer; and when you incline your mind to this or that, variously discussing and meditating many things, this is +ooperation; that your Prayer may not !e idle, or tempting GOD0 yet this your endeavour is in vain, until you find the ,olution( Nevertheless if you despair not, !ut instantly persist in desire, and cease not from la!our, at length in a moment the ,olution will fall in; this is &evelation, which you cannot receive unless you pray with great desire and la!our, using your utmost endeavour; and yet you cannot perceive, how from all those things $of which you thought' which were not the ,olution of the )nigma, the ,olution it self arose( %his unfolding of the &iddle opens to you the mystery of all great things, and shews how availa!le Prayer is for the o!tainment of things ,piritual and )ternal, as well as +orporal and perishing goods0 and when Prayer is made with a 1eart not feigned, !ut sincere; you will see that there is nothing more fit for the ac2uiring of what you desire( et these suffice to !e spo/en of Prayer, which 3asilius and all Philosophers with him do not vainly re2uire, as an Introduction to +hymistry( -or Piety is profita!le for all Wor/s, especially for Great 4nderta/ings(

/e"t in order after )rayer is .ontemplation, by which I understand an accurate attention to the business it self, under which fall these considerations first to be noted. %s, what are the .ircumstances of any thing, what the !atter, what the &orm, whence its operations proceed, whence it is infused and implanted, how generated by the Stars, conformed by the 'lements, produced and perfected by the three )rinciples. %lso how the body of e(ery thing may be dissol(ed, that is, resol(ed into the first !atter, or first 'ssence 2of which I ha(e already made mention in other of my writings3 (i9. how the last !atter may be changed into the first, and the first into the last.8
5What are here set down, touching the true %heory of Philosophy, are compendiums of those things, which Philosophers have in os many 3oo/s $writ a!out the same !usiness' revealed, shall I say, or concealed( Attend to the words of the Author, and you will see, that he perfectly /new that ,pirit penetrating all

things, which presides or !ears rule in all things, yet is involved and a!sconded matter and defilements on every side; from which if once freed, it returns to the purity of its own su!stance, in which it produceth all things, and is all in all( %o comment upon this, would !e a wor/ no less than the producing of all 3oo/s of Philosophers, compiled with such accurate study, and contending with so great contention a!out the %heory(

,his .ontemplation, which absol(es the second part of our %dmonition, is .elestial, and to be understood with Spiritual Reason# for the circumstances and depth of e(ery thing cannot be percei(ed any other way, then by the Spiritual .ogitation of !an4 and this .ontemplation is twofold. One is called possible, the other impossible. ,he later consists of copious cogitations, which ne(er proceed to effects, nor e"hibit any form of a matter, which falls under the ,ouch. %s if any one should endea(our to comprehend the 'ternity of the !ost impossible, yea a Sin against the igh, which is (ain and oly Spirit, so arrogantly to

pry itno the +i(inity itself, which is Immense, Infinite, and 'ternal# and to sub*ect the incomprehensi(e .ounsel of the Secrets of -O+, to humane Inquisition. ,he other part of .ontemplation, which is possible, is called the ,heory. ,his contemplates that, which is percei(ed by ,ouch and Sight, and hath a formed /ature in time4 this considers, how that nature may be helped and perfected by Resolution of it self# how e(ery body may gi(e forth from it self, the good or e(il, Venome or !edicine latent in it# how +estruction and .onfraction are to be handled, whereby under a *ust ,itle, without Sophistical deceits, the pure may be se(ered and seperated from the impure. ,his Seperation is instituted and made by di(ers manual operations, and (arious ways# Some of which are (ulgarly $nown by e"perience, others remote from (ulgar e"perience. ,hese are, .alcination, Sublimation, Re(erberation, .irculation, )utrefaction, +igestion, +istillation, .ohobation, &i"ation, and the li$e of these# all degrees of which are found in operating, learned, percei(ed and manifest by the same. Whence clearly appears what is mo(eable, what is fi"ed, what is white, red, blac$, blew, or green, (i9. when the operation is rightly Instituted by the %rtificer, for possibly the Operator may err, 7

and turn aside from the right way# but that /ature should err, when rightly handled, is not possible. ,herefore if you shall err, so that /ature cannot be altogether free, and released from the Body, in which it is help .apti(e, return again into your way, learn the ,heory more perfectly, and enquire more accurately in the method of operating, that you may find the foundation and certainty in Seperation of all things. Which is a matter of great concern. %nd this is the second foundation of )hilosophy, which follows the )rayer4 for in that the sum of the matter lies, and is contained in these words. See$ first the :ingdom of -O+, and his 6ustice by )rayer, and all other things, which !an see$s in these ,emporals, and he hath need of, either for the sustentation or health of his body, shall be added to you. /e"t to the ,heory, which researcheth out the inmost properties of things, follows )reparation, which is performed by Operations of the hands, that some real wor$ may be produced. &rom )reparation ariseth :nowledge, (i9. Such, as opens all the fundamentals of !edicine. Operation of the ands requires a diligent application of it self, but the praise of Science consists in e"perience, but the difference of these %natomy distinquisheth, 8Operation shews how all things may be brought to light, and e"posed to sight (isibly4 but $nowledge shews the practice# and that, whence the true )ractitioner is, and is no other then confirmation4 because the operation of the hands manifests something that is good, and draws the latent and hidden nature outwards, and brings it to light for good. &or, as in Spirituals, the way of the 1ord is to be prepared# so also in these things, the way is to be opened and prepared# so also in these things, the way is to be opened and prepared, that no errour be from the right path, and the )rocess may be made, without de(ious errours, in the direct way to health.
5*anual Operation is chiefly re2uired in this third Part, without which, every Operation, li/e a ,hip wanting 3allast, floats and is uncertain( It is difficult to e.press this with a Pen; for more is learned !y once seeing the wor/ done, then can !e taught !y the writing of many Pages; yet if it !e no offence to you,

to peruse these +ommentaries together with 3asilius $in this so necessary part' will not a little help(

%fter )reparation, and especially after separation of the good from the e(il, we are to proceed to the 80se of the weight or dose, that neither more, nor less then is fit, may be gi(en. &or abo(e all things, the )hysician ought well to $now, whether his !edicament will be wea$ or strong, also whether it will do good, or hurt, unless he resol(e to fatten the church yard, and with the loss of his fame, and ha9ard of his own soul.

53y 4se, the Authour understands what others call Dose; for what will a good *edicine profit you, if you /now not in what 2uantity to administer it; that the same may rather heal, then hurt or /ill( 3y e.perience only to learn this, is a wor/ full of perilous casuality, yet the Discipline or /nowledge of Doses was found out this way first, and afterward easily taught !y Words( Where a living 6oice is wanting, it is safer to !e too timerous, then in any wise !old or adventurous, although of Antimony I can affirm, that !eing duly prepared it is as harmless a medicine as +assia or *anna( %he whole caution is chiefly a!out its use, after the first preparations; !ecause it may still retain much of its own crude 6enom(

%fter the !edicament is ta$en into the body, and hath diffused it self through all the !embers, that it may search out those defects against which it was administered, the 0tility comes to be considered# for it is possible that a !edicament diligently prepared, and e"hibited in due weight, may do more hurt then good in some +iseases, and eem to be Venom rather then !edicine. or help# and they are diligently to be noted, that we may be mindful to obser(e the same in other cases. ;et both in the 80se and 0tility, this one thing is necessary to be considered, (i9. whether the +isease be an e"ternal and open wound, or only an internal and latent e(il4 for as the difference of these is great, so the way of curation is not the same. ,herefore the bottom of e(ery +isease is to be $nown, that it may = ence an accurate refle"ion is to be made to those things, which profit

be understood, whether the same may be cured by e"ternal remedies only, or must from within be dri(en outwards.
5%hat Indication is to !e ta/en from things helping and hurting, is /nown even to %yro7s( 3ut what the Author su!"oyns touching internal and e.ternal curation, are not so rude, as not to deserve good Attention0 And also those things which he permi.eth with his own ,atyrical &eprehension, if the &eader !e so wise as to !elieve that 3asilius intermi.ed them to deter the unworthy deriders of +hymistry from approaching to his sacred Arcanums, he will !e wise for himself( -or whilst others rail and swell with indignation, he gathers the fruit of the Authors A.ioms, which as another Agent he scattered among these %horns( Whilst you, O lover of +hymistry, peruse these, so long will I /eep silence(

&or if the .enter of the +isease by within, such a !edicine must be gi(en, as can search out, apprehend and restore that .enter# otherwise the )hysicians labour will be fruitless and in (ain. !oreo(er, if there be an internal +isease, which ariseth, and is fed from an internal Original, it must ne(er be dri(en inward by e"ternal remedies# for great discommodity will thence ensue, and at length +eath itself. Which may be understood by the similitude of a ,ree# for if any one, whilst it germinates or flowers, repels the umours to the Interiours, whence they proceeded to the nutriment of the earth# that ,ree will be so far from bringing forth the desired &ruit by the flower, that a suffocation of the same ariseth from the (iolent con*unction of humours not finding any out<let. ,herefore there is great difference between fresh wounds inflicted by )ric$, .ut, or any other way, and the old which deri(e their Original from within. &or the fresh wounds may be perfectly cured by e"ternal remedies only# but in those, which are nourished from within, an e"ternal application of Oyls, Balsoms, 0nguents, and )laisters profits little, unless the Internal &ountain be stopped, whence the humours flow to the e"ternal parts. When the &ountain shall be stopped, the &lu" will cease, and the e(il may easily be cured with +iet only. It is no great point of %rt to heal any fresh wound# for this e(ery .ountry<man can easily effect with crude 1ard4 but to remo(e all 13

Symptomes which happen in wounds, and to dry up the &ountain of the e(il, this is the wor$, and this the labour of the %rtist. /ow come hither, you physicians, how many so e(er there be of you, that arrogate to your sel(es the ,itle of +octor of either !edicine, (i9. of internal and e"ternal +iseases# understand ye the ,itle of your honour, and consult your own .onscience, and see, whether you recie(ed that from -O+, that is, possess it in (erity, or whether you usurp it as a form, for honour sa$e. &or, as much as ea(en is distant from the 'arth, so (astly different is the %rt of healing internal +iseases, from the Sanation of e"ternal wounds. If the ,itle be gi(en to you by -O+, the same -O+ will gi(e a Blessing, &elicity, ealth and happy e(ents# but if your ,itle be (ain, and only de(ised and assumed for ambition, all things will e(illy succeed to you4 your honour will fail, and you will prepare for your self ell<fire, which can no more be e"tinguished, then it can be e"pressed by words. &or .hrist said to his +isciples# ;ou call me 1ord and !aster, and ye do well, ,herefore whosoe(er assumes a ,itle of onour, let him see, whether he do well, and whether he ascribes not more to himself, than he $nows and hath learned, which is the real abuse of this ,itle. &or he, who will write himself +octor of either !edicine, ought to understand, $now, and be well s$illed in both, (i9. the Internal and '"ternal !edicine. /or should he be ignorant of %natomy, that he may be able to shew the .onstitution of the Body, and disco(er from what !ember e(ery +isease proceeds, together with its &ountain and cause. %lso remedies, with which he may cure the +isease, and circumstances of e"ternal Wounds, are to be understood by him. -ood -O+= where will the ,itle be found, what will become of the !aster, when an e"act ,rial shall be made, for disco(ering the ignorance of these +octors of either !edicine5

In times past, long before my days, the +octors of !edicine did themsel(es cure '"ternal wounds, and *udged that a part of their Office# but in these times, they ta$e Ser(ants, whom they employ 11

in these things, and this way the noblest of %rts is become a !echanic$ Operation# and some of those who e"ercise it, are indeed so (ery rude, as they $now not 1etters, and scarcely $now how 2according to the )ro(erb3 to dri(e an %ss out of the .orn. ,hese, I say, profess, themsel(es !asters in curing wounds, and +octors of +octors# and to spea$ the truth as it is, they may by a better right glory in this ,itle, they thou magnificent +octor, umbratical .hyrugion, and most ignorant Boaster of ,itles, why do you style yourself +octor of either medicine5 What more now !aster +octor, what say you, most e"pert .hyrurgion5 I pray be not offended at this, or ta$e it amiss# for you your self will quic$ly confess, if you do but seriously consider wounds made by )ric$ or .ut, that you ha(e as much $nowledge in the cure of them, as is in the Brain of a dunghill .oc$, which .hildren learning their %.B... are wont to set in the &rontispiece of their )rimer. ,herefore I persuade all !en, of what state or condition soe(er, who are desirous of 1earning, from your !asters to search out the true +octrine, which consists in )reparation, and afterward in the 0se# So they, or you, shall possess the ,itle assumed with honour, and !en will undoubtedly ha(e confidence in you, and you will in (ery deed do them good, then will you to the 'ternal .reator gi(e than$s cordially without feigning. But let e(ery !an seriously thin$ with himself, what it is he ought to do, and what he is to omit, and whether he doth *ustly or un*ustly use the ,itle assumed. &or he, who assumes any ,itle, ought especially to understand the condition of that ,itle, and why he assumed it, or what the true foundation is. It is not sufficient, if anyone iwth the (ulgar say 2sa(ing your re(erence, let the more delicate !en pardon us, if we intending to spea$ to the purpose, ma$e mention of putrefaction3 this is egregious dung, it hath a strong and grie(ous ill sa(our, and $now not how it comes to pass, that a !an, who perhaps eats food of a most grateful taste and odour, and well accommodated to his natural %ppetite, thence ma$es e"crement 16

endued with qualities so contrary, and yielding an odour so (ery ungrateful, and repugnant to /ature4 of which there is no other reason, then natural putrefaction and corruption. ,he same happens in all %romatical well smelling things. It is the )hilosophers part to enquire, what odour is, and whence it recei(es its (irtues, and in what the (irtue of it may be made manifest to true profit. &or the 'arth is nourished and fattened by stin$ing dung, and noble &ruit is produced of it. Of this matter there is not one cause only, but our Boo$ would swell to an huge Volume, if we should but briefly hint at all natural -enerations and mutations# yet +igestion and )utrefaction are the principal $eys of them. &or the &ire and %ir ma$e a certain !aturation, by which a ,ransmutation of the 'arth and Water may follow# and this is also a certain mutation, by which of e(il smelling +ung a most fragrant Balsam may be produced# and on the contrary, of most grateful Balsam ill fa(oured +ung. But perhaps you will say, why do I produce e"amples of so (ery rude and absurd5 I do confess the e"ample is ta$en from a .ottage, rather then a Royal .ourt# yet a prudent considerer of things, more accurately di(ing into the matter, will easily understand, what such e"amples intimate to him, (i9. that of the highest things the lowest are made, and the lowest the highest, so that, of a !edicament is produced of Venome, and of Venome !edicine# of the sweet, bitter, acid, and corrosi(e# and on the contrary of the corrosi(e, another thing more profitable. O good -O+, how much is /ature absconded from !en, so that she seems to disdain to be wholly seen by us5 But since thou hast ordained so (ery short a time of our 1ife, and thou the 6udge of all, reser(est many things to thy self in the .reatures, which thou hast left to be admired, not $nown, by us, and of which thou alone wilt be the beholder and 6udge, grant unto me, that unto my 1ife7s end I may $eep thee and my Sa(iour in my eart, that besides health and necessaries of the body, which though hast liberally bestowed, I may also acquire the health of my Soul and Spiritual Riches# of which inestimable good I am freed from all 1<

doubt by that thy mercy, in which, for my soul, for me a miserable sinner, thou didst 2on the ,ree of the .ross3 shed Sulphur and Balsom# which is indeed a mortiferous Venom to the +e(il, but to us Sinners, a most present remedy. I do certainly heal my Brethren, as far as concerns the Soul, by )rayer, and in relation to the body, with apt Remedies# therefore I hope they will on their parts use their endea(our, that they with me, and I with them, may at length inhabit the ,abernacle of the !ost in him our -O+ en*oy 'ternity. But to return to my )hilosophy of %ntimony, I would ha(e the Reader, before all other things, to understand, that all things contain in themsel(es operati(e and (i(ificati(e Spirits# which inhabiting in the Body feed and nourish themsel(es, and are sustained by the Body. 'lements themsel(es want not these Spirits, which 2the li(ing -O+ permitting that3 whether they be good or e(il, ha(e their abitation in tehm. !en and %nimals ha(e in them erbs, and all things bearing &ruit, a Spirit a li(ing operating Spirit, which receding from them, nothing but a .ar$ass remains. In of Sanity e"ists# otherwise they could not, by any )reparation, be reduced to !edicinal use. !etals and all !inerals, are endued and possessed with their own incomprehensible Spirit, in which, the power and (irtue of all their possible effects, consists. &or whatsoe(er is without Spirit, wants 1ife, and contains in itself no (i(ifying Virtue. ,herefore, you are to $now, that in %ntimony also there is a Spirit, which effects whatsoe(er in it, or can proceed from it, in an in(isible way and manner, no otherwise, than as in the !agnet is absconded a certain in(isible power, as we shall more largely treat in its own place, where we spea$ of the !agnet. But there are (arious $inds of Spirits#8 (isible to the Intellect, and endued with Spiritual $nowledge, which notwithstanding cannot 2when they will3 be touched or apprehended, as /atural !en are touched# especially they, who ha(e their fi"ed Residence in 'lements, as are the Spirits of &ire, 1ights and other Ob*ects 14 igh, and

formally darting out 1ight from themsel(es4 such are %iry Spirits, who inhabit the %ir# %queous Spirits li(ing in Waters# and ,errene Spirits li(ing in the 'arth, which we !en call 'arthly !en, which are chiefly found in wealthy mines of the 'arth, where they shew and disco(er themsel(es to us.
5What follow, seem somewhat confused, according to the ,entiments of certain %heologicians, who have held various opinions of ,pirits residing in the -ire, Air, and other )lements; ad"udging them to the )ternal -ire of 1ell( All which with 3asilius, we leave as un/nown, to the 8udgement of the Divine 9nowledge( 3ut what he himself su!"oyns, touching the wonderful virtue and power of Antimonial and all other +hymical ,pirits, which we our selves with so great admiration have often seen, we understand only of material ,pirits; which certainly are endued with as great virtues, and effect things no less wonderful then those ,pirits, which Phantastic/ persons $oppressed with *elancholy' affirm they see and tal/ with; yea I cannot remem!er that I ever found written or declared $!y such, as ta/ing a li!erty of lying, endeavour to please or terrify others' any greater or more wonderful virtues then these ,pirits have(

,hese Spirits are endued with Senses and 0nderstanding, $now %rts, and can change themsel(es into di(ers &orms, until the time of their 6udgement# but whether a definitory sentence ought to be pronounced against them as yet, or no, that I lea(e to the )ro(idence of the +i(ine !a*esty, from whom nothing is hid. ,here are other Spirits, wanting speech, which cannot shew themsel(es (isibly in the (ery act# and they are those which li(e in %nimals, as in !en and the li$e, in )lants also and in !inerals# ne(ertheless they ha(e in themsel(es an occult and operati(e 1ife, and manifest and disco(er themsel(es by their efficacious power of operating, which they contain in and bear about themsel(es, and most apparently gi(e testimony of their (irtue of healing, whensoe(er that 2by help of the %rt3 is e"tracted from them, being accurately seperated from their body. %fter the same manner, the efficacious Spirit, and operati(e power of %ntimony, manifests its gifts, and distributes them among !en, being first loosed from its own body, and freed from all its bonds, so, that it is able to penetrate, and render fit to be applyed to those 0ses, which the %rtificer proposed to himself in )reparation. 18

But the %rtist and Vulcan ought to agree4 the &ire gi(es seperation for an operati(e power, and the %rtificer forms the matter. %s a Blac$<smith useth one sort of &ire, also Iron only is his matter, which he intends for forming di(ers Instruments. &or some times of it he ma$es a Spit, at another time orse<shoes, another time a Saw, and at length innumerable other things, e(ery of which ser(es for that 0se, unto which the Smith intended it, although the matter is but one, which he prepares for so many di(ers uses. So of %ntimony (arious wor$s may be made for different uses4 in which the %rtist is the Smith that forms# Vulcan is as it were the $ey which opens# and Operations and 0tility gi(e e"perience, and $nowledge of the 0se. O= if foolish and (ain !en had but 'ars to hear, and true eyes with understanding, not only for hearing what I write, but for understanding the %rcanum and $nowledge of the use# assuredly they would not suc$ in those insalubrious and turbid )otions, but hasten to these limped &ountains, and drin$ of the Well of 1ife. ,herefore let the World $now, that I shallpro(e those pretended +octors, who seem to be wise, to be mrere &ools and Idiots,and cause many unlearned !en 2but such as are studious +isciples of my +octrine3 to become true +octors in (ery deed. Wherefore I here solemnly cite and in(ite all !en, who earnestly aspire to $nowledge, with a chearful mind, good .onscience, and certain hope, to embrace and become Spectators of our +octrine, and accurately to peruse my Writings and Informations# for so, at length, they 2being possesors of what they sought3 will e"tol and commend me after death, rendering my mortal name immortal, with their perpetual remembrance of my praises, as long as the World endures. But if when I am dead, any one be pleased to institute a disputation in the Schools against me, my writings will fully answer all his Ob*ections, and I am assured my +isciples will ne(er forget the benefit recei(ed from me, by which they will obtain the 'mpire of ,ruth, which e(er was to me, and always will be to them, sufficient to suppress a 1ie to the Worlds end. 12

%lso let the well meaning and sincere obser(er of %rt $now, that there are two $inds of %ntimony (ery different from each other4 one is fair, pure, and of a golden property, and that contains (ery much !ercury, but the other which hath much Sulphur is not so friendly to gold as the first, and is distinguished by fair long and white shining strea$s. ,herefore one is more fit for !edicine and %lchemy, then the other4 as when the &lesh of &ishes iscompared with the &lesh of other %nimals, although both these are, and are called &lesh, yet each of these (ery much differs from the &lesh of the other# e(en so of %ntimony the difference is the same. !any do indeed write of the Interior (irtue of %ntimony, but few of tehm e(er taught the true &oundation of the (irtues with which it is endued, or found out which way, or in what manner it recie(es them# So that their +octrine is founded upon words only, e"ists without any true foundation, and they themsel(es lose the fruit they hopes to recei(e by such Writings. &or to write truly of %ntimony is a wor$ that requires profound !editations, a mind largely unfolding itself, and $nowledge of its manifold )reparation, and of the true Soul of it, in which all the 0tility is cited, and which being $nown you may be able to gi(e an indubitate 6udgement, of what e(il or good, Venom or !edicine is latent therein. It is not a matter of small moment by a true '"amen to search into %ntimony, and thereby to penetrate fundamentally into its 'ssence, and through earnest study to attain the final $nowledge thereof, that the Venenosity of the same 2against which uns$ilful !en ignorantly e"claim3 may be ta$en away, and it be changed and prepared into a better State, becoming a !edicine fit for use and (oid of Venom. !any %rtists intending to %natomi9e %ntimony, ha(e di(ers ways (e"ed, wrested and tormented the same, in such wise as it cannot be well described in Words, much less belie(ed# yet, the matter being truely e"amined, they effected nothing. &or they sought not its true Soul, and therefore could not find the feigned Soul of it, which themsel(es sought. By the blac$ .olours a mist was cast 17

before their 'yes, so that they could neither obser(e the true Soul itself, nor $now it. &or %ntimony li$e unto !ercury, may fitly be compared to a round .ircle, of which there is no end# in which the more diligently any !an see$s, the more he finds, if )rocess be made by him in a right way and due order. ;et the 1ife of no one !an is sufficient for him to learn all the mysteries thereof. It is Venom and a most swift poison, also it is (oid of Venom and a most e"cellent !edicine# whether it be used outwardly or inwardly. Which is a thing hid form most !en by reason of their own blindness# and they *udge it an incredible, foolish and (ain wor$, because 2through their ignorance3 it is un$nown to them, who can no otherwise be e"cused, then that they deser(e the name of Stupidity4 yet that is not to be suffered in them, because they desire not to learn or be better informed, either here, or elsewhere. %ntimony is endued with all the four first qualities# it is cold and humid, and against it is hot and dry, and accommodates it self to the four Seasons of the year, also it is (olatile and fi"ed. ,he (olatile part of it is not (oid of Venom, but the fi"ed is free from all (enenosity# which is so (ery strange, as it may be reputed one of the se(en Wonders of the World, of which so many Writers ha(e discoursed, not $nowing themsel(es what they write. ,here hath been no 8!an before me, and at this day there is none found, who hath so thoroughly learned the power, (irtue, strength, operations, and efficacy of %ntimony, or so profoundly penetrated into all the 'nergy thereof, as nothing more is latent in it unfound out, or which cannot be brought to light by e"perience. If such a !an could be found he would be worthy to be carried about in a ,riumphal .hariot, as in times past was granted to !onarchs and potent eroes, after they had happily fought Battles, and were returned with Victory. But I fear, that many of our +octors will be constrained to pro(ide a .hariot for themsel(es.

1:

51ere the Author spea/s largely in commendation of Antimony( &ead, read $I say' O over of +hymistry, and you will find nothing 1yper!olical, nor anything %hrasnic/( 3asilius in spea/ing as he doth, hath not e.hausted the Praises of Antimony; !ecause no *an unto this day could ever e.perience all its 6irtues( We have seen many of its )ffects, and many new )ffects are daily found !y curious ,earchers, yet many more remain un/nown( ,o that, as in -ire is an ine.hausti!le -ountain; $for the more you ta/e from it, the more it gives' so in Antimony is an inestima!le %reasure of new 6irtues( -or if from it you e.tract its Acetum a thousand times, it will a thousand times, yield new Acetum( Nature seems to have made choice of this *ineral, therein to hide all her %reasures( %herefore not without reason hath 3asilius made for it a %riumphant +hariot, which is daily enriched with ,poyls ta/en from the +amps of Ignorance(

&or the !asters of this terrene World are so intangled with their own ,houghts, that they see$ nothing from %ntimony but Riches, and forget to search its utility for medicine, and the ealth of the Body, which notwithstanding ought abo(e all things to be sought, that 2being brought to 1ight3 the wonderful Wor$s of our -O+ may be made manifest, and the -lory gi(en to him, with great than$fulness. It is not to be denyed, but that more of Riches and ealth may be found in it than either you all, or I myself, can belie(e4 for I profess my self no other than a +isciple in the :nowledge of %ntimony, although in it I ha(e seen, e"perienced and learned more than you, and all such as you are 2who arrogate to yoursel(es great s$ill therein3 either ha(e learned, or e(er can learn. ;et no !an should therefore be troubled, or despair of Benefits# but because the World, indulging their own Ingratitude, ha(e neither esteemed, nor with due Re(erence ac$nowledged the !unificence of the !ost igh, but ha(e preferred Riches before ealth, -O+ hath spread as it were a Spider7s Webb before their 'yes, that being blind they might not $now the Secrets of /ature absconded in the &orm of this !ineral. %ll men cry out Rich, Rich we would be. I confess you all aspire to Riches, and with the 'picure say, ,he Body must first be pro(ided for, the Soul may at length also find somewhat# and with !idas 2as in the &able3 you desire that all things whatsoe(er you touch may be turned into -old. ence it is, that so many see$ 1=

their desired Riches in %natomy4 But because they accept not that -ift of the .reator with a grateful eart, which before all ,hings orse in the !outh# should be procured, and cast the 1o(e of their /eighbour behind their bac$, therefore they in (ain loo$ the for they $now his %ge and Strength no more than the -uests at the !arriage<&east in .ana of -alilee $new the wonderful Wor$, which .hrist there wrought, when he turned Water into Wine. ,hey $new, that Wine was Water, and that the Water was turned into Wine, they percei(ed by the ,aste# but how that ,ransmutation happened was hid from them. &or the 1ord 6'S0S, our Sa(iour, reser(ed the Supernatural Wor$ to himself, as a ,estimony of his Omnipotency. Wherefore I say, it is e(ery !an7s duty, to search out the !ysteries and %rcanums, which the .reator hath insited in all .reatures# for although 2as we said3 it is not .redible, that we !en can thoroughly learn and penetrate all ,hings# yet we are not forbid to inquire into them, since by Study and +iligence so much may be effected, as although through some defect a !an may be hindred in such wise, as he cannot attain to the desired Riches and perfect Sanity, yet he may acquire enough to occasion him not to repent of his 1abour, but rather to minister unto him matter of 6oy and Re*oycing, that he sees himself so far an %deptist, as he stands always obliged to render than$s to his .reator. ,herefore, whosoe(er desires to become a perfect %natomist of %ntimony, the first thing to be considered by him is Solution of the Body# and in order to this, he must ta$e it in a con(enient place, and propose to himself the right way, that he be not seduced into de(ious )aths. Secondly he must obser(e the -o(ernance of the &rie, ta$ing .are that it be neither too much, nor too little, or too hot, or too cold. &or the summ of all is sited in an e"act -o(ernance of the &ire# by which the (i(ifying Spirits of %ntimony are e"tracted, and loosed from their bonds, and so rendered capable to manifest their 'ffects operati(ely. %lso he must ta$e great .are, that this Operati(e Virtue be not mortifyed and persih %dustion. ,hirdly the 0se or +ose is to be obser(ed by him, that he may administer it in due manner, $nowing 63

the !easure, as I abo(e mentioned, when I spa$e of the fi(e principal parable. By Resolution the sum of the !atter is proposed, but by &ire it is prepared to profit. &or a Butcher cuts out an O", and di(ides it into parts, but no !an can profitably en*oy this &lesh, unless he first boyl it by &ire, by which Operation the Red substance of the &lesh is changed and prepared into white %liment. If a !an constrained by hunger, should eat that Raw and Red flesh, it would be Venom to him rather than !edicine# because the natural eat of the Stomach is too wea$ to concoct and digest that crude Body. ence, my dear &riend, you may conclude, that since %ntimony hath greater Venom, and a more gross !ineral Body than %nimal &lesh 2as by the abo(e recited common '"ample I ha(e already shewed3 it will also pro(e more perillous, if used .rude, without remain Venom, which will suddenly $ill the Sic$. ,herefore the Venenosity of %ntimony is so to be ta$en away, as it may ne(er against be con(erted into Venom, after the same manner, as Wine, which being once, by putrefaction and corruption turned into Vinegar, ne(er afterward yields any Spirit of Wine, but always is and remains Vinegar. but on the .ontrary, if the Spirit only of the Wine be seperated, and the %quosity left by itself, and the same Spirit afterward e"alted, it will ne(er in any wise be changed into Vinegar, although it should be $ept an hundred ;ears# but will always remain Spirit of Wine, no otherwise, then as Vinegar remains Vinegar. ,his ,ransmutation of Wine into Vinegar is a wonderful ,hing# because somewhat is produced from Wine, which was not before in its (egetable 'ssence. In which it is also to be noted, that in distillation of Wine the Spirit first comes forth# but 2on the contrary3 in distilling Vinegar the )hlegm first comes, afterward the Spirit, as I ha(e shewed abo(e in its own place, where I also 61 eads requisite in the '"ercise and )ractise of .hymistry# but here I only hint at it cursorily by way of a

made mention of this '"ample. ,herefore Spirit of Wine ma$es Bodies (olatile, because itself is (olatile# but Spirit of Vinegar fi"eth all !edicaments, as well of !inerals as Vegetables, and renders them solid, so that they apprehend things fi"ed, and e"pel fi"ed +iseases. 8.onsider and obser(e these things diligently# for this principal :ey is of great concern. ,herefore %ntimony, which contains in itself its own Vinegar, ought to be so prepared, as all its Venenosity may be ta$en away, and he, who useth it, concei(es no Venom thereby, but rather dri(es away and casts out all )oison from himself, by the use thereof.
53elieve not only 3asilius, !ut me also, with the same -aith and sincerity affirming to you; this is the first 9ey, this is the principla part of the whole Art, this opens to you the first Gate, this will also unloc/ the last, which leads to the Palace of the 9ing( 3ut as I said, not only !eleive, !ut also consider and o!serve( 1ere you stand in the )ntrance, if you miss the Door, all your +ourse will !e )rror, all your 1ast &uine, and all your Wisdom -oolishness( 1e who o!tains this 9ey, and /nows the *ethod $which is called *anual Operation' !y which to use it, and has strength to turn the same, will ac2uire &iches, and an open Passage unto the *ysteries of +hymistry(

,herefore )reparation of %ntimony consists in the :ey of %lchimy, by which it is dissol(ed, opened, di(ided and seperated# as in .alcination, Re(erberation, Sublimation, etc. as we declared abo(e it. %lso in e"tracting its 'ssence, and in (i(ifying its !ercury# which !ercury must afterward be precipited into a fi"ed powder. 1i$ewise by %rts and due !ethod, of it may be made an Oyl, which is effectual wholly to consume that new and un$nown +isease, which the &rench, in their Warli$e '"peditions, brought into our Regions. ,he same is (isible in other )reparations, deri(ed from the Spagyric$ %rts and %lchimy# as for '"ample4 If anyone would ma$e Beer of Barley, Wheat, or other .orn, all these degress must be most perfectly $nown to him, before he can from those -rains e"tract their most subtil 'ssence and (irtue, and reduce the same into a most efficacious +rin$. &irst, the -rains must be so long 66

steeped in Water, as until they be able sufficiently, to open and resol(e themsel(es 2as I, when I was a ;oung !an, tra(elling into 'ngland and olland, diligently obser(ed to be done in those places3 this is called )utrefaction and .orruption. ,his :ey being used, the Water is drawn off from the -rain, and the macerated .orn is laid on eaps close together, and left so for a due time, until it spontaneously concei(e heat, and by the same heat, germinating, the -rains adhere each to other4 this is +igestion. ,his being finished, the -rains which adhered in their -ermination, are separated, and dryed, either in the %ir, or by eat of &ire, and so hardened. ,his is Re(erberation, and .oagulation. When the .orn is thus prepared, it is carried to the !ill, that it may be broa$ and ground small# this is Vegetable .alcination. %fterward, by heat of &ire cocting these -rains, the more noble Spirit of them is e"tracted, and the Water is imbibed with the same# which without the aforesaid )reparation could not ha(e been. ,his way the crude Water is con(erted into Beer, and this Operation 2though I spea$ but rudely3 is and is called +istillation. ,he ops, when added to the Beer, is the Vegetable Salt thereof, which conser(es and preser(es from all .ontraries, endea(ouring to corrupt the same. ,his way of boyling Water into +rin$, by e"traction of the Spirits from the -rains, the Spaniards and Italians $now not, and in my nati(e soil of -ermany about the Rhine, few are found s$illed in this %rt. %fter all these wor$s are performed, a new Seperation is made by .larification, (i9. of the +rin$, in this manner4 a little ;east or &erment is added, which e"cites an internal motion and eat in the Beer, so that it is ele(ated in it self, and 2by the help of time3 Separation of the dense from the rare, and of the pure from the impure is made# and by this means the Beer acquires a constant (irtue in Operating, so that it penetrates and effects all those 'nds, for which it was made and brought into use4 which before could not ha(e been# because the Spirit, the Operator was hindered, by its own Impurity, from effecting its proper Wor$.

6<

In Wine also doth not '"perience teach the same5 ,hat cannot, before the time come, in which the Impuritys may be separated from it, so (ery perfectly and efficaciously perform its own Wor$, as after Separation of the pure from the impure4 which by +run$eness is manifest# for Beer or Wine unsettled, and not purifyed, gi(e not forth from themsel(es so much Spirit for inebriating, as after .larification. But of this no more. %fter all the aforesaid, a new Operation may be instituted, by Vegetable sublimation, for separation of the spirit of the Wine or Beer, and for preparing it by +istillation into another +rin$ of Burning Wine, which may also be made of the 1ees or +regs of Wine and Beer. When this is done, the Operati(e Virtue is separated from its own Body, and the Spirit being e"tracted by &ire, forsa$es its own unprofitable dead abitation, in which it was commodiously hospited before. /ow, if this Burning Wine, or Spirit of Wine, be rectifyed, an '"altation is made by often distilling it, and by a certain method of Operating, the pure part 2free from all )hlegm and %quosity3 may be so concentred, and as it were condensed, as one !easure of it may effect more, then twenty or more could ha(e done before. &or it sooner inebriates, and is swift, (olatile and subtil for penetrating and operating. 8 ere I admonish you, whosoe(er you are, who desire to be taught by my Writings, and hope to obtain Riches and a true !edicine from %ntimony, that you would not carelessly peruse my Intention, in which is no letter writ in (ain, and which hath not a certain singular signification for your Instruction.
5+ome hither you %raveller, stay your 8ourney here( +ontemn not or flighty pass over this tautological, !ut not impertinent, Admonition; often in your mind have recourse to this Description of 3eer, search, contemplate, and weigh all %hings, perhaps in this tur!id and famous Gulf, you will find the -ish you loo/ not for( If in this ight you yet !e !lind, I /now not any +ollyrium will profit you0 if with so certain a manuduction you cannot pass on to the wor/ itself, I /now not who will lend you a ,taff, or what Demonstration can direct the 8ourney of a ,tupid *an( 3elieve, read, meditate, la!our, and spare the use of so many

64

+hymical 3oo/s, which distract you with the )rror of various ways, this one tells you all things(

;ea, I here solemnly affirm, that there are many words dispersed here and there in my Writings, to which if the Reader gi(e heed as he ought, and $now in what &undamentals the principal eads of the matter are sited, and as it were buried, he will ha(e no .ause to repent his often turning o(er the same 1ea(es, but will esteem e(ery word as much, as a piece of -old coin. &or you $now, that althought the '"amples by me proposed, sound harsh, as deli(ered in a rude manner, yet they contain in them somewhat that is e"cellent and of great !oment. ;et I am not here ambitious to procure %uthority or praise to my Writings, which is not my Business, nor would it become me4 for when the Operation of them shall be brought to 1ight, they will acquire praise enough to themsel(es. I purposely and willingly produce '"amples so rude and common, because the power of %ntimony and the true Virtue thereof, deeply and profoundly abscoded in its inmost parts, is to be searched out. I was willing, by these gross '"amples to lead you by the hand, and shew you the way, that by them you might attain to the ,hing itself, and not at the (ery first err from the -ate# for so doing you would long wander, and ne(er bring your Operation to the desired 'nd. &or %ntimony is li$e a Bird, which is carryed through the %ir and as the Wind dri(es it, so it turns itself which way that wills4 here, in this .ase, !an acts the )art of the %ir or Wind and can dri(e and mo(e %ntimony, at his pleasure, and repose it in such a place, as himself chooseth4 he can imbibe it, with a yellow, red, white or blac$ .olour, according as he desires it should be, and as he rules and go(erns the &ire# because in %ntimony 2as in !ercury3 all .olours are found, which no !an should wonder at, considering how many ,hings /ature bears absconded in her Bosom, which neither you nor I are able to comprehend in many days.

68

If a boo$ happen to be gi(en to a !an, that is unlearned, he $nows not what is signified by that Writing, or what that Scripture intends# for it is hid from his 'yes, and he stands ama9ed, as a .ow at the sight of a new +oor. But if unto that unlearned !an, anyone suggest the '"plication of the Boo$, and teach him not only the matter contained therein, but also the use of the same, the !an no more admires it, as an %rt# but by this means it becomes to him a .ommon ,hing, the Reason and Operation of which he understands, and by his own Study can learn, concei(e, and comprehend the 0tility so perfectly, as now none of those ,hings, which were contained in the Boo$, are hid from him# because he hath learned both to read and understand what is written therein. Such a Boo$ is %ntimony to those, who $now not of the %rt of Reading# therefore I faithfully admonish all, who desire to be parta$ers of its 0tilities, to bend their mind to $now and pronounce the letters thereof, that so they may acquire the %rt of Reading that Boo$# and in such a manner, that 2as in a School3 they may be remo(ed from &orm to &orm, when he who hath rightly gained '"perience, shall preside as Rector, and *udge of that, which in ,rial is most worthy4 for One is worthy to be preferred before another, in the )ossession of that. But here, what comes into my mind, and ought in no wise to be passed o(er in Silence, I thin$ good to mention# (i94 that at this +ay many are found who e"claim, and rashly pronounce .rucifige, .rucifige, against all those, who prepare Venoms into !edicaments, by which 2as they say3 many !ortals perish, or, if they escape with 1ife, li(e miserably# such are !ercury, %rsenic$, %ntimony, etc. and this .lamour is chiefly made by those, who 2if it please the -O+S3 are called +octors8 of !edicine, yet indeed understand not what the difference is, between Venom, and !edicine, but are wholly ignorant how Venom may be prepared, so as to pass into a salutary !edicament# and instead of its malignity, put on a better /ature.

62

53asilius somewhat indulgeth his own Genius, inveighing against -alse: Phyisicians, whose ignorance $in his time' was so very greate, as they contemned every su!lime Preparation of *edicine, which he himself, and +hymists with him did profess; proscri!ing the same as unprofita!le, perillous, and hurtful0 against whome, it is not strange, if the +hymists $on the other hand' rose up with some small vehemency, and endeavour courageously, !y assistance of their 9nowledge, and +onscience, to !rea/ through that rout of uns/ilful *en; !ut the !est %hings are not allways the most prosperous( +hymists overcame !y the 8ustice of their +ause, !ut were overcome !y Num!er0 yet, having verity and goodness on their side, thy fought with so great +onfidence, as they were certainly assured they should !ear away the 6ictory; which our Author here shews, and Paracelsus $prophesying of the +oming of )lias the Artist' did presage would !e( And certainly unto me $seriously considering how greatly chymists have in these times improved their 9nowledge' the Dawning of that Day hath opened itself, since I !ehold so many &ays of the approaching ,un(

%gainst these I do in a special manner e"claim and protest, against these, I say, who 2ignorance of )reparation3 e"hibit )oison to !en4 for !ercury, %uripigment, %ntimony, and such li$e, are (enoms in their Substance, and unless rightly prepared remain Venoms. ;et after a 1egitimate )reparation, all their Venenosity is bro$e, e"tinguished and e"pelled, so that no part of them remains, but what is !edicine, which resists all internal Venoms, although most deeply rooted, and radically destroys the same. &or Venom, being in such a manner prepared, as it can no longer hurt, resists all )oison, which is not as yet prepared, and so (ery well prepares and sub*ugates it, as it is compelled with the same to put off its own (enomous /ature. ere I shall raise a great .ontention among the 1earned# for I $now they will doubt what these my Words should signify, as whether what I affirm and write be possible to be done or no# and they will be di(ided into se(eral Opinions there<about. Some will *udge it is in no wise possible, that from those ,hings, of which we treat, the (enenosity should be wholly ta$en away# nor do I wonder, that they persist in that Opinion, since the +octrine of li$e )reparations is absolutely un$nown to them, who ha(e not the least thought of that, which leads to the :nowledge of these more 67

profound !ysteries. ;et a small part of these !en will with me be constrained to ac$nowledge, it is possible a (ile ,hing may be changed into a Better. &or you 2you +octors I mean3 must confess to me, that your purpose is to reduce that '(il, from which the +isease had its Original, into a better State. -o to then# will you not also grant, that if any '(il be in those ,hings, of which !edicine is to be made, the same '(il must be con(erted into a better State, that it may so much the better perform its operation, and more powerfully and profitably act, without any notable peril5 But since unto (ery few as yet is $nown, or by '"perience found, the Way, by which a !an ought to proceed in these )reparations, a (ery small part of these will assume and contend for the Opinion I here affirm, and publicly profess4 for (ery many will be carryed away with the greater Rout, crying, Venom, Venom= which Voices, whilst I hear them, put me in mind of those wild .lamours, by which the 6ews required the Sa(iour and Redeemer of the World, that he might suffer the )unishment of the .ross, often crying out .rucify him, .rucify him, whom they proclaimed to be the highest, most present, most pernitious, and cursed Venom, when as indeed he was the noblest, supreme, most glorious and most profitable !edicine of our Souls, which was to deli(er us from the +eath of Sinners, from the +e(il, ell> and all !isfortunes. %lthough those proud )harisees and 1awyers neither could nor would understand this, ne(ertheless he both then was, and will be to the end of the World, and after it to all 'ternity, the same supere"cellent !edicine4 and neither the +e(il, nor +eath, nor the (ery -ates of to o(erthrow this ,ruth. So I hope, yea doubt not 2although all (agabond and circumforaneous !edicasters, all )hysicians resident in .ities, and how many soe(er there be, that profess themsel(es !asters of any part of !edicine, do all together contri(e what they can, and e"claim against %ntimony3 but that the same %ntimony will triumph o(er the ingratitudes of all those uns$ilful !en 2for true 6: ell, nor any .reature, how powerful, or per(erse soe(er, can effect anything at all, whereby

)hysicians and such as are always ready to learn, I touch not here3 and by its own power and (irtue acquired after due preparation, will o(ercome and tread under foot all its 'nemies. But, on the contrary, those ignorant false 6udges, and pertinacious contemners of %ntimony, because they $now not the ,ruth, together with the proud and blood<thirsty 6ews, shall perish, and be cast into the %byss of ell. ow ridiculous those magnificent, and to themsel(es only wise +octors, seem to me, who deterr 'mperors, :ings, )rinces and all other -reat !en, and seriously admonish them not so much as to touch such !edicines with their 1ips, because they are no"ious, (enomous, and e(ery way perillous, I will not here declare, since I see them only to *udge according to their own Opinion, without entertaining any Obser(ations of other things, the :nowledge of which they ha(e not before acquired by their own .ontemplation, and therefore cannot *udge of any thing else, or otherwise than they ha(e learned. ,herefore to these I say, if there be any !an, that hath ta$en so strong a )oison, as present +eath is necessarily e"pected to follow, I will 2pro(ided the !an be left wholly to my .are3 gi(e him an %ntidote by me prepared which shall continually resist that Venom, and quic$ly e"pel it out of the Body. But I little care, whether you !r. +octor, who do neither $now this ,hing, nor e(er would apply your mind to $now it, do slight the same, and repute it as a ridiculous, and altogether false tale# it is sufficient for me, that I am able 2but if praise worthy, let praise be gi(en to -O+3 to pro(e and defend the ,ruth thereof. &or I myself ha(e e"perienced it, I ha(e made, I ha(e prepared, I ha(e prescribed this !edicine, and there wants not a sufficient number of Witnesses to confirm it under and and Seal.

%nd whensoe(er I shall ha(e occasion to contend in the School with such a +octor, who $nows not how himself to prepare his own !edicines, but commits that Business to another, I am sure I shall obtain the )alm from him4 for indeed that good !an $nows not what !edicines he prescribes to the Sic$# whether the .olour of them be white, blac$, grey or blue, he cannot tell# nor doth this wretched 6=

man $now, he only $nows, that he found it so written in his Boo$s, and thence pretends )ossession 2or as it were )ossession3 by )rescription of a (ery long time4 yet he desires no further Information. ere again let it be lawful to e"claim, good -O+, to what a state is the matter brought= what goodness of mind is in these men= what care do they ta$e of the Sic$= Wo, wo to them= in the day of 6udgement they will find the fruit of their ignorance and rashness# they they will see him whom they pierced, when they neglected their /eighbour, sough after !oney and nothing else# whereas were tehy cordial in their )rofession, they would spend /ights and +ays in 1abour, that they might become more learned in their %rt, whence more certain health would accrew to the Sic$ 1abour is tedious to them, they commit the matter to .hance, and being secure of their onour and content with their &ame, they 2li$e Brawlers3 defend themsel(es with a certain -arrulity, without any respect had to .onscience or ,ruth# .oals seem wonderful strange, and as out<landish Wares to them, therefore they spare the !oney, that should be bestowed in them, as if they intended to lay it out to a better use. Vulcan himself, (i9. the )repairer of !edicaments, is not found among them# for their &ornaces stand in the %pothecaries Shop, to which tehy seldom or ne(er come. % )aper Scrol in which their usual Recipe is written, ser(es their purpose to the full, which Bill being by some %pothecaries Boy or Ser(ant recie(ed, he with great noise thumps out of his !ortar e(ery !edicine, and all the ealth of the Sic$.

!y -O+, change, change these times, and put an end to this arrogant )ride, o(erturn those ,rees, lest they swell up to ea(en, throw down those -iants lest tehy accumulate all !ountains# and defend those, who seriously managing their Business, faithfully ser(e thee, that they may be able to stand against these their )ersecutors. I seriously admonish all those in our !onastery, bound by the same Vows with me, that they would with my self /ight and +ay pray unto -O+, that he would so illuminate these 'nemies of true !edicine, as tehy may e"ecrate their own 'rror, and ac$nowledge the -lory of -O+, and his )ower <3

insited in the .reatures, and percei(e the .learness latent in them, by )reparation and %natomy 2as it were spea$ing in their 'ars3 which otherwise surrounded and co(ered o(er with e"ternal Impurities, would deeply be concealed, and ne(er brought to 1ight. But I trust the .reator of all ,hings, 2both of those which fall under our Sense, and of those that are remote from our Senses3 will benignly hear our )rayers# that, if not whilst I and my Brethren li(e, yet after our +eath, such a .on(ersion of ,hings and !en 2-O+ answer these desires3 may follow, as that thic$ and obscure Veil may be ta$en away from the 'yes of our 'nemies, and they by true and infallible Illumination, obtain a clear sight, that tehy may find their lost -roat4 which -O+, the eternal -o(ernour of ,ime and ,hings of his -race and !ercy grant. But it is fit, that I, who intended to publish a certain +iscourse of %ntimony, in all its /umbers %bsolute, should begin with the 8/ame itself. 8)oets do often posit in the midst of their )oems, istories or

&ables of )rinces, that by a continued Series of ,hings, they may the more easily attain their 'nd, which is to delight their Readers4 .hymists for another end use the same !edium. &or since their purpose is to teach the Readers so, as they may only be understood by those, who wholly de(ote themsel(es with a fer(ent desire to the Study of that Science, they $eep not that Order, which proceeds from the beginning to the 'nd by !ediums. ,herefore our %uthor, at length coming to treat of the name of %ntimony, whence it too$ beginning, acts as anohter !an addicted to some Scholastic Order4 but by and by turning from this +iscourse, he answers an Ob*ection, before it is made by Interrogation# (i9. whether from %ntimony all its Venom may be ta$en away, the possibility of which he pro(es by (ery profitable and significant '"amples. ,he %rabians, to whom in times past this !ineral was $nown, did in their 1anguage call it %stinat# but the .haldeans called it <1

Stibium# among the 1atines at this day the name of %ntimony is used, by which name they first of all signified it. We -ermans in our 1anguage ha(e gi(en it a /ame, which seems to e"press a certain property of its /ature, for since it is seen to consist of a certain strei$ed !atter, and of it may easily be made -lass endued with (arious .olours, which proceed therefrom, we ha(e called it Spies<glass, as if we should say strei$ed -lass. &rom which Variety of the /ame, by a prudent 6udgment a singular .ollection may be made, (i9. that %ntimony was $nwon, and greatly esteemed, and its (irtue and 0tility obser(ed and brought into use by the %rabians, .haldeans, 1atins, and our -ermans4 but afterward, the eresies of (arious Opinions arising, the use was (itiated, and its Virtue and -lory first obscured, and afterward wholly e"tinguished. Of which there is no Reason to +oubt# for nothing is more probable, than that ,ruth should suffer +ammage and Shipwrac$ by the Oppression of 'nemies. &or who $nows not the !alice of the +e(il, which by Reason of our Sins and Blindness is (ery often permitted by -O+. ,he +e(il is the perpetual 'nemy of !an$ind, who imploys all his Strength, and all his +eceits, and omits nothing, which in himself is, to pre(ent the :nowledge of the profit of true !edicine, and to e"terminate its use# $nowing well enough, that by that means the power and glory of -O+ is obscured, and those Sacrifices of the praises of men are impeded, by which they ga(e than$s to -O+, because he hath insited as it were the Rays of his -oodness in the .reatures, whence they may obtain ealth by a natural au"iliary.

But since to discourse of the name of %ntimony, is not to our purpose, we will desist from this !atter. &or all the )raise of %ntimony consists in the )reparation thereof, which is made for perfecting the Virtues infused in it from /ature by the %uthor of /ature. ,herefore my discourse shall be of this, handling it and its $nown Virtue, and I will endea(our to ma$e my /ame immortal. ;et before I come to declare the Virtue of %ntimony, since I abo(e confessed, that it is meer Venom, I would ha(e you $now and diligently note, that Venom is able to draw Venom to itself, <6

because li$e itself, much sooner and much more than any other ,hing of another /ature. /ow let any Reader consider, and obser(e it as a ,hing worthy of /ote, that the true 0nicorns<horn, sophisticated by no fallacy, repels all Venom from itself, nor can it assume or draw to itself anything of Venom, as is manifest by '"perience. 1et a li(ing Spider be put in a .ircle made of 0nicorns<horn, and out of this .ircle it cannot go, or pass o(er the 0nicorns<horn, for it shuns whatsoe(er is ad(erse to Venom. But if the .ircle be made of (enemous !atter, it is not to be doubted, but that the Spider will go out of it, and pass o(er that Venom li$e it self. /ote this '"periment, ma$e a piece of Sil(er hollow, and put it in Water, that it may float li$e a Boat, and put Venom into it, then hold a piece of true 0nicorns< orn, as nigh to it as you can, but so as you may not touch it, that 0nicorns< orn by its spiritual Virtue will dri(e the Sil(er from it, so that it will flie away li$e a +uc$, which swimming on the Water flies, when it percei(es the Snares of the &owler ready to entangle it. But on the contrary, /ature in a wonderful manner lo(es and follows its own li$e, as appears by this '"ample. )ut a piece of pure and fine Bread in a dish full of Water, so as the Bread may swim upon the Water, hold a piece of true 0nicorns< orn close to it, yet so as it touch it not# and if you leisurely mo(e the 0nicorns< orn the little piece of Bread will follow it. /ature so much lo(es its own li$e, and so much hates what is unli$e itself, as this flies and that follows. ,herefore let our +octors consider, that Venom by a certain !agnetic$ )ower %ttracts Venom, and those things which are (oid of Venom, do in li$e manner draw to themsel(es things pure, and wanting a Venomous quality. ,herefore Venom may be ta$en away two ways# first, by its .ontrary, which resists Venom, as already is related of the 0nicorns< orn. Secondly,by 1i$e, when Venom by a certain !agnetic$ power draws Venom to itself. But the Venom which must heal Venom li$e itself, ought first to be so prepared, as its Venom may pass <<

into !edicine, and by its own attracti(e (irtue, assume the other to and e"pel it with itself. Of which thing you ha(e a most clear '"ample of Soap4 ,hat is compounded of Oil and other fat ingredient !atters, which seem to be, and in (ery deed are, more apt to foul, than cleanse 1inen# but because in the Boiling of Soap, especially by the help of Salt, a certain Separation and )reparation is made, the Soap is rendered most apt to draw to itself and wash out all foulness and filths from 1inen and other things4 so indeed may Venom in a certain manner, by %ntecedent )reparation be accommodated so, as to be no more Venom, but a !edicament, it draws to itself all other )oison, casts it out, and restores the man to his pristine )urity and ealth.

/ow since our +iscourse hath led us so far, and we ha(e begun to open /ature so much# that the truly Studious of !edicine 2though hitherto ignorant of this3 may clearly $now, what -ood or '(il is latent in /ature, what is Venom and what is harmless# which is a thing hath not as yet been found out by +octors, by reason of their own supine negligence# and that the ,ruth thereof may be demonstrated and also confirmed, it will not be amiss to produce certain '"perimental '"amples, which may disco(er the ,ruth, and refute the false Opinions of others. )ut an 'gg, which in the Winter is congealed with .old, into (ery cold Water, there let it lie for a due space of time, and the Ice will e"ternally adhere to the 'gg<shell, but the .old be e"tracted from the 'gg itself, and restored to its pristine (igour and intireness. %gain, if any !ember be benummed with .old, let not the )atient neglect himself, but apply cold Snowwater round about, so one .old attracts the other, and the !ember is restored. On the contrary, if any one ha(e a !ember inflamed, let him apply to that Inflammation an hot !atter# as for e"ample, Spirit of Wine, which is mere &ire, or the ?uintessence of Sulphur, and he will in (ery deed find, that is attracted by eat eat, in a certain !agnetic$ manner, and li$e to

re*oice in li$e, and not only to asswage the pain and heat of the inflamed !ember, but absolutely to restore the same to its pristine strength. <4

;et lest this our purpose should not be fully enough confirmed by '"amples, I will also add another, by way of Supplement. ,a$e &rog<Spawn in the !onth of !arch, and laying it on a Board dry it in the Sun, when dry reduce it to )owder, and strew of this )owder, upon wounds made by Venomous Vipers or Serpents# by this means such Wounds will be so prepared, as they may be perfectly healed by other !edicaments applied thereunto. Or otherwise, if 1inen cloths be often moistened in &rog<Spawn, and as often dried, and that 1inen cut into small pieces and applied to Wounds, they effect the same, as the aforesaid )owder would ha(e done. But that the (ery foundation of this ,ruth may more clearly be declared# ta$e a (enemous ,oad, dry him in the Sun, shut him up in an 'arth closed )ot, and by burning reduce him to %shes# then ha(ing ta$en out the %shes, and reduced the same to )owder apply of that )owder to a Wound made by Venom, and this )oison attracts the other )oison, and *oins it with itself. Why so, I pray5 Because by this Burning, which is the .alcination of the ,oad, its interior Virtue is made manifest, and efficacious for operating# so, that 1i$e can attract li$e, and especially Venom, to itself. ,herefore firmly perswade yourself, that this ,ruth is infallible and immuatable, which I ha(e here proposed to you and others by '"ample. If anyone afflicted with the )est, do diligently obser(e this, he will find the ,ruth of those things I ha(e here abo(e mentioned4 the %strum of Sol, from which 2as from an operati(e and all (i(ifying Sun3 all things in their $inds uni(ersally arise# therefore I determine that in the potency of -old, more than in all other ,hings, is an Operating /ature# that is, in its own %strum, whence both itself, and all !etals and !inerals, in the Beginning, recei(ed their first /ati(ity and )ropagation of -eneration. ,ouching which more may be said, when I shall manifest to you the %strum of Sol, and commend the same most religiously to your .onscience. %fter the same manner process is to be made with %ntimony, which hath the same Operations with corporal -old# yet of the %strum thereof I now spea$ not. &or I $now 2saith %ntimony3 it beho(es <8

me, before that, to fear and tremble# although in many principal %rcanums of !edicine, I far e"cel it# yet uni(ersally I am able to effect none of those ,hings, which the %strum of Sol 2confirmed by the ,estimony of .elestial Verity3 is able to produce. ,he %strum of !ercury I omit, because I my self ha(e my descent from the same Original with it4 but as to a .elestial penetrating power of Operating, I gi(e the first place of +ominion to the %strum of Sol. !y Writings and Boo$s, composed by '"perience, properly follow and answer each to other# as one metal 2as to its (irtue3 is obser(ed and esteemed by another, and must by &ire be pro(ed of what (alue it is. So these my Sayings, or Writings, or !edicaments, ought to be brought into the Schools, as tending to one Scope and 'nd. Into the Schools, I say, where Riches obtain to themsel(es 2as it were3 an ereditary place, and instead of that ta$e away all the onour, which is due to Vulcan only, who can boast himself to be a !aster in his own 'lement of &ire. Which may be shewed by '"ample, and a true and manifest )roof. When most hard Steel is struc$ with an hard and solid &lint, &ire e"cites &ire by (ehement .ommotion, and accension, drawing forth the occult Sulphur, or the occult &ire is manifested by that (ehement .ommotion, and en$indled by the %ir so, as it truly and efficaciously burns# but the Salt remains in the %shes, and the !ercury thence ta$es its flight together with the burning Sulphur.8
5;ou, who read this most simple +omparison of ,teel and a -lint, slac/ the &eins of your Admiration, and seriously as/ yourself, whether there can !e found out anyway or *ethod, !y which from this ,tone and +old Iron may !e e.tracted, a ,u!stance, of which one only Grain $!ut why do I spea/ of a Grain<' of which the hundred part of a Grain can in a very short time +onvert a great *ass of some rude *atter, into the most splendid and most pretious of all %hings; yea, into fire most profita!le for *an/ind< %his is possi!le, and is dayly done, when the fi.ed is made 6olatile, and the 6olatile again fi.ed( 1e that hath understanding, let him understand, and cease to defame the admira!le virtues of +hymical Wor/s(

<2

So here also understand, that %ntimony ought in a certain !ethod so to be handled, as its !ercury may be separated from the Sulphur thereof, in a /atural !anner. /ow as &ire, which lies absconded in !atter, unless it be made manifest, and can be demonstrated, is profitable for nothing, is not 2as I may say3 tangible by the ands, nor can it effect any thing to purpose# so !edicine can effect nothing that is e"cellent, unless it be first separated from its -rossness, rectified and so discharged of Impurities, clarified and brought to 1ight by due )reparation, as is manifest in all ,hings4 for when Separation of the pure from the impure is made, and all that is mountanour or terrestrial is segregated from the pure !etal, then the desired ar(est is to be e"pected. ence it is manifest, that &ire can effect nothing, before it is in a certain manner opened and set at 1iberty, that before it is in a certain manner opened and set at 1iberty, that it may operate. ,herefore, to comprehend much in few Words, I say, this is the .ondition of %ntimony. Whatsoe(er is occult and absconded from the :nowledge of the Vulgar, that in*oys the /ame and onour of %rt, (i9. as long as it lies hid# but so soon as it is disco(ered and made manifest, %rt hath end, and it becomes a !echanic$ Wor$# as I ha(e than once declared in other of my Boo$s. % Bee suc$s oney from &lowers, with such %rt as the %lmighty hath oney is latent a Virtue, 6uice, and oney, of a sweet and most

insited in it, in which

.orroborati(e )ower, of which a !edicine is made, as is ob(ious to the 'yes of all !en. /ow, from that pleasant ,aste, a (iolent .orrosi(e and present Venom may be prepared# which perhaps no man, unless he who hath learned it, will belie(e# no man certainly considers this, unless he be a diligent Obser(er. ;et for this .ause oney is not to be condemned, nor is it to be said, that although it hath a most grateful Sweetness, yet it is a .orrupt !edicine# because a .orrosi(e may be made of it4 but it should rather be said, that .orruption proceeds from the )hysicians ignorance, who $new not how duely to prepare it. ere I am willing to teach the ignorant )hysician, to free him from the last 6udgement. <7

&or

oney is prepared of the Superfluities of Brute %nimals, by erbs, &ruit<trees of (arious $inds, from which the Bees

which the -rounds and &ields are fattened# in those -rounds arise &lowers, suc$ a most noble ?uintessence4 by this is made the %lteration and -eneration of one ,hing into another, (i9. into %liment of another &orm and ,aste, which in no wise agrees with the former, and that is called oney. Of such oney is prepared a &ood most grateful, pleasant and fit for man, and for many ,hings most profitable. Of the same may be prepared a )oison most hurtful to !an and Beast. ,herefore, do you Searcher of /ature, of what %ge, Se", &ortune, or .ondition soe(er, follow me and /ature. I will shew you the ,ruth, without any !i"ture of falsity, drawn from the (ery &oundation. I will ma$e you understand, who proceeds rightly, and who unad(isedly. I will teach you to separate the -ood from the '(il, the ighest from the 1owest. &or of %ntimony, if its Venom be first changed into Remedy, is made a !edicine, which eradicates, and li$e &ire penetrates, prepares and by cocting consumes all +iseases. Wherefore %ntimony is first to be prepared into a true Stone, which is the ?uintessence thereof# and because, in its Operation it is altogether li$e unto &ire, 2when reduced to its .oagulation3 it shallby me be named the Stone of &ire. when this Stone of &ire is rightly prepared, as in the 'nd of this ,reatise I will further show, its !edicinal Virtue consumes all no"ious effected by %urum )otabile. ,herefore, I pray you, my une"perienced +octor, who ha(e neither learned my )reparation, nor concei(ed the 0se, not to *udge from a false suspicion, and your own ignorant ,houghts# but set about the Wor$ itself, and learn how the )reparation of %ntimony ought to be made, how you should further proceed with it, how its Venom is e"pelled and separated, and Salutary !edicine posited in the place <: umours, purifies the blood in the highest +egree, and performs all that may be

of it, and e"alted. When I say8 you shall ha(e performed ,his, then at length will you be able to *udge of the difference, and understand those things, which before were (ery far remote from your :nowledge. 51ere again the Author wa.eth hot against false Physicians; !ut do you read on, and after this 1eat he will give you a profita!le Doctrine, which you may soon find in A2ua -ortis and ,pirit of Wine( O you wretched and to be pitied !edicasters, who painted with a &ucus, breath out I $now not what ,hrasonic$ Brags, and pass o(er !ountains wanting &oundation, wal$ing through .louds in your own ,houghts, and $now not where at length you shall rest your &oot4 you, I say, I admonish to consider what you will answer, in the '"treme 6udgement of the Son of -O+. See$, and when you ha(e found, con(ert what you find to use, and so performing your Office commit the Rest to -O+, who will gi(e success, and ne(er lea(e you destitute of help. But you infamous men, more mad than Bacchanalian &ools, who will neither learn, nor foul your ands with .oals, *udge not lest you procure 6udgement to be pronounced against you, which your .hildrens .hildren may write down to your shame in an undeleble .haracter. '(ery )hysician ought abo(e all ,hings to ta$e .are, that he do neither less nor more, than procure the Restitution of ealth lost, not instituting his .uration contrary to /ature, or de(iating from her direct Intention. When Spirit of Wine is poured upon %qua &ortis a (ehement 'bullition is made, and these two /atures will not easily permit themsel(es to be together# but he, that $nows how by +istillation to con*oin them and unite them, according to the true Intention of the )hilosophers, he may use them in many things for good. %fter the same maner, Oil or 1iquor of ,artar, and Vinegar made of Rich Wine, act each upon other, for they hate and fly from each other, as &ire and Water, although they proceeded from one and the same !atter. ,herefore the <=

)hysician ought in a special manner to be mindful, to understand all .ircumstances from the Sic$ (ery e"actly, and consider the same being understood that in .uring he may use such !eans, as are fit to remo(e the +isease, lest the )atient be in*ured by the !edicine. %s for '"ample, when Iron is dissol(ed in %qua &ortis, if you suddenly pour Oil of ,artar upon that Solution, you shall difficultly preser(e -lass from brea$ing# for the contrary /atures, li$e unto -un<powder, ta$e &ire, and brea$ the -lass. Of all these ,hings, our -own +octors $now nothing at all# therefore they ha(e no other +efence for their Ignorance, than Silence only. ;ou titular +octors, you I spea$ to, who write long Scroles of Receipts4 you %pothecaries, who with your +ecoctions fill )ots, no less than ,hose 2in )rince .ourst3 in which !eat is boiled for the sustentation of some hundreds of men4 you, I say, who hitherto ha(e been blind, suffer a .ollyrium to be poured into your 'yes, and permit them to be anointed with Balsom, that the most thic$ s$in of Blindness may fall from your Sight, and you behold the ,ruth, as in a most clear -lass. -O+ grant you -race, that you may $now his wonderful Wor$s, and the 1o(e of your /eighbour be rooted in you, that you may search out true !edicine, which the Ruler of the ea(ens hath, by his own omnipotent hand, and his ineffable and eternal Wisdom, from abo(e infused in, impressed on, and communicated to his /oble .reatures, for the -ood of !an$ind# whence man may find help in his greatest /ecessity, and .ounsel for ealth in his +iseases. Why do you, miserable Worm of the 'arth, and food of Worms, loo$ so intently on the Rind or Shell, and neglect the :ernel, being unmindful of your .reator, who formed you according to his Image# when as you ought to gi(e than$s to him, and with diligent Study to search out his Wor$s, e"ceeding /ature herself5 Return and loo$ into your self, there behold the Image of your own ingratitude, that you may be ashamed of yourself, especially because you ha(e not search out those things, which the most wise -O+, for the good of !ortals# hath infused in his .reatures# by $nowing which, you might ha(e offered unto him the most acceptable Sacrifice of )raise and -ratitude. 43

But I will put an end to this +iscourse, lest my ,ears 2which I can scarcely $eep in, from continually falling from mine 'yes3 should blot this my Writing, and whilst I deplore the Blindness of the World, I blemish this 1amentation, which I would ha(e $nown to all men. I am a man Religious, incorporated in a most holy Order, in which I will perse(ere, as long as it shall please the Omnipotent -O+, to animate this miserable Body with Vital Spirit4 therefore I must not write other things, or otherwise, than is agreeable to this State. But had I the Office of a Secular 6udge, I would lift up my Voice, and sound a ,rumpet in their 'ars, that those deaf men may hear, who hitherto would not ac$nowledge the ,ruth, but out of Ignorance, without .ause, falsely and slanderously persecute, calumniate, condemn, disparage, and meditate how they may totally suppress the same. But thou, O 1ord -O+, who dwellest in the of !a*esty, go(ernest ighest, who art called

and truly art the -O+ of Rest, who sitting in the Supreme ,hrone ea(en and 'arth, which thou hast created, who conser(est the Stars, and ordainest the .ourse of the &irmament in its !otion according to thy .ommand, before whom all .reatures tremble, which are found in the 'arth, or in ea(en, and the Infernal Spirits are astonished with une"pressable dread, be pleased, I pray to loo$ down upon the ,ransactions of this most ungrateful World, and teach them inwardly to $now those ,hings, which thou hast outwardly and (isibly proposed to the Sons of !en, that thou mayest be praised in thy ,hrone, $nown in thy Verity, and adored in thy immense !a*esty. %s for myself, I am unworthy and miserable man, gi(e than$s unto thee, for thy great and infinite -ifts and Benefits of Riches and health bestowed on me, and laud thy !a*esty for e(er for the same. !ore, O my &ather and 1ord, I neither can, nor am able to desire in this perishing World. /ow, that we may write of %ntimony, and begin our +iscourse from the (ery &oundation, whence %ntimony acquires its 'mpire, ,riumph 41

and -lory, by which it is e"alted to perfect Operation, we must before all ,hings disco(er the certain Original of its Root4 how it is generated in the 'arth, to the +ominion of what Stars it is sub*ected, and what 'lements ha(e throughly digested it, and which tehy be, that ha(e brought it to !aturity. %ntimony is no other than a &ume, or 2as I may otherwise call it3 a !ineral Vapour, which is genited from abo(e by the Stars, and afterward by the 'lements deduced and digested to formal .oagulation and !aturity. ere it is to be noted, that %ntimony hath acquired its 'ssence, Virtue, )ower, Operation and ?uality, from the same )rinciple, Root and 'ssence, whence Vulgar !ercury is produced# yet with more firm .oagulation, so that it is brought to an harder 'ssence, than the li(ing or running !ercury of the Vulgar hath. ,he Reason of this is, because it hath assumed from the three )rinciples, a little more of the Substance of Salt, than .ommon !ercury. &or although of all the three )rinciples, it hath the least part of Salt, yet it hath assumed more of the 'ssence of Salt, than common !ercury, whence unto it hath happened such a .oagulation. ardness in e(erything is from Salt, which (ulgar !ercury hath not. &or it hath a (ery small part of Salt, but in it, in a spiritual manner, is insited a certain more hot Spirit of Sulphur# therefore it always flows, and cannot be brought to .oagulation, unless by the help of other !etallic$ Spirits, which endued with a (ery great Virtues, are chiefly found in the !atri" of Saturn, without which it cannot be fi"ed, unless by him, who possesseth the Stone of )hilosophers, by which its three )rinciples may be brought to a concordant 'quality, and then it acquires such a Body, as will melt, flow, and abide the this way ta$en away. ammer, li$e all other !etals4 other wise !ercuy is and will be fluid !ercury, until its (olatility be ence it is $nown, that all %nimals and all Vegetables are too wea$ to fi" !ercury into a malleable Substance 2as many ha(e in (ain endea(oured3 because all these ha(e not a !etallic$ /ature. !ercury, within and without, is no other than meer &ire# therefore it is not combustible by any &ire, no &ire can apprehend it so, as to alter its 'ssence, but it suddenly flies and resol(es itself into a incombustible Oil Spiritually# or 46

after its fi"ation it remains so in(ariable, as no strength or power of men is sufficient again to alter it. %nd whatsoe(er can now be made of -old may then also be made of it by %rt# because after .oagulation it is altogether li$e -old4 for it with -old hath one and the same Root, Stoc$, or )roduction originally. But since I purpose not in this place to discourse more largely of !ercury, and intend only simply 2yet truly3 to describe the (ery &oundation of %ntimony, from true and certain )rinciples, I will cease to spea$ of !ercury, and proceed to a further +eclaration of %ntimony. ;et, whatsoe(er I ha(e proposed by way of Similitude touching !ercury8, for an Introduction and further .onsideration, is not written in (ain, or to no purpose# but to the end, that the (ery Beginning of %ntimony may be more clearly understood, which 2as I before shewed3 recei(ed its original, as it were !ercurially, with it.
5Which so misera!ly perple.eth all the ,tudents of this Art0 what our *ercury is, which is the *atter of the ,tone, which is found every where and in all %hings, is here !riefly and clearly manifested( %herefore our Author 3asilius doth not in 6ain invite your Attention( All the I admonish you to attend( ight I am a!le to add to this +learness, would rather o!scure, than illustrate the same0 therefore, with him,

Wherefore most diligently thin$ on this# often bear in mind, obser(e and understand, that all !inerals and !etals together, in the same ,ime, and after the same manner, and of one and the same principal !atter, are produced and genited. ,hat !atter is no other, than a meer Vapour, which is e"tracted from the 'lementary 'arth by the Superior Stars, as by a Sidereal +istillation of the !acrocosm4 which Sidereal hot infusion, with any %iry<Sulphureous )roperty descending upon Inferiors, so acts and operates, as in those !etals and !inerals is implanted spiritually and in(isibly a certain )ower and Virtue, which &ume afterward resol(es itself in the 'arth, into a certain Water, from which !ineral Water all !etals are thenceforth generated and ripened to their )erfection# and thence proceeds this or that !etal or !ineral, according as 4<

one of the three )rinciples acquires +ominion, and tehy ha(e much or little of Sulphur and Salt, or an unequal !i"ture of the weight of them, whence some !etals are fi"ed# that is, some constant and stable, some (olatile and easily mutable, as is seen in -old, Sil(er, .opper, Iron, ,in and 1ead. Besides these !etals, other !inerals also are generated of the three )rinciples, according to the .ommunication and )articipation of the unequal weight of them4 as are Vitriol, %ntimony, and many other !archasites, or other 'lectrums, and !inerals, which for bre(ity sa$e we here omit. But -old, in its %strum and Beginning was imbibed with a much more perfect Sulphur, and a much more perfect !ercury, than all other !etals and !inerals, and therefore its operati(e Virtue is much more potent and more efficacious, that the %strums of other !etals4 ;ea, all Virtues whatsoe(er are dispersed in other !etals, and many more than them, are found in the %strum of -old only. !oreo(er I say, when that one thing is brought to further !aturity by &ire, it contains more )erfection, than all !etals and !inerals together. ,here is one only !ineral, of which I ha(e often made mention already, in which is found a Sulphur of Sol, equally as strong and powerful, yea more potent and more strong, than in -old itself4 so also, there are two $inds of !etals found, in which this )redominancy powerfully ,riumphs, of which at this time I ha(e neither will nor disposition to write# but I am willing to $eep within the Bounds I ha(e set myself in treating of the 'ssence of %ntimony, touching which I purpose now to spea$. ,herefore %ntimony is a !ineral made of the Vapour of the 'arth changed into Water, which Spiritual Sidereal ,ransmutation is the true %strum of %ntimony# which Water, by the Stars first, afterward by the 'lement of &ire, which resides in the 'lement of %ir, is e"tracted from the 'lementary 'arth, and by .oagulation formally changed into a tangible 'ssence, in which tangible 'ssence, 2(i9. whence %ntimony is formally made3 is found (ery much of Sulphur predominant, of !ercury not so much, and of Salt the least of all three# yet it assumes so much Salt, as it thence 44

acquires an hard and immalleable !ass. ,he principal ?uality of it is dry and hot, or rather burning, of .old and also is more umidity it hath (ery little in it, as there is in .ommon !ercury# in .orporal -old eat than .old. ,hese may suffice to be spo$en of the !atter, and three &undamental )rinciples of %ntimony, how by the %rcheus in the 'lement of 'arth it is brought to perfection. ;et the 1o(ers of .hymistry should not thin$ this )hilosophic$ Reason by me alleged of absolute necessity to them, nor need they be solicitous to $now, in what center the %strum of %ntimony rests, or from what root it flows# but should rather desire to learn the 0tility and use thereof# (i9. which way it ought to be prepared and reduced to its State, that tehy may $now its Virtue, )ower, and Operation, touching which in times past so many ,hings ha(e been written, and to this +ay are mentioned, and spo$en of by all men of all States and .onditions. &or the 1earned, as well as the 0nlearned hope to ha(e their ardent and insatiable +esire satisfied by ,his# therefore I will not detain the Reader with ambiguous +iscourses, or tedious +elays, but simply teach e(ery ,hing, which I by great Study and +iligence 2which I ha(e often imployed about %ntimony3 could find out touching the 'ssence of %ntimony. &or no man, by reason of the shortness of 1ife, can $now or search out all its %rcanum7s4 because in )reparation of %ntimony, one new Wonder follows another perpetually# one +egree succeeds a former +egree, .olour follows .olour, and one Virtue, )ower or Operation always manifests it self greater than another. %nd, to begin here I say, %ntimony is meer Venom, not of the $ind of the least Venoms, but such, as by which you may destroy !en and Beasts, so (enomous a power is diffused through the whole Substance of this !ineral. ence ariseth the common '"clamation of all men. &or the )eople, uns$ilful +octors, and all ,hose, to whom the ground of true !edicine is un$nown, do with one mouth proclaim it Venom, Venom= )oison, say they 2as I myself abo(e confessed3 lies in %ntimony. &or this .ause let us dissuade all men from its use# for it endangers the ealth and 1ife. ,herefore +octors 48

resident in )rinces .ourts, admonish !onarchs, )rinces, and other )otentates not to use %ntimony. Other Scholastic$s cry out, Beware, you in no wise admit %ntimony into !edicinal 0se# for it7s meer )oison4 these the Inhabitants of .ities and Villages follow. %nd this far spread .lamour so mo(es the greatest part of !ortals, as %ntimony in these our +ays is (ery ill spo$en of, and no man dares put confidence in the !edicine thereof, which in it is found so (arious and une"pressible. &or truly and holily I affirm 2as truly as -O+ is the .reator of all things (isible, which are contained in ea(en or 'arth, which either ha(e come, or in time ea(en, or by to come shall come unto our $nowledge3 that under

the Rays of the Sun, with the -uidance of '"perience, can be found or demonstrated no greater !edicine, than is in this !ineral# yea, there is no Sub*ect, in which so fluently and abundantly can be found such most certain Remedies for ealth, as shall be declared 2by sure and undeniable '"periments3 to be in %ntimony. Son, attend to this my +iscourse, and do thou Reader gi(e heed to my Writings, and do you wise men of the World diligently obser(e my +eclaration of %ntimony founded on '"perience. &or my ,heory ariseth from /ature, and my )ractice proceeds from certain '"perience, which shews its manifold 0tility, and infinite Ways produceth the same, not without the incredible %dmiration of all men. But I assent to you, and confess 2as I ha(e before ac$nowledged in my Writings3 that %ntimony at first is meer Venom, and before )reparation hath nothing in or with itself, but )oison# and that I affirm to be true. But you, whosoe(er you are, insigni9ed or not insigni9ed with the +egree of +octor, !aster, or Bachelor, whether s$ilful in %rt, or by some other pri(elage promoted# you, I say, who so inconsiderately and so arrogantly without ,ruth e"claim, and prate against me, pause a while, and forget not your own %rgument, hear what I ha(e to say. %ntimony is Venom, therefore e(ery One must beware he use it not. /o, that doth not follow !r. +octor, Bachelor, or, !aster# it doth not follow, I say, !r +octor, although you be proud of your Red at. ,reacle is made of the most perillous Venom of a Viper, which is 42

called @animal7, whence also it had its /ame# therefore no man must use it, for there is poison in it. +oth this .onsequence please you5 ow doth this my +octrine li$e you5A ;ou hear, that after )reparation, no Venenosity is found in %ntimony# for by the Spagyric %rt %ntimony is con(erted from Venom into !edicine, no otherwise than as of the Venom of a Viper is said, which is con(erted into ,reacle# but without )reparation you shall find no -ood in it, nor anything of !edicinal detriment. /ow, whosoe(er desires to become a +isciple of %ntimony, he must, after )rayer, and an earnest In(ocation of -O+, beta$e himself to the School of Vulcan# for he is the !aster and Re(ealer of all Secrets. ,his !aster is condemned by the Wise !en of the World, set (ery light by and derided# because they, by reason of their own /egligence and !alignity, ha(e learned nothing of him# and all Re(elation, through their own Sloath, is impeded4 for no !edicine was e(er prepared without Vulcan, whatsoe(er those senseless mad men shall babble and affirm to the .ontrary. But I will proceed to the )roceed and )reparation of %ntimony# for I little (alue the .lamours of arrogant and self applauding men4 let them ma$e and bring to light any Wor$ that can e"cel %ntimony. It is well $nown to me, that of %ntimony may be made !edicines equal to ,hose, which are in gold and (ulgar !ercury 2I e"cept the %strum of Sol3 for of this may be prepared %urum )otabile against the 1eprosie, of this may be made Spirit of !ercury, the highest Remedy against the &rench )OB, of this other infinite Remedies may be prepared. If those .ondemners cannot percei(e and understand this, what wonder is it5 /one, because they ha(e not learned it. /o man can gi(e a sound 6udgement of that, which he ne(er learned. 1et the %ss, an %nimal li$e them in stupidity be their '"ample, who cannot teach a Shepherd how to handle his )ipe, so as to play an armonious ,une# because he hath not learned. So, right 6udgement, with a solid &oundation cannot be gi(en by a man, who before hath not bent his Studies that way, that from Writings he 47 elp, but much loss and

may be able to discern what, in such a Business, is *ust or un*ust. %fter the same manner in this &aculty, what can be attributed to any of the +octors, before he hath from Writings, and by his own proper labour acquired :nowledge5 ;et before I pass to the )rocess itself, some One may perhaps interrupt and as$ me, which way both !inerals and other ,hings recei(e their Venenosity5 What Venom is5 Whence the )oison of e(ery ,hing hath its Original5 ow it may be ta$en away, also how ealth after such a !ineral may without peril securely be used for

e(acuation of that Venom5 ,o these ?uestions I will briefly and clearly answer. ,he Infusion of Venom falls under a twofold .onsideration, (i9. /atural and Supernatural. ,he &irst Reason, why -O+ the Supreme 1ord of the Stars, and the ma$er of ea(en and 'arth, hath proposed to us open Venom, especially in !inerals, is, that by this his Ordination he might show to us his Wonders and powerful Wor$s, for distinction of -ood and '(il, as in the 1aw he prescribed to us the :nowledge of ,hat, which lies as a +uty on us to do, (i9. to .hoose the -ood and 'schew the '(il. So also the ,ree of 1ife in )aradise was proposed# its right use tended to -ood, but its abuse brought the &all to '(il# for by that -O+7s .ommand was bro$e, whence proceeded +estruction and all '(il. ,his is the first Reason. % Second Reason is, that by this we might comprehend and understand the +istinction between '(il and -ood, and at length learn to e"terminate !alice and reposit -oodness in its place. &or -O+ wills not, that man should perish and be destroyed, but that he should depart from '(il, and come to amendment of 1ife, that +estruction may be dri(en far away from his Soul. So, to 0s his .reatures, with wonderful .on(eniency hath he proposed -ood and '(il, which is found both in the )recept of the Word, and in the Wor$ of the .reature, that we may choose what is profitable and good for ealth, and shun what is e(il and pernitious.

4:

,hirdly, Venom is also made by the Stars, when contrary Oppositions and .on*unctions of them happen, by which the 'lements are Infected so, as they become the .ause of )estilences, and other Venomous +iseases in this World4 which also is to be understood of .omets. &ourly, Venom is made from ,hings repugnant each to other, as when any One in$indles a deadly )oison in himself, by %nger or Sadness# also when a man drin$s being abo(e measure hot. &ifthly, among Venoms may be numbered Weapons, with which any One is slain# then the %buse of %rms is Venom to that man. But when any One useth %rms, for the *ust and unblamable defence of his Body, to which end they were in(ented, then they may be accounted a certain $ind of !edicine. 1astly, the .ause of Venom may be demonstrated by /ature, in this manner4 whatsoe(er /ature resists is Venom, and that because it fights against /ature. %s when any one eats such &ood, as his Stomach cannot bear, then that &ood is Venom to him# for it is repugnant to /ature# on the contrary, if any One eat such &ood, as is &riendly to his Stomach, to him that &ood is !edicine. But Venom is principally attracted to Bodies in the 'arth, whilst they are a certain !ercurial 'ssence 2now I spea$ of the Venom of !inerals3 which yet is in an immature, crude, and not well digested &orm, which is repugnant to /ature, and difficultly digeested# because such a !ercurial 'ssence is not yet perfect, well digested to !aturity, therefore it passeth through the whole Body, as a crude, immature, undigestible !ineral. %s if crude corn should be eaten by men, that would be so difficult to be digested by the Stomach, as a notable debility of the Body would follow. &or the natural eat is too wea$ to deduce that to a due .oncoction and )erfection. .orn, which recei(es its !aturity from the &ire of the -reat World, must afterward be throughly cocted by the !inor &ire, that it may be digested by the !icrocosm. %s 4=

before we said, touching the boiling of &lesh to !aturity# so here the same is to be understood of %ntimony, which being yet crude, and not throughly cocted in the 'arth to fi"edness, the stomach of !an 2as I may so spea$3 is too wea$ to bear it, or retain the same, as by certain '"perience is manifested, (i9. that all .athartic$s, whether !inerals, %nimals or Vegetables, are (enomous, because of a certain !ercurial (olatile !atter still predominant in them# which (olatile Spirit is the .ause why other things, which are in man, are e"pelled4 not that by this !eans the Root itself of +iseases is laid hold on, which only is effected by the fi"edness of e(ery medicine. &or e(ery !edicine throughly fi"ed, searcheth out fi"ed +iseases, and eradicates them# which )urgers not fi"ed cannot do, but they do only as it were carry away some Spoil of +iseases# or they may be compared to Water, which dri(en by force through a Street )enetrates not the 'arth itself. &i"ed Remedies purge not by the Inferior )arts, because that is not the familiar way of '"pelling fi"ed Venoms, and that way they would not touch the :ernel 2as I may call it3 or .enter of the +isease# but by e"pelling Sweat, and otherways they stri$e at the (ery inmost Root of the +iseases, not contented with a certain superficial '"pulsion of &ilths. ,herefore we often admonish all and e(ery One, that all (enomous Impurity is totally to be ta$en away from %ntimony, before it can either be, or be called such a !edicine, as may safely be gi(en. &or this .ause, the -ood must be separated from the '(il, the &i"ed from the not fi"ed, and the !edicine from the Venom with accurate diligence, if we hope by the 0se of %ntimony to obtain true onour, and true 0tility# but &ire only can effect that. &or Vulcan is the sole and only !aster of all ,hese. Whatsoe(er the Vulcan in the -reater Orbe lea(es crude and perfects not, that in the 1esser World must be amended by a certain other Vulcan, ripening the Immature, and cocting the .rude by eat, and separating the )ure from the Impure. ,hat this is possible no man doubts# for dayly '"perience teacheth the same, and it is (ery apparent in the .orporal %spect of .olours, which proceed from the &ire. &or by Separation and &ire, which perfect &i"ation, Venenosity is ta$en away, and a 83

.hange is made of the '(il into -ood, as we ha(e already said. ,herefore &ire is the Separator of Venom from !edicine, and of -ood from '(il# which is a thing, that /one of the )hysicians either dares or can truly and fundamentally own, or demonstrate to me, unless he who hath firmly contracted &riendship with Vulcan, and instituted the fiery Bath full of 1o(e, by which the Spouse, being throughly purged from all +efilement, may legitimately lie down with her Bridegroom in the !arriage Bed. &ie upon the %cuteness of the Worldly Wit of those, who neither understand, nor are willing to endea(our to understand these my Writings. if you did $now, what is called fi"ed, and what not fi"ed, and what it signifies to separate the )ure from the Impure, assuredly you would purposely forget many ,hings, and omitting other (ain Wor$s, would follow me only. &or in me 2%ntimony spea$s of himself3 you will find !ercury, Sulphur and Salt, then which /othing is more .onducible for the blac$ 'arth. ealth of men. !ercury is in the Regulus, Sulphur in the Red .olour, and Salt in the remaining e that can separate these, and again unite them in a onour and ,ruth# because he due manner, according to %rt, so as &i"ation may bear Rule, without Venom, he may re*oice with for the hath obtained the Stone of &ire, which may be prepared of %ntimony ealth of !ortals, and for ,emporal Sustentation with particular profit. &or in %ntimony you may find all .olours, Blac$, White, Red, -reen, Blue, ;ellow, and more other mi"t .olours, than can be belie(ed, all which may be separated apart, and $nown particularly, and singularly applied to use# according as the %rtist intends, such an Ordination is to be instituted. ,herefore now will I distinctly declare, how !edicine is to be prepared, Venom to be e"pelled, &i"ation to be set about, and a true Separation to be made, by which the '(il may be subdued and depressed, and the -ood triumph and be ta$en into use. In the meanwhile, let the 1o(er of %rt consider, that e(ery of the other !etals may be compared to e(ery of the )recious Stones# but this only contains uni(ersally the Virtue of all Stones# which those 81

.olours, which it gi(es forth and e"hibits to the Sight from itself in the &ire, do sufficiently demonstrate. Its ,ransparent Redness is assigned to the .arbuncle, Ruby and .oral# its Whiteness, to the +iamond and .rystal# its Blue .olour, to the Saphire# -reen, to the 'merald# ;ellow, to the 6acinth# its Blac$, to the -ranate, which Stone contains in itself a a certain Blac$ness occultly absconded. But as to !etals, the Blac$ is assigned to Saturn, the Red to Iron, the ;ellow to -old, the -reen to .opper, the Blue to Sil(er, the White to !ercury, and its mi"ture of (arious .olours is attributed to 6upiter. But as all the colours of all !etals and )recious Stones are clearly found in %ntimony# so also all the powers and Virtues of !edicine are no less showed in it, than the .olours aforesaid4 but to educe from it all these .olours is not the 1abour of one man. &or our 1ife is circumscribed with 1imits more straight, than will permit one man by his 1abour throughly to learn whatsoe(er /ature $eeps concealed and absconded in her bosom, in one certain way of )reparation, from %ntimony by distillations is drawn forth an shining Red .olour, sweet and sa(oury, as purified umour acid and oney or Sugar. sharp, li$e true perfect Vinegar. %nother way is prepared a %nother way, a Wormwood li$e Bitterness proceeds therefrom# otherwise, a certain %crimony, li$e some Salt<Oil4 thus always one /ature follows another. %gainst, but Sublimation it is dri(en to the Olympic !ountains, li$e a flying 'agle, red, yellow and white. %lso forced down by +escent, it yields di(erse .olours and )reparations4 also by Re(erberation, of it is made a !etal, li$e common 1ead. 1i$ewise a transparent -lass, red, yellow, white, blac$, and endewed with other .olours4 all which notwithstanding, are not safe to be used in !edicine, unless they be first pro(ed by another '"amen. %lso it is resl(ed into rare and wonderful Oils, which are (arious and manifold, some of which are made perfect with %ddition, others without mi"tion of any other things# some li$ewise are ta$en inwardly, others only outwardly applied to common 0lcers, and Wounds. It supplies us with so many se(eral '"tractions, (aried with so many .olours, as it would tire a +elphian %pollo to describe them all# but indeed, all the 86

!utations of its /ature, which are disco(ered through the -ate of &ire, it by its own Oracles will best unfold. Of it is made li(ing !ercury, and Sulphur which burns li$e common Sulphur, so that of that -unpowder might be made. Of it is made a true and natural Salt# and many other things are prepared of the same. ,herefore we begin to spea$ of the )reparations thereof, as of its 'ssence, !agistery, %rcanum, 'li"ir, and particular ,incture, in which you must imploy all diligence and .are# especially when I shall in my Writings declare to you the Stone of &ire, and its )reparation, together with other (arious Secrets and %rcanums, which indeed are scarcely at all $nown to the World# and which ha(e been little regarded, since the 'gyptians, %rabians and .haldeans died, who professed these %rts4 of which notwithstanding the use is (ery great, for searching out the (ery &ountain of true !edicine, and all other Wor$s pertinent thereunto. /ow diligently mind, and with profound !editation consider all the following )reparations, one succeeding another, as I shall re(eal them. &or there is no One inserted, which hath not its singular 0tility, but e(ery of them is useful, according as ordained as its State. % fi"ed !edicine of %ntimony, e"pels fi"ed +iseases and eradicates tehm# but %ntimony is not fi"ed, as when it is crude and not prepared, opens and purgeth the Stomach only, but toucheth not the Root of the +isease. ,herefore I will set about the )reparation of all, that appertains to %ntimony, and disco(er all the :eys of its )reparation, which now 2as by a /ew /ati(ity3 are brought to 1ight, and re(ealed by &ire, in the same state to which tehy were ordained by -O+ their .reator. ,his unloc$ing and preparing of !ineral %ntimony is performed by di(erse !ethods and Ways, by the disposure and go(ernance of the &ire, with manifold labour of the ands, whence proceeds the Operation, Virtue, )ower and .olour of the !edicine itself. %nd since %ntimony to the %spect presents a crude blac$ .olour, mi"ed with a little whiteness, I will first spea$ of its destructi(e alteration, which consists in .alcination and Incineration, and that is thus made. 8<

,a$e

ungarian or other %ntimony, the best you can get, grind it,

if possible, to an Impalpable )owder# this )owder spread ,hin all o(er the bottom of a .alcining )an, round or square, which hath a Rim round about, the height of two &ingers thic$ness# set this )an into a .alcining &urnace, and administer to it at first a (ery moderate &ire of .oals, which afterward increase gradually4 when you see a &ume beginning to arise from the %ntimony, stir it continually with an Iron Spatula, without ceasing, as long as it will gi(e forth from itself any &ume. If in .alcining, the %ntimony melt, or concrete into .lots, then remo(e it from the &ire, and when cold again reduce it to a subtle )owder, and as before calcine it, continually stirring as we said, until no more &ume will ascend. If need be repeat this Operation so often and so long, as until that %ntimony put into the &ire, will neither fume, nor concrete into .lots, but in .olour resemble White and pure %shes4 ,hen is the calcination of %ntimony rightly made. )ut this %ntimony thus calcined into a -oldsmiths .rucible set in a &urnace, and urge the &ire with Bellows, or put it into a Wine< &urnace, administering such &iree, as the %ntimony may flow, li$e clear and pure Water. ,hen, that you may certainly and infallibly pro(e, whether the -lass made thereof be sufficiently cocted, and hath acquired a transparent .olour, put a long rod of Iron cold into the .rucible, and part of the glass will stic$ to the Iron, which with a hammer stri$e off, and hold up against the 1ight, to see whether it be clear, clean and transparent# if so, it is well, and perfectly mature. ere let my Reader, unlearned and but a Beginner in %rt, $now 2for I write not to men s$illed in this %rt, who ha(e often e"perienced the powers of the fire, but to .andidates, ,yro7s8, and the studious +isciples of the Spagyric$ Science# because to ma$e -lass of %ntimony is a thing common, and well $nown to many3 $now, I say, that e(ery -lass, whether made of !etals, !inerals, or any other !atter, must be thoroughly cocted in &ire to due !aturity, 84

that it may ha(e a clear and transparent .olour, and be apt for further )reparation to !edicinal use4 which translucid and pure !aturity Vulcan only effects in his secret and hidden /ature. ,herefore, let e(ery man $now, consider and retain this.
5&ightly doth 3asilius say, he writes to the %yro7s of this Art, !ecause he !egins with the Glass of Antimony, that is, from the very &udiments of +hymistry, and so accurately teacheth to ma/e that, as no man how ignorant soever can !e deceived therein0 yet the Ancients have not seldom e.perienced, how often they have erred in the Pra.is, for such I have written these +ommentaries( -or me, let every One please himself in his own Writings0 surely I thin/ I have offered somewhat, which Posterity will always than/fully accept( -or although I did for several years most diligently read 3asilius and other *asters of the Art of Arts, and in a!ouring following them, as e.actly as possi!ly I could, yet I committed so many )rrors $the remem!erance of which fills me with 1orror' lost so much *oney, and was so often constrained to amend those )rrors with la!our, as I have compassion of all %hose, who would enter into this way, incited thereunto !y their earnest desire to help their Neigh!ours0 for I have no respect to Others, who aim at nothing !ut &iches, and would ma/e so no!le an Art su!servient to Avarice, the worst of all 6ices; let them sustain the dammage they deserve to suffer( 3ut do you, who are endued with a more no!le ,pirit, -irst see/ the 9ingdom of GOD, which is either constituted or propagated !y +harity to your Neigh!our, and all other %hings, which other men so impiously see/, shall spontaneously $which is the !ounty of GOD' !e added to you( I need to use no great Arguments to persuade any man to read those +ommentaries; for every One7s own 3usiness will sufficiently admonish him, when he shall see me often with one word, and a most simple Animadversion to save him so great +harges, which he hath too fre2uently !estowed in la!ouring without success( I do here candidly profess to thee, studious &eader, had the *anual Operations !een as sincerely showed to me, as I here open them, I should have saved a great ,um of *oney; for I very often erred, when I would over eagerly prosecute certain Processes of others, and !y that vain endeavour, lost some %housands of -lorens( ;et I seldom twice repeated any of those Operations, which out Author $most sincerely and openly, of all that I /now' hath in this 3oo/ inserted( I shall not here institute a %yrocinium of +hymistry, as other Authors, well /nown to young 3eginners, have already done; !ut I am willing, !y Admonition to help those, who long since could loose this ,u!"ect from its 3onds, and with most fervent desire design to arive to the Goal e.posed to their )yes and *ind, least either slippery 3lood in the Way, or )ntellus now lying prostrate, should hinder them from gaining the proposed &eward, which is &iches and 1ealth(

88

When in the !ethod we ha(e taught, your %ntimony is con(erted into -lass, ta$e a )latter or +ish made of .opper, which is smooth and broad, heat it hot at the &ire, otherwise your !atter will flie out# then pour in the fluid !atter as thin as you can, and you will ha(e pure, yellow, transparent -lass of %ntimony. ,his is the best way of preparing -lass of %ntimony per se, without addition# and this -lass, abo(e all others, is endewed with the greatest Virtue and )ower, which it manifests after its further )reparation. ,his is by me called )ure -lass of %ntimony.8
5%his is now the +ommon, and well /nown way of ma/ing Glass of Antimony, which is profita!le in many Operations0 !ut to administer it so to the ,ic/ without Distinction, is a Wor/ full of danger and peril( It indeed succeeds happily, !ut this casual or accidental health of some, is not of so great moment, as therefore to e.pose the ife of one man to Peril( -or I have seen a ,ic/ man, who after he had ta/en !ut half an ounce of the Infusion, vomited and purged a!ove measure, and soon after died( =DO+%O&, &)P&)1)ND)D> hence are those %ears, hence those +lamours arise against +hymists, as if the impious rashness of some false +hymists were to !e imputed to the Art, which Pseudo+hymists care not how many 1ouses they fill with -unerals, provided one or two that are healed will !la#e their -ame, and they can hear themselves called Doctors, and ro! the simple of their money( %he reason of this great danger is, !ecause all the )metic/ force of Antimony contained in the fi.ed ,alt thereof, in which resides all its 6enenosity, which wea/ Natures cannot overcome, and therefore receive not so much good from the ,alutiferous virtue thereof, as hurt from its 6enom( 3ut this thing should not deter sound men from the use of Antimony, since they see it, even then when mi.ed with 6enom, often to produce salutary )ffects( %hey should rather thus reason; if that salutiferous 6irtue !e freed fromt he No.ious faculty, what Good would it not do, or what Diseases would it not heal< %herefore, !ehold I here offer to you such Glass of Antimony, as I myself use often, and may !e used !y every man, without any danger of a mortal +atastrophe(

%a/e pure Glass of Antimony, made as 3asilius here teachet, melt it in a +ruci!le, and /eep it in flu. so long, as until a third part !e consumed( %hen let it cool, and grind the same to an Impalpa!le Powder, upon which pour ,pirit of Wine highly rectified, until it stand three fingers a!ove the Powder; close the 6essel firmly, and circulate the *atter for three *onths; then !y Distillation a!stract the ,pirit of Wine, or if it !e tinged with &edness, $which always will !e, if you have rightly operated' only pour it off, and /eep it apart; for it is an e.cellent *edicine( %he remaining 3ody put into a

82

+ruci!le, permit it to flow, and then cast it into what -orms you will( -or it can assume whatsoever ,hapes you will have it, which may !e set in &ings, and worn on the 1and( 3ut its *edicinal use is thus( Put this Glass for one Night in two ounces of +old Wine, and in the *orning let the ,ic/ drin/ that Wine, and you will find very good success, for it purgeth /indly, and if Nature incline to !ring the *atter upward, it performs that action moderately, causing gentle 6omits( Only Note this0 the prescri!ed Dose must !e diminished, according to the ,trength, Age and +onstitution of the ,ic/( 1ere, &eader, candidly accept of this my first Admonition offer to thy self, and e.pect to find more, if you willingly and intently peruse the after following(

&or there are other -lasses prepared of %ntimony, by %ddition of Bora" and other things, in this manner. ,a$e of .rude %ntimony one part, of Venetian Bora" two parts# put these together into a .rucible, which setting the Vessel in a Wind<&urnace, or urging the &ire with Bellows, cause to flow, that they may be well and perfectly mi"ed together, afterward pour out the !i"ture into a )an, or +ish of .opper made hot, as thin as is possible, as before was said in the Superior )reparation, and you will find you %ntimony fair and transparently clear, 8li$e a )yropus or Ruby, pro(ided you obser(e the due and accurate !ethod, Operating as you ought, in the -o(erning &ire.
5%he +aution, to which our Author here ascri!eds the ,uccess, is that you use a most strong -ire, such as is re2uired for melting Gold0 for without this you cannot ac2uire the &edness of a Pyropus(

,he Redness may be abstracted from this Red -lass, with Spirit of Wine8, and by long continued .irculation in &ire, be perfected, and rendered a most e"cellent, profitable and efficacious !edicine.
5Not with common ,pirit of Wine, !ut with Philosophic ,pirit, which for e.tracting this %incture, I thus prepare( %a/e of ,al:Armoniac thrice su!limed four ounces ,pirit of Wine, distilled upon ,alt of %artar so, as it may !e perfectly dephlegmated0 put them together in a Phial, which place in heat of Digestion the ,pirit may fully im!i!e ,ulphur or -ire of the ,al: Armoniac; then

87

distil the mi.ture !y Alem!ic thrice, and you will have a true *enstruum, wherewith to ).tract that &edness from the Glass of Antimony( Also the %incture of this Glass is e.tracted with its proper 6inegar, and !y a further Operation is perfected, and !ecomes a most e.cellent *edicament(

But a transparent white -lass of %ntimony, after commi"tion thereof, is prepared in this manner. ,a$e %ntimony beat or ground small one part, Venetian Bora" (ery pure four parts4 put these, well mi"ed together, into a .rucible, and cause the !i"ture to flow well. %t first indeed it will be yellow, but if it stand longer in &ire, the yellowness (anisheth, the !atter recei(es a white .olour, and thenceforth becomes a fair and white -lass. Whether this colour be brought to perfect !aturity, you may pro(e with a cold Iron, as abo(e is said. !any other ways, of %ntimony may be formed -lasses8 consisting almost of infinite &orms.
5 et him who desires to prepare more Glasses of Antimony, consult 3eguinus, 1artman, +rollius, and other Authors; we here ac2uiesce in these proposed !y 3asilius(

But since my purpose here was not to describe other -lasses, then I myself had e"perienced, and which manifest happy success in ealing, I *udged it unnecessary to waste )aper in describing them, or by a tedious discourse to weary the Reader# especially since, unto you is already in part proposed the principal .olour 2(i9. the Red3 which is found in -lass made of %ntimony. ,he blac$ .olour, which %ntimony had before )reparation, is now in a Spiritual manner flown up the .himney# because in such a Spiritual manner, (ery much of the Venomous Substance had left it before, through the '"pulsi(e force of the &ire, as by .alcination. ;et because in this )reparation all the whole Venom is not ta$en away from the -lass of %ntimony, but it still retains (ery much thereof# I am willing 2now I ha(e begun3 further to re(eal to you, which way the Venom may wholly be remo(ed from this -lass, and another Separation of the )ure from the Impure, of the Venom from 8:

the !edicine, be instituted# by which the ,ongue of the Orator will be loosed, and occasion gi(en to him of largely e"pressing my )raises, and publishing the same, as with a great Sound, through all )arts of this Inferiour Orb4 which will be a necessary .onsequence of the -ratitude of my +isciples, when they shall see with their 'yes, touch with their ands, and with their 0nderstanding comprehend, that I do their great profit, ha(e declared to them the (ery ,ruth, without +eceit, and made them the eirs of a memorable ,estament. ,herefore the first Separation of the Sulphur from its Body, and the '"traction of the ,incture from its Salt, is performed in this manner. ,a$e pure -lass of %ntimony, as I taught you to ma$e it, without the ad*unction of any other ,hing, -rind it to subtle )owder8 impalpable as &lower#
5What I here shall advise is short, !ut very profita!le, without which what the Author appoints cannot !e done, nor !y !eating or !y grinding in a *ortar can you ever !ring the 3ody to a re2uisite fineness, much less upon a Porphyry ,tone can you grind the same( %herefore first !eat it in a *ortar, afterward mi. it with distilled 6inegar, that it may have the +onsistency of a soft Papli/e matter, and so grind it upon a Porphry ,tone, as Painters grind their +olours, and undou!tedly you will o!tain your desire(

Which powder put into a -lass with a )lain flat bottom, called a .ucurbit, and there pour upon it strong Vinegar well rectified4 then set the Vessel in a +igesti(e fire, or if it be Summer, e"pose it to the Sun, stiring it twice or thrice8 a +ay, and so long digest it in that temperate heat, as until the (inegar contract a ;ellow .olour inclining to Redness, li$e the colour of most clean and well purified -old.
5%hou art happy, if thou canst !e wise !y my Dammage, O ove of Art( I e.actly

followed this short Admonition, stirring the +ucur!it twice or thrice a Day, !ut the *atter was always coagulated li/e a ,tone, and stuc/ so firmly to the !ottom, as it could !y no force !e removed thence; !ut afterward, !eing more wary, from the first I !egan to stir the *atter with a Wooden ,patula five or si. times a Day, or oftner; you may imitate the same, if you !e wise, not only

8=

here, !ut also in the ,uperior Preparation of Antimony, and in every ).traction of %incture from Antimony(

,hen pour off this clear and pure '"traction, and pour on fresh Vinegar, and repeat the Operation, as long as the Vinegar is tinged, and until no more ,incture can be e"tracted. &ilter all these '"tractions mi"7d together, and put them into a -lass Body, with its ead anne"ed, and by B.!. distil off the Vinegar# until in the Bottom remain a ;ellow )owder, inclining to Redness. 0pon this )owder pour distill Rain<water often times, and as often distill it off again, still pouring on fresh distilled Rain<water. Repeat this labour so long, as until the )owder remain Sweet and 8grateful.
5Our most sincere Author here deceives you not, !ut conceals a certain manual Operation, which if you attend to me clearly discovering the same, the Wor/ itself will never fail to Answer your desire( If you have much %incture, you must have a great +ucur!it; if ittle, a less will serve( -or if you ta/e a greater 6essel, than your %incture re2uires, the vinegar must necessarily have a great fire to cause it to ascend, !y reason of the height it must unavoida!ly rise, or it cannot !e distilled; and in sustaining so forci!le a -ire, there is great danger of +orrupting the %incture itself( 1ere also is re2uired another +aution; vi#( this, after two thirds are distilled off, you must change your 6essel and put the remaining *atter into a less Glass !ody, and thence distill off the 6inegar, until the &emanency ac2uire the "ust thic/ness of a Poultis( Also ta/e heed, as 3asilius seems to intimate, that you distil not off the 6inegar unto dryness, lest the %incture !y Adustion !e wholly corrupted(

/otwithstanding all ,his my own )recaution now gi(en, I could not choose, but labour a whole year to little purpose, often repeating this ,incture with a (ain endea(our, whence I was almost as often weary of .hymistry through desperation# for my ,incture was of no efficacy in !edicine# because a meer .aput<!ortuum only, unsa(oury and of no (alue. ence consider how little any )rocess profits, whether set down in Writing, or recei(ed from a &riend by word of mouth, unless you set to your hand, and practically learn e(ery particular of the Wor$ fit to be obser(ed in operating. %lso see, how liberally I deal with you, in re(ealing that, the ignorance of 23

which hath put me into great trouble and charge. ,he manual Operation, which is requisite for edulcorating this )ap<li$e !atter remaining in the bottom, is this. 0pon this !atter pour distilled Water, and gently abstract the same by Balneo. When you ha(e repeated this a third time, you will find the Water to come off sweet# which time must be obser(ed and with (ery great diligence. &or if you be decei(ed in that, your wor$ is at an end, all your labour lost, and you shall get nothing, but a .aput !ortuum. &or as soon as twenty, or at most thirty drops of sweet water come forth, an %cidity appears again and distils forth, which the unwary *udging to be an %cidity of the Vinegar formerly added, proceed in distilling, e"pecting the Water to come forth sweet# but this being the %cidity of %ntimony, which 2the Vinegar being e"tracted3 immediately follows the Sweet Water, that persisting to distil destroys the whole Virtue of the %ntimony, and lea(es nothing remaining but an unsa(oury .aput<!ortuum. ,herefoer be thou more wary, and as soon as this Sweet Water comes forth, cease to distil, and ta$e out the )ap<li$e !atter residing in the Bottom, and putting that into another -lass, permit it to dry at the Solar< eat# or else e(aporate all its !oisture with most gentle &ire, that it may remain a dry )owder4 and when you ha(e a(oided this danger, then go on. ,his )owder grind upon a !arble or -lass, first made hot# then put it in a -lass Body, and pour upon it of the best rectified Spirit of Wine, so much as will stand abo(e it three &ingers thic$ness4 then set it in a +igesti(e heat, as abo(e, for e"tracting the ,incture of %ntimony, which will be high coloured and pleasantly red to ama9ement# and it will deposit a certain 'arth, or feculency in the bottom. ,his '"traction is sweet, grateful, and so (ery efficacious in !edicine, as no man, that hath not e"perienced the same, will gi(e credit thereunto. ,he &eces in the bottom retain the Venenosity, but the '"traction !edicine only, which '"perience hath taught to be profitable Remedy for men and Beasts. &or if three or four 21

-ranes of this !edicine be ta$en, it e"pels the 1eprosie and -allic$ 1ues, purifies the Blood, dri(es away !elancholy, and resists all Venom4 and whosoe(er labours with Shortness of Breath, +ifficulty of Breathing, or )ric$ing of the Sides, he may be cured by the 0se of this !edicine4 8which effects many wonderful ,hings, if rightly administered, and in due time. 8,hese !edicaments, which perform their Operations, not by sensible force, as .athartic$s, 'metic$s, +iaphoretic$s, and the li$e are wont to operate, but insensibly uniting their own more pure 0ni(ersal Spirit unto our Spirits, amend /ature and restore it to health, are not to be used, unless where the Body hath first been cleansed from the impurities of pecant umours, otherwise you cast these )eals into a +unghill, where 2o(erwhelmed with &ilths3 they cannot shine and manifest their Virtues. &or although, by reason of their manifold Virtues, they may be called 0ni(ersals, yet they are to be numbered with ,opic$s, before which -enerals are to be used, according to the opinion of -alen, and all )hysicians. ,he ,incture here spo$en of, performs all those .ures, which Basilius mentions, if the use of it be continued for some time. &or where that Saying is of force, !edicines used help, continued heal, it must certainly be applied to those especially, which insensibly operate. ,hat ;ellow )owder, of which mention is made abo(e before it is e"tracted with Spirit of Wine, may be ground upon a hot Stone, and then put into 'ggs8 boiled hard, in place of the ;ol$, which is to be ta$en out4 set these 'ggs in a moist )lace, or .ellar, and the )owder will resol(e into a yellow 1iquor.
5Indeed soft )ggs, according to the ,aying; are always warily and softly to !e handled; !ut in these hard )ggs also, I have somewhat to advise you of; for if after you have ta/en out the ;ol/, you !e not mindful to !rea/ that Pellicle,

26

which divides it from the w1ite, you will wonder to see how your 3alsom will intrude itself within the White, and deprive you of a great part thereof(

,his admirable 1iquor heals all green Wounds, if soon after a Wound is made, it be put therein with a soft &eather, and the Wound well co(ered with a Styptic$, or other )reser(ati(e )layster. %ll fresh Wounds inflicted either by )ric$ or .ut, are healed by this 1iquor, without )utrefaction, Inflammation, or any superfluity of &ilth, so perfectly# as unto him, who created ea(en and 'arth, and in them insited such a !edicine, due ,han$s and )raise deser(edly ought to be gi(en. In all old, malignant, and corrosi(e Wounds, use this '"traction or Balsom of %ntimony, and it will ne(er fail ,hee in thy necessity. %nd thou thy self, after me wilt write an 'ncomium of its )raises and publish the Virtues thereof, by which e"trenally applied miserable !ortals may be made happy4 for the Wolf and 8.ancer yeild to it# Rottenness in the Bones, malignant 0lcers corroded and perforate with Worms fly from it, and it restores to pristine ealth, and pro(ides 'ntertainment for that with itself, when its fi"edness shall be duly used inwardly, and other .on(enient !eans duly applied outwardly.
5If +hirurgions would here give credit to our Author, with how great +are would they prepare this 3alsom for themselves, and with how great -ruit, and how fre2uently might they use the same< -or I interposing my 8udgement must say, that 3asilius here comes far short, in e.pressing its due Praises; for it performs more, than he declares of it( =1I,%O&; O- %1) 6I&%4), O- 3A ,O* OAN%I*ON;> One short 1istory, drawn from the +enturies of my *edicinal O!servations, will confirm the truth of what I have said( A certain Woman, a!out forty ;ears of Age, for seven years together suffered great dolours in her left 3reast, which were accompanied with a %umor and 1ardness( %hose +hirurgeons and Physicians, who she advised with, did all with one +onsent "udge her Disease to !e a +ancer; and she was also "udged to la!our with a +ancer, !y the +ensure of that famous Practitioner, who at Orscotus $a 6illage a!out the Du/es:Wood' very lauda!ly and happily practised +hirurgery, and drew to himself a vast num!er of People0 for after he had, for three *onth together, in vain endeavoured to heal this Disease, he severely pronounced her 3reast was to !e cut off, or the Disease could not !e e.tirpated( %he woman, resolving rather to suffer all Dolours of the Disease, then to sustain so cruel and inhumane a &emedie, came to

2<

me( I, !eholding her 3reast, found it wholly inflamed, and twise as !ig as the other, and an a!undance of thin 1umours flowing to the Wound( I purposed to try all I could do, rather than suffer this misera!le Woman to perish; and thin/ing of this 3alsom resolved to try, whether %hat, which in other Diseases had fulfilled the promises of its Author, would fail me here( %herefore, to the Diseased Woman waiting my Answer, I said; in eight days time I would resolve her, whether, there was an hopes of +ure or not, without +utting off; and thereupon

ga(e her this &emedy to anoint her 3reast therewith0 and which is

very strange, in the ,pace of two Days the *atter came to &ipeness, and a "ust +onsistency( %herefore, I then filled with good hope, ad"oined inward and outward &emedies, which seemed convenient for the purpose, and in two *onths ,pace the Womans 3reast was perfectly healed( 4pon this I, not without a perculiar 8oy, !lessed and praised the on this 3alsom( ord, that had conferred so great virtue

%lso -lass of %ntimony is by me two ways reduced to an Oil, in distillation 2as they call it3 by %lembec$. ,a$e -lass of %ntimony# as it is made of the !inera of %ntimony, subtily pul(eri9ed, and e"tract its ,incture with distilled Vinegar# afterward abstract the Vinegar thence and edulcorate the remaining )owder. ,hen pour on Spirit of Wine, with which e"tract the ,incture, and circulate it in a )elican well closed, for an entire !onth. %fterward, distil it per se, without any %ddition, with a certain singular 8+e"terity# and you will thence recei(e a wonderful grateful and sweet !edicine, in the form of a Red Oil, of which after may be formed the Stone of &ire.
5%his is the Wor/, this is the a!our, very few true ,ons of Art $whom Apollo

loves' could e.tract this %incture !y Alem!ec/( %here is need $as 3asilius saith' of a certain peculiar manual Operation( %his %incture I sought many years, and at length $GOD favouring me' found the same( =OI P&)PA&A%ION )NIG*A%I+A O- AN%I*ON;, I%, ; D),+&I3)D> Wilt thou have me discover it to %hee !y an

)nigma< I see thou desirest I should, therefore ta/e this *ystery, thus( Alciatus, painting a Dolphin wreathed a!out an Anchor, write these words0 *a/e not too much hast( )steem of this Admonition, not only in all your ife, !ut also in this very matter, as very profita!le to you0 for the hasty 3itch $as the ,aying is' !rings forth !lind Whelps( %herefore I again and again admonish you, to cause Wings to !e prepared for your *atter, !y 8uno, 3acchus and 6ulcan; !ut as you love your ife, permit it not suddenly to flie, rather deliver it to

24

*ercury to !e instructed !y him gradually to accustom itself to flying; yea, !ind it with a +ord, lest $as a 3ird got out of a +age, and past your &each' it through Ignorance approach too near the ,un, and with Icarus, having its -eathers !urnt fall headlong into the ,ea( 3ut after you have detained it for its due time, loose its !onds, that it may fly, and come to those fortunate Islands, unto which all ,ons of Arts direct their ,ight, and where unto all Adeptists aim to arrive, as unto their desired and long sought 1ar!our( 1ere, O over of Art, you should not !e offended, or angry with me, as if I deluded you $desirous of the 9nowledge of this ,ecret' !y a %antalic/ Apple shown( What should I do< I in this +ase give you advice( Would you have me cast Pearls !efore ,wine< and unto all men e.pose the *ystery, which the Ancient /ept so holily, and might not reveal it, unless to the worthy ,ons of Art only< %hou thy self wouldest !ewail nothing more, and wouldest even e.ecrate me, for doing so( %hey, who understand me, understand Art0 and unto such as are +hymists, have I opened the way, which if they diligently travel in, they may arrive, where they desire to !e( No man did ever so clearly reveal this to me; !ut !y reading the Writings of Authors, strenuously la!ouring, and trusting in GOD without fainting or desperation $which is a most efficatious /ind of Prayer' I at length attained to what I have( Do thou study, and !e diligent, that thou mayest comprehend0 for he, who, /nows how to render %inctures volatile, is already admitted into the very Penetrale, and +onclave of the +hymical Art; !ecause of all other *ysteries the *ethod is the same( Peruse the -a!les, search into the &iddles, and consider the Para!les of all wise men; they all tend hither, and all say the same( +ompare the Para!les of others, with this my )nigma, and this with them, that you may understand how much ight I have added in all, and how )asy I have made the way to those serene %emples of Wisdom(

,his Oil is the ?uintessence, and the highest, that can be written of %ntimony# as you may find in my former Writings, wherein Iha(e made a short +eclaration of %ntimony, and in which I showed also, that there are four Instruments required for its )reparation, and the fifth is that, in which Vulcan hath fi"ed his Residence. 0nderstand thus4 four )reparations must be made before it can be perfected# and the fifth is the 0tility, and effect of the Wor$ in the Body of man. ,he first 1abour is .alcination and 1iquefaction into -lass. ,he second is +igestion, by which '"traction is performed. ,he third is .oagulation. ,he fourth is +istillation into Oil, and after that Separation follows &i"ation, by the ultimate .oagulation, through which the !atter is deduced to a perlucid &iery Stone# which that it may operate upon !etals, must 28

be fermented, for acquiring its penetrati(e )roperty# but not so much, as that %ncient Stone of the )hilosophers, because it is not 0ni(ersal# but only tingeth particularly. ,ouching which, about the 'nd of this Boo$, more shall be spo$en when we treat of the Stone of &ire. ,his distilled Oil8 of which we ha(e now spo$en, effects all things, that are necessary to be $nown by a )hysician, and which he hath need of, in his .ures.
51ad I not /nown 3asilius, I should have thought him, in this place to have dealt li/e a Deceiver, or 6aga!ond *edicaster with you0 !ut the *atter itself unto me, so often spea/s for him, as I religiously scruple even in the least to dou!t his Promises( -or whatsoever I have e.perienced $!ut there are very few Processes contained in this 3oo/, which I have not tried0 for 1e, from the very first, was my %eacher, -riend and Patron' I have found so very efficacious !eyond the Authors Promises, that it seems to me, he hath !een sparing in declaring the virtues of his *edicaments, least in praising them, he should !e thought too much to commend himself( ;et I shall not here in his stead, underta/e comment much on their lauda!le 6irtues( et him who !elieves not, ma/e trial, that he may /now( Whosoever shall !y his own incredulity !e deterred from e.periencing the %ruth hereof, he will suffer punishment enough for his Offence, !y the Want of the fruit of the same( -or this Oil, if rightly used in its time, is a *edicine truly 4niversal( +onsider, I pray, what I say, if rightly used in its time, that is, the 3ody !eing firsted purged from gross and crude 1umours, and general *edicines used $as you may remem!er I did !efore admonish' this Oil is an 4niversal *edicine, for healing all Diseases +ura!le( -or +hymists are not so mad, or conceited, !y reason of the Goodness and 6irtue of their *edicaments, as not to "udge some Diseases to !e 4nsana!le( Who can restore any of the Prnicipal *em!ers a!sumed !y putridness< yet I would not have all Diseases "udged unsana!le, !y these our +hymical &emedies, which are everywhere vulgarly condemned as such( As for ).ample, how often have I restored the +rystalline 1umour ta/en away; which who "udgeth not impossi!le to !e reduced< 3ut, of these and the li/e, another place will !e more fit to write( Only of this *edicament I say, that it heals -eavers of every /ind; yea, even the ?uartan itself $that ancient &eproach of Physicians' and in +hronical Distempers manifests wonderful )ffects( 1ere among many of my O!servations I will give you one only ).periment( In the ;ear @AAB( A young *aid, aged twenty one ;ears, swollen to an enormous grossness with the Dropsie, came to me for help( I too/ this only for her *edicine( -or I gave her no other thing, then this very *edicament twice a Day, to which I dayly added a +lister0 and in twenty days she had sweat so much, as

22

her 3ody was lessened half( Within that space of twenty Days, as I said, she also voided of 4rine $provo/ed !y the same *edicament' not a little, !ut her ,weat was wonderful(

/ote, my &riend, and 1o(er of %rt, that this Oil, whether you prepare it yourself, or recei(e it from antoher prepared by him, doth not imitate other +iaphoretic$s in operating, which being used, will in their first +ose pro(o$e Sweats. &or if this be gi(en to a )atient whose Body is obstructed with umours, the first +ose acts nothing, but gently opens the )assages, that Sweats may be procured# the ne"t day it causeth a gentle and $indly breathing of Sweats only# the third +ay it Sweats moderately# but the fourth +ay, and thence forward, it causeth such an aboundance of Sweat, as the Waters proceeding thence run through the Bed upon the &loor. here is need of a true )hysician# ercules .lub will profit little, if not in the himself. ,he +ose of it before .oagulation is eight -rains ta$en in Wine. It ma$es a man (ery young again, deli(ers him from all !elancholy, and whatsoe(er in the Body of man grows and increaseth, as the airs and /ails, fall off, and the whole man is renewed as a )hoeni" 2if such a feigned Bird, which is only here for '"ample sa$e named by me, can anywhere be found upon 'arth3 is renewed by &ire. %nd this !edicine can no more be burned by the &ire, than the &eathers of that un$nown Salamander4 for it consumes all Symptoms in the Body, li$e consuming &ire, to which it is deser(edly li$ened# it dri(es away e(ery '(il, and e"pels all ,hat, which %urum<)otabile is capable to e"pel. ,he 8%strum of Sol only e"ceeds e(ery !edicine of the World when rightly prepared to perfect &i"ation4 for the %strum of Sol, and the %strum of !ercury arise almost from the (ery same Blood of their !other, and from one original of (i(ific$ Sanity.
5 et no man here prodigally or rashly wast his own Gold, now he hears of the Astrum of ,ol, nor e.pose himself to so great 1a#ard, as to enter a perillous

and of

ercules

27

+om!at with vulgar *ercury( In the +hymical World another ,ol shines, and another *ercury attends on 8upiter( ;et the +hymical ,ol, or *ercury here, is not Gold, !ut more e.cellent than all Gold; yea, more potent than every *ercury, although fa!ulous, and feigned to !e capa!le to restore the Dead to have treated, and must treat of Antimony only( ife0 it is the Gold, and Argent:6ive of Philosophers, which 3asilius here hints at( 3ut we

/ow, no man hath cause to fear, that this Oil of %ntimony '"tracted first with distilled Vinegar, and afterward with most pure and subtle Spirit of Wine, and then further e"alted 2as highly as possible3 by Vulcan, will in any wise purge, or e"cite frequent Stools, or ma$e any %lterations4 for it effects nothing of all this, but by Sweat, 0rine, and Spittle, e"pels the (ery Root of the +isease to ama9ement, and restores whatsoe(er is corrupted by any Symptom. But .ommon -lass of %ntimony, being ground to )owder, put into a little Wine 2(i9. si" -rains or more of the -lass, according to the strength of /ature3 and that mi"ture set in heat for one /ight, and in the !orning the Wine8 poured off clear from the remaining )owder, and so drun$ by the )atient, purgeth downward e"citing se(eral Stools, and oftentimes also pro(o$es Vomiting, by reason of the !ercurial immature )roperty, which is yet inherent in the -lass, as e(ery intelligent )hysician will easily *udge, and indeed he ought to further to '"amine how this -lass, when he would purge with it, ought to be pro(o$ed, and administed in a due +ose.
5%his is a +ommon 6omitory, or )metic/ Wine, well /nown, which all wandering )mpiric/s now use in all Places, sometimes with a prosperous, sometimes with +ontrary, always am!iguous ,uccess; which proceeds partly from the Physician and partly from the *edicine(> %his is a %hing to !e !ewayled; for as histories relate, that George +astriot 9ing of the )pirots, when the )mperour of the %ur/s had often as/ed him, how his ,word, which he had sent, when Peace was made, according to his agreement with the %ur/, could perpetrate such wonders as he spa/e of, saying he saw not anything singular in it, made this Answer0 I did indeed send the ,word of ,cander!eg, !ut not ,cander!eg7s Arm, with which that ,word was managed, so as to perform so great *iracles0 so, very many +hymical

2:

*edicines, are either dead, or $which is more to !e deplored' oftentimes the +auses of Death, when not managed !y the hand of a s/ilful Doctor( Which unhappy ,uccess of this *edicine is caused from the *ercurial Properties, with which it is too much impregnated $as 3asilius well notes in this Place' and which I am wont to correct in this manner(

,a$e -lass of %ntimony, more pure, four ounces. Venetian Bora" one<half ounce. !elt them together. ,his being artificially done, you will ha(e a -reen -lass transparent as 'merald. -rind this to a subtle )owder, upon which pour &rench wine, and permit the mi"ture to stand for se(eral days in !oderate eat.

Of this Wine gi(e to the Sic$, from one drachma to two ounces, according to the %ge, abit of Body, Strength, and other ,hings either /atural, or not /atural, which the )rudence of the )hysician 2when he sits as 6udge, whether the 1ife of any One is li$ely to be continued or not3 ought always well to consider. ,hat is 'metic$ Wine may be gi(en to the Sic$ without peril, '"perience the most certain !istress of )hysicians hath taught me, and yet more than this4 for when the Wine poured in the )owder shall be all e"hausted, if you pour on more &rench Wine, that will also be imbibed with the same Virtues. &or here %ntimony disco(ers in itself to be somewhat, that is of all wonderful ,hings the most admirable4 because it contains in itself ine"haustable ,reasures, and although you ta$e from it, yet you diminish not the Virtues thereof. % li$e stupendous !iracle also is in e"tracting the Vinegar of the same, and in other Wor$s fit to be $ept under the seal of arpocrates.

!any men are required for the Searching out the )owers and Virtues of this Sub*ect. &or I alone, by reason of the shortness of my ,ime, could not di(e into and search out all things, do you thy self set about the Wor$, and after me, yea with me, thou wilt praise me and I thee4 if you find out anymore# I praise you by these my Writings, and shall commend you out of the Sepulcher to

2=

which I am destinated, although in Body thou art to me un$nown, nor e(er had I any discourse with thee, because perhaps not yet born. .ommon -lass of %ntimony is also by %ddition distilled into a laudable and salutary oil, which may be used without peril, with (ery great profit in the 'pilepsie# as here following I shall teach. -rind the -lass of %ntimony to as subtle a )owder as possibly you can, then put it into a -lass<Vessel with a flat Bottom, and pour upon the )owder the 6uice of unripe -rapes, then ha(ing well luted hte Vessel digest it for certain +ays. ,his being done abstract all the 6uice# afterward, grind it well moistened with Spirit of Vinegar, and a double Weight of clarified Sugar. ,hen, ha(ing put it into a Retort, in the /ame of the !ost igh begin to distil, and at last administer a (ehement &ire, and you will acquire a most Red Oil# which must be clarified unto ,ransparency with 8Spirit of Wine.
5When the Author saith, it must !e clarified with ,pirit of Wine unto %ransparency; the Admonition is short indeed, !ut of great weight( -or he wills, that this Oil should !e driven over !y Alem!ec/, the signification and manual Operation of which, I have already a!ove taught(

,he 0se of this, gi(en in a small ?uantity, is found to be most profitable. With this Oil Spirit of Salt may be *oined, and the !i"ture poured upon a subtle prepared .al" of -old, 2which how it should be made I ha(e already taught in other of my writings3 which hath before, together with its Water, passed by %lembec$. If this be done, this !enstruum ta$e to itself the ,incture8 of -old only, and lea(es the Body untouched.
5Do you thin/, O over of +hymistry, you understand what you read< ;ou cannot

understand, unless either divinely Philip, or humanely Oedipus, appear to you, and clearly teach you the way of preparing this %incture( %he difficulty of the )nigma consists in this; vi#( that all *enstruums, with which %inctures are

73

e.tracted, must necessarily !e void of +olour; otherwise how can you /now0 whether you o!tain the %incture you would e.tract, or only retract the same you poured on< I will not detain you with a tedious Discourse full of am!iguities, !ut lead you asi t were !y the hand, showing you how I instituted this Process in the ;ear @AAB( If you thence, !y your attention, and comparing the precedent with the present, and these with thsoe that follow, reap any profit, open the 3osom of your 1eart, that no part of this may fall to )arth(

I too$ that Red Oil, thus far prepared as is already showed, and rectified it by Retort# and then acquired a White Oil, of an acid but grateful ,aste. 0pon this I poured half so much Spirit of Salt4 the !i"ture I digested in a )hial for a full !onth, that these two Spirits might be well con*oined# afterward, for the better con*unction of them, I distilled them thrice by Retort. ,hen I poured them upon the .al" of -old 2the !ethod of preparing which you will find in other Writings of Basilius3 and set them together in +igestion for a !onth# which being elapsed, the !enstruum was tinged with a deep ;ellow .olour inclining to redness. I leisurely poured off the ,incture, and ha(ing put it into a Retort, with gentle &ire abstracted the umidity, that a red )owder might remain in the Bottom. ,his )owder I edulcorated with distilled Water, and again e"tracted the ,incture with Spirit of Wine# then I rendered this +ragon (olatile, and ga(e him his own ,ail to be de(oured for si" whole !onths, and obtained a ,incture most pleasant and grateful# ten or twel(e -rains of which gi(en to the Sic$, pro(o$e Sweat, comfort the /atural )owers, and 2not to amuse the Intelligent words3 in all +iseases both of umane and other bodies, it is an uni(ersal !edicine. Since it hath happened to me here to ma$e mention of the most e"cellent of all ,inctures, I will once teach the .hymist what will be of use to him for the future. ,hat is to say, it is of great concern to $now, with what !enstruum e(ery ,incture should be e"tracted, &or it is not sufficient 2according to the erroneous Opinion of many3 that !enstruums be sweet and (oid of .orrosion# but it also behooful, that there be in them a peculiar %mity and .on(eniency with the !ercury of the Body, on which they are 71

poured, that from the same they may e"tract its true and sincere Sulphur. By '"ample, I shall teach you somewhat more clearly. +istilled Water e"tracts the ,incture from Sulphur, made of the -lass of %ntimony by distilled Vinegar. But if in this Operation you persuade yourself you ha(e separated the )ure from the Impure, you will be decei(ed4 for this Water imbibes a certain Salt, which infects the ,incture# but Spirit of Wine rectified is its proper !enstruum4 because ,hat only assumes the (olatile Sulphur thereof, and hath no .ommerce with the Salt. ,he same happens in ,incture of .orals, which is e"tracted with Spirit of Wine distilled upon Orange )ills4 for here you obtain not the sincere ,incture of .orals# because, by this !enstruum, the pure Sulphur is not separated from the Body of the .orals. ,he li$e 'rror to be committed in many other ,hings, I ha(e obser(ed by '"perience, which should be esteemed the best !istress, unless we ta$e it for granted that chargeable and fruitless )rocesses are necessarily required in this %rt. But that I may conclude with the ,incture, whence all this +iscourse hath proceeded# I would ha(e no man to thin$ this to be the %urum )otabile of )hilosophers4 for this would be a (ery great 'rror in )hilosophy, and gi(e occasion to Sophisters 2as their manner is3 to prefer their Sophisms before the ,ruth itself. ,hough this ,incture is most precious, and a ,incture of -old, yet it hath only assumed the .olour of -old4 but the weight thereof, which is proper to %urum )otabile, adheres not thereunto. ,ouching the potable !edicine here is not place of spea$ing, unless I would trangress the limits, which I ha(e at this time prescribed myself, of .ommenting upon the ,riumphant .hariot of %ntimony, which our Basil Valentine hath made for it is so truly magnficent. Otherwise, I should declare, how sol might be prepared by Venus and Vulcan, so as in the space of two hours to resol(e itself into !ercury united with Bacchus, lea(ing (ery few feces# which !ercurial !enstruum may again be separated from the resol(ed -old# and so you might acquire a most grateful 1iquor (ery 76

ponderous, which can ne(er afterward be reduced to its former .onsistence. ,his (ery Operation I ha(e showed to some .urious 1o(ers of .hymistry. But of these elsewhere another Occasion of Writing will be gi(en. When the &ermentation is made, I shall ha(e need of a (ast ?uantity of )aper to declare all the %rcanum7s of /ature, which by this !edicine are effected beyond the Opinion of all men. I urge this so much the more earnestly to the )hysician, that he may consider those things which I propose )hilosophically, beta$e himself to labour, perform this )reparation of %ntimony, and deduce it to 0se# then, he himself will dayly find more )raise, and learn from it more Operations than any of the other )hysicians could ha(e prescribed him. When you shall ha(e brought %ntimony so far, and duely perfercted your Wor$, in which you are to act prudently, and the matter is to be largely and profoundly weighed, that by 1abour you may acquire '"perience# then may you boast that you ha(e obtained the !agistery, which is $nown or communicated to few. ,his !agistery mi"7d with a solution or ,incture of .orals, and e"hibited with .ordial Water effects Wonders in +iseases, that are to be cured by purifying the Blood. %nd whatsoe(er +istemper is offered to you, in which the Blood is corrupted by any %ccident, this !agistery heals it, e"hilarates the eart, promotes .hastity and onesty, and renders man apt and fit for e(erything he ta$es in hand. &or all these Benefits to the .reator and .onser(er of all ,hings, than$s is always to be gi(en from the bottom of our eart# because he hath with so great .ompassion respected his .reatures, Infirm both in body and !ind, and supplied us with !eans, by which the +iseases of either may be healed, and we in e(ery necessity obtain solace, assistance and perfect elp.

/ow my Intention is to proceed, and spea$ somewhat of the %rcanum of %ntimony, but with (ery great Bre(ity. 7<

,a$e of %ntimony most subtlely pul(eri9ed One )art, of Sal %rmoniac$8, so called, which is brought from %rmenia,
5Of Antimony and ,al:Armoniac/ e2ual parts are to !e ta/en, which 3asilius seems to intend, !ut I /now not how he forgot to mention it(

also pul(eri9ed# mi" these, and putting them into a Retort distill them together,8
5%hat with one and the same la!our, the ,al:Armoniac/ together with the Antimony, may !e distilled and su!limed, such an instrument, as this I here show you, descri!ing all its Parts, may !e made(

%. is the &urnace. B. the Retort. .. the Recipient. +. the %perture wit ha )ipe of a !oderate bigness, on which may be set the %lembec$ '. ,he other &urnace is &, which containing a !oderate &ire, sublimes what falls into the recei(ing Vessel up into the %lembec$ '. %nd so the !atter which is distilled from Retort B, by the &ire of the &urnace &, is presently sublimed# Which may not only be useful in this .ase, but also in e(ery Sublimation of other !atters. %nd upon that which comes forth in the +istillation pour common distilled Rain<water, but let it first be made hot, and so by edulcorating remo(e all the Salt, that no %crimony may remain, and the %ntimony will appear li$e pure, white shining &eathers. +ry them with subtle eat, and ha(ing put them in a -lass circulatory or )elican, pour on them good and perfectly rectified Spirit of Vitriol, and .irculate the !i"ture till both be well con*oined8 and united, then distill the whole, and pour on Spirit of Wine, circulate again# then let seperated be made, and remo(e the &eces settling to the Bottom, but $eep the %rcanum which remains mi"t with the Spirit of Wine and Vitriol.
5%his 4nion must !e so firm, as in distilling one may not !e separated from the other; otherwise you will lose your a!our and +ost( Of how great moment this

74

4nion is in +hymistry, they !est /now, who only !y confounding two things together, thin/ they shall effect wonders; !ut afterwards $their ).perience failing them' they learn how great difference there is !etween 4nion and +onfusion0 for %hings confounded receive no 6irtue, that was not in them !efore; !ut !y 4nion, I /now not what ,pirit is ingested, which performs such things as the *ind of man could never perceive to have their !eing thence(

ence consider in the -enerations of %nimals 2who would belie(e it=3 how from the 0nion of 'lements is generated Sight, ,aste, ,ouching, and so many )owers of %nimals, which are insited in none of the 'lements, and yet arise from them united. Whensoe(er it happens, that any ,incture seems to ha(e united itself with its !enstruum, and afterward may be separated therefrom, that therefore is because !atrimony is not legitimately .elebrated, nor the union in a due manner perfect# which you shall more than once see to happen in the ,incture of Sol and %ntimony. ,he Instrument, by which con*oin my ,inctures, and am wont to copulate them in an undissol(able .opulation, you shall find described hereafter in this (ery Boo$. ,hat in Spirit of Wine is to be noted, which happens not in other !enstruums# because it is most easily united to ,hings, and again with a slight artifice separated from the same. /ow when you again rectify this %rcanum, one drop of it e"hibited with Rose water, is more a(ailable than a )ot full of the +ecoction of erbs# for it causeth a good %ppetite, corrects the Stomach, and concocts all malignity in it, dri(es away Sadness and !elancholy, ma$es good Blood and a good +igestion# in the Suffocation of the !atri" and .holic$ )assion 2both which it wonderfully appeaseth3 it is instead of a ,reasure of inestimable )rice and deser(es .ommendation, not easily e"pressible by Words. %fter the %rcanum of %ntimony ne"t in order follows the 'li"ir8 of the same, which you may prepare in this manner.

78

5%his Process as it is easy to perform, so it may !y us !e easily passed over, lest we should seem to ta/e Pen in hand, rather from an itching desire of Writing, then for illuminating %hings o!scure(

,a$e, in the name of the 1ord, good !inera of %ntimony, grind it subtlely, and sublime it with half so much Sal<%rmoniac$. Whatsoe(er shall be sublimed put into a -lass retort, and thrice distill it, seperating the &eces e(erytime. %fterward remo(e from it the Sal<%rmoniac$ by edulcoration, and re(erberate the !atter of %ntimony in a Vessel well closed, with moderate &ire 2not forcing too much3 until it become li$e the 'arth of .innabar. ,his being done, pour on it strong distilled Wine Vinegar, and e"tract its Redness# afterward abstract the Vinegar, until a )owder remains. ,his abstraction must be made in Balneo. ,hen, e"tract this )owder with Spirit of Wine, that the &eces may be separated, and you will ha(e a pure and clear '"traction. a(ing finished this Operation, put this Spirit of Wine together with the '"traction into a .ucurbit, and add thereto a little of the ,incture of .orals, and of the ?uintessence of Rubarb, and then administer the +ose of three or four -rains. It causeth gentle Stools, and purgeth without -ripings of the Belly# and indeed if you ha(e proceeded well in preparing, it renders the Blood agile, and is a !edicine apt for those who desire -entle )urgations. ere perhaps some )hysician may wonder, how @tis possible, that this !edicine should cause moderate and easy )urgations, when as %ntimony is a !atter (ehement and forcible, and to it is *oined Rubarb, which of itself also hath a )urging )roperty. But let him cease his admiration, and $now that the (enomous purging power of %ntimony is by this )reparation so mortified, as it can apprehend or e"pel nothing# but as soon as some purging Simple is ad*oined to it, it then according to the powers of its own /ature performs the Office of opening and purging. But %ntimony prepared hath no action upon the 8Stomach, thence to e"pel its impurities# but by 72

the purging !edicine, its ad*unct, acquires a more open &ield, and therein can operate without Impediment any other way, and discern, yea search out the way of 'ffecting that better, to which it was ordained and prepared, without hindrance.
5Note here very seriously, that Galenic/ +athartic/s have power of e.pelling, !ut not of +orrection 1umours; !ut +hymical Purgers are endued with either -aculty; and certainly it should not !e minded how much is e.pelled, !ut how much is healed, which the occult power of *edicaments prepared +hymically doth much !etter effect, than that common and pu!lic/ violence of purging forci!ly(

I would ha(e all men to credit these words, since I ha(e no necessity to write other than the ,ruth. ,his 'li"ir in such manner prepared, as I ha(e taught, penetrates and purgeth the Body, as %ntimony purgeth -old, and frees it from all Impurity4 So that if I would at large commemorate all the powers and (irtues thereof, I must put up my Supplications to the -O+ of ea(en, and intreat him to (ouchsafe me a longer 1ife, that I might laud his wonderful Wor$s, and search out further, and according to Verity communicate to others what I ha(e found, that they with me e"cited to admiration, may public$ly render than$s to their .reator, for his so great Blessings. But to proceed in my purpose, ha(ing once begun, I here describe the Virtues of %ntimony, as far as I ha(e e"perienced them# yet what is hid from my $nowledge, I ought to pass o(er in silence. &or it becomes me not to gi(e my 6udgement of things un$nown, and which I ha(e not with myself e"perimented, but I lea(e them, commending the same to other 6udges, who with study and labour in this Sub*ect, ha(e made some good progress. /o one man can be so e"pert in $nowing the Virtues of %ntimony, as nothing shall remain un$nown by him, not only by reason of the shortness of his 1ife 2as I before said3 but also, and chiefly because some new thing is dayly found in it.

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,herefore, let men $now, that %ntimony not only purgeth -old, cleanseth and frees it from e(ery peregrine !atter, and from all other !etals, but also 2by a power innate in itself3 effects the same in !en and Beasts. If a &armer purpose in himself to $eep up and fatten any of his .attle, as for '"ample an og# two or three days before, let him gi(e to the Swine a con(enient +ose of crude %ntimony, about half a dram mi"7d with his &ood, that by it he may be purged# through which )urgation he will not only acquire an %ppetite to his !eat, but the sooner increase and be fattened. %nd if any Swine labour with a +isease about his 1i(er or other )arts, or else be 1eprous, %ntimony causeth the 1eprosie to be dryed up and e"pelled. ,his '"ample seems indeed to sound somewhat gross and rustical, to the 'ars of -reat men especially# but my purpose in proposing it was only to the end, that pri(ate !en and 1aic$s, whose Brains were not by /ature fabricated to the most subtle )hilosophy of the 1earned, may see the ,ruth hereof, in the (ery Operation itself, with their own 'yes# also that by this rude )roposal, they might gi(e greater credit to my other Writings, in which I ha(e spo$en a little more subtley of these ,hings. ;et I would ha(e no man, following me as his %uthor, to gi(e a !edicine of .rude %ntimony to men# for mute %nimals can in their Stomach concoct much more hard &oods, than the tender .omple"ion of !en is able to digest. Wherefore, he who would rightly and with profit use %ntimony, he must learn the )reparation thereof first, and afterward $now the +ose, as what is con(enient for the ;oung, and what for the Old# how much may be gi(en to robust Bodies, and how much to the wea$, in which no small !ystery of this %rt consists, the ignorance of which will do more hurt than an imprudent )hysician can do good. Should I confirm all things by '"amples, that would be the .ause of a (ery )roli" Writing# therefore I will brea$ off this +iscourse, and pass on to another )reparation of %ntimony, and describe its fi"edness# which acts li$e Wine, from which its Spirit is substracted and separated from its Body. ,his Spirit 7:

heals the Body internally, and if e"ternally applied, draws to itself all the eat of a part inflamed4 but, on the contrary, when of the Wine, Vinegar is made, it cools, either inwardly or outwardly applied# although the Wine and Vinegar ha(e their Original from the same Root, and proceed from the same Stoc$. ,he Reason of this di(ersity is, because Vinegar is made through digestion only, by which )utrefaction of the Wine follows, together with a Vegetable &i"ation4 but on the contrary, Spirit of Wine is made with Separation by distilling, or (egetable subliming, which renders the Spirit (olatile. By li$e reason %ntimony is prepared, and according to its di(erse )reparations hath di(erse 'ffects, and di(ersely communicates its -ifts to us, which are scarcely comprehensible by the humane Intellect. But the fi"edness thereof, touching which I here treat, is thus prepared. ,a$e of %ntimony as much as you will, grind it to a subtle )owder, which put into a .ucurbit, and pour on it of %qua &ortis so much as will stand abo(e it the breadth of si" &ingers# and ha(ing well and firmly closed the Vessel, place it in a subtle heat for ten +ays, that the !atter may be e"tracted. +ecant off this '"traction pure and clear, and filter it, that it may be freee from all feculencies and Impurities# then put this '"traction into a -lass< Body, and abstract all the %qua &ortis by +istillation in %shes or Sand, and in the bottom the )owder of %ntimony will remain yellow and dry. 0pon this pour distilled Rain<water, and put it in a li$e -lass in moderate heat, and you will ha(e a Red '"traction. ,his again filter, and gently distil off the Rain<water by B.!. and the )owder will remain red in the Bottom. 0pon this red )owder pour strong distilled Vinegar4 this Vinegar will in some time draw to itself the .olour red as Blood, and put down &eces. %fterward distil off the Vinegar, and there will again remain a red )owder. ,his )owder re(erberate continually for three days together without ceasing in an open &ire# ,his being done, abstract the ,incture from it by Spirit of Wine, and separate the &eces remaining from the ,incture. %ll these Wor$s being with so great labour performed, again separate the Spirit of Wine by 7=

distillation in Balneo, and a fi"ed 8Red )owder will remain, which operates wonderfully.
5Diaphoretic/ Antimony is sold in ,hops, !ut what here the Author shews us, !y the name of -i.ed Powder of Antimony, is not to !e !ought for ,ilver or Gold; the 6irtues of which so far e.ceed all that, of which the +ommon sort are Parta/ers0 In vain with so great attention and study $of which in preparing this Powder, there is very great need' did our Philosopher intend this Wor/, if these *ysteries of so great )ffects must come to the handling of the 6ulgar, or !e pu!lic/ly sold for *oney( et him who attains to this fi.ed Powder use it in +hronical Diseases, especially where ,weats are to !e e.cited, and he will see )ffects causing him to re"oice, if he use it in himself; and !y which he will !e glorified, if he use it in others(

alf a dram of this being ta$en thrice a day, (i9. !orning, /oon, and /ight, or oftner, hurts no man# for it e"pels all clotted Blood out of the Body, and being long ta$en securely opens all perillous Imposthums, and e"pels them# radically cures the &rench +isease, causeth new whole man. /ow, since I ha(e taught to ma$e a fi"ed )owder of %ntimony, and the '"traction thereof (ery commodious for 0se, lea(ing this +iscourse, I purpose briefly to treat of the &lowers of %ntimony, which may be many ways prepared. But the greatest part8 of men neither can discourse of, nor answer to these# because they ha(e not learned the )rocesses of such Operations4 but the least part, (i9. the +isciples, %postles, and &ollowers of the Spagyric$ %rt, will more esteem my Writings, more diligently read them, and more prudently gi(e 6udgement of the same.
51ow much +hymistry was impeached !y +alumnies, in the times of 3asilius, is manifest !y the very many &eli2ues of Writers, with which some %heologicians, imprudently "udging what they understood not, and Politicians $not much more prudent than them' have defamed their own 3oo/s; and in the mean while also given occasion to Others, more throughly searching into the matter, of "udging those very Authors, with not greater circumspection to have li/ewise !espattered other innocent Persons with their +ensure( I do not here spea/ of those Writers,

airs to grow, and notably reno(ates the

:3

who sharply reprehend certain 6aga!ond ,ophisters, that covering their own Wic/edness, under the Prete.t of a most no!le Art, do !y a great Name impose great -rauds upon the People( -or this /ind of men are not only worthy of severe &eprehension, !ut also of due Punishment( 3ut, what )vil do they deserve, if under their Denomination the Good !e a!used< Why is the most certain and so salutary and profita!le an Art proscri!ed< 3ecause there are men found, which use not the Art itself, !ut the Name and ,hadow of this Art( ;et I am unwilling to prolong this Apology, lest )nvy, which hath !een the greatest cause of +alumny, fall upon me in this manner lamenting, whilst I hear 3asilius encouraging his, and have reason to applaud our own %imes, in which some part of that most thic/ +loud, which cast out so many %hunders, is already vanished( =+1;*I+A *)DI+IN), ,O D IN ,1OP,> In ,hops they now sell *edicaments, +hymically prepared $as they say' and those very Persons, who are willing mostly to !e esteemed 1ippocratic/ Disciples, scarcely dare to condemn +hymistry, and since they call into use what are made !y the +hymical Art, they cannot deny it( Are not those %imes at hand, in which )lias the Artist, the &evealer of greater *ysteries is to come< Of whose coming Paracelsus so clearly prophesied in carious places in his Writings< Perhaps it will !e worth our while, for the ,olace of the oppressed Disciples of 3asilius, to 2uote certain places, in which he predicts the coming of )lias not then !orn0 which is any One commodiously interpret, as all other ,ayings of that man are to !e ta/en, he will find nothing of a!surdity in them, unless he resolve to discover his own a!surd ,tupidity, or wic/ed )nvy( In the 3oo/ of *inerals, +hap C( Paracelsus thus writes0 what is the most vile, GOD suffers to !e discovered, !ut whwat is of greater moment is yet hid from the 6ulgar, until the coming of )lias the Artist; others read, until the Art of )lias, when he comes( And again, in his 3oo/ of *inerals, %reatise the first( It is indeed true $saith he' that many things lie hid in the )arth, which I, as well as others am ignorant of( -or this I 9now, GOD, in time to come will manifest his Wonders, and !ring to light many more of them, then unto this Day have !een /nown !y us( Also this is true; there is nothing a!sconded, which shall not !e revealed; therefore there cometh One, whose *agnale lives not yet, who shall reveal many %hings(

%herefore !e comforted, !e comforted, O

over of +hymistry, and prepare the way

of that )lias, who !rings happy times, and will reveal more ,ecrets than our Ancestors, !y reason of )nvy, and the Ini2uity of their Days durst discover( Whosoever thou art, conversing in this Art, confer some small matter to this felicity; and let us give the World that *edicine, which !y reason of evil 1umors predominant, it cannot ta/e all at once, !y degrees, that it may gradually recover of its Disease, and the %ime of )lias come $for Arts also, as well as is understood of other things, have their )lias, saith %heophrastus' where it will !e lawful for us to spea/ freely of these things, and openly to do

:1

good to our Neigh!ours, without persecution of the Impious( &ead, understand, and comfort yourself with these(

But, my +isciple and &ollower, if you will imitate me, my ad(ise is, that you ta$e up your .ross, at first, and suffer as I ha(e suffered# learn to bear )ersecution, as I ha(e already born it, labour, as all our )redecessors with me ha(e done# with continual )rayers see$ unto the 1ord -O+, and be thou patient, and laborious without weariness, and then the !ost igh, who hath mercifully heard me, will not forsa$e ,hee4 for this .ause I e(ery hour gi(e than$s to -O+, as my 'yes are filled with ,ears can and do witness. /ow, to proceed in my Instruction, touching the &lowers of %ntimony, it is to be understood, that the true &lores of %ntimony, may be prepared, not one, but (arious ways, as is $nown to e(ery Spagyrist. ,here are some who dri(e them, mi"7d with Sal< %rmoniac$, o(er by Retort# then they edulcorate them, by washing away the Sal<%rmoniac$, and these they greatly esteem# for these &lowers are of a fair and white .olour. Others ha(e perculiar Instruments for this Wor$, prepared with windy .a(erns, through which the %ntimony may recei(e the %ir, and be sublimed. Others, setting three %lembec$s one upon another sublime them with strong &ire, and with one and the same labour ma$e white, yellow, and Red &lores# all which ways I ha(e tried, and found no 'rror in them4 but the )rocess, by which I ma$e &lowers of %ntimony, most profitable for !edicine, and more efficacious in their Operations is this. I mi"ed the red &lowers of %ntimony with .olcothar of Vitriol, and sublimed them together thrice. So, the 'ssence of Vitriol ascends with them, and the &lores are more strong4 which being done, I e"tract the same &lowers with Spirit of Wine. ,he &eces settle to the bottom, and separate themsel(es from the Spirit. ,hese the %rtificer lays asie, and distils off the Spirit of Wine in B.!. until the )owder remains dry. :6

,hese are my prepared &lowers of %ntimony, which I administered to my Brethren, and others, who in there /ecessities, required help of me, for their Souls spiritual, in respect of my 'cclesiastical State, and for their Bodies temporal, by reason of the ,rust they reposed in my %rt. ,hese &lores purge gently, without frequent, or e"cessi(e Stools, and ha(e cured many ,ertian and ?uartan &e(ers, also (ery many other +iseases# so that I purposed, by the help of our Sa(iour 6esus, and his most oly !other !ary, to ordain in my ,estament a perpetual !onument upon my %ltar, of all the .ures which I ha(e performed by his grace# that I might so doing, not only gi(e than$s to -O+, but also ma$e my -ratitude $nown to )osterity, that they li$ewise may ac$nowledge the wonderful wor$s of the !ost igh, which I 2by my diligence3 ha(e e"tracted from the Bowels of /ature, and which he himself had hid and absconde in her profound and most secret Recesses. But touching the Sublimations of %ntimony, which are afterwar called &lowers# let the Reader further obser(e, (i9. that they are li$e Waters, which brea$ out in high !ountains. /ow, of the difference of waters, which arise in the highest !ountains, yea in higher than they, if such can be foun# for e(en unto them woul the waters ascend# since it is $nown, that in the tops of the highest !ountains, Springs do (ery often issue it# an of other waters which are foun by digging deep in the 'arth, and by following their Springs must be searched out4 any man may *udge that the !atri" of waters in the 'arth, is on one part more abundantly replenishe with the Riches of waters, then on another# since e(ery 'lement hath a peculiar !atri", either strong or wea$, according as it is produced by the Sydus, whence 'lements deri(e their Original an ha(e being. /ow, when such a !atri" is strong and potent in the 'arth, it can dri(e forth its Seed strongly and efficaciously from itself, by a (ehement )ressure, e(en up to the Snowy !ountains of the %lps, or to the (ery top of the Babylonish8 ,ower.

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5%his Para!le is of very great moment, !ut so very clear to those, from whose )yes the +ataract is ta/en away, as to e.plain it to them, would !e to hold a +andle to the ight of the ,un0 to others, from whose sight the +ataract is not too/ off, this place gives no occasion of detracting the same( %herefore, read, peruse, and meditate; Day is an Instructor to the Day; the later &eading e.plains the former, and the former the later(

If any fatuate man hear this my +iscourse, he will say, I am either mad or drun$ with Wine# but this will be no other than a Reproach, li$e to that, which was cast upon the +isciples of our Sa(iour. Of Sublimation, the Reason is the same# for as Waters, which are many times found in the highest !ountains, are more salubrious, and more cool than those, which by digging deep into the 'arth are found in )lains4 so, if the !atter by pressure C force of fire be dri(en upwards to the !ountains of the %ncient Wise !en, who died long before my time, the 'arth, which for the most part is unprofitable, remains until its Salt shall be e"tracted from it for its proper use. ,hus is made Separation, by which the '(il may be distinguished from the -ood, the )ure from the Impure, the thic$ from the thin, the subtle from that which is not subtle, and the Venom from the !edicament. We miserable !ortals, by +eath which we ha(e deser(ed for our Sins are put into the 'arth, until we putrefie by time, and be reduced to filths# and afterward by the ea(enly &ire and eat raised, clarified, and e"alted to a .elestial Sublimation, where all our &eces, all Sins, and e(ery Impurity shall be separated, and we made the Sons of -O+, and of 'ternal 1ife, unto which the 1ord of his !ercy and -oodness bring me with you. But I hope no man will ta$e amiss this .omparation of the !undane with the Spiritual, (i9. the ea(enly '"altation with the 'arthly Sublimation. &or no man should suppose what I ha(e done, to be done without Reason, but rather $now, that I am not ignorant what is white or blac$, how much the tenebrous and dismal %ir differs from the serene and clear of %ntimony. ea(en. ,herefore let us brea$ off this +iscourse, and produce another )reparation

:4

1et the +isciple, %postle, and faithful Imitator of %rt, understand this Instruction, and according to the true )hilosophic$ +octrine faithfully consider, that e(ery '"traction from %ntimony 2as also from all other ,hings3 hath great difference in Operation, which neither consists in the !atter, nor is $nown by the !atter, from which it is drawn# but consists and remains in the )reparation, and in the %ddition, by which the Virtue is e"tracted from the !atter, as is $nown by '"perience# as for '"ample. Whatsoe(er is '"tracted from %ntimony, or any other thing with Spirit of Wine, hath a far other (irtue of Operating, than those, which are e"tracted with good and sharp Vinegar. ,he .auses of this I ha(e already hinted in my other Writings# but the principal .ause ha(e is, because all '"tractions made with Spirit of Wine, from %ntimony, or any purging erbs, Roots, or Seeds 2understand of the first '"traction3 powerfully e"pel by Seidge4 but on the contrary, whatsoe(er is e"tracted with Vinegar, purgeth not downward but rather pre(ents that, and retains in a certain peculiar manner, by which the Volatile is changed into fi"ed. ,his is a singular Secret, and an %rcanum of great price# but there are none, or (ery few found, who mind such things# because many things are hidden, and lie deeply buried in this %rcanum, which no One, either !aster or Ser(ant, nor any Wise man of this World hath unto this +ay obser(ed or considered. ,herefore the '"traction of %ntimony is made two ways, (i9. with Vinegar, and with Spirit of Wine. Vinegar obstructs, and Spirit of Wine, of itself powerfully e"pels and causeth 0rine, as also Stools# as elsewhere in another manner is shewed, and especially where I spea$ of my ,wel(e :eys, as namely, that the '"traction of -lass of %ntimony moderately purgeth# but on the contrary the '"traction of the same -lass, which is made with Vinegar purgeth not4 which is true and not permi"t with any falsity. But this '"perience gi(es occasion of thin$ing and reflecting, by which way of Reasoning, /ature gi(es promotion and production to a true )hilosopher. But it is a thing much to be admired, that e(ery :8

Sub*ect, which is first of all e"tracted with Spirit of Wine, should ha(e a )urging )roperty. ;et when -lass of %ntimony is from the beginning e"tracted with distilled Vinegar, and that Vinegar again abstracted, and then the %ntimony e"tracted with Spirit of Wine, all its (enomous purging (irtue passeth away, and no sign thereof remains, nor assumes it to itself any power of pro(o$ing Stools# but it performs its Operations by Sweat, and other ways, chiefly by Sali(ation and '*ection by the !outh# it searcheth out all hurtful '(ils in the Body, purgeth the Blood, heals the +iseases of the 1ungs, and profits those who are strait<breasted, and troubled with a frequent .ough. In a word it .ures (ery many +isease, also asswageth a !alignant .ough, and whatsoe(er is of that +isposition, and is a !edicine (ery admirable. !oreo(er, there is another '"traction of %ntimony made in this manner. -rind crude %ntimony to powder, and pour upon it strong Vinegar, not of Wine, but made of its proper !inera, and e"pose the !i"ture in a Vessel well closed to the Solar heat# then, after some time the Vinegar will be tinged with a Blood<li$e .olour, pour off this '"traction clear, filter it, and distil by %lembic$ in Sant4 then again, in distilling, it shews admirable .olours, pleasant to the Sight, and wonderful in %spect. ,his Oil8 at length becomes Red as Blood and lea(es many &eces and pre(ails against many Infirmities4 for its singular Virtue and 0se is commanded in the 1eprosy# the /ew +isease lately risen amongst the Soldiers is by it consumed and dried up, and indeed it effects Wonders.
51ere thy ,incerity, 6alentine, is suspected( Who can !y this thy Prescription ma/e this ?uintessence, which Petrus the ,paniard, in his 3oo/ of the ?uintessence of all %hings, deservedly e.tols, as the greatest ,ecret of Philosophy< What shall I say< *alice ma/es thee, not a perverse, !ut timerous man, fearing, lest if Arcanum7s should !e communicated openly to the wic/ed, they would do more hurt with them then good( %his Process seems to me to !e purposely descri!ed o!scurely !y this &eligious *an $why else should he not have written otherwiseD' !ecause he /new the ,ons of Art would understand it !y his Prescript( 3ut that you, &eader, may understand, you have not in vain spent your

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*oney in !uying, or time in reading these +ommentaries, I will clearly and na/edly discover to you, how I myself have oftentimes performed this very Wor/0 do you give good heed to all %hings, that you may not at all !e deficient; for the Operations are so concatenated, or co:lin/ed together, as one !eing omitted, or negligently performed, all the other are spoiled, and your answer your Desires( a!our cannot

%a/e the !est *inera of Antimony, which is fria!le 'for if you ta/e crude Antimony, as 3asilius seems to indicated, you can effect nothing; !ecause it hath already lost its most su!tle ,ulphur in the first Distillation' grind it to so su!tle a Powder, as it may pass through a %iffany ,eive0 put it into a +ucur!it, and pour upon it 6inegar, which according to Art is distilled from its proper *inera( ,et it in Digestion for forty Days, and $if you have e.actly o!served all things, which are here unto re2uired' your 6inegar will !e tinged with a +olour red as 3lood( %his red %incture poured off !y Inclination, put into a &etort, and gently a!stract the 6inegar( %he Powder remaining e.tract with ,pirit of Wine, that it also may contract a !lood:li/e +olour( Put this ).traction into a +irculatory 6essel, li/e to this, the -igure of which I here e.pose; !ecause I never found any more apt to render the ,pirits volatile0 %hen place this dou!le vessel in 3(*( to !e digested so long, as until you see the %incture raise itself upwards and pass over volatile !y Alem!ec/; seeing this, cool your 6essel, and put all the *atter into a +ucur!it, and distil the ,pirit according to Art, which will pass over the 1elm as red as 3lood( %hen again a!stract the ,pirit, and you will have a most ponderous, thic/ Oil(

1ow this Oil should after this !e "oined with its own ,alt, and united, we elsewhere spea/; the use of which in amending *etals is very great( 1ere we have descri!ed it, and !rought is so far, as it !ecomes a most e.cellent *edicine in grievous Diseases, which are in all places accounted uncura!le( It performs its whole Operation !y ,weats( And since there is no Disease, which it helps not; what need is there to name any< It is !etter to !e altogether ,ilent, then to detract from its praises, !y reciting a few( %here is no man who hath made any Progress in +hymistry, that /nows not what the ?uintessence of Antimony is( %he Physician !efore all %hings, should diligently contemplate its use, according to his own ).perience and 9nowledge; !ut especially completing its Preparation in a due manner, without !eing weary of his la!our, or forgetting any of those %hings which are prescri!ed to !e performed(

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%gain, another '"traction of %ntimony is thus instituted. ,a$e, in the /ame of the 1ord, of %ntimony and crude ,artar, of each equal parts# put these well mi"ed together in )owders, into a strong .rucible, which will not suffer the Spirits to penetrate it, and burn this !atter in the &ire, until the ,artar be wholly combust4 this wor$ must be done in a Wind<furnace. -rind this burnt !atter to a subtle )owder, and pour on that .ommon Water first made hot, and so edulcorate the !atter by 1i"i(iating. %nd so it becomes a 1i(er8, so called by many of our %ncestors, who li(ed long before us.
5%he iver is a +ause of much Discourse in 3an2uets, and the iver of Antimony

will !e to us no small Occasion of the li/e in +hymical Operations( 3ut in the first place consider, that instead of +rude %artar, it is !etter to ta/e ,alt of %artar, not only for accelerating the Operation $for otherwise it must !e melted so long, as until the %artar !e changed into ,alt' !ut chiefly, that you may have Glass of a far !etter +olour( Also 3asilius forgot, or for some &eason did omit, to appoint the Glass first to !e poured into a Platter made hot, and then !eaten to Powder in an hot *ortar0 otherwise the Glass, !y reason of the ,alt of %artar, as soon as it ta/es the cold Air is changed into a certain Pulse or Pap( 3esides, he omitted to determine the ?uantity of Water, in which this Powder should !e dissolved, that we may have a more fair and deep +olour; in which ).altation of +olour very much is sited( Also the Precipitation of the from the Water, which must !e made with 6inegar, !e involved in ,ilence; although this, and the a!ove mentioned, are necessary in this Operation( iver

1ere I am unwilling to for!ear to admonish, that not only in this, !ut in every *elting of Antimony, the Artist ought to o!serve the -ace of 1eaven, and !egin his Wor/ when the same is clear and serene( If you do otherwise, you will in vain deplore the O!scurity of the +olour in your iver of Antimony( -or if you laugh at me, attri!uting much 6irtue to the Influences of the ,tars, I shall deride you, deploring the unluc/ie ,uccess of many Processes( 3ut I would not digress so far, as to ta/e on me to prove the 6irtues of +elestial Influences, against men, either /nowing so little, as they cannot understand, or having e.perienced somewhat do not discern; !ut in the meanwhile are so o!stinate, as they will not !elieve those things which they see, have tried, and in very deed found to !e so( I would no more urge &easons against these men, then against these, who deny even the *utation of *etals !y the ,tone of Philosophers( We "udge such men more worthy of +ontempt than &efutation, who say that is not possi!le, which they have !eheld with their )yes, and done with their hands0 for

::

it is very rude to say, I deny, I deny, who proves< %hese perverse men !y their thus acting, do sometimes provo/e the patience of good ingenious Artists, "udging that they, with a certain Eeal of confirming what they assert, will proceed so far, as to discover to them their ).periment of so e.cellent an Art( 3ut I do not thin/ that any of them, who have o!tained the *ystery will !e so imprudent, as unadvisedly to cast Pearls !efore ,wine, and to discover to the unworthy, what GOD hath revealed to him; or give them of the 3read he )ats, which is not to !e cast

to +ogs.

%herefore, returning to the *atter from whence I digressed, I affirm, that there are some times of the year, in which if iver of Antimony !e made, and precipitated with a due *enstruum, it will !e im!i!ed with altogether another +olour, and !e endued with other 6irtues than that, which is made at another time; and that, !oth for *etals, and for healing the Infirmities of men, as I my self have e.perienced in many grievous Diseases, and ,ymptoms of Diseases( I will also add this0 from the iver of Antimony may !e e.tracted a &edness with ,pirit of Wine, which &edness is made volatile, and passeth over the 1elm, which also may !e e.hi!ited to all without danger( Nor is there any great need of that +aution of 3asilius $even !efore the &edness is volatili#ed' that it must !e given in a small ?uantity( -or !eing given from thirty to forty, or fifty Drops, it sweats moderately, and doth not Purge or 6omit0 !ut it effects wonders in purging the 3lood, e.tirpating the &oots of a Disease, and rendring the Patient vigorous, !y insensi!le ).piration, and its occult 6irtues( %his 6endi!le Wine needs not the 3ush of )lo2uence to commend it to the ,ic/; who once having e.perienced its 6irtues, /now what it can do, and that it as much answers their Desires, as they esteem their *oney(

)ut this 1i(er dried into a .ucurbit, pour thereon most pure Spirit of Wine# abstract the Spirit by distilling in B.!. so that a third part only may remain. But before +istillation, the Spirit of Wine together with the '"traction must be filtered through )aper. ,his '"traction may indeed be profitably used# but in a small +ose, and with great .aution. What happens in this Operation is (ery admirable. &or the Spirit of Wine abstracted, can no more be united with the red '"traction, whence it was distilled# but one floats abo(e the other, as Water and Oyl, which cannot be mi"ed. But if the abstracted Spirit of Wine be poured upon other 1i(er of %ntimony, it again attracts the .olour to itself# yet this, although poured upon the former '"traction, cannot be mi"ed

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therewith. Which is a ,hing so strange, as it may be numbered among Wonders. But who can declare the Wonders of -O+5 or who will worthily esteem the -ifts of the .reator, which he hath implanted in his .reatures5 by us scarcely perscrutable with deep !editation. I before made mention of the '"traction of %ntimony, from its -lass8 by Vinegar, and also by Spirit of Wine4 but I now say, when such an '"traction is made by Vinegar, and the Vinegar is again abstracted by B.!. and the )owder which remains is resol(ed in a moist place, into Oyl or 1iquor of a ;ellow .olour# it effects such Wonders in Wounds, new and old, as I neither can, nor dare to commit them all to writing.
51ere our Author acts as a %eacher careful, and full of Affection, who not satisfied once to mention, doth often inculcate the principal Precepts of his Doctrine( 3ut, what it is, that specially moves him to repeat the 6irtues of the ,ulphur of Antimony, I see not0 he saith, he repeats nothing in vain; therefore do thou, &eader, if thou "udgest it of +oncern, more attently consider, whether you may not here find somewhat that is not mentioned, or the &eason why it is again spo/en of( I, who profess myself to write to the Intelligent, reiterate nothing here( 1e that comprehends, let him comprehend; he that hath not there understood, I fear will not here understand(

&or it represseth all Symptoms of what $ind so e(er, suffereth none to ta$e Root, and admits no )utrefaction in fresh Wounds. %lso the '"traction of this )owder, before Solution is made by Spirit of Wine, effects the same, and yields not us inferior to other !edicaments, which are administered against internal %ffects. I ha(e often made mention of this )reparation in other of my Writings, also in this ,reatise of %ntimony, (ery largely# because I $now how great benefits and how great Secrets are latent in it. ,herefore I hope, no +isciple will be affected with tediousness, by Reason of Repetitions in my Writings, which I faithfully open =3

and bring to 1ight. &or whatsoe(er I write is not without Reason# and my words are Short, but require much .onsideration, although often repeated. ,o the Ignorant my +iscourses contribute little understanding, to .hildren and the une"perienced little )rofit# but to my +isciples and %postles, much health and prosperity. ,here remains another '"traction by a .austic$ Water, which '"perience hath taught me in this manner. ,a$e of Vitriol and .ommon Salt, equal parts# from these by Retort distil a Water8, which being forced out by (ehement fire, comes forth a matter li$e thin Butter, or the Sediment of Oil Oli(e, which $eep apart for use.
51ere I will teach you the *anual Operation, O thereof in operating( over of +hymistry, which

undou!tedly you will greatly esteem of, when you shall find the great commodity est, as it often happens, when you distil the ,pirits of *etals, your 6essels should !e !ro/en( Of your )arth &etort A( open the upper hole 3( into which put your matter !y Parts, lest all together senting the heat, should act all to forci!ly; and presently +lose the 1ole with its proper +over( %o the ,pirits received in the 6essel +( e.it is given !y the hole D( into the other opposit &eceiver )( to which again is applied the other &eceiver -( ,o, the more su!tle ,pirits ascending through the 1ole D( settle in the &ecipient -( 3ut the more gross remain in the !ottom G( of the &eciever +( %his Instrument will !e most apt for your use here; not only, as I said, lest a most strong ,pirit passing out !rea/ the Glasses, !ut also for other Wor/s, as !y an easy ,peculation you will hence gather(

Subtly grind the .aput<mortuum, and in a .ellar permit it to resol(e into Water, this Water $eep and filter it through )aper. %fterward ta$e ungarian %ntimony, grind it to a fine )owder, and eat. When it hath stood there for ha(ing put it in a .ucurbit with a flat bottom, pour this Water thereon, and set the Vessel in a due time, the !atter will be li$e an %methyst, with a blac$ish Violet<.olour. ,hen augment the &ire much, and you will ha(e a transparent .olour, li$e unto a blue Saphire. &rom this .olour precipitate a white )owder, by pouring on .ommon Water. ,his )owder ta$en, hath the same Operation, as the red '"traction of =1

-lass of %ntimony, by Seidge, and it also e"cites Vomiting. In that Solution made from the .aput<!ortuum, and $ept in a .ellar, if thin )lates of Iron be digested, !ars will be truly transmuted into Venus, as '"perience will teach. /ow further consider. ,a$e that distilled Oil or Water, as is spo$en of abo(e in this process and pour it upon .rocus !artis, with Sulphur re(erberated to a Redness# set the !i"ture in ,a$e of this '"traction one part# of the Red '"traction of %ntimony, which is prepared with fi"ed Salt /itre and Spirit of Wine, three )arts# of the Water of !ercury8 leisurely in*ected through a long )ipe# one )art#
5+hymists, that they may with the Ingenuities of their &eaders; and more, lest any !ut the true ,tudents of Art should penetrate into their ,ecrets, deliver not all %hings in one place, !ut scatter their Documents, that !y the Diligent +ollection of them, they may "udge of their Aptness, as the )agle proves her ;oung, e.posing them to the ,olar &ays0 so you see 3asilius here proposeth the use of Water of *ercury, which he taught to !e made in his %reatise, which is called a ,upplement, or rather gave a rude Draught of that Process( -or neither there, nor here doth he ma/e mention of an hole, that must !e open, in the superior part of the &etort, and thereinto a long Pipe fitted through which the *ercury may !e put in, in very small Parcels( -or if you include a very small part of *ercury in a &etort, first made very hot with a vehement -ire, as this must !e, if you would e.tract the ,pirit, that *ercury, with its own vehement and untama!le violence, would not only !urst the &etort, !ut overthrow the -urnace also; unless you give it a larger space, and greater li!erty of -lying; so that, after it hath visited many &etorts, it may rest, and !eing as it were tired, settle( 3ut since it is well /nown to all true +hymists, of how great 6irtue this *ercury is, in the &esolution of *etals, I will here ma/e no further mention thereof(

eat,

and you will ha(e an e"tracted ,incture of !ars, red as Blood.

and of the .al" of -old dissol(ed in this .austic$ Water, half a part. !i" all these together, and after they are canted off clear, distil the !i"ture with a !oderate &ire in Sand. %ll will not pass o(er by +istillation, but a fair clear Solution remains fi"ed 8 in

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the Bottom# which we may use in old open Wounds, wherein it laies a &oundation for ealing to %ma9ement.

5%his ,olution is not yet fi.ed, !ut if you !e not already wearied with la!our, !y a further Operation you may fi. it( %he principal 4se of this is, in the )mendation of *etals, which 3asilius doth not so much as mention( Now the Genius of all +hymists will understand me, here candidly discovering this ,ecret to all( Do thou, over of +hymistry, in mind and though swiftly follow me e.pounding the Oracle; !ut the Operation cannot !e so swiftly performed(

,his )owder must first be '"tracted with strong Vinegar, which afterward abstract, and what remains in the bottom edulcorate with distilled Water4 again '"tract it with Spirit of Wine, and abstract the Spirit, and in the bottom will remain a Red )owder. 6oin this with the fi"ed Salt, which is made of the &eces, which remained after the Vinegar was used for '"traction. %nd deli(er it to Vulcan for three !onths space, that it may no more fly from the &ire, but most pleasingly sport with and in the same. If you perform this, you ha(e ,wo con*oyned in an inseperable !atrimony4 and you ha(e separated the pure from the impure, ha(e rendered the Volatile fi"ed, and fi"ed the Volatile, and are not far from that &elicity, which will answer all your +esires. ,he .aput<!ortuum which is left, being resol(ed in an umid place,

yields a 1iquor so sharp, as no %qua &ortis may be compared with it in sharpness. But of these enough at this time. &or I must now spea$ of a White )owder, which may also be prepared of %ntimony in this manner. ,a$e pure %ntimony, which is brought from ungaria, or found in

li$e !ountainous )laces# grind it to a subtle )owder4 ta$e also the same measure of pure Salnitre, which hath been the third time diligently cleansed. ,his .omposition burn in a new gla9ed )ot 2which was ne(er infected with &atness3 in a .irculatory &ire# not all together, but by parts, and at di(ers time. ,his way of Operating, %ncient Spagyrist called +etonation, a ,erm of %rt to

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be learned by the +isciple of %rt, as being not .ommon to e(ery Rustic$, in his %rtifice and '"perience. ,his Operation being performed, grind the hard !atter, which remained in the )ot, to a fine )owder, and upon it in another -la9ed )ot pour common Water warm# which when the !atter is settled again repeat the pouring on of Water se(eral times, until all the Salnitre be e"tracted4 1astly, dry the remaining !atter, and with fresh Salnitre8 as much as its own weight is, burn it again, and repeat the same Operation the third time.
53asilius doth not misguide or delude you, O over of +hymistry, whilst he so

candidly discovers most ,ecret *ysteries, and so sincerely and faithfull present their wonderful )ffects( As !y this very Operation you have an ).ample0 -or after the first Detonation with Nitre, and so soon as you shallhave separated the ,alnitre from the Powder with pure Water, you have the Powder of &uland, with which that man effected so many *edicinal wonders, where!y he got to himself so great a Name, and so much Wealth( Which, if you prepare under a certain +onstitution of 1eaven $as I advised, in preparing the iver of Antimony' you will have so much the !etter, !y how much the more &ed0 for the +olour is the ,oul thereof, the )ffect of which in *edicine, &uland proved and commended; !ut he, neither e.hausted its praises, nor did he persuade the 4ne.perienced, that so great 6irtues were latent in this *edicament( %his +rocus of *etals $for so it is called' is not that, which is pu!licly sold in ,hops, upon eight Grains of which they pour two ounces of Wine, and although the ,ic/ only drin/ that wine, without any other Powder, it oftentimes wor/s so forci!ly, upwards and downwards, as either way, sometimes !oth ways, the life itself issues out( 3ut the use of this is thus( %a/e eight, nine, ten, or eleven Grains of this our Authors preparing the first %ime, according to the strength of the ,ic/, and all other %hings co:indicating; pour on them three or four ounces of Wine; for it matter not much, whether you ta/e more or less of the Wine( ,et the *i.ture in 3(*( for the space of four or five hours, and so e.tract a most &ed %incture from this +rocus of *etals $which in an infusion of the +rocus of the ,hops cannot !e e.tracted' this Wine, no impregnated with the ,ulphur of the +rocus, together with the more su!tle part of the Powder, which in canting off comes out, I give to the ,ic/, and it purgeth /indly upwards and downwards without molestation( Nor doth this *edicament only e.pel 1umours, !ut $as is proper to Antimonials rightly prepared' it stri/es at the very &oot of the Disease, and whatsoever in the 3ody is corrupted and declined from its due state, that it amends and restores( What wonderful )ffects, this only %incture

=4

hath discovered to me, I for!ear to mention, lest I should !e compelled to !ring their +redit in ?uestion, who have e.perienced them( In this only !elieve me, whosoever thou art, that woulest use +hymical *edicaments, always !e sure to ta/e the true %inctures of %hings, in which their 6olatile ,ulphur is a!sconded; if you neglect this, you neglect your own -ame and Gain, and the 1ealth of the ,ic/(

What remains after this third Operation grind to a subtle )owder, and on that pour the best Spirit of Wine# circulate the !i"ture for one !onth, in a .ucurbit or .irculatory diligently nine or ten times, so often pouring on fresh Spirit. ,his being done, dry the )owder with gentle heat, and for one whole +ay $eep it red hot in a .rucible, such as -oldsmiths use to melt their !etals in. %fterward resol(e this )owder 2in a moist )lace, upon a Stone or -lass ,able, or in 'ggs boiled to an hardness3 into a 1iquor, which set in heat, again dry, and reduce to )owder. ,his )owder effects many egregious and wonderful ,hings, which cannot easily be belie(ed by ,hose, who ha(e not pro(ed the same.8

5If you have !elieved, or e.perienced the virtues of this Powder once detonated, you will not !e a %homas in this third Detonation( ,et to your hand, touch and use this, and it will perform the same, which true Diaphoretic/ Antimony can, !ut with greater ,ecurity and )fficacy(

But it operates not suddenly, it must ha(e time to e"ercise its )owers, and shew its own Virtue, by the ,estimony of '"perience, (ery admirable. Whosoe(er labours with internal Imposthumes, let him ta$e of this white fi"ed )owder of %ntimony in the Spirit of Wine, or any other rich Wine, the fourth part of a +ram, fi(e or si" times a +ay, and he will find his internal Imposthume opened, and all the .oagulated Blood to be e"pelled by degrees, without any peril of 1ife or ealth. e, hwo is afflicted in his Body with the /ew +isease of Souldiers, if he use this )owder in the aforesaid manner, will also find this '(il consumed throughout the whole =8

Body, and by the same e"pelled. !oreo(er, it produceth new

airs,

and reno(ates a man to the admiration of all men# it gi(es new, sound, and pure Blood, and is the 'ffecter of so much -ood, as e(er the least part of it 2although 'quity seems to require this3 cannot by me be described or declared. It is not fit that I should here manifest all things clearly, and in such manner, as any man, without 1abour and ,oyl, by reading my Writings, may become a perfect +octor# no more than it is fit, that a ;oung .ountry !an8 should be fed with the whitest and best ba$ed Bread, which he hath not prepared with his own 1abour, or the .orn of which himself thrashed not out.
56alentine hath so clearly detected all %hings, as no man, either !efore or after him, hath done it more clearly( All that came after him seem to have conspired, and agreed together to spread +louds over that ight, which he !rought into the World( 1ence it is, that they do not Pu!licly e.tol his Praises, according to the high )steem every man Privately hath of him; nor have they translated his 3oo/s into other %ongues, although 1e, of all Authors, is the most worthy, Who spea/s in the comfort to the anguages of all Nations, that he may !e a a!yrinths of others, and overs of +hymistry, erring in the

always produce a new Off:spring of Philosophers( 3ut no man should thin/, that he could so clearly spea/, as every man, handling +hymistry $according to the saying' with unwashed 1ands, might presently understand him; that is, as himself saith, not possi!le to !e done, nor is it e.pedient that the ,on of a vile +lown should eat of the finest -lower, in preparing which he too/ no Pains; yet $as !elow he confesseth' our Author hath used plain, simple and clear Words(

But I ma$e too large a )rogress in this open &ield of +octrine, in which %ncient unters ta$e their 1ar$s, and the ;oung Ones presently follow them with their /ets. &or my Style 2as all my Writings witness3 hath a certain singular purposed !ethod, li$e that of all )hilosophers before me. If anyone thin$ it strange, that I here propose certain singular )rocesses, in which my )hilosophy differs from other, let him be answered with this, that )hilosophic Speech much differs from the !ethod of other mens +iscourses, who na$edly and sincerely declare some )rocess, without any %mbiguities or .loudings of 'nigmas. ,herefore, =2

consider the difference, and accuse not me, as if I had de(iated from Order, in my Style of )hilosophy, and of )reparations and )rocesses. &or in a )hilosophic +iscourse, it is not behooful to learn and *udge of what appertains to the ,heory, but the )ractice teacheth you the Instruction of )rocesses# therefore in them, true, simple, clear and well grounded Words are to be used. %lso, of %ntimony is made a Balsom, against grie(ous +iseases (ery profitable# yet not .rude %ntimony, but of the Regulus thereof, whence may be made li(ing !ercury, in the following manner. ,a$e of the best ungarian %ntimony, and crude 8,artar equal

parts, and of Salnitre half a part# grind them well together, and afterwards flu" them in a Wind<furnace# pour out the flowing !atter into a .one, and there let it cool# then you will find the Regulus, which thrice or oftner purge by &ire, with ,artar and /itre, and it will be bright and white, shining li$e .upellate Sil(er, which hath fulminated and o(ercome all its 1ead.
5What I advised to in the Preparation of iver of Antimony is here to !e

repeated; instead of +rude %artar ta/e ,alt of %artar, !y which the Operation will sooner and !etter proceed( ,alnitre here is unprofita!le( %herefore, ta/e Antimony and ,alt of %artar, of each e2ual parts, melt them and ma/e a &egulus, according to the &ule here given !y 3asilius( If you cast away the Glass $as all men for the most part do' you will do ill( =%IN+%4&) O- AN%I*ON;, -&O* I%, G A,,, ANO%1)&> -or I, of that prepare a very profita!le *edicament in this manner( I grind this Glass in an hot *ortar, ta/ing heed to contract no 1umidity from the Air, which may easily !e prevented, and having put it in a Phial, pour Alcohol of Wine thereon, and thence e.tract a most !eautiful %incture, in +olour red li/e 3lood( %his %incture is a most e.cellent +ordial, if thirty, forty, or fifty Drops of it !e ta/en in convenient i2uor, and that, if you will, twice or thrice a day; for it is ta/en with safety, and recreates the whole *an(

-rind this Regulus to a subtle )owder, and ha(ing put it into a -lass, pour it on Oil of 6uniper, or Spirit of ,urpentine, which comes forth in the first +istillation, and is pure as &ountain Water# $eep the Vessel well closed, in a subtle heat of B.!. and the Oil of 6uniper, or Spirit of ,urpentine, will become red as =7

Blood, which pour off, and rectify with Spirit of Wine. ,his is endued with the same Virtues, as Balsom of Sulphur, as I shall then show, when I write of Sulphur, because they require one and the same )reparation. Of this Balsom only three or four +rops, ta$en thrice in a Wee$ with hot Wine, heal the +iseases of the 1ungs, cure the frequent .ough, and %sthma, also they are conducent in the Vertigo, pric$ings of the Sides and in diuturnal .oughs. %lso many Oils may be prepared of %ntimony, some per se and without %ddition, and many others by %ddition. ;et they are not endued with the same Virtues, but each en*oys its own, according to the +i(ersity of its )reparation. Of which I now gi(e you this Similitude. ,here are many $inds of %nimals, which li(e only in the 'arth, as are many .reeping ,hings, Worms and Serpents# also others, some of which are new $inds, which before were not, and also these proceed from )utrefaction of the 'arth. Some inhabit the Waters, as all $inds of &ishes# others fly through the %ir, as e(ery :ind of &lying ,hings, and Birds# some also are nourished in the &ire, as the Salamander. %nd besides these, in the more hot Regions and Islands, are found many other %nimals, which to these /ations are un$nown, which prolong their 1ife by the Solar eat, and which die so soon as brought into another %ir. So %ntimony, when prepared by the %ddition of Water, assumes another nature and .omple"ion for operating, then when prepared by &ire only. %nd although e(ery )reparation of it ought to be made by &ire, without which the Virtue of it cannot be amnifested4 yet consider, that the %ddition of 'arth gi(es it wholly another /ature, than the %ddition of Water. So also when %ntimony is sublimed in &ire through the %ir, and further prepared, another Virtue, other )owers, and another Operation follow, than in the )reparations already described. ,herefore the Oil of %ntimony, per se, without addition, and the true Sulphur thereof are prepared after this !ethod.

=:

,a$e crude

ungarian %ntimony, put that ground to a subtle )owder,

into a -lass .ucurbit with a flat bottom4 pour thereon the true Vinegar of )hilosophers rendred more acid with its own Salt. ,hen set the .ucurbit firmly closed in orse<dung, or B.!. to putrefy the !atter for forty +ays, in which time the body resol(es itself, and the Vinegar contracts a .olour red as Blood. )our off the Vinegar, and pour on fresh, and do this so often, as until the Vinegar can no more be tinged. ,his being done, filter all the Vinegar through )aper, and again set it, put into a clearn -lass firmly closed in orse<dung, or B.!. as before, that it may putrefy for forty +ays# in which time the Body again resol(es itself, and the !atter in the -lass becomes as blac$ as .alcanthum, or Shooma$ers In$. When you ha(e this Sign, then true Solution is made, by which the further Separation of 'lements is procured. )ut this blac$ matter into another .ucurbit, to which apply an %lembic$, and distil off the Vinegar with !oderate &ire# then the Vinegar passeth out clear, and in the bottom a sordid matter remains# grind that to a subtle )owder, and edulcorate it with distilled Rain Water, then dry it with gentle heat, and put it in a .irculatory with a long /ec$ 2the .irculatory must ha(e three .a(ities or Bellies, as if three -lobes were set one abo(e another, yet distinct or apart each from other, as Sublimatories, with their %ludel are wont to be made, and it must ha(e a long /ec$ li$e a )hial, 2or Bolthead3 and pour on it Spirit of Wine highly rectified, til it riseth three &ingers abo(e the !atter, and ha(ing well closed the Vessel, set it in a moderate eat for two !onths. ,hen follows another new '"traction, and the Spirit of Wine becomes transparently red as a Ruby, or as was the first '"traction of the Vinegar, yea more fair. )our off the Spirit of wine thus tinged, filter it through )aper, and put it into a .ucurbit 2the blac$ !atter which remains set aside, and separate from this Wor$# for it is not profitable therein3 to which apply an ead and Recei(er, and ha(ing firmly closed all 6unctures, begin to distil in %shes with moderate &ire4 then the Spirit of wine carries o(er the ,incture of %ntimony with it self, the 'lements separate themsel(es each from other, and the %lembec$ and ==

Recipient seem to resemble the form of pure -old transparent in %spect. In the end some few &eces remain, and the -olden .olour in the -lass altogether fails. ,he red !atter, which in distilling passed o(er into the Recei(er, put into a .irculatory for ten +ays, and as many /ights. By that .irculation Separation is made# for the Oil thereby acquires -ra(ity, and separates itself to the bottom from the Spirit of Wine# and the Spirit of Wine is again .lear, as it was at first, and swims upon the Oil. Which admirable Separation is li$e a !iracle in /ature4 Separate this Oil8 from the Spirit of Wine by a Separatory. ere you ha(e not only whatsoe(er can be made of %ntimony, but also almost all that can be promised by a .hymist. ,his is that with which all the Boo$s of all .hymists are filled, which is in(ol(ed in so many fables, complicated in so many Riddles, and e"plicate with so many obscure .ommentaries, that is, which in all the World is desired by &ools, sought by the Sons of %rt, and found by the Wise. ,his Basilius re(eals, this he repeats, this he inculcates# this is his ,riumphant .hariot, which he as it were carries about, and often shows in the (arious )arts of his Writings. Before in this ,reatise, he presents it under the /ame of an '"traction of .rude %ntimony, here it is Oil of %ntimony, soon after it is con(erted into a Stone, which is called the Stone of &ire. ,hus this )roteus often offers itself, always (arious, yet always the same in Substance. .ompare all these )rocesses, which are so often di(ersely propounded, which these my .ommentaries made upon the '"traction of .rude %ntimony, and you will ha(e the Wor$ complete in all its /umbers# you will ha(e a ,reasure, in which, if you $now not what you ha(e, I remit you to %esop7s +unghil<.oc$, who found a -em in the +unghil, but $new not what he had. .onsider diligently, O 1o(er of .hymistry, and you will find that no man hath dealt more clearly and sincerely with ,hee, than Basilius, and me after him, who show thee there the are lies, which so many Others ha(e hunted in (ain. If now you be not here wise, you will not be healed with three %nticrya7s.

133

,herefore I will add nothing, lest I ma$e &ools mad, who now indeed are wise. ,his Oil is of a singular and incredible Sweetness, with which no other thing may be compared, it is grateful in the 0se, and all .orrosi(eness is separated from it. /o man can by .ogitation *udge, by 0nderstanding comprehend, what incredible 'ffects, potent )owers, and profitable Virtues are in this Royal Oil. ,herefore this this Sulphur of %ntimony, I ha(e gi(en no other /ame, than my Balsom of 1ife# because it effects (ery much, by the -race of -O+, in those, in whom was no help to be hoped for, but by the mercy of -O+, and nothing remained by a most certain e"pectation of changing 1ife with +eath# as my Brethren can witness hath been often done. It refresheth a man so, as if he were new born# it purifies the Blood# mi"t and e"hibited with the ,incture of .orals, it cleanseth 1eprosy, and e"pels e(ery Scab, which through impurity of the Blood ta$es Root in man. It dri(es away !elancholy and sadness of and abo(e all strengthens the eart, it confirms the 6unctures, eart, when gi(en with the !agistery

of )earls. %lso it helps the !emory, and in Swouning a more noble !edicine is not found, if si" drops of it mi"t with equal parts of Oil of .innamon be put upon the ,ongue, and the /ostrils and %rteries be anointed with a little of the 'ssence of Saffron. %h -ood -O+, what mo(es me to spea$, write, and in(ent many ,hings= &or I suppose I shall find few among the +octors, who will gi(e absolute .redit to these my Writings, which I ha(e declared faithfully, instead of a ,estament, to my +isciples, %postles, and &ollowers# but Others, who before $new these wonderful 'ffects, and ha(e often in ,ruth e"perienced these Virtues, will more accurately attend, and more easily belie(e, and for this bounty of mine 2(i9. because I ha(e opened, by the permission of -O+, the )owers and Virtues which are infused in the .reatures, and ha(e as it were freed them from )rison, brought them to 1ight, and unto free Operation3 gi(e me than$s, and spea$ honourably of me, after I am reduced to +ust in the -ra(e. 131

%nother way to dri(e %ntimony, without %ddition, o(er by %lembec$ is this. !a$e a Regulus of %ntimony, by ,artar and Salnitre, as I ha(e abo(e taught, grind this subtily, put it in a great round -lass, and place it in a moderate heat of Sand. ,his way the %ntimony will be sublimed4 whatsoe(er shall be sublimed, that dayly put down with a &eather, that at length it may remain in the Bottom, and there persist until nothing more of it can be sublimed, but the whole remains fi"ed in the Bottom. ,hen is your Regulus fi"ed, and precipitated per se. But consider, here is required a sufficient time, and repitition of the 1abour often, before you can obtain that. ,his Red )recipitate ta$e out, grind it to a subtle )owder, which spred upon a flat and clean Stone, set in a cold moist )lace and there let it remain for si" !onths# at length the )recipitate begins to resol(e it self into a red and pure 1iquor, and the &eces or 'arth is separated from it. ,he Salt of %ntimony, I say, only resol(es itself into 1iquor, which filter, and put into a .ucurbit, that it may be condensed by e"traction of the phlegm# and again set it in moist )lace, then will yield you fair .rystals. Separate these from their )hlegm, and they will be pellucid, mi"t with a red .olour# but when again purified become white. ,hen is made the true Salt8 of %ntimony, as I ha(e often prepared it.
5 i/e with li/e, is a Prover! among the Gree/s, and is here manifest in our +hymical Wor/( -or this ,alt acuates all *enstruums, for their more easie e.traction of *etals; !ut those ).tractions most, which are made of Antimony, as of a *ineral to it of affinity and li/e(

,his Salt dry, and mi" with it Venetian 'arth 2which is called ,ripel3 three )arts, and in strong &ire distil it. &irst a white Spirit comes off, afterward a red Spirit, which also resol(es itself into white. Rectify this Spirit gently and subtily in a dry 136

or moist Balneo, and so you will ha(e another white Oil distilled from the Salt of %ntimony. ,his Oil, but why do I call it Oil5 this Spirit, I should rather say, since the Salt is distilled in a Spiritual !anner, in ?uartans and other fea(ers often manifests its Virtues, and is (ery conducent in brea$ing the Stone of the Bladder# it pro(o$es 0rine, and is profitable in the -out. Outwardly applied to old corrosi(e Wounds, which ha(e their Operation from !ars, it purifies them. %lso this Spirit of the Salt of %ntimony purifies the whole Blood, as the Salt of -old doth. %nd although, in healing (ery many other +iseases it may be profitably applied, yet it is not so perfect, as the abo(e described red Oil of %ntimony, in which its Sulphur is deduced to the highest, purified and separated, as I said# therefore I forbear to spea$ more of this. /ow, since I ha(e treated of the Sulphur and Salt of %ntimony, and shewed how they may be reduced into Oil and Spirit, to be subser(ient to !edicine# I here treating further, purpose to spea$ of its !ercury also, and to manifest what !edicine lies absconded, and as it were buried in it. ,a$e the Regulus of %ntimony, made in such manner, as I abo(e taught, eight )arts. Salt of umane 0rine clarified and sublimed, one )art. Sal<%rmoniac$ one )art4 and one )art of Salt of ,artar. !i" all the Salts together in a -lass, and ha(ing poured on strong Wine< Vinegar, lute it with the 1uting of Sapience, and digest the Salts with the Vinegar for an entire !onth in con(enient eat# afterward put all into a .ucurbit, and in %shes distill off the Vinegar, that the Salts may remain dry. ,hese dry Salts mi" with three )arts of Venetian 'arth, and by Retort distil the !i"ture with strong &ire, and you will ha(e a wonderful Spirit. ,his Spirit pour upon the aforesaid Regulus of %ntimony reduced to a )owder, and set the whole in putrefaction for two !onths. ,hen gently distil the Vinegar from it, and with what remains mi" a fourfold weight of the filings of Steel, and with (iolent &ire distil by Retort4 then the Spirit of Salt, which passeth out, 13<

carries o(er with itself the !ercury of %ntimony in the Species of &ume. Wherefore in this Operation you must apply a great Recipient with a large quantity of Water in it, so doing, the Spirit of Salt will be mi"ed with the Water, but the !ercury collected in the Bottom of the -lass into true li(ing !ercury.8
5What were Arcanum7s in the times of 3asilius, are now in our times !ut vulgar +hymical Wor/s( 1ow often shall we find any One, who num!ers himself among true +hymists, that is ignorant of the way of ma/ing *ercury of Antimony< either in this manner, as 3asilius teacheth, or in another( -or various Artificers have now invented various *ethods, and every One useth that, he !est approves of(

Behold, O 1o(er of %rt, I ha(e showed you, how of %ntimony may be made running !ercury, which (ery many ha(e so long, and in so many )arts of the World sought# and how we may use this !ercury with praise in !edicine, I will here disco(er and set down in Writing. ,a$e in the /ame of the 1ord, of this !ercury one )art, e"press it through a S$in, and pour on it of red Oil of Vitriol highly rectified, four )arts. '"tract the Oyl, and the Spirits of the Oyl will remain with the !ercury4 &orce it with (ehement &ire, and somewhat will be sublimed. ,hus Sublimate again put down upon the 'arth in the Bottom. ,hen pour on other Oil, of the same weight as before, and repeat this labour a third time. ,he fourth time, put the Sublimate which ascends with the 'arth, and grind both together, and the whole will be clear and pure, li$e a Speculum or .rystal. )ut this into a .irculatory, and pour on it a li$e weight of Oil of Vitriol, and thrice so much Spirit of Wine. .irculate until Separation be made, and at length the !ercury resol(e itself into Oyl, and float about li$e Oil Oli(e. When you see this, separate this Oil from the other 1iquor, and put it into a .irculatory, and there pour on strong distilled Vinegar, and permit it so to rest foro about twenty +ays. ,hen this Oil again acquires its own -ra(ity, and settles to the Bottom# and whatsoe(er Veneosity was in it, remains in the Vinegar, which will be tenebrous and altogether confused.8

134

5%here is no need of %orches at Noon Day, nor or of +ommentaries in so perspicuous a Description, !y which 3asilius teacheth to ma/e the *ercury of Antimony( 3egin leisurely, give heed to all particulars, and your Wor/ shall never deceive you( est I should dar/en the Author, I desist from +ommenting; !ut add, that I dou!t not, !ut that this *ercury will manifest wonderful )ffects in the 1umane 3ody0 ;et I have not e.perienced its 6irtues for the health of Animals, therefore my +ommentaries must not e.ceed my ).perience( 3ut in the )mendation of *etals, it shows itself to !e endued with singular 6irtues( -or I say, and clearly affirm, he that can !ring this Oil here descri!ed !y 3asilius, to the state of a fi.ed ,tone, may glory that he aht a fi.ed %incture, only inferior to the one only 9ing of 9ings, the Great ,tone of Philosophers( When thou hast proceeded thus far, O great a Grove( %he Golden 3ranch, with Will shew itself to %hee( eaves and %wigs of Gold over of +hymistry, go not !ac/, nor ta/e off thy hand from the Plough0 !ut go on chearfully, perhaps in so

,his is a great %rcanum, and seems repugnant to /ature, that this Oil should first swim, and afterward being rendered more ponderous, settle to the Bottom. But consider, the Oil of Vitriol is also hea(y, yet when the !ercury in its Separation is not altogether pure, it stands abo(e it# but when the impure 1ightness is ta$en from it by Vinegar, because the Vinegar assumes that, then the Oyl recei(es its *ust weight, becomes compact, and settles to the Bottom. ,his is the Oyl of the !ercury of %ntimony, which is the fourth .olumn of !edicine. /ow come hither you 1epers= Where be you5 I will supply you with means for ealth. ,his Oil is profitable against the %pople"y, comforts the Brain, ma$es a man industrious, and cherisheth the (ital Spirits of the 'had. If anyone hath laboured long with grie(ous +iseases, and will for some time dayly use this Oil, his airs and /ayls will fall off, and he will be reno(ated, as a man newborn. %ll the Blood in the umane Body is by it so purified, as 138

e(ery '(il is ta$en off from it, and e"pelled. ,his heals the &rench +isease, which we ha(e lately inherited# for by this !edicine it is radically e"tirpated. %nd, to comrpehend much in few words, the praise of this Oil is greater in !edicine, than can be e"pressed in Speech or Writing. Why do we, miserable !ortals, ta$en from the 'arth, and ready to return into 'arth, stic$ here5 Why do we not hasten to gi(e ,han$s to -od our .reator, for this !edicine so mercifully granted to 0s5 ;ou +octors 2if it please the -ods3 of either !edicine, come to me a religious man and Ser(ant of -O+, I will manifest to you what your 'yes ne(er saw, and will show you the way of ealth and Sanity, which before you ne(er $new. ;et if any one be found among you, who understands my )rocesses, and the way of )reparation, better than I# let him, I pray, not be silent, or set a Seal to his 1ips4 for here I stand ready to learn, nor am I ashamed further to inquire, and desire that 1ight, which before I $new not. &or I ha(e often said, that this our 1ife is circumscribed with more strait 1imits, then that one man should be able to search out all ,hings, which /ature bears absconded in her Bosom. But on the contrary, I being the %uthor, let them be silent, who ha(e e"perienced less than the %uthor, let them be silent, who ha(e e"perienced less than I, and if they ha(e not attained to a solid 0nderstanding of my Writings, let them not attempt to amend them, or 2li$e Brawlers3 with inconsiderate Words reprehend, what they ne(er learned in the Schools, and the )rocesses of which they ne(er recei(ed from men s$illed in the 1aw. &or my ,erms otherwise sound, and signify other than theirs, who oppose themsel(es against me, and who are shamed of the 1abour of )lanting ,rees, and of -rafting fruitful Sprouts thereon# therefore they always abide among dry and withered Wild ,rees, and can ne(er attain to any Branch of green, sappy, and well matured &ruit ,rees. asten not, I say, O man e"perienced in our %rt, to pass your Sentence of 6udging, and be not willing to condemn, what you ha(e not yet yourself acquired by ,houghts, or gained by +iscipline. 132

!any imprudent men frequently say, &ishes are fro9en in Waters# but these disco(er their own imprudence and want of :nowledge. for it will ne(er be pro(ed, that a &ish, e(en in the bitterest Winter will e(er be fro9en in Waters, as long as the Ice of those Waters is dayly bro$en by the diligence of !ortals. But the reason why &ishes die, is because, when the Ice is not opened, their respiration is hindered, and they thence are suffocated. &or it may easily be pro(ed, that no %nimal can li(e, when to it the 0se of air is denied. Whence it may well be concluded, that those &ishes, which are found dead under the Water, in an e"treme .old Season, die not of .old 2as men of little understanding thin$3 but because they are depri(ed of %ir. By li$e Reason 2that we may apply this '"ample3 I say# since %ntimony, is to produce such admirable &ruits, it is to be ta$en out of the !ountains# but first, by the .are of the !iners spiracles, or breathing places, are to made for it, and afterward it must be prepared with Water, %ir and &ire, as with au"iliary !ediums, lest its fruitlessness be suffocated in the 'arth. But with many and laborious )reparations of %rtifice, it must be manifested and brought to 1ight, for the e"pected Sanation of +iseases, by reason of which it hath been so long sought into. Where now, O wretch= who contemnest %ntimony, and among all men accusest it as mere Venom, where is thy Rhetoric$, or +ialect, wherewith to defend thyself5 But since thou understandest neither White, nor Blac$, nor -reen, nor Red, nor ;ellow# nor $nowest which way to go about to *ustify %ntimony, its Virtue, )ower and 0tility, being un$nown to thee, thou doest well, if thou $eepest Silence, and permittest this Reprehension of thy Ignorance, as a Wa(e dri(en with (ehement wind to fly o(er thy ead# fearing, that if those Winds and Wa(es should be predominant, thy own wea$ and frail Bar$ would be sun$ and submerged. ,o a(oid this peril, seasonably call upon thy Sleeping !aster, as the +isciples of our Sa(iour 6esus .hrist did, when they feared they should perish. ;et this must not be done with a dissembled and feigned, but with a true and pure eart, without all ypocrisy# then your Redemption 137

and

elp will undoubtedly follow, so that in all Verity you will

see and find the Winds and the Sea to obey you, and all ,hings be brought to the desired 'nd. I wish man were but so disposed, as he would study to obtain somewhat with labour and +iligence, then certainly the gods, the )residents of )rosperity and %rt would gi(e Success, by which such a +isciple and &ollower of %rt might be assured, that in the wished School of %rt, and desired +omicile of -race, &elicity and ealth hsould not be denied him, but that he himself should certainly see and find the &oundation of the .orner Stone, upon which he might commodiously build up all the other Orders of Stones. t en would cease the so many e(illy founded Impertinencies of Bablers, which in the Schools stun the 'ars of +isciples, and in ouses the 'ars of the Sic$# and the !atter itself would spea$, as it were with open !outh, and by certain '"perience confirm, that a .astle or )alace of Stone cannot so easily be set on &ire and burnt, as a )idgeon< ouse, or the old /est of a Stor$ composed of rotten Wood, and dayly dried more and more by the Sun. But my %uditor and +isciple, do thou with sharp 6udgement weigh this my sincere Information, and iwth fer(ent desire stri(e to penetrate the inmost .enter of %rt, which by the e"ternal &ace can be $nown to no man# prosecute and press after the Virtue and )ower thereof, no otherwise, than as a distinguish, and not ta$e an unter pursues a Wild Beast# ind, or an are search out its &ootsteps through the Snow, that you may rightly art instead of an instead of a &o", or gi(e a false estimate thereof, by erring from its &ootsteps. Well, cast out your /ets, and ta$e a multitude of &ishes, according to your own Wish or +esire. )lace your ,hreads as is behoo(eful, and dispose of the Birds, which allure others to their place, and by this way of &owling you will fulfil your desire with profit. ,hat by these, to e(ery Searcher I may briefly propose my %dmonition and %d(ice, I say4 !y &riend the dispose rightly your /ets and Instruments for unter, unting as beho(eth#

and you !ariner, who /ight and +ay sail through the (ast Seas, and 13:

are often dri(en hither and thither by the Winds, gi(e heed to the )oint of your .ompass, and undoubtedly you will reap profit, and not bring home your Ship, swiftly returning, without great -ain of !erchandi9e. But why do I treat of many things, or spend time unprofitably 2as tatling Sophisters are wont to do3 in beating out the empty .haff5 I am decei(ed# I do not unprofitably spend my time# for all the Words in my Writings are of use, and in them are found few empty 1etters, which contain not some 0tility together with a profitable Instruction, so that the time I spend in Writing will rather be a Recreation, than a Burthen to me. ,herefore now, after the manner of &encers, I will step bac$ one pace, and into the .hymical 1aboratory infer a new +octrine of '"ternal ,hings# (i9. Show, that %ntimony is of such a /ature, as may be prepared so, as to yield present help in !edicine pertinent to '"ternal Wounds, which manifoldly offer themsel(es to us, and are delcare by .hirurgy. therefore I will begin and briefly e"plain my )rocesses, (i9. how that is to be used in !edicine, and how it may profitably be prepared. Whosoe(er thou art, among 6unior Students, that desirest to search out the Occult things of /ature, and to bring her hidden Secrets to 1ight, attend to what I say, that thou mayest be able to distinguish +ay from /ight, and what is clear from the Obscure.

,a$e of

ungarian %ntimony one part, .ommon Salt half a part, and

si" parts of %rgilla not burnt, grind all together, and distil (ehemently with a continual &ire without Intermission and at length an Oil will come forth4 from this abstract its )hlegm by +istillation, that a red dry )owder may remain in the bottom of the .ucurbit. ,his )owder grind subtily, and resol(e it into a 1iquor, upon a !arble Stone# and you will ha(e a red shining Balsom for Wounds, which far e"cels (ery many other Balsoms. Its 0se8 is principally in Wounds, which ha(e been a long time open, 13=

and in the .ure of which the +octors with their )laisters, 0nguents, Oils and 1igaments could effect nothing4 but with (ery great +isgrace they at length ta$e off the orse7s Bridle and Saddle, and return him to the Stable, whence they had him.
5A wise General of an Army so disposeth his ,oldiers in time of -ighting, that in the !eginning of the 3attle, the good and strong ,oldiers fight, and in the )nd of the same the !est and most strong come to deal with the )nemy; !ut such as are not powerful enough, for the first and last )ncounter, in Arms or strength, are !y him placed in the midst, that they may ta/e ).ample of fighting from the -ormer, and hope of help and 6ictory from the ater( %he )mperor is imitated !y the Orator, in placing his Arguments so, as he may overcome the minds of men( 3asilius imitates the Orator, in disposing his Processes so, as he may lead his Disciples to ,apience, and the -ruit of Wisdom( We have already had famous Processes, and in e.plaining them have used our )ndeavour, and contri!uted some them( ight( Now follow those, that are in themselves clear enough, and not of so great moment as the former; therefore we shall not insist upon

!y &orm of Spea$ing Sa(ours of Simplicity# for I am a man Religious, to whom the !ethod of Secular !en is un$nown# therefore cannot so clearly detect and describe all ,hings, as the !atter itself seems to require. Such a man as I, as to the ,erms, because he cannot so formally use them, desires to be pardoned in this, and if he neglect anything therein, he cra(es the candid %cceptation of all men, and in respect of his State offers himself willing and ready to ser(e all .hristians +ay and /ight, and by his )rayers to -O+, to recompence this their Bene(olence. ,his Oil is salutary in many grie(ous %ccidents, and especially in old wounds, so that few !edicines are found, which must not gi(e place to this. Only that Oil, which is prepared with the Vulgar Sublimate of %pothecaries, is equal unto it in 'ffects, and is oftentimes by '"perience found to be better, especially in the Wolf and .ancer, and in the /oli me tangere. But in ordinary &istula7s, and the erpes the superior Oyl effects wonders, which were they not confirmed by '"perience, could not be belie(ed, and 113

all which I recite not, lest someone or other should *udge me to do it from %mbition, or that thence I hunt after &ame, which was ne(er by me either sought or desired# nor at this time, as I can holily affirm, is it aimed at by me. /ow I will gi(e you the )reparation of another Oil. ,a$e !ercury mortified 2which is sublimed to clearness and Splendor, and sold by %pothecaries3 and %ntimony, of each equal parts. -rind them together, and distil them by such a Retort, as will retain the Spirits thrice, and afterward rectify this Oil with Spirit of Wine. ,hen the Operation is absol(ed, and the Oil becomes red as Blood# but at first it is White, and li$e Ice or congealed Butter. ,his Oil effects wonders in many %ffects, where /ature ga(e no hope of %mendment, and it always mostly shows its force, (irtue, power, and efficacy, in the perfect 'mendation of '(il into -ood. By %ddition may be prepared another Oil (ery profitable in e"ternal Wounds. ,a$e of %ntimony one part, Sulphur one part, Sal<%rmoniac$, or Salt of 0rine purified half a part, and .al"<(i(e two parts. '"pel the Oil strongly4 whatsoe(er is sublimted, that grind with the .aput<!ortuum, and thereon again pour the Oil distilled off, and thrice distil it# then the Oil is prepared. When old Wounds can in no wise be healed, then use this Oil. &or it is strong, potent and penetrati(e4 and lays a good -round 2e(en as Oil of Vitriol doth3 for future Sanation. %n admirable Balsom of di(ers Ingredients 2among which is %ntimony3 (ery useful in old Wounds is thus prepared. ,a$e of Sulphur, four ounces, set it o(er a moderate &ire to melt, and put into it half a pound of !ercury, and stir the !i"ture so 111

long together, as until both become one !ass. ,his !ass grind to )owder 2for it is made as .innabar is wont to be prepared3 then grind with it four ounces of %ntimony, of red %rsenic$ four ounces, of .rocus !artis two ounces and of )owder of ,iles eight ounces. )ut all these into a -lass .ucurbit, and sublime them, as such things are wont to be sublimed# and in this Sublimation you will ha(e Rubies in .olour not inferiour to the Oriental, but tehy are not fi"ed# for they are (olatile, and fly from the &ire. 1et the %rtificer separate these Rubies from the .innabar, which ascends in the Sublimation, grind them to )owder and e"tract them with strong Vinegar. ,his being done, let him abstract the Vinegar leisurely in B.!. and a )owder will remain# this )owder grind small as before, and ha(ing put it into another glass, e"tract its ,incture with Spirit of Wine, and separate the remaining &eces. ,his '"traction with Spirit of Wine digest in B.!. well closed for one !onth. ,hen abstract the Spirit of Wine, as you abstracted the Vinegar, and put the remaining )owder into a flat -lass +ish, and set that dish in a .ellar into a )ail full of Water, that it may Swim upon the Water, as a Boat. So doing, the )owder which is in the -lass will in a few days resol(e it self into a clear nad perlucid 1iquor. ,his 1iquor is salutary in old open Wounds, and is a (ulnerary Balsom in li$e %ccidents, if put into them, and they co(ered round with a common Stiptic$ )laister. In diuturnal open Wounds, it lea(es no man destitute of help, although such, as in the .ure of which all otehr Remedies ha(e been tried in (ain. Of open 0lcers, which ha(e their Original from within, I spea$ not here# for they cannot perfectly be healed without internal Remedies, which dry up all &lu"ions, and radically e"tirpate the +isease4 although at this time few are found, who bend their thoughts this way, or ta$e any .ourse to touch the Root itself of those +iseases, of which I now treat. If !en would in their !inds well consider the .alamities of 1ife, into which the &all of our first )arents precipited us, and 116

seriously weigh that Original Sin, and the great troop of '(ills thence issuing, (i94 of Sadness, %nguish, +iseases and !iseries, they certainly would spend their time better, and employ more labour to search out the health of their neighbours, so strictly commended to them by the Supreme Ruler of ea(en, and by him commanded as their proper +uty. But how many 2with grief be it spo$en=3 shunning labour, consume their time unprofitably, and do not what was to be done by them, but what they formerly ha(e done, and still ah(e a lust to do, being afraid to do so much, as will soil their &ingers 'nds# as if they did en(y the ,radesman, who perhaps gets a small -ain by selling Soap, which they would not willingly buy, to wash their delicate hands. %re not all we miserable !ortals, that li(e here, Strangers in the 'arth, possessing nothing, that we can call ours5 %re not all ,hings we here use, the -oods of our 1ord, lent to us, whilst we li(e and no longer5 ,herefore we ought so to beha(e our sel(es in using them, taht supported with a good .onscience we may be able to stand in that +ay, in which an %ccount is to be gi(en for them# and be not for our Ingratitude cast into )rison, and utter +ar$ness where shall be weeping and gnashing ,eeth. If this were the !editation, and this the Intention of e(ery !an, he would be li$e a !onster, if he should thin$ of admitting Sin in himself, or of neglecting his Office# and all !en would, with a certain 'mulation stri(e to pleasure their /eighbours, with the -ifts recei(ed from -O+. But these things are remote from the thoughts of the World, and Wordly !en# !oney, !oney, is the Scope of all their Intentions# this the )otent see$ directly or indirectly, and for this the )oor are subser(ient to them, that they also may participate of the !amon of Iniquity. ;et ta$e heed, I ad(ise you to ta$e heed, lest the Bones of that &lesh, stic$ing in your ,hroat, suffocate you, or the Bac$<bones of &ishes pierce your eart. But what doth %dmonition help which ear, I pray you an the World little esteemes of and derides5

istory# or learn a )arable. When I, according to my (ow, undertoo$ a )ilgrimage to St. 6ames, to (isit that holy )lace as a 11<

Stranger, I prayed to -O+, and bound myself with a Vow, that if he granted me an happy Return to my !onastery, I would render him due )raise. e granted my Request, and I daily return ,han$s to him. But I thought many more would ha(e re*oiced with me, and ha(e gi(en than$s to the same -O+, for the famous Reliques, which at that time I brought with me to our !onastery, 2for .onsolation of the )oor, and many Others3 that it might procure to it self a /ame, in this perishing Valley of ,ears, that could not be wiped out by any Obli(ion. ;et hence few were rendered either better, or more grateful to -O+, for so great a benefit# but perse(ered in +erision and .ontempt of that, which -O+ will (indicate in the last +ay. But of these enough at this time, let us proceed in our Instruction of %ntimony, whence yet another !edicine may be prepared, which I myself ha(e e"perience to be (ery salutary# and effectual in e(ery $ind of &ea(ers, and in the )estilence. -rind %ntimony subtily, put it inot a -lass Retort, and distil it with a strong fire, without any %ddition, D or E times, and always with a large Recei(ing Vessel# at length of it is made a Red )owder, which e"tract with Vinegar, and circulate the '"traction with a gentle fire for ten whole +ays# abstract the Vinegar by +istilling, and that which remains, by a singular8 %rtifice in distilling will be changed into an Oil. 1et this Oil be further .irculated until all umidity be drawn off therefrom, and it again be reduced to )owder, as it was# when the Vinegar is abstracted and separated by +istillation, then gather the Oil in a new Recei(er.
5%his ).traction may !e rendered volatile with ,pirit of Wine, after the same manner, as I taught you in former Operations(

&our -rains of this Oil ta$en with water of .arduus Benedictus, if the Sic$ be well co(ered and Sweated, heal ?uotidian, ,ertian and 114

?uartan &e(ers. ,he same +ose is (ery a(ailable for e"pelling the )est, either gi(en with Spirit of Wine, or with distilled Vinegar, according as the )aro"ysm of the )est first in(ades, either with eat, or with .old. Which is witnessed by three Brethren in our !onastery, who reco(ered of the )lague by this %rcanum, when they e"pected no other but +eath, and had made their Wills. ,his so reconciled their !inds to this my %rt, as they helped me, with greater Feal then before, both by their )rayers and 1abour, and spent the leisure time they had e"empt from Religious +uties, in ser(ing me daily# and in a short time attained to so great '"perience, that by their own Industry, and the Industry of their Brethren, they gained more true :nowledge in searching out the %rcanums of /ature, then they could before obtain in a longer series of time. ,herefore, for these !en, I gi(e them than$s, e(en unto my (ery old %ge, and in (ery deed I return them than$s, because they deser(ed so well of me, and of others, by their so faithful 1abour# but they finished their .ourse of this 1ife before me, and entred the way of all &lesh, wherefore I recommend their Reward to the Supreme )hysitian, who dwells in the highest ea(ens, and there will refresh them with sufficient 6oy, and ma$e up in ea(en that 6ust Recompence, which here on 'arth was denyed them by ignorant, and ungrateful !en. %nother Oil of %ntimony for wounds, is prepared with %ddition in the following manner. ,a$e of %ntimony, Sulphur, Saltnitre, of each equal parts# &ulminate those under a Bell, as Oil of Sulphur per .ampan. is made# which way of preparing hath long since been $nown to the %ncients. But .onsider, you will ha(e a better way, if instead of a Bell, you ta$e an %lembec$8, and apply to it a Recipient# so you will obtain more Oil, which will indeed be of the same .olour, as that which is made of .ommon Sulphur, but in powers and (irtues not a little more e"cellent, then it.

118

5I now, O

over of +hymistry, ,pea/ to you !y Pictures, not in words onely that a!our, and

!y a +ompendium of ,peech, you may also have this +ompendium of

+harge( 3ehold this Instrument, and provide for yourself such an One, that you may follow 3asilius, in ma/ing Oil of ,ulphur per +ampan( -or this way one ounce will yield you as much Oil, as a Pound will ma/e in the +ommon *ethod( -rom ,i.teen ounces of ,ulphur you may e.tract half an Ounce of Oyl, which others, in their way, do scarcely e.pect from ,i.teen Pounds(

We use D or E +rops of this inwardly ta$en with Spirit of Wine against the )hthisic$ of the 1ungs# but outwardly, if it first be anointed, and a Stiptic$ )layster applyed, against all Wounds stin$ing, and tending to putrefaction, and so you will find it to be the most certain Remedy of all Wounds.

%gain another Oil of %ntimony against all corroding Wounds (ery profitable, is this way made. ,a$e of %ntimony, one pound, .ommon Salt dried, one<half pound, ,iles bro$en# fi(e pounds. -rind all together, and put them into a Retort, whence distil a ;ellow Oil. When all the Spirits are come forth, put the !atter in another glass. and from it e"tract the )hlegm, and a powder will remain# which in an humid place spread upon a stone, and you will ha(e an umid Balsom, which is a singular Remedy in all Verminant Wounds, and in the .ancer, which hath being cheifly in the &ace of a !an, and in the Breasts of a Woman. !uch more might be written of this Balsom, did I not fear, that e(ery uns$illful !an, and the Rabble of Sophisters would fall foul on me, and say I spea$ too largely, and commit more to writing, then '"perience hath taught me# and so that I boast only of Speculations, and mere Imaginations.

!oreo(er, another Oil is made in this manner. Sublime one part of %ntimony, with a fourth part of Sal %rmoniac$, with subtile &ire. ,he Salt carries up the Sulphur of %ntimony, 112

red as Blood. -rind this Sublimate to a fine )owder, and if you too$ at first one pound of %ntimony, grind with it again fi(e ounces of Sal %rmoniac$, and Sublime as before. ,he Sublimate dissol(e in a moist place. Or otherwise, ta$e the Sublimate, and edulcorate it from the Salt added, gently dry it, and you will ha(e Sulphur, which burns li$e .ommon Sulphur, which is sold at the %pothecaries. &rom this Sulphur e"tract its ,incture with distilled Vinegar, and when you ha(e abstracted the Vinegar by gentle eat of B.!. and by a subtile Operation again distilled the remaining )owder, you will ha(e 2if in this Operation you erre not3 a most '"cellent8 Oil, grateful, Sweet, and pleasant in its use, without any .orrosi(eness or peril.
5%his is another &epetition of the Process, !y which the 3alsom of Antimony is made, as our Author calls it in this %reatise, or the ?uintessence of Antimony, of which often a!ove( ;et in the process there is this difference, that here the ,ulphur is separated !y the ,al Armoniac/ from the Antimony, and then e.tracted from the 6inegar; whereas in the other Process, the ,ulphur is e.tracted !y the 6inegar, whilst it is yet united with the Antimony( 3ut these are not things of so great a *oment, as to frustrate the )ffect of Operations( %herefore this 6ariety gives the greater *ethod !y which he acts( i!erty to the Operator, that he may not !e ,crupulous is these %hings, in which he understands the &eason of what he doth, and of the

It heals the )hthisic$, remedies the )ric$ings of the Sides# and if any One labours with difficulty of Breathing, let him ta$e two -rains in the morning, and as many at /ight going to Bed. In the 'li"ir or Spirit of Wine, and he shall be healed, &or it dilates the )assages of the Breast, e"pells all Impurities, and )hlegmes out of the Breast# and to me it hath often produced many unloo$ed for 'ffects. But cince in other )reparations of %ntimony, I ha(e described such Virtues, as with this are common to them, I 6udge it needless to repeat them all, lest in the Sectators of %rt I should create tediousness through multiciplity of Words, or alien thoughts by an impertinent ,autology.

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In the mean while, the 1iquor, which, as I abo(e said, was resol(ed in an umid )lace, is an e"ternal !edicine, and (ery profitable# for it cleanseth the Impurities of the S$in, and if a little Oil of ,artar be mi"ed therewith, it heals the )hagedena of the &ingers# and it often anointed therewith, it purifies the S$in and cures Scrophulaes. %lso, Sulphur of %ntimony is prepared in another !anner. -rind %ntimony to a fine )owder, which boil for two hours or a little longer, in a sharp 1i"i(ium made of the ashes of Beechwood. When boiled, filter the %ntimony clear, and pour Vinegar upon the filtered 1iquor, and then the Sulphur will settle to the bottom wholly red. )our off the )hlegm and gently dry the )owder. +istil this )owder with Vinegar of Wine# e"tract the ,incture, and do as you did with the former Sulphur. ,o reduce the same into an Oil by +istilling, is worth your while4 %lthough the Oil abo(e mentioned hath greater Virtues, because its Body, by the Sal %rmoniac$, in the beginning of the Sublimation was better dissol(ed and opened. ,here yet remain many things to be written of %ntimony, and especially ,hree, necessary to be $nwon by the Spagyric$ )hysician and )hilosopher, (i9. the )reparation of Vinegar, which is made of its !inera# and then the )hilosophic$ Signate Star, which is not to be omitted# and lastly the 1ead of )hilosophers, of which we shall spea$ somewhat# touching which !any ha(e imagined -reat ,hings, and though 2in their way of Reasoning, and Speculation3 to prepare the true and sincere !ercury of )hilosophers of it# which indeed cannot be done, since so great 'fficacy is not from abo(e insited in %ntimony, as that in it can e"ist that !ercury, or of it be prepared. ,hat !ercury is the first 'ns, or first Water of !etals, which is perfect, otherwise the -reat Stone of the ancient Wise !en could not be made of it. ,hat first 'ns, I say, and the Seeds thereof, are found in another !ineral, in which the Operation 2according to the -enius !etals3 is )articular, and most profitable Operation# and besides in it you may find whatsoe(er 11:

appertains to internal and e"ternal !edicine. &or it is the .olumn of e(ery Shop of %pothecaries, if duely prepared, as I often admonish# nor is anything wanting in it, pro(ided the %rtist hath learned well to distinguish the +isposition of !etals and !inerals, and diligently obser(es both the )reparation and 0se of %ntimony# because then, and not before, follows a perfect 6udgement of it. ,herefore I will stand to my )romise and comfort my +isciples, according to their Wish, by satisfying and instructing them, which way the Separation of -ood from '(il may be $nown to them, and gi(ing Information touching the Vinegar of )hilosophers, which is made of %ntimony. !elt the !inera of %ntimony, and purify it, grind it to a Subtile )owder, this !atter put into a Round -lass, which is called a )hial, ha(ing a long /ec$, pour upon it distilled Water, that the Vessel may be half full. ,hen ha(ing well closed the Vessel, set it to putrefy in orse<dung, until the !ineral begins to wa" hot, and cast out a &roath to the Superficies4 then @tis time to ta$e it out# for that is a Sign the Body is opened. ,his digested !atter put into .ucurbit, which well close, and e"tract the Water, which will ha(e an acid ,aste. When all the Water is come off, intend the &ire, and a Sublimate will ascend# this again grind with the &eces, and again pour on the same Water, and a second time abstract it, then it will be more Sharp. ,his Operation must be repeated, until the Water be made as %cid, as any other Sharp distilled Vinegar of Wine. But the Sublimate, the oftner the Operation is repeated, the more it is diminished. When you ha(e obtained this %cid Vinegar, ta$e fresh !inera as before and pour this Vinegar on it, so as it may stand abo(e it three &ingers# put it into a )elican, and digest it two days in eat, then the Vinegar becomes red, and much more sharp then before. .ant this clean off, and distil it without %ddition in B.!. ,he Vinegar comes off white, and the Redness remains in the bottom, which e"tract with Spirit of Wine is an e"cellent !edicine. %gain rectify the Vinegar in B.!. that it may be freed from its )hlegm# lastly dissol(e in its proper Salt, (i94 in four ounces of it, one 11=

ounce of the Salt, and force it strongly by %shes# then the 8Vinegar becomes more sharp, and acquires greater Strength, and (irtue.
5%his 6inegar also is num!ered among the chief of those things, which are prepared of Antimony, therefore I thought it worthwhile to illustrate this with some +ommentaries( -or although it may !e made in the way 3asilius prescri!es, yet there are still some things wanting to render the Wor/ !oth more easy and more perfect, which I here su!"oin; -or si. pounds of Antimony are re2uired si.teen pounds of Distilled Water, and when $after Digestion' we would distil it, a certain manual Operation must !e o!served, on which depends the ,uccess of the whole Wor/ almost( -or the Alem!ec/ must !e so placed, as his Pipe or 3ea/ may !e covered with Water, which either must !e put into the &ecipient, or pass out !y distilling into the same; otherwise the ,pirit7s of the Antimony will !e lost, and more then half part of the same perish, or the Wor/ re2uire much more time for its perfection( I have e.pressed this !y a -igure here placed, that if any !y hearing do not sufficiently perceieve this, they may !e seeing understand( When the whole Water hath passed over !y Alem!ec/, the -ire $as the Author admonisheth' is to !e increased, and three Days, and as many Nights continued without intermission( %hen let all cool, and the ,u!limate, as he teaches, must again !e mi.ed with the Antimony; this 3A ,O* Oa!our for three Days and Nights must !e re:assumed, and afterwards repeated to the third time( =A4%1O& I-), W1A%(> %hen your Water will !e acid, as common 6inegar( If you ife, so often descri!ed, !ut never sufficiently tinge this 6inegar with new *inera of Antimony, you will have a %incture, which 3asilius names his 3alsome of commended( O, did *ortals /now what *ysteries lie a!sconded in this %incture, I 2uestion whether they would !e desirous to set a!out any other Preparation of Antimony( All things are in this One( I have spo/en, O thou act( over of +hymistry, do

,his Vinegar .ools (ehemently, not as common Vinegar, but with great %dmiration, and certain '"perience, especially for assuaging the -angreane, produced from -unpowder# also it heals other enraged Wounds and !embers, when *oined with the Soul of Saturn, wrought up into an 0nguent, and applied outwardly. %nd mi"t with Water of 'ndi(e, to which Salt prunella is added, it consumes the Squinancy, and e"tinguisheth its great eat4 besides, it assuageth the !otion of the Blood inflamed. In time of the )estilence, ta$en inwardly, the +ose of one Spoonful, se(eral times, and outwardly 163

applied to the Swellings by 1inen .lothes moistened therein, e"tracts the Venom, and most e"cellently cools4 but consider, when you would use it in this manner outwardly, it must be mi"ed with a third part of Water distilled from &rogspawn. !any highly esteem the Signate Star of %ntimony, and (ery many ha(e endea(oured to prepare it, sparing no labour to attain the same. Which some ha(e acquired with good success, others ha(e lost all their labour and .ost, !any ha(e assumed an Opinion, that this Star is the true !atter, whence the Stone of )hilosophers may be made, induced hereunto, by this thought or Imagination, (i9. because /ature herself hath signed it into a Star, therefore they could not choose but esteem of it, and by these .ogitations were led into the Way of 'rror, But I sincerely denounce, that it is nothing so. &or these $ind of Searchers erre from the :ings high< way, and $ill themsel(es in clambering up Roc$s and .liffs, in which wild -oats inhabit, and Birds of )rey build their nests. It is not gi(en to this Star to contain in itself so great )otency, or from itself to form so precious a Stone. ;et I affirm, that in it lies absconded a famous !edicine, which may be made of it. ,he Star is thus made. ,a$e of ungarian %ntimony D. parts. of Steel G part. melt these

together with E. parts of burnt ,artar, when melted pour out the whole into a cone, when cold ta$e out the Regulus, and separate it from all impurity, and the Scoria. -rind this Regulus to )owder and weigh it, then add thereto thrice so much of burnt ,artar, and pour it out as before. Repeat this labour the third time# then the Regulus purgeth itself, and becomes pure and clear. /ote, when you ha(e rightly completed the &usion, and ha(e used a manual Operation, as is fit 2which is of principal concern in this Wor$3 you will obtain a fair Star8 bring and shining li$e .upellate Sil(er, no less artificially formed, then if some )ainter had with .ompasses diligently di(ided the same.

161

8 ere it is to be noted. In the third fusion of the Regulus, the &ire must be (ehemently heightened, that if any Impurity remain with the Regulus, it may by that intense heat be ta$en away. By this means you will ha(e a Regulus in beauty and Whiteness comparable to Sil(er, but in Virtue and )rice far Superior. ,his Star with Sal %rmoniac$ is reduced to red 8Sublimate# for the ,incture of !ars ascends. Such a Sublimate may be resol(ed in a moist place into a 1iquor, which disco(ers wonderful Virtues in .hirurgy.
5%his ,u!limate, !efore it is set in a +ellar to !e there resolved, should !e purged from the ,al Armoniac/ with distilled Water( %hey are few %hings which I admonish, !ut !y the ignorance of these or those, great )rrors are committed, and the Wor/ with all its +osts and +harges perisheth, or at least yeilds not sufficient to pay what the *aterials cost(

,his Regulus, or Signate Star, melted often with the Stone Serpent, is brought to such a state, as at length it consumes itself in it, and wholy unites itself with the Serpent.8 ,his being done, the Sectator of %rt hath a !atter altogether hot and fiery in which (ery much of %rt is latent. ,his prepared !atter resol(es itself into an Oil# this (ery Oil ought to be brought o(er the elm by +istillation, and then rectified, that it may be pure and clear,
5Of a ,na/e or ,erpent the Nature is such, if you slac/en your hold he riseth up, if you gripe him hard he !ursts, the same I fear here0 %herefore the Author calls that a ,erpent, which he mi.eth with this &egulus( 3ut it is the ,erpent of a ,tone, or a ,tony:,erpent; !ecause the ,alt, as a ,na/e willing lic/s a ,tone(

,his Oil may commodiously and securely be ta$en inwardly# but with great )rudence and .aution, and not oftner then twice or thrice in a Wee$, and no more at one time, then three +rops in two ounces of Wine, or other Water distilled from erbs, according to the '"igency of the +isease. &or this Reason, it is the )hysicians 166

part to $now the .auses of +iseases, together with the .omple"ion of the Sic$, that he may the more securely use his Remedies. ,his is a famous %crimony8 containing in itself many %rcanums# but there is no need to re(eal all things together and at once to uns$illful men. Some %rts are to be suppressed, that some Secrets and %rcanums may remain proper to the )hilosopher, who in searching them out hath daily sustained grie(ous ,oil.
5%hey, who understand of how great 4tility it is to e.tract the )ssences from *etals, are not ignorant of the 6irtues of this sharp Oil( -or this is the only *enstruum for this purpose( 1ow many are they who have spent their whole +hymical Operations, and never could arrive to the /nowledge of a true *enstruum< %o thee it is here revealed, if 1ealth !e your aim, you may safely use it in the 3ody; if you attempt somewhat more su!lime, and have already conceived good hope you shall compound it, this is the principal help of all, for ascending to the %hrone of the +hymical 9ingdom( ife in

But let him, who resol(es to tread in my &ootsteps not be weary of Searching# but what I ha(e done, let him do, and what I ha(e so often desired, and what with so earnest Wishes I ha(e sought, let him see$. ,hese )rinciples, which I ha(e prescribed you, are sufficient for to search out the 'nd by. !any ha(e failed, yea many ha(e been cut off by +eath, before they could in their 1earning attain to the )rinciples only# that is, they are depri(ed of 1ife, before they could acquire the !agistery of %rt. ,herefore, I at first set forth a Boo$ of Rudiments, that the Studious follower of %rt 2who in his first '"periences had need of so much time3 might the sooner attain his desired end, and wished Scope, and ne"t unto -O+ gi(e me than$s. !oreo(er, in this Oil a wonderful 'ffect is latent. &or if this Oil be circulated with .rystals for sometime, (i9. for three +ays and /ights 2the .rystals being first .alcined3 it from them e"tracts a Salt4 which being done, the Oil may again be distilled off by Retort. ,hus you will ha(e a !edicine, which admirably

16<

brea$s the Stone in the Bladder, and e"pels it, and there also effects many other ,hings, by a certain famous (irtue in it. But that we may also say something of the 1ead of )hilosophers, let the curious searchers of /ature $now, that between %ntimony and common 1ead, there is a certain near affinity, and they hold a strict friendship each with other. %s a ,ree casts out of its side it7s superfluous Rosin, which is the Sulphur of that ,ree# as the .herry<tree, and other ,rees, which gi(e forth such -ums4 there are other $inds of ,rees also, which by reason of their abundance of !ercury, produce and cast forth from themsel(es a certain '"crescency, which neither in &orm, nor Virtue is in any wise li$e to their &ruit# but hath wholy other properties, as in Oa$s and %pple<trees is apparent, which produce li$e bastard &ruits, or !onsters4 So the 'arth also hath li$e aborti(e &ruits, which in Separation from the pure !etals, are se(ered and cast out. /ow although there is so strict an affinity between %ntimony, and Saturn# yet by reason of the too much Sulphur, which %ntimony hath in itself, it is cast out from it4 because its (iscous Body 2in it7s /ati(ity3 could not come to perfection# and therefore it was constrained necessarily to consist among !inerals4 because it7s abundance of hot Sulphur was the .ause, that hindred it7s !ercury, that through defect of .old it could neither come to .oagulation, nor into a !alleable Body. !ore(er, I say, the 1ead in %ntimony is no other, then its Regulus, which hath not as yet obtained !allaeableness. %nd, as abo(e I said, when the Regulus and Steel by 1iquefaction are united, and deduced to a Star, there are many, who would thence ma$e the ancient stone of )hilosophers# which I before denied to be possible. ;et what !edicines may be prepared of it, you ha(e already briefly heard# therefore touching them, I shall not add a Word more. But the Reason, why the Regulus is called and accounted 1ead, is this. When that Regulus is ta$en, which %ntimony gi(es forth from itself in ma$ing glass, and put into a .rucible well closed, which 164

can resist the fire, with the Salt of Saturn 2ha(ing been first .emented with the Salt for three hours3 and these permitted to melt together, in a Wind &urnace, the 8Regulus, when ta$en out, is found to be rendered soft, and more ponderous, then it was before. &or it recei(es it7s ponderosity from the Spirit of the Salt, which also ga(e it softness, so that it7s Body now is compact and hea(y.
5I not enviously, as many +hymists do, !ut affectionately deal with +hirurgeons0 wishing that they would in their mind, as according to their faculty they may and ought, endeavour to prepare such helps, for their misera!ly afflicted Patients, and such +ompendiums of ,anity, as may !e prepared of this &egulus( Would you have me discover to you the *ystery< 1ear with pleasure, and use it( %his &egulus, !y the ,alt of ,aturn rendered *allea!le, must !e mi.ed with e2ual parts of *ercury condensed !y ,aturn, and in a vehement fire flue.ed, and so well mi.ed( %he *atter comes forth, in it7s e.ternal -ace li/e unto ,ilver, !ut in its internal 6irtues is more no!le, and more precious than any ,ilver( 3ut you +hyrurgeon, studious of your own Art, and !y Art covetous of Glory, deduce that into thin plates, and e.ternally apply it to Wounds, and *alignant -istula7s( ,o doing, you will !e ama#ed, when you shall see Nature, helped !y this Art, to perform more, in a very short time, then you could have hoped for in a longer time, !y so many 4nguents and Plaisters( %he &ustic/s $to use the Words of 3asilius' will no more deride and up!raid you, saying, they can effect more with a piece of crude and stin/ing ard, then you are a!le to do with the la!orious Process of your whole +hirurgic/ Art(

,herefore I say, there is not much difference between the Stignate Star, and 1ead of %ntimony# which notwithstanding are e(ery where distinguished as two di(erse things. &or either of them is made of the -lass of %ntimony, and prepared into one and the same !edicine, as is already by me sufficiently declared. ere therefore I brea$ off my +iscourse, that I may e"plain what the stone of fire is, after I shall ha(e declared the %ppendi" which follows. O -O+ grant thy -race, and open the earts and 'ars of !en

unwilling to hear, and to them impart thy Blessing, that they may ac$nowledge ,hee in thy Omnipotency, and wonderful Wor$s of

168

/ature, to thy )raise,

onor and -lory, and for the

ealth,

Solace, and .onfirmation of the Strength of their /eighbour, and also for Restoring the Sic$ to their )ristine ealth. %men.

162

THE APPENDIX &or a .onclusion you are further to $now, that %ntimony may be applied to many other 0ses, then as abo(e e"pressed, as to Scripture or )rinting, for which )rinters use it. %lso under a certain .onstellation and .oncourse of the )lanets, a !i"ture of !etals is made with %ntimony, of which %rtists form Signatures and .haracters endued with singular Virtues. Of the same !i"ture also are made Speculums, of many and wonderful %spects and )roperties. %lso Bells and other Instruments may be made thereof, of admirable sound. 1i$ewise Images of !en, and many other ,hings8.
5%he virtues and powers of Antimony which the Author here in this Appendi. so lightly toucheth, and passeth over, are so many and so various, as indeed the hundredth part of them is not yet /nown to *en( Which Ignorance undou!tedly redounds to the &eproach and Ignominy of our /ind; !ecause we *en, among so many other Animals, only endued with &eason, and a -aculty of Discoursing, are hurryed with so great impetuousness, to that wic/ed and a!omina!le Desire of Gain, as scarcely any *an hath leisure to search out the Wonders, which the Author of Nature hath insited in his +reatures( 3ut I am unwilling to repeat this &eprehension so often spo/en of !y 6alentine; I do only call it to mind( %his *ineral, in which lies hid so admira!le ,pirit, that !y ).hausting it cannot !e e.hausted, hath also 6irtues, which !y no man studying can !e sufficiently /nown( What I have tried, out of the way of +hymistry and *edicine are few; yet ).perience hath taught me so much, as I "udge Antimony in other things will show itself no less admira!le, then in +hymistry and *edicine(

;et what I thin$ of .haracters and Signatures, which the %uthor saith may be made under a .oncourse of certain .onstellations, I shall not here disco(er. It sufficeth me, that I can say, that among all !etals and !inerals, there is not any Substance $nown, which contains so much of a .elestial Spirit, and hath so great Sympathy with the Stars, as %ntimony. Weigh this, with all that I ha(e before said of %ntimony, but not negligently, and the Stone, which is called the Stone of &ire. 167 asten to

But since these things concern not !edicine, nor appertain to my Order, Rule, and .alling, I rest well satisfied in my Vocation, and commend them to the andling of Others, who $now them better.

OF THE TRIU PHANT !HARIOT OF ANTI ON" AND What the #TONE of FIRE is.

When, at a certain time an abundance of ,houghts 2which my internal and fer(ent )rayer to -O+ suggested3 had set me loose and wholy free from all terrene Businesses, I purposed in my self to attend to Spiritual Inspirations, of which we ha(e need, for the more accurate scrutiny of /ature. ,herefore I resol(ed to ma$e myself Wings, that I might ascend on high, and inspect the stars8 themsel(es, as Icarus, and his &ather +aedalus in times past did, if credit may be gi(en to the %ncient Writings of )oets.
5%his eave is to !e given to all, who treat of ,acred %hings, vi#( to declare

those things, which they are willing to discover $not to the unlearned ignorant Deriders, !ut only to *en, worthy, and to such as sincerely desire, and aspire to the /nowledge of the same' in a certain singular and Para!olical /ind of Writing( In which our Author is the more to !e e.cused, !ecause when he comes to

16:

the greatest of *ysteries, which he intended to e.plain in this 3oo/, he !eta/es himself to certain hiding Places of Para!les, and with the 1eaven of Piety, which is wont to cover all things $yea even the most wic/ed' he so veils his ,ecrets, as None !ut Pious and sincere Disciples of Art can with the acuteness of their sight penetrate these +louds( Do thou therefore, with a certain intellectual u.ury sport with him, he will not delude thee(

But when I soared to near the Sun, my &eathers with it7s (ehement heat were consumed, and burnt, I fell headlong into the depth of the Sea4 yet to me, in this my e"treme /ecessity in(o$ing -O+, help was sent from ea(en, which freed me from all peril and the present +estruction. &or an %ngel hastened to my assistance, who commanded the Waters they should be still, and instantly, in that deep %byss appeared a most high !ountain, upon which at length I ascended, that I might thereon e"amine, whether 2as !en had affirmed3 there was any &riendship8 and &amiliarity between Superiors and Inferiors, and whether the Superior Stars ha(e acquired power from -O+, their .reator, to produce any one ,hing li$e themsel(es in the 'arth.
5%here hath !een no *an, who had darted his sight !ut as it were through a attice, into the Penetrals of +hymistry, who did ever deny this Influence of ,uperiors upon Inferiors( %herefore let 3asilius so holily affirming, and so often openly declaring it to *en, !e credited !y those, who, the true ight !eing not yet risen upon them, do !y feelign without sight practice +hymistry(

%nd ha(ing searched into ,hings, I found, that whatsoe(er the %ncient !asters had so many %ges since committed to Writing, and deli(ered to their +isciples, who earnestly desired to be the true Imitators of them, was 2as I may say3 more true than ,ruth itself. Wherefore, as is fit, I gi(e praise and than$s to my 1ord and ea(enly &ather, for his incomprehensible Wor$s. In (ery deed 2that I may e"pound the matter in few Words3 I found all ,hings, which are generated in the Bowels of !ountains, to be infused from the Superior Stars, and ta$e their beginning from them, in the form of an aqueour .loud, &ume or Vapour, which for a

16=

(ery long time fed and nourished by the Stars, is at length educted to a tangible form by the 'lements. !oreo(er, this Vapor is dried, that the Wateriness may lose its +ominion, and the &ire ne"t, by help of the %ir, retain the Ruling )ower. Of Water &ire, and of &ire and %ir 'arth is produce4 which notwithstanding are found in all things consisting of Body, before the Separation of them. ,herefore this, (i9. Water is the first !atter8 of all things, which by the +ryness of &ire and %ir is formed into 'arth.
5%his is an Old ,ong, this is the ,um of Art; from this Imitation of Nature is found the lesser ,tone of -ire, from this it is made, whensoever it is prepared, from the ,ame also the great Philosophic/ ,tone derives its Original( =WA%)& OANAFAGO&A,, W1A%> %his is the water of Ana.agoras, the -ire of )mpedocles, and Aristotle7s first *atter, of which all things have !een, and to this Day are made( Which is clearly evident in the Nutrition of *an, the Growth of a %ree, and in the Generation of *etals, for that, which constitutes -lesh, Woods, and *etals, is not ta/en from -ood, &ain or )arth, !ut is infused into them from elsewhere( =A I*)N%, W1I+1 NO4&I,1)%1 A %1ING,, W1A%> %hat very %hing is the Aliment, which nourisheth all things, !ut that it may !e so variously specificate, it must !e separated from that 3ody, in which it dwells, and !y "oined to another, which !y the +hymical Art is performed(

But now since my Intention is to describe the Stone of &ire, how it is made of %ntimony, together with the )rocess of its )reparation, which not only heals !en, but !etals also particularly# it will be necessary before all ,hings, to spea$ somewhat of these following eads. What properly the Stone of &ire is# what is its !inera# whether a Stone can be made without !atter or no# what is the e"treme difference of Stones, and how many Species of them are found, and lastly of their use. In this my purpose, I pray, O spirit of ea(en illuminate me, that

I may gi(e a true and sincere Instruction, (i9. according as is fit for me, and the matter itself permits. Indeed I ha(e hopes of 'ternal %bsolution from this my Supreme confessor, who from 'ternity possesseth the ,hrone of !ercy, and will gi(e ,estimony of all things, when the +ecretory Sentence shall be pronounced upon all !en, in the 1ast 6udgement, without any appeal. 1<3

,herefore first $now and consider, that the ,rue ,incture of %ntimony, which is the !edicine of !en and !etals, is not made of crude and melted %ntimony, as it is sold by !erchants and %pothecaries# but e"tracted from the !inera, as it is ta$en out of the !ountains, and before it is formed into -lass. But how that '"traction should be made, is the principal Wor$ in which the whole %rt consists4 attains to that. But, my Reader, you must diligently mind this, (i9. that the ,incture of %ntimony prepared fi"ed and solid, or the Stone of &ire 2as I name it3 is a certain pure, penetrati(e spiritual and fiery 'ssence, which is reduced into a coagulated !atter, li$e the Salamander, which in &ire is not consumed, but purified and conser(ed. ;et the Stone of &ire tingeth not uni(ersally, as the Stone8 of )hilosophers, which is made of the 'ssence of -old itself. ,o this no such power is gi(en, as that it should perform such things, but it tingeth particularly# (i9, Sil(er into -old, ,in also and 1ead# but !ars and Venus it toucheth not, nor do they yield more, then from them by Separation may be effected. ealth and Riches attend him, who rightly

%s much as

ea(en is ele(ated abo(e the 'arth, so much doth the

true Stone of the )hilosophers differ from this Stone of &ire. I myself do candidly confess, that although I ha(e found this, yet I am (ery far distant from the other. %nd this, whatsoe(er it is, I own to be recei(ed from the Wisdom of Basilius. +o you ta$e heed you be not deluded by your own &antasy, and that others decei(e you not. !oreo(er, one part of it can tinge no more, then fi(e parts of !etal, so as to persist in the ,rial of Saturn and %ntimony# whereas, on the contrary, the -reat Stone of )hilosophers can 1<1

transmute to infinity. %lso in augmentation it cannot be so far e"alted# yet the gold is pure and solid. ,he !inera, out of which this Stone or ,incture is made, is no other then 2as I abo(e mentioned3 the (ery 'arth of %ntimony# from which, I say, it is made4 but how or with what (irtue, force, and power it is endued, you shall hear anon. 1et the Reader consider, that there are many $inds of Stones found, which tinge particularly# but all fi"ed )owders, which tinge, I here signify by the name of Stones# yet one tingeth more highly then another, as especially the Stone of )hilosophers, which obtains the principal place# the ne"t is the ,incture of Sol# and of 1una. &or the White4 after these, the ,incture of Vitriol or Venus# li$ewise the ,incture of !ars# either of which hath in it self the ,incture of Sol, when reduced to &i"ation. /e"t to these follow the ,inctures of 6upiter and Saturn for .oagulation of !ercury# and lastly, the ,incture of !ercury itself. ,his is the difference and multiplicity of Stones and ,inctures, all which notwithstanding are generated from Seed, and from one original !atri", from which the true 0ni(ersal Stone proceeds, but out of these no other !etallic ,incture is to be found. But all other ,hings, by what name soe(er called, all Stones 2whether precious or common3 I touch not now, nor ha(e I any Intention to write or spea$ anything of them at this time# because they contain in themsel(es no other Virtues, then what appertain to !edicine. /or shall I here ma$e mention of %nimal or Vegetable Stones# because they are only conducent to !edicine# but for !etallic Wor$s unprofitable and (oid of all Virtue. ;et all the Virtues of all ,hings, !ineral, %nimal, and Vegetable, collected into one, are found in the Stone of the )hilosophers. Salts are endued with no tinging Virtue, but are only :eys8 for the )reparation of Stones# otherwise of themsel(es they effect nothing.

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5,alts, as here is rightly said, are 9eys; they open the +hest wherein the %reasure lies( 3ut you must !e sure to ta/e the true 9ey; otherwise you may spoil the oc/, and not open the +hest( It is not safe in this +ase to ta/e ?uid for ?uo, as Apothecaries are wont( ;ou must have a Philosophic 9ey, and proper ,alts fit for opening must !e ta/en( Nor condemn this Distinction, which is intimated, !etween ,alts opening, which the Author here calls $as they are' 9leys, and ,alts fi.ing, which enter the %reasure itself; as is sufficiently manifest !y the %e.t(

;et, as for !etallic Salts 2I now spea$ to the purpose if you rightly understand, what distinction I put between !ineral Salts3 they are not to be slightly esteemed, nor to be re*ected in ,inctures, since we can in no wise be without them, in their .omposition, &or in them lyes that most precious ,reasure, from which e(ery &i"ation deri(es its Original. ere some may as$, and indeed (ery properly# whether such a Stone can be made without matter5 I answer, /o. &or e(ery ,hing must ha(e its own !atter# but not without +istinction. %nimals require their !atter, Vegetables theirs, and !inerals theirs. Only consider and before all things obser(e this# (i9. that no Body can be profitable for any Stone, without &ermentation, which I find in the end of the Wor$ 2I mean as to the )reparation of the -reat Stone3 cannot be omitted, if I would con(ert !etals with gain# for although in tangible is ta$en# yet from that formal Body must be e"tracted a certain Spiritual and .elestial 'ntity 2shall I call it3 or %pparency# for I find no other more fit name to gi(e it4 which 'ntity was by the Stars, before infused into that Body, and by the 'lements concocted and made perfect. ;et this Spiritual 'ntity must again by a lesser &ire, and by the Regimen and +irection of the !icrocosm, be reduced to a tangible, fi"ed, Solid and inconsumptible !atter. But what do I, or what do I spea$5 I act as if I were depri(ed of my Reason8, in uttering words so openly. &or if I had either Reason or 6udgement, I should not disco(er so great ,hings with my ,ongue, or command my hand to proceed in writing them. 1<<

8%rt thou well in thy Wits, Basilius, who doest thus prostitute the %rcanum of the Stone, which hath unto this day been so diligently absconded by all )hilosophers5 Surely, if thou hadst not laboured with I $now not what Intemperance of !ind, thou wouldst ha(e closed thy 1ips, and not ha(e so clearly opened, what it is to separate the )ure from the Impure, what to render the fi"ed (olatile, and again to fi" that# how the Inferior becomes Superior, and that again plunged into the +eep %byss, from which it had ascended. ,o disco(er so many !ysteries, in so few Words, as here thou doest, assuredly if it be not !adness, it is a certain (ery great bene(olence to )osterity. ,his is that which mo(ed him. Valentine seems to ha(e burned with this %ffection, and could not o(ercome that Inclination of Well<doing to many, by the Obligation 2imposed on all )hilosophers3 of concealing the Secret !ystery of /ature, which by the %uthor thereof, that is, by /ature naturating with Intellectual Re(elation, is communicated only to the Sons of %rt worthy and chosen. ,he Secret of Secrets hath fallen from Basilius, do thou Reader attend, if you find the )earl, be not li$e %esop7s .oc$. %ll ,inctures of !etals ought to be separated, as that they may be mo(ed with a certain principal 1o(e and %ffection to !etals, and ha(e a propensity and desire of uniting themsel(es with tehm, and of reducing them to a better State. Will you ha(e an 'mblem, or '"ample5 Behold here it is of !an and Woman. If they two be inflamed with !utual 1o(e, neither +elay, nor Rest is admitted, until they be united, and their +esire satisfied4 after this 0nion they rest, and are multiplyed, according to the good pleasure of -O+, and the promise of his Blessing. !an li(es obno"ious to many and perillous +iseases, some of which debilitate and consume the powers of /ature so, as the !an can by no Remedies be perfectly restored to ealth and his former Strength. But lo(e is a disease, with which no other +isease may be compared, which is not healed unless by )roduction of its own 1<4

li$e, which either Se" desireth, and that +esire is not satisfied, unless by fulfilling his will of the en$indled affection. ow many ,estimonies of this (iolence, which is in 1o(e, are daily found5 for it not only inflames the ;ounger Sort, but it so e"agitates some )ersons far gone in years, as through the burning eat thereof, they are almost mad. /atural +iseases are for the most part go(erned by the .omple"ion of !an, and therefore in(ade some more fiercely, others more gently# but 1o(e, without distinction of poor or rich, young or old, sei9eth %ll, and ha(ing sei9ed so blinds them, as forgetting all Rules of Reason, they neither see or fear any Snare. )eculiar !embers are infected with the Singular Symptoms of other +iseases, all the other parts remaining sound and free from that +olour. Whom 1o(e infects, it in(ades all o(er, penetrates the Body and its whole Substance, &orm, and 'ssence, and lea(ing nothing unoffended. &or ta$ing place in the eart there it $indles a &ire, the burning heat of which is diffused through the Veins, %rteries, and all the !embers of the body, and in a word I say, where 1o(e once hath fi"ed its Root, the man is so depri(ed of all sense, reason and understanding, as he forgets all things, seriously minds nothing# he is unmindful of -O+ and his 1aw, his promises and threats he little regards# the torments of ell and rewards of 'ternal 1ife he condemns. I spea$ of inordinate and unlawful 1o(e, to which, if a man be once addicted, he adheres so pertinaciously, as nothing can reclaim, nothing can restrain him# he forgets his +uty, .alling and .ondition# derides all admonition, despiseth the .ounsels of )arents, Superiors, and others who wish him well# briefly I say, he is so blind with 1o(e as he cannot see his own !isery# so deaf, as he cannot hear those, who by their faithful ad(ice, endea(our to turn and a(ert from him, the damage and e(il, which would befall him. 1o(e lea(es nothing entire, or sound in the !an# it impedes his Sleep, he cannot rest either /ight or +ay# it ta$es off his %ppetite, that he hath no disposition either to !eat or +rin$, by reason of the continual ,oerments of his eart and !ind. It depri(es him of all )ri(dence# hence he neglects his %ffairs, Vocation, and Business# he minds neither 1abour, Study nor )rayer# casts away all thoughts 1<8

of any ,hing but the Body belo(ed# this is his study, this his most (ain Occupation. If to 1o(ers the Success be not answerable to their Wish, or so soon and prosperously as they desire, how many !elancholies hence arise, with griefs and sadnesses, with which tehy pine away and wa" so lean, as they ha(e scarcely any flesh clea(ing to the Bones# yea, at length tehy loose the 1ife itself, as may by many '"amples= &or such !en 2which is an horrible thing to thin$ of3 slight and neglect all perils and detriments, both of the Body and 1ife, and of the Soul and 'ternal Sal(ation. But of these enough# for it becomes not a Religious !an to insist too long upon these .ogitations, or to gi(e place to such a flame in his heart. itherto 2without Boasting I spea$ it3 I ha(e throughout the whole course of my 1ife $ept myself safe and free from it, and I pray and in(o$e -O+ to (ouchsafe me his -race, that I may $eep holy and in(iolate the &aith, which I ha(e Sworn, and li(e contented with my Spiritual Spouse, the oly .atholic .hurch. &or no other reason ha(e I alleged these, then that I might e"press the 1o(e, with which all ,inctures ought to be mo(ed toward !etals, if e(er they be admitted by them into true &riendship, and by 1o(e, which penetrates the inmost parts, be con(erted into a better State. /ow let us proceed to the )reparation of the Stone, and lea(e its use to the .lose of this +iscourse. ,his Stone is of a penetrable and fiery /ature, is cocted and brought to !aturity by fire, no otherwise, then all other ,hings, which are found in this Orb# which notwithstanding as they are of a di(erse /ature, so they in di(erse manners obtain that, according as the /ature of ,hings supplies with +is(erse &ires. ,he first &ire is .elestial, by -O+ $indled in our confidence in and of -O+ our creator, of the !ost earts, by oly and

which being inflamed we are mo(ed with 1o(e and a certain incomprehensible ,rinity, and of the !ercy, -ra(e of our Sa(iour 1<2

6'S0S . RIS,# which .onfidence $indled is 0s by 1o(e, ne(er fails, ne(er deserts us in our /ecessities, but will most certainly deli(er our Souls from e(erlasting destruction. ,he second &ire is 'lemental, produced by the Sun, and tends to the Ripening of all things in the !acrocosm. ,he third &ire is corporal, with which all &oods and !edicines are cocted and prepared, without which !en can neither obtain ealth of Body, nor sustentation of 1ife. Of a fourth &ire mention is made in the Sacred Scriptures, (i9. that, which before the Supreme 6udgement of -O+ shall consume this (isible World4 but what &ire is, and how it shall operate, that 2if we be wise3 we must lea(e to be *udged of by his own Supreme !a*esty. % fifth &ire is also spo$en of in oly<Writ, (i9. 'ternal &ire, in which ne(er to ha(e end, the +i(els shall ne(er be set at liberty from their Infernal )rison, and wic$ed !en, their .ompanions, ad*udged to those 'ternal &ires, shall be (e"ed, punished and miserably tormented fore(er4 from which I pray the Omnipotent and merciful 1ord to preser(e us. ere I would admonish all and e(ery .reature endued with Reason, by their )rayers to beg that -race and !ercy from the Omnipotent, that they may so conform their 1ife to the +i(ine )recepts, and their own +uty, as that they may escape this &ire, and its 'ternal ,orments. Our stone of &ire 2which is to be noted3 must be cocted ripened with .orporal &ire in the !icrocosm, as all other !edicines and foods are prepared by the same. &or where the great &ire of the !acrocosm ceaseth from it7s Operation, there the !icrocosm begins to produce a new -eneration# therefore this .oncoction should seem strange to no !an. .orn is augmented and ripened by the 'lementary &ire of the !acrocosm# but by the .orporal &ire of the !icrocosm a new .oction and maturation is effected, that man may use and en*oy that +i(ine -ift for his sustentation, and by the same perfect the 1ast and the 1east, which is produced of the first and the -reatest. ,he true Oil of %ntimony, of which the said stone of &ire is made, is abo(e measure sweet, and from it7s earth is in such wise purged 1<7

and separated, as if a -lass full of it be e"posed to the Sun, its casts forth (arious and wonderful Rays 2as if many fiery Speculums were there present3 resembling a Ruby and other .olours. /ow attent O lo(er of %rt and ,ruth, and hear what I shall teach. ,a$e in the /ame of the 1ord, of the !inera of %ntimony, which grew after the Rising of the Sun, and Salt /itre, of each equal )arts# grind them subtily and mi" them# burn them together with a moderate &ire (ery artificially and warily# for in this the principal )art of the Wor$ consists. ,hen you will ha(e a matter inclining to Blac$ness. Of this matter ma$e -lass, grind that -lass to a subtile )owder, and e"tract from it an high red ,incture with sharp distilled Vinegar, which is made of it7s proper !inera. %bstract the Vinegar in B.!. and a )owder8 will remain, which again e"tract with Spirit of Wine highly rectified, then some feces will be put down, and you will ha(e a fair, red, sweet '"traction, which is of great 0se in !edicine. ,his is the pure Sulphur of %ntimony, which must be separated as e"actly as is possible.
5%a/e heed, ta/e heed, O over of +hymistry, lest !y this -ire, you !urn the

Wings of your 3ird, which hath now raised itself to the top of *ountains( -ew words are sufficient to the Intelligent, there is no need to inculcate the same things often, our careful -ather 3asilius doth that often enough(

If of this '"traction you ha(e one pound two ounces ta$e of the Salt of %ntimony, as I taught you to prepare it, four ounces and on them pour the '"traction, and circulate them, for a whole !onth at least, in a Vessel well closed, and the Salt will unite itself with the '"tracted Sulphur. If &eces be put down, separate them, and again abstract the Spirit of Wine by B.!. ,he )owder which remains urge with (ehement &ire, and not without admiration will come forth a (aricoloured sweet Oil, grateful, pellucid and red. Rectify this Oil again in B.!. So that a fourth part of it may be distilled, and then it is prepared.

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,his Operation being completed, ta$e li(ing 8!ercury of %ntimony, which I taught you how you should ma$e, and pour
5%his word, our *ercury, which hath so often rendred %hee am!iguous, is also here to !e understood0 for if you ta/e not the true *ercury of Philosophers, you do nothing( Whosoever he !e, that shall candidly tell you this, he will !e to you Pylades, and you to him Orestes, and nothing will !e more pleasant to me in ife, then to "oin myself to you, as a third ,ociate in -riendship(

upon it red Oil of Vitriol made upon Iron, and highly rectified. By +istillation in Sand remo(e the )hlegm from the !ercury# then you will ha(e a precious )recipitate, in .olour such, as ne(er was any more grateful to the Sight# and in .hronical +iseases and open Wounds, it may profitably be used for reco(ering the )ristine Sanity. &or it (ehemently dries up all Symptomatical umors, whence !artial<+iseases proceed# in which the Spirit of the Oil, which remains with the !ercury, and con*oins and unites itself thereto, powerfully helps. ,a$e this precipitate, and of the Superior Sweet Oil of %ntimony, equal parts, pour these together into a )hial, which well closed set in con(enient heat, and the )recipitate will in time resol(e and fi" itself in the Oil. %lso the )hlegm by the &ire will be consumed, and what remains become a Red, dry, fi"ed and fluid8 )owder which will not in the least gi(e forth from itself any &ume. 8&ar hence, far hence ye )rophane, and you that are initiated in the Sacred !ysteries of .hymistry $eep silence. 1et the :ing enter into his Bed<.hamber, that he may consummate his !arriage. O tua te quantis attollet -loria rebus, .onnubio tali=

1<=

;et ma$e not too much hast to enter, or disturb this !atrimonial .on*unction, let them for many !onths delight themsel(es with their mutual 'mbraces, and not go forth, until from their mutual 1o(e they be changed into an ermaphroditic Body, and ha(e produced that Son desired by all, if not a :ing of :ings, yet at least a Regulus or Ruler, which deli(ers his Sub*ects from +iseases and /ecessity. /ow my &ollower, and +isciple of %rcanums, I will spea$ after a )rophetic manner. When you ha(e brought your )hilosophic Studies 2in the !ethod by me prescribed3 to this end, you ha(e the !edicine of !en and !etals# which is grateful and Sweet in use, without all peril, it is penetrati(e, yet causeth not Stools, it induceth 'mendation, and e"pells '(il. 0se it as is fit, and it will yield you many .ommodities, both for health and temporal necessity# by which means you will be freed from want in this World# which is a thing of so great !oment, as no Sacrifice of -ratitude can be found sufficient to answer this fa(our of -O+ showed to you. ere, O my -O+, I as a Religious !an am troubled in !ind# and $now not whether I do well or ill, whether in 8 spea$ing I ha(e e"ceeded or not reached the due Bounds# whilst I propose, and show to e(eryone, as it were, his proper ouse. +o thou, that art a young &ollower of %rt, inquire, search and try, as I ha(e done# if you attain your 'nd, gi(e greatest than$s to -O+, and after him to me your !aster. But if you turn aside into de(ious and by<paths, blame yourself, not me# for I am not guilty of your 'rror.
5Our Author "udgeth himself to have spo/en too much, if you also thin/ the same, you will re"oice in his ,adness( ;et it is strange, that no *an can contri!ute a little ight to this Philosophy, !ut he presently repents(

/ow I ha(e said enough, and writ enough, and taught so clearly and openly, and plainly, as more manifestly or clearly cannot be done by Writing, unless some lost and rash !an, $nowing and willingly 143

would cast himself into

ell, to be there Submerged and )erish4

Because, by the .reator of all ,hings we are most se(erely prohibited further to unloc$ these !ysteries, or to eat of the ,ree which was planted in the midst of )aradise. ,herefore here I will desist, until Others show, what is here to be done by !e, and what they *udge is to be omitted, and say no more of this, but pass to its 0se. ,herefore $now, that the 0se consists in Obser(ation of the )erson and his .omple"ion, with relation to what appertains to umane ealth, that /ature be not o(erpowered with too great a ?uantity, or not helped by too small. ;et too much is not so Religiously to be feared# for it will not readily hurt# because it helps to reco(er the pristine Sanity, and fights against Venom, if any be in the Body. ,his I only add, three or four grains of it, gi(en in one only +ose, are sufficient for e"pelling e(ery '(il, if ta$en in Spirit of Wine. &or this Stone or ,incture passeth through all the !embers of the body, and contains in itself the Virtues of many %rcanums. It remedies the -iddiness of the ead, and all +iseases, which ha(e their Original from the 1ungs. It cures difficulty of Breathing, and the .ough# the 1eprosy and &rench +isease are amended by it, in a wonderful manner. ,he )est, 6aundices, +ropsies and all $inds of &e(ers, are often cured by it, 1i$ewise it e"pels Venom ta$en. It profits those, who ha(e drun$ a )hiltrum or 1o(e<potion4 it confirms all the !embers, Brain, ead, and all things depending thereon. It helps the Stomach and 1i(er# heals all +iseases, which proceed from the Reins# cleanseth the impurity of the Blood. %lso this ,incture of %ntimony, brea$s the Stone of the Bladder to )owder# and e"pells it# it pro(o$es 0rine, when stopped by &latus7s. It restores the (ital Spirits, cures Suffocation of the !atri", ma$es the !enstrues flow if stopped and stays them if inordinate. It causeth &ruitfulness, and ma$es the Seed sound, and a(ailable for -eneration, both in Women and in !en. 1astly, this Stone of &ire inwardly ta$en 2con(enient )laisters being also outwardly applied3 heals the .ancer, &istula7s, Rotteness in the Bones, and all 141

corroding 0lcers, and whatsoe(er ta$es beginning from the Impurity of the Blood, also the +isease itself called /oli me tangere. %nd that I may comprehend all in few Words, this Stone, li$e a )articular ,incture, is a 8 Remedy against all Symptoms, which can happen to the umane Body. %ll which '"perience will (ery clearly demonstrate to you, and open the way further to you, if you be a )hysician, called by -O+ to that Office.
51ere the *edicinal 6irtues are spo/en of at large( -or 3asilius supposeth %hee not to !e defiled with the -ilths of Avarice, !ut splendid in the discovering thse ,ecrets( Now farewell, O gained any ight of +harity, and !urning with a Desire of helping thy Neigh!our, following him over of +hymistry, and if thou, hast ight, either from the Interpretation of 3asilius, or my

+ommentaries, en"oy it, and communicate the same to the ,ons of Art, that Philosophy oppressed for so many ;ears with the intollera!le ;oa/ of Avarice, may at length !e revived, and a return !e of those times of )gyptians, in which %rismegistus and so many wise *agi, Philosophi#ed not with empty denominations, !ut with wonderful Wor/s(

In these, I thin$ I ha(e done my part, and writ more then sufficiently of %ntimony. If any One follows me, he may add his own '"periences to these, that 2with the singular fa(our of -O+3 before the consummation of the World, the !ysteries of the most igh may be re(ealed, to his -lory and honour, and the .onser(ation of health. a(ing finished this +iscourse, I intend for a time to be silent and return to my !onastery, there to learn )hilosophy further, that I may be able to comment of other ,higns and as I ha(e already promised, I shall 2-O+ willing3 write of Vitriol, common Sulphur, and the 1oadstone, and open their )rinciple, )owers, Operations, and Virtues. 1et -O+ the 1ord of ea(en and 'arth grant to us temporal ealth

here, and hereafter 'ternal Sal(ation for the Refreshment of our Souls, in the Seas of 6oy and -ladness, ne(er to be limited within any Bounds of time. %men.

146

,hus I conclude this ,reatise of %ntimony, and all whatsoe(er I ha(e written of the Red Oil of %ntimony, which is made of its Sulphur highly purified, and of the Spirit, which is prepared of its Salt. Incline your !ind to those, and with them compare these last, which I ha(e prescribed you touching the Stone of &ire. If you acutely consider them, you may easily find their 0nion unto the 'nd, by this .omparation. &or the &oundation is the same, the Reason the same, the &riendship the same, by which ealth is unting. required, and the Stag long sought ta$en with a pleasant

FINI#.

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