of God or observe those gifts which the Creatour hath implanted in his Creatures most profoundly to be considered I have a little before mentioned an Extraction of Antimony with Vinegar and Spirit of VVine now if the Vinegar be separated from that Extraction by B.M. and the powder remaining be put in a moist place it will resolve into a wound-Liquor or yellow Oyle which in new wounds acts wonders ineffable and in like manner in old it hinders and absolutely prevents any Symptomes from taking root and resists putrefaction The other or second extraction out of this powder before its solution with Spirit of Wine doth also shew its effect and in inward diseases gives place to no other remedy I have in my precedent writings most frequently propounded the way of its preparation and in this Antimoniall admonition abundantly repeated it because I know how much utility and how great secrets ly hid therein and therefore hope that those Repetitions in my Writings will not be tedious or troublesome to the Learner for what I write is not causelesly written But my speakings are short and containe a large extent within them and albeit they are manifold and frequently rementioned yet are they most obscure to such as are unexperienced and unprofitable to children and Infants and most beneficiall to the Disciple of Art only There 's also gotten another Extraction by a Caustick water and t is thus Grind equall parts of Vitrioll and common Salt together and distill from them a water Per Latus or retortwise Increase and urge the fire and so shall you extract a Liquor like unto melted Butter or Oyle which keep for its proper use Powder the Caput mortuum and dissolve it in a Cellar into water which gather apatt and filter through Paper Then take Hungarian Antimony most finely ground or powdered put it into a broad bottomed Glasse and pour upon it that water set it at a gentle warmth where if you let it abide its season it will at the beginning resemble the violet colour of the â—methyst which when t is brought to this Passe augment the fire and thou shalt have the colour of a Transparent Saphyr and from this Saphyrick colour will precipitate a white powder by the help of common water poured thereon which inwardly taken operates by stoole and Vomit like as the Extraction of Crude Vitrioll doth The solution in the Cellar which was extracted from the Caput mortuum doth truly transmute the thin leaves of Mars if boyled therein into Copper Experience being witnesse now hearken to me and consider somewhat further Pour the Oyle or the aforesaid water spoken of in the processe upon Crocus Martis being first reverberated with Sulphur to a Rednesse place it in some heat and extract the bloud red Tincture of Mars then take of this Extraction one part of the red Extraction of Antimony burnt with Salt Petre and prepared with spirit of wine three parts of the water of Mercury made apart by injection into an hollow pipe one part of the Calx of the Sun dissolved in this Caustick water halfe a part mix them and by effusion out of one Vessel into another purge them then forthwith abstract them by ashes in a fire meanly strong but the whole will not come over for there will reside in the bottom a fair red fixt solution very profitable for old Ulcers The remaining Caput Mortuum begets by resolution in a dark place so sharp a Liquor that scarce any Aqua fortis can compare with it in acrimony or sharpness but of this enough Out of Antimony may also be prepared a white powder thus Take of Hungarian Antimony and Salt Petre thrice depurated and ground together equall parts burn them in a new pot wherein hath been no grease in a fire of circulation you must not cast in all at once but by little and little and apart which the ancient Spagyrists call by the name of puffing for t is necessary that the Students in Art be acquainted with their strange Termes which as to country Language is unknown that puffation or injection being accomplished powder that hard remaining matter in the pot put it into a vessell of Glasse and pour thereunto common water warmed and when the matter shall have setled separate it and pour on more which do sometimes that the Salt Petre may be extracted dry and powder the matter and mix it again with an equall part of Salt petre proceed as before and do thus three times then grind the matter which remaines and pour thereunto the best spirit of Wine and circulate it for a month in Cucurbit or Circulatory well shut then burn on it new spirit of Wine nine or ten times which labour being done dry the powder leisurely and in a melting Crucible let it be well heated red hot for an whole day at the fire Out of this powder being resolved in a moist place either upon a Table of Glass or Stone or in the Whites of Eggs is made a Liquor which by the heat may be again dryed into a powder Verily this powder operates many very gallant things scarce credible without Experience It workes not of a sudden but by little and little and time must be granted for the production and discovery of its force and virtue Let any one who is afflicted with an inward Aposteme take constantly of this powder five or six times every day in spirit of Wine or meere Wine fifteen graines at a time and he shall be healed and the bloud shall by little and little be ejected and the Patient be come perfectly well He that is afflicted with the French Disease within his body let him use this powder and he shall be radically cured It produceth new Haire purgeth the bloud and doth many other good things which we omit for brevities sake For I cannot expound every thing with that plainnesse and so perspicuously as that every one should become a great Physitian by the bare reading of my Writings without any paines or labour no let them endure the burden as is reasonable and let him know that the country man that thresheth and worketh on the Corne will eat the best bread But now I proceed too much into the open Field in which the ancient Fowlers catch their Larks whom the younger will speedily follow with their Nets for my stile as all my Writings witness hath a peculiar method even as other Philosophers have likewise done before me But now that my Philosophy is changed by the processe therein immixed let not any Reader wonder at it for my Philosophical speech having description of the processes therein is different from another bare speech that hath no manifestation Mark this difference neither accuse me of being changeable in my intention in my philosophical stile preparation and process for in my philosophical speech thou shalt learn observe the Theory but the process together with admonition sufficient doth teach the practise and on that account are perspicuous
are loaden and with child as it were of false Wisdome ye lean on a deceitfull Foundation ye fly in the ayry imaginations of your owne fancies and are altogether ignorant of the place of your rest I do therfore admonish you as you will give an account at the dreadfull day of Judgement to the Son of God that you seek and learn what things you must use that you may perform your duty leaving the remainder unto God who will blesse you and afford his help unto you O slow asses and drones who care not to make any progresse in Learning and fear to black your hands with coales be not hasty to judge neither give any farther occasion of pulling that Sentence upon your selves which your childrens children may write against you in a booke incorruptible Above all things let every Physitian be cautious that he prescribe nothing averse to Nature or to his cure least his hope of restoring Health deceive him As if spirit of Wine should be poured into the water of separation a great conflict and burning would suddenly follow because one nature cannot brook the other But he that knowes how to unite and conjoyne them Philosophically in distillation will be able by the help thereof to make things momentary So the Oyle or Liquor of Tartar and Vinegar cannot be united by reason of their mutuall hatred although they both sprang from the same Fountaine differing from each other as much as fire and water so then the Physitian in his undertaking a cure ought heedfully to inquire into all circumstances that respect his patient and having so examined let him consider and use such right Mediums as may remove the evill lest destruction ariseth from that which should have remedied the Disease As when a red hot iron is quenched in Aquafortis oyl of Tartar forthwith poured thereunto thou shalt scarce preserve thy glasse from breaking but those contrary Natures will cast out fire from themselves in the manner of Gunpowder concerning which our Doctor with his Gowne being ignorant is forc'd to hold his peace Ah wretched men unlearned Doctors unexperienced Physitians who write tedious Receipts in a long paper O ye Apothecaries that set over the fire great cauldrons sufficient to boil the meat of noble mens houses and to hold enough for an hundred persons how long will ye be blind anoint your eyes with a Collyrium and Balsom that the scales may be taken off and your Eyes may obtain a true sight which the Lord vouchsafe unto you that you may acknowledge his wonders and consider his works let Love and Charity to your Neighbour take root within you that you may be searchers after true Medicine which the King and Heavenly Prince of all hath formed by his own omnipotent arme and eternall Wisdome and freely given for the benefit of the most noble creature Man viz. For his help and health in the greatest necessity O deplorable putrid and stinking bag of Wormes ah poor little Worm and vilest of creatures what thinkest thou that thus feelest after the Husks and leavest the kernells nor ever thankest thy Creatour for them after whose image thou wert created nor ever givest praise unto him for all his wondrous works Return Return unto thy self delineate or paint thy self out and make a Resemblance of thy Effigies that it may shame thee of all thy ingratitude because thoâ— hast not hitherto sought that which Goâ— hath hidden in those good things he hatâ— granted unto us and infused into hiâ— creatures that a Sacrifice of Praise maâ— be returned unto him But I shall hold my peace and from bewailing this misery blindnesse and errour wherein the world is drowned I shall restainâ— my self left by the trickling down of tears my writings should receive defilement from which I can hardly abstaine I am an Ecclesiasticall man implanted into Church-order whereto I shall subject my self with my heart and mouth as long as my Soule lives in this miserable body I am on that account compelled to refrain nor dare I write any thing of my selfe unlesse it be suitable to my Order else I would lift up my voice like a Trumpet and were I but a Temporall Judge I would have audience at the hands of those contumacious men who as yet not knowing the truth but are ignorant do slanderously persecute it calumniate reproach and oppresse it with all their strength Most good God most high Lord of hosts that sittest in thy Glorious Throne governest the Heavens and the earth which thou hast created conservest the stars disposest the elements the firmament that they may run their course before whom all the World trembles the internall Spirits fear Look down for once upon the vanity of this unthankfull World Teach the Sons of men inwardly to acknowledge what thou hast outwardly set before their Eyes that thou maist be glorified in thy Throne truly known in thy power and worthily praised in thy infinite government rule Truly I wretched and worthlesse man do give all thanks to thy most glorious mjesty for those great miracles and blessings of health and riches which thou hast vouchsafed me I cannot give thee any more in this World which is but temporary and corruptible But now in my writing of Antimony I shall discover its beginning truly of what originall and how it obtaines superiority and government how it may be elevated into its perfect operation I will propound its root and its generation in the bowels of the Earth to what predominating star it is subject what Elements they are which have concocted it Let therefore the studious artist know that Antimony is nothing else but a fumâ— or minerall vapour produced above by the stars and then digested by the Elements into a coagulated forme Let all know that Antimony receives its Essence Virtue Faculty Operation and all qualities as to its initium oâ— birth and root as the Mercury of the Vulgar doth but with an harder coagulation Seeing that it is reduced to a more hard confirmation or coagulum then common running mercury which wants this induration and the reason is because it participates of a more thick salt out of the three principles although with respect to its three principies the salt obtains in it the smallest roome yet it hath more thereof then common mercury hath from which meanes it obtains its coagulation because t is salt that gives hardnesse in all things which hardnesse common Mercury wants because of its small portion of salt In which mercury a combustible sulphur is invisibly implanted alwaies keeping it in flux prohibiting its coagulation nor can it be coagulated without the addition of other metallick Spirits which in the matrix of Saturne are most potently effused and to be there had beyond all the other metals and otherwise it cannot be accomplished without the stone of the Wise men by which its three principles are made harmonious and threby it obtaines a fusil malleable soluble and conjugable body like to the other
the ventricle onely but suffers the cause of the disease to remaine I now therefore begin at the several sorts of the ordering of Antimony and make evidence of all the keyes of its preparation which by fire onely is manifested as a new birth in that vocation or calling prescribed by God The solution or preparation of the mineral of Antimony is done by sundry sorts of fire and regiments of Art by which its medicinal force and operation is extracted by heat and seeing that Antimony is of a mixt colour of a dull reddish black with a litle shining whitenesse I 'll first describe its first destruction or calcination which is thus brought to passe Take Hungarian Antimony or any other the best grind it upon a marble into most subtile powder lay this powder thin and sparingly in a plain Earthen vessel round or square which let be made with rims about the heigth of two fingers breadth Place this vessel on a calcining furnace administer at first a Gentle fire of coals and when the stibium begins to fume stir it with a litle iron rod to and againe without ceasing until it ceaseth to emit any Vapour but if in the calcination the Antimony chanceth to melt and run into balls Take off the vessel from the fire and let the stibium cool and grind it again and doe as afore which must be so often don until it neither fumes nor runs together any more but remains in the form of white Ashes for then is your Calcination perfect Take now this stibium thus calcined put it into a goldsmiths Crucible Place it at a violent fire that the Antimony may flow like pure clear Water and that you may know when the glasse of stibium hath attained a perfect and pellucid colour put into the crucible a long cold iron and the glasse will stick thereunto which strike of with an hammer and so separate it and hold it up against the light which if it be transparent t is good and perfect glasse But the Reader and Tyro in this Art for I write not to experienced Artists who have a long time endured the heat of the fire and so its a slight and easy thing to them to make Glasse of Antimony but to young followers of Pyrotechny ought to know that all glasse be it made of what it will either of a mineral or a metal or other things ought to have its due perfection that it may shine througly may operate and be moreover further prepared for medicine The Antimony thus melted in the Crucible Take a plain and broad dish or platter of Laton which first well warm lest it break poure in the stibium by litle and litle and very thinly and thou shalt have a yellow transparent fayr glasse And this way of preparing the glasse of Antimony without any adition is the best which in its operation discovers a greater virtue and this is that which I call pure Glasse the other sorts being made by the addition of Borax and other such things for example Take Antimony one part Venice Borax two parts grind them together put them in a crucible and place them at a most violent fire untill they melt together poure them out into a Dish of Latton warmed by little and little and let it run thin and thou shalt have if thou hast rightly proceeded a red transparent Glasse like to a Rubine the rednesse or which glasse may be extracted with spirit of Wine by a long circulation in the fire and administred with very great successe for a most noble Medicine There may be also made of Antimony a white Glasse after this manner Take Antimony one part Venice Borax four parts grind them together and flux or melt them in a crucible as aforesaid first twill become yellow but by a longer continuance in the fire it wil become most white which you may try by putting thereinto a cold Iron and examine if the colour be perfect or not and proceed as above There may be prepared also out of Antimony glasse of severall other colours but I have only set before you such as I have learned by experience know their Tendency to health nor do I judge it necessary to fill up paper with too much talking and by unprofitable verball circuits to prove irksome to the Reader and the rather for that there hath been declared unto thee as to the glasse made of Antimony the cheifest colour viz. A transparant Redness The blacknesse which at first was its associate fled away with the fume after a spirituall manner because according to that spirituall kinde by the violence of fire the poison is blotted out and taken away by calcination although the Glasse be not absolutely destitute of poyson but holds as yet a great portion thereof in it selfe I will go on therefore to acquaint thee how the poyson may be altogether taken away from the glasse the pure from the impure and a new separation of that which is hurfull from what is helpfull may be instituted that the Tongue of the Eloquent may be loosned and cause given him of propagating my praise to the Worlds end which without all question my Disciples wil cheerefully performe when they come to see and perceive with their eyes and feel with their hands that I have written the naked truth for their profit and renoun and have left behind me as it were a memorable Testament Now the first separation of the Sulphur from its own body and extraction of the Tincture from the Salt is thus brought to passe Take pure glasse of Antimony made without any addition as I have taught thee grind it to the consistency of meal or slower put it into a glasse bolt head having a broad bottom whereto poure strong rectified distilled Vinegar set it at a gentle heat or in the summer time in the Sun stirring or shaking it twcie every day until the Vinegar resemble the colour of molten gold which separate from the Glasse and reaffuse new distilled Vinegar do as afore and as soon as that is coloured take it out viz. the tinged Liquor which change so often and extract untill the Vinegar will not be coloured any more conjoyne all these extractions filtre them and abstract the Vinegar by an Alembeck in B. M. and a dark-red or yellowish powder will remain at the bottome to which powder poure pure distilled Rain Water and take it again off pouring more new thereupon and do so severall times by which meanes the sharpnesse will be taken away and the powder will remain sweet and pleasant Grind this powder upon a Marble or Glasse first heated and place it in a new Alimbeck whereon poure Spirit of Wine rectified to the very supreamest perfection three fingers high and so a Tincture of Antimony most pleasantly red is extracted some feces residing at the bottome This extraction is sweet and profitable and such a remedy as without experience is scarcely to be beleeved The Feces left behind hold the
and mix them exceedingly well place them in a gentle fire burne or fire them together according to art this is the work and this is the Labour then shalt thou finde a dark dusky coloured matter remaining behind of which make glasse out of which being powdered extract a most red Tincture with a most strong vinegar distilled and made out of its own proper Minerall abstract the vinegar in B. M. and there will remaine a powder which yet again extract with spirit of Wine rectified unto the height and some feces wil remaine and thou shalt have a most red extraction profitable in medicine This is a most pure sulphur of Antimony separated to the utmost which if thou hast two pounds of add foure ounces of the salt of Antimony made as I have afore taught thee thereto mix them and circulate them in a vessel well shut for a month at least so wil the salt be united to the extraction if any feces remain let them be separated then first of all destil off the spirit of Wine in B. M. and that being abstracted augment the fire and there wil come forth the most sweet pellucid red oyle with many miraculous colours rectifie this oyle in B. that a fourth part may remaine and t is good Which being done take of the quick mercury of Antimony already spoken of and pour thereto a red oyle of Vitriol made out of Iron and supreamly rectified distil the phlegme in sand from the mercury and thou shalt have a precipitate a fairer then which cannot be seen nor a more profitable in old wounds and ulcers for it dryes up accidentall humours from whence martial diseases have their Rise where also the united spirit of the oyl assists him Take of this precipitate and of the aforesaid dulcorated oyle of Antimony equal parts mix them put them into a glasse wel shut in a gentle continuall heat the precipitate wil be dissolved in the oyle and be fixt consume all the phlegme in the fire and then shal you have a fix dry red fusible powder emitting no fume My disciple I wil now speake in the manner of the Prophets foretelling things to come When thy studies have guided thee thus far in Philosophy and thou hast perfected the Labour of Antimony which I have prescribed thee thou hast a medicine both for men and metals it is sweet and safe it penetrates it moves not the belly it corrects and expels what is evil If thy progresse hath been right this medicine wil reward thee in thy health and food that nothing in the world shal be wanting unto thee for which thou owest unto God a sacrifice of praise My God! I now speake with a sadned mind being an Ecclesiastical man for I do not know whether I have done right or otherwise whether too much or too litle I leave it to every ones judgment ye that are my disciples make tryal as I have done if you attaine to your end give praise to God and thank me who am your master if ye erre from the way blame your selves for I am not the cause of your errours I have spoken enough I have written enough yea so clearly that none can teach more cleare unlesse a man would purposely run into Hell and there drown himself uttering things prohibited by the Creatour and eating of the tree placed in the middle of Paradise but what I have done shal suffice me until I can more largely judge of what is lawful as to this thing and now I le speak a few words of its use The use consists in the view of the person and observation of his complexion as to humane health see thou givest neither too much nor too little that thou neither burden nature nor deny her what is sufficient Albeit it hurts not although too much be given for it helps lost health and resisteth poisons Yet know that three or four graines at a dose is sufficient for the expulsion of all diseases being given with spirit of wine This stone or Tincture penetrates all the joynts of the body and far transcends other Arcanums it doth most readily take away the Pthisis and all diseases arising from the Lungs the Asthma the Cough Lepry and Lues venerea the Plague Jaundise dropsie and all Feavers it expels any poisonous drink t is profitable for such as are infected by a philtre or love potion it comforts the head the brain and what is of affinity to them the stomack the Liver it heales the diseases of the Reines it purgeth corrupt bloud expels maligne humours lessens the stone of the bladdet and drives it forth heales the windy Dysury c. It brings back the vitall spirits compresseth the suffocatian of the Matrix provokes the Menstrues and allayes their overflowings it begets fruitfulness and sound seed in both sexes Outwardly This stone of fire but yet it must be be also taken into the body and a suitable wound plaister externally applyed heales the Gangrene and all other corroding diseases the scab and infirmities arising from the corruption of the bloud and the Noli me tangere In a word this stone as a particular Tincture is a remedy for almost all the diseases whereto man is subject which experience showes together with the way if only thou beest a true Physitian sent and called by God I will write no more of Antimony I have acted my part let another also act his that the mysteries of God may be layd open before the worlds end to the glory of him and for the health of men I le hold my peace and returne to my monastick order until I shal have made larger progresse in my Philosophy that I may also write those things which I have a long time decreed viz. of Vitriol common sulphur and the Magnet their beginnings and virtues may it please the Prince of Heaven to bestow upon us health of body and eternall welfare of our soules in the unsearchable joyes of his celestial delight Amen I conclude this Tract of Antimony those things which I have written of the red oyle of Antimony made of its purified sulphur and of its spirit which is prepared of its salt observe and therewith compare this last Doctrine of the stone of sire wherein if thou whettest thy wit and mind from this comparing wilt thou finde their conjunction for the Basis and Foundation is one and the same and the Amiry and Freindship is the same by which health is attained unto and the lamenting Stag caught by a pleasant cheerfull hunting The Water Fire Aire Earth yea all things shall be reduced into powder and Ashes whatsoever is borne of them doth also in time perish The mercy of God only endures to all Eternity which alone Man enjoyes for which let us be thankfull FINIS The sorts of Antimony
be admitted such convenient remedies as may search unto suddenly set upon and divide it with the restauration of strength otherwise the Physitian labours in vain if the centre be not reached unto Every Physitian ought to know that no Externall disease having his originall and residence within can be destroyed by outward medicines but death and destruction would ensue thereupon For example if a man should endeavour to repell the out-breaking flowers of a tree back into their centre he would not only thereby destroy the fruit of the flower but the juice being forced back to the centre against the Law of Nature from whence it had its afflux to the tree would not onely be unprofitable by this violent Reunition but also totally suffocate it because the moist nutriment of the earth which it desires could not have admittance Great therfore is the difference between new wounds made with Iron old Ulcers begotten from an inward distemper New Wounds are curable by outward remedies old Ulcers are not so But besides the Application of Ointments Oyls Balsoms Cataplasms they require an inward cure that the Fountain may be destroyed and the thence-flowing River may be dryed up by which observing a right diet the disease shall be easily helped 'T is no Art or Skill to cure a green wound which even the Countryman with a peece of salted Hogs fat easily doth 'T is a peece of Art to remove the symptomes that happen to wounds and to dry up the original of diseases All ye Physitians throughout the universe all ye Doctors who practise Physick ye Masters and learned in Medicine of both sorts External and Internal come hither and examine your honourable Title and consider in your consciences whether you received it from God or not or proudly usurp it in formality or not Verily there is as vast a difference between an outward and inward curing as is betwixt the Heaven and the Earth If you have received your Title from God he will help blesse and prosper you But if you faign it or assume it to your self without such a Call ye though Great shall greatly fall by which you prepare for your selves the unquenchable fire of hell Truly our Saviour said to his Disciples Ye call me Lord and Master and ye doe well so let every one that will take to himself this honourable Title consider that he doth what is right that is that he abuseth not his Title and boast not of more than he hath learned He that will be a Doctor of both Medicines ought wel to understand both Medicines that he may discover inwardly the disposition of the body by Anatomy and in what member the disease hath his originall and by what means he may succour it he also ought to understand outwardly the circumstances of Wounds and Ulcers Good God! what would become of the Master of both Medicines and his Title where will it be found if many of such as use it were exposed to an exact tryall Heretofore the Physitians themselves wrought with their own hands especially in outward diseases this belonging to the Physitians office But now in our Age they have brought up their Servants to exercise Chirurgery and thus is this most noble Art become a base Trade which even the most illiterate blush not to practise Yea even such also as know not how to drive an Asse out of the Corn are Doctors of Chirurgery yet even the Physical Doctors are their Disciples and frequently exercise it with more successe and a better conscience that I may speak the truth than thou O Ambitious titled onely unlearned Physicall-Chyrurgeon that boastest of both names or titles doest But pray Master Doctor and Master Physitian be not angry I beseech you with my speech and opinion for thou wouldst be forced to acknowledge should I examine thee of Cuts and Stabs c. that thy judgement concerning such things is as large and as much knowledge lyes in thy pate as in the head of a Hen painted on a Table 'T is my faithfull advice to all such as are Learned both of high and low estate to consider judiciously and conscientiously those things that are required in Doctors and Masters viz. the true manner of the Preparation and the use of Medicine then may you justly assume to your selves this honourable Title and you 'l be able to succour the distressed and with a pure heart praise your Creatour By what hath been spoken let every one examine himself and see whether with right he may assume this Title for whoever will lay claim to any Title 't is behoovefull that he exactly understand it and be able perfectly to give an accompt why he assumed it For it is not sufficient to say with the vulgar Behold a great deal of stinking ordure with honour to your eares and to be ignorant of the cause of the stinch Although a man often feeds on the most sweet smelling food yet presently he casts out most fetid dung But you are to know the cause why fragrant fruit transmutes into stinch the ground of which is naturall Putrefaction And on the other hand in Spices the Odour is not solely to be respected but a Genuine Philosopher must search into the Essence and Originall of that smell and what good virtues lye therein From stincking dung with which the Earth is dung'd and nourished grows sweet smelling fruit for which are many reasons and a large Book might bee written of the various Transmutations of Nature but the chiefe cause of this change is Putrefaction and Digestion and they are its chief Keyes because the Fire and the Air bring or cause Maturity so that the Earth and Water are transmuted into each other for 't is a certain alteration that of Dung a Balsome bee made and contrariwise of Balsome Dung But you will object and say that I bring very Rurall and plain examples I confesse they are homely but the Wise man will by his own industry consider my intention herein how from the most low the most high may be made and from the high the most humble or low how out of a Remedy a Poyson and out of a Poyson a Remedy out of a Sweet thing a Corrosive and from thence a thing profitable may be produced Good God! Nature will not be throughly searched by us all for our Life is short and thou most just Judge hast kept to thy self many things that Man may admire thy Creatures of which thy self wilt be the Judge Give me grace that I may firmly retain my Saviour in my heart even to my ultimate end that besides my bodily health and food which in abundance thou hast bestowed upon me I may also obtain the riches and health of my soul of which I make no scruple since thou hast shed on the wooden Crosse out of thy ardent Love and Mercy the true Sulphur of the soul for me which heavenly Sulphur of the soul proves a poyson to the Devill but to us the greatest Medicine
for therein lies an an entrance of great concernment Antimony ought therefore so to be prepared which its owne proper Vinegar is able to do that its poison may be taken away and transmuted into Medicine which never more for the future retaines any poison but rather is sufficient to expell all sorts of poisons The preparation of Antimony consists in the Keyes of Alchymy only by which it is opened divided and separated such are Calcination Reverberation Sublimation Also in the Extraction of its Essence which is vivified into Mercury which Mercury is to be precipitated into a fix'd Powder moreover by art may an Oile be thence made which is most exceedingly profitable for the healing of the French disease and so other preparations are found out by the benefit of Chymistry For Example A workman intending to make Ale out of Barly Wheat or other Fruits t is needfull that he passeth through all these degrees before he extracts its Essence and convert it into a noble drink First of all he must macerate it in water untill the fruit be broken as I exactly observed when being a young man I was in Holland and England and this is nothing else but putrefaction This being done let the water run therefrom and the corne thus macerated gather up into an heap and leave it so for some season that of its own accord it may grow warme and this is called digestion which being finished dry the corne thus prepared in the Aire or at the heat of a fire which is Reverberation or coagulation being dryed let it be ground in a Mill like Meale and this is its Vegetable calcination all these things being performed it is to be boyled with water that so the most noble spirit of the graine may be extracted by and joyned unto the Water which before its preparation could not have beene done Thus then is the crude water changed into Ale and this is distillation after a grosse manner The little leaves of the Hops that are at last mingled with it are the Vegetable and preservative salt keeping the Ale from perishing by a new putrefaction The Italians and Spaniards have but a small Knowledge of this processe in the upper Germany also in the country of Rhine being my country few there are that are herewith acquainted All the aforesaid degrees being compleated then by clarification is a new separation made and a little ferment or Yest added to the boyled Ale which stirs it up to motion that it lifts up it self of its own accord and by that Ebullition is the troubled separated from the cleer the impure from the pure by convenient standing and time from whence the Ale attaines its due perfection and can operatively penetrate and accomplish that for which intent t is given As long as the operative spirit is hindred by impurity it cannot performe its Office and Worke which is apparent in Wine which before its setling and standing it cannot performe its operation but only after the separation of the pure from the impure which is hereby discernable because that neither wine nor ale will inebriate as long as they are new and unpurified and are not capable of then emitting their operating spirits but of this enough Now after all this a new separation may be instituted by a vegetable sublimation whereby the spirits of Wine or Ale may be reduced to another Drink viz. Aquavitae which also is extractable out of either of their feces which being done and the operating spirituall virtue separated from its body and abstracted by fire there remaines nothing behind but only a warrish and dead Sediment and by rectification this Aquavitae may be so exalted that by a frequent and artificiall abstraction it may become most pure without any phlegme or water accompanying it and then one pound is more efficacious then twenty pounds or more were before for it speedily penitrates and inebriates being reduced to this high Degree of Volatile virtue Thou therefore that art desirous of art if thou wouldst obtaine Knowledge from my Writings and Wealth Riches and true Medicine from Antimony consider well what I have afore sayd for therein the least Letter hath its signification and there 's not a word writ in vain verily in my writings all about are many words variously placed which if the artificer did consider and understand what the true intent is and in what the Mark lyes it would not greive him to read over every Leafe severall times and to engrave every word in a Table of Gold and take notice that although I have made use of Rusticall and Grosse Examples yet are they of great concernment I will not praise my own Bookes it being too unbe-seeming but let tryal be made and they shall be found truly praise-worthy I have the rather used such grosse examples that because the virtue of Antimony lies most profoundly hid and is to be drawn out of most secret places by such Examples a way may be opened for thee that thou mayst sooner obtaine thy end and begin in a convenient manner and bring thy diligent search to an happy issue Antimony may be compared to a Bird flying in the ayre which turnes herselfe sometime here sometimes there even as the aire drives her so here a man or artist is the Wind who drives Antimony where it pleaseth him and brings it under a constellation in that place which he hath assigned it for he can make it red yellow white or black even as it seemes him best having good respect to the governance of his Fire wherein he shall assuredly discerne that Antimony passeth all the colours which are wont to be found in Mercury at which do not make such great admiration for Nature permits many things which neither I nor thou shall be able totally and throughly to learne to day to morrow or next day When an illiterate man takes up any book he knowes not what the writing thereof containes and is totally ignorant of the signification of the Letters therein which he gazeth on as a Heifer on a new dore but when that unskilfull man shall be informed as to the signification and use of those Letters he then ceaseth to esteem it any science more but counts it a thing common and very facile the use and intent whereof he perfectly understands so that nothing seemes to him secret or obscure in that book when both the reading and true apprehension of its Contents are discovered and well conceived by him In like manner Antimony is as it were a booke for unexperienced men to read whom I faithfully admonish with all my heart if they would participate of the benefit of that booke that they first consider its Letters know and pronounce them that to read may be familiar unto them the which by practising they may deservedly be advanced unto a higher Forme or Classis in the Schoole in which Schoole truly experience is the master which by the Tryall discovers who shall obtaine the Garland and be
poyson and the Extraction receives the Medicine only which Medicine may successefully be administred to men and beasts both inwardly and outwardly For if four grains of this extraction be administred and severall times repeated it expels the Leprosie the Lues Venerea purifies the corrupt bloud resists melancholly opposeth poysons heales the Asthmatick and most other diseases if it be rightly and orderly used But if the afore mentioned yellow powder before its Extraction with the Spirit of Wine be ground on a warmed stone and if Eggs be boyled to an hardnesse and divided long wayes and the Yelke taken out and the Cavity filled with this yellowish powder and placed in a cold moist place or Wine cellar for some dayes it will be resolved into a yellow Liquor which Liquor heales all new wounds and solutions of continuity if presently at the beginning it be administred and anointed upon the Wounds with a fine feather strengthning and defending the Wound by superposition of a Wound plaister it hinders corruption and Putrefaction heales new Wounds with suppuration and tumour so that Praise and Thanks ought deservedly to be ascribed to the only Creatour for these mercifull Gifts In old Ulcers and Gangrenes use this Extraction or Balsom of Antimony it will not leave thee or forsake thee in thy necessity but thou wilt sing of its Praise and the Virtues which it s endowed with as I have done and of its successefull use in Externall Greifs The Gangrene Cancer Polypus Woolfe Ulcers of the Legs and all such like eating and creeping diseases fly before this remedy and leave the house at Liberty for former health to re-enter if well fixt Medicines be discreetly taken inwardly and other convenient Remedies applyed outwardly I am wont to reduce the Glasse of Antimony into at Oyle by an Alembick two wayes thus Take the Glasse made out of the Mineral of Antimony grind it most exceeding small extract it with distilled Vinegar which Extraction being made abstract the Vinegar by B.M. and to the remaining matter pour on spirit of Wine and again extract it put this Extraction thus twice dulcorated by the Spirit of VVine into a vessell Luted and exceedingly wel shut circulate or pelicane it for a whole Moneth then by a singular artifice let it be distilled by it selfe without any addition and so shalt thou have a sweet pleasant and wonderfull Medicine in the forme of a clear red Oyle out of which is the stone of fire made This Oyle is the supream Quintessence which can possibly be written of Antimony as may be seen in my admonition where I have breifly spoken thereof where I said that four instruments were requisite as to its preparation and a fifth which Vulcan dwels in that is four preparations are to precede its perfection and the fifth is the benefit and right application of the work in mans body For example The first Labour is calcination or melting into Glasse The second is digestion by which the Extraction attaines perfection The third is coagulation The fourth is distillation into an Oyl by which distillation the thin is separated from the thick after which separation succeeds fixation by the ultimate and last coagulation by which the matter is reduced into a transparent stone of fire which after all these Operations may be fermented in Metalls because it hath a very penetrative faculty but much inferiour to the virtues of the ancient and true stone of the Philosophers because it tingeth not universally but only particularly as I shall in the end demonstrate when I come to treat particularly of the stone of fire The afore described Oyl doth before its coagulation operate whatsoever is beneficially usefull for a Physitian to know in curing distempers eight grains before coagulation being taken in pure Wine makes a man young frees him from the Asthma and causeth that whatsoever Excrescenscies grow on man as Nailes hair c. fall away and new to be generated in their room so renovating as if a man were but newly born as the Phenix which fabulous story I mention for Examples sake is renewed by the fire and this Medicine is much lesse combustible then the wings of the unknown Salamander Moreover it consumes all the Symptomes of mans body in the manner of a consuming fire whereunto it may be compared it expels and casts out all that evil which Aurum Potabile is able to do but the star of the Sun only overcomes all the medicines in the World if being rightly prepared it be brought to a due fixation for the Star of the Sun and the star of Mercury which even of it self is very potent are generated and spring from the bloud of their own mother and from the living overflowing channell of health Nor let it trouble thee that this extraction with distilled Vinegar and Spirit of wine hath thus been reduced to a most subtil purity and exalted to the very height by Vulcan for it neither purges by stool nor yet by vomit but by Sweate Urine and spittle it casts out the cause of every Disease and restores whatsoever became coâ—rupted by meanes of accidentall Symptomes The common glasse of Antimony most smally ground or beaten and six grains or thereabouts according to the strength of the sick being administsed having beene first infused in a little VVine in a warm place over night and purely streined in the morning and the infusion drunk provokes to stool and oftentimes stirs up Vomit because of the crude mercuriall quality which remaines in the Glasse on which account let every wise and prudent Physitian consider with himself and look well how he useth the glass as to Purgations and let him rightly examine and in due manner administer it Now I being hindred by the shortnesse of time it cannot be expected that I should throughly search every thing and the rather for that many more men there are in the VVorld who have abilities to search which if rhou wilt do thou shalt receive the largest portion of praise next my selfe and I will also in these Writings of mine commend thee even when I am buried in my assigned Sepulchre for thy diligence in finding more Experiments Although I never saw thy face and should have haply a little controverted with thee wert thou at present borne or brought forth into the world The common glasse of Antimony may be also converted into an Oyle praise worthy by the addition of something which may without danger be given to the Epileptick and is thus prepared Take the glasse of Antimony grind or beat it exceeding well pour upon it the juice of unripe Grapes Digest them in a Glasse bolt head with a plain bottome excellently well Luted then abstract the juyce and dry the powder and grind it with twice its weight of clarified Sugar moisten it with distilled Vinegar distill it in the name of God through a Retort and at the end augment the fire and so thou shalt extract a Red Oyle which clarifie with the Spirit
which for examples sake I have made use of that so they may the sooner credit my other writings wherein I speak more abstrusely But because there 's a great difference between the bodies of men and beasts I have no intent by this example here induced that crude Antimony should be given to men also because that the beasts are able to bear and concoct much crude meats which is not permitted to the tender nature and complexion of man to doe He therefore that will succesfully and with profit make use of Antimony ought above all things to be experienc'd and exactly to know the preparation thereof and furthermore to consider the nature of his patient whether he be old or yong strong or weak lest through the Physitians errour the patient be destroyed in steed of being cured I now speak as to the weight of the dose wherein the supreame magistry is contained But if I should make use of circumstances and tedious ensamples for the further illustration of every thing I should be to long I will therefore omit to speak any more thereto and addresse my self to another preparation or fixation of Antimony for as the spirit of wine separated from its body heats and warms a man if it be drunk but if outwardly applyed it extracts all the causes of inflamed members on the contrary vineger cooles and refrigerates both inwardly and outwardly although it be of the same original and kind and meerly for this reason because vineger is made by digestion alone whence followes the putrefaction of the wine with a vegetable fixation But the spirit of wine is made by the separation of destillation or by a vegetable sublimation by which the spirit of wine is made volatile Even so Antimony according to this or that manner of preparation doth wonderfully display his gifts and that even beyond mans apprehension It is thus fixt Take of Antimony most subtily powdred as much as you please put it into a bolt head poure upon it as much Aquafortis as will cover it 6 inches or halfe a foot high place it at a most gentle fire to extract for ten days filtre the extraction that it may be free from the feces Then draw off the Aquafortis by ashes or sand even to a drynesse there will remaine a yellow powder at the botrome whereto pour destilled raine water place it at a continual heat and you shall have a red extraction filtre it abstract the water per B. Even to a drynesse and a red powder will reside behind Hereto poure destilled vineger which in the heat will by litle and litle grow red and leave some whitish feces destil this vineger by ashes and reverberate that red powder which stayes behind three dayes in a constant open fire then extract its tincture with spirit of wine separat the remaining feces All which things being accomplished abstract the spirit of wine per B. and there will remain a red powder fix'd and constant which doth wonderfully perform its office for if halfe a dragme be taken three times in a day morning noon and evening or oftner which you may doe without any injury it drives forth coagulated bloud out of the body and in time opens dangerous apostems radically cures the Lues venerea produceth new hayr and notably renews a man Now having sufficiently spoken of the fixt powder and extraction of Antimony I shall forbear to speak more about it and come now to treat of its flores which may be made sundry wayes And here most men can neither tell what to speak or what to answer as being altogether ignorant of this artifice and such like there will be some but an exceeding small number of my disciples who are earnestly desirous of the Spagyrick Art that will give heed unto my sayings and will censure otherwise then the most will doe To you therefore my disciples I have to say if ye will follow me take up my crosse suffer even as I have suffered learn to undergo persecutions as I have done waver not as to your intended labour pray uncessantly work without Jrksomenesse and thus doing God who heard my prayers will not forsake you in yours whose goodnesse I thankfully acknowledge with hearty sighes and ocular tears Now as to my admonition touching the flores of Antimony I doe declare that they admit of sundry and various preparations as is known to all Spagyrists Some by the admixtion of salt Armoniack drive them downward per descensum out of a retort and dulcorate them by extracting the salt Armoniack and these flores being of a most white colour doe much Others make use of some particular appropriated instruments having litle pipes or necks that the Antimony enjoying the liberty of the ayre may ascend Others performe their sublimation in a strong fire over which they place three convenient pots and extract white yellow and red flores together which I have also attempted without any errour But when I would rightly use the flores in medicine I am wont to mingle Colcotha of Vitriol with the red flores and to sublime them together three several times for thereby the essence of the vitriol Co-ascends and the flores become the stronger which having done I extract the flores with spirit of wine and separate the remaining feces and destil off the spirit of wine per B. M. Until a dry powder is left And these are my prepared flores which I administer to my brethren and other sick persons addressing themselves unto mee whose souls I administer spiritual comfort unto by virtue of my office and whose bodyes I succour by virtue of faith and confidence These flores purge gently without excesse of stooles and have taken away many Tertians and Quartanes and consumed other diseases But I have decreed by the help of God and the blessed Virgin Mary to compose a memorable Testament and leave behind me in my old age a catalogue of all such cures as I have happily perfected that I may openly ascribe thanks due to God and my successours may know my hearty good will and together with me admire and acknowledge those wonders of God which he hath hid in nature and which by my labour I have extracted T is worth the readers knowledge to understand concerning the sublimation of Antimony and its flores that as to its condition it is not unlike to that water which flowes down from the most high Towring Mountains Thus therefore may a man judge of the difference of water some break forth even in the loftiest mountains and were there far higher mountains yet would the water climb up thither for in truth there are plentiful fountaines in the tops of the stateliest hils othersome ly hidden in the bowels of the earth and by tedious and hard digging are found out Now as to their difference I say that the Matrix of the terrestrial water is in many places more potently furnished with the rich treasures of water then in others because all the
and sufficient words to be made use of thereabouts A Balsom may also be prepared out of Antimony not crude but out of its Regulus profitable for very many diseases from which the Mercury of Antimony may be vivified viz. Take of Hungarian Antimony and crude Tartar of each equall parts Salt Petre halfe a part grinde them and flux them in a wind Furnace poure them forth into a Cone and let them coole Let the Regulus thus made be in like sort purified in the fire by Tartar and Salt Petre three or four times and so it will become white like to silver that hath passed the fulmination and the Examen of Lead Grind this Regulus pour unto it in a Glasse the Oyl of Juniper or Spirit of Turpentine which ascends first in distillation and is clear like to Water shut your Glasse well place it in B.M. at a moderate heat and that Spirit or Oyl will grow red in the manner of Bloud pour it off and rectifie it with Spirit of Wine It hath the same Virtues as the Balsom of Sulphur hath as I shall advise thee when I come to speak of Sulphur for the preparation of both is in a manner alike Three drops of this Balsome taken in warme Wine only thrice in a week heales the Diseases of the Lungs the Astmah Ptysick Pleuritick and such as are afflicted with an old Cough There are also made of Antimony severall Oyles some by themselves others by addition and have not the same Virtues but diverse from each other according to the manner of the preparation I wil speak a parable unto thee many living Creatures live only in the Earth as Wormes Serpents and other kinds and sometimes new sorts are generated by corruption formerly unknown Others live in the water as Fishes Others in the Ayre as Birds others in the fire as the Salamander and there are found in the hot Islands and burning Countryes other wonderfull Creatures of which we are ignorant who conserve their Life by the solary heat and presently dye at being brought into another ayre So Antimony prepared with a watry addition operates otherwise then if prepared with a fiery one and although every preparation thereof be done with fire without which its virtue is not detected or opened yet note and consider that an Earthy addition workes divers from a watry one and so suitably if Antimony be by the fire elevated Per se into the aire and further prepared it obtains a severall virtue according to its severall preparations The cheifest Oyl and Sulphur of Antimony is thus made without any addition of ought else Take Ungarian Antimony beate it grosly put it into a glasse cucurbit with a plain bottome pour thereto the true Vinegar of the Philosophers viz. The Vinegar with its own Salt Lute up the Glasse Putrefie it in Horse Dung or in B. M. for forty dayes and the body becomes again opened and is made more black then Ink which is a signe of a perfect solution But good God why do I speake or write I suppose that I shall meet with most few that will credit this Testament which I leave unto my disciples yet some few will be found who acknowledging these wonders and acquainted by Experience with them will more circumspectly consider them and give me honourable thanks when I lye rotting in my Tomb because I have by the gift of God set free from prison that Virtue which is united to the Creature and made it operative Another way of bringing Antimony over the Helme without any addition is this Make Regulus of Antimony Tartar and Salt nitre as I have afore spoken powder that Regulus put it into a great round glasse in a gentle fire in Sand and the Antimony will sublime but every day brush down with a feather whatsoever is sublimed into the bottome of the glasse and thus do until it will sublime no more but a fixt precipitate Regulus remaines in the bottome but know that this work will require time ere the work appear grind this precipitate and leave it in a Cellar upon a polisht stone for halfe a yeare and then t will be resolved into a red Liquor and some Feces will remain for the Salt of Antimony will only melt filtre this Liquor and abstract the Phlegme in an Alembeck till a thick Liquor be left which lay aside in the Cellar and t will be congealed into Chrystalls of a reddish white and if they be again purged they will be altogether white this is the true Salt of Antimony which I have frequently made dry it mix one part of this Salt with three parts of Venetian Earth destill it with a strong fire and there will come first white Spirits then red the which do also resolve into white rectifie this spirit Gently in a dry Bath and thou shalt have another Oyle of Antimony but much inferiour to the former and t is rather a Spirit then an Oyle because this Salt is spiritually forced out It hath frequently deserved praise in quartane Feavers and others it breakes the Stone of the Bladder provokes Urine cleanseth filthy Serpentine or creeping Ulcers which have their Operation from Mars being outwardly applyed It purgeth the bloud like to the Salt of Gold and may be used in many other Diseases but it is not so perfect as the red Oyl of Antimony is whose Sulphur hath been separated purged and brought to the highest degree The Sulphur and the Salt of Antimony having beene described together with their preparation and medicinall use I will passe to the description of its Mercury and its medicinall virtue Take therefore the Regulus of Antimony eight parts the Salt of mans urin clarified and sublimed salt armoniack and salt of Tartar of each one part mix the Salts and thereto poure strong vinegar Lute it with the Lute of Wisdome and digest the salts for a month in a continuall heat then distill off the Vinegar by Ashes untill the Salts remaine dry which being done mix with them three parts of Venetian Earth urge them by a Retort with a strong fire and thou shalt have a wonderfull spirit poure this Spirit upon the powdred Regulus and putrifie them together two moneths then abstract the Vinegar and to the Remainder add four times as much fileings of Mars and distill it by the force of fire in a Retort the spirits of the Salts will bring the Mercury over with them in the manner of a fume but thou must place instead of the Recipient a large glasse full of Water thar the spirits of the salt may mix therewith but the Mercury will come together and be converted into true quick Mercury in the bottome of the vessell Thus may the Artificer extract living and running Mercury out of Antimony which hath beene by many a one every where studiously sought after now therefore will I come to make known its use in medicine Take with the help of God one part of this Mercury presse it through a skin of
Leather poure thereunto four parts of the red Oyle of Vitriol rectified to the supreamest height abstract the Oyle and the spirits of the Oyle will remain with the Mercury urge the fire and somewhat will sublime throw back the sublimate upon the Earth remaining in the bottome and pour again thereupon as much new Oyle sublime it as formerly and iterate it three times The fourth time cast back your sublimate again upon its own Earth grind it together and it will be pure like Chrystall put it in a Circulatory and pour thereon as much Oyle of Vitriol and thrice the quantity of the spirit of Wine circulate it even to separation and so the Mercury resolved into Oyle will swim at the top in the manner of Oyle Olive separate this Oyle and put it into another Circulatory Glasse and pour thereunto sharp distilled Vinegar and by this meanes the Oyle will recover its weight within twenty dayes or thereabouts and will settle to the bottome and whatsoever is poysonous remaines in the vinegar the which will be cloudy and blackish and this is a miracle contrary to Nature that an Oyle at first swimming should in the end settle to the bottome But note that even the Oyl of Vitriol is heavy and therefore beares up the Mercury which in its separation is not as yet altogether pure but when that light impurity is received by the Vinegar then doth the Oyle recover its own weight and being made compact goes to the bottome and this is the oyle of the Mercury of Antimony And is the fourth Pillar of all Remedies Now where ever thou art who beest Leprous I will procure for thee a meanes of health This Oyle heales the Apoplexy comforts the Brain and Reason excites the vitall spirits of the Braine and whosoever shall use this oyle daily for some time and is afflicted with any Distemper he shall loose both his Nailes and Haire and become young again the Bloud is thereby purged and every Evill expelled the French Disease is but a spot to this Medicine which in a very little white radically ejects it the praise of this Remedy cannot be described with either Tongue or Pen Ah miserable clod of earth and bag of worms why dost thou delay to offer a sacrifice of Praise to thy Creator for those Remedies which he hath granted unto thee O ye bragging boasters of both medicines come unto me a Monk and servant of God I will lay open to your Eyes what you never saw before and will shew you the way of health which as yet you have not observed Now if any one knowes better preparations let him not be silent but speak I am desirous to learn nor is it a shame unto me to make further enquiry and to search out that light which as yet I have not seen for I have oft said no one is able because of the brevity of Life to perceive all the secrecies of nature But whatsoever Artificer hath lesse experience then I have and doth not throughly understand my Writings I shal advise him to be silent and nor presume to correct or disgrace them with unseemly prating and many unprofitable words because he hath not heard them in the Schoole nor rightly understands the processes my Termes are different from those which are in use with my adversaries who are ashamed of Labour the which is necessary as to the planting of good Trees and ingraffing of wholsome fruits whence it happens that relying on a wild Tree they never come to any sweet bough of a gentle Garden Tree Unskilfull man do not at the very first word judge the things thou dost not know nor condemn that which neither by knowledge or study thou hast attained unto Many Country people indeed say that the Fishes dy in the water by reason of cold but whoever affirm it speak ignorantly and indiscreetly and what cannot be proved for if in the Winter Season when the Superficies of the Water is mightily congealed and frozen there be little holes made by breaking the Ice not a Fish will perish by reason of the cold but if the Ice of Ponds or other waters be not broken the Fish will certainly dye not because of the Frigidity but the want of the aire which cannot penetrate through all the Ice For t is clearly evident that no living Creature can live without the use of Ayre whence t is that the Fishes are choaked under the Ice and are not kill'd with cold I apply this Example thus It is necessary in Antimony that because of its manifold use holes be made by the miner in the mountain that it may enjoy the Ayre and then t is behovefull that it be prepared with Water Ayre and Fire least its fruitfullnesse be choaked in the Earth instead of its being manifested by the various preparation of the Physitian for the hoped-for correcting and qualifying of distempers which was the ground of its searching after Most miserable man that art an hater and despiser of Antimony and cryest out that t is a meere poison where is thy Eloquence and Rhetorick to defend thy self withall And seeing thou dost not understand neither white black nor any other Colour in this businesse as to the preparation of Antimony and art a stranger to its virtue and benefits thou mayest justly hold thy peace and suffer these speeches and writings to passe by thy Eares because of thy unskilfullnesse like an impetuous Torrent agitated by the wind But beware lest the wind the waves increasing thy broken little Ship be totally drowned Now to avoid this danger do as the Apostles did seasonably imploring help by thy prayers unto thy sleeping master not hypocritically but with a pure and sincere heart and so thou shalt be saved and really find that the sea and the winds wil be tractable unto thee and thou shalt bring all things to the desired end Good God! were but this the mind of man in following after somewhat with study and labour without doubt the Muses and Fortune would be propitious unto him and that Disciple of Art would find that health and prosperity would attend him in his Closet of Art and habitation of Grace so as that he should perceive a sure Foundation a full unspotted and constant Corner stone whereon he may with safety rest and found his owne Conscience and so the unprofitable tatling of Disputers with the sick would be omitted and cast out of the Schooles and the silent man would take his Turne also and publickly assert and prove that a Castle built of stone is not so easily combustible as a pigeon-house or a thatch't roof or an old wooden neast of a stork that is dryed every year in the sun My Disciples attend rightly with the utmost of your understanding to my simple plain admonition studiously and diligently seek the Centre which is scarce or never known by the outward face search throughly its virtue with a carefull expectation even as an Hunter doth after a wild Beast Mark
the print of the footsteps in the snow that you take not a Stag înstead of a Doe or an Hare for a Fox through their footsteps ill-understood and worse judged of cast forth your Net but rightly and then you shall have it well stored with the best Fishes spread open your Nets discreetly carefully bind on your snares and intrapments and so shall the Fowler effectually and succesfully satisfie his own desire In a word that I may give my ultimate Admonition unto the curious Seeker I do advise thus Dear Fowler expose thy Nets and thy voluble feathers deliberately unto the Wind and thou Mariner attend wel on thy Compasse when thou saylest in the deep Sea night and day and art frequently tossed with tempestuous stormes now here now there For thus observing thou shalt not faile in thy hopefull Expectations but in the end shalt take something with profit and arrive with my â—hip to its Port from the remotest Countryes with augmentation of thy wares and adventures But why do I spend time in speaking or comparing I do but tread and thresh the empty stalks and strawes in the manner of Tatling Sophisters for my Writings are so born that but few Letters in them will passe by without some fruit and be extinguished without the sparkes of some benefit But verily they do contain in them a certain Doctrine and Instruction that the Labour of writing is to me a kinde of Recreation and Delight Well! I will retire or go back one passe in the manner of a Fencer and induce into the Laboratory a new schoole or Learning viz. of externall things that I may declare and manifest the Reason or Cause and Preparation of Antimony that it may be approved as most profitable for outward Distempers as indeed it is I le therefore give you the processe in a very few words My Disciple and Lover of Art who desirest throughly to search into Natures secrets and to find out the most hidden mysteries that thou mayst distinguish betwixt day and night light and darkness I say unto thee Take one part of the best Ungarian Antimony and halfe a part of common or of fosile salt of potters Earths not baked six parts grind and mix them well together distill them with a strong fire and a red Oyle will forthwith flow or distill forth from which abstract the Phlegme by distillation that a red powder may remain dry in the bottome grind it and let it be resolved upon a Marble stone and thence wil issue a red Pellucid Balsome far more noble then other vulnerary Balsomes most profitable in old Wounds which the common Physitians with their Plaisters Unguents Oyles Ligaments do esteem as dangerous to be suspected and are with derision compelled to take off the bridle Trappings from the Horse and lay them aside and lead him back again into the stable from whence they brought him My Custome of speaking now containes no other thing for a Monk cannot write all things so cleerly as the reason and necessity of the work requires because he is not versed in the circumstances of such businesse he is I say ignorant of their Termes that he cannot illustrate them formally or orderly enough and he entreats pardon for any Transgession of that kind committed by him and in like manner will he show his forward readinesse to serve all Christians night and day in his spirituall Office and he will reward the kindnesse of the Reader with his dayly Prayers This Oyle is found to be most wholsome in old Ulcers and Wounds of the greatest moment nor are there many remedies above it or equall thereunto except an Oyle of Antimony prepared with common Mercury sublimate which in healing of Cancers Gangreens Wolfes Noli me tangere is more potent and noble But in Fistulaes and creeping Ulcers the afore prescribed Oyle doth experimentally shew its force in many incredible accidents even to admiration which I forbear to rehearse lest I should be thought to be ambitious and greedy after Honour which vice I have alwaies fled from doe flye from and will fly from by the help of God and the Blessed Virgin Mary T is thus prepared Take of common Mercury well mortified and most purely sublimed and of Antimony of each equall parts grind them mix them and distill them by a Retort which can hold the Spirits three times rectifie this Oyle with spirit of VVine and t is prepared being of a bloud-like colour at the beginning it was white and resembled Ice or molten Butter This Oyle performes many wonders which without it 't would be impossible in Nature to beleeve could be amended but yet notwithstanding its virtue faculty and operation herein appeares in making good out of evill Another most profitable for externall wounds may also be prepared with addition Take of Antimony and Sulphur of each one part Salarmoniack and Salt of Urine clarified of each halfe a part Calx vive or Quick-Lime two parts Grind mix and distill them if any thing sublimes scrape it off and grind it againe with the Caput mortuum pour thereunto the Oyle which thou abstractedst distill it as afore and thus do three times and t is prepared old maligne and contumacious Ulcers refusing every remedy do not despise this Oyle it is most strong most penetrative and layes a foundation of most certain healing even as the Oyle of Vitriol doth There 's also prepared a wonderfull Vulnerary Balsome composed of many things whereof Antimony is one Receive of sulphur four Ounces melt it in the fire very gently mix thereto halfe a pound of Quick silver stir it with a stick untill it comes into a Masse which grind or beate because it is prepared as Cinaber is wont to be prepared grind with it of Antimony four Ounces Red Arsenick four ounces Crocus martis two ounces powdred Bricks eight ounces let them be sublimed together according to art in a glasse vessell and thou shalt have Rubies not unlike the Oriental ones as to the colour for they are volatile and have nothing fix in them Let these Rubies be most neately separated from the Cinaber which in the subliming did co-ascend with them grind them and extract them with Vinegar which done abstract the Vinegar in B. M. by little and little and the remaining powder grind most finely small and extract it with spirit of VVine in another vessell separate the remaining feces and digest this extraction with spirit of wine in a vessel well luted in B. M. for a moneth Then abstract the spirit of wine as you did formerly the vineger put the remaining powder into a Cucurbit with a round bottome and put it into a vessel full of water in a pit that it may therein swim like a boat and so in a few dayes it will resolve into a fair transparent liquour most profitable for old ulcers and wounds if they be anointed with a feather dipt therein and a common vulnerary plaister laid thereupon It will not leave
the Phlegme put the remaining powder in a Cave upon a Marble and t will resolve into a liquid Balsome most profitable for serpentine creeping and Gangrenous evills especially in the face of a man or breasts of a woman I could write more things of this Balsome but that I fear that the unskilfull and tatling sophister will say that in his opinion I write too much and teach many things in Paper which I never found by use but only conceived in my imagination Another Oyle may also be thus made Receive of Antimony foure parts salt Armoniack one part grind them together and sublime them with a gentle fire so the salt will lift up with it self the blood-like sulphur of Antimony grind this sublimate well for every pound of the crude Antimony that you sublime add five ounces moâ—e of Antimony to the sublimate suâ—liâ—â—â—â— it as afore This sublimate will be excellently wel dissolved in a moist place or else separate the salt therefrom and dry it by little and little and thou shalt have a sulphur combustible like the common sulphur sold every where Extract this sulphur in time with distilled Vinegar and separate the Vinegar in B. M. by a gentle heate extract or draw out its Tincture and the remaining Powder draw over or distil into a Recipient by a subtill Artifice if the studious Artist doth rightly proceed in this way he shall find a sweet excelling oyle without any Corrosion or danger It heales the Peripneumonia expels the dolour of the sides and let the Asthmatick take thereof in the morning and at evening going to bed two graines with the Elixir or spirit of Wine it heales pectorall Diseases and casts forth all impurities from the breast and it hath been useful to me and helpfull to many a one even beyond hope But seeing that in other preparations I have sufficiently described the virtues of Antimony I suppose it needlesse to repeat them again in this place least I become tedious to the studious and excite in them I know not what suspitions The Liquor made of this sulphur as I have already said is most profitably used in outward Remedies it takes away all the filth of the skin and if a little Oyle be thereto admixt it takes away the Pimples and spots of the hands if anointed therewithall It makes the skin bright and heales the Alopecia or head scab The sulphur of Antimony is also prepared yet another way Boile Antimony beaten or ground two houres or more in a strong Lixivium made of Ashes filtre the Antimony and pour thereunto most strong Vinegar and a red sulphur will settle to the bottome pour away the Phlegme and dry the pouder extract the Tincture with distilled Vinegar as in the former sulphur bring it into an oyl by distillation which is not unprofitable but yet weaker then the other precedent where by the benefit of sublimation with salt Armoniack the body of Antimony is opened and realeased Now followes three preparations of Antimony cheifly necessary for a Spagirist viz. The preparation of a vinegar out of its proper Minerall The signed star of the Philosophers and Philosophical Lead much esteemed of by many who have beleeved that out of it might be made the true Mercury of the Philosophers but it is impossible neither is there so much granted by God thereunto that in or from Antimony the Mercury of the Philosophers should be found or the first Ers Argent vive and first water of perfect metalls out of which is made the great stone of the Ancient Philosophers But this Primum Ens is found in another Mineral in which having Relation to metals the operation is higher then that of Stibium although that this hath its particular profit Note well That the Pillar as t were of internal and externall Medicine is to be had in every shop or place of vendible things were it but rightly prepared which I have oftentimes said and there wanteth nothing but that the Artificer learn to discerne the Nature of Mineralls and metals and with exactness observe the preparation and use of Antimony whereupon a right Judgement will follow and not before I wil therefore accomplish my promise and satisfie the wishes of my Disciples and perfectly teach the Knowledge of the ultimate and true separation of the good from the bad beginning at the preparation of the Philosophicall Vinacre of Antimony The Aes or Minerall out of which Antimony is melted and purged beat or grind exceedingly small put it into a glasse Phyal with a most long Neck pour thereunto destilled raine water that the glasse may be halfe full Lute it and putrefie it in Horse Dung until the Aes or Minerall begin to boil and to froth or spume and ascend or worke up then take it out because this is a signe that the body is opened put this digested matter into a Cucurbit well Luted and abstract the water which will be a little Acid which being drawn off increase the sire and somewhat wil sublime this sublimate being commixt with the Faeces let it be again moistned with the water which was extracted from it and distill it as before and iterate this Labour so often untill it hath purchased the Acrimony of the strongest distilled vinegar but the sublimate doth decrease in every distillation pour this vinegar thus prepared upon new Aes or Antimony-minerall in a pellican that it may swim three singers over it let it stand in a gentle heat twelve dayes so the vinegar will become red and be more acid separate this most purely and distil it per B. abstracting the Vinegar and a rednesse wil remaine at the bottome which extract with spirit of Wine and t will be a supreame medicine rectifie the Vinegar again in B. that the Phlegme may be separated and then dissolve therein its own proper salt viz. one ounce of salt to four ounces of vinegar distill it strongly in Ashes and so the vinegar will be more fortified it refrigerates in a wonderfull manner beyond the force of common Vinegar it allayes the gangrene that is enkindled by gunpowder and such other burning accidents if it be ground with the soule of Saturne into an Ointment and applyed like a Cataplasme Being mixt with the water of Endive and with the fixt part of salt petre burnt and prepared with sulphur it divides and cures the squinancy and extinguisheth heat In the Plague a full Spooneful drunk at a time and outwardly also applyed upon the Bubo with a third part of the distilled water of the combust sperme of Frogs extracts the poyson and refrigerates The signed stone of Antimony is by many a one much esteemed of and most men have earnestly attempted its preparation some have enjoyed their wishes the intent and purpose of others hath come to nothing many have beleeved that this star is the true matter of the philosophers stone imagining it so over-hastily because Nature hath freely formed this star of its own accord but I deny
it These men leave the Kings high way and do journey through unfrequented rocky places where the wild goats do live and the birds of prey do build their nests T is not given to this star to be the matter of so noble a stone though the cheifest of Medicines lye therein It is thus made Take of Ungarian Antimony two parts fileings of Sttele one part burnt Tartar four parts melt them together and pour them out into a Goldsmiths Crucible wherein they are wont to purge Gold Let it coole separate the Regulus from the Scoria and Faeces grind it or beat it and again add of burnt Tartar three times its weight and melt it as afore separate grind it and again add thrice its weight of burnt Tartar melt it and so the Regulus shal be purged If thou hast proceeded aright which is here the maine thing thou shalt have a white star shining like to pure silver and divided as if the most accurate Painter had described it with its Radij or Beames This Star sublimed with salt Armoniack grows red for the Tincture of Mars ascends this sublimate may be resolved in a Cellar into an Oyl profitable for wounds This Regulus or Star may be often destilled by the fire with the stony Serpents so that in the end being totally consumed he associates himselfe to the serpent the which being finished the Artist wil have a most burning matter and altogether fiery wherein many artificiall things lye hidden and this matter is also resolved into an Oyle which ought to be brought over by destillation and then rectified untill it be pure and cleer Its use in the body and to be administred inwardly is thus Mix no more then three drops only with some convenient Liquor as two Ounces of Wine or some distilled water according to the Nature of the disease and so give it and but twice only in a weeke T is expedient therefore that the Physitian respects the causes of Diseases and the complexion of the sick that he may with safety use his Remedyes But this Oyle is of a most great Acrimony wherein lye many things not fit to be revealed unto the common people but to be reserved as certain secrets for Philosophers who have daily sustained most bitter Labours Well then whoever thou art that followest my steps be not dejected in so doing thou shalt find as I have found by my hard pains which I wish unto thee withal my heart I have prescribed unto thee things enough even from the beginning whereby thou mayst finde the end but many dye who as yet have not attained the beginning and perish before the obtaining of the magistry I will on that account leave behind a book of Rudiments or Principles that my Disciples being acquainted with the first experiments may the sooner arrive to the wished end and give God and me thankes In this oyle is this wonderful thing observable that it operates upon Chrystals calcined for three dayes and extracts their salt which done the oyle is yet once more to be distilled by a Retort and so hast thou a Remedy so potent that it breaks and expels the stone of the bladder and perfects many other things Now concerning the Philosophers Lead Let the searcher into Art know that Antimony is of kin to common Lead For even as some trees expell and drives out from themselves their too much Rosin which is their Sulphur as is seen in the Cherry tree and other trees ejecting and casting out their Gumme but othersome abounding with over much Mercury produce out of themselves other heterogeneous plants as appeares in the Oake and Apple which bring forth Bastards and Monsters c. Even so the Earth hath its abortives that are rejected from the pure metals in the separation Now seeing Antimony being of affinity to Saturne is thrown out from him by reason of his too much Sulphur neither in his Nativity cold arrive to the perfection of a fusil body he remained a Minerall for his over abounding quantity of hot sulphur hath overcome and hindred the Mercury through the want and defect of cold from coagulation into a fusible body But the Lead of Antimony is no other thing then its Regulus which is not as yet malleable as I have said is produced by the copulating and fuseing of Regulus and steel in the fire whereby the star is made out of which many have erroneously sought for the stone of the ancient Philosophers but in vain But as for the remedies thence educible by preparation I have already demonstrated and will not repeat them But on this account doth the Regulus admit of the name of Lead because that that which Stibium gives of it selfe from its own glasse if it be melted for three houres being first cemented in a wind Furnace in a well shut Crucible with the salt of Saturne and then taken out it becomes malleable and more weighty then before because it hath received malleability and increase from the salt that it is become a compact and ponderous body Nor is there much difference betwixt the signed star and Lead of Antimony although many Artificers propose a difference for both are made of Regulus and may be prepared into the same Medicine as I have said and Here I 'le cease and next to the following Appendix manifest the stone of fire Let God be favourable and open the Eares and Hearts of such as are stubborn and blesse them that knowing the miracles of Nature they may praise his omnipotence and be assistant to their Neighbours Amen The Appendix FINALLY note That there are other uses of Stibium as in Typographicall Characters also Sigills and characters of wonderfull virtue are made with metals mixt under certaine constellations and planetary Conjunctions and by a certaine commixion are made looking glasses or speculums of divers faces or shapes and proprieties also litle tingling Bells and statues which for that they appertain not unto medicine nor belong unto my calling I wil here desist and leave their handling to other Artificers ACROSTICHON AT the Beginning when the Earth conceived me No Parent had I but the Heaven alone Then a faithfull helper that so I might he borne Jason the duplicate was chosen for to be My Virtue is the gift of solar heat Of Fire debarr'd I sweat not any bloud Now don't neglect Pluto thy mate to make In fighting let him also be the heater Vulcan doth shew the way to honour true Methusalem unto thee giveth thanks OF THE Triumphant Chariot OF ANTIMONY AND WHAT THE STONE Of Fire is ON a time by serious Prayers powred out before God being absolved quitted from superfluous thoughts and wordly affairs I decreed to meditate on such spiritual cases as might be useful for a more thorough search into the condition of Nature I therefore resolved with my self to get me some wings that so I might flye unto the superiour stars and make inspection thereunto as by the Testimony of the Poets
Icarus and Dedalus have done But when I approached overneer to the Sun my wings were burnt by his heat and down I tumble headlong into the deepest sea But because I called upon God in my necessity he sent me aid and help from Heaven whereby I was reedeemed from destruction and danger For an Angell from Heaven came unto my succour who Commanded the water to stand still and there was opened a great Abysse like a most high mountain where walking up and down I would needs search whether or no it were possible as the sons of men speake that there should be a familiarity between things most high and things most low and whethet or no the supream stars have received from the Creatour force and virtue sufficient for the production of things in the earth like unto themselves and having searched through all I found it certainly true which our ancient Teachers have long since left behind them for our Instruction and Information if we are desirous Disciples after truth and verity and have set down as fundamental for which I gave most cordial thanks to the omnipotent God and author of all wonderful things Briefly I find that all minerals flow from the Celestial Stars and have their original out of an Aqueous Vapour which haveing bin a long time nourished by the stars is reduced by the Elements into a palpable forme whence that vapour is dryed and the waterishnesse looseth its dominion and the fire after or next to the water by the benefit of Aire bears the sway that out of the water the fire may be made and out of the fire and the Aire the earth may be made which notwithstanding are found inseparable in all the corporeal things of the world before their resolution The first matter therefore of all bodies is water which by the dryness of the fire and the aire is changed into earth But because I have determined to teach how the stone of fire is to be prepared out of Antimony and because it doth not onely cure men but particularly cures even Metals also It is convenient to advise what the stone of fire is what its mineral is whether or no a stone can be made without matter and also of the ultimate difference kinds and use of stones Let the Holy Spirit be assisting in this my determination that I may truely explain this art as far as is lawful from whence I hope for an eternal absolution from my chief Confessour who eternally sits in the throne of grace and that from eternity and will bear witnesse of all things when the last sentence and decretory Judgement shall passe upon all men without protestation or Appellation In the first place and above all other things know that the true Tincture of Antimony which is a medicine both for men and metals is not to be made of crude melted Antimony such as the drugsters and the merchants sell But out of its mineral or Aes as t is dig'd out of the Mountains and that too made into glass But how to performe that extraction is all the art and workmanship and whosoever finds it shall be thereby inriched with health and wealth Know also friendly Reader that the prepared fixt and permanent Tincture of Antimony which I call the stone of fire is a penetrating spiritual fiery essence reduced into a coagulated matter and may be compared to the Salamander which cannot be burnt but is purged and conserved in the fire But our stone of fire doth not ting universally as the stone of the Philosophers doth which is made of the essence of Gold nor hath it so much virtue granted it But it tinctureth particularly viz. Luna Jupiter and Saturne into Gold It toucheth not Mars and Venus but onely as to what may by this separation be in part produced from them Also one part of this Tincture can transmute but five parts so as to remain constant in the trial colour and weight In Saturn and Antimony it self when as contrarywise the true antient and great stone of the Philosophers doth perfect innumerably But yet this can be yet exalted it its own augmentation And its Gold is pure and constant The Mineral of the stone of fire or of the Tincture is the Mineral or Aes of Stibium out of which as I have afore mentioned it is made but how it is done and what virtues and operations are therein I will presently declare Moreover the Reader may observe that many stones tinge particularly for all fixt tinging powders are by me called stones but yet one tingeth deeper then another as first The stone of the Philosophers which far transcends all others Next which are the Tinctures of the Sun and of the Moon c. As to the white Then the Tincture of Vitriol or Venus and the Tincture of Mars both which contein in them the Tincture of the Sun if they have bin formerly brought unto fixation next to these follow the Tincture of Jupiter and Saturne for the Coagulation of Mercury and then finally the Tincture of Mercury itself this is the difference and multiplicity of Stones and Tinctures which notwithstanding are all generated out of one seed and one principal Matrix from whence also flowes the true Universal one and without these no metallick Tincture can be given And verily t is not in other things of what name soever I value not stones and Gems as to my present purpose for I will speak not of such now since that they conteine in them a medicinal virtue onely I will also omit animal and vegetable stones as appartaining to medicine solely being unprofitable in metallick operations As the virtues of which Mineral vegetable and animal stones are conteined in the Philosophers stone together and at once Salts cannot ting but are onely a Key to the preparation of stones otherwise they are impotent of themselves At least as to what belongs to metallick and mineral Salts and now I speak to the purpose if thou rightly understandst me as to what difference I suppose to be between mineral Salts they ought not to be rejected neither can they in Tinctures in whose composition none can be wtthout them for in them is found an excellent treasure by which every fixation and constancy hath its original and foundation Some body will now haply enquire whō I do not upō this account reprehend whether or no without matter such a stone can be made I say No For every thing necessarily hath its own matter but diversly The animals theirs The minerals theirs and vegetables their matter Yet consider exactly that no body without fermentation of which in the end of the work of the preparation of the great stone where I consider the transmutation of other metals with profit which cannot be wanting is profitable or fit for any stone Although at the beginning a bodily form corporeal essence visible palpable be taken yet out of such a bodily essence the heavenly and spiritual vision for I cannot
otherwaies call it ought to be extracted which was at first infused into that body by the stars and also begotten and concocted by the Elements which spiritual essence ought in like manner palpably and formally to be again changed with a little fire by the regiment and disposing of the Microcosme into a Palpable fixt and constant matter I speak without any imagination into an openfield if I were wise I should not so much as whisper and would refrain my hands from writing Therefore all Tinctures of metals ought so to be prepared that they may singularly love the metals and earnestly and solely desire to be united to them and to perfect them just like two lovers who burning with love cannot rest until they are united and accomplish their desires then at last they rest and are multiplyed by the will of God man lyes subject to many and wonderful deseases which in some doe debilitate and take away the strength of nature Those diseases may be dealt withall by antidotes and that man may be restored to his former health But love it is that overcomes all other diseases for which is no redress or help but by a reciprocal love and because that the desire of both sex is mutual t is onely extinguished by satisfaction of the inflamed and hungry longing many things may be testified of the power of love which doth not onely seize upon the younger sort but the elder also who in their extreame age doe not onely doat but even grow mad by the fury of love There are other diseases which imitate or follow the natural complexions of men and so assualt one more then another But love sets upon all without distinction rich and poor old and young nor fears it any net that may be laid to trap it In other natural diseases the grief possesseth onely some certain members the others being peaceable and quiet But love captivates the whole body all its essence forme and substance not the least part escaping for the heart is so filled with heat that it is dispersed through out all the veins and sinews And as I may so speak love reigning in its power seizeth upon the sense reason and thoughts and withdraws a man from his mind that he forgets omits and dis-estems every thing he contemnes God Gods word promises wrath threats and punishment I speak of inordinate forbidden love nor can any thing recal him from that love he is unmindful of his office of his condition and vocation he tramples upon admonitions despiseth the adhortations of his well wishing neighbour yea he shuts his eyes from most things that he sees not his own destruction stopping his eares to the faithful advise of such as do admonish him It deprives many a one of sleep takes away the appetite to food procures a neglect of labour and arts that so love may be followed and wayted on Many fall into a melancholy sadness because of love especially if things do not presently succeed according to desire and they consume away like a candle yea some loose both life and soul as is apparent by examples But such a one cares not he contemnes the dangers both of soul and body which indeed is a dreadful thing let this suffice for t is unseemely for me who am an Ecclesiastical man to give place to such things in my heart even as be not offended with the word hitherto all my life time I have forborne it and moreover will supplicate my God and Lord that I may conserve my self for my bride the Christian Church to which by a faithful vow I have devoted my self But this I induce for examples sake onely that so I might discover and evidence that al Tinctures ought to have a love to the metals else they cannot enter into true friendship and by a true penetrative love attaine to Melioration or a better condition Let us now come to the preparation of the stone reserving its use to the latter end And since this stone is of a most penetrative and meer fiery property let it be boiled with fire and ripened as other things of the world but yet differently according to the different natures of things even as there are divers fires 1. The first fire is celestial instituted by God whereby charity is kindled and faith towards the most high God most holy Trinity and our most merciful Saviour Jesus Christ which faith will never deceive us nor forsake us in any necessity but will deliver our souls from eternal destruction 2. The second fire is the Sun or Elementary fire produced from the Sun which brings all things in the Macrocosme to maturity 3. The third is corporeal whereby all meats and medicines are boiled and prepared which men cannot want either for health or nourishment We also find in the Holy Scripture that before the last judgment God will consume this visible world with fire but what fire this will be let us refer it to the judgement of the most high There 's also mention made in the word of God of another or an eternal fire which is reserved in hell for the eternal punishment of the damned being infinite and without ceasing God permitting it and not onely for them but for the devils also from which fire I pray the almighty God to preserve us whence I do faithfully admonish all that they pray uncessantly that the call and life of every one may have an harmony betwixt them for thereby shall he conserve himselfe and be delivered by God from that infinite punishment Now let all know that our stone of fire ought to be boiled and maturated with the corporeal fire of the Microcosme even as other meats and medicines are for at the farewel of the operative fire of the Macrocosme doth the fire of the Microcosme begin the production of a new generation and therefore let no man wonder at this coction Wheat grew and ripened by the elementary fire of the Macrocosme and a new coction and maturation is again produced by the corporeal fire of the Microcosme that so man may further use that blessing for his own conservation and that he may enjoy even the utmost and the least thing which by the first and great world was under operation and working on The true Oyle of Antimony out of which the stone of fire is prepared is of a most sweetly pleasant property and is thus purged and separated from its own Earth place a glasse filled therewithal in the Sun and it emits from it selfe sundry and admirable beames like to the reddy Rubine shining with a fiery brightnesse resembling other wonderfull Colours and shapes like to manifold Speculums exposed unto the solar brightnesse But hear me thou studious Lover of art and truth if thou desirest to make a farther progresse in experience Take in the name of the most high the Aes or mineral of Antimony born after the Rising of the Sun one part of the purest and best mundified salt petre as much grind them