Preface.

shines is gold. I had a father and friends who wandered through half the world (to indulge this passion) and who had half the libraries of chemical original: "chymischer"; at this time, chemistry and alchemy were often synonymous writers in their heads; who, in their own right, were quite learned men, lacking neither in good laboratory skill, opportunity, nor wealth—yes! They even held in their hands manuscripts original: "MS." inherited from so-called adepts original: "adeptis"; individuals believed to have attained the ultimate secrets of alchemy, specifically the Philosopher's Stone, and yet they consumed their entire fortune without finding any other stone The author is making a pun: they didn't find the Philosopher's Stone, only the "stone" that serves as a grave marker besides the one that covered their lifeless bodies. Nothing is more absurd than when chemical authors alchemical writers try to force this art upon Adam, the patriarchs, or even King Solomon original: "Salomoni Regi" himself. How little of what is genuine do we have from the antiquity of bygone ages? And the little we do have, they do not understand; if they read the Scriptures better in their context, they would find nothing concerning the former Adam and the patriarchs, but for the latter Solomon it is quite clear from whence Solomon obtained his wealth. It might still be plausible if they [attributed it] to Tubal-Cain A biblical figure from Genesis 4:22, described as an "instructor of every artificer in brass and iron," often claimed by alchemists as the first metalworker ra-