Preface.

I sing original: "cano" of the philosophical Adrop The term "Adrop" is an alchemical name for the "Prime Matter" or the lead-like body from which the Philosopher's Stone is extracted. and the Chemical Matter original: "Materiæ Chymicæ", along with its detailed and perfect preparation. Because this will liberate you from many labyrinths and Errors original: "Erroribus" that occur in this high Work, you should accept it with favor and goodwill.

However, the Mercury of the Alchemists original: "Mercurius Alchymistarum" is not common mercury, nor does it come from any body of imperfect metals, but is the principle and root of all of them; it is not a metallic body, but an essential metallic spirit, tempered in its qualities original: "non Mercurius vulgi nec alicujus Corporis ex Metallis imperfectis, sed est omnium istorum principium & radix: non est Corpus Metallicum, sed Spiritus Metallicus essentialis & temperatus in qualitatibus suis." This is a crucial distinction in alchemy: the "Mercury" used by masters is a spiritual essence, not the liquid metal found in nature., and it alone is a subtle, clear, pure, and eternal substance of Mercury, Sulfur, and Salt original: "Mercurii, Sulphuris & Salis." These are the "Tria Prima" or Three Primes, the fundamental components of all matter in Paracelsian philosophy., and it is a Mercury of the Sun and Moon original: "Mercurius Solis & Lunæ." In this context, the Sun and Moon refer to the celestial influences or the perfected states of Gold and Silver..

For this Philosophical Mercury is the beginning of the Sun and Moon original: "Solis und Lunæ", in the way that Nature begins