THE SECRET BOOK OF THE VERY-

ancient Philosopher ARTEPHIUS treating of

the occult Art & of the Philosopher's stone.

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Antimony is of the parts of Saturn, having in every way its nature; likewise this Saturnine Antimony is suited to the Sun In alchemy, the "Sun" is the standard symbol for Gold., having within itself the quicksilver in which no metal sinks except gold: that is to say, truly only the Sun sinks into the Antimonial Saturnine quicksilver original: "argent vif Antimonial Saturnin", without which quicksilver no metal can be whitened. It therefore whitens the latonoriginal: "leton"; a term used for the base or "impure" metal—often copper or a copper-lead alloy—that must be purified during the work., that is to say gold, and reduces the perfect body into its first matter, that is to say, into sulfur and quicksilver of a white color, and more resplendent than a mirror. It dissolves (I say) the perfect body which is of its nature: For this water is friendly and pleasing to the metals, whitening the Sun, because it contains a white quicksilver. And from this you must draw a very great secret, namely that the Saturnine Antimonial water must be Mercurial and white, so that it may whiten gold, not burning it, but only dissolving it, and afterward congealing into the form of a white cream. This is why the Philosopher says that this water makes the body become volatile, because after it has been dissolved and cooled, it rises up to the surface of the water. Take (he says) raw gold in leaves, or plates, or calcined by Mercury, and place it in our Saturnine Antimonial vinegar, which is Mercurial and drawn from sal ammoniacoriginal: "sel armoniac"; ammonium chloride, a salt frequently used as a flux or solvent in alchemical experiments., (as they say); put it in a glass vessel, wide and four fingers high or more, and leave it there in a temperate heat, and you will see in a short time rise up like an oily liquor floating on top in the form of a film; collect it with a spoon, or by dipping a feather, and thus several times a day gather it, until nothing more rises. Then evaporate the water by fire—that is to say, the superfluous moisture of the vinegar—and there will remain a quintessenceThe "fifth essence" or most purified, spiritual extract of a physical substance. of gold in the form of a white, incombustible oil, in which oil the Philosophers have placed their greatest secrets; and this oil is of a very great sweetness, having great virtues for soothing the pain of wounds.

The whole secret, therefore, of this Antimonial secret is that by the above