The Metallic Orchard

Sun, Moon, and all the stars were cre-
ated to illuminate all things, and through
their influence influence; original: Influens; in historical alchemy and astrology, this refers to the invisible "inflow" of celestial power or spiritual radiation from the planets that was believed to shape life and minerals on Earth to instill a new power.

All animals, birds, and fish, as well
as everything that is beneath the earth,
were created for the benefit of man,
that he should use and profit from them;

Man therefore has great reason
to thank GOD for this; yet the over-wit over-wit; original: Uberwitz; a term for intellectual arrogance or the presumption that one's own cleverness can bypass the laws of God or Nature
of many a man seeks to overstep GOD’s com-
mand and order: especially the great
multitude of our modern-day laborants laborants; original: Laboranten; a term often used to distinguish those who performed messy, practical chemical experiments—"puffers"—from the more philosophical or "true" alchemists;
these dare to change GOD’s command,
who says: be fruitful and multiply, each
according to its kind: yet nevertheless,
they want to make a metal out of blood,
urine, vitriol vitriol; a historical name for various sulfate minerals (like copper or iron sulfate), used as a primary solvent and reagent in the alchemical workshop,
and whatever else; so
long as the world has stood, no man
has yet practiced original: präktiret; here meaning to have successfully achieved or demonstrated in reality
this; as long as the world
shall yet stand, no man shall be
able to do it either; rather, he should
let it rest with this: let each multiply
according to its kind.

Now, he who wishes to make unripe metals
fixed fixed; original: fix; a technical term describing a substance that is stable when heated and does not evaporate or change state
and ripe In alchemical theory, "unripe" metals like lead were thought to be "ripening" in the earth's womb toward the state of gold; the alchemist seeks to accelerate this natural maturation,
must apply original: adhibire to that—