A decorative woodcut headpiece featuring symmetrical floral and foliate scrolls with a central flower motif.

BOOK ON THE PRIN-

CIPLES OF NATURE, AND THE

MOST ELEGANT ALCHEMICAL ART,

Since alchemy is the true follower of nature, as Albert Albertus Magnus (c. 1200–1280) was a Dominican friar and polymath whose works on nature and science were foundational to medieval alchemy. states, and is entirely produced and founded upon the operation of nature—especially since it is based on certain preparations of natural beings original: "entium naturalium." In this context, "beings" refers to physical substances or entities found in the natural world.—it will therefore be most fitting to know the properties of natural beings. Indeed, for those who do not wish to wander into error in this science, it is necessary to understand the origin and cause of these things, and first of all, to have a knowledge of the "naturalness" original: "naturalitatis." This refers to the essential nature or the inherent qualities that make a thing what it is. and the forms of beings. Since all natural things exist from these two principles This likely refers to the Aristotelian concept of "matter" and "form" as the two primary principles of all physical things., it follows that one must know the operation of nature, so that through this science one may know how to rule and direct the work. Generally, and first, one must learn about the naturalness of natural things: how the wisdom of God divided the circles and spheres of the entire world into two separate parts, namely the natural world in one and the celestial in the other. The first part is the sphere original: "orbis." of the four elements four elements|The traditional building blocks of the physical world: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire., beginning from the earth and reaching up to