Antimony

ANTIMONY. In Latin, Stibium; in Hebrew, Phuc; in Greek, Stimmi; is a mineral which comes near the nature of metals; it is found in Silver and Lead Mines. It is of a black colour, and filled with long glittering streaks like needles. It is mixed with several metals, and is generally used in melting them. Antimony is at this day very much employed in Physick; but before the twelfth age, it was of service only in the composition of Paint; and it is in this sense, and with relation to this use, that we shall 2 Kings ix. 30.speak of it. The Scripture describes it to us as a sort of Paint, with which the Women blackened their Eyebrows. Jezabel understanding that Jehu was to enter Samaria, painted her Eyes with Antimony; or, according to the Hebrew, put her Eyes in Antimony. She rub’d them with it all over, or even dip’d them in the Paint, in order to speak to this Usurper, and shew herself before him.

Isai. iii. 22.As large black Eyes were thought the finest, they of both sexes, who were careful of their beauty, rub’d their Eyes, the Eye-lids, and round the Eyes, with a needle dip’d in a box of Paint made of Antimony, with a design of blackening them, of enlarging the Eye-lid, or rather wrinkling it, that the Eye might appear the larger. At this day the Women of Syria, Arabia and Babylonia¹, anoint and blacken themselves about the Eyes; and both Men and Women put black about their Eyes in the Desart, to preserve them from the heat of the Sun, and the piercing of its rays. M. Darvieux² tells us, that the Arabian Women border their Eyes with a black colour made of Tutie, which the Arabians call Rehel. They draw a line of this kind of blacking without the corner of their Eyes, to make them appear larger. Isaiah, in his enumeration of the several ornaments belonging to the Daughters of Sion, has not forgotten the needles which they made use of in painting their Eyes, and Eye-lids.

Ille Supercilium madidâ fuligine tinctum Obliquâ producit acu, pingitque trementes Attollens oculos³.

Jer. iv. 30. Ezek. xxiii. 40. Job xlii. 14.Jeremiah, addressing himself to the Daughters of Sion, says, Though thou cloathest thy self with Crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, (Antimony) thy lovers will despise thee. And Ezekiel, discovering the irregularities of the Jewish Nation, under the idea of a debauched Woman, says, that she bathed, perfumed herself, that she anointed her Eyes with Antimony; that she adorned herself, sat upon a fine bed, and before a well-covered table, &c. Job shews sufficiently how much Antimony was in esteem, by calling one of his Daughters a vessel of Antimony, or a box to put Paint in, cornu stibii. The Author of the Book of Enoch says, that before the Deluge the Angel Azleel taught young Women the art of painting themselves.

Tertullian⁴ and St. Cyprian⁵, have declaimed very warmly against this custom of painting their Eyes and Eyebrows, which was much practised in Africk, even by the Men, Inunge oculos tuos non stibio diaboli, sed collyrio Christi, says St. Cyprian. Pliny speaking of the Roman ladies, says, that they painted their very Eyes. Tanta est decoris affectatio, ut tingantur oculi quoque. Sardanapalus painted his Eyes and Eyebrows. Josephus reproaches the Seditious with the same, who assumed the name of Zealots, and made themselves Masters of the Temple of Jerusalem⁶.

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