Alex. Van Suchten Of the secrets of antimony in two treatises. Translated out of high-Dutch by Dr. C. a person of great skill in chymistry. To which is added B. Valentine's salt of antimony, with its use.

Of the Secrets in Regulus.

Farther, of divers Arcana's which are in the above-mention∣ed Regulus, I have wonders to tell you; he which hath not throughly searched it will not believe me; for God lets not such things be common, and come forth publickly, especially in these base times, in the which Honour and Shame, Virtue and Vice, Lying and Truth are e∣qually prized: Now we seek not the Truth, but Vain-glory; and therefore doth God infatu∣tuate our Senses, and we hate and envy one another, and destroy our wealth, and we our selves are the cause thereof: Farther, I warn you, that I have discove∣red much, and from my writing you may understand more than

I say, but all things shall not be written by reason of Praters and Sophisters, which flatter them∣selves that they have been of the Council of Jove. I will also by this shew forth my mind to you, and I wish you well from my heart, that you may try in these things as much as my self, and I hope that time will give that which now I cannot, and in time know what I mean. Now that I may keep my promise, you shall know that this Regulus hath deceived the best Philosophers and Chymists of greatest account and reading amongst us; for it is such a rare Mineral that there is scarce the like in the world, and can make even the most Learned and understanding men Fools. What is given me from it, what I have seen from my good Com∣panions mark. In my little Book

concerning the Mysteries of An∣timony which no man understand∣eth even to this hour, have I said that Metal might be made out of it. So much belongeth to this point, I did not then much cumber or trouble my self with it, but only explained my self, and manifested the Medicines which are in it, and go under its name; but now know that out of this Regulus all Metals may be made, as Lead, Tin, Cop∣per, Iron, Silver and Sol, and so made, that to the appearance and in hammering, melting, casting proof of the Test, and in the driving by Antimony, they are as good as the natural Metals. Lead which is made thereof is in all proofs good Lead, only it is a little harder than the Natural; but the Lead which is made of Antimony crude, not washed, hath

not that hardness; the Tin is ex∣ceeding fine, and before coagula∣tion, on the Touchstone so cer∣tain as the finest ☽ the Nature of Tin easily taketh it to its self, and is easily made Tin.

With the Copper it is thus al∣so; for so soon as the Odour of Venus is vegetant, it penetrateth the Regulus, and giveth it the Nature of Copper; this opera∣tion is done very quickly: I can make an ounce of Regulus into Copper in the time you can eat a soft Egg.

Iron and Antimony are easily changed one into another, there∣fore is Antimony presently ♂, and out of ♂ is Antimony easily made, and also ♄ ♃ & ♀ may easily be re∣duced into {antimony}, yet ♂ easiest of all. These four Metals I my self have out of Regulus; the other two viz. ☉ & ☽ have I seen my Friend

make. The ☽ is bright, and may be cast, hammered and beaten, as other natural ☽, and may be driven off in ♄, and goeth not a∣way from the Test; I thought a long time that it was nothing else but the best ☽; but my Compa∣nion said that in weight it was heavier than other ☽, I therefore being jealous what it was, did endeavour to dissolv it in aq. fort. made of Vitriol and Nitre, but it would not touch it; then I was much troubled in my thoughts, and laid it in an aq. Regis, and it dissolved totally, then I thought that in the reduction it would be Sol; but I found a white Pow∣der very like to Tin, which is cal∣cined in aq. fortis; when I redu∣ced this powder, there was there∣out a Glass of a Milkie colour, so found I what I had for good ☽; nevertheless I was not content

with these proofs, hoping better things, and therefore I took four Ounces of this ☽, and amalgama∣ted it with common ☿, and did set it in a gentle heat four weeks, and it was in the Superficies black and indifferent hard; I took it out, and did beat it to pieces with a hammer, and then did grind it to powder, and af∣terward by oft rubbing I made it into an Amalgam again as it was before, then drew I the ☿ away in a Retort, and found my ☽ a∣gain; this ☽ I amalgamated a∣gain, not with common ☿, but with ☿ of {antimony}, of the which I have spoken before.

This Amalgam did I set as be∣fore three days and nights, and found that the Amalgam the lon∣ger it stood the moister it was; in eight dayes it was as melted ♄, and so it stood in the fire a

moneth, afterwards I took it out, and distilled it by Retort, and the Mercury of Antimony, and the ☽ came all from the Retort, and were a Mercury; so know I that the ☽ made of Regulus was nothing else than Mercury coa∣gulated, and not constant in a Metalline form, but goeth away again, and will be Mercury, which thing might well make a Chymist a Fool. Now come I to ☉, and to tell you what happened to me is a wonder; when I had shew∣ed to my good Companion, who thought nothing else than that he had got a great prize, he would not believe it, but took it into his own hands, and at length found the truth, and began to question his ☉, and he spake, al∣though I have oftentimes tried it, yet will not I trust my self, but take this half ounce of Gold and

try it as you please. Mr. Hans the Goldsmith saith it is true Gold. So took I the ☉ and brought it to the Goldsmith, and asked him if it were Gold, he said it was, and he could work it for ☉; for to the Sight, Touchstone and Hammer it was very good ☉. Neverthe∣less I took the ☉ and did put to it 2 ℥ of ☽ to granulate and divide it in aq. fort. the ☽ dissolved it self, the ☉ fell to the bottom; this proof was true; this Sol powder I mixed with {antimony} crude, and cast it through Regulus; let it flow in a Crucible and cast Nitre upon it, and drew the {antimony} from the Sol, and drew it off with ♄, this trial I found it also true. This Sol driven off did I cast again through, with {antimony} and {sulphur}; then took I the Regulus and let them go a∣way before the Goldsmiths Bel∣lows, for I had none; this trial

the Sol stood also, on which eve∣ry Chymist may justly rejoice.

Nevertheless seeing the Luna had deceived me, therefore could I not trust the Sol, but causeth it to be beaten thin, and amalga∣mated it with my ☿ of {antimony}, and did set it four Weeks in a gentle warmth, and took notice that the Amalgam was not hard, but soft, which was grievous to me; ne∣vertheless I did let it stand four weeks, and found my Amalgam much moister than when I put it in; then did I put it into a Cru∣cible over a small fire, that the Crucible did not fully glow, and my ☿ flew away incredible swift∣ly from the ☉ that I did not mark it, but thought that my ☿ was coagulated into ☉, but when I weighed my ☉, I found no more than half an Ounce & 2 Quin∣tileins, and thought certainly

that the two Quintileins were pure Gold.

These two Quintileins I pro∣ved farther with ☿ of {antimony} in the same manner as at the first time; then at length I evaporated the Mercury from it, and found my two Quintileins again; then was I merry, and hoped that my Companion would communicate his Preparation to me, and I had Golden Mountains in my head, and I brought a good Message to my Companion; but he himself was not merry, but spake evil of it. Well, said he, I have had great labour and pains with this ☉, and more than I do say: What cannot be that cannot I desire: But let it be a fine sophistication that which hath been made, for the Gold-seeking Alchymists which run hither and thither, to day devour∣ing one to morrow another. The

Gold which remaineth over and a∣bove to thee is not come from the Regulus, but is a Composition of the Natural ☉; for I could not co∣agulate the Regulus into ☉ if there be not good Gold with it; this Sol hath remained in the Test, but the other not, I know not how to bring it farther; and now understand the cause well, that that cannot be that I hoped. This fell into the mind of my Companion, and I feared the manual operation and thought of my Metals. He spake that the {sulphur} of {antimony} which coagula∣teth the Mercury is not united to it in radice, and therefore re∣maineth not with it, and if thou searchest throughly, thy Regulus will not be again ♄ ♃ ♀ ♂ and re∣main so, but will be Mercury a∣gain, which neither you nor any other can coagulate to a good Metal, as some imagine, when

they have the ☿ of ☉ ☽ ♄, that the Art will not fail then; but it is a Lunatick Melancholick Phanta∣sie, from the which they that are not experienced in Alchymy, but only Book-learned, and have gone on hear-say, can make Ar∣guments, and conclude by them∣selves, but when they come to the fire they see their Folly. Tell me when a dead thing is made li∣ving. When is his bound of Na∣ture, in Death or in Life? What hath it been before death or life? Shall any come to this immutable sixt principle? what seekest thou then in Metals vivified? But these things speak I not to thee, nor of thee, but of the Alchymists, for whom pray God that he deli∣ver them from such unreasonable men.

Of this sort discoursed we much together, and seeing I then

was not so intangled, as to hold the printed Books of Alchymy for Gospels; but being led with I know not what Spirit, I doubted more than believed, therefore I alwayes did think of the cause wherefore Alchymy was written by the first Philosophers, and did very often treat with this my good Friend and Companion, well skilled in the Fire, concern∣ing our {antimony} ♄ ♃ ♀ ♂ ☉ & ☽, in all which I found that true which the Chy∣mists put together for the Alchy∣mical Art, and am in good hope that he will put from him this phantasie, and think after the Philosophical Metals. Now so much as belongeth to you, Noble Patron and Friend, there is as yet one thing to be handled per∣taining to this operation, which I neither can nor will hold from you the Chymists, as Rhafis, Peter

Bonus, Ferrar. Trevisan, and the o∣ther of the Dialogue, and ma∣ny other who have well examin∣ed these imperfect Metals, and had good experience, they at length remain in this opinion that it is impossible to make Sol by Art, but out of Arg. vive. Seeing they see that Sol is nothing else than Arg. vive coagulated with its proper {sulphur} and fixed, now have they also well understood by their operations, that Mercury cannot be fixed into perfect Sol, unless Sol be dissolved and brought in∣to Mercury; this opinion have they taken from this ground, that they see that Nature could not fix that Arg. vive of ♄ ♃ ♀ with the external {sulphur} which cleaveth unto them; much less shall Art do it; whereupon they thought to take an Arg. vive which hath been perfectly fixed before, and

to mix this Arg. vive with com∣mon Mercury, or other Metals, that both may be one Individu∣um; but seeing this mixture can∣not be done with common Sol, they have taken the Sol in Mars, and have thought to mix it so with the common Mercury that they should never be separated, but that the Sol should alwayes remain with the Mercury, and the Mercury with Sol, that is, where the Sol is coagulated again, and also the Mercury is co∣agulated and fixed: in this pra∣ctise every one hath had his way of working, according to his un∣derstanding, and have spent long time herein; but thus much is certain to me, that they alwayes died ere they obtained the end of their speculation. Therefore saith the worthy Trithemius, That Alchymy is a perpetual Virgin,

and writeth of it thus, Chymia is beloved by many, and yet she is chast; she hath many domestick servants, which keep their Mistress with watchful Eyes, and oft take upon themselves her name, that they may preserve her from the em∣bracements of so many importu∣nate Lovers, and always unpollu∣ted: Vanity, fraud, deceipt, so∣phistication, covetousness, falseness, boldness, lying, foolishness, pover∣ty, desparation, proscription, cheat∣ing, are the Lacqueys of Chymistry; who feigning themselves to be the Mistress, that they may keep her unravished, do freely prostitute themselves to rich, covetous, world∣ly and proud Lovers: Thus much. He that will not believe this true Man, may search and try accord∣ing to his fantasie, as I and o∣thers have sufficiently done: What I have told you here,

cometh from experience that it is so; who hath a desire to spend his Money and Time thereon, he shall also find it so.

Thus have I finished what I promised to write of the ☿ of {antimony}, and also what the Ancients have sought and found in this ☿ of {antimony}, all which I have truly declared; on which you may conclude whe∣ther this Mineral is known to me or not: They which boast that they can make the ☿ of Metals without Arg. vive, they give us to understand that they are not Philosophers, and that they know not what Corruption, Regenera∣tion and the Multiplication of things is, and if they did rightly behold their work, they would see that they are deceived: Let Boasters be Boasters; believe in these things nothing but what your eyes see, and consider al∣wayes

the possibility of Nature, so shall you easily come out of this Laby••inth.

Lastly, I desire you that you would not be offended that I have held you so long with this Treatise; the condition which at present I suffer, permits little rest to write of this Operation; therefore have I cast it on the Pa∣per so miserably; when I have more leisure, I will finish other Writings, which as yet for want of opportunity I cannot. The Alchymists everlasting God illu∣minate the Lovers of Truth with his Spirit, and bring them out of the Bonds of thick darkness and unprofitable Talk of supposed Learned men, Amen.

Notes

• 2 drams.