Preface

...greedy people are never satisfied until the earth covers them, according to the proverb: They shall be content with a sarcophagus original Latin: Sarcophago contenti erunt; a grim reminder that only the grave satisfies the person who craves worldly possessions. They do not stop until someone finally presses their eyes shut in death.

Much is said about the Jews—that they are beyond measure greedy for money, usurious, exploitative, lying, and deceitful. Let no one be surprised by this, for they are a heathenish people The author reflects the common prejudices of his time, viewing non-Christians as "heathen" or lacking a moral compass who no longer know what they believe; and the fraud that occurs through them is not their own fault, but the fault of the authorities who tolerate them.

Among us Christians, however, there is a certain race or kind of people called smoke-selling chemists original Latin: fumivendulos Chymicos; a term for charlatans who sell "smoke" or empty promises rather than real chemical results, or chemical sophists, alchemical gold-beetles, and deceptive smoke-sellers. These people behave even worse, and are not to be compared to the Jews at all, but are to be regarded as something much "higher" Here, "higher" is used sarcastically to mean more advanced in their ability to deceive in their craft. They can handle matters much more artfully and appear more sincere in the eyes of many than all others. They have learned their "art" so exceedingly well that one does not realize they have been cheated and led astray until the swindlers have become invisible and no one knows where they have gone. These people promise the public that they will teach them...