Letter to the Gold-Seeking Lovers of Chemistry and Alchemy

A decorative woodcut headpiece at the top of the page. It features a central crown atop a tiered arrangement of geometric and floral ornaments, including diamonds containing cross-hatching, star-shaped flowers, and scrolling leaf motifs at the bottom edges.

Letter to a Lover of Alchemy, in which he is well-meaningly advised against pursuing this study theoretically and practically original: "theoretice & practice"; referring to both the reading of alchemical texts and the actual laboratory work any longer.

Dearest Friend!

With a secure opportunity, I herewith return in a cubic crate a "Cubischen Verschlag" refers to a sturdy wooden packing case used for transporting heavy items like books the chemical books lent to me, living in the hope that you will spare me from reading such books in the future; for otherwise, I would have to consider you my greatest enemy, since they seek to rob me of the precious time that I otherwise tend to employ for the benefit of the public original: "Publici"; meaning the common good or the community at large. Why do you wish to [force] such [things] upon me by force