PREFACE

...disturbed by their own effort, and perceiving themselves to be far unequal to such great men, they have been swept away by a furious desperation against the names of these masters and the glory of science. Like Bacchantsoriginal: "bacchantes." In Greek and Roman mythology, these were the frenzied, raving followers of the god Bacchus; the author uses this to describe the irrational, "drunk" rage of failed alchemists., they have flared up, denying that anything exists beyond their own limited insight and mental powers except for mere emptiness. Because they did not devote themselves to a blameless labor, they have not ceased to accuse the leadersoriginal: "primicerios," meaning those of the highest rank or the first in a group; here referring to the founding fathers of Hermetic thought. of secret Philosophy of falsehood, Nature of impotence, and the ArtSpecifically the "Great Art" (Ars Magna) of Alchemy. of trickeryoriginal: "praestigiarum," meaning illusions, jugglery, or deceptive sleight of hand.. They do this for no other reason than that they rashly condemn what they do not know; nor is condemnation enough for their vengeance, unless they also add an infamous madness...