Aula Lucis, or The House of Light

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to your diligence add patience, to your patience hope, for I tell you neither fables nor foolish things.

original: "Tibi res Antiquae laudis, & Artis Aggredior, Sanctos ausus recludere fontes." A quote from the Roman poet Virgil’s Georgics (Book 2), where he expresses his intent to write about ancient, noble subjects and reveal hidden knowledge.

I tell you a truth as ancient as the foundations of the world. And now, lest my preface should become too long in relation to the discourse itself (which must be short), I will leave this kind of outer structure original: "out-work" — a defensive fortification built outside the main wall of a fortress; here, Vaughan uses it as a metaphor for his introductory remarks. so that I may bring you indoors. There, I will show you the Throne of Light and its Crystalline Court.

Light originally had no birth other than manifestation Vaughan is suggesting that Light was not "created" as a new substance, but was always present and simply became visible or "discovered" at the beginning of the universe., for it was not made but discovered. It is properly the life of everything, and it is that which acts in all specific things. However, the union of light with the first matter The "first matter" (prima materia) is the formless, original substance that alchemists believed was the starting point for the creation of all physical things. was celebrated by a general contract before any specific things were made. The matter itself was a passive thing?