DEDICATION

...[benefit,] carried a special heroic affection, desire, love, and favor for it; indeed, they even occupied themselves with it at times, finding delight and refreshment in it. (For it is an exceedingly lovely and remarkably pleasant Study, so that one who catches even a single glimpse through the cracks of the gates original Latin: per portarum rimas into this philosophical Secret Garden of the Hesperides In Greek mythology, the Hesperides were nymphs who guarded a garden of golden apples; in alchemical literature, this is a common metaphor for the hidden path to creating "philosophical gold.", as a lover of the art, can never again let it go.) Furthermore, Your Imperial Majesty follows this highly praiseworthy example of your ancestors with great fame and praise, sparing no expense to learn something therein and to reach a blessed end. Indeed, so that such Chemical Works original: Chemische Opera and writings may not be suppressed, but rather may come to light for the use of many, you have shown and proven all kinds of most gracious promotion through Special Imperial Privileges These were legal protections or licenses granted by the Emperor, similar to a modern copyright or patent, allowing the author the sole right to publish the work..

Thus, I have wished to bring together into a small manual and publish for the benefit of the sons of doctrine original Latin: Filiis doctrinæ; a traditional term for students or initiates of the alchemical mysteries. in this form, this little work by three highly enlightened, precious, highly experienced, and excellent men and Philosophers, which I have titled THE GOLDEN TRIPLE LITTLE TREASURY original Latin: THESAVRINELLAM AVREAM TRIPARTITAM. I have divided it into three separate little treatises because they are of the same tone original Latin: eiusdem tenoris and content, and they deal with the miracle of the chemical Stone of Nature original Latin: Chemico lapidis Physici miraculo; referring to the Philosopher's Stone. which they left behind in their writings.

The first little treatise is by our highly precious monarch and Philosopher, Philippus Theophrastus Paracelsus (who flourished with his Philosophy and Wonder-Medicine from the year 1530 and thereafter until 1541, and in that same year on September 24th, passed away blessedly in Christ). This work he calls the Magical Secret original Latin: Secretum Magicum, in which he treats three blessed stones, as well as the true First Matter original Latin: Materia Prima; the formless, original substance from which all things were created according to alchemical theory. of all God's creatures, and the First Matter of Metals original Latin: Metallorum Prima Materia, from which the true Universal and the Stone of the Philosophers original: L. Phil., likely an abbreviation for the Latin Lapis Philosophorum. shall be prepared.

The second is by the well-born Count and Lord Bernhard of Trevisan (of pious memory original Latin abbreviation: p. m. for piae memoriae), titled the Apostles' Creed original Latin: Symbolum Apostolicum; an alchemical text that uses the structure of the Christian creed as a symbolic allegory for the stages of the alchemical process., regarding the great Miracle-Stone of the...