Antimony say'st thou is poyson Ergo none ought to use it a miserable conclusion good M. Doctour and Bachelour or M. Physitian with your red cap The best Triacle is made of poyson or of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} from whence it hath its denomination And therefore none may take it into their bodies because a poyson is therein what doth this doctrine please you is this voice acceptable to your ears Antimony after preparation ceaseth to be a poyson and the whole of it being by Spagyrick Art transmuted becomes medicinal even as Triacle is made of the venemous viper But before its preparation thou shalt not receive any profit or benefit from Antimony but rather discommodity and danger Now if thou intendest to become an Antimonial disciple having first prayed frequent the School of Vulcan beyond all other things who is the master and teacher of all secrets which the meanly learned men doe deride and by their sloathful lazinesse never come to be acquainted with any secret from him putting off the manifestation of any Arcanum by their own sluggishnesse nor is there any remedy in the world to be prepared without fire let them cry out as they list though never so madly But what shall we speak of these haters of Antimony let us not value them unlesse they can bring to the light something better and more excellent then Antimony is seeing that especially out of Antimony may like remedies be had as ly hid in Gold and the Mercury of the vulgar the star of the sun onely excepted from both which may an Aurum Potabile bee made to heal the Leprosie and the spirit of Mercury is the chief Top remedy of the french disease and many others Although those contemning fellows neither know nor are able to search it out An ignorant man can no more judge then the Asse being ignorant of symphony can instruct the shepherd how to handle his pipe He therefore that would truely judge ought afore to learn all such things as he intends to deliver his judgement about and to know as well from experience as from books that which is true and that which is false that so he may judge aright But before I addresse my self to the manner of proceding I may perchance meet with some who will inquire whence minerals and other venemous subjects attract their poyson what the essentiality of poyson is from whence generated in all things how the poyson being removed that thing may be converted unto medicine safely administred without danger I shall therefore informe you concerning the influence of poyson the which may be considered naturally supernaturally Therefore the first reason why God the supream guide and governour of the stars the Creatour of Heaven and Earth hath thought good to set before us sensible poysons especially in minerals is that by their first constitution miraculous and powerful operation there planted by God a man might see that his intent of thus exposing them to view was that there might be a distinction between good and evil even as in his law he hath prescribed us the knowledge of things to be done and to be left undone viz. of good to be embraced and of evil to be avoided After the same manner as the tree in Paradise was placed before our first parents the use whereof tended to good but the abuse to evil which command of God being violated misery and destruction step't in 2. Another cause is that the good and the evil being known the evil might be avoided and reduced unto a better state for it s not the will pleasure of God that men drowned in destruction should totally perish but that returning from evil they proceed to what is better and avoid the losse of their souls On that account hath he by similitudes placed before us good and evil which in like manner is to be found in the command of his mouth verbally and in the work of creation that we may choose things tending to health and avoid things tending to destruction 3. Thirdly poyson is also produced by the stars wherein are malevolent and conâ—rary conjunctions and oppositions of the Planets whence it falls out that the planets become infected and then cause in this inferiour world and microcosme plagues and other venemous diseases The like may you conceive of the comets 4. Fourthly Poyson is also Produced by the fighting of two contraries as for example if a man exceedingly angry or sad or boyling with rage should drink a deadly poyson would thereby be enkindled 5. Fifthly For illustrations sake weapons may be ranked under the forme of poysons if by them any one receive a mortal wound in which the abuse of weapons consists But if they be employed for defence and preservation of life therein their use is lawful and converted unto medicine 6. Sixtly and lastly The cause of poyson becomes apparent from considering nature Whatsoever fights against her is a poyson to her as in some men they beeing not able to bear some meats those meats being contrary to nature become a poyson but to such as love them a medicine But principally venenosity is extracted from an earth of a Mercurial substance I speak of mineral poysons which being immature indigested of a form contrary to nature and of hard concoction which hinders maturity and perfection the whole body becomes thereby as it were a Crude mineral As if a man should devour crude or raw wheat his stomack would hardly concoct it but weaknesse and inconveniences would seize upon the whole body because of the deficiency and weaknesse of natural heat to digest it But the wheat beeing maturated by the fire of the Macrocosme ought to be againe boyled or concocted by a lesser fire that it may be digested by the Microcosme as I have aforesaid concerning the eating of flesh hence t is evident that seeing Antimony is crude volatile and not maturated in the Earth or enough decocted it cannot be born by the stomach without terrible torment of the body and destruction because of the debility of natural heat too insufficient throughly to digest it experience teacheth thus much that all purging medicines be they mineral animal or vegetable are of a poysonous substance because of the predominating Mercurial volatile essence that is in them which volatile spirit is the cause of casting out those things that are found in maÌ„ yet they do not set upon the root of that disease which is fixt because fix't remedies onely doe throughly search out and radically expel fix't diseases which to unfixt purgations is not granted they beeing like a violent torrent sweep away what lyes in their compasse but doe not work upon the fixed earth Now fixed and prepared Purgatives doe not operate by stoole but show themselves onely by sweat and and other means and hunt out the very kernel and not the huske or shell and chaffe of the disease as volatile unfixt and unprepared purges doe they onely expel the
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
Elements have a proper and own Matrix of begetting easily or more difficultly by the force and virtue of the stars from which the elements themselves are generated and procreated Now if that Matrix be strong in the Earth it potently casts forth its seed by a strong expulsion even unto the highest of the European Alpes or the top of the Babilonian Tower They that are not very wise hearing me so to speak will lay madnesse to my charge or cry out that I am drunken with new wine even as the Jewes dealt with the Apostles in the feast of Pentecost As is the elevation of the waters so is the sublimation of flores whereof viz. of the waters those that appear in the highest mountains are more wholsome and cool then the well waters and such as are obtained by digging so if the matter be lifted up by the force and violence of fire into the mountain of the ancient wise men long since deceased the earth will stay behind in the bottome out of which a salt may be extracted for its proper use And by sublimation is made a separation of the good from the bad of the pure from the impure of the thin from the thick and medicine becomes thereby distinguishable from poyson Wee poor wretched miserable men being after death which for our iniquities we have deserved buried in the earth are seasoned with salt until we putrify and at length are raised up by the heavenly fires heat are clarified and listed up to a celestial sublimation and exaltation where being purged from all the impure dregs and feces of sin we become the sons of God and heyres of eternal life which our merciful God grant unto us But I hope that none will reprove me because of my comparing things corporeal with things spiritual and heavenly sublimation with the earthly in this my example For I have not done it causelesly understanding by mine own experience what is white or what is black whether it be a cloudy or clear heaven I le therefore passe to another preparation of Antimony T is expedient that my Art-desiring disciple doe understand and remember by my Philosophicall teaching that the extractions of Antimony and of all other things doe differ exceedingly among themselves in their operations which difference is not either in the matter nor known from the matter out of which it is extracted but depends upon the preparation and addition whereby the whole virtue is extracted experience being witnesse And this I shall illustrate and confirme by an example thus whatsoever is extracted either from Antimony or from other things by the spirit of wine obtains an operation far different from that which is extracted with strong vineger The chief cause whereof I have already mentioned for all extractions with spirit of wine doe provoke to stoole most powerfully whether they be made of Antimony or other purging things as hearbs roots seeds and the like I speak as to the first extraction Contrarywise whatsoever is extracted with vineger doth not provoke to siege as doth the other but rather constipates and binds by a singular medium Whereby the volatile is made fixed This secret or Arcanum ought very carefully to be lookt unto but a very few doe consider it for many things ly hid and profoundly shut up in this mystery which many masters and servants yea and many knowledge-pretending Sophisters have not seen unto this day The extraction of Antimony is performed two several wayes to wit with vineger and spirit of wine the vineger doth condense but the spirit of wine doth of it self provoke urine and siege as I have frequently mentioned and especially in my twelve keyes that the extraction of the glasse of Antimony is a gentle Purge but the extraction of Antimony with vineger doth not purge at all which is most certainely true which experiment is a cause of more mature consideration and further-reaching thoughts by which considerations nature gives produceth a true Philosopher And it is altogether miraculous that those things which at first have bin extracted with spirit of wine should retain a purging quality when as on the contrary if the glasse of Antimony be at first extracted with vineger and the vineger beeing separated it be againe extracted with spirit of wine there 's no such poysonous and purging faculty then left but t is totally taken away and not a footstep thereof remaining so as to cause siege yet it can operate by sweat and other wayes especially by spitle and vomit it can performe its office and seeks about if it can find out any thing unfitting It purgeth the bloud heales the Peripneumonia is profitable for the Asthmatick and conduceth to other diseases It allayes any violent cough of what sort soever and it is a divine remedy And this extraction is perfected by common vineger There is also another extraction viz. Take powdered Antimony Poure thereupon destil'd vineger not common vineger but that which is extracted from its own mineral close it up well and place it at the heat of the Sun and so in time the vineger will become as red as blood separate this extraction and filtre it destil it in sand by an Alembick and in its drawing over it will represent wonderful colours most delectable to the fight This oyle at length comes to be bloud-like and leaves many Feces and may be profitably used in most Diseases For in the Leprosie its Glory appeares and its virtue becomes manifest the French Pox lately brought into our countrey is consumed and dryed up thereby and it operates severall other miraculous things if that the Physitian hath regard to its right use and observes a true Preparation let him diligently consult with Experience and remember without forgetfulnesse Antimony is also prepared after this ensuing manner Take of Antimony and red Tartar of each equall parts grind them exceeding well together and burn them in a pot well luted least the Spirits exhale untill the Tartar be burnt which you must do in a wind Furnace beat or grind the matter thus combust very small whereto poure common warme water straine it as you would a Lixivium by which meanes a Liver will be made for that Title our ancient predecessors put upon it dry this Liver put it into a Cucurbit and pour Spirit of Wine thereon filter it through a thick paper and abstract it in B.M. to a third part this extraction may be used but very sparingly and with very great discretion wherein is to be observed a notable miracle viz. That the Spirit of Wine once abstracted will not be united to the Red extraction any more from whence it was separated but swims on the top thereof as Oyle swims on the surface of water But if this Spirit of VVine be again poured upon new Liver it extracts as afore but this second Extraction poured on the former will not at any rate commix which really is greatly to be admired at but who can declare all the great wonders