Why do we look to get our Medicines by troubling our brains, & by subtle and tedious works, whereas God through simple nature doth teach us otherwise. Were it not better to let simple nature instruct us? surely if we would be in love with small things, we should find great ones. But because all men do strive only for great and high things, therefore the small also are kept from them; and therefore it would be well, that we could fancy this maxim, that also things of small account can do something, as we may see by Tartar and despicable Antimony, and not only so many coals, glasses, materials, and the like, but also the pretious time would not be wasted so much in preparing of medicaments: for all is not gold that glistereth, but oftentimes under a homely coat some glorious thing is hid; which ought to be taken notice of.
Some may object why do I teach to joyn the Antimony first with the Tartar by the help of common water before its fermentation with the wine: whether it would not be as good to put it in of it self in powder, or to dissolve it with spirit of salt (which would be easier to do than with Tartar) and so let it work? To which I answer, that the working wine or drink, receiveth no metallical calx or solution, unless it be first prepared with tartar or spirit of wine. For although you dissolve Antimony, or any other metal or mineral in spirit of salt, or of vitriol, or of salt nitre, or any other acid spirit, and then think to let it work with wine or any other drink, you will find that it doth not succeed; for the acid spirit will hinder the fermentation, and let fall the dissolved metals, and so spoyl the work; and besides, Tartar may be used among all drinks, and doth more agree with ones taste and stomach, than any corrosive spirit.
In the same manner as was taught of Antimony, other minerals and metals also may be fitly joyned with wine or other drink, and the use of such Antimonial wine is this, viz. that it be drank at meals and betwixt meals like other ordinary drink to quench thirst, but for all that, it must not be drank in a greater quantity, than that Nature be able to bear it. For if you would drink of it immoderately, it would excite vomits, which ought not to be, for it is but only to work in an insensible way, which if it be done, it preserveth not only the body from all diseases proceeding from corrupted impure blood, as the Plague, Leprosy, Pox, Scurvy, and the like, but by reason of its hidden heat, whereby it doth consume and expel all evil and salt humors (as the Sun dryeth up a pool) by sweat and urine, and so doth unburthen the blood from all such sharp and hurtful humors, &c. It doth not only cure the abovesaid diseases, but also all open sores, ulcers, fistulaes, which by reason of the superfluity of salt humors can admit of no healing, and it doth dispatch them in a short time in a wonderful manner, and so firmly that there is no relapse to be feared.
This drink is not only good for the sick, but also for the whole (though in a smaller quantity) because that it wonderfully cleanseth the whole body, and you need not fear the least hurt either in young or old, sick or healthy. And let no man stumble at it, that many ignorant men do defame Antimony and hold it to be poyson, and forbid it to be used; for if they knew it well, they would not do so; but because such men know no more, than what they get by reading, or by hear-say, they pronounce a false sentence; and it might be replyed unto them, as Apelles did to the Shooe-maker; Ne sutor ultra crepidam: but what what shall we say? Non omnis fert omnia tellus. When an Ass after his death doth rot, out of the carcass groweth Beetles, which can fly higher than the Ass from whence they came; In the like manner we wish it may fare with the haters of royal Antimony, viz. that their posterity may get seeing eyes, and what they know not, they may forbear to despise and scoff at.
I must confess, that if Antimony be not well prepared, and besides, be indiscreetly used by the unskilful, that it may prejudice a man in his health, which even the vegetables also may do. But to reject it by reason of the abuse, would be a very unwise act: If perchance a child should get into his hand a sharp-edged knife, and hurt himself or others, because it doth not understand how to use a knife, should therefore the use of a knife be rejected and forbidden to those that are grown up and know how to use it? Good sharp tools make a good workman; so good quick working and powerful medicines make a good physitian; and the sharper the tool is, the sooner a stone-carver or other craftsman may spoyl his work by one cut which he doth amiss: which also must be understood of powerful medicines, for if they be used pertinently, in a short time more good may be done with them, than with weak medicaments in a long time. Now as a sharp tool is not to be handled but by a good workman, so likewise a powerful medicine ought to be managed by an understanding and conscientious physitian, who according to the condition of the person, and the disease, knows to increase or abate the strength of the medicine, and not by such a one, as doth minister it ignorantly without making any difference at all.
Let no man marvail, that I ascribe such great vertues unto Antimony, it being abundantly enriched with the primum ens of gold. If I should say ten times as much more of it, I should not lye. Its praise is not to be expressed by any mans tongue; for purifying of the blood, there is no mineral like unto it; for it cleanseth and purifieth the whole man in the highest degree, if it be well prepared first, and then discreetly used. It is the best and next friend to gold, which by the same also is freed and purified from all addition and filth, as we said even now, of man. Every Antimony for the most part agreeth with gold and its medicine; for out of Antimony, by the cleansing Art may be made firm gold, as in the fourth part shall be taught, and which is more, by a long digestion a good part of the same is changed into gold. Whereby it is evident, that it hath the nature and property of gold, and it is better to be used for a medicine than gold it self, because the golden vertue is as yet volatile in this, but in the other is grown fixed and compacted, and may be compared to a young child in respect of an old man. Therefore it is my advice, that in Antimony medicine should be sought, and not to trifle away time and cost in vain and useless things.
Further note, That if you desire to contract nearer together the vertue of Antimony or any other mineral or metal, as above was taught to be done with the Tartar, you must by exhalation of the superfluous moisture in Balneo, reduce the solution to a honey thick liquor, and pour spirit of wine upon it for to extract, and within few days it will be very red; then pour it off and pour on other, and let this likewise extract: continue this proceeding with shifting the spirit of wine, till the spirit of wine can get no more Tincture; then put all the coloured spirit of wine together into a glass with a long neck, and digest it so long in a warm Balneum, till the colour or best essence of Antimony be separated from the spirit of wine, and settled to the bottom like a blood red thick fat oyl, so that the spirit of wine is turned white again; which is to be separated from the fair and pleasant oyl of Antimony, which is made without any corrosive, and is to be kept as a great treasure in physick. The spirit of wine retains somewhat of the vertue of Antimony, and may be used with success of it self both inwardly and outwardly. But the Tincture as a Panacea in all diseases acteth its part with admiration, and as here mentioned of Antimony, so in the same manner all metals by the help of Tartar and spirit of wine may without distilling be reduced into pleasant and sweet oyles, which are none of the meanest in Physick: for every knowing and skilful Chymist will easily grant, that such a metallical oyl, as without all corrosives out of the gross metals is reduced into a pleasant essence, cannot be without great and singular vertue.
How to make good spirit and oyles out of Pearls, Corals, Crabs-eyes, and other light soluble stones of beasts and fishes.
Take to one part of pearls or corals (made into fine powder) three or four parts of pure Tartar, and so much water as will dissolve the Tartar by boyling; put the corals, Tartar and water together into a glass body, which must stand in sand, and give it so strong a fire, that the water boyl in the glass body with the Tartar, and may dissolve the corals. (This solution may be done also in a clean earthen pot that is glased, and the evaporated water must be supplyed with other, as above was taught to be done with the metals.) The corals being dissolved, let them cool, filtrate the solution, and abstract all the moisture from it in Balneo, and there will remain a pleasant honey-thick liquor, which may be used in Physick either of it self, or else once more extracted with spirit of wine and purified, or else distilled, as you please.
The extract or Tincture is better than the liquor, and the spirit is better than the extract or tincture: and all three may well and safely be used; they strengthen the heart and brain; especially those which are made of pearls and corals, they expel the urin and keep the body soluble. Those of crabs eyes and of pearches and other fishes open and cleanse the passages of the urin from all slime and impurity, and they powerfully expel the stone and gravel in the reins and bladder.