The Celestial Light of the Sun is much hotter than the Light of the Moon; for the Moon is much lesser than the Sun, and according to its dimension and division it contains an eighth part of the greatness in its Circle; if then the Moon in this her Magnitude of the eighth part could excel the Sun, as the Sun excels the Moon, all Fruits and Productions of the Earth must perish, and there would be a perpetual Winter, no Summer to be found at any time: But the Eternal Creator hath in this case well ordained a certain Order and Law for his Creatures, that the Sun should give light by day, and the Moon by night, and so all Creatures should be served. Those Children which are subject to the influence of Saturn, are melancholy, churlish, continually murmuring, as old covetous people, who do no good to their own Bodies, and yet never have enough; they put their Bodies to much labour, torment themselves with thoughts and whimsies, seldom recreate themselves, or are merry with other people, nor do they greatly regard the natural love of fair Women.
In brief, I tell thee that Saturn is generated of little Sulphur, little Salt, and much unripe gross Mercury, which Mercury is to be esteemed as a Froth that floates upon the Water, in comparison of that Mercury which is found in Sol; and is much more hot in its degree, and therefore the Mercury of Saturn by reason of its great coldness, hath not so quick a running Life as that which is made of Gold, wherein more heat is to be found, whence that running Life hath its original: Therefore in the inferiour world we must take notice of little Vulcan in the augmentation and transmutation of Metals, as I have described those three Principles of Saturn, as concerning their descent, nature, and complection. And every one must know, that no transmutation of any Metal can follow out of Saturn, by reason of its great coldness, only and except to coagulate common Mercury; for the cold Sulphur of Lead can qualifie and take away the hot running Spirit of the Quicksilver, if the process be rightly ordered, wherefore it is not amiss to observe, that Mercury is so detained, that the Theory should agree with the Practick, and meet together in a certain measure and concordance. You must not therefore quite reject Saturn, nor in all points scornfully neglect him, because its Natures and Virtues are known yet but unto few; for the Stone of the wise hath the first beginning of its Celestial, high-shining Colour only out of this Metal, and from the influence of this Planet, the Key of Constancy is delivered unto him by putrefaction, because the red cannot be made out of the yellow, except before-hand a white be made out of the beginning of the black.
I could yet treat variously, and at large of many wonderful works of Natural and Supernatural things. But because other Labours prevent me therein, of making a longer Narration, I therefore put a Conclusion to this Treatise at present, referring the other concerning the concealed Secrets of Minerals until I have a purpose to write further, in a particular Treatise of Antimony, Vitriol, Brimstone, Magnet, and which in especial are endowed before others, and depend upon those, out of which Gold and Silver have their beginning, middle and end, together with the true transmutation particularly; which virtues and power they have received out of one thing, wherein all these lie to be generated invisibly concealed, together with all Metals; which matter is publick before the eyes of all men, but because the vertues and powers are very deeply buried and unknown to the most part, therefore this matter is likewise esteemed as nothing, or of no value, and unprofitable, out of ignorance; even as the Disciples of the Lord going to Emaus, their eyes were opened at the breaking of Bread, that they knew wonder above wonder, what the rich Creator hath placed in the vile creature, the name is Hermes, who carries a flying Serpent in his Shield, having a Wife whose Name is Aphrodita, who can know the Hearts of all men, and yet all is one, and one only thing, one only Essence, which is common in all Places, and known every where, every one grasps it with his hands, and uses it in vile matters, and of small value; he values the vile at a high rate, and that which is high he casts away; it is nothing else but Water and Fire, out of which the Earth is generated by the help of the Air, and is yet preserved. Praise be to the most High for his Gifts: At present enough is revealed what my intent was to shew in this Treatise, and so I depart hence; for in separation all is to be found.
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. Avicennæ 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.