Subterranean Physics

...[as if] you were to take the pregnant womb away from a midwife: for in this way, neither would she receive the fruit profitably, nor would the mother conceive successfully. N. 3. Therefore, if your mind itches for subterranean things, learn first to investigate, dig up, and handle them in their natural place, in the mines and their proper locations; afterward, examine by Art In this context, "Art" refers to human technology and chemistry what you have learned, so that you may "know the lion by its claw" original: "ex ungue leonem"; a proverb meaning to judge the whole by a small part: that is, first recognize the bodies of subterranean things, then know their nature through the anatomy of fire A term for chemical analysis using heat to break substances down into their constituent parts. For in this study, all good and profitable Theory comes from practice, which in turn gives birth to Theory; therefore, you should always remain in this circle, joining Theory to practice and practice to Theory. N. 4. But since all practice requires "eyes in the hands" original: "oculatas manus"; meaning hands guided by visual experience and technical skill, which can in no way be sketched even by Apelles A famous painter of ancient Greece, used here to represent the pinnacle of descriptive ability himself or sufficiently described, it will be necessary that, before all else, you learn manual and indeed first simple practical operations from some skilled practitioner. For we speak to a blind man of the Sun in vain, or present harmonious Music to the deaf. Assuming, therefore, that you understand common practical operations, and that you know subterranean things—if not in Nature's own womb in the mines, then at least once they have been dug up—then I say that in this little work we shall lead you, if not to the heights to which we aspire, then at least to higher things, and outside the circle of common ash-blowers original: "ciniflonum"; a derogatory term for amateur alchemists or bellows-blowers who lack true philosophical knowledge. You will discover many things to be false which have been believed true for many centuries; and many things will be true which until now were concluded and held to be non-entities Things that do not exist. It will now be your task to learn for free what I spent much cost in time, health, labor, and the loss of reputation to be able to teach you. N. 5. Even if it is not my intention to lead you to the above-ground laboratory of Art The chemist's workshop and demonstrate what wonderful manipulations Art enters into with Nature, but my purpose consists only in this: to explain the subterranean laboratory of Nature, or the work of Nature, which she uses in producing various kinds of subterranean things; nevertheless, since both laboratories are so closely related to each other that three words can hardly be said about one without necessarily touching upon the other (for every Theory is defended by Practice, and Practice by Theory, so that one bears witness to the other), I could not help but intermix many practices and various theories for the discovery of other new things. These cannot be displeasing to the Philosophical-Chemical reader once he understands our intent. N. 6. For we have established, concluded, and affirmed once and for all that this little work was written for no other end than to unearth the nature of subterranean things and the Physical truth concerning their generation; not so much to satisfy the reader in everything—which we neither could do, nor for now wished to do in all things—but rather to provide a handle and the "titles of inventions" for other ingenious investigators of Nature; for the greater part of an invention is often its title Becher suggests that correctly identifying or naming a phenomenon is the most important step in discovery. Therefore, we entirely bar all gold-makers original: "Auripoëtas"; literally "gold-poets," those seeking the literal transmutation of base metals into gold through fantasy or luck from reading this little work. For that class of men not only seeks a most difficult Art, but—what is ridiculous—thinks the path to it is most easy, whereby they desire lucky accidents rather than a Physical knowledge of things. Drawing away from such people, therefore, I long for true Physicians and Chemical-Lovers original: "Phylo-Chymicos" as readers of this work; namely, fair judges of natural things, and from these I shall easily find pardon, because I have intermixed theories, practices, theses, positions, propositions, various...