Discourse on Curious Matters

—strive long for it, until the Center original: Centrum of life and the Mystery original: Mysterium of wisdom have been found.

Thus, the fault lies rather with man himself—blinded as he is by vain desires—when he prevents himself from grasping wisdom; for God is at all times willing to grant the Spirit of Light to all eager worshipers.

Now, since one would wish to indirectly guide or lead a person onto the path of the Hermeticists original: Hermeticorum—referring to the tradition of Hermes Trismegistus, encompassing alchemy, astrology, and theurgy, and toward the hidden wisdom, one would have to present the reasons why every Philosopher original: Philosophus—here used in the sense of a "Spagyric" or alchemical philosopher seeking the secrets of nature is moved to seek this jewel and to take possession of it. Furthermore, one would then have to describe the steps by which one must climb, with no small effort, into the Royal Palace a common alchemical metaphor for the successful completion of the "Great Work" or the attainment of ultimate knowledge.

As far as the reasons are concerned, the first that would arise is the cruelty of Death, before which every human trembles. Because of this, man is anxious to devise a single means of resisting this most loathsome enemy; for the various natural ailments of the body unfailingly predicted original: prognosticirten the robbery of his life, so that man wished not only to be secured—