An ornamental woodcut headpiece featuring symmetrical scrolling foliage, floral patterns, and a central decorative urn-like motif.

PREFACE.

To all seekers of the chemical art Chymica ars: at this time, chemistry and alchemy were considered a single discipline focused on the transformation of matter, namely the true sons of Hermes original: "Hermetis filijs" — a traditional title for practitioners of the "Hermetic" or alchemical arts, the author prays for health and blessing from God.

A large historiated woodcut initial 'C' decorated with intricate scrolling vines and leaves within a square frame.

CONSIDERING within myself, Kind Reader, that many counterfeit books and false recipes—as they call them—of the Alchemists original: "Alchymistarum Recepta", composed through the fraud and greed of impostors, in which not even a spark of truth shines, are circulating among the researchers of natural and occult arts; and seeing that very many have been deceived by them, and are still being deceived to this day; I judged that I could do nothing more useful than to share the talent A reference to the biblical parable of the talents, implying a divinely granted skill or gift entrusted to me by the Father of Lights original: "Patre luminum" — a phrase from the New Testament (James 1:17) referring to God as the source of all knowledge with the sons and heirs of knowledge, so that posterity also...