Alchemy

...um (whose generosity in a certain work has begun to appear to me), Dr. Paul Simler, Dr. Martin Ruland, Dr. Johannes Rungius, men known to me through the commerce of letters, from whom I hope we shall at last see a vast forest of secrets when they have brought their plans to maturity. I do not omit Dr. Mockius, Nithammer,

devoted to true chemistry, whom I ask that, as far as possible, they may not be found wanting in this part for the adorning and fully establishing of this art.

Those things which have been drawn from my own storehouse, and which I have proved by reason and experience—besides the universal precepts, excerpted and shaped most laboriously and with a great struggle of the intellect from an undiscriminated hodgepodge of examples—will be evident to everyone by themselves. I give this warning: if I have not immediately referred their examples to their own authors, let it be judged in good part for this reason: because, partly in the first compilation, while they were written down and collected indiscriminately over many years, the names of the authors were lost; partly they were clearly hidden, and it did not appear to whom anything should be attributed. Thus many things were gathered from anonymous published and unpublished works; many things received here and there from various obscure craftsmen, and likewise investigated by private study. It was therefore not possible that his own inventor be added to each. Perhaps also those things which are credited to one author belong to some other more ancient one, which might have escaped my notice. If anyone thinks an injury has been done to himself, or to another well-deserving person, let him believe that I did not wish it so, and that I am prepared, if I am advised, to restore to each their own. But let no one claim for himself what belongs to another, as the Paracelsians are wont to do.

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