CABLE.PDF

Frier Roger Bacon,

of the Medicine or Tincture of Antimony;

Mr. John Isaac Holland,

his Work of Saturn,

and

ALEX. Van SUCHTEN,

of the Secrets of Antimony.

Translated out of High Dutch by DANIEL CABLE.

LONDON, Printed, and are to be Sold by Moses Pitt at the White

Hart in Little Britain, 1671.

Produced by

R. A. M. S.

Restorers of Alchemical Manuscripts

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Of the Medicine or Tincture of Antimony,

as well to preserve Mans Body in Health, and to divert all

desperate and incurable Diseases, as also to cure the Leprosie of

Metals, to purifie and to transmute them into the best Gold.

Written by that Noble and Learned Philosopher, Roger Bacon.

Stibium or Antimony, as the Philosophers say, is composed of a

Noble Mineral Sulphur, which they accounted to be the black secret

Lead of the Wise.

The Arabians call it Asmat or Azmat; the Alchymists retain the

Name Antimony.

Addition.

The Moors call it Antimony, others call it Alabaster, or Tarbason.

By the Arabians and Spaniards it is called Alcohol. Avicennae c.

7. calls it Artemed. Alexius of Piedmont, in his seventh Book of

Secrets, calls it Talck, even as John Jacob Wecker renders it in

his Books of Secrets; but Talck is far different from Antimony.

Pliny, Book 33. Chap. 6. of Antimony. Dioscorides gives a

preparation of Antimony, Book 5. Chap. 39. They call it also

Stibi, Stimmi, &c. The Germans call it Spies glass, or as George

Fabricius would rather have it, Spies glantz. Gerlandius calls it

Black Alcophil, Altofel, or Alirnu, others Cosmet, and it is

twofold, Masculine and Feminine.

It will lead us to the consideration of higher Mysteries, if we

behold and discern that Nature wherein Gold is exalted, even as

the Magi have found that this Mineral is by God ordained under the

Constellation of Aries, which is the first Celestial Sign, wherein

the Sun takes its Exaltation, though this be not regarded by the

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Vulgar; yet discreet people will know, and the better observe,

that even in this place also the Mysteries and Perpetuity may in

part be considered with great benefit, and in part discovered.

But some ignorant and indiscreet people think, that when they had

Antimony, they would deal well enough with it by Calcination,

others by Sublimation, and some by Reverberation, thereby to

obtain its great Mystery and perfect Medicine. But I

tell you, that here in this place it availes not in the least,

either Calcination, Sublimation, or Reverberation, whereby

afterwards a perfect extraction can or might be done or effected

with profit, to transmute the meaner into a better Metallick

virtue; for it is impossible for you.

Be not deluded; some of the Philosophers which have wrote of such

things, as Geber, Albertus Magnus, Rasis, Rupecissa, Aristotle,

and many others: But observe this: Some say, that if Antimony be

made to a Vitrum or Glass, the bad volatile Sulphur is gone, and

the Oil which may be prepared out of that Glass, will be a very

fixt Oil, and will really give an ingress and Medicine of

perfection to the imperfect Metals.

These words and opinion are good and true, but it will not be nor

appear such indeed; for I tell you truly, without concealed

speeches, that if you lose any of the aforesaid Sulphur in the

Preparation or Burning, for a small fire may easily prejudice it,

you then have lost the true penetrating Spirit, which should make

the whole Body of Antimony to a perfect red Oyl, which should also

ascend over the helm with a delightful sent, and curious Colours;

observe likewise, that the whole Body of this Mineral, with all

its Members, should be but one Oyl, and ascend over the helm

without any loss of weight, excepting the feces.

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How should the Body be brought to an Oil, or yield its pleasant

Oil, if it be brought to the last being of its degree, for Glass

is in all things the utmost and last.

You shall likewise know that you shall not obtain that perfect

noble Oil in the least, if it be extracted with corrected Vinegar

poured upon the Antimony, nor yet by Reverberation; and although

its various colours may appear, yet is it not the right way; you

may indeed get an Oil, but you must know that it hath no part of

the Tincture, or power of transmutation in it.

Now we come to the Manual Operation.

Take in the Name of God, and of the Eternal Trinity, fine and very

pure Mineral Antimony, which is fair, white, massie, and inwardly

full of yellow Streaks or Veins, aud likewise of red

and blew Colours, and small Veins, this is the best; pound it to

fine Powder, dissolve it by little and little in Aqua Regis, that

the Water may conquer it. After Solution take it out immediately

that the Aqua Regis may do it no prejudice; for it will quickly

dissolve the Tincture of the Antimony; for our Water in its nature

is like to the Ostrich, which by his heat can digest Iron, and

consume it to nothing; for the Water will consume it, and turn it

to a Mud, that it shall remain only as a yellow Earth, and then is

it quite spoiled.

Take an Example hereof from Silver, which is dissolved, fair pure

and fine in these our Waters but if it stand a night therein while

the Water is strong and full of Spirits, I tell you, your good

Silver will be corroded to nothing in these our Waters; and though

you would reduce it into a Massie Body, you cannot; for it will

remain as a pale yellow Earth, and sometimes it will run together

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in the form of Horn, or of a white Horse Hoof, which you can by no

Art reduce into a Body.

Wherefore you must remember to take the Antimony out presently

after the Solution, precipitate and adulterate it according to the

custom of Alchymists, that it may not be corroded with its perfect

Oil by the Water, and burnt up to nothing.

The Water wherein we dissolve is thus made.

R. Vitriol, a pound and a half, Salt-Armoniac one pound, Azinat

one pound, Salt-nitre a pound and a half, Salt-gemme one pound,

Allom half a pound; these are the Ingredients which belong unto

the making of the Water for the Solution of Antimony.

Take and mix them well together; at first distil very slowly, for

the Spirits ascend with greater violence than those of any other

common Aqua fortis; beware of its Spirits; for their Fumes are

very subtile and hurtful in their penetration.

When you have adulterated the Antimony well and purely from the

corrosive Water, then put it into a clean Vial, poure good

distilled Vinegar upon it set it forty dayes and nights to

putrefie in Horse-dung, or in Balneum Mariae, it will be bloudred.

Take it out, and see how much is yet to be dissolved, decant off

gently the pure and clear, which is red into a Glass-Gourd, poure

other Vinegar upon the Faeces as before, that if any thing should

yet remain therein, it might be dissolved; this must be done four

times in fourty days and nights; for if any good be in the Faeces,

it will be dissolved in that time, then cast the Dregs away as

unprofitable, being but Dirt, and to be cast to the Dunghill.

Put all the Solutions in a glass-Gourd into Balneum Mariae, distil

all the tart Vinegar from it, pour it on again, or else pour

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