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Preface.

Brother Basilius Valentinus original: "Fr. Basilius Valentinus." A legendary figure in alchemy, traditionally described as a 15th-century Benedictine monk, though his works first appeared in the early 1600s., of the Benedictine Order (whose homeland was in high Germany, above the Rhine, as he himself indicates with these words in the Triumphal Chariot of Antimony, page 35) writes in his repetition of the Great Stone, in the chapter on Wine, pages 98 and following, that three things are the noblest creatures in the world, which also love each other wonderfully and intensely. Among the Animals original: "Animalibus", he says, it is the Human being, for from his Mumia In alchemy, "Mumia" refers to the vital life force or balsamic essence within a body, believed to hold curative powers. the Animal Stone is made, and the small, humble world The "Microcosm," a recurring theme in this work. is contained within him. Among the Minerals original: "Mineralibus", Gold is the noblest, for its fixity Its resistance to fire and decay. brings proof of its noble stone and lineage. In the Vegetables original: "Vegetabilibus", however—specifically in Wine—lies buried the Vegetable Stone original: "Lapis Vegetabilis".

Now, the Human being loves Gold and Wine above all species of creation that can be seen with the eyes. Gold loves the Human and the Wine, for it gladly lets its noblest essence follow the Spirit of Wine, so that a drink may be made from it A reference to "Aurum Potabile" or drinkable gold, a prized alchemical medicine. which gives the Human strength and the lengthening of his life. Likewise, the Wine loves the Human and the Gold, for it unites itself most heartily with the Tincture of the Sun original: "Tinctura Solis," a technical term for the purified essence of gold., join-