[EXTRACT OF ANTIMONY, BY A CAUSTICK WATER] There remains another Extraction by a Caustick Water, which Experience hath taught me in this

manner. Take of Vitriol and Common Salt, equal parts; from these by Retort distil a Water*, which being forced out by vehement fire, comes forth a matter like thin Butter, or the Sediment of Oil Olive, which keep apart for use. *Here I will teach you the Manual Operation, O Lover of Chymistry, which undoubtedly you will greatly esteem of, when you shall find the great commodity thereof in operating. Lest, as it often happens, when you distil the Spirits of Metals, your Vessels should be broken. Of your Earth Retort A. open the upper hole B. into which put your matter by Parts, lest all together senting the heat, should act all to forcibly; and presently Close the Hole with its proper Cover. To the Spirits received in the Vessel C. exit is given by the hole D. into the other opposit Receiver E. to which again is applied the other Receiver F. So, the more subtle Spirits ascending through the Hole D. settle in the Recipient F. But the more gross remain in the bottom G. of the Reciever C. This Instrument will be most apt for your use here; not only, as I said, lest a most strong Spirit passing out break the Glasses, but also for other Works, as by an easy Speculation you will hence gather. Subtly grind the Caput-mortuum, and in a Cellar permit it to resolve into Water, this Water keep and filter it through Paper. Afterward take Hungarian Antimony, grind it to a fine Powder, and having put it in a Cucurbit with a flat bottom, pour this Water thereon, and set the Vessel in Heat. When it hath stood there for a due time, the Matter will be like an Amethyst, with a blackish Violet-Colour. Then augment the Fire much, and you will have a transparent Colour, like unto a blue Saphire. From this Colour precipitate a white Powder, by pouring on Common Water. [EXTRACT OF ANTIMONY, ITS VIRTUES, AND USE] This Powder taken, hath the same Operation, as the red Extraction of Glass of Antimony, by Seidge, and it also excites Vomiting. [MARS TRANSMUTES INTO VENUS] In that Solution made from the Caput-Mortuum, and kept in a Cellar, if thin Plates of Iron be digested, Mars will be truly transmuted into Venus, as Experience will teach. Now further consider. Take that distilled Oil or Water, as is spoken of above in this process and pour it upon Crocus Martis, with Sulphur reverberated to a Redness; set the Mixture in Heat, and you will have an extracted Tincture of Mars, red as Blood. Take of this Extraction one part; of the Red Extraction of Antimony, which is prepared with fixed Salt Nitre and Spirit of Wine, three Parts; of the Water of Mercury* leisurely injected through a long Pipe; one Part; *[WATER OF MERCURY, HOW MADE] Chymists, that they may with the Ingenuities of their Readers; and more, lest any but the true Students of Art should penetrate into their Secrets, deliver not all Things in one place, but scatter their Documents, that by the Diligent Collection of them, they may judge of their Aptness, as the Eagle proves her Young, exposing them to the Solar Rays: so you see Basilius here proposeth the use of Water of Mercury, which he taught to be made in his Treatise, which is called a Supplement, or rather gave a rude Draught of that Process. For neither there, nor here doth he make mention of an hole, that must be open, in the superior part of the Retort, and thereinto a long Pipe fitted through which the Mercury may be put in, in very small Parcels. For if you include a very small part of Mercury in a Retort, first

made very hot with a vehement Fire, as this must be, if you would extract the Spirit, that Mercury, with its own vehement and untamable violence, would not only burst the Retort, but overthrow the Furnace also; unless you give it a larger space, and greater liberty of Flying; so that, after it hath visited many Retorts, it may rest, and being as it were tired, settle. But since it is well known to all true Chymists, of how great Virtue this Mercury is, in the Resolution of Metals, I will here make no further mention thereof. and of the Calx of Gold dissolved in this Caustick Water, half a part. Mix all these together, and after they are canted off clear, distil the Mixture with a Moderate Fire in Sand. All will not pass over by Distillation, but a fair clear Solution remains fixed * in the Bottom; which we may use in old open Wounds, wherein it laies a Foundation for Healing to Amazement. *This Solution is not yet fixed, but if you be not already wearied with labour, by a further Operation you may fix it. The principal Use of this is, in the Emendation of Metals, which Basilius doth not so much as mention. Now the Genius of all Chymists will understand me, here candidly discovering this Secret to all. Do thou, Lover of Chymistry, in mind and though swiftly follow me expounding the Oracle; but the Operation cannot be so swiftly performed. This Powder must first be Extracted with strong Vinegar, which afterward abstract, and what remains in the bottom edulcorate with distilled Water: again Extract it with Spirit of Wine, and abstract the Spirit, and in the bottom will remain a Red Powder. Join this with the fixed Salt, which is made of the Feces, which remained after the Vinegar was used for Extraction. And deliver it to Vulcan for three Months space, that it may no more fly from the Fire, but most pleasingly sport with and in the same. If you perform this, you have Two conjoyned in an inseperable Matrimony: and you have separated the pure from the impure, have rendered the Volatile fixed, and fixed the Volatile, and are not far from that Felicity, which will answer all your Desires. The Caput-Mortuum which is left, being resolved in an Humid place, yields a Liquor so sharp, as no Aqua Fortis may be compared with it in sharpness. But of these enough at this time. For I must now speak of a White Powder, which may also be prepared of Antimony in this manner. [POWDER OF ANTIMONY, WHITE AND FIXED] Take pure Antimony, which is brought from Hungaria, or found in like Mountainous Places; grind it to a subtle Powder: take also the same measure of pure Salnitre, which hath been the third time diligently cleansed. This Composition burn in a new glazed Pot (which was never infected with Fatness) in a Circulatory Fire; not all together, but by parts, and at divers time. This way of Operating, Ancient Spagyrist called Detonation, a Term of Art to be learned by the Disciple of Art, as being not Common to every Rustick, in his Artifice and Experience. This Operation being performe,d grind the hard Matter, which remained in the Pot, to a fine Powder, and upon it in another Glazed Pot pour common Water warm; which when the Matter is settled again repeat the pouring on of Water several times, until all the Salnitre be extracted: Lastly, dry the remaining Matter, and with fresh Salnitre* as much as its own weight is, burn it again, and repeat the same Operation the third time. *[POWDER OF RULAND] Basilius doth not misguide or delude you, O Lover of Chymistry, whilst he so candidly discovers most Secret Mysteries, and so sincerely and faithfull present their

wonderful Effects. As by this very Operation you have an Example: For after the first Detonation with Nitre, and so soon as you shallhave separated the Salnitre from the Powder with pure Water, you have the Powder of Ruland, with which that man effected so many Medicinal wonders, whereby he got to himself so great a Name, and so much Wealth. Which, if you prepare under a certain Constitution of Heaven (as I advised, in preparing the Liver of Antimony) you will have so much the better, by how much the more Red: for the Colour is the Soul thereof, the Effect of which in Medicine, Ruland proved and commended; but he, neither exhausted its praises, nor did he persuade the Unexperienced, that so great Virtues were latent in this Medicament. This Crocus of Metals (for so it is called) is not that, which is publicly sold in Shops, upon eight Grains of which they pour two ounces of Wine, and although the Sick only drink that wine, without any other Powder, it oftentimes works so forcibly, upwards and downwards, as either way, sometimes both ways, the life itself issues out. But the use of this is thus. Take eight, nine, ten, or eleven Grains of this our Authors preparing the first Time, according to the strength of the Sick, and all other Things co-indicating; pour on them three or four ounces of Wine; for it matter not much, whether you take more or less of the Wine. Set the Mixture in B.M. for the space of four or five hours, and so extract a most Red Tincture from this Crocus of Metals (which in an infusion of the Crocus of the Shops cannot be extracted) this Wine, no impregnated with the Sulphur of the Crocus, together with the more subtle part of the Powder, which in canting off comes out, I give to the Sick, and it purgeth kindly upwards and downwards without molestation. Nor doth this Medicament only expel Humours, but (as is proper to Antimonials rightly prepared) it strikes at the very Root of the Disease, and whatsoever in the Body is corrupted and declined from its due state, that it amends and restores. What wonderful Effects, this only Tincture hath discovered to me, I forbear to mention, lest I should be compelled to bring their Credit in Question, who have experienced them. In this only believe me, whosoever thou art, that woulest use Chymical Medicaments, always be sure to take the true Tinctures of Things, in which their Volatile Sulphur is absconded; if you neglect this, you neglect your own Fame and Gain, and the Health of the Sick. What remains after this third Operation grind to a subtle Powder, and on that pour the best Spirit of Wine; circulate the Mixture for one Month, in a Cucurbit or Circulatory diligently nine or ten times, so often pouring on fresh Spirit. This being done, dry the Powder with gentle heat, and for one whole Day keep it red hot in a Crucible, such as Goldsmiths use to melt their Metals in. Afterward resolve this Powder (in a moist Place, upon a Stone or Glass Table, or in Eggs boiled to an hardness) into a Liquor, which set in heat, again dry, and reduce to Powder. This Powder effects many egregious and wonderful Things, which cannot easily be believed by Those, who have not proved the same.* *If you have believed, or experienced the virtues of this Powder once detonated, you will not be a Thomas in this third Detonation. Set to your hand, touch and use this, and it will perform the same, which true Diaphoretick Antimony can, but with greater Security and Efficacy. But it operates not suddenly, it must have time to exercise its Powers, and shew its own Virtue, by the Testimony of Experience, very admirable.