The Sendivogian Chemical Tripod

What reward such intentional swindlers and deceivers of the people may one day expect is not difficult to conclude. In truth, they are the great seal and padlock The original German uses the term Mahlſchloß, literally a "mill-lock," signifying a metaphorical barrier that stops the "mill" of alchemical work from functioning. of this art; for through the countless number of false books and entire "theaters" This refers to Theatra, the massive printed compendiums of the 17th century that collected hundreds of different alchemical treatises into single, often confusing, volumes. full of dreams (of which I could name a long list, even just those well known to me), many aspiring seekers of truth are shamefully led into the dark The original phrase hinder das Liecht geführet (led behind the light) is a German idiom meaning to be deceived or hoodwinked.. While they trust such boasters, they set aside authentic books, abandon the right path of Nature, spend their lives wandering in labyrinths, and finally, out of grief, end their lives miserably in hunger and sorrow.

But he who can become truly wise from the misfortune of others is indeed a skillful man. He may let go of these uninvited new interpreters of dreams and, for a true interpretation, apply himself to the great Book of the World The Liber Mundi or "Book of the World" is the philosophical idea that the natural world is a text written by God, which the scientist or alchemist must learn to read. and the four leaves of the elements. There, on one side, is written Action original: Actio., and on the other, Passion original: Paſſio. In early modern physics and alchemy, "Passion" refers to the capacity of a substance to be acted upon or changed by an external force, the necessary counterpart to "Action."; alongside these, however, he should apply the proven The text cuts off here with the catch-word "proven," which will lead into a list of reliable authors on the following page.