The Child-Bed of the Philosopher's Stone

...guide [you] / when you will find no thread / to guide you / except His goodness and mercy alone / may He guide and lead you.

If you govern yourself in such a manner with a thorough understanding and great simplicity of spirit / then read and study the scholars in this science Referring to Alchemy, often called "The Science" or "The Art" in this period. / penetrate into their secret and hidden meaning / and do not stop at the literal meaning of their words / repeat / reason / and contemplate this Subject original: "Subjectum"; in alchemy, this refers to the "First Matter" or the base substance required to begin the work. / which you seek / which is only a single thing / as you will hear hereafter / provided you believe / that I do not wish to mislead you / or mislead myself. Hermes Trismegistus A legendary Hellenistic figure associated with the "Emerald Tablet" and regarded as the founder of the Hermetic tradition., the father and prince of this hidden philosophy, is the first / who assures you / that it is founded upon the unity of a single beginning / when he says / that all things are made from a single thing / by means of a single thing. The divine Plato indicates this to you after him / when he says / that all things have come from unity / and return again to unity. And after him all the Sages testify to this truth / that you have need of no more than one thing / to prepare the great Magisterium original: "Magisterium"; the "Masterwork" or the process of creating the Philosopher's Stone. / when they say / that the matter is but one. Synesius Synesius of Cyrene, a 4th-century philosopher and bishop often quoted in alchemical texts regarding the "Stone." explains it to you sincerely / when he says of it / that God has created two stones with this universal thing / namely the white and the red / which are both hidden in or under one Subject.

Remember therefore / that when you [take] The catchword "nimst" (take) indicates the first word of the next page. this one