The Sendivogian Chemical Tripod

Foreword to the
Alchemical Reader.

[Decorative initial D]ecause, according to the common proverb, good wares require no praise—or, in the manner of the poets, good wine needs no hoop original: "Raiffs." This refers to the metal or wooden hoop of a wine barrel. or displayed ivy wreath In historical Europe, an ivy bush or wreath hung outside a tavern was a traditional sign that good wine was served within. The author is saying the book's quality is so high it needs no advertising.—it seems entirely unnecessary to introduce many boasts and words of praise for this little book in this preface. For the work speaks well enough for itself and is renowned and well-known throughout most of Europe among both the learned and the lovers of this secret philosophy original: "haimlichen Philosophy," a standard term for alchemy, which was considered the "occult" or "hidden" study of nature's inner workings..

This can be recognized partly by the fact that it has been reprinted so often, in so many different places, and in so many various formats (which is, admittedly, a minor argument, considering that many counterfeit and even annoying pamphlets original: "Chartecken," a derogatory term for cheap, poorly made books or scandalous broadsheets. are often published). But it is recognized more significantly because it is highly praised, approved, and cited by the most excellent philosophers of our time. But most of all
A ij but "A ij" is a signature mark used by early modern printers to help binders assemble the pages in the correct order. The text "but most of all" anticipates the argument on the following page.