Mineral Stone, or the Highest Medicine

[page 5]

[is just] as in the great world original: "grossen Welt," referring to the macrocosm or the universe at large / but also through the help of the vaporous body the "vaporous body" refers to the subtle or astral essence that bridges the physical and spiritual realms in alchemy to change and to transmute transmute: to fundamentally change one substance into another, often associated with turning base metals into gold, together with the augmentation augmentation: the process of increasing the power, volume, or medicinal potency of an alchemical substance in the small world original: "kleinen Welt," the microcosm, referring specifically to the human body and soul / and do not let such things seem strange to you / because the Most High has permitted it / and Nature itself has undertaken it.

There are many people in the world / who do not believe such things / and deem them impossible / they dismiss and scold such mysteries original: "Mysteria", which they do not understand in the least / let them remain donkeys and senseless fools / until enlightenment original: "Erleuchtung" follows hereafter / which does not happen without the will of God / but will remain [withheld] until the [appointed] destiny / but understanding and experienced people / who have faithfully poured out the sweat of their brow / will give me sufficient testimony / and confirm original: "confirmiren" the truth / and thus affirm it, so that they can truly believe and hold / that everything I write / in this [matter] is truth / as true as Heaven and Hell are set before and ordained for the chosen ones, along with the damned, for the merit of good and evil.

Now I write not with my hands alone / but [my] mind, spirit, and heart drive me toward it / and stir me up / [seeing] that many conceited, highly enlightened, self-styled, world-wise people / hate, envy, blaspheme, revile, disgrace, and persecute these secrets original: "Geheimniß" / to the outermost shell / or to the innermost core / which has its beginning and origin original: "Originem" from the center original: "Centro" / but I know for certain it will...