On the Secrets of the Adepts

...[the truth was] either poorly understood or entirely neglected on account of a rough covering of words. You may have even sometimes regarded these things as empty, false, and impossible, as if they were compiled for the purpose of deceiving you. Yet they are most true; they are gathered not from the common crossroads of vulgar chemistry Chemistry: (Latin: chymia) Here referring to the chemical/alchemical art; "vulgar chemistry" refers to the work of "puffers" or false alchemists who lacked the philosophical key., but from the best books of the highest Adepts Adepts: (Latin: Adepti) Alchemists who have successfully achieved the Great Work and produced the Philosopher’s Stone., from the treasury of Diana original: Dianae gazophylaceo. Diana, the moon goddess, often represents the "White Work" or the lunar stage of alchemy; her "treasury" signifies the collection of hidden truths regarding the purification of matter..

I speak of Recipes Recipes: (Latin: Recepta) The specific alchemical procedures or "receipts" for the transformation of matter. joined by such affinity and elaborated by such wondrous skill of the Masters Masters: (Latin: Magistrorum) The ancient and medieval authorities of the art. that they are linked like a chain. If you take away or deny a single process from among them, it necessarily follows that you must reject all the rest as false. Conversely, he who recognizes only a single one among many as true must hold all the rest to be true; furthermore, he must vindicate their authors—our most venerable masters—from any infamy of lying or scurrilousness.

The excellence of these recipes is illustrated by a variety that gushes forth from unity—the fountain of Truth—and returns to it as if to its own sea. Thus far, I have not been able to satisfy myself whether these procedures are infinite, or whether there is but one single Recipe in our alchemy, divided into different parts and intended for various uses. I observe variety in the various and distinct parts of these four Treatises Treatises: (Latin: Tractatum) The specific sections or books that comprise this work., yet unity in every part,