Chemical Works

Johann Arndt’s Books on True Christianity, etc.

It happened, however, a short time thereafter, that this student original: Studiosus—because the Imperial troops in the year 1628 had overrun all of Holstein and Jutland with military force—traveled back up into Germany. The other student, however, remained at my place for a while longer; he studied medicine original: Medicin and, alongside this, worked diligently in alchemical matters original: Chymicis. Because his inheritance original: Patrimonium was small and he could not spend much on alchemical books, he earnestly requested that I might buy some of them for myself and lend them to him to read through. I was willing to do this for him and even gifted him several; however, I had the benefit of it myself, as I was able to read good authors who were otherwise unknown to me. The more I now read, the greater desire and love I felt for reading such books, so that I read through many a beautiful philosophical book In this context, "philosophical" refers to works on natural philosophy and alchemy rather than modern abstract philosophy. with great longing and delight original: Delectation. And thus, through God's providence, I [arrived] at the study of alchemy original: Alchymiæ...