A decorative rectangular headpiece composed of three horizontal rows of typographic ornaments. The top row features stylized fleur-de-lis elements; the middle row contains a dense, interlaced geometric pattern; the bottom row consists of repeating scroll and leaf motifs.

LETTER

FROM THE TRANSLATOR to one of his friends.

Here I am, Sir, since you wished it, ranked in the chemical category chemical category: the author refers to the community of "chymists," a term that in this era encompassed both early modern chemistry and the traditional pursuit of alchemy, and as a mark of my obedience, I send you the translation that you so much desired; to tell the truth, I do not expect a very great harvest from it, knowing the taste of the Age original: "le goût du Siecle"; referring to the prevailing intellectual trends of the late 17th or early 18th century as I do, and I am quite sure that people would much rather see treatises of philosophy according to Des- The text cuts off here, but likely refers to René Descartes, whose mechanical philosophy was then superseding older alchemical and Aristotelian traditions.