Natural Philosophy of Three Ancient Philosophers: Artephius, Flamel, and Synesius

PREFACE TO THE READER.

A large, ornate woodcut initial letter 'A' is decorated with scrolling foliage and floral motifs, marking the beginning of the text.

Our Artephius [kind Reader] is the only one among the Philosophers who lacks envyoriginal: "invidia"; In alchemical literature, this refers to the "jealousy" of masters who hid their secrets to prevent the unworthy from succeeding. An author without envy is one who writes clearly., as he asserts of himself in many places below; for this reason, he explains the entire art in the clearest words, and as much as he is able, he resolves and clears away the riddles and sophismsoriginal: "sophismata"; deceptive arguments or "blinds" used by alchemists to lead the uninitiated astray. of the wise. Truly, lest he provide a means of doing harm to the impious, the ignorant, and the wicked, he has veiled the truth within an artful method—now asserting, now denying—and through his repetitions, he leaves the path of virtue, truth, and true labor to the judgment of the reader. If anyone is able to grasp this path, let him return immortal thanks to God alone; but if he sees that he does not walk in the true track, let him reread the author until he can thoroughly reach his meaning.

So did the most learned John Pontanus A 16th-century alchemist famous for his "Epistle," in which he claimed to have found the secret "Fire" only after reading Artephius., who says in his Epistle printed in the Chemical Theater original: "Theatro Chimico"; a massive, multi-volume compendium of alchemical texts published in the 17th century.:

They wander [he speaks of those
laboring in the art], they have wandered, and they shall wander,
because the Philosophers have not set down the proper
agentoriginal: "agens"; likely referring to the "Secret Fire" or the catalyst required to begin the Great Work., except for one who is named ARTE-
PHIUS, but he speaks for himself; and unless I had read AR-
TEPHIUS and perceived him speaking, I would never have
reached the completion of the work.

Therefore, read him, and reread him, until you perceive him speaking, and you are able to obtain the desired end. There is no reason for me to say much regarding our author; let it suffice that he lived for a thousand years Artephius was a legendary figure often identified with Apollonius of Tyana; alchemical tradition claimed he discovered the "Elixir of Life," allowing him to live for ten centuries. by the grace of God (as he says) and by the use of this wonderful quintessenceThe "fifth essence," the purest part of a substance, believed in alchemy to be the universal medicine or the Philosopher's Stone in liquid form.. This is also testified by Roger Bacon in his book On the Secret Works of Nature, and also by the most learned Theophrastus Paracelsus in his book On Long Life—a span of a thousand years which other Philosophers, and not even the father Hermes himself, were able to reach. See to it, then, that this author perhaps knows the virtues of our Stone better than all others. You, however, whatever the case may be, enjoy him and our labors for the glory of God and the benefit of the Kingdom of France. Farewell.