To the Reader.

the Earth concocted In alchemy, to 'concoct' means to ripen, refine, or mature a substance through steady, natural, or artificial heat.. Behold ! I have in
a few words discovered unto thee the
whole system of Nature, and her Royal
High-way of Generation The natural process of creating and developing life and minerals.. It is thy Du-
ty now to improve the Truth, and in my
Booke thou mayst, if thou art wise, find
thy Advantages. The foure Elements
are the Objects, and implicitly the Sub-
jects of Man, but the Earth is invisible.
I know the common Man will stare at
this, and judge me not very sober, when
I affirme the Earth, which of all sub-
stances is most gross Physical, heavy, or coarse. and palpable, to be
invisible. But on my soule it is so, and
which is more, the Eye of Man never
saw the Earth, nor can it be seen with-
out Art The 'Great Art' of Alchemy.. To make this Element visi-
ble, is the greatest secret in Magic, for
it is a miraculous Nature, and of all o-
thers the most holy, according to that
Computation Reckoning or classification. of Trismegistus Hermes Trismegistus, the legendary Hellenistic figure regarded as the founder of the Hermetic and alchemical traditions., Heaven,
Ether, Air, and the most sacred Earth original: "Cœlum, Æther, Aer, & sacratissima Terra".
As for this Feculent Foul, muddy, or full of dregs; the waste products of matter., gross Body upon
which we walk, it is a Compost, and no