PREFACE.

I had barely finished my fifteenth year original: "troisiéme lustre". A lustrum is a Roman unit of time representing a five-year period; the author was fifteen years old at the start of his journey., when by I know not what instinct, I threw myself into the reading of these Books, and made every effort to gain an understanding of them: but my mind, finding itself blinded by the excessive brilliance of this Light In this context, "Light" refers to the overwhelming or blinding nature of profound esoteric knowledge., and knowing that it was impossible for me to unravel the riddles of this Sphinx Sphinx: A classical mythological figure known for posing riddles; alchemists frequently used the Sphinx to symbolize the obscure and difficult allegories of their craft., I left the Books there, I abandoned my reading, and renounced forever the hope of understanding them; however, after some time, having taken heart again, and implored Divine aid original: "secours Divin". A common theme in alchemy is that the "Great Work" cannot be achieved through intellect alone, but requires the grace of God., full of a new hope, I set myself once more to reading day and night with all my strength, and consumed twelve years in this reading en-