PREFACE

Meanwhile, it is certain that if the Booksellers original: "Bibliopolæ" who printed the Works of Philalethes were willing to confess the truth about where they received those booklets from, or in what language original: "idiomate" they were written, that dispute could easily be settled. In particular, William Cooper, a London Bookseller, must be named by me here publicly, as he saw to it that many works by this Author were printed. But even Lang and Birrius Likely Johann Lange and Martin Birrius, contemporary editors and translators of alchemical texts into Latin. were not ignorant of where they received those manuscripts, or under what name they were delivered to them. Though it must also be warned here that many works have long been suspected by the Learned, which are nevertheless commonly attributed to Philalethes—such as, perhaps, the Exposition on Flamel, Artephius, and Sendivogius These are three legendary alchemists; Flamel is the famous French scrivener, Artephius a medieval authority, and Sendivogius a Polish adept., regarding which there will be a place to provide warning elsewhere. It will now be helpful instead to provide a List of Books published both by Starkey,

...key This continues the name "Starkey" from the previous column. (whether he was ultimately a servant or a companion and friend of our Eirenaeus), as well as by Philalethes himself. It is a matter of regret, however, that many of these works rarely reach our hands, and many are written only in the English language. To be sure, Starkey primarily focused on these: The Vindication of Helmont Jan Baptist van Helmont (1580–1644), a pioneer of pneumatic chemistry whom Starkey greatly admired. and Pyrotechny, both composed in the English tongue. But more of Philalethes’ works have come into our hands, and we trust that taking an account of them here will be neither unpleasant nor burdensome for you, Kind Reader. The following monuments of genius by our "Cosmopolite" Philalethes often used the title "Cosmopolita" or Citizen of the World, a common alias for wandering alchemists who claimed to have the Stone. have been published and have come to our attention: