Part 5
This my Speech hath indeed had no force to poure forth from it what is written by me herein; but what I have done is not out of curiosity, nor out of a desire of vain and transitory Glory; but I have been induced thereunto by the Command of Christ the Lord, that his Glory and Goodness in eternal and temporal Matters, should not be concealed from any man, but to the praise, honour, and glory of his holy everlasting Name, that it might be exalted, acknowledged, and revealed in his Majesty by reason of his Highness and Almightiness, through the confirmation of his wonderful Deeds! And secondly, I have been led thereunto by Love and Charity towards my Neighbour, for his good as for my own, and to heap burning Coals on my Enemies heads. And last of all, that all Opposers may know, what erroneous waies others have gone against me, and whether I am most of all to be condemned, or they adjudged most just in what hath been written most truly of the concealments of Nature; & likewise that the supremest Mystery may not quite be suffocated in darkness, nor be drowned in overflowing waters, but be delivered out of the deep and filthy mire of the Ideotish Crew by the right appearance of the true Light, and obtain many witnesses by the spreading abroad of a sure, true, and right Confession, who may follow me in the Writings of Truth. In my Nativity of the twelve Signes in the Zodiack, _Sagitary_ and _Pisces_ were allotted unto me; I was born under _Pisces_, for I was in Waterishness before my Life, but _Sagitary_ set an Arrow to my Heart, whereby I lost my Waterishness, and by the heat I became worthy of the dry Earth; and although at the first the Earth was turned by the Water into a soft substance, yet you must understand that the Water was consumed by the heat of the drying Air, so that all the soft Matter of the Earth went away, and by this drying up was dignified with a Hardness; whereby thou Learner, and much Understander should carefully observe and take good notice, that Tin is subject to all the four Elements, as also to the other principal Planets; which Elements received their Center from above, and are generated as others.
To conclude, I let you know, and give you to understand, that if thou extract out of Benevolent _Jupiter_ its Salt and Sulphur, and lettest _Saturn_ flux well with it, _Saturn_ assumes a fixt body unto it, purges it self, and becomes clear thereby, there being a full change and real transmutation of Lead into good Tin, which may be found to the height by a durable infallible proof. And though you may think this to be false, yet you must take notice, that seeing the Salt of _Jupiter_ only by its Sulphur is made more corporal, yet likewise it hath obtained an efficacy and power to penetrate _Saturn_, the basest and most volatile Metal, and bring it to a melioration of its Equals, as you will find it in reality.
CHAP. IX.
_Of the Spirit of_ Saturn, _or Tincture of_ Lead.
_Saturn_ to generate his Metal Lead, is placed in the upper Heaven above all Stars, but he possesses the lowest and vilest degree in the under-parts of the Earth, even as the supreme Light of _Saturn_ is mounted aloft in the highest supremacy of all the Celestial planets, so hath its Children of the lower Region succeeded it in Kind; and Nature hath permitted that _Vulcan_ should conduct them to their like, if _Saturn_ be content; for the upper light gives occasion thereunto, having generated an unfixt Body of _Saturn_, penetrated with open pores, that the Air can pass through this _Saturnine_ Body, that the Air can keep it aloft, but the fire can quickly assault it, because the body is not compact by reason of its unfixedness, so that it must decay, which must be in all points observed by him that will attain to the search of it; for there is a great difference between the fix'd and unfix'd bodies, and of the causes of their Constancy and Inconstancy. And though _Saturn_ hath an especial ponderosity above other Metals, yet observe, when they are poured forth together, after their union in the Flux, the other Metals alwaies settle at the bottom, even as it likewise comes to pass in the pouring of _Antimony_ through with other Metals, whereby it is evident, that the other Metals fall through equally, and are more compact than _Saturn_, for it must give place and preheminence to the other Metals, leaving the victory with them; for it must vanish and be quite consumed with the unfixt inconstant Metals; in it all the three properties of the three principles are most course; and because its Salt is very fluxible above that of other Metals and Planets, so is its Body more fluxible, inconstant, unfixt, and volatile, than any other Metallick Body. As _Saturn_ steps to its regeneration, so know that in like manner, as common Water is forced by the natural coldness, by the change of the Heavens, whereby it becomes a coagulated Ice, in like manner is it to be made evident, that by reason of the great coldness which is found to be in the Salt of _Saturn_ above other Salts; _Saturn_ is also coagulated and made corporal; Ice dissolves into water by heat; so likewise the coagulated _Saturn_ is made fluxible by Fire, it hath most of _Mercury_ in it, but it is inconstant and volatile; it hath least of Sulphur, and therefore according to its small quantity its cold body cannot be made warm; it hath little Salt, but fluxible, otherwise Iron would be more fluxible and malleable than Lead, if the Salt alone could cause a malleableness and fluxibleness, because Iron contains more Salt than any other Metal: Seeing then there is a difference to be found in this point, you must therefore observe and remember the difference, and how to distinguish between Metals.
All Philosophers have wrote as well as I, that the Salt gives the Coagulation and Body to every Metal; and it is true; but to prove it by an example, how and after what manner this Relation is to be understood: Plume Allom is esteemed to be only a meer Salt, and is approved to be such, which in this particular may be compared to Iron, that the Salt of the Plume Allom is found to be a thing unfluxible as Iron is. On the other side, _Vitriol_ likewise is a Salt, manifesting it self in a small quantity, but fluxible and open, therefore its Salt cannot yield such a hard congelation unto its appropriated Metal, as the other can; although all the Salts of Metals grew out of one certain Root, and out of one Seed, yet nevertheless you must observe a difference in their three Principles, as also you must observe & remember, that a difference is found in one Herb from the other, and likewise how man differs from other Creatures and Animals in Qualities, Original, and the three Principles; for one Herb is indued with more of this, another with more of that kind, which in like manner is to be understood concerning Man and other Animals. The Soul of Lead consists in a sweet quality, as also doth the Soul of Tin, and sweeter yet, that nothing almost may be compared to it, being first of all purified to the highest by separation, that the pure be well separated from the impure, that a perfect accomplishment may succeed in the Operation: Otherwise the Spirit of Lead is by nature cold and dry, wherefore I advise, that it be not much used by Men and Women, because it over cools Nature, so that the Seed of both cannot perform their Natural Function; nor doth it much good to the Spleen and Bladder, but in other cases it attracts flegmatick Humours unto it, which raise up much Melancholy in Men; for _Saturn_ is a Ruler, and such a _Melancholicus_, whereby a Man is confirm'd in his Melancholy, wherefore its Spirit is used, for one Melancholy Spirit attracts another unto it, whereby Mans Body is freed and delivered from its infused Melancholy. Externally the Soul of _Saturn_ is so healing, in all Sores old or new, Cuts, Thrusts, or Accidents by Means or Nature, so that no Metal can do the like; it is cooling in all hot, tumified Members; but Noble _Venus_ hath the pre-eminence to mundifie and cauterize all putrid Sores, and to lay a ground for their Cure, which have their access from within; for in her essence she is hot to dry up, but _Saturn_ on the contrary is found to be cold in his Essence.
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_. _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 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_.
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, and 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 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 bloud-red. 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 fresh, if this be too weak, it will quickly dissolve in the Vinegar; distil it again from it, that the Matter be quite dry; then take common distilled water, wash all tartness from it with the Vinegar imparted to the Matter, then dry the Matter in the Sun, which is of a very deep red, or else dry it very well at a gentle fire.
When the Philosophers find our _Antimony_ thus secretly prepared, they say then that its external nature and virtue is inverted internally, and the internal cast forth externally, henceforth becoming an Oil, which is concealed in its innermost and profoundest part, till it be well prepared, and cannot any more be brought into its first Essence, untill the last Judgment; and it is true, for so soon as it feels the force of the fire, it flies away in a Vapour with all its parts, because it is volatile.
Some of the common Laborators, having thus prepared _Antimony_, they take one part out because of its consumption, that they may the better operate it, they mix with it one part of _Salt-Armoniac_, one part of the _Vitrum_ (with others _Titrum_) one part of the _Rebooth_ (with others _Cadoli_) wherewith the Bodies are cleansed; this mixture they cast upon a pure _Luna_, and if there were eight Ounces of the _Luna_, they found ten Drams of good Gold in the separation, and sometimes more; and by this work they gained wherewithal to bear their Charges, the better to attend upon, and attain unto the great Work. The ignorant called this an induction into the Silver, but that is false; for this Gold is not brought into it by the Spirits, but every kind of Silver hath one Ounce of Gold more or less in the Mark (or 8 Ounces) for Gold is so united with the Nature of Silver, that it cannot be separated from it, either by _Aqua fort_, or common _Antimony_, as the _Gold-smiths_ know.
But when the aforesaid Composition is cast upon the _Luna_ in the flux, then happens such a separation, that the _Luna_ doth freely let go the Gold implanted therein into the _Aqua fort_, and is separated from it, letting it precipitate and sink to the bottom, which otherwise could not be done at all. Therefore it is not an induction into the _Luna_, but a bringing out of it.
But we return again to our proposed Work; for we would have only the Oil, which was only known to the Wise, and not to the Ignorant.
When you have rubified the _Antimony_ very well according to the former Directions, you must have in readiness a Spirit of wine well rectified, pour it over the red Powder of _Antimony_, set it four daies and nights in a gentle _Balneum Mariae_, that it may dissolve very well. And if then any of it remain undissolved, pour fresh Spirit of Wine upon it, set it again into the Bath as aforesaid, all will be well dissolved; and if perhaps any more _Faeces_ remain, they will be very few, cast them away, for they are good for nothing. Put the Solution into a glass-Gourd, with a Head luted upon it, set it into _Balneum Mariae_, with its receiver to take the Spirits, distil slowly with a slack heat, till all the Spirit of Wine be come over, pour it in again upon the dry matter, draw it off again as before; this pouring in & abstracting continue so often, till you see the Spirit of Wine ascend over the helm in various colours, then it is time that you follow it with a strong fire, then with the Spirit of Wine ascend red into the helm, and drop into the Receiver like a bloody Oil, and the tender Body ascends like a red Oil, dropping into the Receiver; truly this is the most secret way of the Wise, the so much applauded Oil of _Antimony_; it is a noble, well sented, virtuous, and powerful Oil, as you shall hear afterwards.
But here I will teach and instruct you poor Operators another way, because you have not the Means to attend the great work, not as the Ancients did, with the separation of Gold out of Silver.