IT is very true gentle Reader, that Arse­nicke, Orpiment, Sublimate praecipi­tate, Quick-siluer, Todes and Adders, are in some sorte rancke and deadlye poysons in the high­est degree. For day­ly experience might teach it, though no learned writer had once men­tioned it. But it followeth not therefore that there is no vse of them in Phisick or curing of diseases. For, to omit all the probable arguments taken from sweete Kirnels in bitter shels, precious Dia­monds in the middest of course stones, and Pearles in base Oysters, alledged both by Philosophers [Page 2] and Phisitians, to prooue that in most poysoned subiects may be the noblest remedies, it is euident by the practise both of learned and vnlearned, that they are often vsed both inwardly and outwardly. My selfe I haue diuers times and yet not without the warrant of good Authors both old and new, cured sundry extreame coughes and impostuma­ted lungs with the fume of Orpiment administred by the mouth. My selfe also had the rebellious rootes of a Wen (after I had vsed Sublimate and Praecipitate, in vaine) well taken away with Arse­nick. The place of the Wen being close by the ridge bone ouer-against the hart. I haue also ma­ny times both giuen, and seene giuen Crude Mer­curie, that is Quicksiluer vnto children for the wormes, and that with good successe. As for Sub­limate and Praecipitate, I referre me to any man of any reading or experience, whether they bee not dayly and vsually administred both within and without, and that with good successe, especi­ally being brought as chymicall writers call it in­to Turbittes: Toades dried and giuen in powder inwardly prouoake vrine exceedingly, and out­wardly applyed they stay bleeding most miracu­lously, and drawe forth the matter of the plague into themselues, without breaking of the parties skin, or any other harme. Concerning Adders, who knoweth not that from them the Triacles haue their names in Greeke, because they are the [Page 3] Basis or most principall ingredient whereof they are compounded. Now if the fume of Orpiment may be taken inwardly, and the substance of Arse­nick applyed to Vlcers and raw wounds, wherein is as much danger of poysoning as by swallowing of it, as may appeare by the speedie death of wilde beasts vpon the least raising of their skinnes with Arrow-heads dipped in Toxicum and such like poysons: I know no cause why a man should be afraide to weare them (especially inclosed in silke) vpon the whole skin. Neither how they can be perpetually opposite to mans nature. Nay if that be a true and sufficient definition of poyson At no time to agree with nature. I see not how these things may simply be called poysons, that some­times and in some cases as hath bin shewed agree with nature as well as a man would wish. As for that point that somtimes they blister the skin, and cause angry wheales or pumples to arise, seeing that inconuenience may be both easily preuented and as easily cured, & commeth onely but by the wearers default it needeth not to terrisie any man from the vsing of them. For if the wearer of these Amulets or plague cakes, assoone as they begin to sweat, either take away the Cake, or put linnen e­nough betweene it & the skin, or sew it in thicker stuffe, or anoint the place with oyle or any vnctu­ose thing, they may be free enough from that in­conuenience.

[Page 4] And if assoone as it beginneth to breede any itching, or raise any pimple, they remooue the cake for a day or two, and annoint the place with a little creame or Vnguentum album Camphoratum, they shall not neede to complaine of any deepe or foule holes or vlcerations. And yet it may be a question worth the considering, whether to haue such things arise, be not rather a benefit where they appeare, then a harme. For seeing the same effect or accident hapneth not to all that weare them, nor to all that sweate, it may seeme that on­ly they are subiect to such blisterings in whome there is some venemous matter, which nature by the helpe of the medicine laboureth to expell. And as worthy the consideration it is, now we talke of blistering and corroding, to call to re­membrance, how Garleeke, Mustart, and Rosa solis, the hearbe, being greatblisterers of the skinne, are not for that condemned for poysons, nor refused to be taken into the stomach. The ioyce of a Li­mon will graue vpon a knife as well as Aqua fortis or strong water, and yet who euer had any harme by taking of it inwardly. To blister therefore or corrode the skinne, is not a sufficient argument to proue a thing a poyson. It is also very euident both by experience and reason, that things out­wardly applyed haue action, and worke into the body by communicating their spirituall qualities (as I may call them) to the spirites of our bodyes, [Page 5] by the meanes of the warmth that openeth our pores, and rarefying the subtill parts of the medi­cine, is the cause of a reciprocate action and passi­on, as may appeare by purging simples and plai­sters. And herevpon, notwithstanding what hath beene aboue saide, and perhaps not sufficiently wayed, it may seeme strange to some how Arse­nick & such like strong poysons, hauing so strong poysoning spirits, should not also poyson our spi­rits wheresoeuer they meete. For the better satis­faction of such as are not carryed away with for­mer praeiudice, and are capeable of these matters, this is in briefe my answer.

Arsenick and Orpiment are no wayes poyso­nus or hurtfull to nature, but by their corrosiuenes or fretting qualities: otherwise they are as good, if not better, both preseruatiues and curers as any other most in vse: and therefore so long as they are kept from corroding or fretting, they can doe no harme, but may doe much good in that kinde, which they respect: That is to say, in all Arsenicall diseases, as the Plague, the Plurisie, Noli me tange­re, Canckers and Fistulas, and all of that kinde. If thou desire this to be confirmed vnto thee by ex­ample or experience, to wit, that they may be kept from corroding: Beholde the Mounte-bankes or Quacksaluers of Germany and Italy, who before they play their parts before the people, drinke first in their lodgings for that purpose halfe a pinte or [Page 6] more of Sallat-oyle, and then comming to their stage, take inwardly in all mens sight incredible quantities of these poisons, and then taking no­thing after them but their Triacles which they haue to sell, make their beholders beleeue that by them they be preserued from all harme. (Of this thou mayest see more at large in Mathiolus in his Commentaries vpon Dioscorides) whereby it ap­peareth as I saide before, that they may be kept from fretting or corroding of the inwarde parts, which granted, it followeth that the like may be done outwardly, and so be worne safely vpon the bare skin, notwithstanding their corrosiue quali­ties be no wayes taken away. But if they may be cleane taken away, as all that are well practised in chimicall praeparations do affirme, I see no reason why they should be so feared, especially to be ap­plied outwardly. And why should it not be as pos­sible to remooue the corrosiue qualities of mine­rals from their bodies, as well as to remooue the burning quality of Aron rootes, called in English Starch-worte, or Wake-Robin from them, which I haue seene done, & then as pleasant bread made of them as of any other graine: or as well as to re­mooue the bitternesse of the gall of an Oxe, which my selfe haue done, and brought it to be as sweete as the ioyce of Liquorice, and then administred it with good successe in the yellow Iaundisse. But suppose that this were impossible: why may there [Page 7] not be as sure a way to correct that qualitie by mi­nerall meanes as there is to correct the offending qualities of Scammony, Agarick, Helleborus, Euphor­bium and such like by their like, that is by Ve­gitables? Is it absurd, nay is there not great proba­bilitie to thinke that God hath in nature appoin­ted minerall Alexipharmaca praeseruatiues or re­medies against the greatest poisons in that kinde, when we see that in vegitables he hath in his great mercy and prouidence created an Antithora for a Thora, and an Antieuphorbium for Euphorbium, I thinke not. And if neede were I can name some, but that such secrets ought alwayes to remaine with them that know them. Now if any man not satisfied with that which hath beene saide, obiect yet farther, that I haue proued but the halfe of that which they expected. That is, that these Amulets may be safly worne without any harme, not shew­ing the other more necessary part, that they may do any good. For satisfying all such, (although there is enough said to those that hold them dan­gerous, which is the question now in controuer­sie,) I will farther yet briefly tell you my opinion of that point also, vpon that small knowledge (yet dearly bought) which I imagine I haue in chimi­call matters, partly by my own experience, & part­ly by reading of the professors of that arte: I assure my selfe that there is in these minerals which the Alchimists cal their spirits good store of gold, or to [Page 8] speake a little plainer of the spirits of golde: and from thence in my opinion it hath that incredible and admirable operation in preseruing of our spi­rits from infection. For the better confirmation of this my supposition, to wit, that minerall spirits are not without parte of the mettals from which they come; If you will demaund of the refiners or meltars downe of mettals, what the reason is why many times they cannot get the golde or other mettals which they know to be in their Ores or Owres, they will answer you that the aboundance of the wilde spirites that are in them when they bring them to the blast, carry away all the metall with them, which they doe by eating of them vp as strong waters vse to doe. But if thou haddest rather heare what the learneder sorte that deale with such things holde of these matters. Then read what is written in a treatise of Arsenick by Theoprastus Paracelsus, who was absolutly the most learnedst chimicall writer and worker that euer wrote: And if thou hast any insight in this kind of Philosophie, whereby to vnderstand him, he will satisfie thee of the natures of these things to the full. As for the authorities of such Phisitians or Philosophers which are not acquainted neither with the chymicall theory nor practise, I holde their censures as insufficient, for want of know­ledge of those things which they dislike: & there­fore how many soeuer they be in number, so long [Page 9] as they vnderstand not what they reprehend, it maketh no great matter: and yet if this contro­uersie were to be debated by authorities, my opi­nion should not be lesse assisted then any others. But seeing it would be both tedious and needlesse for the readers to be troubled with such allegati­ons, I wil not take that course at this time, in which my intent is only to let them know what my opi­nion and practise is of these things. Yet least it might be thought that I haue none but poore Pa­racelsus on my side, I will translate for them that vnderstand no Lattin, a fewe lines concerning these Amulets and Plague cakes, out of a little Treatise of the Plague of Iohannis Pistorius a lear­ned Phisition of Germanie; his wordes are these. Many Italian Phisitions are of that opinion, that there was neuer a more excellent thing (speaking of these A­mulets) graunted to mortall men by God, to preserue them from the Plague, and therefore call it a diuine me­dicine inuented by God, and take it vpon their oathes that neuer any fell sicke that wore them, and so much the more and the better I like of them, saith Pistorius, because their notable profit or vertue is confirmed by experience and made manifest to the senses, and a few lines after he saith further. And so much the more am I mooued to like of them, because in the yeare 64. in Zurick, I neuer knew any amongst a great many that wore them to get any harme by them, or dye of the Plague, notwithstanding the great conuersation that [Page 10] the sound had with the sicke, according to the custome of that place. And at Basill the like was obserued. As these things (gentle reader) moued the foresaid Pistorius to allowe and prescribe these Amulets to his patients, so haue the same (together with my owne long obseruations) done the like with me, and so hauing as I promised brieflie, set downe my opinion, I commit thee to the head Physition, who send thee health both of soule and body.

Maledictus qui ponit carnem brachium suum: that is in effect; Accursed be he that putteth his whole confidence in secondary meanes, for it is neither hearbe nor salue, nor any thing els that healeth, but onely the blessing of the head Physi­tion. And herevpon it may fall out sometimes that they who commit superstition or Idolatrie (as I may cal it) in wearing of these Amulets, may now and then notwithstanding miscarry, but it were pittie for that cause to derogate from the credite of so noble and generall a me­dicine, for a few perticular instances.