Preface.

to mock them, and that for political reasons; on one hand, to embolden the possessors of the Hermetic Arcana original: "Hermetischen Arcanen." These are the "Hermetic Secrets"—the hidden, sacred knowledge of alchemy traditionally attributed to the legendary figure Hermes Trismegistus., as if they would, upon this challenge, immediately appear on the field of battle. This is a desire more laughable than irritating, especially if one fails to reflect upon their motives, and so forth. On the other hand, [they do this] to display their supposed cleverness to the world, as if speaking an untruth in jest were no sin. Such was the case with a small treatise titled The Non-Existent Philosopher's Stone original: "Lapis Philosophorum Nonens", asserting that the Stone of the Wise Also known as the Philosopher's Stone, the legendary substance capable of turning base metals into gold and granting long life. never existed and does not exist even now, presented for reflection through divine and human wisdom by Christoph Pflugk, a pastor in Vielau, printed in the year 1732.

Likewise, there is the treatise The Foolish Adept original: "Adeptus Ineptus", or the Discovery of the Falsely Renowned Art Called Alchemy, in which the vanity of such an art is clearly demonstrated, the principles of the alchemists are examined, their deceit is exposed, and the impossibility of metal transformation Known as transmutation; the central alchemical process of changing one element into another. is at least