TO THE NOBLE, PIOUS, AND LEARNED LORD

LUDWIG WOLFGANG VON HABSBURG,

HIS MOST VENERABLE LORD, GUGLIELMO

GRATAROLO, PHYSICIAN AND

PHILOSOPHER, SENDS HIS GREETINGS.

An ornamental woodcut of the initial letter M shows a man, perhaps a scholar or an alchemist, sitting at a desk surrounded by books and tools of science.

The science of minerals and the more secret art, which the ancient philosophers reverently called Secret Philosophy original: "Secreta Philosophia"; a common Renaissance term for alchemy, implying it is the hidden foundation of natural physics, has in our times, most magnificent man, largely fallen into such contempt because of the ignorant greed of men. Having been abandoned by bright minds, it has left behind nothing but darkness and vanity, or certain sophistries. But provident Nature, or rather the most provident God, the author of nature itself, who never ceases to preserve the things created by his omnipotent goodness, produces in various ages, when he sees there is a need, some pure intellect. By such a person, the precious treasures of the good sciences, almost lost through the envy of the times or the anger of higher causes, may be restored and brought to light. In this way, the world, having become naked and poor by the loss of these things, may again be adorned and made bright.

So it is that (to omit the other sciences, of which others write) God has at various times raised up certain men in this more secret part of Philosophy who shine through their long studies. In my time, among others, there was Giovanni Braccesco of Brescia original: "Ioannes Braceschus Brixianus"; an Italian alchemist known for his dialogues interpreting the works of Geber and Lull, whom I knew very intimately when he was already seventy years old. He spent almost his entire life in these studies, surveying the books of the ancients. Ten years ago, when I was in Italy, he gave me as a gift a Dialogue composed and written by himself.

However, when certain printers in Basel original: "typographi Basilienses"; Basel was a major European center for the publication of scientific and medical texts in the sixteenth century were preparing this year to print an excellent volume of this science and rare art (which we have added to this work), they asked me to translate it from the Italian in which it was written into the Latin tongue. I performed this task not unwillingly and with honesty. I recognized that the author had made no small progress in this science and knowledge, so that he might show some light, by the grace of God, to those who walk in darkness in this discipline.

Exceptional and most famous philosophers have also shone in this science: Hermes, Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle, and many other philosophers, although their writings have reached few. Among the others, the Arab Geber original: "Geber Arabs"; likely referring to Jabir ibn Hayyan, the most influential figure in medieval alchemy, Prince or King, seemed to have written better, more fully, and more learnedly. Yet he wrote so obscurely that truth can hardly be extracted from him even by the longest study and continuous labors. This is what the author of this Dialogue has largely provided, which I now finally send out under the shadow and name of your illustrious lordship. What indeed moved me to...